Nancy Chaffee

Nancy’s trademark smile is always present, whether she’s four up or four down. She has been a part of the Rhode Island golf scene for close to 50 years, and still loves the game and everything it represents.

If Dana Quigley is the “iron man”, Nancy is the “iron woman”. She practices from 6:30 to 8:00 every morning, works from 8:30 to 5:00, then returns to the course for 9 or 18 holes, carrying her own bag. She has hit more range balls than anyone can imagine.

Nancy has won the RIWGA Amateur Championship in four different decades. She is the only woman to have won the Junior, Amateur and Senior championships. She has also won 20 club championships at Rhode Island and Newport Country Clubs.

Her golf has not been limited to Rhode Island. She has competed in more than 20 USGA championships; the British, Irish and Canadian Seniors; and most of the major women’s amateur events in the United States.

Her involvement with golf is not limited to competition. She is a long time member of the USGA Regional Affairs Committee and serves on the RIWGA’s board as the USGA representative. She has helped lead the RIWGA spring junior golf program for more than 20 years, introducing countless girls to the game.

Her love of the game, her never-ending desire to help other golfers, and her positive attitude on and off the course make her, as she was once described, “the little champ.”