How Can We Get More Women In Golf?

Have you ever wondered how to get more women involved in golf? Join us for an inspiring conversation with our guest, Ana, who shares her journey of becoming a golfer at a young age and how her supportive family played a crucial role in her success. Discover the importance of having friends on the course for motivation, and how Ana chose golf over other sports to ultimately play at the collegiate level and become an assistant golf coach.

Ana walks us through the challenges women face when it comes to shaping shots, and the benefits of having a mentor or coach to guide them. We also discuss the best steps to take for anyone looking to get into golf without breaking the bank, and offer tips on purchasing clubs at a reasonable cost. Don't miss our advice on how to encourage friends and family members to try golf using incentives like drinks or dinner afterwards, or a more social approach like catching up while hitting the range.

Finally, we touch on the topic of golf handicaps and the challenges of improving one's game. Ana shares her own experience of transitioning from a near scratch handicap to a 5, and the struggle of finding time to practice and hone her skills. We also compare watching professional golfers on TV to seeing them in person, and emphasize the importance of having a support system when learning a sport. Tune in to learn how to motivate and inspire novice golfers, especially women, to join this amazing sport.

Ana's Instagram: @Anasgarcia2

Chapters

• 0:02 Getting Women Into Golf
• 11:24 Women Starting Golf Journey
• 26:20 Getting People to Try Golf
• 30:04 Starting Out in Golf
• 43:39 Golf Handicaps and Improvement Challenges
• 49:04 Underdog Team Triumphs

Transcript

Jordan: 0:02

What is going on everybody? It is Jordan at the Pure Golf Podcast. Today we are talking with Zach and a guest by the name of Anna about how to get more women into the game of golf. Really awesome, exciting conversation. If you are married, maybe it's some ideas of how to get your wife to the golf course. If you're dating, maybe it's an opportunity to get your girlfriend to the golf course. Anna is full of advice on how to get more women involved in the game of golf and I think we would all welcome that. I think that's a wonderful idea. I think we need to grow the game as much as possible. Without further ado, i'm going to send it over to myself for the announcements, but have a wonderful day, enjoy the podcast, enjoy our new friend Anna. She's just a wonderful, wonderful human being. Thanks, guys.

Jordan: 1:01

This week at Pure Golf, per usual, we're doing shorts every day on all our social media channels The YouTube, the Instagram, the Facebook, the TikTok. wherever you are, we probably are there too, growing an audience, building a community of believers in the Pure Golf brand, and you can follow us at my pure golf across all social media platforms. Later this week, we have a four man scramble where Zach, myself and two people by the name of Aaron and Anon have a little four man scramble action. It is some of the worst golf you will ever see, as Zach is the only one who really golfs among us.

Jordan: 1:47

I hardly ever golf, as people know, and I think you're going to see how rusty I often tell my students that I am, but I'm incredibly rusty. I'm not nearly as good as I used to be. Aaron hasn't played in a decade and Anon maybe plays golf once a year, so it's not the best golf, but is it entertaining, you betcha? it is, so enjoy that on the YouTube channel later this week. Other than that, we always say it, but please give us a follow at my pure golf. If you are liking the podcast, please rate it five stars, share it with a friend, share it with a family member, but other than that, just enjoy the podcast. We love doing this and putting it out there for you guys. But now over to the podcast. Thanks.

Zach: 2:45

Okay, anna, thank you so much for being on the podcast with us today. Before we get into the meat and potatoes of what we're going to talk about, why don't we start off with you just giving an introduction of who you are, where you're from, how long you've played golf, all of that fun stuff?

Ana: 3:02

Yeah, so my name's Anna Garcia. I'm originally born in Mexico And then we moved to the US, and then we moved to the Dominican Republic for a couple years And then we came back here to Atlanta. I started playing golf when I was five well, technically three But I got into golf because my older brother was put into lessons and I was the pesky younger sister that wanted to do everything that her brother wanted to do, even though it was a really big age gap for us seven years. So my parents drove an hour away from Mexico City to go buy me a pair of golf clubs that were my size.

Jordan: 3:46

Wow.

Ana: 3:47

At the time, if you guys know what I'm talking about the little Snoopy bag.

Zach: 3:52

Literally Jordan has. I think Jordan has that bag Yeah.

Ana: 3:56

So my parents drove an hour and a half away from the city to go find those golf clubs, after a lot of research And then after that, it's rest is history.

Zach: 4:09

Yeah, i hear you. So you've been playing golf for your entire life. Did you happen to play any other sports, or has it just been strictly golf?

Ana: 4:17

No, my parents were very much into the open concept of letting us play whatever sport we were into. They said I did ballet for a one week, which was fun for them. After they bought everything and paid for the lessons.

Zach: 4:33

I feel like that's natural, though, right, i feel like that's like you. Just, you're trying everything, like I tried tennis for like a few months and I was thinking you know what. This isn't for me, so I get what you're saying.

