Ann Griffel’s wide-ranging contributions to golf in Iowa include her role as a player, a volunteer and administrator and benefactor.

“I doubt that there is another individual who had had a greater impact upon women’s golf in Iowa than Ann,” Jill Blackwood, who succeeded Griffel as president of the Iowa Women’s Golf Association, once said.

Griffel was elected president of the IWGA in 1962, and served in that capacity for 23 years. During her tenure the IWGA created new competitive opportunities for women. The Iowa Girls’ Junior Amateur, the State Wife-Husband, the Forever 39 Match Play and the Senior Women’s Championship were all started during Ann’s term of office.

Griffel served as chair for the State Wife-Husband tournament from 1961 to 1965. The tournament was believed to be one of the largest in the nation contested on one course, reaching a high-water mark of better than 500 participants.

The first Forever 39 was held in 1964. Ann won the title in 1973, 1974 and 1979 and was a five-time runner-up. The Senior Amateur Championship began in 1966 and Ann won 11 of 12 titles between 1967 and 1979. The IWGA started presenting scholarships to Iowa high school seniors in 1966. They were renamed the “Ann Griffel Scholarship Awards” in her honor in 1985.

“Ann’s contributions to the IWGA were immeasurable,” Blackwood said. “The tournaments that she started are still enjoyed by the women in Iowa. The IWGA needed someone with Ann’s initiative, foresight, leadership and character and was very fortunate to have her guidance for 23 years.”

Ann Griffel was 95 when she passed away on October 3, 2009.

• President of the IWGA – 1962-1985
• 3-time winner of the Forever 39 – 1973, 74 and 79.
• 11-time winner of the Iowa Women’s Senior Amateur – 1967-69, 1971-78.
• In 1985 the IWGA named their Scholarship Award in honor of Ann Griffel. The Ann Griffel Scholarship is a one-year college scholarship awarded to graduating highschool students annually.
• To learn more about the Ann Griffel Scholarship visit: http://www.iawga.org/scholarship/scholarships.htm