Amy Walker, a member of the WSGA Board of Directors was recently recognized as an ambassador for golf by the Tacoma South Sound Sports Commission.
(Note: The following story appeared on the Tacoma South Sound Sports Commission website, and is used with permission.)
At A Glance
- Serves on the Washington State Golf Association Board of Directors
- Washington State Junior Champion
- Nike Intercollegiate College Championship Champion (University of Oregon, Pac-12)
- Played in two USGA championships: Women’s U.S. Amateur and U.S. Mid-Amateur
- Played her first LPGA at the Safeco Classic at Meridian Valley Country Club in Kent, Washington
Why I Love the Sport
“Golf is parallel to life: every shot counts.”
A Family Affair
Golf runs through Amy Walker’s bloodlines. When she was 12, Amy and her brothers learned the game at Inglewood Country Club from their father and grandfather—and never stopped playing. “We’re a family of golfers who are all five handicaps and below who love the game,” Amy said.
Amy passed along the golf gene to her two daughters, Annie and Emersyn, who learned to play when they were each 3 years old. Annie, now a junior at the University of Washington, played through high school. Emersyn competes at regional and national tournaments as an incoming freshman at Charles Wright Academy and participates in Youth on Course, an organization that makes golf affordable and accessible for youth across the nation. The family also plays out of Fircrest Golf Club in Tacoma.
Amy is insistent that her daughters learn the game of golf “I want my daughters to be their own person and play golf for themselves—have fun with the game. This is a game you can play your entire life.” She also hopes the game will instill grit, work ethic and character in Annie and Emersyn, whether on the course or off. “I always tell my girls, ‘If you do what you love, you never work a day of your life.’” Both Annie and Emersyn are thriving in pursuing their passions.
For Amy, golf time is synonymous with family time. Golf is about quality time and modeling good character rather than winning. She considers a good round of golf one where she can appreciate the outdoors and spend time as a family. All three generations of Walkers can be spotted on their home course—Fircrest Golf Club and the Home Course in DuPont.
Grit and Dedication
Amy grew up on grit and hard work. Her parents owned Thriftway stores in the South Sound and worked tirelessly. Just like her love of golf, Amy inherited her work ethic from her father.
Golf resonates so profoundly with Amy because the sport reflects your true character, bringing out the best and the worst. In a single round of golf, you can see how someone respects and talks to others, holds herself and how she reacts to the stresses of everyday life.
It’s also the most telling sport: “It’s the only sport in which you call penalties on yourself and hold yourself accountable.”
Amy’s upbringing reveals itself in how she plays golf and interacts with others in her daily life. The game taught her that every shot in life counts. She was fortunate to grow up with opportunities that she always appreciated, which instilled a curiosity for others and their journey. Amy pays attention to the details of the game and of the people around her. She was always taught to be interested not interesting. Through her perspective of self-accountability and experience in the golf world, Amy has come to believe that “tough times don’t last, tough people do.”
Mountain, City or Sea?
Amy spends hundreds of hours on the golf course, but her heart is in the mountains—specifically on a farm in the middle of nowhere. Just like when she is playing a solo round of golf sans cell phone, Amy finds peace, presence and solitude in the mountainous, tree-lined landscape.
Amy can’t imagine living or playing golf anywhere but in the South Sound. “I love the seasons, the weather and the Pacific Northwest. It’s the perfect place to play year-round.”
