Females on the Faiway

By Caramie Schnell

Women’s golf is prospering in the Vail Valley

The women’s golf scene in the valley is burgeoning, said Alice Plain, director of golf at the Vail Golf Club. Plain has been involved in the valley’s golf scene for 18 years and said women in general are becoming more interested in getting in some time on the greens. “There a lot more professionals living in the valley and more women are interested in learning the game.”

The problem Plain has seen in the past is women who get really excited about the game, take a few lessons and then disappear. She’s trying to put together a women’s program that will combat that problem, she said, including a women’s league that plays every Wednesday morning and women’s clinics every other Friday starting in early June. The clinics, which will cover full swing, short game, on course instruction and rules and etiquette, will last an hour and a half and cost $20.

Vail Golf Club also features the nationwide program called Link Up to Golf. Each five-day session of classes includes eight hours of instruction, on course play, etiquette, rules, equipment evaluation and use of rental equipment for $129.

Eagle-Vail golf club will offer free monthly golf clinics (call the course for the schedule). Ben Welsh, head golf pro for the club, said that with few overly long holes, or forced long shots that carry over the river or lakes and three sets of tees the Eagle-Vail Golf course is very playable and friendly for all skill levels. The reasonable rates the club boasts helps to make it accessible for more people as well, Welsh said.

A few miles west on I-70 brings you to the town of Eagle, home to Eagle Ranch Golf Course, an Arnold Palmer signature course.Throughout the summer the challenging 18-hole course will hold women’s only full swing and short game clinics for $35 and an 18-hole ladies league on Thursday afternoons for $55.The course also features the five-day Link Up to Golf classes for $139.