Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/62711
Golf Club members enjoy the game and the company on courses around Puget Sound. For many members of the Golf Club, the social aspect of the sport trumps strategy and competition. "I really promote the fellowship," Athletics Program Manager Darin Barr says. That includes taking special care to put together complementary foursomes. "It's as simple as, 'This member would probably really like this member,'" Darin says. Before joining the Golf Club two years ago, longtime WAC member Marilyn Boss devoted the majority of her golf time to the driving range. Her Golf Club membership connects her with others and eliminates the random draw of showing up to a course as a single. Now when she plays as part of a foursome, she knows she'll share a common bond with her playing partners. "There's instant rapport because you're playing with other members of the WAC," she says. Like John Corby, Marilyn keeps her USGA handicap at the WAC, a service included in the Golf Club's annual fee of $55. "I would never have done it if they hadn't made it so easy," Marilyn says. WAC members who don't want to maintain a handicap can join the Golf Club for $25. SHOW UP AND PLAY Keeping things streamlined and predictable are key features of the WAC Golf Club. That's where Darin comes in. He takes care of all the logistics—from selecting courses suited to members' skills and interests to setting up tee times to coordinating players and paying green fees, which are billed back in WAC member statements. All members need to do is show up and play. That suits Dave Scurlock just fine. As a principal architect at Callison, Dave's schedule makes it difficult to take advantage of other social opportunities at the WAC. "I joined the Golf Club as a way to network [and] meet people with similar interests," he says. "It's one of the things I like best about the WAC." His wife, Lisa Noji, participates in the Golf Club intermittently, and the duo plays tournaments together when their schedules allow. The downtime involved in a round of golf, Dave says, offers one of the sport's best advantages. "Four hours long but only 15 minutes of action, which leaves time for lots of walking and talking." 28 | Washington Athletic Club Magazine | APRIL 2012 BACKGROUND PHOTO: COURTESY OF WASHINGTON NATIONAL