Here’s a good golf story to begin the year with. It’s about Jane Broderick, who is probably the top female PGA and LPGA professional with the most responsibility at any golf facility in the country.

Jane Broderick

Jane’s job at PGA National is a big one! PGA National – located 20 minutes from the Palm Beach, Fla., airport, is one of the largest and busiest golf resorts in the U.S. The resort hosts the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic on its outstanding Championship Course. (The Honda Classic comes to PGA National March 1-7, 2010.) On a busy day in January at PGA National, about 1,000 golfers will head out to play on one of the resort’s five courses. In 2008, over 140,000 rounds were played.

Jane has been a part of PGA National’s golf operations for over 25 years. Beginning in 1986 with the job of moving golf carts and bags, she has held eight different increasingly important positions and currently holds the senior executive position of Director of Golf Operations. Recently she was honored with an invitation to join the PGA of America’s President’s Council for Growing the Game and was also named “Professional of the Year” by the LPGA Southeast Division.

I first met Jane in 1986, a few years after my husband and I purchased a home at PGA National and became golf members of the club. Because I am so impressed with her ability, I asked for a formal interview so that I could share her background and accomplishments with others. I am sure you will find her story amazing.

Q. Jane, let’s start at the beginning. Where were you born and tell us a little bit about your family?

I was born in Johnstown, New York, which is located in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains approximately 40 miles northwest of Albany. My dad hails from Scotland and my mom was born and raised in Johnstown. My parents have been married 54 years. I am the middle child of three with an older brother, Jim, and a younger brother, Scot.

Q. How did you become interested in golf?

My earliest memory of golf is playing with my mom at a local par-3 when I was about eight years old. My mom learned to play golf as a young woman and she was pretty good. She and my dad golfed regularly when they were first married. But like many moms, just taking care of her family took up most of her time. While we were growing up, my mom played an occasional round at the local par-3 – usually dragging one of us in tow.

Q. So, would you say that your golf career began at eight as a junior golfer?

No. Not at all. I had no junior golf career. My first love was skiing, which I began at the age of two and then racing at the age of seven. In high school, in addition to skiing, I was on the tennis and track teams. Golf was really not a part of my life then.

I was very serious about skiing. After high school, I took time off from college to live and train in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. I was ranked nationally and internationally in slalom, giant slalom and downhill. But, I realized that there were limited career opportunities as a skier and I didn’t want to be a “ski-bum.” So, I decided to head back to college – on the fast track.

Q. From ski slopes to golf fairways: How did that happen?

In 1985, during my last semester of college, my mom had a heart attack. To help her recovery, I decided she should get some more exercise. So, I suggested we play golf together. To my surprise, after a few rounds, I was hooked on golf.

I probably should add that my mom recovered quite well from her heart problems. She is now 80, is a breast cancer survivor and can still hit 200 yards off the tee.

Q. What led you to think about a career as a golf professional?

My mom knew of a good teaching professional, Pat Palmieri, who owned a nine-hole course near our home. I think that I was the only young girl he ever worked with and he really treated me like a daughter. Pat was the one who planted the seed that I should consider a career in golf. – maybe even on the Tour. Pat was the only person to assist me with my swing. The key to Pat’s swing was tempo. And that is still the key to my swing. I’ve never been a long hitter, but I am usually consistent, and I developed a good practice ethic.

Q. And then what brought you down to PGA National?

In 1986, Pat suggested that I spend the winter in Florida and get a job at PGA National and see where it took me. PGA National was just a few years old then and was the new home of the PGA of America.

It wasn’t easy getting a job at PGA. At the time, I had a passion for golf, but I did not have any experience at a golf facility on my resume.

Persistence is what made it happen. I had sent my resume to Bill Hobbs, who was the head professional. After repeated telephone calls and follow-up letters, I was not getting a response. So, I simply walked into the golf shop and asked to speak to Mr. Hobbs. He happened to be standing behind the counter, extended a hand and said, “I was just about to call you. When can you start?”

I simply jumped into the golf business with both feet. I decided to become a PGA professional. It had only been 10 years since the PGA had begun to admit women to their membership so I was one of very few women in the program. I passed the required Playing Ability Test and entered the PGA’s Apprentice program. Four years later I was elected to membership. I also decided to become a LPGA Professional and became an LPGA member in 1994.

