Spotlight On Alex Phillips – General Manager Of The O’Donnell Golf Club

Despite living in one of the world’s premier golf destinations, I am not a golfer. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ve picked up a club exactly once in my life. So had I not joined this year’s Leadership Coachella Valley class, I likely never would have met Alex Phillips, General Manager of Palm Springs’ historic O’Donnell Golf Club.

And that would have been a real shame.

Not only is Alex one of the funniest people I’ve ever met, she’s also whip-smart, endlessly curious, and somehow remains incredibly humble despite a staggering list of accomplishments.

It wasn’t until several months into the program that I learned (from someone else in my class, mind you!) just how extensive her background is. Alex took up golf in her early days and went on to become a high school state champion. She then played Division I collegiate golf for four years and later earned a Top 10 world ranking in professional long drive competition.

Following her competitive golf career, Alex shifted her focus to club management and hospitality. She has since earned her MBA, achieved PGA Class A Professional status, and currently holds the distinction of being the youngest female PGA General Manager in the country.

What impresses me most, however, is that Alex’s impact extends well beyond the fairways. In addition to leading The O’Donnell Golf Club and being part of LCV’s Class of 2026, she serves on the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and is a City of Palm Springs Parks and Recreation Commissioner.

She is also deeply passionate about O’Donnell’s place in history. I recently had the opportunity to tour the club with Alex, and she shared stories and historical tidbits as if she’d spent her entire life on the property. Her appreciation for the club’s legacy—and her vision for its future—is evident in everything she does.

Read on to learn more about Alex’s fascinating journey. And be sure not to sleep on her business advice near the end—it’s something I suspect many of us need to hear and put into practice (especially me!).

XO, Lindsay

You started playing golf at 13 – what first drew you to the sport, and when did you realize you had the talent to pursue it professionally?

I actually started much younger, learning the basics and etiquette from my dad early on, but I didn’t really take golf seriously until I was around 13. Up until then, I was much more invested in gymnastics. That was my main sport, my identity, and where most of my energy went.

An injury ultimately pulled me away from gymnastics, which was a turning point I didn’t expect at the time. Not long after that, my dad was transferred to Louisiana, and we were fortunate enough to live on a golf course. That changed everything. Golf went from something I casually knew to something I could play often, right outside the door.

Being around it every day made it impossible not to fall into it more seriously. What started as familiarity turned into repetition, then curiosity, then real commitment. That’s really when golf became less of a background sport and more of a direction.

You’re now the General Manager of O’Donnell Golf Club, as well as a PGA Class A professional with an MBA. How did that career path unfold?

It definitely wasn’t a straight line. After college, I was working with a junior golf program through The First Tee, while also spending time in a newsroom. I’ve always had a bit of a split personality professionally: storytelling and sports on one side, structure and development on the other.

Then I met the 2013 World Long Drive champion, and she talked me into competing. That was a pivot I didn’t see coming, but I fell in love with it immediately. It was explosive, technical, and incredibly freeing in terms of schedule and opportunity. At one point, being ranked top five in the world gave me the ability to really lean into playing professionally and build my life around competition.

COVID derailed everything, like it did for a lot of people. I ended up back in Nevada and shifted into training MLB players rehabbing Tommy John surgeries. It was a fascinating environment, but even there I realized something important: I missed golf. Not just playing it, but being in it.

That’s when I went back to school for my MBA, started and completed my PGA certification, and began intentionally rebuilding my path in the golf industry. Now I’m also working toward my CCM (Certified Club Manager designation), and I recently completed my Level 1 sommelier certification as part of a broader commitment to hospitality and continuous learning.

At this point, it’s really about constant growth—bringing new knowledge back into the club environment and continuing to elevate both the player and member experience from every angle.

You’re also a professional long drive champion. Tell us about that experience — and what it felt like to win.

Long drive is chaos in the best way possible. It’s part athletic competition, part adrenaline rush, part controlled demolition derby with a driver in your hands. Winning was incredibly rewarding because people only see the final ball, not the years of training, fitness, swing work, and mental preparation behind it. There’s also something empowering about proving that power and athleticism absolutely belong in women’s golf.

Golf has historically been a male-dominated sport, especially in leadership roles. What has your experience been like as a woman building a career in the industry?

