What I enjoyed most about high school golf was that every players could create their own experience. Some players could make it exceptionally competitive, while other players could just have fun and not worry about the competition, I fell in the middle of that spectrum, right where I wanted to be. I always want to play well and improve my game, but also want to be able to spend time with the people I play with and have fun on the golf course.
My later high school years consisted of weekends travelling to play in national junior tournaments around the west coast. I was looking at schools I could play golf at in college and was talking to some coaches. However, the more I found myself heading towards the overly competitive side of the spectrum, the less I felt the fun that I always treasured with my high school team. Ultimately, this led me to come to the decision that I wanted to pick a school based on my academic interests instead of for golf
I ended up at Marquette University 2,000 miles away from home for many reasons. One included the co-ed club golf team. I felt fortunate for this opportunity since so many girls I knew from playing with and against in high school stopped playing in college. They, like me, had decided to put academics or other priorities ahead of playing college varsity golf. The few women I do know still playing in college are those playing at an intense D1 level. If more women knew and took advantage of the opportunity of club golf they could continue playing tournaments in an enjoyable environment.
When I started playing on the club team my freshman year with 15 other guys, I rediscovered the same thing I had experienced in high school - people coming together to compete and also have fun. The NCCGA has allowed me to play golf right in the middle of that spectrum, exactly where I like it.
If I can answer questions you have about club golf, you can email me at meghan.zech@marquette.edu