November 5, 2021 (FORE! Fridays | Real Golf)
Armed with little more than fond memories of putt putt as a schoolgirl tagging along with her Dad, Jennifer Settles’ first attempt at what she calls real golf was a team event with her co-workers at the Texas Golf Association (TGA).
“I lost my ball and someone else’s club into the lake,” recalls Settles. “It was my biggest swing yet.”
Settles played the mighty stroke with a highly-coveted, autographed hybrid she borrowed from a teammate. She lost her grip but held her finish long enough to watch helplessly as her ball and the club found the lake. Settles offered to swim in after it, but her co-workers preferred to let sinking clubs lie and instead hold it over her for the rest of her golf life. “They’ll never let me live that one down,” sighs Settles, who went on to make a “killer putt that no one talks about” to (eventually) end the hole.
Settles is in her seventh year with the TGA where she currently serves as the Marketing Manager and the head of the Diverse Lifestyle Committee, roles that ensure no day is ever the same day twice as she gleefully multitasks her way through multiple projects.
“I love coming up with new ideas on how to grow the game,” says Settles. “Working for the TGA has given me a true sense of what golf is all about. I’m learning from people behind the scenes and through our members’ eyes. I’m determined to continue to learn this game and make an impact on society through the common interest of golf.”
Since that first fateful foray into full-size golf at Sherrill Park in Richardson, Texas (now Settles’ favorite golf course), Settles has played a few more rounds and most recently attended the KPMG Women’s PGA Clinic at Gleneagles Country Club in Plano where she benefitted by helpful tips from PGA/LPGA Certified Coach Shelley O’Keefe. While she still loves to swing a good hybrid (and hasn’t let go of one since), her favorite club is her driver. “Hitting drives is what drew me to golf in the first place,” says Settles, whose passion for marketing and non-profits are a perfect fit for developing partnerships, securing events and building programs at the TGA.
Though she’s admittedly still a bit “green” when it comes to playing golf, Settles plays to win. “I can’t help it, I’m very competitive,” says Settles. “So, it’s an interesting mix of constant on-the-spot learning, and still attempting to play to win…or at least not come in last place.”
Settles’ Take-Aways on Leadership & Networking:
Leadership for me means to nurture those around you, be accessible, welcoming, encouraging and forgiving, while striving together to work towards a common goal. Stacy Dennis, Executive Director of the TGA, demonstrates these qualities and has been very supportive of my initiatives, especially with our Diverse Lifestyle group. She is also very humble. My number one goal when networking is to meet and connect with people looking to grow the game of golf by extending the reach of golf to underrepresented and underprivileged groups. If that’s you, I’d love to connect!
You can reach Jennifer Settles at jsettles@txga.org and learn more about TGA here. Fresh off a successful launch of her TGA Par-Tee pilot back in August of this year, Settles will take the Par-Tee on the road across Texas! Settles seeks to fill the event with golfers of all walks of life (but especially new and novice golfers). All proceeds from this event support the TGA Diverse Lifestyle budget to help bring the game to underrepresented and underserved groups.
