The Journey to Become a PGA Professional: The PGA Mentor Program Connects Students with PGA Coaches

14 years ago, an idea became a reality when Florida Gulf Coast University PGA Golf Management Assistant Director, Ms. Marty Hall, PGA, founded the PGA Mentor Program.

There’s no doubt that as one of the largest PGM programs in the country, Florida Gulf Coast University provides students with a myriad of opportunities to achieve success. The PGA Mentor Program at FGCU is an important initial step in the path to becoming a PGA Professional. It was created as a way to connect first-year students with PGA Professionals, but little did Ms. Hall know that years later, this program would be a whole lot more.

In September, FGCU hosted the Annual Mentor Program Kick-Off Event. 35 local PGA Mentors, and over 60 first-year students came together to network and learn about successfully navigating the industry. Approximately 85% of first-year students elect to participate each year in this voluntary program. 

The PGA Professionals who participate are some of the industry’s best, including many PGA National Award winners and top FGCU Program graduates. This year’s group included 2022 PGA Professional of the Year, Tom Wildenhaus, who has participated since the program’s inception. 

“It’s truly special to see our area PGA Professionals, including many program alumni, wanting to give back to the program,” said Ms. Hall. “Their participation inspires current students and gives them a lot of hope to succeed in the future.”

Most PGA Mentors are assigned two students, which makes having a mentor less intimidating. Each student has a classmate to accompany them on facility visits, and as an added benefit, this arrangement fosters new friends in the program. The mentors provide valuable coaching on the skills and characteristics needed for industry success. Students can expect to improve their interviewing and resume writing, have the opportunity to shadow and receive golf instruction and even cover topics such as merchandising, budgeting, golf cart fleet management, and tournament operations with their mentors.  

For first-year students Sammie Spach and Leonie Wulfers, the mentor program far exceeded their expectations. On Wednesday, September 28, Hurricane Ian made landfall, devastating Southwest Florida. Melissa Hatten, PGA Head Golf Professional at Pelican’s Nest Golf Club, and a first-time mentor in the program, welcomed Sammie and Leonie into her home and provided them a safe place to stay.

 “I was in touch with my mentees as Hurricane Ian approached and they were getting evacuated out of the dorm into a shelter,” said Hatten. “My husband and I are very blessed with plenty of room to invite them to come hunker down with us during the Hurricane. We bonded over the four days that they stayed at the house and it was fun to get to know them better.  By staying with us, I think it made a tough situation a little better for them. I went to college in another state from my family, so I can understand the uncertainty of the situation and hopefully we provided both of them and their parents some piece of mind during the ordeal. My life goal is to make a difference, and I feel that I truly have an incredible opportunity to make a difference in the lives of my mentees through my experiences in this industry and life in general. My hope is that they will pay it forward at some point in their career and lives.”

 “As an international student from Germany, it meant so much to me that Melissa offered us to stay at her house,” said Wulfers. “It was my first time experiencing a hurricane, but Melissa and her husband welcomed us into her home and made us feel safe. I am so grateful to have Melissa as my mentor. There are no words to describe how thankful I am to be able to spend a tough week with her, her husband, and my friend Sammie. Having Melissa as my mentor was the best thing that happened to me in my college career so far. I’m so excited for what’s to come and all that I will learn from her.”

As a student who also participates in the PGA Mentor program, I have made countless connections and gleaned tremendous insights on what it takes to succeed in the golf industry. My mentor, Kelsey Fallisch, PGA, is a graduate of the FGCU PGA Golf Management program and is the First Assistant Golf Professional at Spring Run Golf Club in Bonita Springs, Florida. What started as a formal mentor pairing my freshman year, has grown into a friendship that will last a lifetime.

Like Melissa, Kelsey, and the countless other dedicated PGA Professionals who go out of their way to guide and inspire students, and inspires me to pay it forward when I become a PGA Professional.