Davies adjusts to American golf lifestyle

When IU senior Rosie Davies came to America, she knew what she wanted to do.

While there were universities in her native England that she could attend, she knew she would get a better experience playing college golf in America.

“We don’t have the same collegiate system for sports as there is over here,” Davies said. “You can’t really go to a university and play a sport at a high level. You either go to university or turn pro.”

Davies originally attended Lehigh in Pennsylvania her freshman year before transferring to IU.

“I just wanted a better golf program where there was a bigger conference,” Davies said. “I like that there is more team spirit here, too.”

Davies said she came to America because the culture is most similar to England’s, yet there are still clear differences.

“Obviously it’s different,” Davies said. “I’m surrounded by American accents, for one thing. When I hear an English accent, it’s a nice feeling. It reminds me of home.”

Davies said the most dramatic changes aren’t because she is an international student, but adjusting from big-city life to Bloomington was her biggest obstacle to overcome

“I’m from London, and coming from a huge metropolitan city to a college town like Bloomington was a shock,” Davies said. “But I love that aspect of Bloomington. Everything is so local.”

While Davies said she loves Bloomington, she does make sure to return to England every winter and summer to see her family and friends.

She also uses this time to keep her golf game sharp by competing in various tournaments.

“Over the summer, I competed in the British Amateur Tournament Championship at Carnoustie Golf Course,” Davies said. “It’s a famous course in Scotland where they’ve had tournaments like the men’s British Open, so that was a really cool experience.”

Davies also competed in the English Mid-Amateur Tournament, where she was able to earn a ninth-place finish.

She said she was thrilled to have placed top-10 against some of the best amateur opponents in the world.

When it comes to golf, Davies said the biggest difference is the tone of the sport in the two countries. While in America golf is seen as a recreational sport for anyone to play, some areas of England are a bit more exclusive.

“English clubs are very tied to traditional class systems where golf is seen as the sport of the elite,” Davies said. “I had an experience this summer where I was eating in a clubhouse and wasn’t actually allowed in a part of the restaurant because it was men-only.”

Davies isn’t the only foreign-born member of the women’s golf team.

Three of her 10 teammates are from outside the U.S.

“We have a good team dynamic because everyone is from a different background,” Davies said. “And that’s cool. We literally have people from all over the world, which makes a nice mix of cultures. We learn a lot from each other.”