The impact of WGGB is felt far beyond the course. From girls discovering confidence to families, mentors, and donors witnessing their growth, these stories show how one opportunity can shape a lifetime.
The impact of WGGB is felt far beyond the course. From girls discovering confidence to families, mentors, and donors witnessing their growth, these stories show how one opportunity can shape a lifetime.
Being able to get in competitive situations during matches with other PGA Jr. players helps how I play and get to learn from others. Being able to get out on the course even for 30 minutes gives me the opportunity to try different strategies to see which one works best for me. I even got the chance to get to play in Europe this year and meet new people!
My Mom-Mom got me interested in golf when I was around 7 years old. Since then I’ve always loved the study and work of golf and learned any way I could from coaching to watching others play. I joined First Tee younger which helped me learn more golf skills and play with other kids my age. As I have grown up, I keep going with my love of the sport and have even continued it all the way to high school by playing on the golf team for my school. I was able to play on the high school golf team as an 8th grader last year and I look forward to joining the golf team again as a 9th grader. Now the reasons why I got into golf are many, such as the feeling of getting the ball into the hole, the new and fun people who turn into friends by sharing the interest of golf, and realizing this isn’t much of a common sport for females of my age. I am still a part of the First Tee program and have been taking some private lessons to improve my game with Coach Becky Dengler. In the Spring, I will try out for my high school golf team and hopefully once again join their team. I look forward to honing my skills, improving my golf score, and continuing my love for the sport of golf.
Kate Marsden, a talented 14-year-old golfer who participates in a grantee program at Makefield Highlands Golf Club, attended WGGB’s 2023 Annual Tournament in June. She participated in the morning five-hole outing with girls from other programs and played in the afternoon tournament with more experienced female mentees. She graciously shared her thoughts with us on the experience:
“While I met several incredible mentors during the event, I connected particularly well with two experienced golfers, Erin Martin and Courtney Curcio from PGA REACH. They shared similar playing styles and spent time discussing various techniques and strategies with me. It was a full day of golfing, fun and learning!I learned about various aspects of the game, including refining my swing technique, improving my putting skills, and understanding the importance of mental focus during a round of golf. Moreover, I gained insights into the etiquette and sportsmanship that embody the spirit of the game."
Women Golfers Give Back’s support has been instrumental in our daughter’s growth as a person, not just in golf. Fostering life skills, personal development, honesty, respect for others, and sportsmanship are just a few values she is learning from golf. She is honing her social skills by playing with peers and coaches, and learning about the integrity of honest score keeping. Joe Garstka and Howard Hirsh have been amazing coaches and mentors to all the kids involved, making it fun as well as a learning experience. We couldn’t be more grateful for all the support you provide. Thank you and please continue to support this worthy cause.
Golf has and always will be one of the most important things in my life. I was around six or seven years old when I was first introduced to golf by my dad. Among four siblings, I was the only one who actually took golf and ran with it. Through golf, I met one of the most influential people in my life today, Charma Bell, or more notably, Coach Charma of First Tee - Delaware. Through her, I met with my current golf teacher, Becky Dengler, another First Tee coach and an LPGA*USGA Girls Golf coach based at Ed Oliver Golf Club.
Learning about the game showed me there is much more to golf than actually playing it. Through golf, I became a caddy at Wilmington Country Club. In the three years I have caddied, I have met over a hundred people who have impacted my life. For example, I met and caddied for the Chairman of the 2022 BMW Championship. And because of him, I got to caddy in the BMW Pro-Am group with Rory McIlory and learn about the many different parts that make a tournament.
During my time with First Tee, my proudest accomplishment was creating a community service project to fundraise for my local library to give them better supplies for the younger kids who visit it frequently. As I get older, I have come to realize what I am really passionate about. I discovered, through all the experiences I have dealt with in golf, that I want to become a teaching professional.
One of the stepping stones to achieving this goal is to go to college and major in psychology or sports psychology. I could talk forever about how golf impacted me; honestly, it really has changed me. Through Girls Golf, I am the confident, respectful, young woman I am today. I have learned valuable lessons through participating and eventually working in Girls Golf and First Tee.
Emily went on to earn a J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship, one of the most respected scholarship programs in golf, and is now a student at Penn State in the PGA Professional Golf Management Program.
In early August, The ANNIKA Foundation invited WGGB grantees to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Five girls from Makefield Highlands attended an intimate clinic with 11-time major champion and women’s golf legend Annika Sorenstam at Rolling Green Golf Club. It preceded a fundraiser golf outing for The ANNIKA Foundation, whose mission aligns with WGGB by empowering the next generation of women through the game of golf while teaching young people the importance of personal development, including living a healthy, active lifestyle through fitness and nutrition.
