‘The community rallies around these girls’: Josey establishes girls golf team
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Golf already has a rich history here in Augusta.
Some programs across the CSRA are already established, while others are just beginning.
GHSA girls sanctioned golf hasn’t been around that long.
It started back in 1998 with only four classes, 1A through 4A, for the first three years.
Only Aquinas, Lakeside and Greenbrier have won state in the sport in the three decades its been around.
Coach Jamal Bailey said it was time to get Josey in the mix. This spring, Josey High School launched a girls golf program.
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“Golf is a very frustrating sport for people that play it. It’s going to take months and years to kind of get the hang of and develop it,” said Bailey, Josey girls head coach.
But you’ve got to start somewhere, and they’re starting at the very beginning.
" I saw that they had golf and I thought it would be a good thing to do because I do volleyball also and I would like to work on my timing and, like, swinging and hitting. When you spike, it kind of includes golf too, a little bit, control your power, basically,” said LaKenya Smith, Josey Sophomore.
“All these clubs were donated by different people, different teachers that husbands might play. So, it’s just important to see that the community rallies around these girls, whatever they do,” said Bailey.
Bailey wants to create options outside of which clubs to use.
“A lot of million-dollar business deals are made on the golf course. But I don’t want them to go off in life and say, I haven’t experienced this. So, if I can let them experience something that they might not get a chance to experience anywhere else, then that’s my job as a role model.”
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Within the LPGA Tour, only eight African-American women have ever held full-time hip.
“It was one of the reasons why I have an all-African-American female golf team, because I don’t know if that exists, especially around here,” said Bailey.
They’re in the long game for the long haul.
“You might be a little mad if you don’t get on the first try, but you always get your next time, and you just keep practicing,” said Smith.
“I’m going to put this bold prediction out there now. By the time one of these girls graduates, they’ll be playing college golf. That’s the goal,” said Bailey.
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