Robert Rusay, USGTF Member, Gilbert AZ

My golfing story begins when I was a child growing up watching the "Golden Bear" dominate an era and Greg Norman coming into his own. Golf was always a part of my life as a child but by the time I reached high school, it was the farthest thing from my mind. In junior high school I had discovered "music" and the power and exhiliration of a live performance. Shortly ater reaching high school, I was playing in a band and by graduation time I had signed with a major recording label and were were on our way.

In the course of eight years, we had put together three full-length albums and toured the United States, Europe, Mexico, and Canada several times and werw were featured in the movie "Ace Ventura, Pet Detective."

After leaving the band, I quickly met my soul mate, Julie Christine Hammond. It was love at first sight and a family was in our immediate future. We were married shortly after that and had two beautiful children, with a new career just around the corner. For me it was just a matter of committing to it. Even before we married, the encouragement and support I got from my wife made the decision to pursue a career in the golf industry an easy one.

The next step was to obtain my teaching certification and that choice was easy. It would be the United States Golf Teachers Federation because the USGTF is all about teaching. After the first day of certification, I realized that to understand the basics and fundamentals of the golf swing made the game so much more enjoyable.

After obtaining my full certification, I was then ready to teach the world and nothing was going to get in my way. OK then reality set in and I realized that nothing happend overnight unless of course, I make it happen. In the early stages, I was able to rent space at a local driving range which would allow me to give lessons, build my clientele, and give me the ability to hone my teaching skills.

After that I secured a position at Western Skies Golf Club. Western Skies Golf Club is located in Gilbert, AZ. I was given the opportunity to come in as a teaching professional because management was very familiar with the USGTF and the quality of the people that they produced. After conducting several adult and junior clinics along with performing various tasks in the pro shop, I was promoted to Director of Instruction. So here I am, loving what I do, making a comfortable living and very appreciative of my growth in the industry.