b'GOLF ALASKAOUR MISSIONSince 1959, the Alaska Golf Association has been committed to the development and expansion of golf throughout the state.In alignment with the United States Golf This fall, DeLand (third from left) is starting her sophomore year playingAssociation, the AGA seeks to:on the womens golf team at Lee University. (LU Athletics) Promote excellent playing experiencesprompted DeLand to travel out of state to seek greater levels ofEngage with local golfers, partners, and organizationscompetition.It would definitely be something cool to see more girls in the sportExpand participation and access and more people (around) my age and even younger, she said. across the stateDeLand played in a tournament in Pittsburgh in the summer ofCelebrate our history of the games 2023, where she placed second, and traveled to Las Vegas for a seniorchampions and momentsshowcase against female golfers her age or younger from all aroundThe AGA also supports the development the world. of junior golfers by providing events, It was just a great experience because up here, there arent a wholetraining, and education aimed at lot of people my age that take it competitively, so it was just cool to seeenhancing their confidence and skill, that, she said. and continues its commitment to At last years state amateur tournament, there was only one othersupport players and the golf community across the state, to make the sport of girl who was 17 years old. Also competing was Anchorages Abigailgolf accessible for all. Ante, a Division II student-athlete who competes at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and graduated from South High.DeLand believes that theyre the only two female Alaskans currentlyYOUR AGA MEMBERSHIP going to college to compete in golf. She said most of their regularHELPS FUND:competition back home consists of older women when she and AnteYour AGA Membership Helps Fundarent playing against each other.Attitude and ones approach to the game are what she believesCourse ratingseparates a good golfer from a competitive golfer. Junior AGA membershipsGolf is such a mental sport, which I dont think a lot of peopleJunior golf programs/tournamentunderstand when learning the game, she said. You can hit balls all youAGA state tournamentswant on the driving range, but going out there and playing and scoring is a lot different. Rules Education and Rules officials for Moving on from a bad shot instead of dwelling on the missedeventsopportunity is something DeLand also thinks is paramount to keeping aWorld Handicap System Educationpositive outlook during practice and especially in competitions. Part of your membership fee also While she doesnt see herself pursuing golf professionally aftersupports your local clubcollege, where she plans to major in business, DeLand says playing the sport is something she intends to do for the rest of her life.(Josh Reed of the Anchorage Daily News contributed to this article.)6 GOLF ALASKA| SEPT2025'