PWC members work on their skills at golf outing.

Professional Women in Construction held an all-day golf outing on September 26.

The event took place at the Elmwood Country Club in White Plains, N.Y. and was sponsored by such companies as HOK, East Coast Restoration, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and Altus Metal & Marble.

So why are more and more businesswomen signing up for tee time and trying to ace their strokes?

"The same reason men have been doing it for years? To improve their relationships with clients and colleagues and, sometimes, to make deals," explained PWC executive vice president Theresa Vigilante, the originator of the organization's semi-annual golf outings.

According to PWC president Lenore Janis, "Having PWC host golf outings is a no-brainer for us. It encourages more women to participate and is less intimidating to them than many of the 'mostly-men' industry outings."

Participants in the organization's latest outing enthusiastically support the logic.

For example, Wendy Venoit, an attorney with Pepe & Hazard LLP and the secretary of the just launched Connecticut chapter of PWC, said, "Golf, a traditionally male sport, levels the playing field. But at most business outings, women are grossly outnumbered."

"It's good to be part of an association that not only attracts the women golfers, but is smart enough to invite the men, too."

"We're all businesswomen, all high-powered. This is a great opportunity for networking and communicating," added Gladys White, president of Gigi's Housecleaning and vice president of Elenco Testing.

The men also gave high marks to PWC.

Warren Whitlock, director of construction at Columbia University, noted, "I'm working with several women I have met through PWC. It's a great networking opportunity--and it's wonderful that there's a strong organization focused on women entrepreneurs."