I think a key thing is to remember that I can represent the industry in any part of my day. Now that we have a “Women in Turf” collective going, I can also connect them with other women in the industry so they can have a community and see the different paths and options within the industry. If I am on a visit and I see another female, I make a point to talk to them, discuss their goals, and make sure they are aware of opportunities available for them. There are not a lot of females in that side of the industry. My day-to-day job includes a lot of golf course site visits and I spend most of the time with the golf course maintenance staff. Q: As a female, what do you do in your day-to-day job that helps carry the message about this being a great place for other females to work? It was the combination of seeing the potential of golf courses and interacting with thoughtful and intelligent staff that changed my opinion of the industry to the point of wanting to pursue a career in it. At the same time, the golf course superintendent, Seth Miller, and golf course horticulturist, Donna Poor, were very friendly and welcoming. I realized golf courses could serve as valuable greenspace in urban landscapes and I wanted to explore that more. During that tour, I saw so much desert habitat that I had to start questioning the assumptions I made about golf courses. I always pictured golf courses as giant patches of turfgrass. However, it was the course tour during the new hire orientation that excited me. That scholarship would cover the cost of my master’s program, so I only took the job for that reason. Q: What excited you about the golf industry and brought you into the business?Ī: Originally, I took a waitressing job at Troon Country Club in Scottsdale, AZ because they offered scholarships for full-time employees. I ended up with a 125 as my first score and have only gone out one other time after that. I don’t really remember the golfing part after that, except on one hole I swung at the ball on a fairway and missed seven times in a row. All I could think about is how badly I wanted to watch them and how I wished I had my camera since they are one of my favorite desert birds. However, a family of Harris’s hawks were flying around the trees above us at Hole 7.
#Justplay sportsolutions full
This time I left both of those at home to focus and play the full round. I usually tag along with my boyfriend when he golfs and bring my camera and binoculars to do my own thing.
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The first time I actually golfed a full 18-holes was just last year. That started me down the path of learning more about golf course maintenance and the ecological value of golf courses. I had a negative view of golf courses at the time, and I remember that tour made think there was a lot more to them than I had realized. They took us out on a golf cart and that was the very first time I saw a golf course in person. Q: When and where was your first golf experience and what do you remember most about it?Ī: First time I was on a golf course was about 5 years ago when I was at a new hire orientation at Troon Country Club in Scottsdale, AZ. Troon Executive Card – Troon International.