Local Hero: Azucena Maldonado, Transforming Latinas' Lives Through Golf
Nominee Name: Azucena Maldonado
Title: Founder
Organization/Business: Latina Golfers Association
Website
Azucena has brought the game of golf to thousands of women throughout Southern California and across the country. She’s introduced the game to women who before meeting Azucena would not feel welcomed on golf courses. She teaches the basics of golf, the etiquette of golf, bringing this character-building game to women who then can and do participate in charity golf tournaments, building a foundation for their careers and personal development.Nancy De Los Santos, nominator
About Azucena Maldonado
Azucena Maldonado is on a mission to transform girls’ and women’s lives through golf. She founded the Latina Golfers Association (LGA) in 2008 to introduce Latinas to the sport of golf for their personal, educational and professional development. Women learn how to leverage golf as a business tool so they can advance in their careers/businesses and shatter the glass ceiling with a golf ball. The LGA empowers girls through its mentorship and leadership development programs that guide them on how to use golf as a fairway to a higher education.
What started as a passion and love of the game quickly turned into a movement with over 3,000 members in Los Angeles County and many more throughout Southern California, Texas and the East Coast of the United States. The Latina Golfers Association is an official strategic partner with the PGA of America and Callaway Golf for whom Azucena is an Ambassador.
Azucena has received numerous awards and recognition for her efforts to introduce Latinas to golf. In October of 2022 the Los Angeles Chargers recognized Azucena as their Latino Heritage honoree; and she was featured on the cover of Celebrando Latinas in 2021, a California magazine based in San Diego. In 2020 she was bestowed the National Latina Champion Award from Latinas & Power; and 2019 brought her many recognitions including the Brillante Award from PROSPANICA (a national organization of Latino MBAs) at their national conference in Orlando. She also received the Woman of the Year award from the National Hispanic Business Women’s Association (NHBWA) and the Latina Style Magazine Leadership Award. She was selected by the YWCA of Orange County as a woman to share HERstory at their annual fundraiser. Azucena received a Mujeres Destacadas award in 2012 from La Opinión and was inducted into the Latino Sports Hall of Fame in 2013, received the Regional Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Mujer del Ano award for 2014-2015 and the National Latina Business Women’s Association (NLBWA) Trailblazer Award for 2015-2016. Maldonado also received the “Soy Empresaria” award by the Latino Start-up Alliance in partnership with Square, Eventbrite and Xoom in 2015. The Hispanic Lifestyle television series named her a Latina of Influence in 2016 and the national organization, MANA in Washington DC bestowed their Las Primeras award to her in a special ceremony in April of 2016.
Azucena serves on the board of directors of the Southern California Golf Association and on the executive board of the California Alliance for Golf. She serves on the USGA’s (AGA) Advocacy Working Group Committee and the PGA Of America Southern California Section Advisory Board and the National Golf Course Superintendents Association Advisory Board. She serves on the Golf Advisory Committees of the City of Los Angeles and the County of Los Angeles and is a board member of the Southern California Golf Association.
An important component of #LatinaGolfers is its outreach to girls and young ladies. In its sixth year of operation, the LGA’s Golf In The Park program organizes a free six-week, summer golf program at Los Angeles’ inner-city county parks. The LGA also created a golf mentorship program with the Roosevelt High School Girls Golf Team. In addition to fundraising and providing golf clubs, equipment and clothes for the girls, the LGA takes the girls on golf outings and provides them with a valuable mentorship experience.
The Latina Golfers Association Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, was created in 2022 to further the LGA’s work on a community level.