Q. Why did you go through both the PGA and LPGA certification programs?

I believed that both organizations were very credible in their own right and that the double certification would benefit me greatly. The PGA was my first choice because their education program on the business side of golf is outstanding. The LPGA is very good at teaching teachers how to teach, but especially at that time, did not focus a great deal on the business end of things. Working through both programs gave me the best education for all aspects of the business.

Q. Describe your typical day at PGA National?

Each and every day is different, given the type of activity we may have. As Director of Golf, I supervise over 100 employees, and I have a fair number of meetings and rely a great deal on the staff to carry the daily load. But my ideal day consists of an early arrival, checking in on the various areas: golf shop, outside ops, academy, range, and speaking to members and guests, and then to my office to complete behind the scene operational tasks – budgets, rates, tee-sheet management, program development, just to name a few.

Then out to support the staff wherever necessary. It’s all about having a good team. We have a world-class group of staff members who work together well, have a great deal of passion and pride, and are some of the most talented people I have ever met. No challenge is too great and no detail is too small.

Q. What are your observations about the golf resort industry?

The resort business has had its peaks and valleys and always will. The 2000-2001 season was a very good one, but then we saw a downturn in our conference business as corporations were forced to cut back on expenses. We had to learn to adapt and to be responsive to the marketplace by attracting golfers with competitive rates and creating opportunities for ancillary spending. Fortunately, we have not been as affected by the economy as many other golf resorts. We have some great packages and promotions in the marketplace now and we are seeing a great response.

Q. PGA National is both a resort and a club for “members.” How does that work out?

PGA National is a unique facility. We have a very strong and active membership. Our members are the backbone of the facility and the reason we are as successful as we are.

For years we were known as a resort with a membership, but we have turned the tide to being known as a private club with resort amenities. We have 1,160 full golf memberships that equates to approximately 2,000 golfing members. That is our focus; that is the strength of PGA National. In this down economy, we continue to sell memberships in all categories: full Golf, Social, Sports.

Q. The PGA Tour’s Honda Classic must be good for business. What’s your role in that?

Having the tour players on site is a great compliment to us and we feel very lucky to be part of it. In addition, we play host to the various pro-ams associated with the Honda, all the corporate sponsor play, and for the last two years have hosted the PGA Tour Wives event that is their largest annual fund-raiser. But, it is challenging for us because, at the same time, we keep our other four courses in full operation along with all of our practice facilities for our members.

It’s a 100-plus-hour work week for key golf staff folks, but it’s worth every minute of lost sleep. We enjoy it immensely. This coming tournament – March 1 through March 7 – will be very special because last year’s Honda Classic winner, Y.E.Yang, recently won the prestigious PGA Championship. Having the defending champion of the Honda also be a major championship winner can only bolster the already awesome field.

Q. PGA has outstanding programs for two segments that many facilities find hard to attract: Women and juniors. How do you explain your success in those segments?

Making golf attractive for women and juniors is all about making them feel welcome and offering opportunities for them to learn in a non-threatening environment. One of our most successful programs for women is our Girls, Giggles and Golf. It is comprised of a 30-minute clinic, three to four holes of golf, and wine and cheese. We charge $15 and seek to attract non-golfing members in an attempt to get them to enter the game. We had hoped to have 10-12 on a weekly basis, and we’ve had a steady 30-40 attendees each week. It’s a very social, fun environment, and the ladies love it.

Our junior program has always been successful, and even with a complete overhaul this summer, we’ve seen the success increase. Through our David Leadbetter Golf Academy, we now offer a two-tiered program: One for the serious, aspiring golfer (championship tees) and one for the younger kids or those just taking up the game (forward tees). Along with enrollment in either program, the kids receive a summer membership giving them access to play every day.

Q. You have recently won some major honors. It’s okay to brag a little.

Being named to the PGA of American’s President’s Council on Growing the Game is truly an honor. The PGA President’s Council on Growing the Game is a tremendous source of pride and strength for the PGA of America. The designation identifies and recognizes PGA members who are leaders in promoting player development programs at their facility. I also received the LPGA “Professional of the Year” award for the Southeast Section. But the honors are really made possible because of the fact that I work at a tremendous facility, I work for a tremendous general manager, Joel Paige, and outstanding owners, and we have a team of very dedicated professionals always willing to put forth 110%.

