Rob Oosterhuis grew up around greatness. His father, Peter, competed in six Ryder Cups and played on what is now the DP World Tour before moving to the PGA TOUR. Young Rob traveled with his father during those final tour years, absorbing lessons about golf and life from within professional golf's highest levels.
But it wasn’t until his senior year at UCLA that Rob seriously considered becoming a golf professional. Those summers working at Nike Junior Golf Camps at Pebble Beach and Lake Tahoe had lit a fire in him for teaching and player development. By graduation, he knew the PGA of America was his path forward.
“Golf has been part of my life from the very beginning,” Oosterhuis recalls. “Watching my father transition from touring professional to PGA of America Golf Professional planted seeds for me, even though I didn't realize it at the time.”
Today, as general manager and COO of Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club in Boca Raton, Florida, Oosterhuis has discovered that his greatest professional insight came not from mastering what he knew best, but from embracing what he knew least.
Oosterhuis's PGA journey began at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Las Colinas in Irving, Texas, where he worked alongside a group of PGA of America Golf Professionals who would become lifelong mentors and friends. Paul Earnest, now general manager at Fields Ranch at PGA Frisco; Darrell Fuston, now general manager at Westwood Golf Club in Houston; Scott McClinton, director of golf at Chenal Country Club in Arkansas; and Chris Martinez, general manager at Costa Palmas Golf Club in Mexico, all provided unwavering support as he advanced through the PGA program.
After achieving PGA membership in 2003, Oosterhuis helped open a new Four Seasons Resort in Costa Rica. That role proved pivotal, introducing him to management responsibilities beyond golf operations. He oversaw golf maintenance, tennis and parts of food & beverage, while being heavily involved in the development and construction of the golf clubhouse.
“It opened my eyes to the importance of understanding every facet of club operations,” he explains.
From Costa Rica, Oosterhuis joined JC Golf in San Diego under John McNair, whom he describes as “one of the finest PGA of America Golf Professionals and business leaders in our industry.” McNair taught him the business side of golf while inspiring him to give back to the PGA of America through governance and volunteer leadership.
Later roles at Four Seasons in Santa Barbara and Sherwood Country Club continued to build his expertise. At Sherwood, he was part of four PGA TOUR Champions events and, in 2020, during the pandemic, the relocated ZOZO Championship. He also served two terms on the Southern California PGA Section Board of Directors.
But it was a mentor’s advice early in his career that would become his guiding principle: “Find the areas you don't know well and master them.” For Oosterhuis, that area was food and beverage.
“It’s the one area of a club every member interacts with,” he says. “Whatever else they do, everyone eventually comes in to eat and drink.”
At Royal Palm — founded in 1959 with Sam Snead as its first golf professional and featuring a golf course originally designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., later updated by Joe Lee and twice renovated by Jack Nicklaus — Oosterhuis put this philosophy into practice through his partnership with Assistant General Manager Briana Pestano.
Pestano was one of the first management hires Oosterhuis made after joining Royal Palm. Within a year, she had earned a promotion to AGM, today overseeing all of food and beverage, catering, communications, marketing, youth programming and IT.
“What I value most about Briana isn't just her technical expertise — it's the way she challenges me and makes me better,” Oosterhuis explains. “You need people who will give you honest, constructive feedback when you need it most.”
Their partnership operates on a foundation of mutual accountability and shared risk-taking. They’ve established a club mantra: “Let's fail together.” Rather than singling out individuals who put forth their best effort but fall short, they celebrate effort, learn from mistakes and move forward.
“Fear kills innovation, and I never want our team to be afraid to try something new,” Oosterhuis says. “Briana embodies that mindset, and she and her team consistently bring forward new ideas, from signature wine and culinary experiences to small touches that elevate everyday member interactions.”
This approach has transformed Royal Palm’s food and beverage operation into a standout amenity at the club, which features two clubhouses, a state-of-the-art wellness center, a 60-slip marina, racquets, croquet, bocce and an engaged membership.
The partnership also reflects another of their shared principles: whatever was good enough yesterday won't be good enough tomorrow.
“Progress matters more than perfection,” Oosterhuis notes. “That’s how you go from being good to being great — step by step, one improvement at a time. I won’t say we've reached greatness yet, but I will say we're making progress every day.”
For Oosterhuis, this philosophy extends beyond his relationship with Pestano to his entire leadership approach. Rather than surrounding himself only with people who excel in familiar areas, he actively seeks out expertise in his knowledge gaps.
“Leaders often talk about surrounding themselves with people who know more than they do, but I think it goes beyond that,” he says. “You need people who will serve as sounding boards, who will reframe situations and help you see them differently before making important decisions.”
This approach has served Oosterhuis well throughout his career progression from PGA of America Golf Professional to general manager and COO of one of Florida's premier private clubs. It’s a lesson that resonates particularly for PGA of America Golf Professionals managing the diverse operational demands of modern club management.
The private club world demands excellence across multiple areas — golf, food and beverage, member services, facilities management and more. Success requires not just technical competence but the wisdom to recognize limitations and build partnerships that address them.
“For me, leadership is about progress, perspective and people,” Oosterhuis reflects. “The PGA journey gave me the foundation, but the people I've worked with, like Briana and so many others, continue to shape my growth.”
As Royal Palm continues its evolution following the recent completion of its Jack Nicklaus renovation, Oosterhuis's commitment to mastering the unfamiliar while building strong partnerships provides a roadmap for sustained excellence.
His story demonstrates that sometimes the most valuable professional development comes not from perfecting existing strengths, but from having the courage to tackle weaknesses head-on — and finding the right people to help along the way.