The golf industry is a field that is stereotypically dominated by men, yet Jill McCoy has cemented herself as a prominent figure in Northwest Indiana’s golf scene.
McCoy grew up just outside of West Lafayette in a farming community and began playing golf at a young age with her father. She fell in love with the sport and it quickly became a passion. While earning a business degree at Purdue University, McCoy played on the school’s women's golf team.
“Golf became a bigger and bigger part of my life throughout my teenage years, and as it did, I realized that I didn’t want to stop playing,” McCoy said. “To me, it was the natural progression for my life to continue playing golf at the collegiate level.”
After graduation, McCoy began the process of becoming a Professional Golf Association of America (PGA) golfer. During the two and a half years she spent completing the requirements, McCoy married her husband, started her family and moved to the Region. She began her official career in the industry at Sand Creek Country Club in 2006 as Assistant Golf Pro.
Throughout the past two decades, McCoy has worked, managed, and taught at a variety of the area’s golf courses including Brassie Golf Club and Briar Ridge Country Club. Throughout these roles, McCoy realized that what she loved most about golf was teaching it to other people.
“When I left Sand Creek a few years back, it was because I wanted to teach. I love helping people of all ages and skill levels learn about the game. That’s what I want to do,” McCoy said. “The director of instruction position opened at Sand Creek, so I took that opportunity and returned to work there.”
McCoy currently is the Assistant General Manager and Director of Instruction at Sand Creek. Those aren’t her only titles, however. In 2018, McCoy became the Valparaiso University Women’s Golf Coach.
“I coach the girl’s team from August through April, and then I go right back into teaching at Sand Creek. I don’t really get any downtime because I go from one right into the next, but it’s all coaching that I love to do,” McCoy said.
McCoy has instilled her love for golf in both of her children. She has a daughter on the Chesterton High School team and a daughter on the Valparaiso University team, the same one that McCoy coaches.
Embracing the role of being her daughter’s coach and stepping away from being her mom when on the course was a learning curve, but McCoy said their strong relationship made it an easy transition.
“We have a bond that is very special and unique,” McCoy said. “The hardest part is trying to remember that she is just another player when we’re in golf mode. She doesn’t deserve better treatment than others, but she also doesn’t deserve worse treatment.”
Becoming increasingly involved in the community is what has drawn McCoy to continue planting roots here. The benefits of a tight-knit community and the fun activities across the Region allow for McCoy to enjoy a well-balanced life.
Although McCoy enjoys a career that is a hobby for other people, outside of work she is attending a work out class or reading a book during the evening.
“Being a strong role model for young women and teaching them to be strong is important to me,” McCoy said. “I always keep that in mind because this isn’t just for me; anything that I am looking to improve on or accomplish is for them. I want other young women to speak up and be a part of whatever world they’re living in.”