FRANKLIN TWP — The league itself is 60 years old. The average age of its membership tops that.

Yet the Lake Arthur Wednesday A.M. Women's Golf League goes on as strong as ever. It is one of the oldest continuous running public golf course leagues in Butler County.

It's all about friendship and fun,” said Collette Bowser, a league member for 35 years. “It's purely social. The competitiveness is long gone.”

The league will celebrate its 60th anniversary with a ladies invitational Wednesday at Lake Arthur Golf Club. There are 63 golfers registered for that event.

There are 47 golfers in the league this year.

“The invitational is for women golfers of all ages from anywhere,” co-league president Janet Gray said. “We're hoping for 100. It's going to be a fun day of golf in honor of our 60th year.”

Gray is only in her third year in the league. Vicki Jackson is the other co-president. Jeanne Watson and Bowser are co-vice presidents.

Sharon Curtis is the secretary, Sally Jancse the treasurer. Jan Skrocki and Stephanie Wolfe do the handicapping of the golfers.

The league's golfers get together for a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. each Wednesday at Lake Arthur.

The league made its debut with a breakfast and round of golf June 3, 1959. The course was known as Willow Lake Country Club then. The name was changed to Lake Arthur in 1962.

Wednesday became known as Ladies Day at the golf course and the Lake Arthur ladies league has always played on that day of the week.

“We have slight turnover in membership from year to year, but we get new members primarily through word of mouth,” Gray said. “Somebody knows somebody ... That's how it works.”

The bulk of the league has been around for a while. More than half of the members have been in the league longer than a decade.

“We're all playing for fun,” Gray said. “Nobody worries about playing bad. You have a bad round, just walk away.

“Some of the women in this league do play in other leagues that are competitive. They come here to relax and just play a fun round.”

Amy Zang, in her late 30's, is the youngest golfer in the league. Jane Williams, 89, is the senior member.

Williams didn't begin playing golf until she turned 50. She joined the Lake Arthur league shortly thereafter and has been in the circuit for 38 years.

“My husband was a good golfer and wanted me to learn how to play,” Williams said. “I took lessons from Pete McDonald at Mount Chestnut.

“When he first saw me handle a club, he asked me if I was a dancer. When I told him I was, he told me our first step was to replace my dance swing with a golf swing. He was a tremendous teacher.”

Elaine Walker has been in the league 30 years. Judy Raisley has 28 years in, Ellie Kennedy 27, Carol McCollough 24 and Sharon Abbott 21.

Abbott has been in the league off and on since 1978.

Bowser said she has made “lifetime friends” through the league.

“I can't begin to tell you how many,” she said. “The camaraderie is so strong. We all look forward to Wednesdays.

“Because we're an older league, we lose people to death. There are always new members coming in as well. This league has always been welcoming to new members. Everybody fits in. Just come out and play.”

Debbie Bowie, Cindy Sheppeck, Julie Trotta, Mary Twentier and Shirley Shurtleff are first-year members this year.

The golfers do things together outside of the league as well. They've made out-of-town golf trips a number of time.

“Sue Birch (20-year member) and I do volunteer work together at the hospital,” Williams said.

Anyone interested in playing in the Lake Arthur league's invitational — an 18-hole gross stroke play event — may call Scott Vice at Lake Arthur Golf Club or Gray at 724-285-9493.

Registration is at 7:15 a.m., shotgun start at 8:30 a.m., lunch at 2:30 p.m.