As narcissistic as it may sound, pampering oneself is the ultimate pleasure in self-gratification. But, notwithstanding the temptations to resist, one such lady golfer did exactly this. As a personal Christmas gift to herself Marguerite Acker-West designed and built her very own ‘Woman Cave’. That’s right, a unique retreat in her own home that contains a plethora of golf treasures, trinkets and mementos. The space is clearly comparable to the popular “Man Cave” environment that—for so long—men have enjoyed having for themselves. “It was my Christmas gift,” says the Marguerite. The converted room is a self-enclosed patio that is just perfect for serving all of her needs, from meditation to reading to putting practice. She also enjoys the space for playing Wii and singing karaoke with friends. “My motivation stemmed from a shoulder impingement injury that had me out of the game for two weeks,” says the Red Bank, New Jersey native who now resides in Hinesville, GA.
As her injury healed, Marguerite diligently worked on completing her dream woman cave. Making the best of fluctuating seasonal weather changes in the area, whenever temperatures dipped into the 30’s, or lower, she was all-in, in getting things done. A local contractor that she worked with was able to complete the enclosure in merely two short days, finishing up on a Wednesday, just before Christmas 2015. “Amazingly, the total cost for the new woman cave space came to only $4,785.00, because we already had the concrete slab of 19’x16’ square feet,” she states. The frame: metal. floor: concrete. Marguerite used her creativity to efficiently put everything she needed together. From Lowes, she purchased two gallons of concrete paint at a total of 55.96. “It comes in a grey color, but I customized it to my liking by adding a bit of Pine Forest.” It took one full day to paint the concrete floor and let it dry. For the floor covering, she laid down a large, beautiful 10’x10’ green grass carpet—ideal for providing that outdoor golf course feeling. 
Around the room she added two relaxing a tall Turtle Bay table ($145.00) with two chairs, a sitting bench ($78.00 purchased with her military discount) along with comfy cushions ($39.96 from Big Lots).
additional furnishings include a floor lamp ($24.00 at Lowes) with shades ($475.00 Lowes), a peaceful rocking chair ($50.00 Ollies) and compact storage cabinets ($80.00 Lowes). Together the furniture really sets the tone for the space and gives her guests great seating options. On the walls, she prominently placed her large wooden plaque that showcased her profile feature as “Golfer of the Week” (July 2015) by African American Golfer’s Digest. 
“I love to paint! The deck box is 20-years old and it will be painted real soon,” chuckles Marquerite. This Jersey gal loves to design on a dime. A large ceiling fan and screened in walls completes the room. “My favorite spot in the room?” —Well this is very hard for her to discern. “I love putting on the green, I guess my rocking chair is relaxing. Thanks be to God, I entered 2016 debt free with all my credit cards paid in full. MY only bill is my mortgage and basic utilities.” 
“My home is truly now mine and it is a happy home. I serve cookie’s that look like the green. And, oh yes, Marguerite will be playing this weekend. This Jersey mom, living in South East GA, prefers to play when its 55 degrees, and above. ” I have nothing to prove by playing in 29 and 40 degree weather.”
