This fall, the links are providing more than just a place for men to swing a few rounds for some male bonding time and competitive play. Look closely, and you’ll find the ladies of Denver-based Sassy Golf, which has recently expanded to the Scottsdale area — providing an inviting, supportive environment for women golfers of all levels.
It began four years ago when Nancy Collins, who was new to the Denver area at the time, was not only looking for affordable lessons, flexible golf schedules and places to golf, but also women who were just as busy and inexperienced at the game as she was.
Four years later, Sassy Golf’s membership grew to more than 470 members — offering an environment where women can learn the game together with its 45-minute, pre-game lessons; improve their skills at their own pace; socialize and have fun.
“Sassy Golf is all about ‘ease of entry’ and making the experience light, fun, non-competitive, while also learning the game,” Collins says.
“We succeeded when we were young with positive feedback and encouragement, so why does it have to stop now that we’re adults and juggling 100 things, and life gets so competitive and hard? So with Sassy Golf, I tell all the members to leave their tough days at the door and have fun — hence why I offer everyone a drink if they choose to have one.”
And women golfers in Scottsdale are already taking part. Sassy Golf, to date, has close to 70 members and growing daily, according to Collins. She says her goal is to have 150 members this season.
“We decided to expand to Scottsdale for two reasons,” Collins says. “One, because it has the opposite season as Denver. Denver is May 1st to mid-October, and Scottsdale is mid-October to May 1st; so we can be open 12 months out of the year. And two, Scottsdale is the mecca of the golf industry in the U.S. I wanted it to expand here to earn the respect of my peers and the industry leaders. Being here is like being at the Super Bowl for golf.”
Yearly memberships are $249 and include a “play and pay” feature where members can play as few or as many rounds of golf as they would like; monthly, 18-hole, co-ed rounds; free golf clinics and equipment demos; discounts on golf gear and clothing; complimentary membership goodies and more. Corporate memberships are also available for groups of 10 or more.
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For those women interested in learning the game of golf, Collins offers these do’s and don’ts:
Do:
- Pick up your ball in-between shots when you think you may be taking too long.
- Drive past the green when putting so that if/when there’s a foursome close behind you, you don’t waste time and can be out of their way to hit.
- Keep score if you choose to, but don’t hold up the game or make anyone else keep score if they don’t want to. It’s up to the individual.
- Always be nice and respect each other, and always help each other out. We are or were all newbies at one point.
- Always have fun, laugh, and pay it forward!
Don’t:
- Talk when others are hitting the ball.
- Take longer than a couple minutes to find your lost balls.
- Walk on someone’s line on the putting green.
- Mark your ball every time on the putting green.
- Keep score if you don’t want to. We aren’t the pros, so keep it light and fun!
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