A Wonderful Profession
By Wayne Dahlstrom
USGTF Member, Naples, Florida

Golf has always been a favorite sport to me. My father introduced me to the game when I was about 12 years old. Arnold Palmer was his favorite golfer. They played golf together in a Pro Am in Baltimore back in the 1950’s. Watching my father in his element got me hooked. My dad always had great golf stories. I moved away from home in my early 20’s and pursued other passions. For 25 years, I traveled continually to over 70 countries as Vice President of International Sales for a construction equipment company. I lived in the Philippines for four years and my daughter Danielle was born there. While traveling I had the opportunity to play golf in over 30 countries with a variety of people and cultures. It was quite a privilege.

When my international sales career ended, I decided to reinvent myself and begin a new career. Golf was a natural because it would combine not only my love of the game, but it would make use of my sales and marketing skills and my interest in landscaping. My goal was to buy a golf course or a practice center or a combination thereof. I concentrated on the southeast United States; attended various golf related seminars and trade shows and worked with a realtor specializing in golf properties gathering as much information as possible. I took a part time job with the largest golf course/driving range in Baltimore. The course does 90,000 + rounds a year. Here I worked as a marshal, assisted in the pro shop and helped with their junior golf program of 350 children from 8-15 years of age in a 13-week program.

I wanted to explore teaching to further expand my knowledge of the golf business. I found out that there is a big difference between playing golf and teaching golf. I read about the USGTF in a golf magazine. After receiving their material, I registered for the course and drove down to Port St. Lucie, Florida to attend their April 1999, session. I was very impressed with the professionalism of the USGTF examiners. Right from the “get acquainted” meeting on Sunday evening through the whole week of activities. Leslie Duke, Mike Levine and Ken Butler did a great job. Geoff Bryant was a fine host. I knew then that I had made the right choice in having the USGTF organization in my future.

Well, here it is, two years later and I am living my dream! In February 2000, I packed up my belongings, purchased the Briarwood Golf & Practice Center and my wife and I moved to Naples, Florida. Since taking over the facility, I have made lots of physical improvements. I have added sand traps, improved our putting and chipping greens and installed fairway targets as well as expanding the pro shop services and making lots of cosmetic improvements to the building and the grounds.

For our customers, we conduct free clinics on Saturday mornings; conduct programs for the physically challenged, private and semi-private lessons, adult and junior clinics and one, two and three day golf schools.

In my quest to further broaden my golf experience, I recently returned from the Ralph Maltby “Golfworks”, six-day clubfitting, assembly and repair school in Newark, Ohio. We are making and repairing golf clubs at our center. We are a full service practice center with a pro shop that includes golf equipment, gifts and now club repairs.

I made the right decision getting into the golf industry and the USGTF is at the center of our business. I would encourage anyone interested in getting involved in the teaching golf industry to go for it. It is a wonderful profession. My love of the game has given me this opportunity to share my knowledge and skills with others and make a difference in the lives of the golfers I meet each day.