There have definitely been moments where I’ve had to work harder to establish credibility, especially early in my career. That said, I think the industry is changing in a really positive way, and I’ve been fortunate to grow into leadership roles at a time when more clubs are open to different perspectives and leadership styles.

It’s also been fun, in a very real sense, to step into those rooms as the youngest female PGA General Manager in the country. I still remember going into a General Manager meeting at my previous company and realizing it was my direct report, me, and about 60 men in the room. That kind of environment definitely sharpens your awareness, but it also makes you very clear on your own value and preparation.

Now, I genuinely enjoy showing up fully as myself, whether that’s in leadership conversations, operational decisions, or even something as simple as wearing a pink dress to a meeting and still running the room. At the end of the day, it’s never been about fitting a mold. It’s about doing the job at a high level and letting the work speak for itself. I’ve learned that confidence, preparation, and consistency speak louder than stereotypes. At the end of the day, members and staff respond to competence, authenticity, and someone who genuinely cares about the experience they’re creating.

For those of us who don’t know much about golf, what does a typical day as General Manager of a private golf club look like?

Every day is different, which is part of the fun. One minute you’re reviewing budgets or contracts, the next you’re helping plan a tournament, solving an irrigation issue, talking with members, reviewing food and beverage operations, or helping staff navigate challenges. A golf club is almost like a tiny city with its own ecosystem. The GM’s role is making sure all the moving parts operate together smoothly while still creating an exceptional experience for members and guests.

O’Donnell Golf Club is Palm Springs’ most historic golf course. What do you love most about managing a club with that kind of legacy?

There’s a responsibility that comes with stewarding a place like O’Donnell. You’re not just managing a golf course, you’re protecting a piece of Palm Springs history. What I love most is the sense of continuity. You can stand on property that has welcomed generations of members, visitors, celebrities, and community leaders, while also helping shape what the club becomes next. It’s a rare balance of tradition and evolution.

What are a few historical details about O’Donnell that people might be surprised to learn?

O’Donnell, opened in 1929, is the oldest club in the Coachella Valley, and in many ways, the golf industry in the region radiated outward from here. But the most meaningful part of its history goes beyond golf.

Dr. Winifred O’Donnell was the first physician in the area, which already speaks to how foundational the family was in early Palm Springs. (Winifred’s medical certificates – pictured – now hang in the Club’s Casita, which originally served as her office.) Even more significant, though, isInspiration Point and the story behind it.

During the Great Depression, Thomas O’Donnell created and personally funded a work program that employed local men to build what is now known as Inspiration Point. It wasn’t just a construction project—it was a lifeline. It allowed families in the valley to stay, earn income, and remain rooted in the community during an incredibly difficult time.

In many ways, that effort helped stabilize and shape early Palm Springs as we know it today. Without that investment in both people and place, it’s hard to imagine the same trajectory of growth the city eventually experienced.

Do you have a favorite spot on the course or around the club?

The tee box on 4 is tough to top. It’s a drivable par four playing down the hill from an elevated box, with downtown Palm Springs spread out in the distance like a painted backdrop. From up there, you get that rare feeling where the game and the setting blur together for a moment.

There aren’t many places in the valley that match that combination of shot-making decision and pure visual drama. It’s one of those tees where you almost forget to rush the swing, because the view is doing half the storytelling for you.

You’ve played almost every course in the Coachella Valley. Besides O’Donnell, what’s your favorite one to play?

The Valley has such a wide range of great golf, from classic desert layouts to more modern resort-style courses. It’s hard to pick just one because they all offer something different. I really appreciate courses that embrace the natural desert landscape rather than trying to overpower it. But it’s hard not to mention The Vintage Club. The sheer amount of flowers and intentional landscape design there is on another level. It creates this visual pop that feels almost curated like a living gallery, where every hole has its own color story.

You recently earned your Level 1 sommelier certification. What sparked that journey?

Hospitality and wine pair naturally together, and I’ve always loved the storytelling side of wine. Every bottle has geography, history, craftsmanship, and culture behind it. Pursuing the certification was partly professional and partly personal curiosity.

Honestly, it also connects back further than people realize. In college, I always enjoyed helping my viticulture major friends “study,” so I was already around the language and science of wine in a more informal way. It never felt like a hard leap into it later on, more like something I’d been orbiting for a while and eventually stepped into more intentionally.

