More than a dozen years ago, an idea for a new ladies golf league became reality at Pinecrest Golf Club.
“The name Diva’s was chosen by the ladies by a show of hands and the league has evolved over fourteen years,” Diva’s Ladies Golf League president Joyce Marnell said.
Each Monday during golf season is when the Diva’s Ladies Golf League takes on Pinecrest Golf Club for a morning of fun. This Monday, some wet early morning weather did not stop the season from its appointed tee times. The 2025 season is winding down with the final Monday of play set for Sept. 15. Tee times start bright and early at 7:30 a.m.
“We are an eighteen-hole women’s league who loves to play golf on Monday mornings at Pinecrest,” Marnell said. “We use a handicap computer program, based on Chicago District Golf Association, to record our scores at Pinecrest only. All the ladies have a vested interest in the league by volunteering once a summer to either register tee times for the following Monday or collect prize money weekly. With fifty ladies, it’s a great way to learn everyone’s name.”
The Divas have a weekly team event and an individual event. Prizes are handed out the following week.
“The ladies draw a card weekly for their tee time and have a choice of early, middle or late,” Marnell commented. “With the help of all the women and especially Helen Fioresi who organizes our prizes weekly and Donna Shapiro who makes our luncheon special, we are happy Diva’s with a very lucky leader. I have to give a great big shout out to the Pinecrest leadership and all the employees for their helpfulness and kindness over the years.”
Diva’s Ladies Golf League members gave their views before hitting the links on a Monday morning.
“I golfed in the league earlier,” Donna Tarpley said. “It’s good exercise. I try to just keep it straight and forward.”
“It’s the best so nice,” Elaine King said. “But sometimes when I get a low score, they decide to go with the high score (as the winner).”
Another golfer, Esther Skeggs, said all is “wonderful” about the Diva’s League.
“It’s a wonderful league. I’ve been playing for eleven years,” Kathy Carey said.
“It’s the camaraderie,” Britton Mach, also an 11-year member, said. “Joyce (Marnell) does a great job getting forty ladies on the same page.”
Newcomer Janet Lenzini also said she has enjoyed the league and others also shared that view.
The season isn’t quite over, as it ends with the way it began, a scramble event, and an end-of-the-year luncheon.
“Keep smiling and the hole-in-one will come,” Marnell said, summing the theme of the Diva’s Ladies Golf League.
Men’s league standings
Sun City is also represented by a men’s league on Tuesdays at Pinecrest. That season is also coming to a close with four events left after the Aug. 26 session.
For Division I, based on golf handicap, Tim Bennett leads the season point total with 217.5 points. Jim Mellendorf is next, 208 and Wayne Gardiner is third at 204 points.
“I’ve been in the league for five years, starting off in Division II,” Bennett said. “It’s a lot of fun; I like the competition, which is friendly. I think it will be close up to the end.”
For Division II, Paul Traiber leads at 218.5 points while Dave Requl is a close second, 218. Ken Kalscheur is third, 208 points.
“I’m in my second year in the league,” Requl said. “I enjoy it. I got a new set of clubs this year, as I’ve only been playing golf for a couple of years.”
The final Tuesday of the men’s league season is Sept. 23, followed by a scramble event and luncheon Sept. 30.
Then it will be the off-season for golf leagues until next May.
