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May 2014 BCBusiness 79 BCBUSINESS.Ca caught the attention of some—and not always positively. "I did have one lady push back and think the idea was negative," Eathorne says. "So I had to explain it to her. I told her that the notion of swinging like a girl was positive. I swing like a girl. The women on the LPGA swing like girls. Why wouldn't you want to swing like they do? Heck, most guys would bene t by swinging like someone on the LPGA Tour. When I told her that she understood." The program is an ampli ed version of the traditional golf camp, but caters solely to women, who pay $125 for the daylong session (though some camps involve other elements like spa days and can be more costly, Dilschneider points out). "We want everyone to have fun— that's the goal," says Eathorne, who leads the camps and tailors them to the ability of each participant. "Women are attracted to the game for a lot of reasons—some for the sport, some for the social element—and we work those in as well." As a golfer, Eathorne's accomplish- ments were numerous. Raised in Penticton, she won the B.C. Ladies Amateur for three consecutive years and also took the Canadian Ladies Amateur while playing at New Mexico State University. She was expected to be one of Canada's most notable female successes when she turned professional in 1998, but she never managed to do better than a tie for third in her rookie season. She basi- cally walked away from tour golf in 2009 (with career winnings of more than $1 million), and began caddy- ing on the PGA Tour for Kris Blanks. When she parted ways with Blanks, Eathorne found her way back to the LPGA Tour, this time caddying for Lincicome, carrying the golfer's bag for two wins. One thing that was unexpected when Swing Like a Girl was launched is the revenue spun o by the pro- gram's merchandise, an array of pink Swing Like a Girl golf shirts and additional fees to rent the matching golf cart. The resort is now rolling out a Swing Like a Kid program, and if Dilschneider has her way, both programs will move outside of the resort. "I think down the road there's a good chance we'll do something more with [the programs]," she says. "Whether that's franchises or licens- ing, I don't know yet." Eathorne is aware the concept might have a long reach, but for now she's just focusing on the women who turn up at Predator Ridge and trying to be sure they come to love the game that has meant so much to her. "I try to make it sound like I'm just your everyday average person who had some success at athletics," says Eathorne. "That way you become a real person to these ladies as opposed to someone they once saw on TV. I want to nd out about them and what brings them to the game. It is more than just a golf lesson—for me it is about meeting people." • G o L F p70-81-OOO_may.indd 79 2014-04-09 3:39 PM