Ana: 4:43

Yeah, i played tennis, i played soccer, i played volleyball a lot during middle school And that's about it. I try to get into basketball, but not very good at that.

Zach: 4:56

Okay, okay. So follow up question What made you push for golf? Why was golf the main sport that you stuck with?

Ana: 5:05

That's a really good question. I think right when I hit high school, my parents kind of thought of well, if you're going to pursue a sport later on in life after you know, just going through all of these and potentially going to college to go play, what would it be? And for me, i feel like golf was always something I came back to. It wasn't just I picked it up, i played it and then it was just kind of let go, so it was just more of a oh, i think I'll play golf because I want. You know like I played it when I was young. When I moved to the Dominican Republic, in the little town that we lived at there wasn't really a golf course to practice at, so I stopped playing then. And when we moved back to the US I picked it up again and was just like I want to keep going at this, i want to break some records of my own and keep excelling. And that led me to playing collegiate golf and being an assistant golf coach on the collegiate level as well.

Zach: 6:12

Nice. Yeah, you're talking about sports that you can do, you know, after you know you get done with college and everything like that. My sister, she played soccer her entire life And she ended up stopping in college because she had this realization that you couldn't really go anywhere unless you were trying to make you know the women's national team with soccer. So I totally get what you're saying when it comes to sports And you definitely picked the right one. Let's be honest, i feel like golf is that number one sport when it comes to business, and I'm really excited because we're going to get into that a little bit later. Where did you end up playing collegiate golf?

Ana: 6:48

I played at Oglethorpe University in Brookhaven, georgia. It's a really small division three school But honestly I had the best time in my life.

Zach: 6:57

Yeah, was it? was it a good like campus life or did you enjoy the team? What made it so enjoyable for you?

Ana: 7:03

I think it was primary location in the golf courses. We were able to get out and play. I really enjoyed that.

Zach: 7:13

Is that in like the middle of Atlanta?

Ana: 7:15

Yeah, almost. It's not in the center, but it's near Buckhead.

Zach: 7:20

Well, yeah, that's honestly, that's a fantastic spot when it comes to college and all that stuff. I know for me, i was in the middle of nowhere in middle Georgia, so we all we had was a Dairy Queen and a Wendy's that we could enjoy on the weekends. So I totally get what you're saying. Well, let's go ahead now that everyone knows kind of who you are and that you actually have some certification.

Zach: 7:42

When it comes to what we're about to talk about today, why don't we jump into it? So, one of the biggest things that Jordan and I have talked about a lot and I've seen on social media is how can we encourage more women to get into golf, right? I feel like ever since well, even before COVID and everything like that everyone's kind of had this understanding that golf has been kind of this older man's sport and there's been some type of, i guess, like prestige when it comes to it. I think COVID has changed that stigmatism for younger people to get into golf, but I feel like there should be even more of a push specifically for women, right? So that's really what I want to get into today. Why don't we start with this And give me your number one reason why women should even play golf in the first place.

Ana: 8:38

Well, i first want to point out what you said was completely true, as the acronym for golf goes gentlemen only, ladies forbidden.

Jordan: 8:45

I heard it, i heard it, i didn't know that was a thing, i've heard it for a whole life Yeah.

Zach: 8:51

I've heard it Jordan's nodding his head. Yeah, so he's actually heard it too. I had no idea that that was an acronym.

Ana: 8:56

Yeah, it's been an acronym for as long as I can remember, especially growing up. I guess in those times golf within the ladies room wasn't as big as it is now. You hear a lot of female names from Annika and then Lorena Ochoa. Those have been some of the greatest that have played the sport. But reasoning for women to get into golf now I think it's just prime time.

Ana: 9:25

If you're into business, golf is a fantastic sport to get into. It really tells your client, your character within. Under frustration and pressure. It shows a lot of different qualities within you. But the main reasoning if people want to get into it it's just yourself. No one's going to make you go out to the golf course and make you hit 100 golf balls, especially in this age. If you don't have a dad who's telling you to go out and practice for four hours a day, if you don't have an older brother, that's like, hey, we're going to the golf course. It really takes it up into you if you want to play and if you want to put the time and the commitment into it as well as the money.

Zach: 10:12

I know you started playing golf when you were really, really young. Did you have that dad that really pushed you into this sport? I know you got inspired because your older brother was taking lessons. Was it the type of thing where you got interested because of that? or was it because your dad was like, hey, you might enjoy this as well. You might as well get into the sport too?

Ana: 10:31

No, my parents were really reluctant into getting me into golf. They thought I was too little, too young, i wasn't going to have just the patience for it. but they said I was the one that begged to go out to the golf course and I would go out there with my little bucket and hit for hours and hours and go to the range and tell the other ladies and men what they were doing wrong as a little kid Little kids think they know everything and I was that one. at the golf course I was like, look, you got to hit it like this and you got to hit it far. I was the one that always was like I want to go to the golf course. I would wake up early and be ready to go. My brother would go with me. My mom would go out there and sit in the clubhouse for hours.

