For Leslie Folsom, success in golf has always meant adaptation.

She couldn’t hit as far off the tee as the boys in high school, so she became an ace putter. She felt she might be slipping physically, so she hired a personal trainer and became stronger.

And instead of just dealing with issues of inequality toward women golfers, she joined the board of directors at her country club and is now part of the change.

Those adaptations have worked well. She recently won the Seattle Women’s Golf Association city championship and placed second in the Washington State Golf Association Women’s Amateur championship.

Folsom credited her experience, fitness and home-course advantage for her city championship win over 18-year-old Mollie Johnsen of Redmond on June 20 at Rainier Golf and Country Club.

“Being fit helped,” Folsom said. “It doesn’t take as much of a toll mentally if you’re fit.”

Folsom, 40, of Renton didn’t start the match on top of her game and fell behind by three holes through the 14th hole, but she made up ground and drew even after the first 18 holes. She pulled away the second time through the 18-hole course and built up enough of a lead to end the match after 31 holes.

Most recently, Folsom finished second behind Stephanie Corey of Seattle at the Washington State Golf Association Women’s Amateur championship on June 26 at Sunland Golf and Country Club.

Though Folsom held the lead through 36 holes, she couldn’t hold off the late-charging Corey, who shot a tournament-low score of 72 in the final round to take the lead and the win.

“I started pressing a bit,” Folsom said. “I just didn’t get it done. She [Corey] had a great run.”

Folsom works as an information-technology consultant and is a member of Rainier Golf and Country Club in south Seattle.

Folsom started golfing as a 13-year-old high school freshman in Valdosta, Ga. She spent much of her early time catching up to the pack, because most serious golfers start in their pre-teens.

Folsom credits her sweet putting stroke to her days as a 5-foot-3-inch, 100-pound girl playing on a boys golf team in high school. Because of her small size, the boys could drive the ball much farther, so Folsom had to look elsewhere to stay with the pack.

“I had to find some way to keep up and not be embarrassed,” Folsom said.

Folsom has also always relied on an accurate driving game. She said while she may not hit the ball the farthest every time, she’s “usually on the fairway, and usually on the right side of the fairway.”

She developed her game throughout high school and earned a golf scholarship to Memphis State University (now University of Memphis).

“I approached college as an opportunity to get an education through golf,” Folsom said.

After graduating from college, Folsom pushed golf to the side for a while in order to focus on her career. While moving around the country because of her job, Folsom finally landed in the Puget Sound area in the mid-1990s. She started playing golf at area courses before work and on weekends and that soon “rekindled the fire.”

Folsom joined Rainier Golf and Country Club in October 2000 and has been on a roll ever since, winning various tournaments. Folsom has won two Seattle Women’s Golf Association city championships, three Washington State Women’s Golf Association state titles and a number of other events.

Because of her work schedule, Folsom can’t get out on the greens as much as she’d like to. “If I’m lucky I get nine holes in on a Friday afternoon,” she said. “But, boy that’s only once every two months.” Usually it’s 18 holes on Saturday and Sunday, plus twice-a-week workouts. She has worked out with a trainer at Eagle Fitness in Seattle for the past four years and added 15 pounds of muscle, which has taken her game to another level.

“I wasn’t unfit,” Folsom said. “But I certainly was starting to lose strength and lose ground to a lot of the younger players.”

Folsom estimated she’s gained a club in her irons (5-10 yards) and 20 yards on her drives off of the tee.

In her capacity as a member of the board of directors at Rainier, Folsom is also doing her part to make sure clubs provide equal opportunities for men and women. She said Rainier has taken “huge steps” in the past 10 years toward accomplishing that goal.

“My take on it is access and playing privileges should not be based on gender,” Folsom said. “I’m very proud of the strides Rainier has made.”

Folsom’s next event is the Pacific Northwest Golf Association Women’s Amateur and Mid-Amateur at Meadow Springs Country Club in Kennewick. The tournament runs July 7-11 and features golfers from all around the region. Folsom said she expects a “very good field to show up.”

Adam McFadden can be reached at amcfadden@reporternewspapers.com or 425-255-3484, ext. 5054.