Q: When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up and please explain if there was a story around that.
A: I wanted to be a lot of things! Professional snowboarder or soccer player (my two favorite things to do growing up), physical therapist (feel in love in anatomy in High School), a mom, and I am sure a handful of more things. As I got older, I fell more in love with the game of golf and played through college and beyond. I took some time off between college and professional golf and sold orthopedics. Looking back, I am glad I didn’t end up in any of those careers as my passion for the game of golf has only continued to grow as I have grown – my passion has become my career!
Q: Who got you into the game of golf and what was your first experience at a golf course/range?
A: My dad! He was a three-time Club Champion at our Country Club (the original Rolling Hills CC in LA) and obviously loved the game. My two older sisters didn’t get the bug, but with some bribing of being able to drive the golf cart and hit the ball hard, my dad got me out regularly on Sundays starting at the age of six.
Q: Who did you look up to either when you were younger or as you progressed in your career?
A: Two people I really have admired my whole golf life is Fred Couples and John Cook – John grew up with my dad and is a major reason I work in golf today. He pushed me to get back into the game after a post-college hiatus. Both of their laid-back styles in life and their golf swings fit my personality.
Q: How long have you worked for Troon and what has been your career progression and what do you love most about your job?
A: I have worked at Monarch Beach Golf Links since 2014. Back then, it was managed by OB Sports. In 2019, OB Sports was acquired by Troon, and we are now part of the whole family of Troon courses!
Q: What do you do in your daily job or life to inspire other women or minorities to get them interested in the game of golf or into the golf business as a career?
A: Being a woman coach in a world with very few women has created an opportunity for me to welcome other women to the game. The feedback I get from most of my women students are they have wanted to get into golf but felt they wanted to learn from another female. I currently coach multiple “intro to golf” classes, providing a space for women to meet each other and learn with each other. I also am very passionate about women in business learning the game as business deals sometimes get done on the links. Having women be comfortable to be able to say yes to a golf invitation that in turn can help their career and families is very important. Every year our Resort hosts a few “Women in Business” conferences and with that, I get to coach and hopefully inspire them to take lessons back home. It really gives me a lot of joy to make golf accessible to women of all ages and backgrounds.
Q: What is your dream foursome for golf (three others)?
A: This question feels impossible to answer! People such as Tiger Woods, Annika Sorenstam, Nelly Korda, Freddy Couples, Rory McIlroy are a few professionals that come to mind as I respect their games so much. But in a perfect world my dream foursome would be a round of golf at Augusta National my husband and two sons when they are older – a girl can dream!!
Q: What is one interesting fact not many people know about you?
A: I discovered in college that I was born with a 6th lumbar vertebra. Just so you know, most people have just 5 and about 10% of the population has a 6th. Most people don’t know unless they have received an X-Ray like I did in college to research why I was experiencing backpain. Turns out, with the 6th lumbar vertebra I can rotate my golf swing just a little more causing some nerve irritation and spasms. Something I am glad I am aware and has given me a couple of more inches in height!
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