Golf: Girls learning the hard way

Richard Dunn

There are drastic changes in the CIF Southern Section rules this

year governing girls golf, but is the sport really ready for such a

makeover?

Instead of playing four and counting three, the CIF format has been

revised to play six and count five -- a huge increase in scoring, which,

according to some Newport-Mesa School District coaches, could ultimately

harm the development of girls golf and destroy relationships with the

private country clubs that donate tee times.

Schools have no trouble filling roster spots in boys golf, but in

girls golf it’s an entirely different layout.

Most of the girls are beginners, but the modification in team scoring

is forcing coaches to scramble for fourth and fifth players.

“Girls golf hasn’t taken off yet, not like boys golf,” Corona del Mar

High golf coach Mike Starkweather said. “We’re playing things like

double-par pickup, and we’re shortening holes on difference golf courses,

so the kids won’t take as much time.

“The whole concept of girls golf is changing. It used to be that you

could get away with having one really good golfer, one decent golfer and

one mediocre golfer, and that could carry your team. But now you’ve got

to score five and play six.”

For some smaller schools, like in the local district, merely fielding

a team with six qualified golfers will be a challenge, and that’s where a

lot of the concern rests.

“That’s as big a challenge as you’ll see,” Starkweather said. “We’re

busting our butts to develop the younger age group.”

If some girls in the rank and file are shooting double-par scores on

holes, as expected, it would slow the pace down considerably on the golf

courses, perhaps causing schools to lose playing privileges.

“It’s probably not good for girls golf at the present time, in our

area anyway,” Estancia Coach Art Perry said of the new Southern Section

rule.

“None of the teams have a lot of experience and it’s going to really

slow the game down, and (it could be a problem) when you’re having girls

shooting in the 70s (over nine holes) in front of paying customers. It

will take 3 1/2 hours for nine holes.”

The rule change, and addition of two scoring golfers, was reportedly

made because the father of a daughter, who was the fifth player at a

section school, challenged the old rule after his daughter didn’t make

the team. The section, which is new to governing golf, didn’t have a leg

to stand on.

In girls golf, there are no CIF divisions for individuals, no

enrollment-based playoff brackets for teams. Every golf team is lumped

into the same Southern Section, in which there were 515 schools last

year.

“This is the hardest sport I’ve ever been involved with, because there

are so many different aspects to it,” Starkweather said of teaching golf.

“It’s really tough for (beginning girls). There are no referees out

there. In golf, the kids have to referee themselves. They have to make

calls on themselves, which is tough for kids.”

When you accidentally tap your ball on the putting surface, you’ve got

to count it as a stroke. When you swing in the rough and completely miss

the ball, hoping nobody sees, the game demands honesty on the scorecard.

While learning the nuances and etiquette of golf, here’s to our

first-timers playing girls golf: Remember, it’s just a game.

Proceeds of the third annual Tee Off for Technology Golf Classic, Oct.

15 at Santa Ana Country Club, will support technology for the students at

Newport Harbor High School. Details: Contact Rowland Day at (714)

429-2909.

The 12th annual Bob Hope/Dr. Howard House Golf Tournament, scheduled

for Monday at Pelican Hill Golf Club, is hosted by the Orange County

Associates of the House Ear Institute. Details: Contact George Palmer at

(949) 499-2826.

Richard Dunn’s golf column appears every Thursday.