Ann Rounthwaite

On October 20 Oakwood Lady Niners will get together for lunch at the Poolside Grill at 11:00 a.m. Reservations are required, so RSVP to Reggie Wegman not later than October 15.

Golf course over-seeding and the return of the snowbirds make October a great time to join the Oakwood Lady Niners Golf Association. It’s a supportive and welcoming group of women who play nine holes every Tuesday morning on one of Oakwood’s three courses and enjoy socializing at after-golf lunches and other events. The OLNGA offers all levels of play with emphasis on enjoying golf and each other. From November through May there is league play in which pro shop credits are awarded for best net scores in three flights. This guarantees that even a duffer like me has a chance to win something occasionally.

More competitive golfers can compete for club championship honors or the chance to represent the league at a state-wide tournament. But women who don’t enjoy highly competitive golf are also comfortable in this friendly group. And so are beginners who want to learn golf rules and etiquette in an encouraging and fun environment. The league also offers the option of teeing off from the 150 yard marker for golfers who want to play a shorter game.

There’s no residency requirement for the OLNGA. You don’t need to live in Oakwood – you don’t even have to live in Sun Lakes. It can be a great way for women new to the area or renting for the winter months to meet other golfers and make friends. Call Barbara Stewart at 480-883-3008 for more information. Join before October 15; contact Reggie Wegman and join us for lunch on the October 20!

During the summer months, some members continue non-league play. The highlight of this summer’s season occurred on August 19, 2015, when Joyce Parker got a hole-in-one on the third hole of the Sonoran Course. Using a 9 iron, she sank her Precept Lady iQ + ball from a distance of 100 yards. Joyce observed the custom and offered to buy drinks but since it was 9:30 a.m. the other golfers demurred.

Joyce has been playing golf for about 20 years. A native of Nebraska, she moved to Arizona 25 years ago and to Sun Lakes five years later. She plays about once a week. Her work, currently as a consultant in the area of computers, has prevented her from playing more often. But that hasn’t held her back. This is actually Joyce’s second hole-in-one. In 2006 she sank one on the tenth hole of the Sidewinder Course at Gold Canyon. Given this history she is hoping to have another hole-in-one in 2024!

Lady Niners’ collective memory can’t recall a hole-in-one during the league’s history. While it doesn’t detract from her accomplishment, Joyce got her ace during non-league play so it can’t be officially entered in the record books. She’ll just have to speed things up and get another after league play begins November 3.