By Mike May
Golf has given Makenna O’Bryan amazing opportunities and, she can thank one of her grandparents for that.
“I’ve been playing golf since 7th grade. My grandpa introduced me to golf and, at first, I just did it to make him happy and give us something to do together, but it turned into something that I really enjoy.”
In May, Makenna graduated from Northeast Dubois High School, but she played four years of high school golf at Linton Stockton High and had a memorable high school golf experience.
“I played all four years with amazing teammates and competitors.”
She will continue her golf career at Kentucky Wesleyan College and is excited about making major life decisions, while at college
“I’m not sure of my major, but I know I’m thinking about STEM. I love the science and math side of things. I’m hoping my first year at KWC will help me figure things out for sure.”
In recent years, when she’s not in school, doing homework or playing high school golf, she works at The Donald Ross Course at the French Lick Resort in the golf cart staging area. She sees the golfers at the beginning and end of their rounds and enjoys meeting so many different people there.
“I’ve worked at The Donald Ross Course the past two summers. I love it so much and plan to go back and work there next summer, as well!”
One of the benefits of working at The Ross Course is that O’Bryan gets to play lots of golf at no charge, as long as she replaces her divots and repairs ball marks on the greens.
“One of the perks of working at the Ross is that I get to play it a decent amount. I’m very lucky. Some days, I’ll get a tee time and show up like any other golfer. Other days, when I clock out, I’ll grab a cart and go play after work. Our bosses are very good about making sure that we get to go out and play as much as we want to play.”
When it comes to her golf gear, she is very aware of high-performance brands. She plays Taylor Made clubs, wears Foot Joy shoes, and uses golf balls produced by Titleist, Precept, and Bridgestone.
As O’Bryan analyzes her own game, she’s most confidant on the putting surface.
“I’m pretty good at reading the greens and lining up my putts accurately.”
The biggest perk of being employed at The Ross Course is the networking opportunities with other golfers.
“By working at The Donald Ross Course, I’ve met some amazing golfers. Rachel Rohanna (now on the LPGA Tour) played in the Symetra (now Epson) Tour event last year (2021). She finished third and I got to watch her play at our course for a couple of days. She is an amazing golfer!”
If Makenna O’Bryan continues to improve and remains passionate about the sport, maybe one day in the future, she will be competing on the EPSON Tour in the French Lick Charity Championship, now held on the Pete Dye Course at French Lick and other young female golfers can follow her lead.
