Courtney Trimble
Golf, business go hand in hand
As any passionate player will tell you, golf can be a microcosm of life. The challenges we encounter on the course so often mirror the hurdles presented away from the game, requiring the same mental and interpersonal skills to navigate successfully.
There are few in the industry who have capitalized on this maxim more effectively than Courtney Trimble. Utilizing her years of expertise as an elite player and coach, she has built a career on drawing parallels between the world of women’s golf and the realm of business.
Trimble is the visionary behind Fore Hire, a specialized talent placement firm focused on bridging the gap between female collegiate players and a career in golf. By emphasizing the intangibles, she has helped dozens of clients stay within the industry and make a difference in the sport they love.
Trimble’s path toward her entrepreneurial future began in the world of college golf. Growing up just outside of Atlanta, she earned a scholarship to play for Auburn University off the back of an elite junior career. She enjoyed immense success as a Tiger, with a senior season that included a runner-up finish in the NCAA Championship, a start in the U.S. Women’s Open and a spot on the victorious 2002 U.S. Curtis Cup team.
Trimble turned professional straight out of school, earning status on what is now the Epson Tour. She lived her dream for three full years, but eventually felt the tug of collegiate golf calling once more. Trimble stepped away from the professional world and returned to Auburn as an assistant coach beginning in 2005.
“I always say I wish I had coached first and then tried to play professional golf,” Trimble reflected. “When you're not the one playing, you have amazing perspective.”
After her second round of success with Auburn, Trimble slid into the role of women’s head coach for the University of Central Florida. She guided the Knights to their very first NCAA Regional appearance, and was soon recruited to head up the women’s team at the University of Louisville.
“I didn't even know where Louisville was on a map,” Trimble chuckled.
Despite her newcomer status, she quickly found her footing in the college-crazed town. Trimble and the Cardinals made the NCAA Regional Tournament six out of the seven years she was at the helm, a testament to her skills as a leader and motivator.
“There's a competitive aspect to both coaching and being in business. I definitely took that competitive mindset to being an entrepreneur.”
courtney trimble
Eventually, it came time for the Georgian to step away from the collegiate arena and search for other opportunities within the sport. However, she wouldn’t have to look far. Trimble had long noticed an issue endemic to women’s golf — the vast majority of female players had no path forward in the game after graduation.
“I saw all of these amazing athletes come through not only my program, but through other programs,” Trimble reflected. “I thought, ‘Well, where are they going? Why aren't they staying in the golf business?’”
This was the seed that eventually germinated into Fore Hire.
Drawing on the skills she had honed as a coach and supported by her many connections across the golf world, Trimble quickly got Fore Hire off the ground and began making a difference.
“There's a competitive aspect to both coaching and being in business,” Trimble said. “I definitely took that competitive mindset to being an entrepreneur.”
Trimble’s mission is straightforward. She is working to construct a pathway for outstanding women from collegiate and professional golf to seamlessly transition into an industry-related career. To do this, she highlights the vital skills that these successful golfers often possess — tenacity, self-motivation, respect, patience, etc. — and teaches them how to translate these attributes into the world of business.
Trimble is also working to fill the void in education and exposure that exists on the women’s side of the game. To her, one of the key reasons many golfers fail to make the transition is simply a lack of knowledge.
“We try to educate candidates about all the different opportunities out there, and then put those in front of them,” Trimble said.
This approach has already paid dividends for dozens of Trimble’s clients. She has helped to place women in roles that run the gamut of the golf industry, from club professional to sales expert.
Ultimately, all these success stories stem from the expertise developed on the course.
“Golf is a differentiator,” said Trimble. “The sport is truly an asset in your career if you use it.”
Daniel Polce
