In this episode, Retired Colonel Spencer Clouatre interviews John Mascari, the Director of Golf at Alpine Country Club. They explore John's journey to becoming a prominent golf professional, delving into personal and career challenges, including navigating job interviews. Key themes include leadership, mentorship, continuous improvement, effective …

Explore the impact of golf on this episode of the GBN University Podcast. Special guest, Cary Cozby, Head Golf Professional at Southern Hills Country Club, talks through career insights, personal growth stories, and the importance of creating exceptional experiences for club members. From navigating a successful career in golf to embracing life's c…

Gain valuable lessons on effective team building, managing failure, and the impact of self-awareness in leadership in the latest episode of the GBN University Podcast. Delve into the world of the golf industry with insights from Cameron Doan, the Director of Golf at Preston Trail Golf Club. Learn about the significance of leadership, teamwork, and …

In this episode, Col (R) Spencer Clouatre, PhD talks with Chief Operating Officer and Director of Golf at Plainfield Country Club, Scott Paris. This episode touches on the importance of hospitality and culture, measuring feedback from members, the significance of recon and intelligence in decision-making, and the value of creating an environment wh…

In this episode of "Getting Better Now," Col (R) Spencer Clouatre engages in a dynamic conversation with Jason Prendergast about the journey of being dream driven and supporting others in achieving their aspirations. Jason shares his personal experiences and insights, guiding listeners through the multifaceted process of chasing a dream with numero…

In this episode of “Getting Better Now” Col (R) Spencer Clouatre sits down with Tom Wildenhaus to discuss effective leadership in the golf industry. Drawing from personal experience and offering insights aimed at helping listeners understand the core principles of leadership. Tom emphasizes the importance of fostering a culture of excellence and co…

How do you gain buy-in when managing a large, organization-wide change? In this compelling continuation of the interview with CW Canfield from S10 EP02, Spencer talks about the mechanisms of appealing to logic and data, as well as being a leader who inspires your team to follow, even when the path is uncharted, rocky, or takes an unexpected turn. G…

When change is on the horizon, what helps you weather the hurricanes and unexpected hurdles that sometimes cross your path? In this episode, Spencer and CW, both West Point graduates, cover the key elements that motivate staff to optimize scarce resources and navigate uncertainty with sound decision-making. What role does empathy and cooperation pl…

How do hospitality, golf, and leadership intersect? In this episode, Spencer and Phil Owenby discuss the nuances of creating a memorable customer experience that keeps people coming back time and time again, while remaining engaged with every member of your staff and making the most of the scarce resources we sometimes all face. GBN is the leading …

GBN University has launched the Leadership Accelerator program, the only leadership program developed by Golf Professionals FOR Golf Professionals. Registration is open to any PGA Professional or Associate but space is limited! Go to https://golfbusinessnetwork.com/gbnu/leadership-accelerator/ for more info and to grab your spot! Ryan Hawk is the h…

Are you looking to hire team members on your golf staff? GBN's Recruiting Services make hiring easier with our best in class network of Golf Professionals that helps you reach deep into the market to locate your next staff member. Go to www.golfbusinessnetwork.com/recruiting to get started and get ahead of the competition. If you’ve been listening …

Are you looking to hire team members on your golf staff? GBN's Recruiting Services make hiring easier with our best in class network of Golf Professionals that helps you reach deep into the market to locate your next staff member. Go to www.golfbusinessnetwork.com/recruiting to get started and get ahead of the competition. Welcome back for part two…

Are you looking to hire team members on your golf staff? GBN's Recruiting Services make hiring easier with our best in class network of Golf Professionals that helps you reach deep into the market to locate your next staff member. Go to www.golfbusinessnetwork.com/recruiting to get started and get ahead of the competition. In this season of Getting…

Are you looking to hire team members on your golf staff? GBN's Recruiting Services make hiring easier with our best in class network of Golf Professionals that helps you reach deep into the market to locate your next staff member. Go to www.golfbusinessnetwork.com/recruiting to get started and get ahead of the competition. Most of you listening to …

Are you looking to hire team members on your golf staff? GBN's Recruiting Services make hiring easier with our best in class network of Golf Professionals that helps you reach deep into the market to locate your next staff member. Go to www.golfbusinessnetwork.com/recruiting to get started and get ahead of the competition. Seth Waugh came to the PG…

This episode is brought to you by GBN University. GBNU is where today's PGA Professionals come to grow their skills, advance their careers, and increase their bottom lines. Go to www.golfbusinessnetwork.com/gbnu for more info. Welcome to Season Eight of the Getting Better Now podcast! We kick things off with an important conversation about a topic …

