Lutherville, Md. – Felecia Wilson has spent more than a decade with the Maryland State Golf Association as a dedicated course rater and volunteer leader. Blending her love for math, passion for golf, and dedication to service, she has made significant contributions to maintaining the integrity and quality of golf courses in Maryland and Washington, D.C.
Wilson’s golf journey began off the fairways, watching tournaments on TV in her childhood small town home in Louisiana. She had no access to golf courses. However, the sport still intrigued her, especially as she began to think about how golf could help her build relationships and advance her professional career.
While working in Florida for IBM, Wilson decided it was time to give golf an honest try. She took a lesson with PGA Professional P.J. Wilson, just before relocating to Maryland. After her move, life pulled her in a different direction, putting golf on pause, but the game never quite left her mind.
When Wilson was ready to return to golf, she went all in. She attended a golf school at Kingsmill Resort, took private lessons, and joined clinics led by Troy Beck, an LPGA and PGA Professional at Glenn Dale Golf Club in Prince George’s County. Through Beck’s teachings and course management advice, Wilson participated in Pro-Am tournaments sponsored by Beck, honing her skills and deepening her appreciation for the game. Somewhere along the way, Wilson began to wonder how she could combine her love for numbers and analysis with her passion for golf.
Wilson holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in computer science, as well as a master’s in business administration. Over the course of her professional career, she has led software development and project management efforts on high-stakes systems, including developing code for the space shuttle, contributing to GPS technology, and even having a hand in developing the World Wide Web. Wilson saw an opportunity to apply that same analytical mindset and attention to detail to the MSGA course rating team.
After submitting a couple of applications, Wilson joined the MSGA course rating team in 2015 and has since worn many hats. She began as a technical support resource for team leaders Carol Mears, Maggie Whall, and others. She applied her analytical skills to help streamline the course rating process, with one of her early contributions being the development of Form 1, a tool that standardized data collection and helped the course rating teams work more efficiently.
Over time, Wilson stepped into more formal leadership roles. She eventually served as the MSGA Women Metro DC & Western Maryland Course Rater Leader, where her responsibilities expanded well beyond just walking the course. She recruited and interviewed new volunteers, communicated with teams about schedules and expectations, and helped shape course rating strategies, activities, and long-range plans. During her time with the MSGA course rating team, Wilson has rated over 50 golf courses.
As Wilson explains it, course rating is about far more than a single number on a sheet of paper. Course raters follow the Course Rating System guidebook and use standardized forms to ensure all courses are evaluated consistently. Course raters record measured distances for each tee and document characteristics of the course that ultimately impact both scratch and bogey golfers. Wilson says what matters most is an attention to detail, a willingness to learn, and a commitment to accuracy.
Wilson’s volunteerism has also broadened her golf community. Earlier in her golf journey, she mentioned that she often played alone, as many of her close friends and family members did not regularly play the game. The MSGA has opened the door to a new network of playing partners, colleagues, and friends. She now enjoys playing rounds with a regular group from her home course and with fellow volunteers she’s met through ratings and events.
Wilson’s passion for volunteering began long before she joined the MSGA. As a youth, she gave her time to church and community programs, and she discovered early on that service and mathematics were two constants in her life. That commitment has only grown over the years.
She is an active member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., an international service organization through which she continues to support a wide range of community initiatives. In Montgomery County, Md., Wilson has volunteered on the boards of First Tee, Habitat for Humanity, and the Montgomery County Parks and Recreation. She has also served on a county golf-related board, always asking how she can help strengthen opportunities for local golfers.
Wilson’s work with the First Tee stands out as a highlight. As a board member and tournament volunteer, she helped draft a strategic plan for the chapter, assisted at events, and mentored young participants, often bringing her mentees out on the course to play. One of her most memorable experiences came when she served as an escort inside the ropes for Tiger Woods at the 2014 Quicken Loans National held at Congressional Country Club. At a National First Tee meeting at TPC Sawgrass, she also had the chance to meet trailblazing PGA Tour professional Charlie Sifford and the CEO of National First Tee, Joe Louis Barrow Jr. These moments, Wilson says, are powerful reminders of how volunteerism can open doors and create unforgettable experiences.
In addition to her volunteer work, Wilson has played a lot of golf and aspires not only to reach 1,000 rounds played, but also to play around the world. By 2017, she had played in every state. By the end of 2025, she had played 940 rounds at 424 courses in 272 different cities. Hawaii stands out as her favorite state for golf, but as for her favorite course, Wilson put it simply, “it’s the one I am playing.”
When she’s not golfing or volunteering, Wilson enjoys a wide range of interests that keep her active and engaged. She loves to travel, attend cultural events, exercise, craft, and play tennis and pickleball. Exploring new restaurants is another favorite pastime. She has also pursued additional coursework at Montgomery College, a reflection of her belief that you should “learn something every day” and become “wildly curious, asking challenging questions.”
To anyone who expresses interest in volunteering, particularly with the MSGA, Wilson’s first piece of advice is simple: start with what genuinely interests you. Whether it’s learning the Rules of Golf, diving into the analytical world of course rating, or another area of the game, there is a place for nearly every personality and skill set. When it comes to course rating, she is quick to dispel misconceptions, stating that you don’t need to be a scratch golfer or a math whiz to be an effective course rater. The work is collaborative, and training is built into the process.
Looking ahead, Wilson aims to continue her development within the MSGA by achieving advanced course rater certification, further strengthening her impact on the course rating program. As Wilson puts it, golf is “a sport for a lifetime,” and her journey is a testament to seeing the game as more than just a score. It can connect people across generations, backgrounds, and abilities. Course rating has given her a unique way to contribute to the game while continuing to expand her knowledge and her friendships. Wilson’s journey shows how curiosity, service, and a love of the game can transform a simple interest in golf into a lifelong legacy of impact on and off the course.
As a non-profit organization, the MSGA relies heavily on volunteer support and continues to grow through the generosity of these individuals. Volunteers assist the staff in providing the highest level of service to golfers and golf clubs in Maryland. Interested in getting involved with the MSGA? Please visit our Volunteer webpage to learn more.
MSGA Mission
To serve, grow, and advance the game of golf in Maryland and the District of Columbia.
