Anne Kaufman

Q: When and where was your first golf experience and what do you remember most about it?

A: My family had a membership at a local country club, so I was introduced to golf at a very early age.  What I remember most about golf and going to the club in general, was the joy of being with my dad (who was an avid golfer) and the rest of my family. Those are some of the happiest memories of my life.

Q: What excited you about the golf industry and brought you into the business?

A: I didn’t start my career thinking I would work in golf specifically (I was in civil litigation), but I always enjoyed working in hospitality and that, in part, led me to the golf industry.  What also brought me to Troon and the golf business were the happy memories I had at our golf club and playing golf with my dad.  I think happy memories of the game are the reason a lot of people work in golf.

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?

A: I try to lead by example and continue the good work that other exemplary females have done in our Company. I always encourage the women in our company to keep working hard and aspiring to get to that next level in their career, no matter what they want to do.  I also promote women and their good work to others inside and outside of the Company because sometimes women tend to be too humble about their achievements, unfortunately.  My work on the DE&I Council has also been very rewarding and is something I look forward to expanding, to get the word out about what a great place Troon is for women to work.

Q: What do you think the golf industry should be doing differently to attract females into the golf world, both at the playing level and as a career?

A: At the playing level, I think offering shorter rounds and more access to driving ranges would be beneficial.  Many women I know, myself included, feel intimidated to play a full 18 if they are not very good players, or have not played in a while. They might be more interested in hitting a bucket of balls after work or playing a quick 9 on the weekend.  Women also tend to juggle a lot of things, so devoting the time to a full 18 is sometimes not possible or not a priority.  As far as a career, I think stressing that Troon is so much more than golf.  There are so many careers at Corporate and in the field that do not require a good handicap.

Q: Who is one female mentor you look up to and what words of wisdom or actions did she do to help you become better in your career or game?

A: I have actually had a few in my career, but I would like to highlight a couple women in Troon’s Finance Department who both lead by their actions and words for me and a lot of women in Troon Corporate.  Ruth Engle, Troon CFO, is a bad-ass at everything she does and after spending just a few minutes with her, you know why she is CFO of Troon.  She is wickedly smart, a ferociously hard worker, and whenever I am in a meeting with Ruth or get the opportunity to work with her, I learn something.  Ruth is someone that anyone, regardless of gender, should admire.  The other woman is Megan Stallone, EVP of Finance.  Megan is a great leader for her team and is one of the hardest working people I know at Troon (or outside of Troon for that matter).  I am fortunate to have the office next to her and see how many people rely on her for guidance, knowledge, or a little respite of humor during a long day (myself included).  She always gives good advice and I know if I were to ask her any question, she would give me a truthful and meaningful answer.  Megan is also a wonderful mother to two fantastic kids who you can tell admire their mother very much.  Megan is an excellent example for anyone, but particularly working mothers, to emulate.

I would also like to mention a male mentor of mine, Jeff Hansen, EVP and General Counsel of Troon.  Jeff is a huge proponent of me and the women working at Troon.  Not all mentors of women need to be women, and Jeff is a wonderful example of that.

Q: If you could play with any three women in a foursome for golf, who would they be?

A: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Diane Keaton, and my Grammie Evie.

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