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Steamboat Springs — For the past five years, the Steamboat Women's Interclub Golf League has offered area women a chance to grow the game, make new friendships and test their golf skills.

"I'm a member of the Steamboat Golf Club, but thanks to SWIGL, I get to play with the women from Catamount, Rollingstone and Haymaker," SWIGL member Ruth McClelland said. "It's a wonderful chance to meet and play with women from all over the valley."

SWIGL was formed in 2004 thanks to the hard work of Shannon Hanley, who was the teaching pro at Catamount Ranch & Club.

"The idea was to build camaraderie and friendship among Steamboat's women residents and to introduce women in the area to all the different courses and provide them with a comfort level so they may return to those courses and bring their friends, family and out-of-town guests to play," McClelland said.

It also was designed to foster a competitive spirit among the players and increase participation and growth of the game, and, of course, to have fun and enjoy the game of golf.

"It's just a lot of fun," said Molly Orr, who plays with the Haymaker team. "I'm lucky because I've been able to play all these courses, but for a lot of women, this is their only chance to play some of the other courses in town."

This year's program drew 43 women from around Steamboat. They played once a week in a match-play format during a span of three months. Players compete as members of two-person match-play teams and earn points in gross and net divisions based on each match. The players are selected and paired based on handicap and play head-to-head against players of equal ability from the other clubs.

Four people from all four courses play against players representing the other clubs each week. At the end of the year, the points are added up and honors go to the top teams.

"Sure there is a lot of pride that goes along with winning," Orr said. "I think it's an important thing to represent your home club."

This year's league wrapped up play a few weeks ago. For the second year, the women from Haymaker Golf Course took the top spot in the gross division and were followed by the women from the Steamboat Golf Club. The Steamboat Golf Club collected the top slot in the net division (handicapped) followed by the team from Catamount. It was the fifth straight year the Steamboat Golf Club has won the net title. The gross division was created two years ago.

- To reach John F. Russell call 871-4209

or e-mail jrussell@steamboatpilot.com