Shownotes
The conversation herein delves into the profound transition experienced by Caroline Inglis, a former LPGA Tour player, as she embarks upon a new chapter as the Director of Donor Engagement and Development for the Oregon Golf Association. The episode elucidates her reflections on the rigors of professional golf, particularly the physical challenges she faced, including recurring back injuries that ultimately led to her decision to retire from competition. Inglis articulates the stark contrasts between her former life on the tour and her current role, emphasizing the newfound work-life balance that accompanies her departure from the pressures of competitive play. Additionally, she shares insights on the evolution of the LPGA Tour, highlighting the significant advancements in sponsorship, prize money, and overall visibility of women’s golf. As we engage with Inglis, it becomes evident that her dedication to the sport remains steadfast, as she seeks to foster opportunities for young golfers while navigating her own journey beyond the fairway.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Golf News Network
- OGA
- LPGA Tour
- Weston Kia
- Birdie Ball
- Painted Hills
- Superstition Mountain
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Transcripts
It's time for Grilling at the Green.
Speaker A:Join Jeff Tracy as he explores the golfing lifestyle and tries to keep it in the short grass for the hackers do sweepers and turf spankers.
Speaker A:Here's Jeff.
Speaker A:Hey, everybody.
Speaker A:Welcome to Grilling at the Green.
Speaker A:I'm jt.
Speaker A:We are here on the west coast in Portland, Seattle in Texas, and many places in between.
Speaker A:And of course, we are all part of the Golf News Network there.
Speaker A:And I will tell you something that's interesting about the Golf News Network.
Speaker A:Ryan shared with me some numbers the other day.
Speaker A:And Grilling at the Green television portion of this show has just crept in a shade under a million views in the last year or so.
Speaker A:So that's kind of a cool thing.
Speaker A:Great guest today if you're fan of the LPGA Tour and now you'll be a fan of the Oregon Golf Associations.
Speaker A:I can't talk.
Speaker A:Caroline Inglis is with us today.
Speaker A:I have never met her.
Speaker A:We kind of crossed paths, but not really.
Speaker A:And she's now working for the oga and she's, she's a great person.
Speaker A:So, Caroline, welcome.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker B:Happy to be here.
Speaker B:Thanks for having me.
Speaker A:So it's kind of a transition coming from tour life to a little more, if you will, sedentary life, you know, working in an office.
Speaker A:And I'm not demeaning it at all.
Speaker A:It's just, it's a different lifestyle.
Speaker A:How's the transition going?
Speaker B:Yes, it's been an interesting transition.
Speaker B:It's just so different.
Speaker B:Like you said, being formally on the golf course and pretty active and most of my day spent outside.
Speaker B:And now I'm in an office a couple days a week and in the true corporate sense, work setting.
Speaker B:So it's been, it's just very different.
Speaker B:I would say it's good and I'm, I'm happy with my decision.
Speaker B:I think it's just going to take a little bit of time to get used to it and to really kind of get my footing and get my grasp on just a different career.
Speaker B:And there's obviously parts I miss about golf and there's parts that I enjoy about not playing professionally anymore.
Speaker A:Well, I'm sure the, the practice schedule and the pressure is not quite there.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I think the, the biggest thing difference that I've noticed that I like is before when I was playing golf professionally, I never switched off my brain away from golf.
Speaker B:I was always thinking about golf, always thinking about what I need to do to get better.
Speaker B:And now when I leave work, I turn off my brain and I Leave work.
Speaker B:So it's a better work life balance.
Speaker B:But I definitely miss the competing.
Speaker B:I'm such a competitive person that I miss playing in tournaments and working towards that.
Speaker B:So I think it's time to find some new hobbies maybe, or just channel that into my fundraising efforts.
Speaker A:Maybe.
Speaker A:Maybe what I can do is make you an official sandbagger member.
Speaker B:Yeah, there you go.
Speaker A:Of my.
Speaker A:I have a group of guys that we play in a lot of benefit scrambles.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:So, yeah, I can be the ringer.
Speaker A:Yeah, you could be the ringer.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Good.
Speaker A:You're hired.
Speaker B:I'm in.
Speaker B:I'm in.
Speaker A:I love that you had.
Speaker A:You left the Tour.
Speaker A:One of the reasons you left the Tour is I was reading about it and you said your body just couldn't really take it anymore.
