Thanks to the generosity of Bel-Air Country Club and Friends of Golf, 20 juniors gathered on the grill room patio for lunch followed by a riveting Q&A with the LPGA and World Golf Hall of Famer. 

Our juniors were inspired to hear that Ms. Alcott began playing in the front yard of her childhood home, putting into sprinkler heads and soup cans. Everyone chuckled when Ms. Alcott shared that her neighborhood nickname was “one more Alcott,” as she always pleaded to have one more putt before it was time to head into the house for homework or dinner. 

Ms. Alcott emphasized remembering that “you are more than your number.” In other words, one’s self-worth and self-confidence should not be determined by how they are playing on a given day. Many girls were encouraged by Ms. Alcott’s playing career successes and appreciated her candid reflections. 

Throughout her time with our juniors, Ms. Alcott, who boasts 33 professional victories worldwide spanning a 40-year career, continued to underscore the importance of preparation and “finding bliss” through the game. She powerfully highlighted the many more opportunities available for female juniors today, reminding the girls that she had to play on the men’s team when she was in high school. 

The afternoon wrapped with autographs and photos and additional tips on how to improve one’s mental game. Thank you, Bel-Air Country Club, Friends of Golf and Ms. Alcott for a memorable moment concluding the 123rd U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship!

Check out the full photo gallery for the event.

Photo credit: Derek Ban / IG: @banflicks

Momoka has grown through her experience in PYD, shooting her lowest round of 75 last month. She continues to work hard on her game and introduce others to the sport she loves by starting her middle school golf team with the support of SCGA Junior.

How has SCGA Junior impacted you?

The SCGA Junior program has helped improve my golf skills. But on top of that, it has taught me many things about leadership and friendship. It’s also given me many amazing opportunities, such as watching professional golfers playing on local courses, and I can’t thank SCGA enough.

What inspired you to start a golf club at your middle school?

I started a Japanese club in 6th grade, and this year, I started a golf club at my school, Portola Highly Gifted Magnet, because I want to make more friends who enjoy playing golf together. Coach Lauren Fesler offered golf clinics for my club, and I am very thankful for her. 

What has volunteering for Girls Golf meant to you?

My dream when I become a professional golfer is that I want to start my own golf school. I think golf is an amazing sport, and I want more kids to love the game. Volunteering for Girls Golf is the beginning of that dream. I am very happy to see children, especially young girls, enjoying golf. 

Why is diversity and representation important in golf?

Golf is a sport that anyone can play – no matter their race – and everyone has a fair chance at competing. If Asian people like me can become role models to more juniors, it will encourage kids to go after their dreams.

How important is it to you to have a community of golfers and coaches that look like you?

It’s very important because seeing the similarity between yourself and someone successful makes you think, “Oh, someone that looks like me did this amazing thing. That must mean I can also do it!” And I feel that is the mindset that encourages children to push themselves harder to get to their goal.

What is your favorite family tradition?

There is a festival in Japanese culture called “Hinamatsuri” (Girls’ Day), and on that day, we always cook Chirashizushi. My mother learned the recipe from her mother, and I love it.

The Associated Women’s Golfers of Annandale was one of the first women’s clubs to support the SCGA Junior Golf Foundation after the SCGA and WSCGA merged in 2017 and has continually supported the Foundation’s Deb Long Drive that provides funding for Girls Golf programming.

Sophia Martinez (age 17), Salma Ibrahim (17), Siham Ibrahim (15), Carolina Pedroza (15) and Oliviah Chavez (16) from the Southeast Los Angeles community were each placed in a foursome with three members from the women’s club in this 5-hole scramble event.

“It was fun to play with the Annandale women and be able to connect with them on a personal level through the round. I loved the beauty of the golf course,” said Sophia Martinez.

Following golf was a reception where SCGA Junior Scholar Juliette Ruaux, who currently plays on the women’s golf team at Occidental College, spoke about her involvement in the SCGA Junior programs and the impact the Foundation has made on her.

SCGA Junior Golf Foundation Scholarship Committee Member and Annandale member, Julie Gallant, said of the event, “Events like the Annandale mixer that include both junior golfers and women golf club members are a win-win for all participants.  The juniors get to experience golf at a private club and they have the opportunity to meet women golfers from varied backgrounds, ages and golf skills”.

This mixer was an amazing opportunity for our girl golfers to meet and get advice from women who are both passionate about the game and successful off the course. The women were all impressed by the girls’ golf skills and ability to network and mingle with the women.

The event was a huge success as the Associated Women’s Golfers of Annandale raised $3,500 for the growth of Girls Golf programs.

Gallant urges other clubs to follow in their footsteps, “I hope Annandale and other private clubs continue to support the SCGA Junior Golf Foundation by including junior golfers in some of our events”.

Martinez added, “I am extremely grateful for all the donations given. You all have helped so many juniors with the opportunity to play such a beautiful sport”.

If your club is interested in hosting juniors and supporting the Foundation, please reach out to Jennifer Seislove at jseislove@scga.org.

For Erynne Lee, a 27-year-old LPGA card holder, golf is a combination of all three.

After a decorated competitive career that catapulted her to the then-Symetra Tour, Lee’s flame of eagerness to give back to the game did not extinguish. Starting her coaching career with SCGA Junior, Lee recently relocated to New Jersey with her boyfriend and accepted an assistant coach position with the Princeton University women’s golf team.

