Ex-HP Golfer Grows the Game Through Passion, Philanthropy

As one of the few female club pros in North Texas, Edgar brings a unique perspective

Michelle Edgar had a decorated career at Highland Park, but her contributions to golf might be even greater these days.

Six years after graduating, she’s working to grow the game as a club professional at Royal Oaks Country Club and through various philanthropic pursuits.

Despite being one of the youngest club pros in Dallas, Edgar recently received the PGA Player Development Award (Growth of the Game) from the Northern Texas PGA chapter.

The award cites her “extraordinary and exemplary” efforts at boosting interest in golf, including creating the first LPGA-USGA Girls Golf program at Royal Oaks, developing weekly ladies’ clinics, working with adaptive golfers, and increasing league membership for women and juniors.

“Playing in high school set that path for me,” Edgar said. “I get to come full-circle and teach girls that are going to Highland Park. It’s been great.”

Edgar played golf in college at UT-Dallas, when she launched Hot Birdie, a company that makes custom ball markers. She sold one to an employee in the bag room at Royal Oaks and was later offered a summer job.

“I knew I still wanted to do something with golf,” she said. “It allowed me to have a creative outlet where I could combine golf and entrepreneurship.”

A colleague encouraged her to pursue the PGA certification process, which Edgar completed in 2020. She was later hired as one of four assistant pros at Royal Oaks — located in the Lake Highlands neighborhood — where she’s involved primarily with programming and player development.

Nationwide, less than 5% of PGA club pros are women, which is why Edgar is particularly focused on growing the game for ladies of all ages.

“I get to open the door for a lot of girls. I didn’t have that growing up,” Edgar said. “Just seeing the attendance and the numbers grow is really great.”

Last year, Edgar opened The Golf Suite, the only 24/7 indoor golf facility in North Texas in a fitness and paralysis recovery center. It is located in REACT, an Addison nonprofit neuro conditioning facility. The Golf Suite also introduces the sport through a developmental curriculum for veterans and adaptive golfers.

“I get to give people that nonconventional way to get into golf,” Edgar said. “I want to make it accessible and fun for people. It doesn’t matter what scores you shoot as long as you want to keep coming back.”