Speaker A:You had some back issues.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:Very common.
Speaker A:Not yours in particular, but back issues are very common.
Speaker A:Obviously.
Speaker A:Professional golfers, how did you really know when it was time?
Speaker A:Because last year after the.
Speaker A:Annika, you said, I'm done.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:I think.
Speaker B:Well, my back issues started a long time ago.
Speaker B: I had surgery in: Speaker B:Injure it like almost once a year every year.
Speaker B:And then this past.
Speaker B:When was it?
Speaker B:June.
Speaker B:I re injured it and it just was not getting better.
Speaker B:It was.
Speaker B:I couldn't, I wasn't.
Speaker B:I was going to tournaments, showing up, playing maybe nine holes before the actual tournament on Thursday, barely hitting balls.
Speaker B:Like, I wasn't able to prepare and it wasn't.
Speaker B:It just wasn't getting better.
Speaker B:And in October in Hawaii, I missed the cut and I just like, for.
Speaker B:I finally think I let myself think about doing something besides golf.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:It just felt like if I can't prepare and practice how I want, then what is the point of being out here?
Speaker B:And then this opportunity with the Oregon Golf association kind of presented itself and, you know, a lot of other life factors, like I'm getting old and I want to start a family eventually and.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah, yeah, stop.
Speaker A:You are not old.
Speaker B:Getting old for tour life.
Speaker B:Sorry.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:I'm not old.
Speaker B:I'm not, I'm not, I'm not old.
Speaker B:But for playing on the LPGA Tour, you know, you see these 17 year olds, 18 year olds coming out and they're carrying the ball 280 yards.
Speaker B:But yeah, mostly the leading factor was my back and it just wasn't getting better.
Speaker B:And I felt like, okay, maybe this is the time to hang it up and move on.
Speaker B:And it just kind of worked itself out.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's tough.
Speaker A:You can't I've had back issues without going into morbid stories, which the listeners have heard pieces of over the years, but it's hard to get away from it, you know, because every movement, especially on the golf course, is.
Speaker A:Yeah, is there.
Speaker A:It's right there.
Speaker A:You know, you can throw a knee brace on if you need to.
Speaker A:You can do some things like that.
Speaker A:But a lot of times with the back injury, ibuprofen isn't going to cut it.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:And, you know, you can get a knee replacement, but you can't really get a spine replacement, unfortunately.
Speaker B:It would be nice, but they only got one of them.
Speaker A:No, no.
Speaker A:Well, we haven't advanced that much yet.
Speaker A:Did you.
Speaker A:When you left the Tour, Caroline, did you think that, like, I really left everything out there that I could?
Speaker A:Because I've talked to a lot of different from men and women's tours, and they're like.
Speaker A:Most of them are like, yeah, I did everything I could.
Speaker A:Once in a while, I'll get somebody that says, well, I wish I could have done this a little longer or more or something.
Speaker A:But very rarely, usually the pro golfers come in and say, I gave it everything I had.
Speaker B:I mean, in terms of effort and intention and my work ethic, I gave it everything I could.
Speaker B:I put.
Speaker B:I can say I put more than 100% into it, mentally, physically, emotionally, for sure.
Speaker B:So, yes, I. I feel like I definitely gave it everything.
Speaker B:I wish I could have.
Speaker B:There's a lot of.
Speaker B: to take off an entire year in: Speaker B:So in terms of that, there's.
Speaker B:I wish I could have kept playing more.
Speaker B:I wish this.
Speaker B:That I could be playing on tour right now, and it wasn't just a physical limitation, but in terms of effort and that, I definitely gave it my all.
Speaker B:But it's funny, now I go and I play up.
Speaker B:I play for fun, and I have such a better attitude in terms of accepting bad shots and just moving on that I. I'm.
Speaker B:I wish I could have had that level of acceptance while I was playing, but I don't know if it works like that.
Speaker B:I think maybe when you're playing and it is your profession, you.
Speaker B:You can't have that level of freedom to a certain extent, but I wish I could transfer that to when I played.
Speaker B:But that's.
Speaker B:It is what it is.
Speaker A:Well, yeah, I. I'm not sure that's possible, though.
Speaker B:I know.
Speaker A:You know, because you guys on tour are always trying to, you're striving for, you know, the absolute best on every shot.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:And with the pressure on in the tournament and you play under the television cameras a lot on that tour now and, and that.
