Director of Golf & Athletics,Congressional Country Club,Bethesda, Maryland
When Jason Epstein was named the 2025 Bill Strausbaugh Award winner at January’s PGA Show, there was certainly some symmetry to have a Middle Atlantic PGA Section mainstay earning the honor named for a legendary figure in the Section’s history. And just as “Coach” Strausbaugh’s impact went well beyond the grounds of Columbia (Maryland) Country Club through his mentoring, the same goes for Epstein.
“From what I understand, Bill Strausbaugh was a great mentor because he was a great person,” says Epstein, the longtime PGA of America Director of Golf & Athletics at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. “The mentors I’ve had – like my grandfather, and Herb Wemberly at New Mexico State University – were like that. They wanted to share experiences in positive ways. I wanted to emulate them and their characteristics, and I approach mentoring in that same way.
“The effect we have on others is often far greater than we understand, and I’m very passionate about mentoring. I don’t want it to be transactional, or just training. It’s tapping into their talent and their wishes, and creating a pathway forward with your support.”
To that end, Epstein emphasizes a mentoring style that goes beyond what he calls “blocking and tackling” to include leadership and life outside of golf. Each week, he leads the Congressional staff in a learning meeting. The focus is not on the tasks associated with running one of the country’s best-known private clubs. Instead, the meetings include guests – from club members to outside experts in different fields – who educate the staff on topics from personal improvement to investing.
Epstein also has one-on-one meetings with each of his assistants and associates on a monthly cadence to talk about where they’re at in their PGA Education process and what’s going on in their lives outside of golf.
“I have six professionals going through the PGA Education program right now, and it takes a lot of their time, but it’s really meaningful helping them plan their way through it,” Epstein says. “When you have success it’s a fleeting moment, and then you’re on to the next thing. But those successes last a lifetime, and you build on them. You build on their strengths and make sure their weaknesses don’t hurt them.”
Epstein reminds his mentees that they are in a unique position at the beginning of their careers. As young professionals, the future is wide open and they have the chance to modify their skill set to move in the direction that most interests them. As they age, start families and bring on more responsibilities, they may not have the same freedom to approach their career choices as a blank canvas.
“The window of opportunity is wide open when you’re young, and then it closes a bit as you get older,” Epstein says. “So, let’s be intentional about that and take advantage of it. Expose them to everything, empower them to go in the direction that feels right and let that create the energy that drives them forward.”
Epstein says he’s never mentored two young professionals the same way, preferring flexibility in his approach to each person. He invests extra time in the hiring process to make sure he’s bringing in assistants and associates who fit Congressional’s staff, then works with them to plot a course for the future.
“My job is not to help them get certain jobs or advance their careers. My job is to make sure they are prepared to be successful,” Epstein says. “They happen to get great jobs because they have learned the traits and characteristics that transcend our business: navigating difficult situations, showing leadership, being good communicators, being prompt and courteous. You need to know how to run a tournament, but you also need all those other things in addition. If I can do that, then that’s the best time I can spend as a mentor.”