Carling Nolan (formerly Coffing), has had her fair share of reasons to smile during her lengthy five year professional golf career but these days, the newlywed’s smile seems bigger than usual.
Nolan played collegiate golf at Ohio State University where she received numerous accolades including 2005 Freshman Player of the Year and was a two-time All-Big Ten Conference Second Team selection (2006, 2008)
Immediately following college, Nolan made the decision that it was time to compete with some of the best professional women golfers in the world on the Symetra Tour. Nolan joined the tour in 2007 and during her five year career has earned $35,503. The transition from collegiate to professional golfer has been quite the learning experience for the Middletown, Ohio native.
“In college you get to travel with your team and you have so much support,” said Nolan. “Then when you go pro, it’s just you, you’re all by yourself. It definitely takes a while to figure out your game.”
In 2010, Nolan received her “Big Break” when she was casted on Golf Channel’s Big Break Sandals Resort series. Nolan, who became infamous for her birdie dance, went on to win the series and earned an exemption into an LPGA and Ladies European Tour (LET) event.
“Winning the Big Break was the highlight of my career and getting to play on the LPGA,” said Nolan. “The 2010 season was a pretty fun time for me.”
While Nolan considers Big Break the highlight of her career, the highlight of her life came in January when she married John Nolan.
To say the duo met by fate would be quite the understatement. Nolan attended a downtown festival and when she found herself lost, stumbled upon John for directions, and the rest was history.
“We met randomly, strangers actually. We were downtown at this little festival over the summer and I was lost and asked him for directions. Then we just started chatting and we went our first date a week later, then we were engaged 10 months later. It was like love at first site, for sure.”
Nolan has been plagued by diabetes since she was a little girl and while she only considers it as a hurdle in her career; her husband has been her rock even checking his blood sugar right by her side.
“Being diabetic is just kind of an extra hurdle that you have to jump over,” said Nolan. “I’ve definitely had rounds where my blood sugar has affected me and its slowed me down here and there but if you think about it, everyone has hurdles they have to jump over. This just happens to be mine and I’m dealing with it. My husband has been really, really great when it comes to my diabetes. He is like an honorary diabetic. He is like ‘oh we have to check our blood sugar’ and he eats all the right foods with me. In fact, his health has gotten even better since I’ve been with him.”
Nolan is currently in the midst of enjoying life as a newlywed and even admits to wanting to wear an apron and vacuuming while her husband wants to bring home the bacon. While Nolan admits being on tour can be lonely at times, her husband is currently in the midst of figuring out a way he can work from the road and travel with his wife over the summer.
No matter what happens either good or bad, Nolan now has her best friend forever.
“Being on tour can kind of, although it’s a great experience, it can be kind of a lonely experience at times,” said Nolan. “But now, I feel like I have my best friend in tow and it’s nice to know I’ll have my best friend forever so it’s been a really happy time for me.”
Topics: This week it is all about Me, Carling Nolan, Player Feature