Speaker A:Yeah, you can't get away.
Speaker A:You're like, oh, God, I can't.
Speaker A:Gotta make it right.
Speaker A:So I know what's the one thing you being out there?
Speaker B:I miss a lot of things, but the number one would be competing.
Speaker B:Yeah, I just love, you know, the competition, the pressure, the playing for something.
Speaker B:I love that.
Speaker B:I think it's so fun.
Speaker B:There's no better feeling than when you're in contention and competing and you feel the nerves.
Speaker B:I love that.
Speaker B:I also love, I miss the, my friends out there on tour, the social aspect of it.
Speaker B:It's such a social job, you know, getting to play or be around all those women and making good friends.
Speaker B:And I miss the, I guess it's a camaraderie in a sense.
Speaker B:I miss that.
Speaker B:I don't miss the travel on the airplane and the rental cars and the switching time zones and sleeping in a different bed.
Speaker B:But I would say the people and the competition.
Speaker A:I understand.
Speaker A:We're going to be back here with Caroline Inglis.
Speaker A:More on grilling it to green in just a minute.
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Speaker A:Welcome back to Grilling at the Green IJT Today we're very fortunate to have a new member of the OGA community here, where I live in Oregon in Woodburn.
Speaker A:Caroline Inglis.
Speaker A:Carol, Caroline's former tour player.
Speaker A:You, I'm sure you saw her on TV and read about her in the magazine, so to speak, but we're very fortunate to have her here.
Speaker A:I was just, I was looking out the window.
Speaker A:I can actually look out the window in my office and studio and I see how pretty it is out there today.
Speaker A:And you know, you're only like five blocks from me.
Speaker B:Right now, yes.
Speaker A:Looking at the same sunshine and we're both thinking we should be out there on the course.
Speaker A:Right, Doing something.
Speaker B:We should be.
Speaker B:It would be nice, wouldn't it?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:How are you transitioning into the business world?
Speaker A:Because that's what you're doing, your business development and stuff for oga?
Speaker B:I am, yes.
Speaker B:I'm the director of donor engagement and development, so essentially raising money for the Junior Golf Fund here.
Speaker B:And we're working on starting up the USNDP team for Team Oregon, which is exciting.
Speaker B:Working on kind of a lot of different buckets.
Speaker B:But, yes, I am adjusting to the corporate world, the, the business setting.
Speaker B:I'm lucky.
Speaker B:All of the people here at OGA are great and welcoming and they've been really receptive and helpful.
Speaker B:But yeah, it's, it's, it's nice.
Speaker B:It's different.
Speaker B:I, I definitely am taking a little time to get into the fundraising rhythm.
Speaker B:I'm going to do a course next week, which will be helpful, but I.
Speaker B:On tour, I didn't have an agent.
Speaker B:I got all my own sponsorships, so in a way that kind of relates.
Speaker B:So I'm used to, you know, talking to people and asking for money and asking them to donate.
Speaker A:Yeah, Yeah.
Speaker A:I got to ask.
Speaker A:I just saw the fuzzy tail go by there.
Speaker B:Yes, that's my dog.
Speaker A:We're a very pet friendly show here.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:I'm not sure you'll meet him today, but I have Marvin, the studio cat.
Speaker A:He makes an appearance once in a while.
Speaker A:So you, you get, you get off tour.
Speaker A:What did your husband think about this?
Speaker A:I mean, you're not, you haven't been married for 350 years like I have.
Speaker A:So, you know, there's, There had to be some discussions about that too, where you come home and you say, I don't, I don't think I want to do this anymore, or I can't do it anymore.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker B:Congrats on your 350 years.
Speaker B:Oh, your marriage, by the way.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:I had a lot of discussions and I think my husband's name is Taylor.
Speaker B:He's a very good amateur player in his own right, so he understands golf, which was helpful, but I think he saw the wear and tear emotionally and physically over the years of golf.
Speaker B:And I'm sure he got the majority of the complaining or the sadness or the tears when I missed the cut or the, you know, he's the person that I went to and talked to about everything.
Speaker B:So he saw the good, the bad, the ugly.
Speaker B:And so I think he was actually really Supportive of me hanging it up.
Speaker B:He was probably more excited than I.
Speaker B:He.
Speaker B:He.
