Judy Onken

Terry Gaube “outmatched” the field to become the 2023 Cottonwood Ladies Golf Association (CLGA) Match Play Champion. This is one of Terry’s favorite formats, as each hole is a game in and of itself. You can have a snowman on a hole and come back and win the next one. It’s never over until it’s over, and she would encourage more of the gals to give it a try.

Our champ really has three passions: her family, golf, and golf rules. She has been a Provincial Rules Official and refereed several Junior, Men’s Amateur, and Women’s Amateur tournaments in Saskatchewan over the past several years. She plans to study for and become a certified rules official for the Canada Golf Association, so she will referee tournaments in other provinces as well. She is the CLGA Rules Chairman and writes up a rule and accompanying explanation on the CLGA website every week.

Terry grew up in a small town and farm near Lumsden, Saskatchewan, and spent married life raising three sons and Aberdeen Angus cattle. One son has taken over the herd, and she and her husband live in a lake home in a provincial park where she is equally active in a ladies golf league, as well as fishing and boating. I’m sure the seven grandkids love this place.

She and her husband came to Arizona in 2012 looking for a winter escape, and though no realtor showed them Sun Lakes, they stumbled into Cottonwood Pro Shop when driving by the course on Riggs Road. They asked to play, and Dez told them it was private, and they needed a sponsor. A kind gentleman in the Pro Shop offered to sponsor them and lent them his golf cart. When they finished, he invited them for a drink, and they decided they wanted to be in this warm and inviting community. She agrees that CLGA is equally warm and inviting!