This latest wave of Hawaii golfers contemplating a professional future could do worse than follow in the footsteps of Christel Tomori Goo. Much worse.
Her golf shoes are now designer heels. Her office is indoors, as director of stores for Wynn Las Vegas. She married Kip Goo, son of former Rainbow Wahine basketball coach Vince Goo, in 2009. Their son, Breez Zenji Vince Goo, was born in July.
Some 20 years ago, Christel was the best female golfer in Hawaii. She graduated from Waiakea and the legendary Big Island junior program, taking her game to the University of Oregon. When she graduated in 1996 with a degree in finance, MVP and most inspirational honors, her coach thanked her for "helping establish the history of good golf at Oregon."
Goo, 39, recalls her college experience as one of the best times of her life.
"College expedited my maturity and independence," she says. "For players wanting to pursue professional golf, my advice is to have passion in all you do, practice with a purpose and remember that if you ever get lazy and do not want to practice, your competitor is out on the range working harder to be better than you."
She came home, won the 1998 All-Services Invitational by an astonishing 18 shots and turned pro, winning three consecutive Hawaii State Open women’s championships. A few hundred friends helped raise money to get her started on the Asia and Futures (now Symetra) tours.
She won the 1999 Futures Qualifying Tournament and 2000 Connecticut Futures Golf Classic, collecting $32,000 before "my dedication for traveling slowly diminished and my golf piggy bank was nearly empty" in 2004.
She loved pursuing her childhood dream on beautiful courses and forming lasting friendships. Slow play and rain delays … not so much.
"How ironic," Goo jokes. "I’m from Hilo."
She has no regrets about quitting the game a decade ago — "I look at every challenge as an opportunity" — but golf will always be in her blood. It introduced her to Kip and so many who had such a huge impact on her life.
It also introduced her to her first "indoor" jobs. She and Kip had moved to Las Vegas a year before she quit the tour. Christel worked at Wildhorse and Stallion Mountain golf courses before opening Wynn Golf Club as the pro shop manager in 2005.
She was promoted to her current position, managing the 16 Wynn retail stores, in 2011. She now uses her finance degree on a daily basis and sees casino/hotel mogul Steve Wynn at their stores and major business meetings. Kip, who has a master’s degree in education, also works for Wynn, caddying for the rich and so-famous-he-is-not-allowed-to-name-names VIPs.
"My job is interesting because like golf, every day is a different challenge but in a good way," Christel Goo says. "My responsibility is to manage and motivate people, maintain profitability in all stores and ensure we are providing exceptional service to our guest."
When the Goos go home, Breez gets the same attentiveness, and more. Expect to see a putter in his hands right after he starts walking.
"We want to expose Breez to all sports, and we hope he enjoys golf," Goo says. "Golf has taught me many life lessons that I would like Breez to experience as well. The challenge will push him to work hard and never give up. The spirit of the game will build his integrity and humble him.
"I’ve also learned from golf to be visionary, setting goals both career driven and personal and having a plan of action to accomplish them. Whatever Breez chooses to do, Kip and I will support him 100 percent, the same way we have been supported by our loving families."
