NO LONGER JUST TEE-HE; TEAMS PLAYING THROUGH AS GIRLS' GOLF TAKES THE FIELD.

Byline: Brian Dalziel Daily News Staff Writer

Now they have a league of their own.

High school girls are playing golf not for the first time this fall, but for the first time against each other. Girls' golf is in the midst of its first season as a Southern Section-sanctioned team sport, and it's been highly successful.

``I think it's a dream,'' said Jennifer Marshall, a junior at La Reina, one of the area's top programs. ``Girls' golf is something that should have occurred much earlier.''

Actually, the Southern Section had been pondering the addition of the sport for two years - previously girls had to compete alongside boys - before becoming convinced there was enough interest from member schools.

``We're quite excited,'' said Dean Crowley, the Southern Section commissioner. ``This year we have a larger number of participants than we expected.''

Sixteen area schools - and 90 in the Southern Section - are fielding teams this season. Crowley expects the participation figure to rise 10 to 20 percent next year.

And not only are more girls able to enjoy a high school athletic experience, more are going to be able to golf in college - where each year scholarships at NCAA schools go unused due to a lack of qualified competitors.

``The future is going to be great,'' said Moorpark High coach Jody Duclos, a 39-year-old who played golf with boys at Newbury Park before moving on to UCLA. ``Just 10 or 15 years ago, there wasn't much competition at the college level. Now there's plenty. I think high school golf is going to establish these up-and-coming players.''

USC women's golf coach Andrea Gaston agrees.

``It's a great way to get an education,'' Gaston said. ``A lot of the girls don't have the experience the other girls who played with the boys' teams do. They might not be a Division I candidate, but there are more and more Division II and III programs picking up women's golf and that will certainly provide an opportunity for the girls.''

Kristin Smith last played golf when she was 8. She eventually lost interest - until learning the sport was becoming sanctioned.

``Right when I heard girls' golf was a new sport, I decided to start playing,'' the 14-year-old Moorpark freshman said. ``I know this will be a good opportunity for me to play in college, and I absolutely love it. There's a lot of camaraderie and friendship. I'm having so much fun and it's all exciting.''

While a few elite girls have long played the sport in high school, the rules discouraged female participation. Girls were required to tee off from the same distances as boys - not from the shorter tee boxes used by women. Thus even most girls good enough to compete on boys' teams were usually among the lower-ranked golfers.

``The level of play in terms of the girls is pretty good,'' La Reina coach Geoff Marshall said. ``I believe girls should be playing girls, because playing against each other, everything is in proportion compared to playing with the boys.''

His daughter Jennifer said her typical drives were 40 yards shorter than boys - and she discounts the argument of some that competing against boys made girls better golfers.

``Today I hit the same drive and everybody is relatively close. The girls were intimidated by the guys,'' she said. ``Some of the top (girls) have put pressure on me the last two matches. They are competitive. Maybe there isn't as much pressure going against the third or fourth player, but it's only going to get better as the years go on.''

In an age when achieving gender equity is a necessary but often expensive proposition, girls' golf is especially attractive.

Players own their own clubs, and green fees and range balls are relatively cheap.

``It's about $12 a week for each player,'' said Marshall, who had 26 players try out for four spots this season.

``It's a natural sport for any school to add to their sports program,'' he said. ``It's almost a self-funded program.''

Some schools have struggled to establish their programs - such as Lancaster, where five girls showed for tryouts - but improvement has been rapid.

``Most of my girls picked up clubs for the first time two months ago,'' said Duclos, who has seven players on her varsity squad. ``These girls are beginning, but it's amazing how far they've come.''

After the regular season ends, the girls compete for a first-ever Southern Section team championship on Nov. 16 at Sandpiper Golf Course in Goleta.

In previous years, girls only competed for individual championships.

This year they have both.

``We're learning something new every time we go out there on the course,'' said Moorpark's Smith. ``The whole thing is a learning process.''

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2 Photos

PHOTO (1--Color) Harvard-Westlake golfer Ina Kim follows through at Chevy Chase Country Club.

(2) Calabasas golfer Nicole Orlando eyes her shot. Sixteen area schools are fielding girls' teams.

Hans Gutknecht/Daily News