Speaker B:I wouldn't say he wanted me to retire, but he was definitely happy that I'll be home and happy that I can, you know, find new hobbies and kind of transition into a new part of life.
Speaker A:Did you guys maintain your residence here in the Northwest, or were you in Florida?
Speaker B:No.
Speaker B:Respectfully, you could not pay me to live in the state of Florida.
Speaker B:I hate humidity.
Speaker B:I could not do it.
Speaker B:I don't like it.
Speaker B:I'm not a humidity person.
Speaker B:But we live in Vancouver, Washington.
Speaker B:And then in the winters, we did have a place in Gilbert, Arizona, which we just sold.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:The golf course Superstition Mountain gave seven of us on the LPGA honorary memberships.
Speaker B:We were so lucky.
Speaker B:They were great to us.
Speaker B:And so I practiced and played out there.
Speaker B:And so we just sold our Arizona house, and we're in Vancouver full time now.
Speaker A:Well, you might.
Speaker A:After a few winters here, you might head back to Arizona for the winter.
Speaker A:You know, you could work remotely like you're doing, you know.
Speaker B:Right, exactly.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:There you go.
Speaker A:It's all good.
Speaker A:I lived in Scottsdale when I was just before and during.
Speaker A:When I was in college.
Speaker A:And for years I went back and would work there in February every year.
Speaker A:And it was like, ah, man, when I have to come back here and sometimes there was still snow on the ground or whatever.
Speaker A:I was like, yeah, just turn the plane around, you know, I know.
Speaker A:I want to go back.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:When we get two weeks straight of downpour, I am just itching to get back to the sunshine.
Speaker A:So I wanted to ask you, Caroline, about the.
Speaker A:The LPGA Tour has made some huge steps forward the last few years.
Speaker A:You know, more on television, more sponsorship money.
Speaker A:More.
Speaker A:More prize money, if you will like that.
Speaker A:On a scale of 1 to 10 from when you started on tour and then to when you left last year, scale of 1 to 10, how much of a.
Speaker A:A jump do you think they had made by the time you left?
Speaker A:And how much do you think they'll make going forward?
Speaker B:That's a great question.
Speaker B:And you're right.
Speaker B:The efforts on.
Speaker B:On behalf of the LPJ have been insane.
Speaker B:I mean, when I started, we didn't have health insurance, which we have now.
Speaker B:We didn't have any missed cut stipends, which a lot of the tournaments now, if you miss the cut, they're paying a stipend to cover your travel expense.
Speaker B:The purses have doubled or tripled in the majors.
Speaker B:It's just every aspect of each element of A tournament is elevated.
Speaker B:It feels like it's.
Speaker B:It's incredible to see.
Speaker B:It's been quite the journey for the lpa.
Speaker B:I mean, when I first was a rookie, Mike Wan was the commissioner and he was amazing.
Speaker B:And then we had Molly.
Speaker B:And now with Craig, I think that tour is heading in an incredible direction, barring the cancellation of the first tournament.
Speaker B:I thought that was kind of wild.
Speaker B:Yeah, that seemed like an interesting decision.
Speaker B:I'm not sure I understood that.
Speaker B:But besides that, I think Craig is doing an incredible job and he's no doubt a great person, great businessman, and they're in good hands.
Speaker B:A scale of 1 to 10, I would say probably about a 7 or an 8.
Speaker B:I mean, it is crazy the amount of growth that I've seen with the tour in the last nine, 10 years.
Speaker B:And it's really impressive.
Speaker B:And I can't wait to see where it'll be in the next 10 years.
Speaker A:Yeah, I think it's done really well.
Speaker A:And as far as also the exposure, the press coverage, the television coverage, the podcast coverage, whatever you want to do it, it's.
Speaker A:It's grown exponentially in, in that area.
Speaker A:So I think that's in a.
Speaker A:In a very good spot.
Speaker A:Hey, look, Caroline and I are going to take another break.
Speaker A:She's going to pet the dog, I'm going to pet the cat over here.
Speaker A:And then we'll be back in a couple of minutes more with grilling at the green.
Speaker A:Stay with us.
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Speaker A:Welcome back to grilling.
Speaker A:It's green I jt Today we've got Caroline English, newly minted Oregon Golf association executive.
Speaker A:How's that?
Speaker A:You like that title?
