How One Young Man Parlayed USGA’s Internship Program During Last Year’s U.S. Open Into a Job in Golf

If you walk through the giant, open-to-the-beach-breeze doors of MNML Golf in Redondo Beach, you’re likely to be greeted by a personable young man named Rob Davalos. If you’re there to hone your swing, he’ll steer you to one of MNML’s simulators. If you’re there for a private lesson, he’ll turn you over to MNML’s CEO and teaching pro, Sam Goulden. Or maybe you’re there to check out one of MNML’s uber cool golf bags made with recycled materials and bursting with techy features. Rob will walk you through the highlights.

Rob has a very cool job for a very cool company because the U.S. Open came to town last year. Fortunately for Rob, the Open is more than a golf tournament. When the USGA rolls that juggernaut into town, it brings with it a commitment to give back to the host community and to do its part to assure a future for the game of golf.

One way that plays out is the USGA’s Pathways Internship Program, designed “to foster a welcoming and inclusive golf industry” by providing 20 select interns exposure to opportunities in golf as well as networking, mentorship and sessions devoted to professional development skills.

Rob Davalos, who’s from Downey, was one of the 20 selected from all around the country for the 10-day program, which took place against the backdrop of the U.S. Open. Working as a substitute teacher at the time, Rob spotted the Pathways posting on a job site. “I applied, had an interview and everything went great. It worked out really well for me.”

Recalling last year’s program, Rob says he was wowed right off the bat. “We actually got to go to LACC. It’s quite the mystical place. Just being able to walk through the clubhouse was special.”

The Pathways interns proceeded to join sessions with the likes of Deloitte and Cisco — “these massive brands teaching us about what they do for the USGA and showing us pathways into golf besides just working at a golf tournament.” But Rob was particularly excited to meet former NFL great Larry Fitzgerald. “We were walking into a panel and I was like, Oh my gosh, that’s Larry Fitzgerald! After I introduced myself, he asked about my story and I told him about my experience as a teacher. He said it was awesome to hear that, and don’t give up on the kids.”

Rob says that all of the sessions were intimate and informative. “I mean, there were only 20 of us. Whether it was meeting Larry Fitzgerald or people on the USGA board, CEO Mike Whan — I would have never been in those rooms and heard the impactful things they shared with us if it wasn’t for that program.”

LASTING IMPACT

One session during the week — devoted to sustainability — happened to be at MNML Golf, and it was there that Rob connected with Goulden. “I loved the laid-back vibe of the place, but what really impressed me was learning about the company, its use of recycled materials and getting to know Sam. That was really special.”

Sam says he wasn’t looking to hire anyone at the time. “But after talking to Rob, I thought, ‘I want this guy on our team.’”

He brought Rob on in a part-time role last September. “We’re like a startup. Very grass-roots and organic. So it took Rob seeing that and understanding that his role was like the sky is the limit, but it’s starting at the ground floor.”

Today, just a year after Pathways, Rob has stepped up from the ground floor to become the general manager of MNML Golf. “Sam considers me the owner of the club, so I try to embody that and treat this place like it’s my own.”

MNML intersects with the future of golf in other ways as well. Through its Trade It Forward program, anyone who exchanges a used golf bag gets an upgrade on their new bag — a free Bluetooth speaker and solar charger — while the old bag gets donated to a junior golfer through a partnership with the SCGA Junior Golf Foundation. It’s a win-win-win, wherein a golfer gets a great bag made from recycled materials, their old bag stays out of the landfill and a junior golfer gets a very usable tote for their clubs.
MNML has donated more than 1,100 such bags to date.

MNML is also deeply involved with SCGA’s Foundation Cup, this year sponsoring a party for all junior participants and their families. The company is also donating a custom-illustrated MNML golf bag to the tournament’s top junior fundraiser. Last year’s Foundation Cup raised more than $50,000 to benefit the Junior Golf Foundation, which helps make golf accessible and inclusive for Southern California youth.