Milwaukee woman nets 21 golf championships
MILWAUKEE - Author Robert Collier said, "Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out." That quote could define a Milwaukee woman who's found success in a number of areas.
Stroke after stroke, Katie Falk is still grinding.
"You have to constantly work to stay at a certain level," said Falk.
At 74 years old, she’s busy preparing for yet another golf tournament, the Wisconsin State Golf Association Women’s Match Play Championship.
"I’m looking forward to it," she said. "I had rotator cuff surgery, so I’m still in rehab, but hopefully, by the first week in June, I’ll be in full swing."
As she gets back to form, she makes sure to teach younger generations on the course.
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"I think one of the important things that we need to be as a human race is be good examples for those that come behind you," she said.
She also does it through First Tee Southeast Wisconsin.
"If they can be exposed to something that will give them joy, integrity, lifelong lessons for life, there’s nothing like the game of golf," said Falk.
It's something she can attest to personally as an eight-time winner of the sales & marketing award from the Greater Milwaukee Association of REALTORS.
"All the life lessons from golf I applied to the business of real estate, and now, many, many, many years later, we’ve developed an absolutely phenomenal team, the Falk Ruvin Gallagher Team, and our goal, again, is to mentor and develop great agents that can be great stewards for their clients," she said.
For 64 years, Falk has been rolling in putts, but it’s something else that continues to put a smile on her face.
"I think what has surprised me is just the wonderful relationships that have been developed throughout the ages for, in my lifetime, of these marvelous people who have very, very interesting lives," she said.
One of those relationships has added to her interesting story.
"Nancy is one of the most fabulous people I’ve ever met," she said.
In 1973, Falk won the prestigious Women’s Western Amateur by beating World Golf Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez.
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"You know, some days you get up and you have a good day. Some days you get up and you don’t have a good day, and you’ve got to deal with everything, but she was marvelous to play with, and I had a good day," she said.
Twenty years later, Falk also became a Hall of Famer when she was inducted into the Wisconsin State Golf Hall of Fame.
"I don’t know how many women there are in the Wisconsin State Golf Hall of Fame, but there are not many. It’ll be something I’ll always be really proud of," she said.
Falk is known affectionately by realtors as the Grand Dame of Real Estate in Milwaukee. In her golf career, she has won 21 Wisconsin state tournaments and will look for number 22 June 7 thru the June 9 at the Women's Match Play Championship.