The more I learned, the more I realized wine education is a lot like golf. You can spend a lifetime studying it and still keep discovering new layers.

You’re helping facilitate EMERGE Palm Springs’ new IN CONVERSATION series at O’Donnell. How did that come about?

We’re really excited about it because it creates an opportunity to bring thoughtful conversations, interesting people, and community engagement into a historic setting. O’Donnell has always been more than just a golf course. It’s been a gathering place. This series helps continue that tradition in a modern way by creating space for meaningful dialogue and connection.

For me, there’s also a very intentional piece around young professionals. In Palm Springs, that demographic can sometimes feel a bit overlooked in the broader conversation, and I wanted to help bring something meaningful back to that group. A little selfishly too, because I’m very much in that stage of life and work myself.

The first IN CONVERSATION we hosted focused on the mentor/mentee relationship, and Tyler Tang (Director of Agronomy at The Club at Morningside) and Michael Rood (General Manager/COO at Seven Lakes Golf & Country Club) really hit it out of the park. It set the tone for what this series can be when the right people are in the room and the conversation is real. The second (pictured) featured clinical psychologist Dr. Corey Kuhn, PhD, who spoke about managing stress in the workplace, which was really impactful. Upcoming IN CONVERSATIONS will feature a Deputy Chief of Police discussing how to make tough decisions under pressure, as well as a former casino executive sharing lessons in leadership.

At its core, it really comes down to having space at O’Donnell to share ideas and bring people together. After a conversation with a council member, it reinforced for me how important it is to also give back to the young professional community here in the valley, and this has become a very natural way to do that.

What has been the most rewarding part of managing O’Donnell Golf Club?

Building culture. Whether it’s improving the member experience, developing staff, preserving traditions, or introducing new ideas, the most rewarding part is seeing people genuinely enjoy being part of the club. When members feel proud of their club and staff feel proud of their work, that’s when you know you’re building something meaningful.

What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received — or the advice you find yourself giving most often?

“It’ll be there tomorrow.”

I grew up watching my dad work harder than anyone I know, and being around leaders in my life who were always on, always available, always pushing. That becomes your normal. You start to think that if you’re not doing everything at full speed, you’re falling behind.

For a long time, I carried that same mindset. I’d look at my to-do list, my responsibilities, everything I wanted to improve or fix or get ahead on, and I couldn’t figure out how to do it all and still take care of the small things, like making it home in time for my dog or actually being present in my own life.

And at some point I had to accept something pretty simple: it’ll be there tomorrow.

I’m never going to finish the entire to-do list, and I get that now. That realization was uncomfortable at first, especially for the perfectionist in me. There’s still a part of me that wants everything done, everything optimized, everything ahead of schedule.

But I’m getting better at it. Better at prioritizing. Better at recognizing what actually needs me today versus what can wait. And better at closing the laptop, leaving the desk, and going home without feeling like I’ve failed the day.

It’s less about doing everything now, and more about doing the right things well enough to show up again tomorrow.

What part of desert living brings you the most joy?

You don’t have to shovel sunshine.

When you’re not working, where might we find you on a perfect desert day?

100% on another golf course. I still love this game. It’s different now, when it’s not your job, you get to enjoy it more and you get to choose who you enjoy it with. Being able to join my mom and dad and nana and papa for a round – that’s the best kind of day.

Best meal in the desert?

Oof, that’s a tough one. Most of the time you’ll find me in my own kitchen, but it’s hard to beat a Happy Hour at Enzo’s or dinner at Spencer’s (pictured).

Any other Coachella Valley favorites?

The Living Desert hosted a Dog Day and it was pretty much one of the best things I’ve done out here. I have a giant goldendoodle, Shadow, and it was awesome to be able to share that with her. She was definitely a little hesitant around the giraffes at first, which was honestly pretty funny to watch, but getting to show her all the other animals and just move through the space together was really special. It ended up being one of those simple, unexpected things that sticks with you more than you’d think. [Editor’s Note: Dog Days at the zoo are set to resume this fall.]

Thank you, Alex!

Your story is genuinely inspiring, and I appreciate you sharing it with us.

For anyone interested in experiencing O’Donnell Golf Club firsthand—and taking part in meaningful conversations about leadership, work, and life—EMERGE’s IN CONVERSATION series continues throughout the summer. More details here.