Ana: 11:24

As I got older and started looking into playing in the tournaments the SJGTs, hurricanes, georgia junior golf tournaments, everything else my dad obviously put a little bit more pressure into it because it was a lot more money into entry fees and saying if you want to be one of the best, you've got to go out there. You've got to do your research. You tell me who you want to be your coach, your swing coach, your mental coach, what I can do for you. but he was very hands off. It really helped me that I had a lot of friends at the golf course that were like we're going to go out there. My golf course had a strict policy of not letting juniors out before a certain time onto the golf course, but we could go out and practice whenever. We're going to go out there at 9 am and we're going to practice until 11.

Ana: 12:26

From 11 to 1, we're going to get in the car, go get some food outside of the golf course and then we're going to come back. We're going to play 18 holes and we're going to call it a day. I think that was encouraging, having that support system, because if it were just myself, I could have done it. But I don't think I would have had as much determination to do it every single day by myself.

Zach: 12:50

No, and that's awesome, i think. Another thing I want to bring up, because we actually did create a short about this a little bit earlier You're talking about a fantastic support system. Was it majority boys, girls, what was it for you?

Ana: 13:05

It was majority boys, i think. I had two other girls at my home course and I did play a lot with them, but I definitely played a lot more with the guys. They really challenged me to go from one point in my game to the next point, especially practicing shots that girls usually don't use or have out. in the golf course They taught me you need to flip your wrist when you're doing this type of chip shot and you need to get over the ball. I don't know. I feel like shaping shots for women is really hard for a certain reason. I've tried to battle that throughout my whole life of why it's so hard, but I don't know. It's like you can go up to the range and tell one of the guys hit me a five-yard cut, that's really low, and they can do it on the spot.

Ana: 14:07

For me I always found that challenging.

Zach: 14:09

Most guys, right, Because if you told me to try and do that, I'd be like well, I can give you a 35-yard pull. That's the only thing that's currently in my bag right now.

Ana: 14:19

They really challenged me. I remember, coming back from my first year in college, i was playing the white teas and they were like no, no, you don't need to be playing that, you need to play from the blues. That's ridiculous. I was like no guys, that par three is 200 yards for me. I cannot do that. They're like Anna, stop, You're playing the blues, You're fine, We're going to play Wolf from the Blues with you. I'm like okay, there wasn't much to argue, It's just all right.

Zach: 14:55

I'm sorry, i don't mean to cut you off. You were scamming us then when we were playing that 3v3 scramble, because you were only playing from the whites. I didn't understand. You could have been playing with us in the blues the entire time.

Ana: 15:06

Not exactly. I mean the whites from Stonebridge. They're pretty long. Honestly, my game is not what it was a couple of weeks ago.

Ana: 15:21

If I'd have to give it to someone, it'd be some of my best friends who just have really pushed me to it can be scary when you're first do something and you're just like I'm not at that caliber, i can't do that. But when somebody else on the outside is looking at it and is playing with you every day I've seen you do it, you can do it. You just got to put your mindset there.

Zach: 15:46

They give you a better voice of reason. I feel like when it's just you, you have your own expectations and your own perception of yourself. But I think it's actually really good. That's the reason why Jordan's a big part of my golf life. He gives me another reason, another voice of opinion when it comes to my golf game. I think it's really important in any situation. So that's really really good. I really I like that a lot. How should women, how should they even start? They're listening to this podcast. They hear that you've had a lot of success, especially when it comes to collegiate, even after. it's a great business opportunity as well, so they're kind of inspired. What is the best step for them to get into golf? Because a lot of people now are like, okay, well, how do I even start?

Ana: 16:36

Yeah, i think the one word you used perfectly is inspiration. Being honest, golf is an expensive sport. It's not cheap. Golf clubs are expensive, fees are expensive, especially if you're going to join a country club or if you're going to go out and play at any other club. It's just. It's always been an expensive sport And as technology goes further and further, it's going to get a little bit more pricey, unfortunate to say, for my bank account.

Zach: 17:08

They mine too.

Ana: 17:10

Yeah, but I think first, if you're a lady out there and you really want to get into golf, do your research. Find out what's nearest golf course to you private, public range, even a driving range would be great. And you know, i would think for the first couple of times, if you're kind of hesitant about it, call in and ask if they have a rental set. Like, don't go out there and buy golf clubs. As much as I would love for every single person that I know to own their own pair of golf clubs, it's expensive. Even just the first cheap set that you buy it'll be a couple hundred dollars. So it's kind of a large investment. Do your research, really get to know what you want to do throughout your golf journey, if it's just going to be more of a leisurely thing or if you're really going to get into it and go hard. So that would be my first thing Find your inspiration, find your determination and go through with it. Second, don't be scared, just go out.

