Jeremy Beck, PGA,Chief Operating Officer, GOLFTEC;CJ Perry, PGA,Regional Marketing Manager, GOLFTEC,Denver, Colorado
When PGA of America Professionals Jeremy Beck and CJ Perry talk about their careers, the conversation inevitably circles back to Ferris State University. They’re proud alumni of the pioneering PGA Golf Management University Program and still trade regular updates on the school’s ongoing football and ice hockey success.
Today, Beck is Chief Operating Officer for GOLFTEC, overseeing more than 260 locations worldwide. Perry is the company’s Regional Marketing Manager, guiding local marketing strategy for 179 training centers from GOLFTEC headquarters in Denver. Together, they represent two distinct career arcs born from the same foundation – and proof that Ferris State’s mix of golf operations training and business education can open doors far beyond the traditional green-grass setting.
After graduating 27 years ago and joining GOLFTEC, Beck made recruiting at Ferris State a pillar of his best practices, visiting annually for a decade to present to students, hire interns and interview graduates.
“We’re proud to have more than 50 Ferris alumni at GOLFTEC today,” he says. “It’s fun to see those careers grow. We have alums ranging from franchise owners to VPs of business divisions, and dozens of award-winning coaches.”
As a student, Beck’s 1997 internship at English Turn Golf & Country Club in New Orleans was a “turning point.” There, the late Tommy Moore used video swing analysis and laminated Golf Digest swing sequences to compare students’ motions to the world’s best players in real time.
“I remember thinking, ‘How have I taken this many lessons and never seen my swing next to the best players?’” That early exposure planted the seed for GOLFTEC’s fact-based teaching model.
Another pivotal moment came in 1999, when PGA of America Professional and GOLFTEC CEO Joe Assell visited Ferris State to pitch a bold idea: indoor, technology-driven golf instruction.
“That seminar changed my career,” Beck says. “It was a risk to join, but one worth taking.”
Perry’s path began when Beck recruited him to GOLFTEC. He worked in events, coached, managed centers and eventually transitioned into corporate marketing. He credits Ferris for pairing golf-specific instruction with a business marketing degree.
“You’re not just learning the golf side – you’re in accounting and marketing classes, too. That combination prepared me for this role,” Perry explains.
For PGA of America Professionals eyeing a corporate path, Perry notes that many on-course skills transfer directly: analyzing performance data, public speaking and presenting to groups, and providing exceptional customer service.
For Beck, leadership comes down to consistency and communication. “People want to know what to expect from you – your energy, your attitude, how you show up every day,” he says. “That builds trust across the organization.
“Communication is a lifelong practice. It’s listening as much as talking – really listening – to understand what’s being asked of you, and then doing the same for the people you lead. Twenty-seven years into my career, I’m still learning. When you truly hear others, the solutions you create are stronger and more effective.”
Beck also believes good ideas can come from anywhere, which requires treating everyone equally so they feel empowered to speak up.
Though their departments differ, Beck and Perry collaborate often. “If we’re opening or closing a center, Jeremy provides the operational picture – staffing, budgets, capacity,” Perry says. “From there, I build a marketing plan to match. It’s about aligning what’s happening in the field with how we communicate to the market.”
Editor’s note: This year marks the 50th anniversary of the PGA Golf Management University Program at Ferris State University – the first of its kind and a launching pad for thousands of golf professionals who have shaped the industry for half a century. Since its inception, the program has produced passionate, highly trained PGA of America Professionals who have left their mark across every corner of the game.
This month, we spotlight three Ferris State graduates whose careers embody the program’s impact – PGA of America Golf Professionals Jeffrey Beck, CJ Perry and Scott Wilson. Each brings a unique perspective, but all share the same foundation built at Ferris State in Big Rapids, Michigan.