Q. I know you are always focused on the next step. What’s on your agenda now?

My main area of interest to increase my knowledge is working through some online agronomy courses. I know a fair amount about golf course maintenance, but I’d like to expand that knowledge moving forward. Golf professionals and superintendents are diametrically opposed. By that I mean, the professional wants to put people on the course and the superintendent inherently wants the course empty to grow grass and do the required work. Having a better understanding of what needs to take place to keep courses in great condition will help me balance both objectives.

Q. When you are not working or golfing, what do you like to do?

When I am not working, I enjoy physical fitness. My newest challenge is Boot Camp workouts over at our fitness center with Ken McDonald. And I like biking, stand-up paddle boarding (a surf board on steroids that you stand on and with a long paddle, paddle it like a canoe) snow skiing (of course) and house projects . . . laying wood floors, tile, painting. It may take me more than one trip to Home Depot, but I can get it done.

Golf? Yes. Golf on a Sunday afternoon is routinely on the agenda. I usually play off-site for a bit of busman’s holiday. It also gives me the opportunity to see how other clubs operate and to make sure that PGA National remains a top golf resort.

Q. What accomplishments stand out as you look back on your career at PGA?

I’ve mentioned my awards and the business side. But I want to answer this on a personal level. My greatest accomplishment is my son, Will, who is eight and thinks he is a cross between Tiger Woods, Brett Favre and the lead singer for a rock band.

My parents were and are tremendous role models, not only for my brothers and I to look up to when we were young, but for us now that we are parents ourselves. They set the bar very high for me as a parent, and I try my best every day to be a good mom, and I often find myself comparing myself as a parent to my parents. I want Will to do great things and have great things, but more importantly, I want him to know what a hard days work is, to be respectful, compassionate, well mannered, and to be appreciative.

Q. If Will told you he wants to be a golf professional what would you say?

If Will told me he wants to be a golf professional I would tell him it’s a great deal of work, but it can be very rewarding and an awful lot of fun. I remind Will on a regular basis that he can be whatever he sets out to be, but no matter what that is, to be the best, you have to work harder than anyone else.

Nancy’s Update on Women in Professional Golf

In my opinion, Jane is part of a small group of female PGA professionals (many have LPGA certification also) that could be tapped to join the top ranks of the PGA of America. Shamefully, for many years, no women served on the PGA of America’s Board of Directors – the governing body of the PGA.

But, there are some signs of change. Recently, Suzy Whaley became the second woman to join the Board. Suzy was elected from her Connecticut PGA division – quite an honor in itself since she was elected from the 141-member (mostly male) Connecticut division. Suzy joins Sue Fiscoe on the Board. Sue is from Modesto, Calif., and was elected from her PGA Division.

To put this in more context: The PGA Board of Directors is composed of the association’s President, Vice President, Secretary, Honorary President and 17 Directors. The directors include representatives from each of the PGA’s 14 Districts, two Independent Directors and a Player Director of the PGA Tour. With Suzy and Sue on the Board, there are now two women out of the 17 positions. More context: There are about 900 female PGA Professionals out the 27,000 PGA Professionals.

As I have commented in other articles, the PGA of America professionals are the gatekeepers of the game. They let people in to the golf courses; they are the welcoming committee – if there is one. Maybe the PGA is coming to realize that they can’t grow the game with player programs like “Get Golf Ready” without growing the game with more women professionals at all ranks in their organization. And maybe the PGA will also realize that their training and apprentice programs need to include specific training about specific segments like women golfers.

Nancy Berkley

1-8-2010 – The Tiger Woods rumors are rolling faster than the greens at Augusta. The one about his being flown to Phoenix to have his broken teeth repaired and plastic surgery on his 9-iron facial wounds at least is a plausible explanation for his public disappearance. And now a four-year-old image of Tiger on the new Vanity Fair cover taken by the famous photographer, Annie Leibovitz, compounds the damage to his brand image.

In my opinion, Tiger has been poorly managed since Thanksgiving. Tiger needed “crisis-managers” not just good sports agents. Professional crisis-managers know that a quick response and honesty is almost always the best way to maintain a brand’s image whether we are talking Nestlé’s contaminated chocolate cookie dough, Fisher-Price children’s toys with toxic paints, recalls on auto parts or David Letterman’s extramarital affairs.

On point, my sources tell me that Nike, who maintains a staff of crisis managers, offered to send their very best to help out Tiger’s agents. But Nike’s offer was refused. If that is true, it was a mistake.

