Kansas City has no shortage of golf leagues. But finding one that actually worked for the average woman was another story.
Marnie Pudenz and Niki Jensen-Denton, the duo behind Golf Gals, met at their full-time jobs at a Kansas City tech company. When Covid hit and golf rose in popularity as a socially distanced pastime, the two discovered they had more in common than their day jobs.
An outing on the course turned into a group text, which turned into something bigger: Golf Gals. “It just snowballed in the best way possible,” Pudenz says.
The idea behind Golf Gals came from a shared frustration. When Pudenz and Jensen-Denton went looking for a women’s league, they found that the options were limited to mid-morning tee times and midday scrambles that didn’t work for most who work 9-to-5 jobs. So they decided to create the group that they had been searching for.
Today, Golf Gals hosts a range of events across Kansas City, from beginner clinics for women picking up a club for the first time to range days, night holes and social events for seasoned players looking for community. They’ve found strong partners in local courses, including Heart of America, Hodge Park and Adams Pointe.
At its core, the mission of Golf Gals is to make golf less intimidating, more accessible and genuinely fun for women at every skill level. “We don’t care about your skill level,” Jensen-Denton says. “We want to grow the game of golf, and we want to create a community here in Kansas City. Everybody deserves a chance to be out on the course.” Follow the duo on Instagram @golfgals.kc.
Perfecting their swings at Tap Ins At The Greenhouse, Golf Gal co-founder Marnie Pudenz is wearing a blue suit by Populuxe, and her business partner Niki Jensen-Denton is wearing a cream dress and cardigan by Born Into Money.
