'Celebration of Women's Golf' Participants Treated to Near Perfect Weather for 2025 RDGA Women's Open at Stafford
- CLICK HERE for results from the 2025 RDGA Women’s Open
- CLICK HERE to learn more about the RDGA Leading the Way Award
By DAVE EATON
STAFFORD, NY – On Monday, September 22, participants in the 2025 RDGA Women’s Open were treated to near-perfect conditions as the annual “Celebration of Women’s Golf in Rochester” featured a field of nearly 80 golfers enjoying a round of golf during the day and concluded with a special ceremony recognizing one of the local community’s more active women’s golf administrators.
Hosted this year by the beautiful and historic Stafford Country Club, a field of nearly 80 golfers teed it up for the annual RDGA Women’s Open, enjoying a day of comradery and friendly competition – marred only by a brief 15-minute shower in the afternoon. Following golf, long-time RDGA volunteer and current RDGA Course Rating Chair Diane Parke-Potter was honored as this year’s RDGA Leading the Way Award recipient, for her years of service and dedication and striving to grow the game of golf for women and men.
Competition in the 2025 RDGA Women’s Open was conducted in two Divisions, based on preferred tee lengths – the longer Green Tees, or the shorter Green-Yellow Combo Tees. Within each Division, competition was additionally separated into two categories: Gross score results and Net score results – with champions and prizes being determined in each.
The Green Tee Division attracted a smaller, yet more competitive lineup of 18 golfers who competed for top honors in the tournament, as well as points towards the RDGA Women’s and Senior Women’s Player of the Year Awards.
Coming in with the lowest Gross score round of the day was Jan Lavigne of Ravenwood Golf Club. The 2024 RDGA Women’s and Women’s Senior Player of the Year posted a score of 83 to win the competition by 3 shots over two players tied for second at 86: Julie Hamm of Sodus Bay Heights Golf Club and Tina Lambert, who was playing on her home course of Stafford.
For her first-place finish, Lavigne earned 200 Player of the Year points and tightened the already close race for RDGA Women’s Player of the Year between her and Hamm, who earned 175 points for second place. With the Women’s Open results, Hamm’s lead is now just 75 points ahead of Lavigne.
On the Net Score side of the Green Tee Division, however, it was Lambert who emerged with a hard-won victory over Locust Hill’s Chaewon Kim, winning a match-of-cards tiebreaker after both players finished with net-score totals of 75.
Division Titles Decided by Close Margins
Over in the Green-Yellow Combo Tee Division – the larger portion of the overall field this year – 60 players competed for top honors.
The Gross Score competition in the Green-Yellow Tee Division was every bit as hotly contested as it was in the Green Tee Division. By the end of the round, Heather Evans posted an 88, outlasting Nancy Booth by one shot for the title. Evans’ title was helped, in part, by a hole-in-one on the 110-yard, par-3 fourth hole, as well as a birdie on the par-5 seventh hole.
On the Net Score side of the Green-Yellow Tee Division, Heather Kinmond of Salmon Creek Country Club – a first-time participant in the RDGA Women’s Open – enjoyed her best-ever performance with six net birdies and two net eagles as she finished at 7-under par 65 to finish 7 shots ahead of Jen Donley, who finished in second place.
Parke-Potter 'Leads the Way' in 2025
Following golf, the players’ focus turned to the annual post-round Women’s Open dinner, inside the Stafford clubhouse. As part of the dinner, the evening’s program included a tribute to this year’s RDGA Leading the Way Award winner – long-time women’s golf administrator, Course Rating Committee Chair and volunteer, Diane Parke-Potter.
Created in 2018, the RDGA Leading The Way Award annually honors an individual in the Rochester community who has worked tirelessly to grow the game of golf for women and men. Past award recipients include Dianne Wilde, Shirley Durham, Julie Odenbach, Joan LeRoy, Jane Gorsline, Debby Murphy and Sharon White.
Parke-Potter, this year’s honoree, has volunteered for the RDGA for many years – most recently, serving as the Chair of the RDGA Course Rating Committee, helping to oversee the award-winning teams of RDGA Course Raters each year.
“I am honored to join the strong, influential and successful women who have previously received the Leading the Way Award,” said Parke-Potter when told of her selection for this year’s award. “This honor celebrates a focus on developing, encouraging and supporting broad participation of women golfers in the district.”
The RDGA Course Rating department is charged with the important task of assigning Course Rating values to all RDGA Member Clubs, based on specific guidelines set forth by the USGA. These measurements are then directly added to the U.S. National Course Rating Database, which is used in computations whenever a golfer posts his or her scores to the GHIN system following a round. Parke-Potter helps oversee this process and directs RDGA Course Rating teams, working closely with the RDGA’s Director of Handicapping, Meredith Glenning.
“Working with and through the Rochester District and its member courses, I have been fortunate to work with many generous volunteers to introduce women to golf, provide data-driven support for appropriate course length options (forward tees) and lead Course Rating which, with the Handicapping System, enables fair competition for all,” added Parke-Potter, in accepting the Award. “Many thanks to each of you for supporting Golf in Rochester and making this district among the best for women & all golfers.”
This article was written by RDGA Communications Director Dave Eaton.
CLICK HERE for the final results of the 2025 RDGA Women’s Open
The RDGA would like to thank Stafford Country Club PGA Head Professional Eric Haile, Head Superintendent Mike Armstrong, as well as the hospitality of the Stafford membership and staff – all of whom helped make the 2025 RDGA Women’s Open a success.
The Rochester District Golf Association is led by Executive Director Tim Vangellow and is a proud Allied Golf Association of the USGA, serving Rochester area golfers since 1929.