The strongest brands, including celebrity-brands, are as fragile as they are strong. And celebrities may be the most vulnerable simply because they are human beings with egos and emotions subject to extreme hubris and over-confidence.

Behind closed doors, I’m sure a plan is being written. Barbara Walters, Katie Couric and Oprah are probably in a bidding war over the interview. The marriage may end – or it may not. Tiger will come forward with Elin or without her. He will make a rehabilitating statement and explanation that’s probably being edited and re-edited as I write this.

And young girls need role models, too. One female colleague told me that she was truly hoping that Elin acts very tough so that we will finally have a good role model instead of all these famous women who “stand by” their philandering husbands!

Put in context, this story is not so surprising. Half of all marriages end in divorce, domestic violence remains prevalent and a majority of ads on men’s golf tournaments are about sexual performance. It’s hard to include the kids on weekend TV golf unless parents are prepared to explain erections or why mommy and daddy are in bathtubs on the beach. (Why Eli Lily and Company, the pharmaceutical company that manufactures Evista, a drug that is used by women for both osteoporosis and breast cancer, is not a sponsor of any LPGA event is still a mystery to me.)

Whatever the Tiger-rehab script is, there will be winners and losers. The public’s response will probably be tentative but Americans give second-chances. When Tiger plays his next golf tournament, someone in the gallery will shout “Shame on you” and another will shout “Shut-up”.

But another big loser in this story is the PGA Tour and what they should be doing about it. That’s my real focus. The Tiger episode should be a wake up call for the PGA Tour. Fame is fleeting and putting all of your eggs in one basket even if lined with a Tiger, is risky for the sport. And, I hope Michael Whan, the new Commissioner of the LPGA is listening also.

Televised tournament golf is critical to the golf industry. TV golf builds fans, fans become golfers, golfers take lessons, buy clubs, balls, clothes, and pay greens fees and golf clubs and courses and resorts stay in business and houses on golf courses find buyers. If the cycle stalls out, golf may end up as what one reporter suggested as just a “niche sport” — maybe like ice-skating or professional bowling.

As I see it, the PGA Tour is basically old-fashioned television broadcasting. Through a series of steps begun in 1968, the PGA professionals who played tournament golf separated themselves from the PGA of America organization. By 1975, the “PGA Tour” as we know it today was in place.

Since 1962 when Shell Oil started televising Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf, watching a tournament on TV is just about the same. After almost half a century; isn’t it time for a change?

Blame for the decline in golf rounds and revenues has been laid at the feet of many groups within the industry, but the Tour has basically evaded criticism. (As has the PGA of America.)

Take a trip on YouTube.com and watch and listen to a Shell-sponsored tournament televised decades ago. In fact, in the early days of Shell’s coverage, the golfers’ conversations among themselves were recorded on microphones so viewers felt like they were walking with the foursome. Imagine that! Fifty years ago.

Oh yes, there have been some improvements since 1962. We now have better color TV, more cameras up in trees, a blimp, better sound devices that capture the sound of a club striking the ball, and more graphics that show the path of a rolling golf ball.

But, am I the only one tired of the boy-banter and Johnny Miller’s voice in the booth? Do most viewers really know what a “hosel” is and why the grass “catches” it? Who are those guys in the booth talking to? My answer is: the elite, low handicap golfer and not the broad millions of potential golfers.

In my opinion that’s why viewers are only really interested in watching the PGA Tour on TV if there is a real “star” and they are guaranteed some thrilling events. The Tour got lucky with Tiger. (And the LPGA Tour may get lucky with Michelle Wie.) And that’s why the PGA ratings will fall if Tiger isn’t playing. Why else watch it?

Tim Finchem, the current Commissioner of the Tour, knows something is amiss. In December, in a post-Tiger-trauma interview following a diversion tactic, he announced that Sony and the Tour were going to present something new – 3D television of the matches. But that won’t happen for a year or so.

I am glad that the technological side of a golf tournament will improve, but I think Finchem should instead be putting the most creative TV minds they can muster in a room for a brain-storming session. Tell them they must think outside the box. When NFL football decided to try Dennis Miller in the booth, it was a bomb. But that’s because of Dennis Miller, not because new ideas can’t work.

Here are some suggestions: They are sketchy and just intended to get the juices flowing – in some cases with a touch of humor. Some suggestions in fact, have appeared and do appear on the Golf Channel, but that audience is already made up of committed golfers. If the Tour wants to grow the game – and it should – it has to realize that it has to convince a weekend TV fan – male, female, baby boomer or junior — who may never have played golf to fall in love with the game and take it up.

