I Am Golf

I just returned from a week at the new PGA Headquarters in Frisco, TX for a Level 2 Golf Ops seminar reviewing agronomy, merchandising and most importantly, the latest and greatest in teaching and coaching techniques.

When I started my road to the PGA through the PGM program two years ago, I did so to help influence the game and make an impact as a female leader within the industry. At the time, the stats showed that women accounted for only 4% of the 29,000 golf professionals in the United States. Last week, I was one of 7 women in a class of 48 professionals which is roughly 14.5%. While this still isn’t wildly terrific, it’s certainly an indication that we’re veering ever so slightly in the right direction.

During the seminar, I was overcome by a sense of pride in being the future of golf and helping reshape the industry landscape as more inclusive and welcoming. There were many rising stars among the 47 other professionals in attendance and the 6 other women were nothing short of impressive. Ranging from collegiate coach, to expert merchandiser, to seasoned golf instructor and award-winning assistant, they each added a unique perspective to the conversation, and I assure you, the seminar was better for it.

If you are a young female golfer with dreams of being in golf, there is a whole damn industry out there for the taking. With industry-wide plans for the 4% female participation to grow, there exists an abundance of opportunity. What many people don’t consider, is the multitude of golf jobs available outside the teaching sector. You can become a golf professional as a salesperson or administrator for a golf brand, as an events and tournament coordinator, as a marketing associate for a management company, or as an agronomy science specialist (for all you plant nerds out there). Being a golf pro doesn’t always look like, well, being a golf pro. It doesn’t always mean working at a golf course, giving up your weekends, and standing behind a counter. As a woman in the industry, I’m telling ya - you can punch your own ticket and take your career as far as you want to go.

So come on in, gals, the water’s fine.