Photo by Dan Morgan.
Level The Playing Field
As a young girl, the game of golf meant a lot to Sheila Dills, currently the president of the Women’s Oklahoma Golf Association (WOGA). The popularity of women’s golf had not reached the levels it has today. For Dills, a native of Vinita, access to the sport was difficult.
The successes of female golfers, such as Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie, have had a positive effect on the sport’s popularity among women; Although, younger females still face similar challenges.
“Women only make up about 20 percent of golfers,” says Dills. “At a golf course, you are lucky if you have one or two girls wanting to play.
“I started playing golf at the age of 7,” recalls Dills. “My parents did not play the game, and it was really the local women who took me under their belt after they saw the desire I had to be a good player.”
These women were an important source of support during her teen years.
“It is an amazing feeling as a teenager to know there are people who believe in you when you are at a time in your life when your belief in yourself can be somewhat shaky,” shares Dills.
She continued to play golf at the collegiate level and beyond, and she won several Oklahoma State Amateur titles and qualified for the U.S. Open twice.
Today, Dills aims to give the next generation of women golfers the same opportunities she had.
[pullquote]Girls’ sports are only receiving a third of funding that boys’ sports do.”[/pullquote]
“Women and girls are the fastest growing demographic in the game,” says Dills. “It’s important to offer tournaments and championships for women as well as get more girls the opportunity to get involved in the game of golf.”
In 2012, Dills’ work brought about significant change to the WOGA. In November of that year, the organization became a public charity, allowing donors to contribute to the outreach programs Dills could only dream of before.
“We had no avenue for donors to support the charitable programs we needed to begin making a difference in the lives of young girls,” explains Dills.
The work they now do at WOGA goes well beyond the game of golf. Golf is simply a tool used to create friendship, confidence and so many other important life skills.
“Sport is a very powerful bridge to gender equality,” shares Dills. “We want to inspire girls to live active, healthy lives and create friendships, self-esteem and leadership opportunities.”
WOGA has several tools they use to reach young female golfers: tournaments, school grants, scholarships and the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf Chapter, which began in March. The tournaments provide a physical place for girls to compete, as well as a shared community.
Considered by Dills to be the heart and soul of the work at WOGA, its grant program provides much-needed financial support to junior and high school girls’ golf programs throughout Oklahoma.
“So far, we have been able to give a grant to every school that has applied,” says Dills.
These grants can fund a variety of needs.
“Girls are just as deserving as boys to have the things they need to succeed,” says Dills. “I want WOGA to be a voice for these girls.”
WOGA’s scholarship program was created to help young girls reach their higher education goals, not just the advanced female golfers. Scholarships are open to any young woman who has demonstrated a high level of achievement during high school, has financial need and has shown an interest in the game of golf.
“The application is mainly based on need and educational achievement, not on the applicant’s golf skills,” says Dills.
Dills is looking forward to expanding the ways WOGA reaches more girls. Through partnerships with organization like the WPGA and First Tee, they are reaching girls in elementary school, giving them access to the game of golf.
“We need more women to support us so we can keep growing,” confesses Dills. “Golf is an important way to level the playing field in business. A lot of business deals are made on the golf course and if a woman knows how to play she won’t get left out or overlooked.”
