Women and girls play through Wilmette Golf Club in honor of Women’s Golf Day

No one likes being stalled on the golf course. But in the clubhouse after your round? That was a different story for Elizabeth Bierbaum Clarke on June 1. 

“I could hardly make my way across the patio after the event, because ladies were stopping me to say thanks for creating such a fun outing,” Clarke wrote to The Record. 

Clarke was the chairperson for Wilmette’s version of Women’s Golf Day, an international celebration that was founded in 2016 but made its first appearance in Wilmette this year. 

According to Clarke 85 participants came out to Wilmette Golf Course for the event, which featured a round of golf, professional demonstrations on the putting green and driving range, and a post-golf gathering. 

“It was just a super, feel-great event,” Clarke said. “And the weather was about as perfect for golf as one could hope for.

“Some (participants) had never swung a club before, some were beginners, and there were a few advanced players out there for fun with friends too.”

American Elisa Gaudet founded Women’s Golf Day six years ago as an event for women and girls of all ages and skill levels. It has grown into a global event that featured more than 900 events across 68 countries this year.

Clarke said once she learned of Women’s Golf Day it was a no-brainer to bring it to Wilmette. 

“Playing in a women’s league here has provided me with so much joy over the past five years,” she said in a press release. “I’ve always felt at home here and I’ve grown my game while connecting with so many great women I never would have met otherwise. We have a lot of fun out there, and I cherish the camaraderie on the course, but what was most unexpected were the friendships made here that have been carried off the course. I’d love for more women and girls to have that opportunity themselves.”

Clarke teamed with her leaguemates Monica Thompson, Cathy Beres and Julia Goebel to organize the local event. 

Participating golfers could either get on the course for a quick and fun scramble or attend a course taught by club pros Cole Hyland, Carly Werwie and Scott Yopchick.

Though the day is more about access and celebration than competition, there was a bit of competition and the scramble winners were Jennifer McGinn, Lindsey Anderson, Gretchen Cappiello and Emily Poulios.

Afterward, everyone gathered around the Wilmette Golf Club’s clubhouse to enjoy the remainder of the evening.