Adding to the team

It’s an honor for me to be writing to you as Golf Course Industry’s new assistant editor. You may have seen a byline with my name on it in recent months, as I recently completed my internship here with our driven and creative team. At the beginning of August, I graduated from Kent State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and joined the Golf Course Industry team full time.

My love for journalism started in high school but didn’t fully develop until my second year of college. I have always enjoyed writing and talking with people, and journalism allows me to do both. I spent five semesters working for KentWired/The Kent Stater, where I learned more than I could imagine, and met some of the best people in my life. I was able to tell some amazing stories and talk with a lot of unique people, which I plan to continue to do. So, what does this mean to the people who work on golf courses?

Turns out, golf has been a bigger part of my life than I realized from nearly the beginning. I was about 3 when I first picked up a golf club. My dad coached high school girls’ golf, so I would occasionally stop by a practice. My dad worked weekend mornings mowing greens and he and my grandfather both spent a lot of hours playing. I’ve been around the game my whole life. But my dad’s golf on the television was enough to put me to sleep on Sunday afternoons and I would rarely pick up a club. My golf journey went about as far as that — until recently. 

I started working at Downview Sports Center, a city-owned miniature golf course and driving range in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, when I was 16. I started working during COVID-19 and was able to remember names of the regular customers and get to know why they love the game so much — or hate it, if I caught them on a bad day.

After a few years, I moved to Brookledge Golf Club, where I worked as a beverage cart girl and behind the concessions bar. I still work some weekend shifts there, because I have come to love the people and environment so much. It was through working there that I learned golf terminology and course etiquette. But more important, the job taught me the importance of talking to people. Helping others is a lifelong passion of mine, and the job provided me an opportunity to put a smile on someone’s face and create some small talk. The lessons I learned at Brookledge have stuck with me through life — and now into my career.

As a person who wants to know as much as she can when it comes to the job, when I started my internship with Golf Course Industry this summer, I decided I should give it my all. Which means it was time to learn how to play this ever-evolving game instead of just working around it. 

I have spent the last three months eating, sleeping and breathing golf. I have read as much material on golf and golf course maintenance as possible, toured courses, talked with industry workers and gotten out to play on a course at least once a week. I have given it my all, and in turn, found a game that I love. A pair of New Balance golf shoes, a gorilla club head cover, and many pink golf balls have been added to my collection. By the time you’re reading this, I’m sure there will be more additions. The investments, both financially (the shoes) and personally, have ultimately paid off, because I got the opportunity to join our team full time.

As I begin my new position as an assistant editor, I hope to provide readers with a new perspective and a new voice. As a female working in a predominantly male industry, I hope to attract an audience of all kinds and introduce new people to the ideas we present. I fell in love with writing and storytelling, bringing audiences’ attention to things they should know about. And now, I plan to continue Golf Course Industry’s role in recognizing the outstanding people and courses the golf business has to offer.