By Vinnie Manginelli, PGA
This month’s Five Questions feature highlights the career efforts of Mark Caldwell, PGA of America Director of Instruction at Canyon Springs Golf Club in San Antonio, Texas and Founder of Total Golf Performance of Texas. In addition to being a GRAA Elite Growth of the Game Teaching Professional, Caldwell is a PGA Section and Chapter special awards winner and a U.S. Kids Top 50 Teacher. Caldwell shared some time and expertise for a recent interview.
Golf Range Magazine: When and where did you get your start in golf, and what mentors helped guide your way into the game?
Caldwell: I grew up in Gladewater, Texas and started playing golf with my father, Jimmy, when I was just four years old at what is now Crossing Creeks Country Club. I didn’t play other sports growing up, so I played a lot of junior golf tournaments, getting involved competitively when I was just eight or nine years old. It was only golf for as long as I could remember…and fishing, as well!
I worked for Larry Clark, PGA at Palmetto Country Club in Bossier City, Louisiana as a 13-year-old, pulling carts and setting up the range before school and picking the range and putting those same carts away at the end of the day. It was all school and golf in between.
Golf Range Magazine: Did you play golf in high school or college, and when did you know you wanted to be a PGA of America Golf Professional?
Caldwell: I played golf at Airline High School in Bossier City, Louisiana, as well as in junior college and Centenary College, the alma mater of 1983 PGA Championship winner Hal Sutton. I played a lot of golf during my teen years with 2001 PGA Championship winner David Toms. I could compete with Toms in those days, even though he’s about four years older than I am. I had mentors in my life and career, of course, but Toms inspired me greatly to play and improve during my high school and college years.
After college, I spent almost three years on the Ben Hogan Tour before leaving the game for the Executive Training Program at Frito Lay. As a budding executive and good golfer, I played a lot of golf with clients, rekindling my love of the game.
To my parents’ chagrin, I took a considerable pay cut by leaving Frito Lay and got back into golf, marshaling at a local course and completing the PGA’s Golf Professional Training Program (GPTP) in 1999.
Golf Range Magazine: What’s trending in your programming and instruction?
Caldwell: As the PGA of America Director of Instruction at Canyon Springs Golf Club and the owner of my own academy, Total Golf Performance of Texas, I’ve had great success in offering free assessments and have converted many of them into packages, club fittings, player engagement and on-course situational coaching. I use social media to advertise our offerings with direct links to register and pay.
In addition to adult instruction that is geared towards all skill levels, we offer a comprehensive junior golf program for ages 5-17. In addition to teaching the fundamentals of golf and strategy in a fun and engaging atmosphere, our junior golf lessons and camps help students understand the Rules of Golf and etiquette. We strive to build character, teach good sportsmanship and enable our young juniors to benefit from the many positive life skills that the game teaches.
We offer nine junior classes per week, two adult clinics and one ladies’ session weekly. We’re also fortunate to get our students on the course for playing lessons at Canyon Springs ands conduct many private lessons annually, as well.
Golf Range Magazine: What is your favorite part of the game of golf? The business of golf?
Caldwell: My favorite aspect of the game and the business of golf is the people we impact with our instruction and mentorship. It’s truly amazing to have an impression on a young player and get invited to his or her college signing event, college graduation or even their wedding day.
I have always given free clubs to juniors whose families can’t afford them, and work hard to motivate these kids to play the game and reap the many benefits that golf provides. Promoting the growth of the game is very important to me.
Golf Range Magazine: What does the future hold for you in teaching and coaching?
Caldwell: My schedule is very busy with a lot of great opportunities on the horizon in the game of golf. I spend a lot of time at the academy mentoring and teaching staff to take the business into a new direction with technology and more.
