By Vinnie Manginelli, PGA
Mark Csencsits has a resume that might be the envy of most any golf professional. The PGA of America Head Teaching Professional at Bethlehem Golf Club has earned awards and accolades that include Central Pennsylvania High School Golf Coach of the Year, Top 50 Honorable Mention U.S. Kids Teacher Award and Golf Range Association of America (GRAA) Growth of the Game Teaching Professional honors with Elite Member Status.
With over 30 years of coaching experience, Csencsits has improved the skills of golfers at all levels. His coaching is based on the understanding and control of the Five Ball Flights Laws, focusing on the movements of his golfers while they are holding the club. We are happy to highlight Mark Csencsits, PGA, in this month’s Five Questions feature.
Golf Range Magazine: When did you get your start in golf, and who got you into the game?
Csencsits: Growing up in Whitehall, Pennsylvania, I got into golf later than most PGA of America Golf Professionals. I was a baseball man for 23 years, and even had try-outs with the Cardinals, Phillies and Mets. I transitioned to golf when I knew my baseball career was coming to an end. I had played the game just a few times up until my early 20s and was really bad at it!
My dad, Ed, and a few baseball buddies who were also looking for their next sport got me into the game of golf. Later, I had three great friends who played golf a lot on the weekends who told me I should become a “pro” because I could shoot 80 while they were shooting in the high 80s or low 90s. I got serious about the game when I was about 23 years old and became a pro at 29.
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?
Csencsits: As I mentioned, golf wasn’t even on my radar in high school and college. After baseball, I was working at a miserable desk job that I hated every day! As the company went bankrupt, I looked into the PGA of America thanks to the coaxing of those three friends. I figured I was an above-average golfer, I was good with people and I held a marketing degree. I reached out to the PGA and found out what was necessary and became a pre-apprentice.
Golf Range Magazine: What’s trending in programming and instruction at your facility?
Csencsits: With an eye on the industry, I try to set the trends. At Bethlehem Golf Club, I have an indoor Ladies’ Wine and Dine golf program during the winter and a Ladies’ Casual Club program I authored 15 years ago, which could be a national program. I have so many stories over 33 years of coaching, and many will be in my upcoming book.
Golf Range Magazine: What is your favorite part of the game of golf? The business of golf?
Csencsits: The game of golf allows me to coach my golfers every day and to play with them, fostering relationships while helping them improve their skills and get more enjoyment from the game.
When it comes to the business of golf, I am proud to grow the game and make better golfers! After all, people play and practice more when they see they are getting better at the game. This is naturally a great boost to the industry. I pride myself on making better golfers and having them play for a lifetime. I specialize in juniors, women and frustrated men who know they can be better.
Although I coach some already elite players and other golf pros, it doesn’t provide the same thrill as developing beginning golfers to become elite players. Coaching a player who already shoots 74 down to 70 isn’t the same rush as training and coaching a new golfer early in his or her journey and seeing them play golf successfully through high school and college. A more-seasoned player already knows what to do and how to swing a club. With a beginner, I get to instill the knowledge needed to play the game at an elite level and literally build a swing and a mindset for learning.
Golf Range Magazine: What does the future hold in golf for you?
Csencsits: My first book, Golf’s Not Hard! is due out in the fall of 2025 and will complement the three training aids that I have developed. I have a ball, a club and a Real Lies Trainer (RLT). The ball has no top, the club has no face and the RLT brings the golf course to the range or indoor practice facility. Hitting balls mindlessly at the range is NOT training for golf; it’s just burning calories! All three training aids take the obsession off the ball and put the focus on the player’s moments while they are holding a club. I never teach anyone to hit a ball; I show them how to move with a club. My goal is to “change the way people learn and practice the game of golf!”
For more information on Mark’s programming, log on to his website today. Also, check out his products and training aids at Fatt Matt Golf. Finally, see more videos from Mark on TikTok.
