The Inward Nine with Chandler Withington

Have you ever wanted to change certain things about your past or who you are? It's natural to want to go back and undo things we have done. Today on The Inward Nine we get to spend time with someone who has wrestled with all of this and what he discovered might surprise you. He is a longtime PGA member and now an author of an impactful book. Our guest today is Jason Prendergast. In our time togeth...

So, what if I told you that a director of golf at a top 100 golf course and one of the most exclusive and reputable clubs in the western part of the country struggled to pass the PAT once upon a time? What if I told you he didn't graduate college… would you believe me? You see, that's the beauty of reaching a destination. None of our journeys are exactly alike. They all take different twists and t...

Have you ever wondered how the head professionals at the greatest places in golf got the job? What does it take to land a coveted job like Shinnecock Hills and to host a major championship like the U.S. Open. In today's episode we get to learn about the journey of a young man who grew up caddying at Ballybunion in Ireland and now 25 years later is standing guard at one of the 5 founding clubs of t...

So, what happens when a young teenager is pulled aside by his coach and is told 'you could be anything'? When those words sunk and took root, they shaped the trajectory of the life of today's guest and into the person he is and is still becoming. Ahead on today's episode we get to spend time with the CEO of an architecture and construction company as well as the President of the United States Golf...

Our guest today has spent many years at golf house and while you might assume I am referring to the one in Far Hills, New Jersey, home of the USGA, the one I am actually referring to is the house our guest grew up in which was located on Golf Road of all places. The son of a Tour professional turned club professional and master professional, our guest was born into the game of golf and has lived i...

This week we are in Philadelphia for the PGA Championship and it only feels appropriate to pull a conversation out of the vault with the person who has been guardian of the host club for the past 18 years. This man can do it all – he is the 2011 National Merchandiser of the Year, 2023 Golf Professional of the year and oh by the way, he is also a National Rules Official for the PGA of America. Our...

Have you ever had things not go as you had planned or hoped? Have you ever been a part of a situation you weren't proud of, or one you just wished would go away as soon as possible? If so, then you are in the right place today. Our guest today has chosen to face challenges and criticism head on and he can help you do the same when your time comes, which if you live life long enough, will inevitabl...

What happens when a young man is driving south to a food and beverage job interview in Boca Raton, Florida but his car breaks down well north of Boca in Ponte Vedra? What happens next is the start of long and impactful career in the game of golf for someone who would eventually bridge a relationship between Mastercard and the PGA Tour, just one example of the deals our guest has left behind in the...

So, what happens when a young and introverted man finds himself at a bar in Bandon, Oregon and tries to strike up a conversation with the people next to him? These weren't the people he thought they were. In fact, they were much different. But the young mans curiosity pays off and he suddenly finds himself studying the shaping of the dunes and bunkers for the 2 nd course at Bandon Dunes, a course...

Have you ever wondered how the most successful entrepreneurs took an idea and made it into reality?  On the episode, we learn the story of two college roommates who when studying together abroad in Italty were both gifted needlepoint belts by their girlfriends. What neither of them could have imagined in the moment was they really had been gifted a business idea. When they began having friends ask...

The scene is Las Vegas, Nevada. A young assistant professional from Oklahoma is heading back to his hotel room around 9 PM when most other golf professionals are just heading out to the town. The assistant pro suddenly crosses paths with a head professional from the most prestigious clubs in Oklahoma and makes an impression. He didn't realize it in the moment, but his career path has just changed...

What happens when a young film student working in New York City on the set of Saturday Night Live returns home to Vermont for a wedding and is suddenly offered an assistant golf professional position at her home course? The result is a compete career shift and a journey our guest has been on ever since.    Today on The Inward Nine we welcome a Golf Digest and LPGA Top 50 Teacher and the 2017 Middl...

What happens when a PGA Tour card holder fails to get through Q school and runs into a PGA head golf professional while Christmas shopping? Ahead on this episode is the story of Mike Harmon, the longtime head professional at Secession Golf Club in Beaufort, South Carolina.  In our conversation with Mike we discuss:  How the culture at Secession was not only created, but also on role as the guardia...

