Solely in Alaska are the resident bears low on a golf course’s record of considerations.

The U.S. Senior Girls’s Novice Championship is being held beginning Saturday on the Anchorage Golf Course, and PGA head professional Tom Farris is telling gamers to not fear concerning the wildlife.

“There’s a bear den over behind 14. It’s not an enormous deal in any respect,” Farris mentioned Tuesday.

For the lone Alaskan within the occasion, nonetheless, being there means an amazing deal.

“It’s a dream come true,” mentioned Pam Chesla, who will likely be first off the tee Saturday. “I so hope to make Alaska proud.”

Chesla, who lives in Hope, may not be the Golden Bear, as Jack Nicklaus is understood, however she is a graduate of Bartlett Excessive Faculty, residence of the Golden Bears.

The US Golf Affiliation holds 15 completely different nationwide championships annually, from the U.S. Open that includes professionals to plenty of beginner tournaments. That is the primary time one in every of them will likely be held in Alaska.

The host state wouldn’t have had anybody within the subject if not for Chesla. The 80 she shot in a qualifying occasion made her the second alternate, and as soon as the sphere invites and acceptances have been sorted out, she was in.

“It simply appears to be my yr,” she mentioned. “I performed very well in Arizona this previous winter, and it’s simply sort of transitioned to right here.”

Most of the opponents grew up enjoying golf, however Chesla wasn’t when she was younger.

“I went to Bartlett Excessive in Anchorage and performed basketball and was a softball participant and by no means actually needed to chase that little white ball round, however I obtained hooked.”

As a guard for the Bartlett basketball crew, she helped the Golden Bears win back-to-back state titles in 1977 and ‘78.

“We have been really referred to as the Cinderella crew in 1977,” she mentioned, as a result of the crew solely had two seniors and neither of them have been starters.

Among the many Golden Bears standouts have been a rebounding machine named Aurora Adams, energy ahead Susan “Tiny” Turner — sister of Anchorage hoops legend Tony Turner — and Chesla, who performed guard. Turner and Chesla have been often known as “Candy T” and “Candy P,” Pam recalled with amusement.

She obtained a scholarship to UAA and performed for a yr earlier than an ankle harm sidelined her after which job alternatives proved too good to go up.

It wasn’t till her late 20s that she began enjoying golf as a method to spend time together with her father, “who was like a 4-handicapper most of his life,” Chesla mentioned.

“It was one thing that I might do with my dad as soon as my mother handed away the place we weren’t simply going out to dinner or to have drinks and we might really spend extra time collectively.

“And that labored out for some time till I obtained actually good and beat him,” she mentioned, laughing. “Then he really informed me that one time, he was like, ‘You beat me, we’re not gonna play for a short time.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, Dad, try to be actually proud.’ ”

“It did take just a few years to play with me once more after I beat him,” she mentioned.

[From the first tee box to the 18th green, watch this flyover of the Alaska golf course where the US Senior Women’s Amateur will be played]

The previous Bureau of Land Administration worker says her capturing contact in basketball interprets properly to her brief recreation in golf.

Chesla needed to caddy for somebody if she didn’t qualify as a result of she is aware of familiarity with the course will likely be important.

“Which means the slopes break. In the event you’re hitting up into the mountain, is it another membership?” she mentioned. “I feel there could be a bonus if somebody requested a neighborhood individual to assist them out.”

Lara Tennant, the three-time defending champion, will definitely be greater than a bit of bit within the nuances of the course.

The 55-year-old from Portland, Oregon, had her reign interrupted in 2020 by the pandemic. A win that yr and Tennant could be taking a look at making an attempt to win her fifth straight title, which might tie the document. The missed alternative doesn’t concern her.

“I really feel like there’s lots of people and a number of conditions that missed out on much more than successful a golf event attributable to COVID,” Tennant mentioned. “So, I strive to have a look at it that means. I strive not to have a look at the way it affected me, as a result of within the scheme of life, a golf event doesn’t imply a lot compared.”

One other three-time winner, Ellen Port, who Tennant beat 2-and-1 within the 2021 ultimate, can also be within the subject this yr.

Enjoying for a nationwide championship means the competitiveness between the 2 is a given, however they’ve been teammates.

“We’re actually good mates,” Tennant mentioned. “We play in most of the identical tournaments, and we nearly at all times play all our observe rounds collectively.”

The championship begins with two days of stroke play earlier than the sphere is whittled to 64. From there the sphere will compete in 4 days of match play.

Attendance is free, and spectators are welcome on the event, which runs by subsequent Thursday.