Elaine Bowser
(May 29, 2012)–Elaine Bowser had quite a battle going on with her son James. He played on the Westover (NC) High School golf team and was relentless in his pursuit to get her into playing golf, too.
“He just would not let up,” says Elaine. After much debate, Elaine finally told him, “If you can convince me why I should play golf, I will give it some consideration.” Looking her straight in the eye he said, “Mom, you are getting old.” Stunned, Elaine, at age 41, listened as he went on. “Mom, you’re getting old— I’m getting old—and if you learn to play golf and we keep in good health, this is something you and I can always do together.” It meant a lot for Elaine to hear her son say this and it sealed her decision to play golf.
“In 2000, we went out for my first time to Stryker Golf Course in Fayetteville, NC,” she says. Striker is an 18-hole military golf course located at Fort Bragg in Cumberland County and it’s not open to the general public. It is intended for use by active duty and retired military personnel; Department of Defense civilians; NAF employees; and family members and guests of these individuals.
“This was my introduction to the game and my ball was all over the place,” she says. “While there, a soldier walked up and told me that I played good ‘military golf’—a euphemism relating to troops as they march in cadence: left-right, left-right,—thus went my ball; it was on and off of the fairway the entire time!,” chuckles Elaine. “But, since I didn’t know the golf language, I was so very proud of my ‘military golf'”.
Nowadays, Elaine is a lover of golf who plays at a 13 handicap and has remarkably hit five hole-in-ones: 2000, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2012.
“I feel very proud of my accomplishments of getting several hole-in-ones! I tell people, a hole-in-one is only a swing away—you never know when you will get it. The only MUST is that you must hit the green.”
For two of her hole-in-ones, Elaine had to hit over water to a flag that was tucked behind a greenside bunker.
“Well, the players I played with will tell you that I can rack up a big number from the bunker! I am not a bunker player! Therefore, I was not aiming at the flag, but by some miracle, the ball hit the top of the bunker and rolled down to the pin!”
She is a member of The Courses of Andrews AFB, the Executive Women Golf Association (EWGA) and also volunteers in working with The First Tee program at Enterprise Golf Course in Mitchelville, MD.
Elaine has two sons, Terry and James. James had the distinction of working with NASCAR, as the Chief Engineer for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. He is currently dedicating his time to golf, his second passion.
“The game of golf has opened many doors in life for me personally, and I have made great connections and relationships throughout my tenure in playing the sport,” says Elaine.
She attended Fayetteville State University and earned a degree in Public Administration. She also holds a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) and is a Certified Fraud Examiner.
A grandmother to four lovely grandchildren (Tyree, Jheydin, Reece, and Nylah) she enjoys taking them to the practice range when they visit. She also plans to get them involved with The First Tee Program in their area.
The Upper Marlboro, MD resident says that one of her favorite phrases using the word GOLF is: God Offers Life Forever.
Today, Elaine admits to fully understanding the vision of her son’s initial pleadings for her to take up golf when she played a round with a threesome.
“The lady I was walking with made the statement that her husband had recently turned 82-years old. I looked at the other golfer with us, and to me he didn’t look 82. So I asked her how old she was; and she said, “I’m 78, and that’s our son.” That’s when my son’s words came back full blast to me, and I swelled up with pride that he had gotten me involved in learning the game of golf.”
(Photo left: Elaine at a long ball contest, Baghdad, Iraq.)