Ana: 18:24

Everybody has to start somewhere. Everybody's going to whiff the ball, everybody's going to shank it, everyone's going to top it, skull it, whatever you want to call it. The golf swing is something so extraordinary because nobody has the same swing at all. If you look at every single LPGA or PGA tour player, no one has the exact same swing path, swing line, club, head speed, none of the above. So you could have one of the in my opinion could be one of the ugliest swings and you hit the ball absolutely phenomenal. Or you could have one of the prettiest swings and like still be, you know, struggling with something.

Zach: 19:12

Sure.

Ana: 19:14

So I think that's the first thing is like don't be scared, go out there. Put yourself out there, first and foremost because it is intimidating when you walk up to a range and you see all these people like hitting fabulous shots and you're just like, oh, look at me. This is my first time coming out here and I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing, But I mean, it happens everywhere, you know right.

Ana: 19:42

It could be your first time at a restaurant. You don't exactly know the customs of the restaurant or what they're serving or what they have on the menu. But then you go the second time and you feel a lot more comfortable because you know my favorite kind of understand what's on the menu and, like you, understand the procedures and everything like that.

Zach: 20:01

I hear you. What would you say? And I don't know why this question stuck in my brain How would you we're talking about like just going out there and being bold, right, and just saying you know what, i want to try new things, i want to experience new things. And okay, she, you know Anna is suggesting that I just need to go for it, right? Would you suggest that golfers women should go on the range first? Would you suggest them going out with a buddy just to the course for one time? What would you say is probably the best bet for them just to get introduced into the sport?

Ana: 20:40

I mean, i think it definitely depends on anyone's situation Almost per se, like what if you don't have a buddy to take you out to the golf?

Zach: 20:51

course True.

Ana: 20:53

Or what if I don't know? just something weird Like what if I want to take this journey on myself, by myself and build relationships throughout this journey, kind of as a whole elemental thing. I think it's just what you're most comfortable with. I think definitely for ladies. Call the golf shop or look online if they have a dress code. There's nothing more embarrassing and it's happened to me because I know showing up to a golf course in improper attire and then getting called out for the improper attire because they will Call a golf course. Figure it out a little bit, kind of you know, build your mindset up of what am I getting into?

Zach: 21:48

Just have some like expectations before you go and like kind of be a little bit prepared, don't show up and, like you know, a crop top and, like you know, jeans or something like that. Yeah, i totally get what you're saying.

Ana: 22:00

Well, i mean, some golf course will allow that. I don't know if it'd be the most comfortable thing to start golfing, but definitely like call the golf shop, ask if they have a pair of rental clubs. You can always ask golf pros anything. I worked in a golf shop and some of the calls I got They didn't even phase me anymore. It was just normal at that point.

Ana: 22:27

So don't be embarrassed that you're going to say the wrong thing or that you're going to use the wrong terminology somewhere. Those professionals are there working to help you, so they'll be more than glad to give you all the information that you need. And then I would recommend, if you're going to take up golf and actually learn, go to the range. Maybe watch a couple of videos on my peer golf about the basics, the posture and everything that you need to know how to swing a golf club, because I think that's number one is not trying to get frustrated at the beginning of this journey. Golf is a very frustrating sport. Just let you know. But learn the basics and truly dive into the posture where your hands are supposed to be within every single move of the swing, and just getting used to that type of movement, because it will be a lot of repetition and muscle memory.

Zach: 23:35

Yeah, no, and that's interesting. The reason why I brought this question up to begin with is because I know people, not just women. I know a lot of people. Their golf stories and their journeys have been different. Right, we just finished filming with Aaron He's going to be on the page soon but he kind of fell back in love because he was helping us film And then all of a sudden he's like you know what?

Zach: 23:58

I kind of want to start swinging again. And then all of a sudden he took a few swings at the peer golf office and he's like, oh, i can hit the ball really, really far, And then all of a sudden his story kind of came into fruition because of that. I also know some girls that they wanted to just go to the golf course, just to drive the golf cart, right, just they wanted to be outside. And then all of a sudden the person that they were with said, hey, why don't you just like swing once or twice? They hit the ball really well that one time, and then they fell in love with the sport that way. So I think that there are a lot of different ways that you can kind of go about it, but you won't ever get to that point. If you don't start, if you don't try, and I think that's kind of what we're getting at at this point. And to go further into what you were talking about, once you do kind of fall in love with the sport and you kind of figure out okay, i want to actually learn the basics and learn the different fundamentals and everything like that.

Zach: 24:51

My advice and I know Jordan's advice as well would be to get your own personal swing coach right, because I feel like you know, when you go on social media and you go and you try and figure out through these golf libraries and that type of stuff, the best, the best way that you can get better is seeing somebody critique your own personal swing and telling you what you should be doing next, rather than trying to, you know, pile it on with all these different outside sources rather than that number one source for you.

