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Episode 013- “How to Say No” | The Golf Professional Growth Project w/ Dean Kandle

With the record numbers we’re seeing at courses throughout the country, Golf Professional’s are now faced with the challenge of often having to say no to their members and customers.  No there aren’t any tee times, no there isn’t any space in that event, no we can’t host your outing…and so on.  This is new for many of us since we’ve been trained to say “Yes” and to constantly seek out ways to grow rounds and revenues.  

As I found out in a conversation a few years ago, knowing how to say no and tell someone something they don’t want to hear, is literally a science.  Experts in behavioral psychology have studied the tactics that are most effective at delivering your message in a way that diffuses angry situations and will limit the push-back you get from our now disgruntled members and customers.  

Our expert that we’re learning from is Richard S. Gallagher, author of “The Customer Service Survival Kit”.  Some of the critical lessons we’ll hear from him are: being nice and polite is great, but it doesn’t help an upset person feel better, leaning into criticism is much more effective than explaining “why” or playing defense, and the key to diffusing a difficult situation begins with acknowledgement.

EP 012: The One Skill Every PGA Professional Needs | Keith Stewart, PGA | The Golf Professional Growth Project

Keith Stewart has spent over 25 years as a Golf Professional, working his way from an Assistant at clubs like Isleworth, home to countless tour pros and most famously at one point, Tiger Woods, to landing a Head Professional position at a unique club in Princeton, NJ, called Springdale Golf Club.  Along the way he’s been recognized 5 times as a New Jersey Section award winner, including the 2019 New Jersey PGA Golf Professional of the Year.

It was while at Springdale that Keith began to make a name for himself for the innovative ways he communicated with his membership.  We’ve all tried different avenues to get our message out to our members, but have you ever considered creating a radio show?  I bet not. But that’s what Keith did.  Every week he hit the airwaves at the local Fox Sports affiliate as the host of Springdale Golf Live. It was his chance to talk about the club and begin to develop his own voice which led him to where he is today.  

He’s now a full-time host and writer, where he’s using his abilities to tell stories about the game everywhere from the local level to the biggest happenings in golf.  

But in this conversation, we focus on how you can build your communication skills and how you can focus on the development of the people around you.


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EP 011: Doing the Right Thing is the Right Thing to Do | Steve Scott, PGA Professional, Author | The Golf Professional Growth Project Podcast

It’s late August, 1996.  I had just arrived at college for my freshman year.  Like most college kids back then with this new-found independence, I was taking the opportunity to sit in my dorm room and stare at the TV, free from anyone telling me where to be and what to do.  Without Netflix, or YouTube, or Prime, we watched what was on TV.  And on this particular Sunday, the eyes of the golf world were fixated on the final of the United States Amateur Championship.  

Over the last few years, Tiger Woods had burst on the scene and captivated golfers with his unmatched talent, prodigious length, and record setting play.  It’s safe to say that no amateur golfer had garnered this much attention since Bobby Jones, some 70 years prior.  Tiger was no longer just known in golf circles, he was a celebrity. 

As I sat on my bed in that tiny room in State College, PA, it was time to watch Tiger take his victory lap through that final match and achieve what no other golfer had ever accomplished…winning three U.S. Amateur Championships in a row.  

But something happened on that path to victory.  A young, fellow college player from the University of Florida, named Steve Scott, was 5 up after 18 holes.  This wasn’t supposed to be the story line.  How could Tiger’s monster drives and the backing of an entire gallery, not take down this opponent?  Was Steve Scott going to be what stood in between Tiger Woods and golf history?  

As many of you know, the legend of Tiger Woods took a huge leap forward that day.  His comeback from that 5 down deficit was everything you came to expect from the most dominant player in our game.  Tiger would go on to turn professional shortly after, would soon win his first PGA Tour event, and eventually The Masters, just 7 months later.  You know the rest.

But as we learn in the episode, all was not lost for Steve Scott that day.  He played as well as he could, taking Tiger Woods to the brink of defeat and during his college days, reached #1 in the amateur golf rankings.  But it’s an episode on the 34th hole of the match that stands out to many.  We discuss what happened and how Steve’s reaction, his sportsmanship and his decision to do the right thing, even in defeat, has benefited him time and time again.  

In fact, it’s the title of his upcoming book, “Hey Tiger- You Need to Move Your Mark Back”, the story of the ‘96 U.S. Amateur and the moment that has defined Steve Scott’s career as a player and now as a PGA Professional.    You can get the book HERE.

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