PROFILE
Title: Director of Instruction, Dubsdread Golf Course, Orlando, Florida.
Years as a PGA Professional: 8.
Top achievements / honors: Four-time North Florida PGA Player Development Award winner; three-time Operation 36 Top 50 Coach and Master Coach; Golf Range Association of America Top 100 Teacher.
SOCIAL MEDIA / ONLINE
Facebook: @DubsdreadGolfLearningCenter
Instagram: @dubsdread_golf_learning_center
Website: HistoricalDubsdread.com
TAP-INS
What app is a must-have on your phone? Too many to list one: Operation 36, Coach Now, V1 Pro.
What book(s) would you recommend? I got this recommendation from a great PGA member and teacher James Siekmann — "Talent is Overrated" by Geoff Colvin. James was right, it will change the way you teach and coach.
What podcasts would you recommend? Any podcast that will provide education growth. Lots to choose from.
Who is your favorite golfer? Tiger Woods.
What is your most memorable round of golf? Any round of golf with one of my best friends. No better way to spend time with them.
Q&A
The First Call: What made you want to pursue a career in golf?
Steve Brewer: Golf has has been my passion for 30 years. As a teacher and coach I just love being at the golf course every day. As I tell my students, "my worst day is most peoples' best day."
TFC: What is your favorite instructional tip to share with a golfer?
SB: There are many, but a mental tip I love share is "process over outcome" is the real pathway to productive practice and on-course performance.
TFC: What advice do you have for someone considering a career in golf?
SB: I get asked this a lot when I speak to individuals or groups of people aspiring to be teachers and coaches in the game of golf. I always tell them you must have a real passion for teaching and coaching. Understand that every student you see deserves your very best. You will make many sacrifices to work in golf, but if you truly love the game, it can be your life's most rewarding professional experience. Lastly, no matter how good you think you are as a teacher and coach, always look to continue learning how to improve.
TFC: What is the best advice you have received on your career path?
SB: I have been fortunate to be mentored by a number of great teachers and coaches who were more than instrumental in my success by sharing the time and knowledge to help me learn and grow. I would always thank them for their time and help. Many of them would say to me, "No need to thank me, I'm just passing it forward. Just promise me you will do it better than anyone else and pass it forward as well." I have done my very best to do just that.
TFC: Is there a particular area of your job that you find most rewarding?
SB: Being a part of a junior's or an adult's growth as a golfer is very rewarding. Golf can be a game that can be very difficult at times. So when you have helped someone become a golfer, they say, "You changed my life. I never thought I could ever play golf, and now with your help, I'm playing golf regularly." That's what this game is all about for me. Seeing the smile on their face when they hit a good shot or play the best round of their life, and knowing you had the privilege of being a part of their journey.
TFC: What is one challenge you currently see in the industry? Thoughts on how to address it?
SB: One area that is really a problem in our industry is having balance in our life. I'm guilty of this myself and I'm trying to be better at it. There is no question successful people dedicate a lot of time to their professional success — I know I certainly have. But we need to do a better job as an industry. A big key is to talk with your team regularly about this subject and not assume the people on your team are OK just because they are not complaining.
TFC: Do you have a preferred style or philosophy for teaching golf?
SB: There needs to be more coaching and less teaching. Great teachers are well-versed in the technical aspects of the game, and they should be. But, if you want them to improve, you must coach them. Learn to tell them stories that will stimulate real change with external cues to help them understand the technique you're trying to teach them.
TFC: Where is there room for growth within the industry?
SB: There is much room on the instruction side with player development programming. Traditional golf instruction did not work for the long-term growth of the game. Now we see more non-traditional learning programs, including skill development on the range and on-course play. This is the future of the game and long-term growth.
TFC: When you look at your career, in what area(s) do you believe you have evolved for the better?
SB: Like many other teachers and coaches, you look back and remember the first lessons you did years ago and say to yourself, "Wow did I screw that person up." You have this sense of insecurity that you don't want others to see. I started becoming a really good teacher and coach when I realized that insecurity is what was holding me back. Hearing highly successful teacher andcoaches talk about their failures made me more comfortable and confident to seek knowledge from those who clearly knew more than I did. You never stop learning.
TFC: How does being a PGA Professional add value to your brand?
SB: Being a PGA Professional was part of my dream, and I am a proud PGA Member. How it adds value to my brand can mean different things to different people. But for me, it symbolizes my dedication to my chosen profession, the game, and a level of expertise I utilize as a teacher and coach.
> RELATED: PGA Professional Spotlight archive