Speaker B:Yeah, I like that.
Speaker B:That sounds official.
Speaker A:It is official.
Speaker A:It's Very good.
Speaker A:We've got the Portland Golf show coming up here on May 6th, 7th and 8th.
Speaker A:We're going to be broadcasting live like we.
Speaker A:An hour each day from our booth.
Speaker A:Maybe we'll drag Caroline over there and abuse her.
Speaker B:I'll be there.
Speaker B:I'll be there on Saturday.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:I usually we.
Speaker A:Our booths are kind of back to back.
Speaker A:Sometimes just reach through the curtains and grab you.
Speaker B:Like grab me.
Speaker B:Pull me on over.
Speaker A:Pull you on over.
Speaker A:Do that.
Speaker A:But we will be doing that and it'll be on all our social media platforms and also Golf Newsnet Live so you can enjoy the shows there.
Speaker A:And it's fun.
Speaker A:I always like the Portland Golf Show.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker A:It's not like the PGA show where you get lost.
Speaker A:You can't get lost there.
Speaker A:There's not too many people in comparison, but it's, it's a fun thing.
Speaker A:Did you ever think when you were little that this was the career path and the path of your life to this point?
Speaker A:Is that something you thought out of as a, say, just a high school?
Speaker B:No, I did not think that this would be my trajectory.
Speaker B:But I started golf late, so I got into the game pretty late and I got better really quick.
Speaker B:And I don't think I really realized or wanted to play on tour until I was.
Speaker B:Until I won Pac12 my junior year in college.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:And that's when I started thinking about it seriously.
Speaker B:And then kind of just happened fast, you know, like I got my card my first time at cue school and then I played the next almost nine years on tour.
Speaker B:So little 13 year old Caroline would be just enthralled and thrilled that I lived the dream of LPGA Tour golf in terms of now in transitioning to more of a career in business.
Speaker B:I, I never, you know, once I kind of committed to golf, I never let myself think about what I would do after that.
Speaker B:I'm like, oh, I have a business degree.
Speaker B:I'll do something in business.
Speaker B:And then when I started thinking about retiring, I had to really think, okay, what would I want to do?
Speaker B:And I definitely wanted to give back.
Speaker B:I wanted to help other people.
Speaker B:I wanted to do something in the sports world.
Speaker B:And this job presented itself and was a great fit.
Speaker B:So to answer your question, no.
Speaker B:But I'm happy with it.
Speaker B:I think it's a great first job after playing professionally and I'm enjoying it a lot so far.
Speaker A:They may have not have told you at oga, but a lot of people that it's like Hotel California.
Speaker A:You can't ever Leave.
Speaker B:Is that what Brent Whitaker says?
Speaker B:He's been here forever, right?
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:Barb Trammell was there for, oh, yes, 18 or 20 years or something.
Speaker A:Barb was there for a long time.
Speaker B:She was, she was, yeah, yeah, she.
Speaker A:Did a great job.
Speaker A:But she did.
Speaker A:I think that's the part of the job description that's in very, very, very small print like that.
Speaker A:Is your husband in the golf industry at all?
Speaker B:He.
Speaker B:For work?
Speaker B:No, he trades lumber.
Speaker B:He's a lumber broker.
Speaker A:Oh, good.
Speaker B:So, yeah, not.
Speaker B:Not at all in the golf, but he, he's golfing right now.
Speaker B:Today.
Speaker B:He's a Portland golf club playing with his friends.
Speaker B:He's a professional amateur is what I say.
Speaker B:He's got.
Speaker B:Yeah, work hard, play hard.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:I like that.
Speaker A:Well, those, those lumber brokers too, they're kind of like stock market guys.
Speaker A:They get up a little earlier and they, they do a lot of trades and a lot of times by noon they're out of the office.
Speaker B:Yeah, sounds familiar.
Speaker A:Yeah, I had a, I had a couple of clients that were back in the day that were lumber brokers, and all of a sudden at one o' clock in the afternoon, they'd show up with a beer in their hand going, hey, what's going on that you work?
Speaker B:Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I worked this morning.
Speaker A:Where were you?
Speaker A:You were still in bed when I went to work this morning.
Speaker A:Okay, whatever.
Speaker A:You know, we, we talk a lot, Caroline, about always growing the game.
Speaker A:Everybody, we want to grow the game and we want to do this.
