I am honored to let you know about
Margaret Nay, the recipient of the 2007 Jeannie Goddard Award. This award goes to those women who have
supported and encouraged the game of golf in Utah and there is no one more deserving
than Margaret Nay.
Margaret served on the USWGA Board for 6
years during the 1990’s. She was Vice
President in 1992, President in 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996 and served one more
year as outgoing President. During that
time, she and her Board updated the bylaws and worked hard to implement and
emphasize fair play for all abilities and levels of golfers.
Margaret has continued to organize
tournaments on her own, all of which are State sanctioned events. She has organized the Nibley Park tournament
for the past eleven years, the Utah Cup for four years, the Homestead
tournament for sixteen years, Talons Cove for three years, and as if she didn’t
have enough to do with these 4 events, she co-chaired the 100th Utah
State Women’s Amateur last year and started a 5th tournament at
River Oaks Golf Course. Most of
Margaret’s tournaments include golf with a cart, a tee prize for all
participants, lunch, prize money for at least 1/3 of the field and often times,
more, and chances to win raffle baskets or fun prizes, all at a very affordable
rate. She works hard to get
sponsorships to help cover the costs and is always able to raise money for her
favorite charities. Her tournaments are
usually full. I have spoken with
several golf pros, who have said, “We always enjoy having Margaret’s
tournaments at our course because they are very well organized and well
attended.” Margaret knows how to run a
tournament. She even has a computer
program that makes creative score cards and score boards. Because of her experience and expertise, she
was nominated last year to the Salt Lake County Golf Advisory Board.
Margaret and I worked very close together
over the past three years. I was the
co-chair with Margaret for the 100th Utah State Women’s
Amateur. Margaret asked me if I would
consider chairing this historic event because at the time, I was a board member
at the Country Club. She wanted it at
the Country Club because that was where the 1st women’s amateur was
held back in 1900. Margaret had a
vision of what this tournament should be.
She along with a committee she put together, collected every newspaper
article about the women’s state amateur since 1900. This is valuable information the USWGA will always have and I
hope will build upon. She did much of
the research, writing and compiling of information for the history book and
somehow managed to get professionals in their fields to donate their time and
bring it all together. She has
studied the history not only of this tournament but of Utah women’s golf and is
without question, the most educated person in the State on this subject. The history of the Utah State Women’s
Amateur would never have been researched, documented and celebrated the way it
was, had it not been for Margaret Nay.
For the 100th, it was
Margaret’s idea to have Patty Sheehan as the guest speaker for the centennial
dinner and invite Mary Lou Baker, our oldest living champion as our guest of
honor. Margaret was also responsible
for getting Boardman’s Silversmith to donate a beautiful trophy worth thousands
of dollars and include the engraving of every champion’s name on it. This trophy will last for many
generations. The 100th Utah
State Women’s Amateur was the greatest event in the history of Utah women’s
golf and Margaret had the foresight to make it happen.
Margaret truly loves this game and wants
it to be enjoyable and fair for all players and all abilities. She is as concerned for a 40 handicapper as
she is for a 1, that they have a good time in her tournaments, have an equally
fair chance of winning and building memories by offering a nice lunch
afterwards with cherished friends. She
is one of the most giving individuals I’ve ever met, always thanking people
with a gift and a nicely written thank you card. Her generosity is limitless.
Every year, Margaret makes stuffed teddy bears, dresses them in outfits,
and takes them to Primary Children’s at Christmas time in Jeanne Goddard’s
memory. Just another remarkable quality
she has.
It is undeniable that Margaret has done
more for women’s golf in Utah, than anyone.
She even created the Jeanne Goddard award because she wanted people to
remember an incredible woman and a true friend who also had a major impact on
Utah women’s golf. Margaret has been an
inspiration to me as I’m sure she has been to many other individuals. Her commitment, integrity and dedication to
women’s golf are insurmountable.
Congratulations Margaret for being the recipient of the Jeanne Goddard
award and thank you for all you have done.