Welcome (Back) Painted Desert Ladies Golf Club

Welcome to the Painted Desert Ladies Golf Club. What, you haven’t heard of this association? Well, that’s because the group is just getting off the ground. Melissa Causey, the president, said the group started in September of 2019. Then the pandemic hit and everything was put on hold. Now it’s back to square one. But the group has hung together and is starting to grow once again.–By Bill Bowman, Las Vegas Golf Insider

Causey has been the president since the beginning when she and a few friends decided to form a club that was dedicated to golf and improving their games. Painted Desert Golf Club is a local’s favorite located in the northwest and the ladies love it.

“One of the reasons we started was we wanted an association that wasn’t based on money, it’s based on playing,” she said. “We’re based on networking, having fun and learning the game.”

She also added there’s a bonus in joining the Painted Desert association.

“We’re one of the few women’s groups that plays on Fridays,” she said. “That’s been a big recruiting tool for us.”

She said the marriage of Painted Desert and the women’s group has been perfect.

“Painted Desert opened their arms wide for us,” she said. “Brian Locke (Painted Desert’s assistant manager) has bent over backwards to help us with anything we need. They have just been great to work with.”

Now Causey and the rest of the association are recruiting new players. Right now the association stands at 33 despite the pandemic shutdown.

“We basically had to re-start the club,” she said. “We’ve tried to get the word out and recruit in a variety of ways … we’ve put it in newsletters and in flyers. We’ve found out the best way so far is by word of mouth. And we’re getting a few new members every week.”

So why should people check out the Painted Desert Women’s Golf Association?

“We’re all out here to have fun but we also want to improve,” she said. “We have little badges for the golf bags that we hand out to the women for accomplishments. And everyone has different accomplishments. It can be for a round without a three-putt…or if you had an eagle … or if you broke 100 … or had a hole in one. It’s just a way to mark new achievements.”

And it’s also good advertising.

“It helps us get the word out when other people see the badges and wonder what it’s for and where they got it,” she said.

So after just starting a new club, going through the pandemic and working with the WSNGA and SNGA to comply with all of the rules and regulations, is Causey still having fun?

“Yes I am,” she said with a laugh. “But it’s because I have an amazing board that is real supportive. Everyone does their share and we all work together to make sure it all works out.”

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