Courtney Trimble using Fore Hire to help women find golf careers

The career track out of college golf can feel somewhat narrow for a female player. What else is there to do but play professionally?

Courtney Trimble has lots of answers for that question, and the former college golf coach is building steam on her mission to show women that opportunities do exist within the golf industry for them to leverage their college-golf experience. Through her company Fore Hire, Trimble helps competitive players transition into careers in golf. In May, with the NCAA Women’s Championship as a background, she will use that platform to put on an immersive, three-day networking event for women who have played college golf, at any level.

Up to 30 women of all ages will be selected to the “Women Who Want to Work in Golf” program, which runs May 21-23. Entries for the program close March 22.

“The idea is to expose this group of 30 women to all different facets of the game and what jobs are in it,” she said.

It’s a two-sided mission in that Trimble also hopes the industry leaders involved walk away impressed by a talented group of female candidates.

Over the course of three days, participants will engage in roundtable discussions with people already in the industry, “career-ready” exercises and extensive networking. Trimble wants to build off of the hype surrounding the NCAA Women’s Championship at nearby Grayhawk Golf Club, knowing industry members often gather there, so part of the experience includes taking in a day of the championship.

Ping, the event host, will open its facility to program participants so they can see all aspects of a major equipment manufacturer, from engineering to design to product development.

In the past year, Trimble has placed more than 40 women across the industry, from coaching to club fitting to marketing. Sometimes, she says, finding the right job in golf is just about knowing how to sell your skills. She goes back to a former college golf coach who was interviewing to be a golf club sales rep, referencing a conversation about whether that candidate had any sales experience. Trimble pointed out her ability to sell her college program.

“That’s a transferable skill,” Trimble said. “Sometimes it takes someone pointing it out to the person doing the hiring. Otherwise, you’re going to get the same candidates that you’ve always gotten.”

In addition…