Bellefonte Country Club boasts a beautiful, yet challenging, 18-hole golf course. And it provides the perfect setting for the Bellefonte Ladies Golf League.
Leigh Billups has been the chair of this group for seven years and her passion for the game, andespecially for the ladies of the league, is evident. “My husband had passed away and I took this on as a way to get involved,” she said. “Organization is one of my skills and I was able to put that to good use.”
While this is normally a two-year volunteer position, Billups said the others really encouraged her to stay this long. “I take it seriously in the sense that I want the ladies to have the most fun, get everyone involved and hope that they will always look forward to playing.” One aspect of making it fun for Billups is creating a game within a game for the team to play.
“One year we did a murder mystery,” she said. “I wrote the clues and you had to score a net par
in order to get the clue. At the end of the round, we went in for lunch and discussed the murder,
with everyone offering their thoughts on the identity of the killer.”
Another aspect that keeps the fun going is “Play and Stay” where the group, usually after a 9- hole day, will grab lunch together afterward and enjoy the time to chat and socialize. They also make sure to celebrate members’ birthdays. “We’ll all bring funny cards and share cupcakes or cookies,” Billups said. “It’s good for the mind, body and soul.”
That doesn’t mean the group is just about having fun though. “We are very serious in that we want to play the best we can but we don’t take it to the extreme,” Billups explained. “We want everyone to know that even when you’re not playing your best, you’re going to enjoy being out there.”
As part of the national Ladies Golf Association, the League also participates in championship
tournaments. “We have three each year, all at the Bellefonte course,” Billups said.
With about thirty members overall, there are three divisions in the league – the 9-Hole Group, the 18-Hole Group and the Greenhatters, all playing on different days. Some may choose to participate in all three. Others may just opt for one. “There are various skill levels,” Billups explained, “but everyone is handicapped so ladies of different levels can play against each other.”
A golf membership at the club is required to join the league, but all skill levels are welcome.
New members are encouraged to start with the Greenhatters group as it is a scramble. “This
gives them the opportunity to meet people in smaller groups and get used to the course,” Billups said. “We’ve had a lot of ladies join us who thought they weren’t good enough for league play. But that is not true. We want them to check us out, work on their game, and just have fun.”