Ginny Orthwein
During the Senior Banquet, the MWGA’s most prestigious Bernice Edlund Award was presented to Mrs. Ginny Orthwein of St. Louis, Mo. Since 1952, The Bernice Edlund Award has been presented annually to an MWGA member who has promoted the aims of the association and set an ideal standard of conduct by her devotion to golf, demeanor on the golf course, strict observance of the rules and etiquette of the game and demonstrated a high degree of sportsmanship. It is an MWGA tradition to close the Senior or Amateur banquet with the announcement of the award recipient, depending on which banquet the honored guest will be attending. The 2009 winner, Mrs. Karen Johnson of Columbia, read aloud the attributes of the 2010 recipient, and as she continued, Mrs. Orthwein realized that she had been chosen. Through tears, she thanked the audience for the recognition, and then shrieked when she noticed her family in the hall as they had secretly arrived for the celebration to everyone’s delight.
The following is an excerpt of the presentation describing Mrs. Orthwein’s contributions to golf and her community:
“One of Missouri’s finest is among us tonight. She was introduced to the game of golf by her mother at an early age. Gina was a good player and always willing to play with anyone, no matter the skill level. Always eager to help anyone learn more about golf, she instilled in her daughter the knowledge she now eagerly shares with golfers of all levels today. Her brother Bob, taught her how to hit a softball as a young girl and gave her an intense competitive edge as he had told her that professional softball scouts were watching her from behind the trees in their yard! She hasn’t lost that edge since.
Naturally, a young girl’s thoughts turn to other things and in this case, it was ponies… Becoming an accomplished horsewoman, she spent her youth in the company of some of the nation’s best polo players where she met her future husband, Steve. Their sons Stevie, Robert and Danny soon came along – Stevie the polo player - Robert, who rides as well and is also an excellent rap singer, we’re told – Danny loves politics and is a web designer. The entire family remains active in the international world of polo and still rides competitively.
She came back to golf after her marriage, and rapidly became an accomplished golfer. She has qualified for the USGA Senior Women’s Amateur four times. She tied for ninth at the Women’s Western Senior Championship in 2007. She has won many district golf titles and has been a runner up for the Metropolitan Ladies Amateur Championship title. She has been the St. Louis Country Club’s Women’s Champion nineteen times, most recently in 2009. She is also the defending club champion at her winter home course, The Wanders Club. As a regular competitor in MWGA Championships, she supports the efforts of this organization by playing on several Missouri Women’s Fore State Teams and representing Missouri at the USGA State Team Competition. The Missouri Women’s Golf Education Association has recently added her as consultant in their junior scholarship efforts.
Aware of her good fortune in life, she is always looking for opportunities to help those in need. She serves on the Board of the Churchill Center School for Learning Disabilities and has traveled all over the country raising over 11 million dollars for the Churchill School and their outreach programs for kids with cancer. She works with the Polo Players Support Group which raises funds for grooms and players without insurance for injuries and illness. She has been head of the Board of two schools and of The Service Bureau Foundation. She is probably most proud of her work with the Western Golf Association as a Missouri Director for the Evans Scholarship Fund. Arm and arm with her good friend, Barbara Berkmeyer, they have developed a program for women to become more involved in the Evans program, mentoring young girls to apply for the program and also holding events involving women golfers to raise funds to support this worthwhile caddy scholarship program. According to the Western Golf Association, she is “single handedly changing the lives of young women throughout the United States with her progressive leadership and enthusiasm. “
The Missouri Women’s Golf Association
is proud to present the 2010 Bernice Edlund Award to Mrs. Ginny Orthwein.”
FROM THE MISSOURI WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION, COPYRIGHT 2009. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.