Zach: 25:22

So, yeah, i totally get what you're saying. I love the route that you're going down with that. Let's kind of dive into a little bit more of what can. What is one way that men can encourage women to come and try out golf right? Because I know, like there are some people still in my life, that they know that I play golf a lot right And they see that I'm really enjoying it and I'm trying to encourage them one way or another to get them out in the course. What's the best way to do that for us?

Ana: 25:53

That's actually a really good question. Um, I may be a little stumped.

Zach: 26:01

Jordan, if you have any thoughts on this, you can jump in as well.

Ana: 26:05

Nothing.

Zach: 26:05

Okay, okay.

Ana: 26:06

Honestly, just just like doing it, like, yeah, texting, hey, what's up You do? you want to go to the driving range at? okay 530 when I get off of work.

Zach: 26:20

See, I've been trying to I don't want to say I've been berating people of like, hey, you better come out to this golf course with me or else I'm going to, you know, get really upset, Or just like I think.

Ana: 26:32

Just it depends, like if you're going to go play around or something like hey, i've got a tea time and an open time at 430. You want to join? Yeah, but obviously like it's got to be at the right moment.

Zach: 26:47

I know, see, i, i it depends on the person right Like I could convince them like, hey, like this drink is free If you come and like, just ride around and play some shots with me. I've also thought, maybe the top golf route of like hey, you know, it's more of a party scene, it doesn't matter if you swing and miss right, you're just having fun Maybe that's the route. I was talking to my sister about this yesterday. That's why this whole question came about, And I've been trying to get her on the golf course as well, cause her boyfriend plays golf too. He doesn't play it as much as we do, but he still plays and he's been trying to figure that out too. So I was hoping that you would give me some, some insight into trying co-coercing her onto the course. I don't know.

Ana: 27:28

Well, I've recently had two friends who are getting into golf.

Zach: 27:33

Nice.

Ana: 27:33

Um, and they've been texting me a lot about you know, like, like one friend just texted me out of the blue. She's like Hey, i need to buy golf clubs. Where do I go to that? Like? I need a good beginner set. All I've had, all I have is a putter.

Jordan: 27:48

Yeah.

Ana: 27:49

And I'm like, oh well, it depends. Like, what's your price point? What's this, what's that? Um, right handed, left handed, extra long. Um, like, what are you looking for? And she was like, well, i'm kind of like not looking for the most expensive set. And she got into golf because her boyfriend same thing, her boyfriend was starting to get into golf. She got to ride in the golf cart, and she's always been, she played collegiate lacrosse. Um, so she's like Oh, i want to do this.

Zach: 28:24

She's competitive, she's competitive, she's like.

Ana: 28:26

I want to go out there and I fricking want to beat you. And then my other friend also got into it because her boyfriend started playing and she had a set of golf clubs. So she was like this is something we can do together on the weekends now. Um, but to get someone out to the golf course, i think maybe bribing them like almost that route of Hey, let's go to the range, catch up, because on the range like a lot of conversation happens.

Zach: 28:57

Oh, they do.

Ana: 28:58

And it's a lot of side conversations of just either like you're meeting someone or you're out there with a friend catching up and in between shots, when you're hitting, you know you step back behind your ball, you watch them hit and then you have a small conversation And then you go up and hit and they step back and it's more of like an ongoing chatter.

Zach: 29:22

Absolutely.

Ana: 29:23

So I'd be like, Hey, let's go to the range and catch up, maybe grab a drink after or go get dinner. I just think it'd be great quality time.

Zach: 29:32

So use something else in supplement to golf to convince them to show up is basically what you're saying, okay.

Ana: 29:39

Well, I feel like, if they're not wholly into the golf, yeah, maybe like kind of try to slow it in there of Hey, we can be, you know, like outside in the nature and Yeah getting a little bit fit or whatever, And then going out and getting dinner like it's just a good balance and trade off.

Zach: 30:01

I hear you. I like that. And also to your point. I just wanted to mention you're mentioning, you know, golf clubs and people were asking you what they should be doing and everything like that. I just wanted to say, for my own story, before Jordan gave me half of my iron set, before that even happened, i all I had was a pitching wedge of seven iron in my driver right And I just went to the range and I consistently hit with those three clubs and I bought them from play against sports, i think for a total of $20, right, i mean, it was literally just for me to get used to the swing.

Zach: 30:34

And so I feel like a lot of people when they first start out in golf, they get scared by the price point of a full golf set. Right, it could cost, you know, thousands and thousands of dollars, but that's never that's, that's hardly the case when you're first starting out. So my encouragement would be to go to a, you know, a play it against sports or somewhere that you can get a used few couple of golf clubs and then just go from there. I mean, goodness gracious, my three words $25 and it's still in my bag because I got it from playing against sports and I still love it. So you just never know until you try. And that would be my one suggestion If you are curious about. Okay, you know, how can I start just swinging in the first place?

Ana: 31:15

Honestly like going back to that story with my friend. Yeah, you told me her price point. Her highest would be $150, which a normal set, i think, is.