What happens to the lives of golf professionals when catastrophe strikes? How do these people pick up the pieces when they feel everything has been lost?  In this episode, we visit with the Director of Golf at Linville Golf Club, Tom Dale, and the events of Hurricane Helene from the fall of 2024. Following the devastation to the North Carolina mountains, Tom and the club found themselves in a uniq...

What happens to the lives of golf professionals when catastrophe strikes? How do these people pick up the pieces when they feel everything has been lost and begin to move forward?  In this episode, we will revisit the tragic clubhouse fire at Oakland Hills Country Club on February 17, 2022 with the Director of Golf, Steve Brady. Steve and other staff members watched helplessly as one of golf's mos...

What happens to the lives of golf professionals when catastrophe strikes? How do these people move forward and recover when they seemingly have lost everything?  In this 3 part series around catastrophic events, we spend time with three people who were at the crosshairs of these types of events. In this 1st episode, we head to New Orleans to relive the events of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 with PGA...

What happens to Steve Brady when he is competing in a golf tournament three hours from home and doesn't have a ride home? What happened is he caught a ride home with some other golf professionals and unknowlingly interviewed for his eventual job as the Director of Instruction and Director of Golf at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where he has remained for nearly 30 years...

Do any of you have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge? Have you ever been curious to understand why things happen the way they do?  Well, say hello to James Leitz, whom many refer to as the 'Godfather of Golf Coaching Technology'. Since the late 1970's, James has been relentless in his pursuit to understand the 'why' behing the results of golf shots.  In our time togther on this episode we discu...

How does a boy who grew up playing public municipal courses in rural Idaho end up at one of the fastest growing golf results in the world and ascend to become the role of General Manager?  Today on The Inward Nine we get to learn the story of Jeff Simonds. Over the last 23 years, Jeff has worked his way up the ladder from seasonal assistant golf professional to GM. Jeff is a wealth of knowlwedge a...

Have you ever wanted to know how the best players among PGA Professionals are able to maintain their competitive playing ability while also exceeding the expectations of their job titles?  On this episode of the The Inward Nine we get to spend time with Ben Polland, the Director of Golf at Shooting Star in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. In addition to being a leader at Shooting Star, Ben is also the 2024...

The Inward Nine will be hosting it's first ever meet and greet event at the PGA Show! The event will be held on Wednesday, January 21st, from 3 - 4 PM in room W311AB.  The event is titled 'Taking Inventory of Your Life'. Podcast host Chandler Withington will be joined by the first ever guest of The Inward Nine and the 2024 PGA of America Golf Professional of the Year, Tony Pancake. Chandler and To...

Have you ever felt overwhelming by the lack of money in your bank accounts? Do words such as debt fill you with anxiety? Do you feel defeated in not having a plan or even knowing where to start?  If so, I am glad you found this episode as we spend time with my friend and financial advisor, Ben Clymer.  In our discussion with Ben, we will cover:  His journey from playing in the NHL to becoming a fi...

How much is your reputation worth to you? How confident are you about what others are saying about you? How much money would you be willing to spend to protect your reputation each year?  On this episode we will ponder these questions and more as we give thought and consideration to the times when life tempts us to comprimise our intergrity and values.  If your reputation has ever come under fire...

What is a Professional Golf Management Program? Where are these programs located? Who are the people who have been overseeing these programs? Why should aspiring golf professionals attend a university with a PGM program?  Today we get to spend time with Burch Wilkes, who for nearly 30 years has been the caretaker of the PGM program at Penn State University. In our time together, Burch and I will d...

Have you ever experienced the painful loss of a loved one in your life? If so, have you ever wondered how you can properly grieve, move forward and find the silver lining from the loss?  Today we are learning the story of the Ten Memorial Invitational and how its mission was formed through the painful loss of a parent. Through discovering their why, they have been able to create an event for junio...