Tragic Accident in 2015
Paris’ emotions and mettle were severely tested in January of 2015 when Plainfield Country Club Director of Instruction Wes Mensing was tragically struck by a car and killed while crossing a street in Manhattan, New York, while holding hands with his girlfriend (who survived the accident). Paris had hired Mensing, 27, a product of Methodist University’s PGA Golf Management University Program, just one year earlier to handle the increased demand for lessons at Plainfield, and in one year Mensing had doubled instruction hours.
“We endured a massive tragedy when Wes was struck and killed as a pedestrian in New York City,” admits Paris, who organized a Celebration of Life in Mensing’s honor.
“Wes came to us after training with Jim McLean at his golf schools. He was voted one of the top young instructors under 40 in America and had his whole life and career ahead of him,” says Paris. “Again, my staff, our membership and I were in shock. The PCC Officers, PGA Professional Mike Conley and I created a plan to help the family and I managed the media stuff. I was so proud and appreciative of the PCC family for their support.
“The event was so difficult, but provided all of us closure and a deep appreciation for the time we had with Wes. I still think of him every time I enter our Performance Center and see his memorial plaque.”
From Skiing to Golf
Growing up in Avon, Connecticut, Paris played several sports in high school and was particularly enamored with skiing. In fact, after earning a degree in business administration at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, Paris and a group of friends moved to Aspen, Colorado, and spent the winter teaching skiing, tuning skis and ski racing in the town league.
“My parents introduced us to skiing as kids and it was a special part of our upbringing in New England,” says Paris, a lifelong Red Sox fan. “In high school, I was introduced to ski racing and a great coach who inspired us. I raced competitively in high school, college and one year in Colorado. I always knew where my parents were on the slopes during my races. I didn’t realize it at the time, but my career in hospitality and coaching started that winter in Colorado.”
Paris discovered golf and loved the game after playing with his father, Bill, in high school and then polishing his game at Bucknell, where he competed on the men’s golf team as a junior and senior. Scott’s mother Bethel was an avid skier and had Paris on the slopes in junior high school, which led to his pursuit of ski racing. But eventually, fairways and greens won out over the downhill and slalom.
“After a year of working and skiing in Colorado, my passion for golf kicked in and I knew I wanted to make it my livelihood,” admits Paris. “We still ski together as a family during golf’s off-season, so I didn’t give up skiing. But golf is my profession and what I have been devoted to for the past 30-plus years. I didn’t play competitive golf in high school. I originally got excited about the game in my mid-to-late teens, and got into a routine playing with my dad or friends several evenings per week.”
Initial Job in Golf
Paris’s first job in golf was with clubmaker John Wheatley at age 20 while the 2025 PGA of America Golf Professional of the Year was attending Bucknell. Then, Paris was driving with friends past venerable Aronimink Golf Club in Newton Square, Pennsylvania, one day and told the driver to pull into the entrance. Almost miraculously, he was hired as an assistant professional at Aronimink a few months later and his education toward becoming a well-rounded PGA of America Golf Professional was in full swing.
“The first time I drove past Aronimink, I knew I wanted to be at a place like that and was fortunate to get hired a few months later,” notes Paris. “I knew golf would be my career once I started working at Aronimink in the early 1990s. I loved the culture, people and the incredible golf course architecture. I looked up to and learned a lot about golf operations from PGA Head Professional James Masserio and First Assistant James Mancill. I became quite active in the Philadelphia PGA Section Assistants Association, and got to meet many great Head Professionals in the Section and around the country.”
Early in his career, while learning all aspects of the golf business, Paris was impacted by lessons with PGA of America Professional Mitchell Spearman, who explained cause and effect, and utilized video analysis for the first time. He had taken a few lessons from Walt Lowell, PGA, at Canton Public Golf Course in Connecticut as a teen to master the fundamentals of the golf swing. Years later, he spent considerable time with instruction guru Simon Holmes, who played a significant role in the careers of Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Robert Karlsson, Suzann Petterson, Jay Sigel and several other elite players. Holmes not only kept Paris’ game tuned up, but planted the seeds that inspired Paris to become an exemplary teacher of the game.
“My time with Simon Holmes drove my passion to teach. He had a profound impact on my development as a player, teacher and presenter,” admits Paris.
Subscribing to the conviction of “always leaving things better than he found them,” and “What can we improve today?”, Paris was hired as the PGA of America Head Professional at Plainfield Country Club in Edison, New Jersey, in 1997.
“For the first time, I was overseeing an entire golf operation and had to continue to develop as a leader,” reflects Paris. “Hiring, training, motivating, scheduling and leading by example were critical. As a team, we took a fresh look at every aspect of the operation and looked at how we could make things better across the board. Teaching and coaching was immediately prioritized, and instruction hours quadrupled from 1997 to 2015, and we introduced new programs for every segment of the membership.”
First COO at Plainfield
Paris’ dedication to team objectives and his exemplary communication skills quickly led to his promotion to PGA Director of Golf, and in 2018 he became Plainfield Country Club’s first Chief Operating Officer.
“In 2018, our Board of Trustees knew we had a long list of capital projects ahead of us and some departments that needed to improve,” says Paris. “They felt like they needed an employee overseeing each of the department heads instead of having them report up to committee chairs. That would allow the board to focus on strategic planning while the team focused on operations. They decided I should be that person (COO).
“My primary responsibility was to hire talented managers, get them acclimated, help them shape clear objectives, provide the resources they needed to be successful and hold them accountable. It has been an honor to work with and learn from each of them.”
Since being elected to PGA of America Membership more than 30 years ago (in 1994), Paris has consistently and honorably served the Philadelphia and New Jersey PGA Sections, as well as numerous other charities and golf organizations. He has served on or chaired more than 10 committees in the New Jersey Section and has served as an officer, board member or committee chair since 2003.
While serving on the New Jersey PGA Board and as an officer, his commitment to pursuing constant improvement is underscored by the Section breaking ground on new NJPGA and New Jersey Golf Foundation home offices, which ended the Section’s need to rent space. Relations between the New Jersey PGA and other District 2 Sections (the Metropolitan and Philadelphia PGA) were also improved significantly.
Effective time management has allowed Paris to continue his love of playing the game, a love that was developed in college when he walked on at Bucknell. He played in several mini-tour events after college before devoting his career to performing as a PGA of America Professional at a high level. In addition to competing in the 2019 U.S. Senior Open, Paris qualified for the 2019, 2021 and 2024 Senior PGA Professional Championship, the 2015 PGA Professional Championship, and in his younger years advanced to U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying in 2005 and 2011.
“I still enjoy playing the game and try to keep myself in good physical fitness so I can play effectively,” says Paris.
“In my opinion, playing golf is paramount if you’re in the golf business.”
