Experiences

My journey into the PGA of America and the golf industry at large is unconventional, unique, and has been the ride of a lifetime. I view my previous experiences in both golf and everything else as leading and preparing for for my very rewarding future career.

My Journey in Golf

Beginnings

I was born about 3 months premature and weighing barely 2 lbs. Doctors informed my parents that I would likely be developmentally behind physically, making things like running and playing sports difficult. Imagine these doctor's surprise when my dad informed them I was swinging a golf club before my first birthday! I played every sport I could growing up and golf honestly wasn't my highest priority. Eventually, however, I learned that the brutal challenges and individualized aspects of the game very much appealed to me. Then and now, my favorite thing about golf is that all I need to improve and work on my game is myself and somewhere to swing.

Beginning A Career in Golf

Learning the Ropes

As I began my college years after playing four years of varsity golf, I planned to try to be a college walk-on player. I made Cedar Ridge Golf Course my first stop as I entered Cedar City to prepare for school. As I purchased a season pass, I chatted with the kid working the counter and he told me if I was interested, that the course was hiring new employees. I figured it was a good idea and was hired as a cart and range attendant later that week. As I proved myself a hard and dedicated worker, I was moved inside to work the front counter, and eventually, while playing a round of golf with the assistant pro, was invited to start the PGA program. I quickly passed my written and playing entry tests and began the first steps to becoming a golf professional.

PGA Membership

Completing the PGA Program

The professional golf management program for the PGA of America consists of a qualifying process and three levels of education. A prospective PGA professional will begin by taking a written test and a playing ability test to gain entry in the program, and then will be eligible to being Level 1. Each level consists of online education and quizzes, a week of seminars at PGA headquarters in Frisco, Texas, and a work experience portfolio. Additionally, there is a final exam at the conclusion of the third and final level. Students are given three years per level, nine in total to complete the program. I was blessed with good mentors and opportunities to work and was able to complete the entire program in three years.

Instruction

Teaching the Game

During my three seasons and now in the middle of my fourth at Cedar Ridge Golf Course, I have maintained a fairly rigorous teaching schedule. I taught over 1,200 lessons from 2022-2024 and expect to teach over 700 in 2025 alone. I believe I possess a unique expertise in helping golfers, especially beginners improve their games in a way that is simple and fits them. I worked my way from a novice to a scratch player with very little professional instruction, mostly finding what worked for me through trial and error. I dedicate enormous amounts of time and energy to improving my knowledge of the golf swing and the game of golf, as well as to finding ways for my students to improve. I believe in teaching the game in a simple way that helps students get out what they put in.