Cottonwood Lady Niners Turn 25!

Lorri Morgan, Publicity

The Cottonwood Lady Niners are celebrating a big birthday this year. Twenty-five years ago, about 60 ladies began what has become home to about 130 lady golfers. Scrapbooks in the Pro Shop reveal that in the first year, Jean Watson (January 1995) was State Medallion winner for the Niners, and this year, Niners Sheila Axtman and Laura Carothers took gold again. Sheila and Laura were in the second flight but took Overall Champion, and Sheila cemented that win with a birdie! Drum roll, please.

Carol Oslin was the first club president, with Betty Gartner, VP; Merta Brown, treasurer; and May Ann Patterson, secretary. For our November welcome back luncheon and meeting, current president Glenna Twing managed to gather seven past presidents to celebrate our 25th anniversary. Judy Wolfstitch (1997-1999, not pictured). Others are Kathy Skrei (2017-2019), Marilyn Jasper (2013-2014), Bette Lu Buchanan (2014-2017), Gail Wooldridge (2011-2013), Sandy Tennant, Pat Anderson, and Judy Whitney (1999-2011). These three took on co-president duties and are responsible for messing up my timeline!

March 12 will be our famous member/guest tournament. It’s always a crowd pleaser. This year, the 144 player slots were filled up the day sign-ups opened! The theme will be Queen of Clubs (clever, yes?) and focuses on card games and gambling (we’re talking quarters here). This is a no handicap event with lots of prizes, raffle baskets, and FUN. The Niners welcome lady golfers of all levels. Our official calendar runs November through the end of May, but many of us unofficially play and sweat throughout the summer. Come join the FUN!

Many a golfer prefers a golf cart to a caddy, because the cart cannot count, criticize, or laugh. Author Unknown. But Winston Churchill said “Golf is a game whose aim is to hit a very small ball into an even smaller hole, with weapons singularly ill-designed for the purpose.”