A few weeks ago my daughter (a rising high school junior) and I headed to our local driving range to hit off a few buckets of golf balls on a Sunday morning. While taking our turns, the owner of the range stopped out to say hello and he was somewhat surprised to see the Mother-Daughter team we made. He gave us some tips on our strokes and we talked about high schools, high school sports and of course, golf.

After watching my daughter hit golf ball after golf ball, he asked if she played high school golf. She said she had not thought about it before (she cheers for football season and swims during winter), but may now consider it. The golf pro then shared a little tidbit with her and her whole outlook changed!

According to the LA Times, the National College Athletic Assn. (NCAA) estimates that every year 200 college golf scholarships for young women go unclaimed. Too few girls compete in the sport to qualify for these scholarships, which means many young women are missing an opportunity that could make all the difference to their education, their income and their future.

Golf is a sport that all ages can enjoy and if you have a girl who is showing interest, sign her up for a camp, find some local junior golf clinics in your area and when she gets to high school age, encourage her to play high school golf. You just might discover a hidden talent and open up new opportunities!