Zach: 31:27

Oh goodness.

Ana: 31:28

I mean a starting offset. That's just cheap route that you just want to write, you know. I don't know if I'm going to commit to this long term, but I want to do it right now. Yeah, I think it would be like 200 to $300.

Zach: 31:44

I think my dad, when he bought his first used used iron set, it was like $150. I think that's what it was a plate again And then he bought a $20 driver and then like a $10 putter and then he's been good ever since, right.

Ana: 31:57

So but I was just saying, like that's brand new. I think that's the price point of just a regular set. So I kind of did my digging and my scouring. You know, go to Facebook marketplace. Oh yeah, they have everything and you can buy, you know, a set of irons from this person and a putter from this person and a driver from this person, and you can kind of manipulate your own budget and price point. I would also just recommend, like, going to garage sales and goodwill, like people are just getting rid of everything.

Zach: 32:36

Like.

Ana: 32:37

I got my friend's golf clubs from a golf course that was getting rid of their old rental set. So I just got super cheap. Yeah, i was like I just called and I was like Hey, are you guys getting rid of any club sets that potentially be purchased? And they were like actually we just got new rentals, we're getting rid of our old rental sets. I was like do you guys have a women's left handed, you know set that I could buy for $100? So like, yeah, we'll give it to you for $100.

Zach: 33:09

That's funny, that's awesome, that's a great way to go about it And I think that's spot on to kind of give people just like a sense of relief that you don't have to drop thousands and thousands of dollars when you first start out. Honestly, you can just play golf with that same set and you'll probably be just fine for the long haul. That's, those are like kind of the main questions that I have when it comes to, you know, trying to encourage women into golf.

Zach: 33:33

Anna is there any other points you want to get across for women and then I've got like kind of a quick rapid fire, like name them off type questions at the very, very end. But is there any like major points that you want to say?

Ana: 33:46

I think my final point would be if you're getting into golf, it's definitely your own will and determination. Um, it's. It's a lot of hours out on the golf course and if you don't want to do it, then don't do it, because it's not enjoyable when you're out there saying like, oh, i'm going to play 18 holes today and I'm gonna be sitting in the golf cart for four to five hours and I Mean it just. It's got to be something that you want to do and that you fall in love with, to be able to get better and reach That next level within yourself.

Ana: 34:28

Yeah it's not like, oh Well, my boyfriend's going to the golf course, so I'm gonna go with him, just because you know yeah.

Zach: 34:37

I think, i think yeah to your point. It's harder for you to fall in love with something if you're just going just because somebody else is going.

Ana: 34:44

However, in that situation, if you do happen to go once or twice, and let's say you do happen to Stripe a drive to fifty three hundred yards, then all of a sudden you're like, wow, this could be my like pleasure, this, this could be my pastime, you know so no, that's for sure, but I'm just saying like it's not enjoyable when you don't want to do it right, agree It's enjoyable when you want to do it and you Want to beat whatever your lowest score is at the moment and get better throughout that journey, instead of telling yourself, like I have to go out to the golf course, instead of like I'm gonna go out to the golf course because today is a beautiful day and I Can't even think of anything else, of being out in the sun with my friends riding around the golf cart, chasing a little bit white golf ball.

Zach: 35:36

Yeah, no, absolutely. I think that's just. That's anything in life If you're forcing yourself to have to do it, you're gonna fall out of love of it. You're gonna stop doing it pretty, pretty quickly, and that's awesome. Let's kind of get into now like the rapid fire questions. I know I have a few questions. I know Jordan has a few questions. He just sent one in the chat. Let's get rocking and rolling. Okay, who is your favorite LPGA player on tour?

Ana: 36:03

Paula creamer.

Zach: 36:05

Okay, so so it's not Nelly Cordo. I feel like everyone says Nelly Cordo.

Ana: 36:10

I love Nelly Cordo swing, but I've been a Paula creamer stand since I was like I don't know, probably 13.

Zach: 36:20

Okay, okay, fair enough. Uh, let me. let me ask you this Who is your favorite male golfer? if you could golf with one of them, who would it be?

Ana: 36:30

Mm-hmm, that's a really hard question.

Zach: 36:33

You can only pick one.

Ana: 36:37

Well I know, but everything in me is just like to get around with Tiger Woods. That's just elite and it's just the most cliche answer ever. It is.

Zach: 36:46

I was about to call you cop out. Answer right there.

Ana: 36:49

Well, i was gonna say, if it was like a group of it, i would love to go out with the spring 2016 or no spring breakers. Was it the spring breakers of 2016? Jordan Spieth, ricky Fowler, just in, thomas.

Zach: 37:04

Yeah, I saw that video.

Ana: 37:07

Like that would be the group answer and then the individual would be obviously like that's fair.

