Growing up, I was a baseball, basketball, and soccer player. I actually didn’t start playing golf until later in college. But I loved it. I loved everything about it. The traditions, the history, the courses, the equipment, the clothes, the shoes, the fun, the laughter, and because of that organic respect and integrity that is built into the game, you naturally treat the game with a deeper connection and even your playing partners with a bit more care and civility. You take your hat off when you shake hands, you repair ball marks, you support one another with kind words (depending on the size of the bet), you fill divots, you say “great shot” and you rake bunkers. I was hooked.
During the summer, I was waiting tables at Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock, CO. It was there that I met Keith Schneider. Keith is the Professional who was my inspiration and who got me into the golf business. Keith is a Golf Professional’s Golf Professional. He got where he was by being incredibly dedicated, working harder than everyone around him, and having a unique emotional intelligence that allows to treat others with a level of professionalism and sincerity that is unmatched. When I would see Keith at Castle Pines, he was always so put together in terms of what he was wearing, what he was doing, and how he connected with others. It didn’t matter if it was a locker room attendant, housekeeper or the owner of the Broncos, he treated everyone with the same level of respect. The fact that this leader was also a Golf Professional made me think – “that is something that I would love to do and that’s someone I would love to be like”.