Awards Presented at 2008 Annual Meeting

Each year the WSCGA gives special recognition at its Annual Meeting to a Distinguished Service Award recipient, a Volunteer of the Year and a Golf Professional of the year.

The Distinguished Service Award recognizes a person whose outstanding accomplishments have furthered the game of golf in the interest of women. The 2008 DSA recipient, Linda Garrison of Industry Hills Golf Club, is certainly well-deserving.

Linda was an educator and administrator at Mt. Sac for 34 years where she supported the transfer of women's athletics to the NCAA from AIAW and was the first woman in the country appointed to direct both men's and women's athletic programs. She served for many years on the California Association of Community Colleges Commission of Athletics and was very instrumental in the implementation of Title IX in community colleges. (Title IX provides equal athletic opportunities for women).

Along the way Linda developed a passion for golf and added her leadership and organizational skills at both the local and regional level. She served as the Western American Golf Association (WAGA) President from 1997 to 2000 and was a key figure in the merger of WAGA to WSCGA. She has also worn many hats for the Industry Hills Women's Golf Club....chairperson, team captain and rules director to name a few.

Well-recognized in the women's golf community and spoken highly of by her peers, Linda continues to be a strong role model for women. WSCGA salutes you, Linda. Congratulations!

Introduced in 2007 and first presented to the person that bears its name, The Judy Borden Award recognizes a recipient whose outstanding volunteerism have furthered WSCGA and the game of golf in the interest of women. The 2008 recipient, Carol Stewart of South Hills Country Club, has done all of that and more!

Carol has been an active member of WSCGA for 30 years and a Rules Maven extroidinare! When you hear her name you automatically think about the Rules of Golf. Carol served on the WSCGA Board of Directors for 2 years as the Rules Director, was instrumental in establishing the Rules Education Committee, has attended 5 SCGA and 10 USGA Rules Seminars and has conducted Rules seminars at WSCGA member clubs and Leadership Workshops for the past 11 years. She's also served the South Hills women's club as Chairperson, Parlimentarian, Advisor, Bylaws Chairperson, Installation Chairperson, WSCGA Liaison and Rules Chairperson. And just in case anyone out there is thinking that's all, Carol also operates her own Real Estate business which she's owned for the past 36 years!

Congratulations, Carol. WSCGA thanks you for your many years of service not just for our organization but for the game of golf!

The Professional of the Year Award was first presented in 2007 and recognizes a golf professional whose outstanding contributions have furthered WSCGA and the game of golf in the interest of women. The 2008 recipient, Carol Hogan, is the Head Professional at Desert Island Golf and Country Club where she's served since 1994, first as an assistant then as head professional. Testimony to Carol's support of women and women's golf is the fact the members of her club "adore her" (their words) and many of them (15-20) attended the Annual Meeting to see her receive this award.

Carol turned Professional in 1984 winning 15 professional Mini Tour events and playing in four LPGA Major Tour events including two U.S. Opens and two LPGA Championships. She became a Club Professional in 1988 with Class A status in both the LPGA and the PGA and has received national recognition as one of the top 50 golf instructors in the United States.

Carol has been enthusiastic and open whenever Desert Island has been approached about a tournament, and WSCGA is currently looking forward to their hosting of the 2009 Desert Event.

Congratulations, Carol, for this well-deserved award!

WSCGA would like to thank all three of these outstanding women for their contributions and service to the organization and to women's golf!

USGA President is the Keynote Speaker at WSCGA's Annual Meeting

The WSCGA was extremely honored to have the current President of the USGA, James Vernon, as the keynote speaker at the 2008 Annual Meeting. Mr. Vernon provided a very interesting account of ongoing USGA projects both present and future.

As the USGA President, Mr. Vernon leads the professional staff and nearly 1400 volunteers. He is in his 6th year as a member of the Executive Committee, a term that included 2 years as vice-president of the USGA and 4 years as Chairman of the Equipment Standards Committee. James started his volunteer work with the USGA as a member of the USGA Sectional Affairs Committee in 1998.

Mr. Vernon is a member of Lakeside Golf Club in Burbank and Monterey Peninsula Country Club in Pebble Beach. He was the SCGA President in 1997 and continues to serve as a board member of the SCGA Foundation.

The WSCGA thanks Mr. Vernon not only for speaking at the Annual Meeting but also for his many contributions to the game of golf!