Golf Georgia • May/June 2025 • LADIES WHO GOLF

Atlanta-based women’s group takes off after finding the ideal mix for playing, networking and relaxing

Very few positives came out of the difficult, dark days of the COVID lockdowns. An exception is the creation and development of Ladies Who Golf, an organization that came about during the pandemic and has been one of the golf industry’s great success stories.

“We just took off so fast,” said Ladies Who Golf ’s Keyeriah Miles, who co-founded the organization with her mother Lashonda. “So many women gravitated toward the idea of golf and the fact that we made it a little bit more accessible for them to take part in the sport. We have everything figured out, the course, the golf clinics, the materials, the golf clubs, so they don’t have to worry about it.”

Miles, who graduated from the University of Alabama, began playing golf during the pandemic out of necessity. Working as a fintech consultant for Cox Enterprises, she observed that the sales professionals who were able to flourish during the lockdown were the ones who conducted meetings and business at the golf course — one of the few places that remained open.

“I started to pick up golf lessons so I could reap the same benefits,” she said. “And I started to love it on a personal level, so that’s kind of how it started.”

Miles was always an athlete — she participated in cheerleading and dance and gymnastics — but her brother was the family’s golfer. She didn’t pick up a club for the first time until four years ago.

One day when going to hit balls at Bobby Jones Golf Course, Miles had a serendipitous meeting with Marcus Williams, then one of the PGA professionals at the facility. He offered golf lessons and began working with Miles three days per week.

“It got to the point where I could actually invite my friends out to take lessons with me, but either they weren’t consistent or just didn’t have the patience to learn,” Miles said. “That kind of prompted me to start this group chat.”

Before long there were nearly 900 members on the chat. They were able to set up range meetups and eventually reached out to Bobby Jones to host a group clinic. From that point the interest skyrocketed.

“We started with one golf clinic on one weekend, 14 ladies, and within three months we ended up having five golf clinics in one weekend, and every weekend, 21 ladies at a time,” she said.

“You never would have known that so many ladies had golf clubs just sitting in their garage collecting dust. A lot of them were interested in the sport, but they really didn’t have the community or were just too intimidated to go out by themselves.”

It is a problem too often with new golfers. They’re not sure where to go or how to act — things that experienced golfers take for granted. That uncertainty can be daunting for a newcomer.

“I’m finally getting to the point where I’m confident in that,” Miles said. “Even as the founder of the organization, it’s still scary.”

Miles was able to leverage social media to spread the word and in 2023 she formed Ladies Who Golf. The results have been overwhelmingly positive. It has morphed into a still-growing community of golfers and friends. Included with each golf clinic is a social hour that offers the women a chance to network and develop relationships.

“Because our demographic, professional career women, the ladies saw that it was the kind of community they wanted to be a part of,” Miles said. “That brought more attention and eyes to the organization.”

Ladies Who Golf has also partnered with Five Iron Golf, another innovative company that has blended the social and competitive aspects of indoor golf. Five Iron golf has state-of-the-art simulators and professional instructors, as well as a delectable food and cocktail menu.

Miles was able to partner with the Atlanta location of Five Iron Golf in Midtown Atlanta. And since the company has other locations in New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, Ladies Who Golf grew exponentially. There are monthly gatherings for Ladies Who Golf and Five Iron Golf every month.

The group has expanded to include a younger demographic and launched their first Girls Who Golf lessons and Girls Who Golf Foundation. A portion of the Ladies Who Golf dues are donated to help provide clinics and lessons for inner city girls. Nine different events are planned between May and August.

“We saw the impact it made and how much the young ladies loved it,” Miles said.

Ladies Who Golf has introduced the game to more than 3,500 women and girls, raised and donated more than $25,000 in charitable funds, and created more than 15 corporate sponsorships.

In 2022, the GSGA introduced the Fore Fun Women’s Series to continue helping grow women’s golf in the Peach State.

The GSGA Fore Fun Women’s Series is designed to cater to women of all ages and skill levels and provide a fun atmosphere to learn golf and meet new people.

The series mostly consists of one-hour clinics throughout the year at Bobby Jones Golf Course in Atlanta with a different emphasis for each clinic followed by a social component including food afterwards to give participants a chance to mingle and get to know each other.

“We are excited to continue to host events for our Fore Fun Women’s Series in 2025,” Morgan Lehotsky, GSGA’s Manager of Women’s Golf, said. “This year we are looking to continue to host clinics out at Bobby Jones headed by lead instructor Tonya Gill Danckaert, host scrambles, as well as put on social events throughout the year for all women golfers to connect.

“We are also looking to add some beginner rules clinics for ladies who want to learn the basic rules of golf, so they feel confident going and playing on the golf course. These events are for ladies of all skill levels and are tailored to those who want to learn more about the game of golf but don’t know where to start or want to grow connections with other women who share similar interests.”

The GSGA Fore Fun Women’s Series is an ideal opportunity for any woman looking to get introduced to the game or to find a more relaxing way to learn about golf.

“Our Fore Fun Women’s Series is something that I believe has had a tremendous impact on women golfers in the Atlanta area and has led to connections that last outside of the events we host,” Lehotsky said. “I have personally seen women that join us that have never played golf but have learned skills that are beginner friendly that they say helped them feel confident going out on the course and playing with friends or family.

“In the end, the common goal of the Fore Fun Series is to continue to grow women’s golf, and we strive to grow the game for all skill levels regardless of if you have played before or are just getting started.”