The Executive Women’s Golf Association encourages launching business deals on the links. The group, which has 100 chapters nationwide and in Canada and approximately 15,000 members, says it focuses on building business relationships more than on making par, and gives women the opportunity to try to make some green on the greens. The Des Moines chapter of the EWGA begins its 2003 season at 5 p.m. March 25 at the Wakonda Club. The Business Record spoke with Jo Ellen Hill, a financial adviser at UBS Paine Webber and EWGA social events chair.

Q: How long has the association been around?

A: We’re in our eighth year.

Q: How did the Executive Women’s Golf Association come to be?

A: It’s a national organization based in Florida with chapters all over. Its real purpose is to provide networking opportunities. The organization is designed to help women in business do business on the golf course. It’s worked quite well.

Q: How many people are members of the Des Moines chapter?

A: There are about 145. We hope to reach 200 members in the next year.

Q: How is the club seeking new members?

A: Through word of mouth, mainly. There’s no big marketing campaign. We encourage our members to bring their business associates and tell their friends about our organization. We offer things that other golf clubs don’t. Sometimes we have luncheons with speakers, and the speakers aren’t always business related. We choose people whom we feel our members can learn from. We’ve grown steadily every year. People find out that it’s fun.

Q: How often does the group meet?

A: Mainly we just get together and play golf. We have several leagues. We have leagues available for every skill level, including the beginners’ league, which is a league with lessons and meets at Willow Creek on the blue nine. We have an intermediate league. We also have a traveling league that plays different courses around the state and a fixed-night league. This year we’re starting a new mixed league. A EWGA member would team up with whomever they want — whether their spouse, friend or child — to play. We also have lunches and tournaments.

Q: How can women interested in joining the organization find out more?

A:There are two ways. They can read about us on the Web site, www.ewga-dsm.org, or they can call 237-3760.