Building Community, One Swing at a Time

The formation of the club golf team at Wesleyan University was one of the most enriching experiences I had while in college. It taught me the most valuable lessons of leadership, perseverance, and resourcefulness. The interest in forming a club golf team materialized from a mere interest in making this sport more approachable to students interested in playing it recreationally but needing more chances to participate in collegiate athletics. Sometimes, golf comes off as a sport for the older, more financially endowed individual; therefore, I wanted to make an environment where both beginner and advanced golfers could come together and enjoy the game. It was a bit hard to turn this dream into reality.

First, the students must be interested in forming such a club. I set up informal meetings with friends and peers, designed a questionnaire to gather data on the number of students interested in joining, and, finding enough demand, I had to write a formal proposal to the Student Activities Board explaining the club’s goals and structure. This included pointing out some of the assets this would bring to campus, including physical fitness, camaraderie, and a recreational outlet for students.

One of the most challenging things was securing funding. To get financing from the school, I had to create a budget that considered all the basic needs, such as equipment, green fees, and tee times at local courses. This was quite an intensive process if I was to come up with a realistic, low-budget estimate. Second, I also had to ensure the club’s long-term sustainability by showing the school administration that, over time, participation would stay strong after a couple of semesters.

I met with the student government and club sports office numerous times to discuss our goals and how much funding they would require. It was challenging; each meeting required me to prepare, usually rewriting our proposal based on the suggestions of the last meeting. After all that persistence and hard work, we finally got the funding to start a club.

I learned that pioneering something new requires persistence, flexibility, and effective communication. In turn, creating the club golf team allowed me to develop leadership skills and learn to work within institutional systems—skills I know will serve me long after I leave Wesleyan.