Is it just a ladies night at Arrowsmith Golf & Country Club, or is it a tournament? The choice is yours when you’re on our team. I like to call it a “tournament” because I’ve never been particularly sporty and I like the way it sounds. On Wednesday, June 15th, 2022, the Gals Who Golf got back together for our first Arrowsmith ladies night of the year in Qualicum Beach, BC.
Joining us for this tournament (sounds impressive, right?), were Anne Fortin (it me!), Danielle (Dani) Coulson, and Brittany (Britt) Halicki. Here we are pre-shotgun start, pre-rain, and pre-cake pops. [L-R in the photo: Britt, Anne, Dani]
Pro-amateur tip: always make sure you bring snacks on the course for energy and for morale. We recommend cake pops as they are delicious, portable, and extremely photogenic… and we can always use the content for Instagram, right?
What you need to know about us is that we’re solidly “OK”. We are the kind of golfers who have taken many lessons, and sometimes we can hit a beautiful straight drive over 200 yards (that’s Dani), or layup perfectly on the fairway (how is your aim so good, Britt?), or maybe we can come in clutch with a fluffy* chip or sink a putt (not to toot my own horn but, beep beep!). But also, sometimes we miss that 2-foot putt, or our drives are 30 yards off the tee and in a fairway far, far away (or it’s a swing and a miss like that Star Wars reference). Hey, life is all about balance.
If you’re like us, and you’re solidly “OK”, or you want to start playing, or maybe you are an advanced player who just wants to have fun… you’ve come to the right place. I’m going to walk you through our experience at the Arrowsmith Ladies Night in Qualicum Beach.
Arrowsmith Golf Club Ladies Night
First off, it started rocky. We’ve had a terrible spring/summer on Vancouver Island and so naturally it started raining as soon as we heard the horn sound. We were only on our 3rd hole and morale was low. We were soaked, and like true amateurs, we didn’t have golf umbrellas (note to self: buy cute golf umbrella).
The first to crack was Dani. Quite frankly, she was not dressed appropriately for rain, a rookie mistake for a West Coast golfer. (Although we absolutely have to give her Callaway bucket hat some love, as it wins the unofficial prize of must-have accessory.) We played the back 9 (starting on hole 10) and by hole 13 she was ready to bail.
But she didn’t bail.
Know why? Because she’s got grit, she’s a winner. And winners don’t give up!!!
Just kidding. It was because at this point we were SO far away from the parking lot. It was going to be a long walk back to the car, so we figured she should at least hit some balls for our team as we slowly made our way back to the parking lot. Hey, whatever works, right?
The point is that she didn’t bail and thankfully the rain started to let up by hole 16, which meant we were able to finish our game together and enjoy some key team-building time, to prepare us for the 2022 season ahead.
Team Building Exercise #1: Trust Your Teammates!
Our ladies’ night team is built around trust. I trust Dani, she trusts Britt, and Britt trusts me, and so on. Just kidding. Above is photographic evidence of our team’s fragile trust.
Note how Dani and Britt are hiding behind their golf carts? This is because they are afraid I would hit the ball, and it would ricochet off this big tree (the only tree in the middle of the golf course, who does he think he is, Lonely Doug?) and knock them out, like Drew Barrymore in the classic film Fever Pitch. (See her in the seat unconscious while Fallon high-fives over her body?)
[Source: GIPHY]
Maybe this isn’t a good example of trust on our team, but it still counts as team building because we sure had a lot of nervous laughs, hiding behind our carts as each person took their turn trying to lay up.
Arrowsmith Ladies Night: Qualicum Beach Golf’s Biggest Night!
OK so after finally finishing our 9 holes, we were soaked. But overall, our spirits were high. Each of us had some pretty great shots that were worth celebrating.
After golf, it was time to go inside and get ready for the second part of the night, DINNER AND PRIZES!
I always like to cruise the prize table at ladies night, and the prizes at Qualicum Beach’s Arrowsmith Golf Course were plentiful. The table was jam-packed, and they had prizes for skilled contests and also lottery-style door prizes.
On top of a delicious buffet dinner, I walked away with a cute golf “utility bag” that will be known as “Anne’s golf clutch” from now on. Dani won a skill-based prize for being “closest to the wine bottle”. This means she drove her ball off the tee, and out of everyone playing the back 9, it landed closest to a fake wine bottle on the green. Was it skill? Was it a coincidence? Doesn’t matter. She won!
Arrowsmith Ladies Night Review:
Overall, our first ladies golf night of the year was a success! We had some cake pops, got some quality time together on the course, had some nice shots, and commiserated together in the rain. Food was good, and it’s always fun to win a prize! We signed up for the next ladies night on July 13th and look forward to playing again.
BACK 9 PAR: 31
GALS WHO GOLF SCORE: 38
[Source: Unknown]
*fluffy [adjective] Coined by Dani, fluffy refers to a gorgeous chip that sails high and proud in the air. It is cloud-like, floating through the air. It is like fluff.
Synonyms: cloud-like, light, wispy, effortless, weightless
Author’s note: You and your gals will create your own golf terms, and they will be iconic, just like fluffy.