By Design - Spring 2019

20 | By Design REMEMBRANCE yards and when only three sets of tee markers were still common. In this publication, Alice recommended, “The average woman needs a more manageable 4,800-5,400 yardage.” She suggested designing and building an additional set of tees so that women, too, had a choice in yardage. “Testimony to the soundness of this recommendation is that many golf course architects, golf course owners and operators listened, and made golf more fun for the average and the rookie golfer by adding more, and more fairly-positioned, teeing grounds. Alice was well ahead of the ‘Tee it Forward’ movement. “At lunch several years ago when she was in her late 80s and playing only her home courses, Alice told me that she wished she had suggested an even shorter yardage. I was happy to tell her that in the preceding ten years, several golf course architects, including me, had been creating even more forward teeing areas for courses whose leaderships recognized the importance of players who are not long off the tee. “Alice Dye was a catalyst of change. She championed women who work in the golf industry as well as women golfers. Her true mark on golf is unknown by many who play golf, but her matter-of-fact questions to leaders in golf more than 30 years ago led to the acceptance of women in this generation as knowledgeable and committed to the game, as well as to the business of golf.” A champion “A fabulous lady who achieved a lot in her lifetime,” says Alice and Pete’s eldest son, Perry Dye, ASGCA. “Mom exposed her three boys—Dad, P.B. and I—to women’s golf. She was a good player (her career highlights included representing the winning US Curtis Cup side in 1970 and winning two US Senior Women’s Amateur titles in 1978 and 1979), but exposed us to how difficult the game is. “The hardest thing to do is to mentor someone who doesn’t play the game. My mother did that every day. She worked aggressively to mentor average players and championed the average woman player, one at a time. “Most beginner golfers are afraid Alice was certainly a pioneer and inspiration to us all Alice with, from left, husband Pete and sons P.B. and Perry Photo: Courtesy of Ken May. All rights Rolling Greens Photography Inc.