Carl St. Pierre, father of one WGGB attendee, said of the experience, “My daughter, Christina, really enjoyed the clinic and advice that Annika provided to the girls. In fact, Christina had her first high school golf match [just after] and used some of Annika’s advice…. It boosted her confidence, as she had been very frustrated and struggling with her golf game leading up to her match, and Annika helped her refocus to concentrate on the next shot.”
Isabella ("Izzy") DiLisio began playing golf at Lederach around age 10. Soon after, Izzy joined Mary’s Girls, an early WGGB grantee program for girls who are interested in golf but aren’t members of a private club. She showed early promise, as Mary’s Girls awarded her a $2,000 scholarship to support her Junior membership to Talamore Country Club. While Izzu felt she had a natural swing from her days playing baseball, she also had a natural desire to practice and improve on her own. She also credits LPGA-USGA Girls’ Golf, coached by Jane Cousanis and Cheryl Foxwith, with setting her on the path to a successful golf career. They taught her golf skills and culture, while introducing her to healthy competition. Izzy chose to attend Mount Saint Joseph’s Academy because of its excellent girl’s high school golf team. She capped off an exceptional high school record by winning the PIAA individual championship. From there, she went on to play college golf at Notre Dame. Since then Izzy has been a shining star both on the course and off. She has had great success at Philadelphia Cricket Club (PCC), the USGA Mid-Am, Inter-City matches, and local and national competitions. We are thrilled to now have Izzy - one of our earliest grantees - as a member of WGGB’s Board of Directors. She credits WGGB for the early support she received that set her on this amazing golf and life journey.
WGGB was proud to support the 2025 Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour Diversity Scholarship, a program that promotes greater diversity in golf by providing memberships, tournament entries, and PGA Professional mentorship. We’re especially excited to recognize Skylar Crutchfield, age 8, from First Tee – Greater Philadelphia. Many of you may remember Skylar as our putting contest ringer at the June WGGB fundraising tournament. Despite her young age, Skylar has already made her mark in the game, advancing to the Regional Drive, Chip & Putt competition in 2024.
Upon receiving this year’s WGGB grant, Courtney Curcio, PGA REACH Philadelphia Director, shared: “I just wanted to send a big thank you for your support this season! We’re so grateful to be one of the programs receiving a grant, and it truly means a lot to us. Your generosity is making a real impact, and we can’t wait to put it to good use helping more girls get involved in the game.”
PRogram Director story: One of Women Golfers Give Back’s new grantees in 2025 was the Women’s Golf Association of Western Pennsylvania (WGAWP). The organization applied for a grant to support Junior Girls Golf Clinic scholarships for girls from underserved communities who lack access to private instruction and demonstrate financial need.
Founded in 1922, WGAWP promotes the best interests and true spirit of the game while governing competitions for its 600 members across 38 clubs. For junior girls, WGAWP provides mentoring, instruction, and opportunities to compete. WGAWP’s Carol Semple Thompson Junior Girls Golf Clinic creates an inclusive and welcoming environment for approximately 88–90 girls ages 5–17 from the Pittsburgh area. The goal is to introduce girls to golf, register them on GHIN, and build long-term relationships that connect them to WGAWP Junior Amateur competitions. The clinic emphasizes a safe, engaging setting where participants not only build athletic skills but also gain life lessons and friendships. Held at Oakmont Country Club for the past decade, the coaches, including Carol Semple Thompson herself, one of the most celebrated amateur golfers of all time. In partnership with the local First Tee program and area schools, WGAWP provides scholarships to girls who cannot afford the clinic fee and WGGB was proud to support those scholarships in 2025.
Annie VanZant, president of PA Golf, reflected on the experience: “The girls enjoyed the instruction, being at Oakmont just weeks before the U.S. Open, seeing all the tents and excitement, experiencing the history and tradition inside the clubhouse—along with lots of smiles and giggles.”
WGAWP Vice President Katie Miller Gee shared a similar sentiment, “The day was an incredible success. Everything ran perfectly, and the response from both the girls and their parents was overwhelmingly positive. Many shared how meaningful it was to have an opportunity like this made possible through [WGGB's] generosity. My favorite note came from a mom who said, ‘Addi texted me during the event asking, when is this over? Because I don’t want it to end!’”
girls served annually
programs currently funded
Geographic reach across the region
“One Shot” life lessons demonstrated through confidence, resilience, and growth
Our annual WGGB Links newsletter shares progress, stories, and important updates with our community. Throughout the year, we also share exciting news and stories about the girls in our grantee programs, photos and results from our Annual Tournament, other event updates and more through Facebook and Instagram.
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