It’s a challenge for any PGA of America member to be named to a head professional position at an 18-hole course given the important responsibilities. But what about when he—or She—becomes the pro in charge of an extremely popular and world-renowned 54-hole facility? –By Brian Hurlburt, founder.
That is just the case for Kristen Allard at the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort.
The resort features three Pete Dye signature Las Vegas golf courses, and is one of the most popular places to play in Vegas for locals and visitors. Allard, a former high-level player, was thrilled and humbled to take over as head professional in July of 2023.
“The Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort is really amazing, to be honest,” Allard says. “Being a part of these three courses that the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe built out here, the beautiful clubhouse, and just the entire operation, is very different from anything I have been a part of before. It is a lot of fun. I am involved with the retail, which I love, plus I get to teach. I am also involved with the golf shop and the outside service staff. This is just an ideal spot for me.”
Longtime Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort General Manager Jeff Reid is impressed with how Allard has growing in to the position, especially succeeding a legend in Tom Fischer, an award-winning PGA of America professional.
“The position that she assumed of head professional here at the Paiute is very challenging for any person, male or female, and Kristen has stepped in and really grown into the position and hasn’t missed beat,” Reid says. “She is a quiet leader and I think that has been a positive for her in establishing her own style and way of doing things. She teaches, she leads a team, and she oversees our merchandising, which is a very important aspect of what we do. It is nice to have a female perspective there. One of the new ideas she implemented was adding Lululemon to the shop and that is very popular. We are thrilled to have her part of the team.”
Allard played collegiately at Washington State, where she earned Pac 12 Conference All-Academic Honors and was one of the top performers on the team. She graduated in 2012 with a Bachelors Degree in Hospitality Business Management/International Business. She then went through the PGA of America Associate Program.
As a junior and high school golfer, she racked up the accolades. She earned five varsity letters at Monache High School in Porterville, Calif., four in golf and one in track. She was a four-time Eastern Yosemite League Champion and Most Valuable Player, and won more than 30 junior golf tournaments. In 2005, she was named the Women’s Golf Association of Northern California Most Improved Junior Golfer and was a San Joaquin Valley PGA Junior Champion, among her many titles.
Playing competitively created a solid foundation for her journey in the golf industry. Plus, her college schooling, the PGA experiences, and a mentor along the way made huge impacts on her.
“Growing up playing golf and playing college golf really prepared me for the golf side of my career,” Allard says. “My college degree in hospitality helped me understand that side of the business, and then the PGM program is where I started to learn what the golf industry was about from an operation stand point. Plus, I was lucky early on in my career to work under Doug Doxsie at Seattle Golf Club. He is one of the best professionals in the country and was a great guy to learn from. He really took time and helped train me and teach me, and got me really involved in the operation. He has been there since 1982. I think he is only the fourth head professional they have had there in 120 years.”
As for getting to Vegas, Allard had fond memories of visiting the city as a child and remembers attending the LPGA Tour’s Takefuji Classic at The Las Vegas Country Club. A few years later, she convinced Jason Edmiston, LVCC’s head professional, to hire her. She also worked at TPC Las Vegas and Bear’s Best Las Vegas along the way.
Allard is a very active member of the Southern Nevada PGA Chapter and serves on a variety of committees including junior player development, awards, and member engagement. Among her honors are receiving the 2022 Player Development Award from the Southern Nevada Chapter, Southwest Secrtion, PGA of America.
“Being part of the PGA of America is a huge asset,” Allard says. “The connections that you make and the opportunities that you have are just way greater than if you were to try to do it on your own. I have made a lot of good friends through the PGA and it is nice to be able to play events with the pros and amateurs and you see everybody. Being able to help influence Southern Nevada golf in a positive way is very rewarding.”
Allard has gained the respect of her peers, but she still understands the challenges a female can face in the golf industry. Only about three percent of the 27,000+ PGA of America professionals are women.
“It is difficult, and I honestly feel like sometimes we have to work a little bit harder because we’re not a part of the boys club when we start out in the industry,” Allard says. “We didn’t grow up playing with a lot of the guys that we see all the time now, so it is a little bit tougher to break into it. It takes a little more time, but once a female can establish herself in a position and gets involved in chapter events, everyone begins to recognize that we are good at what we do and we are fun to be around. We love golf just the same way that everyone else does. We want to work hard, have fun and play golf with everybody.”
As for Paiute, Allard knows she could not be successful without quality leadership and a quality team. The Paiute has a set plan in place, which allows the team to serve guests and earn the 5-star reviews and accolades that are continually given to Paiute. She also loves the Las Vegas golf community.
“We have a wonderful and professional team at the Paiute who all know what they are doing and know their roles and how they can make the best impact. I appreciate them all,” Allard says. “Overall, the Las Vegas golf community is very tight knit. You see a lot of the same people and junior golfers at events, and I enjoy that.”
Allard Quick Tip
“Persistence in golf is key and I tell my juniors that all of the time. And even the amateurs I teach. Nobody, other than maybe like Tiger or Rory or a very few others, has success in golf by being a prodigy. It takes a lot of work, so put in the time. Also, find a PGA of America professional who can help. We love golf and we love helping people play better.”