‘The One Woman Golfer’
By Janina Parrott Jacobs
After the passage of Title IX in June, 1972, I became the first woman in the state of Michigan to play golf on a men’s team at Detroit’s Pershing High School in the fall of 1972 and later at Wayne State University in Spring, 1974. I had no idea of the importance of this because when you’re 16, you don’t think of these things nor have a clue you are making history. I simply wanted to play golf. Prior to Title IX, my college golf options were limited because I had earned a four-year academic Merit Scholarship to attend only WSU and quite frankly, no money to attend anywhere else.
Truthfully, I didn’t know much about Title IX other than it was monumental legislation equalizing competitive sports opportunities for women, and that in some circles wasn’t viewed favorably by men or male coaches. Fortunately, WSU Coach Joel Mason, a former Green Bay Packer with a tough reputation, was very fair and respectful and didn’t allow any adverse behavior toward me. And so, I was accepted by the men on the team.
My older brother Chris was two years ahead and all eyes were upon him to see if he would provide any special sibling consideration. Nope…. the guys would have chided him mercilessly!
Actually, my teammates were wonderful: Harry the High Ball, Mark ‘Titanic Thompson’ Thomas, Dean ‘Monty The Windmill’ Monterosso, ‘Mister’ O’Connor, The Loper, and others. I don’t know if I had a name, other than ‘The One Woman Golfer’, which was indicated on lodging sheets for overnight accommodations by Coach Mason.
However, there was a lot to prove, at least in my mind. I wanted to earn my spot on the team and not simply be ‘gifted’ with it because I was a girl and the law said so.
To say that our college team operated at a disadvantage – compared to today’s programs – is an understatement. In 1974, we had no home course, no equipment, no team shirts, and no practice range. The best that Coach could secure for us was shag practice (with our own balls and shag bag) on the football field on Warren Ave, south of the Matthaei Building beginning at 6:00 a.m. and ending when students arrived around 8:00. Other times we trekked over to the aptly named Old Main (it was really old), where radiators hissed heat in the cold second floor gym as we whacked golf balls into nets dropped from the ceiling.
Membership on the men’s team meant playing the ball ‘down’ from the Blue Tees in March, long before March Madness captivated everyone. Don’t think for a moment ‘ladies’ tees were an option, which was what they were labeled back then. We suffered through frigid temperatures, iced lakes, muddy and frozen ground, all in wet golf shoes because we only owned one pair. I hadn’t yet learned two pairs of spikes (yes, real metal spikes) were a must for road trips so one pair could dry from the previous day’s muck and mire. I spent many mornings using a hair dryer to dry out my shoes. Gore-tex or waterproof shoes? No, we had bear grease to fend off wetness.
We also had the Rule of Three: rain, wind, and cold. You could take any two, but if the trio made an appearance you were doomed. One time it happened when we were playing near Bay City and many players called it quits and walked in. Clutching a big mug of coffee, Coach Mason fought the elements as he strolled along with my match – the only coach out there with his ‘men’. All the other coaches were drinking big mugs of coffee…. inside the clubhouse. As the ‘one woman golfer’, he knew I’d never give up. He told the guys ‘as long as she’s out there, so are YOU!’ No one on our team quit. How could they?
I don’t recall the particulars of too many matches other than that I won some and lost some. But do know this: several men I played against in those days are now professionals, Directors of Golf, or top players in Michigan and while I don’t remember who won, they certainly do.
