THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, July 8, 1995 TAG: 9507080028
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: Women in Golf
SOURCE: BY CYNDI CARLSON
LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
I was standing on the first hole at Red Wing Golf Course in Virginia Beach recently, preparing to play a round from the white tees. Suddenly, a marshall broke my concentration:
``Honey, the ladies' tees are up there!''
A lady golfer trying to break par on the links of Hampton Roads is like a woman in corporate America trying to break the glass ceiling. Many of my male counterparts see themselves as CEOs and lady golfers as ``middle managers'' at best.
``Looks like we're in for a long day,'' men will comment as three ladies and I begin a game in front of them. But as we play our way through a course, we distinguish ourselves as better keepers of golf etiquette. We hit a bad shot and play it where it lies. Too many men who hit bad shots rely on their seemingly endless supply of mulligans.
I became accustomed to competing in a man's game by playing competitive Putt-Putt Golf. While on a junior team, my coach would leave me behind as he took the guys to play ``real golf.'' However, my confidence grew as putting competitions gave me an opportunity to compete against men in a format where strength and sex were not determining factors.
I learned the short game - and the mind games - in this miniature format. In 1983, I was the only lady in a field of 112 at the National Match-Play Putting Championship. A friend of my first-round opponent proclaimed: ``Look, you got a bye. You get to play a girl!''
My opponent broke his putter over his knee when I beat him, 9-up with eight holes to play.
There are differences in golfers' abilities that sometimes fall along gender lines. And I do have a sense of humor about the stereotypes. ``Thanks for the warning,'' I reply when someone tells me, ``Ladies' day is Tuesday.''
But seriously, we need to focus on ability, not gender. Instead of designating ladies' tees, there should be four or five levels of gender-neutral tees.
The tees you play should be based on your ability. Men or women who score more than 100 would be directed to the front tees, and so on. To avoid slow play, the ``tips,'' or back tees, would be reserved for those who shoot 80 or less. This would make the golf world a happy place for men and women.
Back to that day at Red Wing. I told the marshall I could hit 'em good or bad from the red or white tees - it made no difference. Then I stepped up and smacked one right down the middle.
The look on his face told me that I had earned the right to play from the ``men's'' tees. MEMO: Cyndi Carlson is general manager of Putt-Putt Golf, Tidewater, Inc. She
also plays to an 8-handicap. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by GARY C. KNAPP, Staff
Cyndi Carlson, a competitive Putt-Putt golf player, perfects her
stroke. She learned the short game - and the mind games - in this
miniature format.
by CNB