Randy Smith

Head Professional

Vancouver Golf Club

Coquitlam, BC

Learning from the Best

Want to become a top of the line golf professional?

Then learn from the best.

Randy Smith has been blessed with some of the best mentors in the business.

Let’s start with George Knudson, Al Balding and Moe Norman.

Smith, head professional at Vancouver Golf Club in Coquitlam, B.C., met the three golfing icons on his way up in the business, and they left an indelible imprint on his career – along with others.

The Stouffville, Ontario, native caddied for Knudson, the Hall of Famer, and best touring pro Canada ever produced until Mike Weir came around.

“He [Knudson] taught me the technical side of the swing,” says Smith.

While working as an assistant at Credit Valley Golf Club in Mississauga, Ontario, Smith always ran into Balding, the first-ever Canadian winner on the tour, while out on the range.

“He taught me how to apply a focused practice session. To practice until you got it.”

While working as an assistant at Beacon Hall in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Smith would run into Norman, perhaps golf’s greatest shotmaker.

“He would talk about feeling, and how psychology plays a part,” says Smith of the eccentric Norman.

Smith still applies the Norman philosophy on the golf swing when he’s teaching members at Vancouver Club: “Bad thinking hurts golf more than bad swinging.”

Smith hopscotched from Toronto Golf Club to Beacon Hall and Credit Valley before grabbing his dream job – head professional at Vancouver Club, celebrating its 100th anniversary this season.

With a huge membership of nearly 800 golfers, and over 40,000 rounds played each year, Smith has to be on his toes to keep everyone happy.

Giving great customer service is what being a good pro is all about, he says, something he learned from Phil Hardy, headman at Beacon Hall, and another Smith mentor.

Smith insists that Vancouver is not a “country club,” but a real players’ club. It sports one of the best one-day pro-ams in the country, plus a great member-guest. There are 150 junior members, and Smith came up with the idea of creating two $1000 scholarships for juniors who meet the criteria.

Smith is passionate about instructing, something he instills in his staff in the pro shop. Bringing all the elements he learned from the best makes his job that much easier.

So does his commitment to TaylorMade products.

He’s been with the company for six years and liked the product line from the get-go. He thinks the good clean lines of the R9 driver make it one of his favourite clubs. He says how a club looks is so important to players.

“You have to be able to look down and have instant confidence in it,” he says.

From Ontario, Smith worked at Capilano and Whistler Golf Clubs before settling in at Vancouver.

He credits Gerry Chatelain at Capilano with helping him polish his professional image.

Smith will play a big part in the club’s 100th anniversary this season, and can’t wait for an Open House being held on June 26th of 2010. A special book to commemorate the event will be given out to all members.

Comments:

The comments are closed.