The Ladies Golf Association 18-hole league is nearing the tee off for the 2016 season, with its annual welcome coffee scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Yacht Club.
“The coffee is really open to anybody in (Tellico) Village who wants to come see what we’re about,” Sharon Vaughan, league vice president, said. “I think right now we’ve got 80 paid members. I expect that we’ll get probably 20 or 30 more. Our league runs right around 120-125 women.”
So far the league does not have an abundance of new members, but Vaughan said she is waiting to see what kind of turnout occurs at the welcome coffee.
“Right now, we’ve got I think just three or four new members that have joined us this year,” she said. “I’m really anxious to see who will show up at the coffee on Tuesday. If we can get some new members that would be great.”
League members are not anticipating many major changes for 2016 related to formatting and how tournaments are operated, the one exception being that the annual women’s member and guest tournament, formerly a one-day tournament concluding with a lunch at the Toqua Golf Course pavilion, will be an invitational.
“This year we’re opening that up as an invitational instead,” Vaughan said. “We’ll be opening that up to some of the surrounding golf clubs like Rarity Bay and WindRiver. I’m not sure who else is on that list.”
For the third year in a row, the league will do a sponsorship for Smoky Mountain Service Dogs, culminating in the annual Give Back Day on Aug. 16.
Other featured events will include a two-day, member-member tournament May 21-22 at Kahite and Toqua, Bring a Man Day on Sept. 13 at Kahite and the league championship Oct. 4-5.
The season opens April 5 with league play taking place each Tuesday through closing day Oct. 25.
Play is rotated through each of the three Tellico Village courses, which Vaughan said is a benefit of being a golfer in the Village.
“They all have their own challenges,” she said.
Vaughan said the league is filled with members of all skill levels who range from casual to competitive play.
“I like to think that our league is open to anybody who wants to come out and just really have a good day,” Vaughan said. “... You’re handicapped, so you’re playing with women close to your handicap. There’s not a lot of pressure to step it up to an ‘A’ player.”
For those who are more serious, Vaughan said members can choose to play with the Knox-area Women’s Golf Association. They can earn points toward the Knox-area league playing with LGA-18.
Vaughan, who has been part of the league for three seasons, said what pulled her in was the fun of playing golf with other women.
“We really just like to go out and enjoy the day and enjoy the camaraderie of the women here in Tellico Village,” she said.
“It’s really such a great way to get to know the women here. That’s what was great for me. I hadn’t golfed in a few years, so when we got here and I signed up — I find them very friendly. It’s almost like a big family to me. They’re just all very giving to each other. We really just encourage anybody who wants to come and be a part of what I really think is kind of a big golf family.”
