Editor's note: This is the first in a series of stories focused on Bayer's Women in Golf event held recently at the company's facilities in Clayton and Cary, North Carolina.
When the folks at Bayer Environmental Science tossed around the idea of a multi-day, networking and career-development summit specifically for women, they weren't sure if there was enough interest to even get such a program off the ground. Two years and two events later, the concept appears to have limitless potential.
With women comprising just 1-2% of all superintendents, it appeared, on the surface anyway, that those concerns were well founded. As it turned out, those concerns were completely unwarranted.
Recently, Bayer wrapped up its second such event, this one held at its facilities in Clayton and Cary, North Carolina. The event, which attracted 50 women from across all facets of the North American golf industry, came a year after the inaugural summit held in 2018 in Toronto.
"That was what we were worried about, that there wasn't enough interest and there weren't enough women, frankly," Pat Morrow, senior marketing manager for Bayer ES, said as this year's conference was concluding.
"We were nervous."
That a meeting like this is necessary - in 2019 - says a lot about how far the golf business, namely the turf side of the industry, has come and how far it still has to go. The good news is that women in turf finally have coalesced to form a united front. The bad news is that they have to, and kudos to Bayer for recognizing that.
The two-and-a-half-day networking and career-development event that attracted 50 superintendents, assistants, university professors and industry professionals included advice from industry pros on how to get ahead in this male-dominated industry that requires much more brains than brawn, tips on mindfulness and maintaining mental health and perhaps most importantly a chance for each of the attendees to realize they are not alone in their struggle to build a career in a field in which the odds often are stacked against them.
"Things happened in this room because you got (things) done," Kelly Lynch, regional manager for Pure Seed said to her fellow attendees. "You are my superheroes. I cannot wait to see what happens next."
Many of the topics were similar to those faced by men, such as how to promote environmental stewardship efforts of golf course superintendents and the role of the greenkeeper in growing the game.
Others stories were more unique to women, including how to promote greenkeeping as a career option for women and war stories from the field that would curl your hair, such as boorish behavior by golfers and others that would turn your stomach, like claims of inappropriate emails from male counterparts.
The opportunity to meet other women facing their own unique challenges and working to overcome them moved Sally Jones to the point of sharing her own story of personal tragedy and triumph.
I drank a lot. I found myself drinking enough to self-medicate. It wasn't casual; it was too much. . . . My husband and I decided it would be easier if we just stayed at work. It hurts we got to that point.
Jones began working at Benson Golf Club in rural west-central Minnesota as a range picker at age 15. She has been superintendent since 2003 and for the past three years has held the dual role of head greenkeeper and general manager.
Shortly after taking on that dual role, and unable to find harmony between her life at the golf course and at home, she turned first to the bottle and later to painkillers to find help. She was unsuccessful.
"Spring is the busiest time in Minnesota for superintendents. I was also coaching the girls high school golf team, then my parents got sick," she said. "It was a lot coming at once.
"I drank a lot. I found myself drinking enough to self-medicate. It wasn't casual; it was too much.
"My husband and I decided it would be easier if we just stayed at work. It hurts we got to that point."
Her life began to unravel, resulting in two failed suicide attempts.
With the help of a patient board of directors and husband, she completed treatment and a successful comeback to the golf course. Jones, and so many other women in the room, left North Carolina with the comfort of knowing she now has dozens of other newfound friends, mentors and colleagues willing to offer advice or more importantly just listen.
"The timing of this was perfect," she said. "I feel so empowered, not only by everyone who organized this, but by all of you."
Where the event goes from this point forward has not been determined, but make no mistake it is not likely to go away any time soon.
Plans might include a regional event next year, followed by another international summit in 2021.
"There is a possibility it could go global," Morrow said. "We just don't know yet."