Speaker A:Sometimes I think, and I'm not talking about what we do here locally, sometimes I think in previous years they've only kind of paid some lip service to it, but now I see with some programs and like what the OGA is doing, what they do at, like this, the.
Speaker A:Well, now it's the standard Portland classic with the, with the kids there on the weekends and that kind of thing.
Speaker A:I think they're actually doing that.
Speaker A:And of course, first tea is huge like that.
Speaker A:What do you see as far as going forward that we can do to help grow the game, especially with kids?
Speaker A:But on the flip side of that, people that are maybe retiring, maybe their job after Covid, they never went back to the office full time.
Speaker A:They worked, you know, partly remote schedule and they could play golf.
Speaker A:You know, that's a big ask and that's a big.
Speaker A:Two very different ends of the spectrum between kids and people in their 40s or 50s and onward.
Speaker A:How do we, how do we combine all that and make it work?
Speaker B:That's a good question.
Speaker B:I think in terms of junior golf, I mean, there's a ton of opportunities to grow the game and give back.
Speaker B:I know here at OGA we really focus on making golf affordable.
Speaker B:One and two, accessible.
Speaker B:I think youth on course is a great program.
Speaker B:If you haven't heard of that.
Speaker B:It's essentially Oregon subsidizes round.
Speaker B:Oregon Golf association, excuse me, subsidizes rounds for kids to play at these participating golf courses.
Speaker B:There's over 70 courses in Oregon that participate and the kids can play for under $5.
Speaker B:And so a lot of donations and volunteering go.
Speaker B:You know, if you want to give back in that way, you can give money.
Speaker B:We'll take that and we'll apply it to a subsidy.
Speaker B:And that's a great way to encourage kids to actually go out, get off the screens, get off the computer and go out and play golf with their friends.
Speaker B:And it's very affordable.
Speaker B:And then I think people can volunteer.
Speaker B:Like you said, the getting the kids out of the standard Portland Classic, they're volunteering.
Speaker B:There's also volunteer opportunities for 40, 50, 60 year olds.
Speaker B:Like you said, there are at our elite junior championships, volunteer opportunities.
Speaker B:I think golf is such an incredible game because it teaches you and kids, it teaches everyone life skills that you can actually use and you can play this game for your whole life.
Speaker B:So I think getting kids in the golf at a young age, there's a big benefit to that.
Speaker B:I think it teaches them how to actually have a conversation and to get them off their phone, off TikTok.
Speaker B:That's my biggest thing.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So I think there's a ton of ways to give back.
Speaker B:Youth on Course comes to mind.
Speaker B:You know, we've got plenty of ways to do that in our community.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Well, David's been on this show a couple times.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And have spoken to him lots on the show and then off the show and stuff and, and about youth on course.
Speaker A:And in fact, last year when they had the event at Waverly, you were there.
Speaker A:I saw you.
Speaker B:I was there.
Speaker A:Yes, you were there because Monica was making an exit and you were making an entrance, so to speak.
Speaker A:Yes, but that's, that's always a nice event to kind of help perpetuate the youth on course thing.
Speaker A:And I, I think I said, I just.
Speaker A:You just.
Speaker A:Because I'm over 50 by a shade.
Speaker A:I hate to see the, the over 50 crowd, if you will, kind of, I don't want to say excluded, but overlooked a little bit because there's a lot of them that at that point in life.
Speaker A:Maybe they're.
Speaker A:They've tapered back or they've retired.
Speaker A:They've got the means to go play golf and do that.
Speaker A:Maybe, maybe we should go geezers on course or something.
Speaker B:I like it.
Speaker B:I'm.
Speaker B:I'm down for it.
Speaker B:Geezers on course.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Geezers on course, man.
Speaker A:You know, there's a lot of them.
Speaker A:I know.
Speaker A:When Covid hit, you couldn't find the tee time around here.
Speaker B:Oh, I know it's crazy and I think it's still a pretty upward trajectory in terms of, yeah, tee times and people getting out there and playing golf.
Speaker B:But there are, you know, there's a lot of men's club, women's club events, things to get involved in, I think for middle aged people and really leaning into the social aspect.
Speaker B:Not as much as competitive, which is, which is great, I think.
Speaker A:Okay, I want to jump, jump around a little bit here.
