Executive Power

Looks like the good old boys network is getting a woman’s touch.

At least, the Executive Women’s Golf Assn. hopes it is.

The Florida-based national organization with Orange, Los Angeles and San Diego County chapters, encourages professional women to learn golf as a tool for enhancing business relationships and creating personal friendships.

Through it, businesswomen once left out of the loop because they never made it to corporate outings on the links now make deals and break 80.

“The focus is primarily to give career-oriented women the opportunity to feel comfortable playing golf,” said Sarah Hume, the group’s national executive director. “We’re focused on the working woman who wants to learn to use golf as a business tool, meet other women to play with, and learn the game in an environment that’s welcoming.”

Created in 1991 by 28 women with a credo to “promote and foster acceptance, dignity and respect for career-oriented women golfers,” the EWGA has expanded to a nationwide membership of nearly 14,000.

By holding seminars, clinics, golf outings and tournaments for golfers of all abilities, the group has helped erase the fears and frustrations of many women golfers. They teach the intricacies of golf rules and etiquette for beginners and help more advanced players with the finer points of the golf swing.

“Golf is an intimidating sport for anyone who takes it up,” Hume said. “[We help] you learn in a less threatening environment with other women so you aren’t so intimidated.”

Fear, Hume said, is the biggest reason women tend to avoid corporate golf outings.

“You have to stand up there in front of the company president or a client and you’re afraid that if you look stupid they won’t take you seriously,” she said. “A lot of women don’t want to be in that situation.”

That’s where the local chapters come in.

The Orange County chapter, for example, holds twilight outings at David L. Baker in Fountain Valley and Coyote Hills in Fullerton every week. There are clinics and nine-hole events for beginners and high-handicap golfers as well as competitive tournaments for better players.

Members include vice presidents of banks, hairstylists, interior designers, controllers, nurses, teachers, physicians and even a rocket scientist. And while professional networking is a part of the group, it is not the most important part.

“The reason why it says ‘executive women’ is because it’s geared toward women who work,” Orange County Chapter President Colette Sosnowski said. “Everything is on weekends and in the evenings. But I’d say the focus is on enjoyment in an environment of women that are all different and want to learn golf.”

Judy Greenspon of Huntington Beach had made several attempts at learning golf. About two years ago, she was trying to learn from her boyfriend and both became frustrated. Golf outings became irritating adventures and aggravating tests of patience.

When her boyfriend heard about the Executive Women’s Golf Assn., he suggested she join.

“It was amazing,” she said. “I was getting so frustrated on the course because I was with a man. When you get out there with other women, it’s so much more comfortable. You don’t even have to be good, you can learn there.”

Sosnowski reminds that while the business benefits are an important factor with the EWGA, the social benefits associated with the group are not to be overlooked.

“Once you have joined this organization, you develop a camaraderie,” Sosnowski said. “So many professional women have such demanding schedules that it’s difficult to develop friendships. But the socializing we do on the course is such a good time. Most of my real close friends have come from this group.”

And while none of the women have intentions of playing at the professional level, they do have visions of playing well in corporate events.

Greenspon, who works in research and design in the electronics industry, is often courted by business associates for golf outings. Before joining the Executive Women’s Golf Assn., she was uncomfortable playing in them, but now she is ready to go.

“They’d say, ‘It’s only a scramble, it’s just for fun,’ ” Greenspon said. “They might not care, but I do. It’s real important for me to get better at golf so I feel confident playing with business associates.”

The number of women wanting to do the same continues to rise. Hume reports an average of 12-15 new chapters each year since the EWGA’s inception. And as the numbers increase, so does the influence of the EWGA.

The group was instrumental in starting a women’s division in the National Long Drive Competition, a popular annual men’s competition held in Las Vegas. Hume said she fields several media inquires each week and hopes her group can help erase stereotypes about slow women golfers who don’t know the rules or etiquette.

“As our numbers grow, we hope to take advantage of the fact that we will have some influence,” Hume said. “Obviously there are still opportunities for attitude adjustments in the world of golf. We hope to have positive influence in that area and hopefully people will be hearing more from us in the coming years.”