Victoria Elizabeth is the camp director at TPC River’s Bend located outside of Cincinnati in Maineville, Ohio. As a lifelong golfer who has experienced play on the largest stages in junior golf all the way to winning LPGA events, Victoria is dedicated to passing along the game of golf to the next generation of female golfers. 

With Team USA’s recent win in the Women’s World Cup of soccer, I can’t think of a more exciting time for women in sports. I find it amazing that so many Women’s Golf Scholarships go unused, actually the most of any sport.  According to The National College Athletic Assn. (NCAA), every year 200 college golf scholarships for young women go unclaimed. Too few girls compete in the sport to qualify for these scholarships, which means many young women are missing an opportunity that could make all the difference to their education, their income and their future.

 My path to a golf career was not traditional, as I moved to Florida at the age of 12 to attend IMG academy for both golf and tennis, soon focusing my efforts on golf.   As such I was able to play in countless junior tournaments and had the good fortune of working with incredible coaches. I was online homeschooled and my days were dedicated to practicing and working out. I traveled across the US to play on the AJGA, FCWT and many other junior tours. I reached 3rd in the Golfweek Junior Girls Rankings before qualifying to play on the Symetra Tour at age 16, foregoing college and turning professional at 17. I went on to play 4 seasons on the Symetra Tour before earning my way onto the LPGA tour where I would play another 4 seasons with my last being in 2016.

The skills developed while playing golf have translated into amazing opportunities off the course. Golf teaches us so many lessons about personal character, integrity, work ethic, respect for the rules, honesty with our self and others, skills we don’t realize we are developing, but that translate into highly desirable traits among humans and employers alike. Sure, if you want to go to college, there are many opportunities to get a scholarship, develop life long besties, and obtain your degree while playing the game. It is a great way to get your degree. Employers appreciate seeing college athletes come through their ranks who have an excellent work ethic and personal goals/drive. It also helps to have a strong player on staff for those corporate golf events! I embraced the entrepreneurial aspects of the golf industry and am building my own teaching business. Golf is so much more than we give it credit for. Some people are not as dedicated to the sport as I am, and I have found a way to align my passion and career, so I feel extremely blessed. Being an ambassador of the sport has always been part of who I am. The business of golf includes so many different things, player, teacher, general manager, sales representative, club fitter, technical aspects such as software for training and course management… and much more. 

You don’t have to be a tour level player to work in the industry. Being great at golf is hard work, there is no question about it. But I encourage everyone to play. It is a rewarding and enjoyable sport that can be played alone, with family, spouse, kids, friends, or total strangers. You can be as good as you want, or just capable of making contact with the ball. To parents, my advice is to keep it fun for the kids. Some won’t want to practice for hours a day like I did, and that is okay. Sometimes just going to the putting green for 15 or 20 minutes is time well spent, for skill development and having time with them developing a love of the game. Having structure is really important for consistent development, such as a practice plan which I put together for my students, ask your children’s coach, or reach out to me for some ideas! Keep it in the short grass and HAVE FUN!

Interested in getting your junior golfer registered for a PGA Junior Golf Camp? Click here to see the camp dates led by Victoria or click here for a full list of the over 140 camp locations!