Speaker A:Caroline, when you were playing on tour, was there a group that you played with in the tournament that just made you go, oh, geez.
Speaker A:Kind of sent the fear of God through you the first time yet?
Speaker A:Maybe it was, you know, I don't know, somebody Lorena Choa or Nelly or somebody like that that you, you got paired with at some point and you went.
Speaker A:And then you figured out they're just humans too, you know.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:Or mere mortals, but right.
Speaker B:No, that happened a couple of times I think though.
Speaker B:I have a couple that stand out though.
Speaker B:My first was my rookie year.
Speaker B:I was paired with, I think it was so Hyun Yoo and Morgan Pressel.
Speaker B:And so Hyun was having a really good year and Morgan Pressell, you know, she's a big name and I was just a rookie and we were in, we were teeing off two or three shots back at the lead on a Saturday.
Speaker B:So we were, you know, we were all in contention and I was very nervous just not being in that position.
Speaker B:I think it's natural.
Speaker B:But I was, yeah, a little shaky on the first tee.
Speaker B:Not feeling too comfortable, but they were so great.
Speaker B:They were so welcoming.
Speaker B:They were nice.
Speaker B:You know, three holes go by and we're all chatting and I'm like, oh, I can be friends with these girls.
Speaker B:They're great.
Speaker B:I think also the first time I played with Nelly, it was more of, I can't wait to watch this and see why she's so good.
Speaker B:And then I found myself every other shot just staring at her.
Speaker B:Her ball flight, I mean, it's so high.
Speaker B:It's so much control.
Speaker B:It's just so impressive.
Speaker B:But yeah, all the time, I mean, the first time I played with Charlie hall, it was hysterical.
Speaker B:She's vaping in my face.
Speaker B:Not on purpose, but no, no.
Speaker B:You know, like, oh, I smell strawberry.
Speaker B:Oh, it's just Charlie vaping on the tea box.
Speaker B:And she's so sweet and funny.
Speaker B:Her commentary, her golf commentary is hysterical.
Speaker B:So it was always out of admiration and interest, but no doubt as a rookie, I was not, not very comfortable a few times.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:Hey, Caroline and I are going to take another break here on grilling at the Green.
Speaker A:We'll be back in about two minutes and wrap this up.
Speaker A:And she is going to suffer the abuse of after hours today, so stay with us.
Speaker A:Hey, everybody, J.T.
Speaker A:here.
Speaker A:If you need something to practice with in the inclement weather, try birdie ball.
Speaker A:Go to birdieball.com check out the actual birdie balls, their packages, their putting greens, which I happen to have a couple of those and work great.
Speaker A:Birdieball.com.
Speaker A:Welcome back to grilling at 39Jt.
Speaker A:Today we've been very fortunate to spend the hour with Caroline Inglis, former LPGA Tour player, now works for the Oregon Golf Association.
Speaker A:Caroline was kind of a prodigy going through high school and stuff, and quite a name here around the, the Pacific Northwest.
Speaker A:She played for U of O.
Speaker A:Sorry, I'm a Beaver guy.
Speaker A:So, you know, but I'll forgive you.
Speaker B:I won't hold that against you.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:What's on the card?
Speaker A:It.
Speaker A:I see you've got a flag from the Portland Classic.
Speaker B:That is my flag I got for making the hole in one at the Portland Classic.
Speaker B:The, the lovely pro shop staff at Columbia Edgewater made that for me.
Speaker B:It's the scorecard, the flag and the ball.
Speaker B:And then that is from my golf coach at Oregon Rhea, Scott.
Speaker B:She made that for me when I graduated.
Speaker B:It's just like a little flag, a memento and a few pictures.
Speaker A:Excellent.
Speaker A:Excellent.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:You played out of Columbia Edgewater, didn't you?
Speaker B:Yes, I have.
Speaker B: member or members there since: Speaker B:Played there on Sunday in the pouring rain, the super bowl scramble.
Speaker B:Great course.
Speaker B:I love it.
Speaker A:If you are, if you're up there and see my buddy Jim Myers, tell him hello for me.
Speaker B:I will.
Speaker B:Love Jim.
Speaker A:He's great, is a great guy.
Speaker A:Great guy.
Speaker A:So where do you see Caroline Inglis?
Speaker A:Forget about the Hotel California, you know, analogy in the last segment here, but where do you.
