b'GOLF WASHINGTONhow potential benefits dont just extend to golf rookies; fellow founding Board Member Andrea Vanderlende, for example, entered the AEC industry slightly later than some of her colleagues, but her status as a former golf pro and assistant college coach drew AEC professionals to want to network with her on the links.Shes made countless connections because people want to golf with her, Milln said of Vanderlende.Such networking bodes well with the outdoor and fun nature inherent in golf.Youre out here for five hours, its hard to squeeze in a lunch sometimes The Pro Shop holds several fundraisers and networking events every year, like this one at Thebut we make time for golf, she Home Course in DuPont, Wash.explained. Its holistically healthy, both personally and in that social Pro Shop playbookenvironment, and it just allows you to get to know each other at a deeper level.Philanthropically, The Pro Shop starts with a Yes utilizes its annual tournament to raise funds for First Tee. Theres also by Logan Groeneveld-Meijer to develop interpersonal abilities throughthe annual The Pro Shop Putt Putt 18 weekly leadership work sessions,Tournament, in which the proceeds of T he simple, welcoming maximStarttwo coaching sessions, a Gallup Cliftonthis years edition supported local high with Yesis where all of ChristinaStrength Assessment and more.school girls golf programs.Millns initiatives begin. Theres also an annual golfChristinas own golf background Christina is president and a foundingtournament with music and dancing,traces back to her college days at Wichita board member of The Pro Shop, aall part of the signature Pro ShopState University, where she played nonprofit organization in Gig Harbortheme. Its field is designed to be a 50-50softball and first picked up a club at the dedicated to introducing women tocomposition of both men and women.behest of one of her professors. Since golf and showing how the game canThis years tournament was in July, at Thethen, her game has improved to the be an avenue to building connectionsHome Course in DuPont. tune of an 8.9 Handicap Index, and she and advancing leadership skills. TheWorking hard and building the planedabbles in WA Golf competition. Teeing it organization has been productiveas we fly it, Christina has seen and heardup in the 2025 Washington Womens Mid-throughout the architecture, engineeringhow The Pro Shop members successfullyAmateur, she finished ninth, donning The and construction (AEC) industry, whereuse golf as a communal outlet. Pro Shops green-and-white colors during Christina has worked for over a decade. The number of stories we get tothe final round.With over 200 members and 35hear, from women going Oh my gosh, IPeople do amazing work, but theyre corporate sponsors, The Pro Shop hashit the ball so well, it went rightbehind a computer and theyre not in also made much progressdown the middle, she saidfront of key people, she said. Those key and offered plenty toof new players enjoyingpeople tend to be on the golf course, so its members since itstheir progress. To, I gotour goal is we want them to be seen, and founding in 2022. Thisto spend time with mywe want to put them out there.fall, for instance, marksCEO who I never getIts all progress that can indeed the inception of thefacetime with. begin by saying the word yes. (Visit 19-Hole LeadershipChristina addedtheproshophq.org.)Program, which aims GOLF WASHINGTON|SEPT 202513'