Hispanic Heritage Month
Full Circle
Jonathan Soto becomes DIRECTOR OF GOLF at course where he played high school golf.
Jonathan Soto has come full circle in his golf career. This past April he became director of golf at Bella Verde Golf Club (formerly Montebello Golf Course) in Montebello, Calif., the same facility where he played high school golf. It’s the latest stop in a career that actually began when he was recovering from a hand injury he suffered as a youngster while his family was living in León, Mexico.
“I ended up losing the first joint of the last three fingers on one hand,” said the 33-year-old, who was born in East Los Angeles and moved back to the U.S. in 2006. “Once I was done with the surgery and rehab, the doctor said I should find a hobby or sport that would encourage finger mobility and help me regain some strength in my hand.”
That sport was golf.
“I started playing when I was 11 and fell in love with the game,” he said.
After graduating from Cal Poly–Pomona in 2014, Soto had difficulty finding a job. But his passion for golf led him to reach out to his former instructor at Alhambra Golf Course, where Soto soon began working as a golf shop attendant. He then immersed himself in the golf industry, rising to assistant general manager at Alhambra before moving on to positions at Willowick Golf Course in Santa Ana and Eagle Crest Golf Club in Escondido prior to his return at Bella Verde.
Now a PGA Level 3 associate, Soto sees himself in many of the golfers at Bella Verde. “It’s mostly my people,” he said. “About 85 percent of our golfers are Hispanic. I think golf is becoming a little more friendly and a little less intimidating. This is a game that everyone can try. So many people thought golf had that aura of being expensive, or you have to wear fancy clothes. I think those barriers have been fairly broken down by now.”
Progress is still needed on the employment side though, according to Soto.
“Hispanics definitely have a big presence on the maintenance and agronomic side of this business, but I think there’s still plenty of opportunity on the operations side, too,” he said. “If you love golf, it’s a great career. And at Troon there’s room to grow. I’m a testament to that. You prove yourself if you do the hard work. The company recognizes that, and it will then reward you accordingly.” ▪
—Tom Mackin