Speaker A:Where would you like to see yourself in 20 years?
Speaker B:Wow, that's a, that's a tough question.
Speaker B:I, I don't know.
Speaker B:I think I still would like to be in a position where I'm giving back in some, some way.
Speaker B:Hopefully still in sports.
Speaker B:I don't know if it's in golf or not.
Speaker B:I'd love to have a family at some point.
Speaker B:And yeah, I think that's all about all.
Speaker B:All I've got for that answer.
Speaker B:I'm not quite sure.
Speaker B:I'm still figuring out what life looks like after professional golf, so.
Speaker B:Trying to find some new hobbies and just kind of get a grasp on life post professional golf.
Speaker A:There you go.
Speaker A:Anything interests you as far as hobbies?
Speaker B:Yes, a lot.
Speaker B:I really want to get into pickleball, but I'm afraid I'm gonna break an ankle.
Speaker B:Yeah, a lot of I dabble with thinking.
Speaker B:I'm like, maybe I want to learn an instrument, maybe I want to, I don't know, play a different sport or all.
Speaker B:I've got a lot of ideas and I just need to pick one or two.
Speaker A:Well, you're pretty new at this retirement gig.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:You know, you, you, you give yourself some time there, right?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Just don't go do the Lindsay Vaughn thing, the downhill slalom.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker B:Yeah, I, I do not intend to do that.
Speaker A:Okay, well, I'm just, you know, big brotherly advice there.
Speaker B:Yes, thank you.
Speaker B:We don't need to be wiping out.
Speaker A:No, I, I was talking to my neighbor before we came on to do the show and I said, because he's going skiing tomorrow.
Speaker A:I said, yeah, I used to ski when I was in high school.
Speaker A:And I said, and then when I was in college, I still skied a bit.
Speaker A:And then I, I came home from Los Angeles where I was going to school, had a brand new pair of head skis and some new, real shiny yellow Italian boots and kind of tips.
Speaker A:Snap my, Snapped the tip of my ski.
Speaker A:And that was the last time I ever skied.
Speaker B:Oh, God.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I kind of had to snowplow down the hill and.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah.
Speaker A:And I just, it's like I lost my enthusiasm.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:That's fair.
Speaker B:That's fair.
Speaker A:What, what advice for, for young girls especially who have aspirations to go on the tour.
Speaker A:You had years there.
Speaker A:What would Caroline say?
Speaker A:This is what you should do.
Speaker A:This is where you could go.
Speaker A:This is how you do it.
Speaker A:Any piece of advice for, let's say, 15 year old potential superstar?
Speaker B:It's a good question.
Speaker B:I would say get a team around you that you trust and that you believe can take you to the next level.
Speaker B:Whether that's swing coach trainer, physical therapist, sports psych, all of the above.
Speaker B:Get people you trust and stick with them.
Speaker B:And don't listen to outside opinions.
Speaker B:Just put your blinders on and work hard.
Speaker B:Do your thing.
Speaker B:I think above all else, it's really important to keep golf fun.
Speaker B:When you start getting too serious, it can take a mental toll, negatively, I think.
Speaker B:So keeping it light and fun and remembering that it's a game.
Speaker B:But, yeah, you work hard and you.
Speaker B:And you work on the right things and you're gonna go somewhere.
Speaker A:Yeah, I think that's.
Speaker A:That's good advice.
Speaker A:That's good advice for life, too.
Speaker A:Caroline Inglis, who is.
Speaker A:Now, let's see.
Speaker A:I was trying to get your title right here, and I don't know where I. Oh.
Speaker B:Director of donor engagement and development.
Speaker A:There you go.
Speaker A:Big.
Speaker A:It's too big for one line on a name plaque.
Speaker B:It's very, very long.
Speaker B:You can thank Rick Rangel for that.
Speaker A:I will.
Speaker A:Next time I steal.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Tell him.
Speaker A:Anyway, Carolyn, thank you.
Speaker A:Stick around for after hours.
Speaker A:We'll be back next week with some more grilling at the Grain.
Speaker A:Until next time.
Speaker A:Like I say every week, go out, have some fun, play some golf.
Speaker A:But most of all, be kind.
Speaker A:Take care, everybody.
Speaker A:Grilling at the Green is produced by JTSD Productions, llc in association with Salem Media Group.
Speaker A:All rights reserve.
