DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Jan. 9, 2007 – Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) members Laura Diaz and Suzy Whaley have been selected as spokeswomen to promote the third-annual Women’s Golf Week (WGW). Last year, nearly 600 facilities nationwide hosted an estimated 20,000 participants. Buoyed by the work of Diaz and Whaley, the program is expecting to reach 50,000 women through 1,200 host facilities June 2-9, 2007.
Whaley, a golf professional at the TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn., is a three-year national spokesperson for WGW. As a Class A LPGA Teaching and Club Professional (T&CP) and PGA professional, she is also one of Golf for Women Magazine’s Top 50 teachers. In addition to lessons and national speaking engagements, Whaley was an on-course commentator for ESPN at numerous LPGA Tour events in 2006. She continues to work with fellow LPGA and PGA professionals around the country who help sponsor WGW events at their respective clubs.
"Women’s Golf Week is a week dedicated to help grow the game among women. It celebrates all women golfers from new golfers to experienced players," Whaley said. "During the week’s events, women are offered instruction, networking opportunities, friendship and a lot of fun. As a spokesperson, I’m thrilled to help grow the women’s game and I look forward to another fantastic week."
While balancing a full-time LPGA Tour schedule next year, Diaz will be supplementing her WGW spokeswoman duties with her position as honorary chairwoman of the Executive Women’s Golf Association (EWGA) Member-Get-A-Member campaign.
"As a spokeswoman for Women’s Golf Week, I am excited to use the week’s events to bring women to the game of golf," said Diaz, who is a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour. "No doubt, Women’s Golf Week will also give a boost to our goals for the EWGA’s 2007 Member-Get-A-Member campaign."
During Women’s Golf Week, participating host golf facilities offer complimentary golf instruction to girls and women 14 years of age and older. Host facilities are also encouraged to offer a variety of golf activities throughout the week, including networking receptions, golf rules, etiquette and pace of play programs, club fitting and equipment demonstrations, golf apparel fashion shows, luncheons, playing experiences and contests.
Women’s Golf Week was developed in response to input from golf industry leaders at the 2004 GOLF 20/20 Conference and is part of the Play Golf America campaign, the golf industry’s premier search engine for accessing information on player development programs for adults, women and families nationwide. In 2007, the management of Women’s Golf Week will be spearheaded by the LPGA, the EWGA, The PGA of America and the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA). Ongoing commitment from other leading organizations in golf including the PGA TOUR, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) and the United States Golf Association (USGA) will add support to the success of the program. Other organizations are also expected to continue their support in 2007, such as Golf for Women Magazine, which has been part of Women’s Golf Week since its inception.
Host facilities will utilize www.PlayGolfAmerica.com to post their Women’s Golf Week activities for consumers to access and register to attend. Beginning in January, interested golf facilities will be able to sign up as official host facilities and begin posting their specific activities.
About the lead organizations:
The LPGA is the world’s pre-eminent women’s professional sports organization featuring the world’s best women golfers. In addition to the more than 400 LPGA Tour members, the LPGA membership includes nearly 1,200 certified Teaching and Club Professionals (T&CP) who serve the golf industry in teaching, coaching and management positions. The LPGA T&CP member programs focus on increasing the involvement of women, girls and youth in golf, as well as contribute to the growth of the sport overall. For more information on the LPGA, log on to www.LPGA.com.
The EWGA provides opportunities for women to learn, play, and enjoy the game of golf for business and for life. There are currently 120 chapters throughout the United States and Canada. Since it was started in 1991, EWGA has touched the lives of more than 80,000 women, offering a welcoming environment, golf education and organized play programs. EWGA chapters provide a wide range of golf, social and networking activities for both new and experienced golfers. The EWGA is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. For more information about the association and membership, visit www.ewga.com.
The PGA of America was founded in 1916, and is a not-for-profit organization that promotes the game of golf, while continuing to enhance the standards of the profession. The Association is comprised of more than 28,000 men and women PGA Professionals who are dedicated to growing participation in the game of golf. Visit www.pga.com to learn more.
The National Golf Course Owners Association is the leading authority on the business of golf course ownership and management. The Association represents the key decision makers with ultimate responsibility for golf courses throughout the world. Through advocacy, information resources, purchasing programs and networking opportunities, the NGCOA helps golf course owners and operators run more successful businesses. For more information visit our websites: www.ngcoa.org or www.getlinkedplaygolf.com.
Contact:
Dana Gross-Rhode
LPGA
386.274.6200
dana.grossrhode@lpga.com
Trish Davis
EWGA
800.407.1477 ext. 15
trish_davis@ewga.com
