The Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions was not only the first LPGA Tour event of the season, but it was the first golf tournament for many of the students who participated in a special Fairways to Leadership behind-the-scenes tour.
Fairways to Leadership is a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to increase diversity in leadership by teaching college students from diverse backgrounds the leadership skills they need to become effective business leaders and the networking skills that can help them access leadership opportunities.
“My experience with Fairways to Leadership has been nothing short of amazing,” said Giovanna Collao, the marketing and events coordinating intern for the University of Central Florida chapter. “I grew up in Orlando with golf courses all around, but I never had the outlet to get on the golf course and play myself.
“This has given me a new love for golf that I never had before.”
The organization prides itself on a curriculum that uses the experience of playing golf to teach leadership and networking skills. As part of the curriculum, students from across the country are encouraged to not only play the game, but seek out opportunities to learn more about the industry. That’s exactly what the students from UCF’s DeVos Sport Business Management Program got to do at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club.
“Being from France, I grew up around soccer, so I never thought about playing or working in golf,” said Maxime Constantin. “That changed with this program. I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into at first, but Fairways to Leadership has given me a passion for the game and helped me to develop new leadership skills through experiences like this one.”
LPGA host Hope Brown discusses her role within the organization during Fairways to Leadership tour at Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Laura Diaz, the LPGA’s Senior Director of Community and Inclusion, led the all-access tour, which included discussions with members of the operations, communications, rules officiating, and sponsorship teams. In addition to the behind-the-scenes tour, students were treated to lunch and given the opportunity to watch some of the second-round action up close.
“If we are truly going to Change the Face of Golf, we have to be intentional about breaking barriers and exposing all young people to career opportunities that exist in the business of golf, more specifically the LPGA Tour,” Diaz said. “By attending our behind-the-scenes experiences, students are given a tangible introduction to careers in golf and the full sports and entertainment industry – and that’s valuable.”
Fairways to Leadership introduced the game to most of these students, while the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions served as their first-ever golf tournament.
“I knew my first golf tournament was going to be a unique experience, but I never expected to make so many connections at it,” said Andy Smith. “Meeting all these people who work in the golf industry has given me so much insight into what the sport can offer as a career. I’ve always been a basketball guy, but I’ve heard a lot of convincing things today as far as golf goes.”
Tommy Tangtiphaiboontana, the Senior Vice President of Tour Operations for the LPGA, explains his role and shares past experiences with students from Fairways to Leadership tour.
Golf is so much more than just a game, and seeing how a tournament operates is vital to understanding all of the career opportunities that exist within the industry.
“The behind-the-scenes tour allowed me to find out what the culture of golf is really like,” said Gift Pendelton. “Fairways to Leadership gave me the fundamentals of the game, but experiencing a tournament in person has changed my perspective of what golf can be.”
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