Temecula’s PGCC seniors, all within a week of graduation, had a unique opportunity to hear from Titleist’s Charlie Fisher, who currently has the enviable position of working at the company’s club development and testing facility in Oceanside, California. He is one of the people who sees and tests developmental prototypes long before they are released into the marketing arena. Fisher shared some of his personal experiences and observations about getting started and getting ahead in the golf industry. Incidentally, Charlie succeeded another PGCC graduate, David D’Ambrosia, in his current position and, yet another PGCC alum, James Watkins, preceded both of them with Titleist.

Charlie Fisher started playing golf in the Washington DC area at the age of 13. He ultimately went through a Professional Golf Management program at Methodist College and graduated with a degree in business. He secured a position as an assistant pro in New York, and finished his PGA program in 21 months. Eventually he left for another position in Mountains, North Carolina. Charlie, as an indication of the persistence necessary to ahead in the golf business, recalled a time when he paid his own expenses to go from New York to Phoenix for an interview with Ping – and he failed to get the job. After using every available contact and numerous letters and phone calls over a two year period, Charlie finally got an interview – and a job – with Titleist. One of the more interesting tasks that Charlie has had with Titleist involved serving the western two-thirds of the United States in their Science Van which made stops all throughout that territory doing club fitting for all manner of clients. Among Fisher’s more famous fitting customers were Pete Sampras and Roger Clemons.

The essential message that Fisher left with the seniors was the absolute necessity to cultivate and use their network within the golf profession and to, above all, be persistent in pursuing their goals within golf. One of his suggestions might well be a mantra for those breaking into the golf business. Charlie relies on a constant letter writing campaign as he seeks the next rung on his personal golf industry ladder. Basically, his campaign tells prospective employers, “This is where I am, and this is where I want to go.” Words to live by in the fluid business that is golf.