Cover Story

Driven to the game of golf

By Melissa Westphal

ROCKFORD WOMAN

Aug 22, 2008 @ 01:05 PM

Everybody has a golf story, be it closing a deal on the course, driving a ball into a sand trap, or sinking a seemingly long-shot put.

We talk to female golfers who appreciate the time away from the daily grind that golf offers, as well as the female friendships they have cultivated while playing.

It’s easy to get started even if you have never picked up a club. Some of these ladies still take lessons and say that finding the right coach or mentor makes all the difference.

They also recommend that newcomers to the game dress comfortably and shop around for clubs if making the investment.

Read on to see how the game  has changed for four local women.

What do you enjoy about golf in ...
Your 30s
Danita Tillmon
Golf was a family sport growing up for 38-year-old Danita Tillmon. Her parents played golf, and while she admits she resisted the game at times when she was younger, she still played competitively in school.

The game is a networking tool for her as a manager for Woodward Aircraft Engine Systems.

But it’s more relaxing now.

“Golf when I was younger was more about competitiveness,” Tillmon said. “Now, I just like to get out and be with people. I take a vow every year to play more than I did the year before.”

Tillmon grew up playing at Ingersoll Golf Course in Rockford, so she especially enjoys returning to the course and playing a round there.

“It seemed to be more challenging,” Tillmon said of Ingersoll. “It wasn’t as open as other courses, and it was more challenging to hit a straight drive there.”

Your 40s
Teri Watts
Teri Watts, 40, of Rockford picked up golf about five years ago. Her husband played the game regularly, and they thought partnering up on the course would be fun.

She tries to play every Saturday with friends and enjoys the exercise, female friendships, and time away from the house that golf offers.

A recent Mother’s Day gift of a new, larger hybrid driver was the perfect present.

“I’m hitting the ball better and driving really well,” Watts said. “Rockford is privileged to have such excellent public golf courses and three wonderful country club courses. Golf is fun, but it also provides a vacation and exercise, business and friendship.”

Your 50s
Lynne Frary
Lynne Frary, 59, of Rockford grew up playing competitive tennis and picked up golf about 15 years ago. Golf was more time-consuming, so it was a sport she was drawn to after her children got a little older.

She likes the changing face of the game -- that on a Friday night, she can play nine holes with a friend, drive a cart and drink a beer. And the next week, she can feed her competitive spirit and play in a tournament.

“I just got hooked,” Frary said of the game. “It draws you back every time. If you have a bad start or a bad game, you can come back at the 18th hole with a great drive.”

Frary embraced golf so much that she was drawn to the Illinois Women’s Golf Association and now serves as the group’s president.

“I’ve found that since being involved with the board, I’ve met the most amazing group of women,” Frary said. “Golf is really great socially, and with the handicap system, you can play with anybody. Tennis is not quite like that.”

Your 60s
Bonnie Kurzawski
Rockford resident Bonnie Kurzawski remembers shagging golf balls for her father as a child when they lived in California. He was an avid golfer, and her love of the sport grew from there.

She played golf in college, but at 68, she said the game today offers leisure time with her friends and family members.

“I took the game more seriously as a young person,” Kurzawski said. “My score was more important, and right now, I just do it because it’s fun and I enjoy the scenery, the grass and just the outdoors and walking if I can.”

She plays the game now as often as she can with a women’s league and participates in golf play days, like a recent event with Delta Kappa Gamma, a professional honor society for female educators. Kurzawski is a retired teacher and favors playing smaller local golf courses and playing a round with her daughter.