One thing we could probably all agree on is that traditionally the golf industry is pretty resistant to change. Look at the way we staff our golf operations with a Head Professional and X number of Assistants. That’s been the model for as long as anybody can remember. Add to that the scope of the job for everyone on the staff from teaching some, ru…

It’s not often that we get to hear a conversation on the issues facing our industry directly from the leaders at the PGA of America. In the summer of 2021 I had the opportunity to record a conversation with Don Rea, the current Secretary of the PGA, and feel this conversation was definitely worthy of releasing again. This was a wide ranging discuss…

For close to half a century as a PGA Professional, John Kennedy has supported, coached, and mentored people for a living. Whether it was his team of Assistant Professionals and other staff at the famed West Chester Country Club where he spent 26 years as the Director of Golf , the students he loved to help on the lesson tee, or bringing the game of…

Whether it was managing golf course operations as a Superintendent or now heading his own consultant and search firm, Tyler Bloom has always been a problem solver. After working at some of the top clubs in the country as an Assistant Superintendent, Tyler landed his own job as a Golf Course Superintendent and spearheaded some innovative ways to add…

This episode is brought to you by GBN University, powered by Golf Business Network. GBNU is where leading PGA Professionals come to improve their skills, build their careers, and increase their impact. Go to www.golfbusinessnetwork.com/gbnuniversity for more info. The last time we heard from Kraig Kann on the Getting Better Now podcast, he was givi…

This episode is brought to you by GBN University, powered by Golf Business Network. GBNU is where leading PGA Professionals come to improve their skills, build their careers, and increase their impact. Go to www.golfbusinessnetwork.com/gbnuniversity for more info. Whenever you hear anyone talk about Caves Valley Golf Club, the first thing they’ll m…

If you’re in a leadership role, there’s no doubt the spotlight has been shined on you to respond appropriately for all of the people that you impact. How should a good leader respond? What if you’re not in a leadership role yet but are hoping to be in one someday soon? Are there lessons you can learn from this crisis? Where can you focus so that wh…

In this episode we're joined by Jason Sutton, aka “The Golf Guru”, who is the Director of Instruction at Carmel Country Club in North Carolina and the host of the appropriately titled podcast, “The Golf Guru” show. But long before Jason was putting out 90+ episodes of his show, he was building a following online and developing his own brand, which …

What’s your story? If someone asked you that, do you have an answer? How are you making an impact in the position where you currently serve? Are you confident that you’re truly making an impact? What are you doing to stand out from the crowd, so that someone might tell another person about you? Anything? Some of these may be difficult questions for…

As PGA Professionals, we’re in the business of “Growing the Game”. It’s a phrase we hear ad nauseam in our business. Grow the game at our facilities, in our Sections, and in our communities. So in order to do our job of growing the game, we develop programs for our members and customers that consist of clinics, lesson packages, golf schools, junior…

If you’re a typical Golf Professional that takes on a number of different roles and responsibilities, even if you love to teach, finding time to fit in golf lessons can be a challenge. Do you come in early? Stay late? Sacrifice time you set aside for other tasks and say yes to the lesson request? It’s a conundrum that we often fall into. And for a …

It’s been said that you can’t grow personally or professionally without developing self awareness. Knowing how you’re perceived by others, what your strengths and weaknesses are, how you handle stress, and how you impact those around you, are just some of the elements of self awareness, that can go a long way in helping all of us reach enjoy succes…

In this episode, we dig into the ins and outs of the Head Professional interview process. This discussion is going to be a great resource for any of you listening that are either planning on interviewing for a Head Professional position or if you will be helping to coach an aspiring Head Professional through the interview process. We brought back P…

In Part II of our interview with the President of the PGA of America, Suzy Whaley discusses what’s going to help attract young people to our business and the PGA’s recruiting efforts, while addressing the need for manager’s today to evaluate the hours and days that they require from their staff during the season. She continues with a discussion abo…

In this episode Clay Scroggins, author of "How to Lead When You're Not in Charge", walks us through the four behaviors that he’s pinpointed to be able to cultivate influence when you don’t have the title, while preparing you to succeed when the time comes and that title is yours. This truly is one of the most important episodes we’ve done, because …

In many ways Suzy Whaley is just another Golf Professional. She struggles with many of the same challenges that PGA Professionals face every day. Parts of her story sound the same as many, many others. But on the other hand….Suzy is the head of the largest organization in sports, and not to mention, the first woman to ever do that. She holds one of…

When times are toughest, we feel like work is controlling our lives. We feel it’s the only thing we have time for (and sometimes don’t even have enough time for) while everything else (family, friends, health, finances) sits on the back-burner until things “slow down”. It’s why most PGA Professionals will tell you either directly or indirectly that…