Zach: 37:14

Tiger Woods? Yeah, i go woods. That's fair, i get it, i get it. I just give you a hard time because I feel like whenever I ask that question, everyone says Tiger Woods, every single person, as they should, as they should. Um, okay, one of the biggest things that we're trying to portray on this podcast, on the channel on everything, is Oh, to break 80. Right, we're trying to encourage golfers to break 80, and what is your number one tip for golfers trying to do so?

Ana: 37:41

That's tough, i know. It took me, at least when I was younger, a year to break 80. Um, i Think ridiculous, by the way, that's ridiculous.

Zach: 37:53

It took you one year to break 80.

Ana: 37:55

Okay, look, when I, when I was reaching that level, i put a lot of pressure on myself because I told my dad I want a new putter and I want to go and get fitted for a Scotty Cameron, and My dad's like, well, i have good news and bad news. We can do that, but you've got to earn it and, as the golfer mindset of anybody else, oh well, i'm not breaking 80 because I don't have a new putter. It's all in the putter. It's the putter's fault, it's not my fault. This is why I need a new putter. It took me forever to get out of the mindset of it's not the club, it's you. Yeah, but you've got to do it. But I think my biggest sense of just Advices golf course management, like, really take your time on every shot mentally of What you're doing and what you're trying to achieve within that. You know like you kind of have to visualize the whole As a whole. You know like, should I really be going for that par five to try to make an eagle, at best a birdie?

Ana: 39:12

Yeah and put yourself into trouble and then make that trouble into a double or triple bogey. Yeah that's three strokes automatically.

Zach: 39:21

Mm-hmm. Well, that's the biggest thing. Is the blow up holes always cost? I mean, they cost me every single time that I do a road to break 80. There's always that decision when it comes down to the wire Am I gonna go for it, i'm gonna lay up and I'm gonna play it conservative, and I feel like I have whiffed on that decision every single time, every single time.

Ana: 39:39

So I mean, like, will bad shots happen that are out of your control? Yes, but it's how you go from that bad shot and recover From being able to potentially save for par but, at worst, making a bogey.

Ana: 39:54

Yeah you know, like I hit my Driver into the woods first, shot, oh, i kind of have a clear shot out of the woods to get on the green. That's me, yeah. but what is the percentage of Like? is it really worth doing that to put yourself Either further into the woods because you hit a limb or you hit a trunk or something, or just Chipping out to a safe distance and then getting closer to the pin from that distance and making that putt or making the putt after that? So you know, it's kind of the difference of, you know, a triple bogey or bogey.

Zach: 40:33

Yeah, absolutely, and I and I get that. Um course, management is always a fantastic answer, because I feel like a lot of people overlook that, especially when they come down to the final holes, right, there's more pressure, you're thinking about trying to break 80 more, and then usually your mental sanity tends to go away as you get down to the final. I know that it happens for me, so that's a really good answer.

Ana: 40:56

The adrenaline you know you're like oh hole 16 and I'm setting myself to shoot 77. And when you have that mental mindset of oh I just need to par These last two holes, I need to par them and get out of here fresh and clean. The adrenaline gets you and you're putting so much pressure on yourself. Yeah that you're not thinking about What every stroke, like what every shot, is meant to do.

Zach: 41:24

Right, i know, for me I tend to. I tend to overlook, like shots. Right, i tend to overlook it when you think, when you get in that mindset of, okay, all I need to do is par this hole, well, i usually focus on, like the tee shot and then I'm thinking, okay, what am I gonna do when I get on the green, rather than just focusing on the second shot itself? That tends to happen to me a lot, so yeah, that's a second.

Ana: 41:46

I guess it's just like Take every, it's just one shot at a time, yeah, and what happened happen? You can't really change it. You can't go back in time and change that scorecard. So I think it's just you know you're sitting on the 18th hole. You're about to shoot 79, right.

Ana: 42:05

You've got I don't know like 150 yards and you're gonna hit the club that you can because you're in between to muscle. Muscle it up Instead of thinking clearly through the shot of I shouldn't muscle that up. I'm gonna club up, i'm gonna choke down on the grip and you know I'm gonna be safely on the green or Or close to the green instead of being like I've been hitting this shot great And I'm gonna muscle it up there and then it's gonna be Super short, super right, super left, because you're putting all your energy and force into it right.

Zach: 42:41

You're playing your strengths right And that's and that's, one of the best things that you can possibly do, especially towards the end When you're trying to break 80. I know Jordan asked this question and it kind of gels with this question, so I'm gonna ask it anyways. Anna, what is the greatest golf advice you have ever received?

Ana: 42:57

Have fun. That is my best advice. Don't get mad, especially like if you're going out there and trying to impress someone I think it's you're only impressing yourself out on the golf course of what you're capable of and what you're capable of beating yourself at. So if you get mad, you're only beating yourself up because it doesn't count on anyone else, like any other team sport. So just like, have fun, laugh at yourself when you make those mistakes. If you shank it, it happens. I've done it. I did it last week.

