LWGA HISTORY
In 1974, a group of women golfers, led by
LaJunta Stovall and Ruthven Vaux, decided it was time to
bring competitive golf to the women of Hilton Head
Island.
Seven golf courses were in operation at this time:
Palmetto Dunes, Port Royal, Harbour Town, Sea Marsh,
Ocean, Hilton Head Golf Club (now Shipyard) and Spanish
Wells. All were extremely cooperative in agreeing to set
aside tee times throughout the year for a new
organization, the Hilton Head Island Women's Golf
Association (HHIWGA). As new courses were developed,
HHIWGA expanded with them.
Shortly thereafter, the Dr. Alligator
Tournament was founded to benefit the Hilton Head
Hospital Auxiliary Nurses’ Scholarship program, and over
$225,000 was donated by
HHIWGA over the years for this most worthwhile cause.
Lowcountry Women’s Golf Association (LWGA) has now taken
on this charitable function to benefit the nursing
programs at both Hilton Head Regional Medical
Center and Beaufort Memorial Hospital.
In 1976, another group of women golfers,
led by Walton Horton and Ruthven Vaux, brought the
spirit of competitive golf to the women of Beaufort
County north of the Broad River. Thus the Women's Golf
Association of Beaufort County (WGABC) was formed. In
time, WGABC admitted eligible members from all of
Beaufort County.
It became evident in 2001 that the demand
for membership outweighed the capacity for membership.
Popular tournaments were consistently overbooked and
waiting lists grew. Demographics of the area predicted
an ever-increasing number of residents, lured to the
area by its fine golf and pleasant temperatures. In
addition, the two organizations overlapped each other,
with a majority of members belonging to both groups and
both organizations requesting the same golf courses.
Something had to be done.
A joint committee was formed to pursue
the feasibility of developing a new golf organization
that would absorb growth far into the future and that
would include a single countywide women’s association.
Working diligently, this committee developed a framework
that would maintain the friendly, competitive golf
experiences of both HHIWGA and WGABC. HHIWGA and WGABC
dissolved their separate organizations at the end of
2002, and the Lowcountry Women's Golf Association, an
organization that included all of Beaufort County, was
born.
Because of the foresight and perseverance
of their Founders, the members of HHIWGA and WGABC
enjoyed the best in competitive golf on both sides of
the Broad River for 28 years. LWGA’s Yearbook includes
the names of these founders, as well as all of the past
champions and the former presidents of HHIWGA and WGABC,
ladies who gave much time and effort to ensure that
these groups were well-run, competitive, fun and
friendly. Thanks are also extended to all those members
who served on their Boards of Directors over the years;
without them LWGA would not have come to be.
As LWGA looks to the future, our goals remain lofty, our
enthusiasm evident, and our hopes high.
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