October 20, 2022 (Paradise Island, Bahamas) – Georgette Rolle-Harris could have had a lucrative medical career in the United States trying to find a cure for cancer, but instead the former Bahamas national team player chose golf.
“I loved the research side of the medical field, but I loved golf more,” says the 37-year-old Rolle-Harris, who now heads up a junior golf teaching facility in her homeland. “I didn’t make it big on the LPGA Tour like I dreamed of, but I am getting a chance to change the landscape of our country. I have no regrets. If it were about the money, I wouldn’t be doing this.”
In nine years, Rolle-Harris has grown her Fourteen Clubs, Inc., program to include about 100 skilled tournament golfers and another 800 juniors from Bahamas public schools, who are just getting started in the sport. These days, she balances her passion for teaching junior golfers with her duties as the head professional at Baha Mar’s Royal Blue Golf Club in Nassau.
She also knows a bit about how to play the Ocean Club Golf Course, where the White Sands Bahamas NCAA Women’s Golf Invitational starts Friday. She played four years in the LPGA Pure Silk-Bahamas Classic there from 2013-2016.
“A good driver of the golf ball will do well here. They can be fearless because there is ample room from the tees,” says Rolle-Harris. “The danger is in the approach shots, choosing the right club in the wind. But they learn quickly at this level, so there should be no surprises.”
The women’s teams competing are Little Rock, Arkansas State, Central Arkansas, Florida Gulf Coast, Lipscomb, Memphis, UNC Greensboro and South Dakota State.
All of the golfers in the field are winners for getting this far, according to Rolle-Harris, who played collegiately at Texas Southern. Some will go on to play professionally. Others may work in the industry. But one thing is certain; all have been changed by the game.
“If they love the game, they should never stop playing,” she says. “There is no way of telling what will come. It can change you in many ways. It can teach you to be the leader in the room and not just someone who is in the room.”
For more coverage of the 2022 White Sands Bahamas NCAAInvitational, visit whitesandsbahamas.com., follow @WhiteSandsBah on social media and use the following hashtags: #WhiteSandsBahamas and #WhiteSandsNCAA.
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ABOUT THE BAHAMAS
With over 700 islands and cays and 16 unique island destinations, The Bahamas lies just 50 miles off the coast of Florida, offering an easy fly-away escape that transports travelers away from their everyday. The Islands of The Bahamas have world-class fishing, diving, boating, and thousands of miles of the earth’s most spectacular water and beaches waiting for families, couples, and adventurers. Explore all the islands have to offer at www.bahamas.com or on Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram to see why “It’s Better in The Bahamas.”
ABOUT OCEAN CLUB GOLF COURSE
Atlantis Paradise Island’s Ocean Club Golf Course offers a challenging and beautiful course for golfers desiring championship play. Masterfully conceived, the Tom Weiskopf-designed 18-hole, par 72 championship course stretches over 7,100 yards on Atlantis’ peninsula. The course has hosted iconic sporting events such as the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational (MJCI), the Michael Douglas & Friends Celebrity Golf Tournament, and the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic. For more information about Atlantis Paradise Island resort and the Ocean Club please visit www.atlantisbahamas.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For White Sands Bahamas NCAA Invitational
Contact: Mike Harmon
BAHAMAS MINISTRY OF TOURISM, INVESTMENTS & AVIATION CONTACT:
Anita Johnson-Patty
ATLANTIS CONTACT:
Katie Longley
Atlantis Paradise Island
242-376-1034
