Mieke Dusseldorp’s passion for golf comes into the forefront
by Joni Krats
“I’m so addicted it’s ridiculous!” exlaimed Ucluelet golfer Mieke Dusseldorp. She was introduced to the sport in her hometown of Richmond, BC, 20 years ago, when her neighbour and “surrogate grandfather” got her a job at Green Acres and taught her how to swing. She tried in vain to convince her mother to let her take it up seriously, but as a 5’11½” girl, who didn’t come from a golfing family, she was directed toward basketball.
Over the years, Dusseldorp took up swim club, tennis, soccer, track and field and snowboarding, which she coached. Golf was a thing of her past, until she rediscovered it in Fernie, where she worked as the beer cart girl at Fernie Golf and Country Club during the snowboarding off-season. Mentored by pro Doug Robb and pro-in-training Craig McArthur, Dusseldorp immediately showed that she had raw talent. Excelling easily in her long game, she turned her focus toward putting. Having been on a pool league for several years, she applied her refined feel for angles to quickly become a respected golfer at the course. She befriended a notorious group called the Rabbits who were the first to play 18 holes every single morning. They were so named because they usually played their game in under two and a half hours.
One day Dusseldorp approached them and said, “You’re just playing polo-golf! You’re not even getting out of your carts, are ya?”
Impressed by her irreverent attitude, they invited her to join them—to the amazement of other club members.
“The Rabbits never let anyone play with them,” she recalled. “There weren’t any women my age to play with in Fernie, so I golfed with the hockey players when they’d come home for their summer of fun. It definitely pushed my game. Playing with Xavier (Majiic) and (Jason) Krog is something I very much miss about Fernie.”
Dusseldorp now lives in Ucluelet, BC, where she is a realtor for Coast Realty Group. She plays the “little nine-holer” Long Beach course frequented by Tofino residents.
“It’s challenging—it has narrow fairways and the rough is rainforest. Sometimes you bump into a bear when you are looking for your ball. I call it ‘safari-golf’—you can see eagles swooping around and wolves crossing the fairway.
“Out here at Long Beach there is some female competition for me, which I love,” said Dusseldorp. “Competition in sport with women is way different than between men. Women tend to combine the competitive spirit with fun and support. Men, on the other hand, are very serious, often wagering money, and only acknowledge the truly outstanding shots their foursome might make, and quite possibly praying the other guys miss putts,” she laughed.
“I’m dedicated to playing ladies night at Long Beach,” said Dusseldorp. “We have a ton of fun; even the girls that are just learning have a great time. It’s a fantastic no-pressure environment that includes an hour lesson with ‘Billy’ (Darren Leong), the assistant pro and owner of the West Coast’s sexiest golf swing. He’s who I call Coach. Then a shotgun start of nine holes (with Billy driving a beer cart), dinner afterwards and everyone leaves with a prize. Good value, good fun, and you don’t have to do any dishes on Thursdays!”
Ladies night at Long Beach is hosted by Keith Gibson, head pro, who was voted #1 CPGA in BC by his peers in 2008.
Long Beach is open year round, with short closures due to frost, or less frequently, to snow. During this past winter, when even Victoria was overwhelmed by snowfall, Dusseldorp was out golfing in sunshine.
“I was probably the only person in Canada golfing,” she laughed.
From May until October, she tends to play four to five times a week. In December, she says it is possible to play 20 days at Long Beach. Dusseldorp is not a fair-weather golfer.
“In a light drizzle—I’m out there.”
Dusseldorp is still known for her “killer drive,” and is “playing a 24 handicap right now.” At Long Beach, she said, “The low-handicap boys are getting nervous.”
When asked about any weaknesses in her game, she became silent and pondered for a full minute. Then, amid laughter, she replied, “My weakness is that I’m not a millionaire and I can’t be out there seven days a week!”
Dusseldorp has had setbacks, however.
“My golf game fell apart after a back injury from a snowboarding crash (in Japan),” remembered Dusseldorp. “Before the crash I was playing a 22 cap. When I got going again at Long Beach after five years off the links, it took a solid year, maybe two, to find my swing again. Lots of practice, lessons with Billy and a driving range pass was the magic formula to get that muscle memory back. I started last season playing a 31 cap and got it down to 24 by the end of summer. My goal this year is to get my cap down to 18.” Grinning, Dusseldorp shared that last summer she won the women’s first place gross on 36 holes at the Long Beach Amateaur Golf Open, with a score of 211. Lately, her drive is about 240 yards.
Dusseldorp is impressed by the development of Wyndansea, the signature Jack Nicklaus course near Ucluelet.
“I love it—it’s gorgeous.”
She is especially impressed by the dedication to environmental stewardship taken by the developers. She humours a fantasy of one day playing a round with Nicklaus.
“Can you imagine…if he gave a couple pointers on my stroke?”
Lately, she is considering the possibility of becoming certified to teach golf. She sees that women’s golf is growing, and that there will be a demand for female instructors. She feels her experience as a snowboarding coach would be beneficial.
“I have always been good at remembering what it is like to be a beginner.”
Beyond that, Dusseldorp said, “I do pray that one day there will be a senior women’s golf tour. Golf is one of those games that once you get hooked, it’s just in your blood.” She appreciates that golf is a social solo sport.
“(Golf) is not about you against any other human, it’s about you against yourself and against the course. (Golf) is for anyone who has ever appreciated challenging themselves.”
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