( atc )
Next Up
Spotlighting the
next generation of
Virginia golfers
A NEW CHAPTER
by CHRIS LANG
GWEN FODDRELL
Virginia Golfer: How did the idea to begin
“The Golf Diaries” come about?
Gwen Foddrell: At the age of 13 my dad
told me I needed to improve my writing
skills so he wanted me writing something
daily. I wasn’t sure what to write about, so
my mom suggested I write about my golf
experiences. She encouraged me to write
about practices, lessons, matches, events,
or anything that happened while I was
playing golf. As I wrote more and more, I
saw that my writings could be organized
into an interesting or even inspiring story
8
that could be made into a book. Based on
the popularity of the books, I launched The
Golf Diaries memorabilia, i.e. hats, shirts,
ball-markers and jewelry.
VG: Is writing something you have always
had an interest in?
GF: Writing is something that I fell into. In
trying to improve my writing skills, it just
kind of happened. It has been a great outlet
to help me process feelings and emotions,
not only in golf, but in life as a teenage
girl. I am very thankful for it. It has shown
V I R G I N I A G O L F E R | M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 9
AGE: 17
HOMETOWN: North
Chesterfield
HOME CLUB: Stonehenge
G&CC
me that I have a creative side that writing
can nurture. Through writing, I am able
to relive my achievements, and that is fun.
VG: Take us through your creative process
a bit. Where do you find your inspiration?
GF: I actually take real life events that
happen and embellish them with some
juicy drama. We all know us girls love
us some drama. I sometimes take two
different events that happen both on the
golf course and at school and blend the
two and then add a little extra with my
imagination. My stories don’t always have
vsga.org
FOR GWEN FODDRELL, a figure-skating injury at age 12 sparked an interest in a new
sport—and a new passion.
Now Foddrell, a high-school junior, has combined her zeal for both golf and writing
to author a series of books that have reached young girls around the world. Read on to
learn more about Foddrell and her book series, “The Golf Diaries.”