As a collegiate golfer, David McQuade always wanted to be the best. While he racked up impressive results at Florida Southern College, he discovered he was not “that guy” and set his pursuit on becoming the best golf professional he could be. More than 40 years into his career, the PGA Master Professional has written a book geared toward helping other golf professionals further their careers through outstanding customer service.
McQuade (pictured) recently published “The Answer is YES! What Was the Question?”. It’s a book he was prompted to write after years of mentoring aspiring assistants and establishing himself at facilities like Florida’s Black Diamond Ranch, where he spends his winters as the PGA of America Director of Golf, and the Wilderness Club in Montana, where he is the PGA of America Head Professional through the summer season.
“The inspiration for the book came last summer, when I had a really great assistant professional who was very shy,” McQuade says. “We had a group of 12 golfers in from Canada at the start of the season, and I really enjoyed talking with them and getting to know them during their visit. That same group came back later in the season, and I asked what brought them back so soon. They said, ‘You guys.’ They loved the service we gave them.
“My assistant was standing there, and his eyes got so big. He realized that it wasn’t just about the golf, but about how we made the customer feel. And that’s when I decided to write the book – to help PGM students, general managers, every level of PGA of America Golf Professionals who are on the front line with customers.”
McQuade fills the book, which is subtitled “How to Deliver Remarkable Service in the Golf Industry,” with examples of interactions with golfers throughout his career. The goal is illustrating how a PGA of America Golf Professional can define and elevate the golf experience at all facility types. In a way, it mirrors his experience of becoming a PGA Master Professional in 2004.
“Anything I’ve done, I’ve always wanted to be the best – and when I learned about the PGA Master Professional designation, I decided I wanted to get to the top of the mountain,” McQuade explains. “My project was on golf car fleet management, and I’ve always been glad I achieved PGA Master Professional status. I’m always telling other professionals to go after it and see if they can bring out their best through the process.”
The highest certification a PGA of America Golf Professional can achieve is PGA Master Professional status. Since the program began in 1969, fewer than 490 men and women have earned status in this exclusive club of lifelong learning.
The PGA Master Professional program was recently updated as part of the PGA Certified Professional Program to provide additional support to those hoping to reach this rarified achievement. By becoming a PGA Certified Professional in one of the three PGA Career Paths – Executive Management, Golf Operations or Teaching & Coaching – and being employed in that career path for 10 years, an individual can apply for the PGA Master Professional program through the PGA Education department.
Once in the program, candidates will serve as a mentor to five PGA Certified Professionals while being assigned a mentor of their own from the roster of current PGA Master Professionals. With their mentor’s help, they’ll complete a project in their career path and present it to a review and evaluation team at the Home of the PGA of America in Frisco, Texas. Successful candidates will show that they understand the skills required to demonstrate mastery, can integrate and apply those skills in career path-specific environments and demonstrate day-to-day experience and expertise that validates their mastery.
Editor’s note: For more information about the PGA Master Professional Program, log on to PGA.org or email PGAMEMBEREDU@pgahq.com.