When Ann Swanson got her start in golf, everyone including herself was surprised.

Decades before Title IX put women on an even playing field in interscholastic and intercollegiate athletics around the country, Swanson was just a child and mostly uninterested in sports. That all changed when her older brother, who worked as a caddy at the golf course near their home, brought home some spare clubs.

“My sister and I just started hitting balls,” she said.

Despite a lack of female role models in the game or even a place to receive formal training, Swanson blossomed as a golfer throughout her youth and soon found she had a passion for the game. Eventually, she was faced with a predicament that would change the course of the women’s game in Washington when she became the first female in state history to play on a men’s community college team, which she did at Grays Harbor College.

“Grays Harbor was a big promotor and they went to bat for me,” she said. “In any sport, every generation is better off than the generation before them.”

The current generation of female golfers at Washington’s colleges certainly owe a large measure of their standing to Swanson, who parlayed her childhood interest into a career in and around the game. Swanson finished her degree at Seattle University after her days at Grays Harbor and went on to become one of the most decorated golfers in state history.

Her career accomplishments include state championships, Seattle city titles, and three Women’s U.S. Open fields, among a laundry list of accolades.

It was her career on the course, knowledge of the history of the women’s game in the state and her recently published book on the subject, “Ninety Years of Championship Golf: The Grand Tradition,” that brought her to Overlake Golf Club recently as the keynote speaker for the Northwest Ladies Golf Association spring event.

While the women’s game has grown dramatically since her own introduction to the game decades ago, Swanson said she would still like to see more women utilizing golf for its social benefits. She also said the current generation of female players is far more advanced physically and has much greater potential to develop their skills in the game.

“The structure is so much better now,” she said. “I would like to see more women get into the game because it is a sport that really connects people.”

Career of a champion

Senior Amateur Championship of America winner

National Club ChampionU.S. Amateur finalist

9-time Washington State champion

7-time Seattle city champion

6-time Southern Oregon champion

4-time Pacific Northwest team champion

6-time Senior Washington State champion

6-time Senior Golfers of America champion

3-time Women’s U.S. Open qualifier

5-time Mexican Amateur Open qualifier

3-time USGA Washington State representative

British Amateur Open qualifie