Patty Schremmer’s return to the amateur ranks coincided with the Hawaii State Women’s Golf Association transforming its 48-year-old State Stroke Play Championship into a members-only event.

It has become a Schremmer-only event.

The former LPGA player won her third consecutive HSWGA members-only stroke play title Wednesday at Mid-Pacific Country Club. For the third straight year, Jeannie Pak was second, joined this time by Yindi Fowler.

They were 10 shots back of Schremmer, who shot 74 both days.

“Her game was really consistent, but she was putting terrible too, like me,” Pak said. “She could have shot way better, broken par easily.”

Schremmer agreed with the putting analysis, but at this stage in her career she can shrug it off as “mis-reading not mis-stroking so I can’t beat myself up too much.”

All the players in the field of 24 are in “that stage.” The range in age, for the championship, A and B flights, was 44 to 70-something.

These golfers aren’t looking for college scholarships and preparing to turn pro, the way it was when Nicole Sakamoto won the last two State Women’s Stroke Play Championships. In 2012, she set the tournament scoring record, closing with rounds of 68-67 for a three-day total of 6-under 210.

No one threatened those numbers the last three years, but Schremmer has other goals.

She reached the semifinals at her first U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur (25-older) last year and is heading there again next month. She also played the last two U.S. Senior Women’s Amateurs — after turning 50 — and reached the semifinals there last month.

Here at home, all three of her daughters are award-winning surfers. The youngest, Scarlett, is teeing off in her first golf tournament next month.

“I’m so excited,” Schremmer says. “The older ones are hitting a little too so it’s fun. It’s a good game. I told them you don’t have to be good at it now, but when you’re 40 you’ll wish you’d tried it.”

Pak can vouch for that. She started golfing at 30 and is now closing in on 50. She belongs to MPCC and won last year’s HSWGA members-only Match Play Championship.

She is absolutely honest about her primary inspiration.

“I gamble a lot when I play golf,” she says flatly. “You’ve got to play well to win money… . I think when I gamble I play better somehow. I sink more putts.”

She says her game is more analytical and sophisticated than it was in her 30s, but after every round her reaction remains the same.

“I’m just thinking I’ve got to do better next time,” Pak says. “I always think I could have done way better. It’s always next time I’ll try harder. That’s my thinking.”

Her first-round 75 was followed by an 83 Wednesday, with only nine pars and many putts. In contrast, Schremmer had a “very boring” three bogeys and a birdie.

Fowler shot 77 — a shot off her career best — and was ecstatic. She has been playing 11 years, since her 40th birthday. Her inspiration is simple.

“When you have everything together,” she says with a sparkle in her eyes, “you are putting good, chipping and hitting your irons well, your driver is not going left or right … . That feeling is my inspiration.”

Golf rarely allows that to happen. Then again, life rarely goes smoothly either. Schremmer says the game now helps her deal with that, and always offers perspective.

“I wish I could have relaxed and enjoyed it more when I played on tour, not put so much pressure on myself,” she says. “I hope all the young girls out there can remove themselves from the grind and realize what a blessing golf is, how awesome it is and enjoy that. It’s hard to do when you’re trying to stay up on the money list.”

It is not so hard now.

“I’ve always fallen to golf as a place of solace,” Schremmer says. “I go to the golf course and walk nine holes alone or go to the range and hit balls and think things out. Now it’s a place of serenity to get me through a little turmoil that’s going on. It gives me peace.”

Former University of Hawaii golf coach Judy Tonda captured A flight honors, with a low-net score of 152. She is a 14-handicapper. Debra Murobayashi, a 20-handicapper, won B flight with 148.

Hawaii Golf Hall of Famer Bev Kim, 71, finished fourth in Championship Flight with rounds of 83-79.