So: Here’s my list of seven new ideas.

(1) Think of a PGA Tour event as a call-in show. Call it “Tim Finchem Live” and put him in suspenders. (Maybe “John Daly Live” would bring a bigger audience.) Let viewers call in with questions. The Golf Channel uses that technique very well on lots of their shows.

(2) Think of the tournament itself as a golf instruction experience. For example: Show three swings – let viewers call in and vote for the swing they like best – let the guys and gals in the booth talk about the viewers reactions. Maybe it’s the American Golf Idol, but that idea seems to have worked for one network. (And I haven’t even considered how I-phone and Smart Phone Apps could fit into the picture.)

(3) If you have to talk about hosels – get some good graphics out on the screen.

(4) Talk about how women would play this course. (Or vice-versa if it’s an LPGA tournament.) Where would the tees be? How would they play it differently? Fortunately in 2014, the USGA Women’s Open and the Men’s Open will be on the same course, so comparisons will have to be made.

As the situation exists now, many women viewing TV golf think that only men can play this game. Last time I looked at the statistics, women were an increasing audience for televised golf.

(5) Fund young golfers who cannot afford to play in the junior golf circuit. I’m talking serious funding – the type of funding that breeds Olympic stars. (Junior Korean golfers get sponsor funding at very young ages.)

I get calls often from parents of junior golfers who cannot afford to travel to the tournaments that must be played for a junior golfer to advance through the ranks. They ask me where to go for financial assistance. Except for some money available through USGA grants, there are few options. The Tour needs to be a leader in driving funds to gifted young golfers who lack financial resources.

(6) Personalize the golfers. They are now automatons – robots with swings that can be digitized for easy viewing. But all golfers – like all people — have stories to tell. Whenever I interview golfers for a piece I am writing, I am always amazed at what I hear and learn.

See my interview of Jane Broderick on www.cybergolf.com. Jane is a PGA and LPGA Professional and is the Director of Golf at PGA National Resort and Spa. She probably has the biggest resort management position in the country. She began as a skier and ended up as a golfer because she helped her mother rehabilitate herself after a heart attack through golf. It’s nice to see a golfer’s swing in slow motion on the TV screen, but sometimes it’s even better to understand their mind and heart.

(7) Finally and to me most important – the case must be made that, as I say it, “Golf is Good for You.” The Tour should be funding a good, scientifically valid study that establishes that golf is healthy regardless of the skill level of the golfer. Recently a study was published in Sweden that reported that golfers live five years longer than non-golfers. It’s easy to say, “Well, that’s Sweden; they walk all the time and live healthy lives.”

But, I firmly believe that regular golf – at whatever level it is played – is healthy. It is not about the performance and how far you can hit the ball or cardiac fitness itself. It is about flexibility, posture and balance. I believe that playing golf reinforces those elements as we age – regardless of how big the swing or how strong the body. The lack of interest in the health issue among golf associations and manufacturers troubles me. It is shortsighted.

So – I began with Tiger and I’m ending with new ideas for the Tour. Let’s see if Tiger’s problems have triggered the Tour to end it’s reliance on a super star and turn its attention to innovating the television format itself and funding some of the critical needs I mentioned above.

I’m hoping Tiger turns out to be the tipping point that changes televised golf and ironically grows the game.

__________________________

About Nancy Berkley – www.nancyberkley.com
Nancy Berkley, President of Berkley Golf Consulting, is a contributor to cybergolf.com and to www.ladiesgolfjourney.com. She is an expert on women’s golf and junior girl’s golf. Her book, Women Welcome Here! A Guide to Growing Women’s Golf, published by the National Golf Foundation, is an industry reference on marketing golf to women. She is a resource for golf-industry trends and marketing advice on her website www.nancyberkley.com. She is also the author of the NGF Publication: Insider’s Guide to Careers in the Golf Industry. She was a contributing editor of Golf for Women magazine and a founding advisor of Golfer Girl Magazine. Her interviews with women in the golf industry now appear on her new site: www.golfergirlcareers.com. Nancy also provides a Help Line on her website for those seeking marketing advice in the golf industry. Nancy lives in Palm Beach Gardens, FL and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, Harvard and Rutgers Law School. She describes herself as a good bogey golfer with permanent potential.