girlspin
Women in local golf internships
By Maria Goddard
Maggie Smith,
Mississippi Golf
Association
30
Some would not advise
this, but I did it anyway: I did
not know a thing about golf,
yet I took an internship in a
dominantly-male industry as
a writer for a golf magazine.
Nevertheless, I do know a
thing or two about writing
and placing my trust in the
Lord Jesus!
At first, fear rang the
doorbell, but I refused to
answer. Today, I am so
grateful I made that choice
because I have grown a
tremendous appreciation
for golf and the people who
are blessed to play it. I have
spoken with such exemplary
people who all agree that
golf is not just another sport,
but an avenue for personal
development. Most of them
have thicker vocal cords and
are able to grow beards, but
as of recent, I have noticed
a rise in females playing the
sport.
According to Forbes
Contributor
Bridget
Brennan, the PGA started
a movement to encourage
more women to the game
of golf in 2013. Also, the
National Golf Foundation
shared that 19 percent of
people swinging golf clubs
are women. Out of golfers
who started 10 years ago,
67 percent of those were
women, according to wsj.
com.
To this day, I am still
learning about the sport, but
I had the honor of speaking
with three young women
who do know a lot about it.
All three ladies also happen
to be interns: Taylor Price
at the Gulf States Section
PGA, Lindsay Horton
at the Louisiana Golf
Association and Maggie
Smith at the Mississippi
Golf Association.
NBC reported that in
2012, 25 golf clubs did
not allow women to play.
However, Price, Horton and
Smith not only found golf
clubs that permitted women
on their greens, but would
hire them.
“I enjoy it, said Smith,
21, of St. Louis, Missouri.
I went to the orientation in
New Jersey and thought I
was going to be one of five
or six girls, but there were
about 25 girls out of 70
people. I thought it was cool
that there were a lot more
girls that actually want to
get involved in this.”
For Smith, golf was not
so much about overcoming
gender stereotypes, but
instead, just something that
became part of her life.
“It is not anything weird
because I grew up around
the sport,” said Smith. “It is
primarily male-dominated,
so when I see girls out, it
makes me excited. I just
love the sport because I love
being outside; it is peaceful,
and I feel at home. It is a
place I know I can go to
where I am relaxed.”
Even though she knows
how to relax, she takes her
work at MGA seriously.
“As a golfer she is laid
back but also a hard worker,”
said Rachel O’Keefe, best
friend and nurse technician
at University of Missouri
Hospital. “She has a good
time doing it but strives to
do well at the same time.
As a person, Maggie is
outgoing, funny, genuine
and fun-loving.”
Long after her elementary
school days, she was offered
several scholarships from
colleges, but turned them
down because they were
to smaller schools. When
she chose University of
Missouri, she took a class
that benefits her as an
intern.
“I took a business golf
etiquette class last fall,” said