Esther Etherington, a 2022 graduate of Richmond High, is living her dream this summer.
She’s one of only 24 college students nationwide to receive a three-month paid internship through the USGA’s Pathways Launch program.
Announced last September, the Pathways Launch program is a paid internship program for undergraduate and graduate students who demonstrate an aptitude for growth and leadership and have a desire to work in the golf industry. Etherington is interning this summer at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club in North Carolina. The Pathways Launch program kicked off at the U.S. Women’s Open held from Thursday, June 4, through Sunday, June 7, at the Riviera Country Club in California.
The inaugural Pathways Launch internship class is an industrywide initiative designed to expand the pipeline of golf’s next generation of leaders and professionals. Managed and supported by the U.S. Golf Association, the program offers 24 students three-month summer internships at 10 organizations across the golf industry, including professional associations and suppliers.
Etherington, the only intern from Indiana, is joining the Pathways Launch program after overcoming many challenges throughout her life, including being born at 26 weeks, being blind in her right eye and having one of her lungs removed at the age of five. Despite all of the obstacles she has faced, she remained positive and found a passion for golf. As a result of her mentorship and inspiration to her local community, she was chosen as a 2022 First Tee Scholar.
For Etherington, it has been a whirlwind experience.
She took time out from her busy schedule to bring the Western Wayne News up to date on how her summer is going. She was on her way to the welcoming event that includes a meal for participants of the North-South amateur at Pinehurst. She described her summer so far as “living the dream.”
“Every single day I have the opportunity to meet new people and learn more aspects of the golfing industry,” Etherington said. “It has been an incredible experience and I am just starting.”
She knows that she wants to build a career in the golfing industry and she is learning the nuts and bolts behind the scenes. The Pathways program is in its first year, and she said she feels blessed to be in the inaugural class.
Early in her journey, Etherington and the other 23 people in the Pathways Launch program traveled to the Riviera Country Club in California for the U.S. Women’s Open in early June.
“It was a wonderful opportunity to network with USGA executives and others in the golfing world,” Etherington said. “It was an opportunity for professional development and it laid the groundwork for the rest of the summer.”
Etherington has an opportunity only afforded a select few and she is appreciative of that fact. Over 1,200 people applied to take part in the Pathways Launch Program, but only 24 people were selected. The 1,200 applicants were narrowed to 55 to meet for an interview in New Jersey in January. During their final interview the finalists were asked to rank the top four facilitates they would like to be assigned to. Etherington listed Pinehurst for her first choice, and she was “humbled and excited” that her request was granted.
“This is very much full circle for me,” Etherington said. “Two summers ago I was in a two-week program with USA Pathways Discover and that was at Pinehurst. This program is for three months and will build on my experience of two years ago. I think I am one of only three participants in the current program who were in the Pathways Discover Program, and that would not have been possible were it not for my involvement with the First Tee’s scholarship program, so this all goes back to the opportunities I had in Richmond, Indiana.”
“I recognize how blessed I was to be a part of the First Tee program in my youth and then to be selected to lead the program last summer at Glen Miller Park.”
Etherington majored in elementary education and nonprofit leadership in college, but in the golf industry, she loves tournament operations, player relations and youth development programs.
“I loved my time at Franklin College but my first love is golf and I have dreams of building a career in the golf industry,” she said.
She works with golf professionals every day and better understands the role they play through her comprehensive work. The Pinehurst complex has 10 courses, some of which are open to the public, and she will better understand the total operation. The knowledge she will take from this experience could help her align with whatever opportunities she may pursue.
Golf carries a stereotype that it can be a rich person’s game, especially at high-end clubs, and is only interested in a certain demographic. Etherington says that is not true.
”There is never a better time to play golf and to be involved in the golf industry than now,” Etherington said. “The number of female golfers is increasing as well as the number of junior and young golfers and golfers of color. The USGA is focusing on extending a welcome to those three groups. The members of Pinehurst may not be from the same socio-economic backgrounds as many residents of Richmond, Indiana, but I have found out that they are simply people. They want to invest in the future of golf and they want to be very inclusive.”
Etherington said that at this point her employment path has not been set. She will lean on her family and her golf mentors for advice but she is confident that she will be working in the golf industry soon.
“I value the opportunity I have each day as I drive into Pinehurst and how great that is, but I will always be a Richmond person at heart no matter where I end up.” Etherington said. “I owe everything to Richmond — to Richmond High School, to the First Tee program at Glen Miller Park, to the people at Forest Hills and the Elks and the people at First English Lutheran Church. That is my foundation and I am very appreciative.”
A version of this article appeared in the July 8 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.