One of the most beneficial aspects of the Getting Better Now podcast has been the ability to hear unique insights from leaders both inside and outside of the industry. In this episode, we highlight some of our most popular guests and their advice for Golf Professionals as it pertains to furthering their careers. We learn from Jim Smith of the Phila…

Jay LeDuc is a PGA Professional who’s spent over two decades in the golf industry and held positions running the gamut from Outside Services to Head Golf Professional. Now from his spot outside the industry running strategy and innovation for a luxury travel club, he’s giving back to his fellow PGA Professionals through his podcast, the PGA Jay Sho…

In this episode, we’re back with part two of our conversation with the GM/COO at Medinah Country Club, Robert Sereci. Robert has profiled his “Top 10 Lessons They Didn’t Teach You in School” and in part one we covered 1-5. In lessons 6-10, we continue to discuss these critical success skills that can make or break your career. We get into the diffe…

Welcome back to part two of our conversation with Cary Cozby, the Director of Golf at Southern Hills Country Club. If you missed part one, be sure to head back to episode sixteen and take a listen. We talked about his mindset when he heard his dream job was open and what steps he took during the interview process, and after landing the job how he’s…

As young professionals working in the golf business, often times our focus is on developing the set of what I call “vocational skills” that are specific to our industry...the teaching, playing, merchandising and event administration skills, among many others that our jobs require from us. But as our careers continue to evolve, success or failure ca…

Cary Cozby, the Director of Golf at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is likely the most decorated PGA Professional you will ever find. As a winner of 13 section awards plus the national Merchandiser of the Year award, his most unique and special recognition came in 2016 when he was named the PGA Professional of the Year, joining his …

In this episode of the Getting Better Now podcast, we have the opportunity to learn from one of the most highly regarded sports and performance psychologists in golf today. Dr. Bhrett McCabe is the founder of The Mindside and works with numerous athletes from the PGA and LPGA Tours, NFL, NBA, MMA, and also serves as the sports and performance psych…

Most of us in this business are in agreement that when working at a club, it’s important to place a special focus on your ladies program and for the ladies that are playing golf at your facility. We also know that based on statistics, female golfers serve as a huge opportunity to bring players into the game both as beginners and as those that are i…

Ever feel like you can't get away from your computer or phone during the day, because you're tied to an endless flow of email into your inbox? In this day and age, communicating with our members, customers, students, and vendors frequently takes place over email. Because of that fact, email can bog us down and keep us from getting other important t…

In this episode we kick off the new year with a throwback. For the next 60 minutes, you’ll have the opportunity to listen as, someone who most regard as the most successful and respected Golf Professional of our time, Bob Ford, and one of his many ultra successful proteges, Steve Archer, (who’s put together a phenomenal career in his own right) tak…

Leader. It’s a term thrown around so often that it’s almost cliche. As PGA Professionals, we’re tasked with being leaders in the industry, leaders at our facilities, and leaders in our communities. But even with all this responsibility to lead, how many of us have ever tried to actually define what that means? How does being a leader fit into what …

If you’re in a leadership position at your club, or aspire to be one at some point in your career, what if I told you there was one specific area you could focus on that would guide the thinking and behavior of the people on your team? One point of emphasis that’s effects would be felt throughout the entire operation. That would guide decision maki…

One of the phrases we hear all the time as Golf Professionals is something to the effect of “to meet or exceed expectations in every interaction”. It’s an admirable goal and certainly a worthwhile mantra if we want to succeed in our positions as Golf Professionals. But how many of us have taken the time to find out exactly what those expectations a…

Jim Smith, Jr. is the Director of Golf at the Philadelphia Cricket Club in Flourtown, PA. A Past President of the Philadelphia Section, Jim has been awarded that sections’s Bill Strausbaugh award twice, the Merchandiser of the Year award, as well as Golf Professional of the Year in 2005. Jim has become a “go-to” guy for career advice and operationa…

Have you had trouble attracting interns to your facility? If so, you're not alone. The market for seasonal labor at such an affordable cost is very competitive. If you're like some facilities, you might have just stopped trying. This episode has the potential to put you back on the right track to developing an attractive internship program at your …

Kevin Muldoon is the Director of Golf at the Jupiter Hills Club in Florida. During a successful stint as the Head Professional at the Country Club of York in Pennsylvania, Kevin was likely in a position that he could have remained in for years, maybe for his entire career. But as he tells us, his desire to continue his career progression and to exp…

When something goes wrong and you're faced with an unhappy customer, what do you do? More often than not, we explain why the situation happened, or tell them we understand that they're unhappy, or worse...we defend our actions and tell them that they're wrong. And how does that usually turn out? What about being polite and professional? That usuall…