MIDDLEBURY — Organizers said the first-ever Vermont State Women’s Golf Association (VSWGA)/Middlebury College Girls Golf Junior Clinic at Ralph Myhre Golf Club in Middlebury on May 30 was a major success. Forty-five girls, ages 12 to 18, traveled from across Vermont to receive instruction from top LPGA and PGA professionals.

Photos courtesy of Susan Rand

The event featured several professionals with Vermont roots, including:

• Libby Smith: Former LPGA Tour player and UVM men’s golf captain.
• Sue Horton: Director of Instruction at Stowe Country Club, former LPGA Futures Tour player and LPGA Tour caddy.
• Mandy Milne: Former Vermont Amateur standout and Director of Golf at Basin Harbor Club.
• Holly Reynolds: Ten-time Vermont Amateur winner and University of Kansas record holder.
• Susan Fasoldt: LPGA Instructor at Dorset Field Club.

The girls who participated rotated through stations focusing on putting, chipping, sand, pitching and swing techniques, followed by a Q&A panel with the professionals. The afternoon concluded with on-course instruction.

This clinic is part of a broader VSWGA initiative to increase participation and support for girls’ golf in Vermont. The association promotes the “Five E’s of Girls Golf,” which focus on teaching not only the game of golf but vital life skills specific to development for girls such as building confidence, finding their own voice, identifying their talents, and inspiring them to live active and healthy lifestyles. The Five E’s are:

• EMPOWER girls with confidence and inspire them to dream BIG!
• ENRICH girls’ lives by expanding minds and horizons (rules, etiquette, opportunities).
• ENGAGE girls with positive female role models and mentors.
• ENERGIZE girls’ passion for the game of golf (learning AND fun).
• EXERCISE girls’ minds and bodies by helping them unlock their full potential.

Given the enthusiastic feedback from the participants at this summer’s Girls Clinic, leaders in the association look forward to hosting similar events in the future.

Photos courtesy of Susan Rand