Conestoga Women’s League Having Fun, Doing Good
Up in Mesquite, there are a group of very active women, playing golf and enjoying plenty of other recreation in the Del Webb Sun City Mesquite community that surrounds the Conestoga Golf Club.
“We are open to all Sun City residents and our dues are $30 per year,” says president Sue Brattin. “League day is every Wednesday, and we run a fun game every week ($5 buy in) and we also have different events during the season. We are currently at about 50 members, ranging in age from mid 50’s to late 70’s, and we run through all skill levels and handicaps. Our league season runs from October through April. After that, summer play is just casual (no game) as we have a lot of residents who leave town for the summer. The season ends with a two-day league championship, which we are currently in the middle of at the moment.”
When they are not golfing, the women are walking, hiking, playing pickleball, tennis, etc. But mostly they golf, and Sue says some play everyday while others play two or three days per week.
The group has plenty of fun, but they also have worked together to give back to the local community. For Sun City Mesquite residents interested in joining or helping the cause, you can email bratmaxx@aol.com
“Four years ago, our league ‘adopted’ the Virgin Valley High School girls golf team, and Cheri Erhart started a mission to encourage every young girl in Mesquite to experience the fun and competition of golf,” Brattin says. “Coach Chimane Creer was trying to build a team , but equipment and lack of funding was slowing her progress. The Conestoga Women’s Golf League, without a second thought, supported the effort. The first step was getting the girls decent push carts. Next came decent golf clubs. All the league members generously donated used but great women’s clubs. The league and surrounding community donate to everything. Now we can send our young women to tournaments fully equipped, uniformed and feeling like winners.”
The favorite activity for the group is hosting the high school matches and they supply the girls with plenty of drinks and food on the course. The matches are typically played in the August heat, so volunteers show up to drive players between the longer holes. The group frees up the coaches to coach and the young women get proper attention.
“We hope that other women golfers in the Southern Nevada area contact a local high school because they would love your support,” says Brattin, on behalf of the Conestoga women and issuing a bit of a challenge to other clubs.
Conestoga Golf Club is an 18-hole scenic layout and the official description reveals that it is “artfully interwoven with the character and contours of Sun City Mesquite’s spectacular landforms. Undulating through canyons with gently ascending and descending elevations, rugged rock outcroppings and tranquil water elements, the integrity of the land is preserved at every opportunity. The masterful design and creativity of famed golf course designer, Gary Panks, provides this Mesquite championship course the appearance of being crafted by nature, forged over time.”
