Katie Calderon ‘25 was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list alongside high visibility athletes and sports entrepreneurs by being a game-changer in the world of women’s golf. Driven by purpose, the Texas A&M University engineering student found herself in elite company through a fierce determination to turn technical insight into real-world impact.
Calderon not only walked across Texas A&M’s graduation stage this week, but took her first steps on the world stage, propelled by the Forbes honor. Earning a spot on the coveted list affirmed her decision to dedicate herself full-time to her company, Club Girl Golf, whose goal is to change the status quo for women in the sport.
“The timing of this feels perfect,” she said. “It gives me the validation I need going into my life after graduation.”
A golfer since childhood and pro on the World Long Drive tour, Calderon experienced the sport’s norm of adapting men’s clubs for women by merely cutting down the shaft length. She identified this “shrink it and pink it” philosophy, that results in reduced performance for women, as a problem that needed solving. This desire led her to Texas A&M.
“I learned that I needed to become an engineer to be a golf club designer,” she said. “After researching programs across the country, I loved Texas A&M the most.”
As a young engineering student, Calderon set to work using her developing skills to create clubs specifically for women. Her process involved CADing designs, running stress tests and simulations, building prototypes, performing equipment tests, analyzing data, adapting designs, and doing it all over again. With patience and determination, she created over 100 prototypes of her first club.
Her choice to major in manufacturing and mechanical engineering technology was key to her success, according to Calderon.
“Any time I got stuck in the development process, I would learn something in class that would teach me how to do what I needed,” she said.
After perfecting her first design, Calderon’s next challenge was manufacturing it affordably. Her work was funded entirely through grants and pitch competitions, so making clubs through traditional casting was too expensive. She explored alternative methods and landed on steel 3D printing.
The Monarch Putter, her debut club, sold out upon its launch in October 2024. Post-graduation, Calderon is excited to work on a full line of clubs and get her products into golf shops, country clubs and major retailers.
“Having such amazing recognition from Forbes legitimizes what I am doing and will make it easier to get my foot in the door,” she said. “My goal is to make Club Girl Golf the go-to brand for women golfers everywhere.”
Calderon also feels a calling to create a community in women’s golf. She strives to grow the game so that more women feel welcome and take up the sport. For the social media followers of ClubGirlKatie, she provides education, entertainment and inspiration.
“I’ve grown to over half a million followers across my platforms, and it has really helped to spread awareness about what we’re building and how people can get involved,” she said. “I want to help females in STEM and sports have the confidence to follow their passions and do what they love.”
In addition to her hundreds of thousands of fans on social media, Calderon’s success is lauded by those in Aggieland who have supported her journey. Texas A&M’s Meloy Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program and the McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship both played vital roles in helping her develop as a businessperson and launch Club Girl Golf.
“I’ve had the pleasure of serving as an advisor to Club Girl Golf, but I can admit that Katie has taught me more about perseverance, flexibility and tenacity than I ever could have imagined,” said Blake Petty, executive director of the McFerrin Center. “I can’t wait to see her next chapter of growth.”
Professor Chris Curran, director of the Meloy Program’s engineering incubator, echoed this sentiment.
"Katie is the definition of a problem-solver. She turned her personal frustration with the golf industry into an engineering pursuit, ensuring that Club Girl Golf is built on engineering, not just marketing,” Curran said. “Seeing her recognized by Forbes confirms that the industry is ready for the change she is driving."