Nine years ago, girls golf at Red Oak Community School District in Red Oak, Iowa, was essentially a memory.
With just two players on the roster and no competitive girls golf team in the district since 2003, the sport was slowly disappearing. Coach and PE teacher Patty Henke recognized that the biggest barriers weren’t a lack of interest, they were a lack of exposure and the cost of getting started.
So she took a different approach.
Her philosophy was simple: give every student a chance to experience golf before asking them to commit to it. Her recruiting message to students says it all: “No clubs? No problem. No experience? No problem. Just show up and give it a try.”
Patty offers students a one-week, no-questions-asked trial period, allowing them to experience the game without having to purchase equipment or make a commitment. That open-door approach has completely transformed the program.
What started with just two players has grown into a thriving girls golf program, and in 2026, Red Oak celebrated an incredible milestone with a 7th-place finish at the Iowa State Tournament. But Patty’s commitment to growing the game doesn’t stop with her own team.
Last year, the Stanton School District joined Red Oak’s program after experiencing declining interest and limited resources of its own. Patty now leads a combined program serving student-athletes from two communities, creating even more opportunities for young golfers to discover the game.
That growth also means a greater need for equipment.
For students who are just getting started, the cost of clubs can be one of the biggest obstacles standing between them and the opportunity to play. That’s where Drive Fore The Future was proud to step in.
Drive Fore The Future provided five complete sets of Callaway golf clubs to support both Red Oak’s golf program and its physical education classes.
These clubs aren't just equipment, they're an opportunity.
They allow students who may not have access to their own clubs to pick up a golf club, step onto the course, and simply give the game a try. They also give Patty additional resources to introduce golf to students during PE, helping expose even more young people to a sport they may never otherwise have had the opportunity to experience.
For Patty, that accessibility is at the heart of everything she has built.
Drive Fore The Future is proud to support educators like Patty who are breaking down the barriers that can keep youth from experiencing golf. We’re excited to see where the Red Oak and Stanton programs go from here and how many more students will discover a love for the game along the way.
