Furman University selected for youth golf program

Furman University and the Ladies Professional Golf Association have teamed to offer young women an even playing field.

Not by altering the landscape of the Furman Golf Course, but by potentially altering the landscape of the Greenville community.

Through Girls Golf, a national initiative administered through the LPGA and the United States Golf Association, Furman will welcome young women from ages 7-17 to its 170-acre course to teach them the fundamentals of the game.

Jennifer Shillington of the Furman Golf Club will serve as the site director for Girls Golf of Greenville, organizing camps and events.

"We are really just trying to introduce the game of golf to the girls," Shillington said. "If they want to take it to a high school or collegiate level or to a professional level, we can provide them with those opportunities.

"Also, if they just want to do it for building friendships and experiencing competition in a fun way, it is going to allow them to do that."

Shillington, a certified LPGA Teaching Professional, said Girls Golf was designed for those who already play golf, but more importantly, for young women who may never have been exposed to the game.

"We just want to get them involved with a game that can show them team building and competition and a lifetime of enjoyment," Shillington said. "It's a game that they don't have to play at a competitive level, but it can be something that they can just enjoy."

Shillington believes golf can offer young women additional benefits.

"Definitely for young women it is going to help them in a business sense," she said. "It is going to put them on a little bit more of an even playing field with the men in business organizations.

"It's going to help them with their self-esteem. We are going to be providing grants, scholarships and other financial support, for ones who can't afford college."

For more information on this program, visit its Web site at www.girlsgolfofgreenville.com.