“ The scholarship exposed her to more things that we don ’ t normally get a chance to get to on a regular day , and she was able to do it .”
for The First Tee of Greater Richmond , is happy to see .
“ We really want our participants to use both facilities because they are so unique and different . She knows the coaches and people at both . It ’ s really a core part of our chapter , not being tied to one particular facility ,” Weinstein said .
The Fleming Fund and The First Tee chapters in Virginia have developed a mutually beneficial partnership . The Fund provides the money , and the First Tee chapters provide the golfers .
“ We wanted to partner with First Tee because they know which girls can benefit and are ready to benefit from an overnight camp experience . They have direct dayto-day , on-the-course and on-the-drivingrange observation of these girls ,” said Anne Gordon Greever , chairman of the Fleming Fund and treasurer of the VSGA .
Once the First Tee chapters are told how many scholarships the Fleming Fund is providing to them , each chapter nominates girls to receive them .
“ We , as a team , put our heads together and think who we would like to ask . We reach out to those girls and tell them through the Fleming Fund you have been presented with this opportunity ,” Weinstein said . “ I don ’ t think we ’ ve ever had anybody say no . We don ’ t open it up . We may at some point if we are that competitive ; if we have that many girls who are that good .”
Six of the seven First Tee chapters in Virginia sent girls to the Tar Heel and Wintergreen camps . The seventh chapter , The First Tee of the Virginia Blue Ridge , is so new it did not recommend any girls for this year .
The Fleming Fund was created in January 2015 when the former women ’ s division integrated with the VSGA . The fund honors former women ’ s division president Barbara Fleming of Virginia Beach , who was active in the division and a supporter of junior girls golf for decades .
During Fleming ’ s tenure as president ( 1994 – 95 ), the women ’ s division grew from three tournaments to 10 . She was a founding board member of The First Tee of Hampton Roads , and she received the
VSGA President ’ s Award for her contributions and service in December 2014 .
That same year , Greever was the VSGA ’ s co-volunteer of the year . She was part of the leadership team that engineered the assimilation of the women ’ s division ’ s into the VSGA .
“ We had a pool of money left over from the women ’ s division activities that in the past had been used , in part , to support junior girls golf ,” Greever said . “ We decided to use those funds to create this new fund to in a very direct way benefit junior girls golf .”
The Fleming Fund is part of the VSGA- VIP Scholarship Foundation , which awards college scholarships to high school seniors annually , but the Fund ’ s centerpiece is called Club-to-Camp .
Numerous clubs and golf associations ( mostly 18- and 9-hole women ’ s groups ) have come together to donate scholarships that enable junior girls to attend golf camps .
“ The girls are getting a valuable and fun experience they would not otherwise enjoy ,
“ The scholarship exposed her to more things that we don ’ t normally get a chance to get to on a regular day , and she was able to do it .”
Denise Robinson , mother of scholarship recipient
Sarah Robertson , right , past president of the VSGA Women ’ s Division , presents the VSGA President ’ s Award to the Fleming Fund ’ s namesake , past WD president Barbara Fleming , in 2014 .
and club members who donate know their generosity is providing a golf learning experience that will keep on giving to the junior girl recipients ,” Greever says .
Donations to the Fleming Fund are tax deductible .
“ What we say to a club is you can sponsor your girl , just go to your golfers … all it takes is for 35 golfers from the club to donate $ 20 each and boom , you have a golf camp scholarship . It ’ ll be a four- or five-day camp for girls who otherwise would not have the opportunity to go ,” Greever said .
Clubs that have sponsored scholarships include Willow Oaks CC ( Greever ’ s club ), Blacksburg CC , Farmington CC , Spotswood CC , Country Club of Virginia , Country Club at The Highlands , Blue Ridge Golf Association , Glenmore CC , Kingsmill and Two Rivers CC .
When Jane Mack , an icon of women ’ s golf in Virginia , died , monetary gifts in her memory were made and earmarked for multiple Fleming Fund scholarships .
The bottom line is Greever wants to see many more clubs involved with the Fleming Fund . The first year she told The First Tee of Greater Richmond the Fund had three scholarships and asked if it could find three girls who would benefit .
“ They said , ‘ We could find 10 .’ We have more girls than we have scholarships ,” Greever said . “ But we have lots and lots of golf clubs who currently aren ’ t participating , who we think should .”
vsga . org N OVEMBER / D ECEMBER 2017 | V IRGINIA G OLFER 15