Head Professional,South Hills Country Club,West Covina, California
Everyone’s golf journey is different, and Cortney Shrout’s changed direction from creating golf courses to helping people enjoy them. Shrout, the PGA of America Head Professional at South Hills Country Club in West Covina, California, planned to become at golf course architect after completing college at Lewis-Clark State College in Idaho. But not many new courses were being built when she graduated in 2010, so she shifted gears and set her sights on becoming a PGA of America Golf Professional.
Over the course of her early years in the business, Shrout worked her way up the ladder at facilities in Idaho, New Mexico and Louisiana, gaining experience – and mentors – along the way.
“Different people took me under their wing and let me learn from them. I picked up running tournaments and golf operations at one club, then I learned a lot about merchandising at my next stop,” Shrout remembers. “I was at Le Triomphe Golf & Country Club in Louisiana for six years, and PGA Golf Professional Jeff Anderson – who’s now the Director of Golf at Brookhaven Country Club in Dallas – was the best mentor I’ve ever had. He let me build a junior golf program and be a part of big projects like golf course construction and golf car fleet purchases, things that were higher-level than the things I’d done as an assistant.”
Shrout’s experience helped her get the PGA of America Head Professional job at South Hills, where PGA General Manager John Kulow is mentoring to set her sights even higher.
“John’s really helped me improve my golf operations skills, but he’s also encouraging me to expand outside of my job description,” Shrout says. “It’s not just about growing my skills at the facility, but how to grow my career as a golf professional.”
For example, Kulow was a strong proponent of Shrout becoming a member of the current cohort of PGA LEAD, as well as completing her work to become a PGA of America Master Professional.
“Being part of Cohort 9 in PGA LEAD has honestly been one of the coolest things I’ve ever done in golf,” Shrout says. “I’ve gotten to talk to a lot of PGA of America Members across the country and pick their brains about being leaders, handling different opportunities, getting through difficult situations and how to succeed in the boardroom – I’ve taken away so many great points.”
Being part of PGA LEAD has also helped Shrout and her Cohort 9 peers lean on each other as peer mentors.
“We’re experiencing this growth in our careers together, and that’s so cool,” she says. “Having that network to bounce things off expands the people you can call when you need a hand. Everyone has different situations at their facility, but we all want to give back to the Association and our home clubs.”
With the help of her PGA LEAD network and Kulow, Shrout has her sights set on one day becoming a Director of Golf. In the meantime, she’s also working to serve as a mentor to her golf staff at South Hills.
“I’m interested in making sure they’re well-rounded golf industry professionals, whatever their goals are,” Shrout says. “I’ve had great help along the way, and I want them to have the same. Whether it’s my first assistant, our PGA Associate or the 15 guys in the cart barn, communicating is so important. Having PGA of America Golf Professionals as my mentors helped me learn, and I’m glad to take the time to provide the same mentoring to anyone who wants it.”