GOLF PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP & DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM The Golf Professional Leadership and Development Program is built to give individuals hands-on experience and exposure to a real working environment. Participants will acquire the necessary skill set to grow and evolve in the golf business. The program is centered in the greater Dallas, Texas, area and hosted exclusively by four private Dallas golf clubs—Bent Tree Country Club, Lakewood Country Club, Northwood Club and Preston Trail Golf Club. PGA Professionals Danny Coughlan, Cameron Doan, Craig Liddle and Phillip Prude co-lead and direct all activities associated with the program. Learn more about these successful professionals and their associated clubs in the attached “Training Grounds” material. The following outline provides a high-level preview of what to expect from participation in this new professional development program. Traits you need to have: • Love for the game • Competitive spirit • Intellectual curiosity • Desire to lead • Good teammate Cameron Doan, PGA Director of Golf Preston Trail Golf Club Phillip Prude, PGA Director of Golf Northwood Club Daniel Coughlan, PGA Director of Golf Bent Tree Country Club Craig Liddle, PGA Director of Golf Lakewood Country Club Get to know Cameron Where are you from and how did you get into the game of golf? I grew up in Silver City, New Mexico, a town of 10,000 people. My dad was the golf professional and superintendent at the 9-hole municipal golf course. My brother and I spent every day (all day) hanging out there in the summer, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Making up our own holes and playing from all the places we could think of, it was a great way to grow up. We enjoyed a great combination of team sports—football and basketball during school, “learning” from the locker room—and golf the rest of the time. Why did you pursue golf as a career, and how did you get to where you are today? I played college golf at The University of Texas at El Paso. I graduated with a finance degree and had every intention of heading off to the financial world. My wife and I were dating, and she had one more year of law school. So we were in limbo. My dad offered me a spot on his staff to give me something to do until she finished and we could figure out where we wanted to go. One week in, I knew I had found my calling. I loved it. Oddly enough, in all the years I worked in my dad’s operation—roughly from the age of 12 through college—I never really thought of it as a career. But as soon as I became a professional and accepted all the responsibility that goes with it, the light bulb came on. That was in 1991. It burns as bright today as it did then. In 1992, Bill Eschenbrenner from El Paso Country Club called and offered me a spot on his staff. I jumped on it and he took me under his wing to finish the education my dad started by showing me how and why things work the way they do on the private side of golf. He retired at the end of 1995 and recommended me as his successor; this was probably the greatest compliment I’ve ever received. In 1999, I left El Paso Country Club for Preston Trail Golf Club in Dallas. It’s one of the most unique places in golf. It’s all about the game and the people. I work for a wonderful group of members, and I’m allowed to pursue my passion for developing young people. Why did you put this program together, and why do you want young people to join it? I am a coach. I get as much joy and satisfaction from developing young people as I do taking care of our members. I’ve been fortunate to learn from some great coaches and mentors and I’m simply paying it forward. Cameron Doan is a second generation PGA professional with a passion for coaching, mentoring and serving others. Head professional at Preston Trail since 1999, he was awarded the 2018 PGA of America’s Bill Strausbaugh Award and has received many Section awards including Golf Professional of the Year, Player of the Year, Teacher of the Year, and Merchandiser of the Year. He was inducted into the Texas Golf Hall of Fame in 2019. Cameron is an accomplished player and enjoys sharing his passion for golf with the membership and staff. Over the past 22 years, he has focused on constantly improving the operation and service levels by quickly adapting to changes and developing the next generation of PGA professionals. GOLF PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP & DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM TRAINING GROUNDS Preston Trail Golf Club Cameron Doan, PGA Director of Golf Preston Trail Golf Club 15
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