News

Mountain Dell Ladies Association Celebrates 50th Birthday

The Mountain Dell Women’s Golf Association started its 50th year with a birthday party at The Cottonwood Club Tuesday. Current President Pat Jensen, who is now in her fourth year as president, recognized the 11 other past presidents who were present for the occasion. The Mountain Dell Women’s Golf Association was founded in 1962, the same year Mountain Dell opened for play. One of the past president’s, Judy Allem, is the current president of the Utah Golf Association.
 
The party was highlighted by speeches given by current head professional Mike Brimley and past head professional Tommy Sorenson, and Judy Branham, the most senior of all the past presidents in attendance. They have been instrumental in the success of the ladies organization.
 
Sorenson was the head pro at Mountain Dell from 1975 through 2002 and helped with the expansion of the course to 36-holes half way through his tenure. Brimley became the head pro upon Sorenson’s retirement in 2002. Jerry Henderson was the head pro from opening day in 1962 through 1974.
 
The 50 Year Party was held at The Cottonwood Club because Mountain Dell is undergoing remodeling of its food service area.
 
Brimley began his speech by “correcting the false impression that many people have that Tommy Sorensen was at Mountain Dell before I was. Tommy came to Mountain Dell in 1975 as the head pro, but I was a junior golfer at Mountain Dell before that and because of my mother’s involvement I was very much a part of the Mountain Dell Women’s Golf Association. Some of my fondest memories of those years revolved around the ladies golf association. I got well acquainted with the ladies association. In fact, too well.  Some of them even changed my diapers.”
 
“When Jerry Henderson quit as the pro I thought Mountain Dell would never be the same. I was really sad. He was a good friend. Tommy was very nice, but he was intimidating! Then he moved to a home within a block of our house and I went to work for him at the course. He would pick me up in the morning and bring me home at night. It couldn’t have been better,” Brimley recalled.
 
Sorenson took the ribbing in good humor, and apologized to the ladies for ‘for not raising Mike quite right. I did the best I could,” he said.
 
Sorenson was the head pro for 25 years and saw the women’s golf association grow so large that it couldn’t accommodate all the members for the weekly tournaments.
 
He recalled one instance when he assigned a lady to play with one of the club’s best players and the lady didn’t feel comfortable playing with her and was going to go home rather than be paired with her. Tommy said to the lady, “Ma’am, I can assure you that you will enjoy playing with her, and I will even guarantee it. She is one of the nicest ladies you will ever meet. If you don’t enjoy playing with her I will pay your green fees the rest of the year.”
 
The lady agreed and after the round she came in the pro shop and said, “I guess I’m going to have to pay my own green fees the rest of the year.”
 
Sorenson capped his speech with an old joke that’s good enough for print. “We have some people in golf who have a little bit of trouble with honesty, and it becomes a habit with some, like the guy who got a legitimate hole-in-one but couldn’t restrain himself and marked it on the scorecard as a zero.”
 
He thanked the ladies for their support over the years and wished them well in continuing the rich tradition of the Mountain Dell Women’s Golf Association.

Judy Branham shared memories of the early days at Mountain Dell. She served the association in 1966 and 1967.  Her creativity and enthusiasm became the moving force to grow the association. Jerry Henderson was the professional at that time. He made sure the ladies had full access to the golf course on Tuesdays.  Judy organized not only “on-course” activities, but also hosted events off the course.  Henderson was dubbed “Twinkle Toes” as he joined the ladies in some of the musical productions presented at many luncheons and other social activities. This group of ladies who played golf together on Tuesdays, became friends for life. Judy is still going strong as an active member of the Mountain Dell Ladies Association. She also served several years as president of the Utah Women’s Golf Association.
 
Past Presidents
Marg Walton, 1962
Julie Watson, 1963-64
Barbara Hansen, 1965-66
Judy Branham, 1967-68
Mary Lou Robinson, 1969-70
Winnie Valline, 1971-72-73
Elma Martindale, 1974-75
Joan Bosen, 1976-77
Joan Warner, 1978-79
Loretta Conroy, 1980
Jackie Morgan, 1981-82
Shirlene Bloomquist, 1983-84
Delores Fechter, 1985-86
Gail Masters, 1987-88
Dee Atkin, 1989-90
Mary Prindle, 1991-92-93
June Krogh, 1994
Tammy Davis, 1995-96
Barbara Farmer, 1997-98-99
Lani Rawlins, 2000-01
Judy Allem, 2002
Carma Pedersen, 2003-04
Sue Hudson, 2005-06-07-08
Pat Jensen, 2009-10-11-12