Zach: 43:44

Oh, i did it in our 3B3 scramble. I'm sitting there, first tee shot. I'm like, oh my gosh, i got to go first And then I launched at 70 yards left of the fairway. But yeah, no, anna. Thank you so much. Also, by the way, what is your handicap right now, if you don't mind me asking, I'm still out of five. You say that like it's a bad thing. That's ridiculous to me.

Ana: 44:10

Well, technically okay. The last time I played it was so annoying. I was one over and then I get to the last hole and I hit a sprinkler head and it just shot me right out and I made a quad.

Zach: 44:23

Oh no, oh no.

Ana: 44:27

But I mean, like it happens, and I also have to put it into my brain that I don't put as much not effort, but like hours into practicing and being out on the golf course as I once used to, which I think that's the hardest part about being a former athlete at any level Collegiate, professional, even as a hobby and, like you, don't have that time to put into something anymore.

Ana: 44:59

Yeah, so I'm still out of five and what was yourself that it'll get better or worse, and it doesn't matter anymore, because I'm going out there to have fun.

Zach: 45:10

That's exactly what I was going to say. You're there to have fun. Can I ask what your best has been Like? what were you about when you were in college? What has been your top for you?

Ana: 45:21

I think I was almost scratch at one point. I was sitting at a one.

Zach: 45:28

They say by the way, if you're listening to this podcast you don't know who I am I'm like 11 or 12 handicap. They say as you get towards scratch though, it gets almost like from you getting to a five to a scratch golfer, compared to like I'm an 11 to a five, It's like insurmountably harder Yeah.

Ana: 45:48

Well, it's just when you talk about your road to breaking 80, after you break 80, it's like the road to breaking 72. At that point it's like you've got to be on your best putting game. Your short games got to be amazing. You see, the pros do it so easily online and it's just it's mind boggling Like you put yourself out there and you're like why can't I do that?

Zach: 46:19

Oh, i ask myself that all the time. We just got finished watching the open and I'm sitting there and I'm like why? why can I not do that? You know what's going on. Or, by the way, jordan, you don't have to put this in there That last tee shot by Wyndham Clark on 18, i swore on everything that was like going out of bounds and it landed in the fairway. What is going on right now with the courses and everything That's besides the point? Sorry, i just had to say.

Ana: 46:46

I mean, it's just you see them on TV and you're like, oh they're swing speed is insane. And then you go and see them in real life and you're like that is the easiest going swing I've ever seen in my life. It's not what it looks like.

Zach: 47:01

Oh, and it's like a trampoline too, though. It's like it's so much easier and it's just pure, and they hit the ball 330 yards. You look at Rory and I'm like what? Like? you're smaller than me, dude, how is that even possible?

Ana: 47:13

But well, that's just the craziest thing. But like it's like you see people on the range, you know trying to hit it as hard as possible because that's what they see on TV. But then you go and you watch them in real life and it's just the perfect tempo, easy, smooth swing like Tiger Woods. On those swings where you think he's trying to crush the ball is probably he's just like I'm going to hit a little bit harder than what I usually do, but not to the point where I'm giving it a hundred percent.

Zach: 47:49

Right, you're not like falling over like I usually do, right, i'm losing my footing the whole deal Yeah. Yeah, and I see I get it. I'm learning. This is great, jordan. This is why we bring people on the pod for me to learn how to break 80. This is what I need to do. But, anna, thank you so much for coming on, is there? if people want to get in contact with you, if they want to follow your journey, your golf journey, how can they do that?

Ana: 48:13

You can follow me on Instagram. I think my handle is Anna with one, and How the heck did you forget?

Zach: 48:22

your handle. Are you kidding me? I'm going to say it. It's Anna as Garcia to. I'm going to say that again I'm betray边ナ is Garcia.

Ana: 48:39

So if you want to keep the text given, then is not a권, you'll have to agree on tonight's case.

Zach: 48:44

I don't know if I should have. Oh, go kill someone, otherwise Good, you've blown up right into the front-facing zone. Dove Come, ok, but how thisไป? it's like Yeah, this guys is fluffet Commerce, so they deem this probably a good spot. And then Anna would straight right down the middle every single time.

Ana: 49:04

Yeah, it was fun. We were definitely the underdog team.

Zach: 49:08

Yeah, you were, you were. I'm gonna be honest, i didn't know that when I was picking my team, um, i didn't. for some reason, my thought process was maybe Jaden, being a conference champion that he is, wouldn't just absolutely hard carry everybody, but he proceeded to do so.

Ana: 49:25

So well, i'm glad Landon texted me last minute and I could actually go, because whoever else would have taken my spot?

Zach: 49:37

They would have been in the dumpster huh.

Ana: 49:40

I mean, i'm not going to say that, i just think it would have gone as well as you would have wanted to for your filming purposes.

Zach: 49:48

I love it. I love it so much, Anna. thank you so much.