Kayla Kipp

Kayla Kipp is in her third season now at Nemacolin, where she serves as the equipment manager for the resort’s two golf courses, and she is starting to feel at home.

“Things are more comfortable,” she says. “That first year I was here was really just getting the shop together. There was a lot of 20-year-old stuff that was laying around that we didn’t need. A lot of junk.

“So, my first year was a cleanup, learning where things are and how the crew operates. Learning the people. Now, in year three, it’s a lot easier. There’s new equipment coming in but now that you’re in the cycle, it’s a lot easier.’

Located in Farmington, Pennsylvania, 70 miles south of Pittsburgh, Nemacolin features two Pete Dye-designed championship golf courses, one of which formerly hosted a PGA Tour stop.

Visitors expect first-rate conditions.

Kipp’s job is to keep the maintenance equipment operating at a high level and anticipate the needs of the greens staff. Speaking with Rick Woelfel on the Wonderful Women of Golf podcast, Kipp noted the importance of good communication with the team.

“What they need is what I’m here for,” she says. “The more we can communicate, the better. I know a lot of times they’re in and out the door saying, ‘I need this for tomorrow,’ or ‘I need this in 10 minutes.’ Sometimes, it’s a little stressful but (things will work out) as long as we keep that communication channel open.”

When Kipp first arrived at Nemacolin at the start of the 2022 season, she realized the importance of establishing a level of trust and establishing her credibility with the rest of the staff. She admits the task may have been more challenging, at least at first, because of her gender.

“Trust is a huge thing,” she says. “And walking in the door three years ago, you have to prove yourself, woman or man. Sometimes I think walking into a maintenance shop as a man is probably a little easier transition than having a woman in there. I sometimes feel there is a little extra speculation as to skill level. I’ve always had to prove myself. At least, it felt that way and as I learn more and more stuff, it’s pretty easy to do so.

“You come in and find an electrical issue, and someone says ‘Oh, you know what you’re doing,’ or ‘All these reels look really good. You’re teaching me about reels.’”

Kipp reports to Chris Anderson, who has served as Nemacolin’s director of golf operations since the beginning of 2023. For four and a half years prior to that, he was the director of turfgrass management and briefly held both jobs simultaneously.

Kipp says having Anderson as her boss is “awesome.”

“No. 1, he understands the time it takes to (complete a specific task),” she says. “For example, mow the driving range. Whenever he’s trying to get those things done, he knows how long it’s going to take, what equipment is going to be needed and how many people. He knows ahead what it’s going to take to get, X, Y and Z done.”

Kipp was part of the crew of volunteers who supported John Jeffreys and his team at Pinehurst during the 2024 U.S. Open. To say she was impressed by the scope of the Pinehurst operation is an understatement.

“Eleven golf courses,” she says. “I have two. It blows my mind to think about 11. I was blown away. I loved it. The shop’s incredible and well kept. It’s a beautiful place. I love the history there. It was a phenomenal experience.”

The week was also a learning experience for Kipp.

“I actually spent a lot of time learning about Bermudagrass,” she says. “I’m not real familiar. Everybody was super willing to talk to me. One evening we took the road crews out to the front nine. John Jeffreys met me there on one green and we were looking around. We talked about Bermudagrass and agronomic practices down in the South, it was super helpful and educational.”