Women entrepreneurs continue to chip away at the notion that
golfing is just for guys. According to the Executive Women's
Golf Association, more than 450,000 women between the ages of 18
and 49 took up golf in 1994.
"Women realize their male counterparts are doing much of
their business on the golf course, and to maintain an edge, they
need to be able to participate as well," says Nancy Oliver,
founder of the West Palm Beach, Florida-based association, which
boasts 15,000 members. "Now it's politically incorrect not
to invite a woman business owner to participate in a golf outing,
and if women haven't learned the game, they feel they have to
decline the invitation. It only takes a few of those declines
before women realize they should probably learn to play."
The association offers a clinic for beginners that covers
"not just how to swing the club but how to conduct yourself in
a golf environment so you don't embarrass yourself,"
Oliver says. "Women haven't come out to play sooner
because they've felt intimidated by the sport or the men or the
attitudes. We're trying to break down some of those
barriers."
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At the group's monthly outings, which focus more on
camaraderie and networking than on competition, Oliver has noticed
women are definitely getting into the swing of things.
"They're out there for four or five hours, bonding in
beautiful weather, in a beautiful setting," she says.
"And they're realizing 'So this is what this old
boys' network is all about.' "
Women also seem to be learning to play the game in more ways
than one. Says Oliver, "All of a sudden, they're
developing a golf network of their own."
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