Born into a golf-savvy family, Lee was destined for a life on the course. While her father is a “bogey golfer,” he still encouraged and challenged Lee to pursue golf and “just keep swimming.”

Besides her father, Lee’s younger sister followed the family legacy and picked up the sport. The Washington residents quickly made golf a “family affair.”

At the age of 9, Lee swung her first club, and the rest is a series of accomplishments that not only make her family proud but inspire the children and teens everywhere to fall in love with the game.

At 12-years-old, Lee was competing on the national stage, which proved to be successful. From there, golf followed Lee into her college career where she played competitively on full scholarship for UCLA’s women’s golf team from 2011 to 2015. She enjoyed the competitive atmosphere of the team and the school—going on to receive her degree in psychology.

All her hard work in college paid off; Lee held a career in professional golf for over six years. In 2016, Lee joined the Symetra Tour, the Official Qualifying Tour of the LPGA. Her incredible scores rewarded her with an LPGA card in 2018.

Lee attributes much of her success to the coaches on the Symetra Tour, who made sure she was well-fed and taken care of each day while she navigated a demanding practice schedule.

“Being able to perform on the highest level week in and week out (was a challenge),” she admitted.

But Lee did not limit her passion and proficiency for golf just to a professional setting.

“I’ve been transitioning out of the competitive environment and pursuing coaching and teaching,” Lee said.

Where she was once working day-in day-out on her own personalized schedule, Lee began working around the schedule of youth in the greater Los Angeles area as a coach for SCGA Junior. Late afternoons during the week and early mornings on the weekend defined the start of Erynne Lee’s transformation to golf coaching.

“As a player, you understand golf from your perspective and point of view—in the way your body reacts and swings the golf club,” admits Lee.

The adjustment to teaching was no easy task, but it was one Lee found incredibly fulfilling. She acknowledges that everyone comes from different walks of life, which dictates their understanding of golfing in general.

Her best tactic to help the golfers-to-be is showing enthusiasm and energy while still offering mechanical adjustments, which was rewarding for both parties.

“The kids would learn from the weeks prior and seeing them grow individually was fulfilling for me as a coach,” she effuses.

Despite the transition to coaching, Lee acknowledges her days of competing aren’t quite finished either. 

“I’ll definitely have other opportunities to play down the road, so I haven’t closed that chapter yet.”

As for the golf community, Lee understands how frustrating the game of golf can be.

“You have to persevere—we all watched the movie ‘Finding Nemo’: ‘just keep swimming.’”

She also encourages connecting with a local pro, or even head to YouTube for testimonials and tutorials.

Anyone can be a golfer, whether it be a hobby or a profession.

Lauren Fesler, Program Manager in the San Fernando Valley community, Jakeishya Le, Player and Youth Development Coordinator in Riverside, and Teresa Thornton, Southeast L.A. community Instructor, provided their insights, hopes and challenges for embedding diversity in the groundwork of their respective Girls Golf Chapters. As part of the LPGA*USGA Girls Golf End of Year Summit, these three women represented the Foundation as they lead a pivotal discussion on the Multicultural Diversity Panel during the event.

These women have watched the evolution of the game from their own youth and are ecstatic to continue to see inclusivity grow. “We really promote embracing and celebrating differences in our communities. We do this by being open and fostering a mutual respect for everybody that is there,” says Le in regards to implementing change in Girl’s Golf.

A youth golfer herself, Le remembers stepping onto the course and seeing it was heavily male dominated.

“By breaking down these norms and celebrating the differences in our communities, girls will then feel empowered by what makes them different and confident in their own skin to really thrive both on and off the golf course,” she continues.

Fesler agrees that the growth of golf is not limited to gender only.

 “In addition to gender, it’s important that the face of golf continues to change and be more reflective of the population. Girls Golf is a great way to do this as it welcomes new families into the game who have historically not been welcome on the course.”

 Through her tireless work as an on-site manager for the SCGA Junior Golf Foundation, Fesler plans a host of fun activities for the Girls Golf program, always keeping her goals for diversity and inclusion at the forefront. Both women stress the importance of an inclusive, but enjoyable atmosphere for the next generation of female Southern California golfers. 

“We really emphasize meeting our juniors where they are…regardless of their playing ability and skill, we want to provide the most welcoming, fun, and safe environment for our girls to want to come back to,” stressed Le.

 “What better way to foster this environment for the SCGA than by making friends?” Fesler adds. “We also encourage all girls to form friendships through the program, which is very rewarding. I love seeing the girls practicing outside of programming and hearing all of the laughs at the course.”

The SCGA Junior Golf Foundation’s Girls Golf Program is the perfect place to implement diversity and inclusion because “the Girls Golf program is a great entry point to golf. Since it’s an affordable program with a craft component, a lot of girls get their start in this program,” says Fesler.

No matter what skill level, the SCGA Junior Golf Foundation fosters young women and young golfers, making sure that comfort and ease is at the forefront of the organization.

The Foundation currently offers Girls Golf programs across Riverside, Southeast Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. In the future, both Le and Fesler hope to expand beyond three regions of instruction, as well as “extend the invitation to new groups and welcome more minority golfers into the game” Fesler adds.

Beyond themselves, both the SCGA Junior Golf Foundation and the LPGA strive to bring more female golfers to mentor the growing youth community. These efforts from both parties will shepherd growth in young women, so they can more easily break into a traditionally male-dominated sport.