Head Pro Spotlight - Dana Rader

By: Joel Zuckerman

Have an attitude of gratitude. It's a saying that's become popular in recent years; you can find it on T-shirts or greeting cards in New Age bookstores and curio shops that stock incense, massage oils and healing crystals.

It's not that Dana Rader isn't grateful for all her successes, the fact that she's recognized throughout the industry for her entrepreneurial skills and teaching acumen. She is equally thankful she's been able to teach and influence hundreds of thousands of golfers over the years, helping them get more enjoyment out of the game she loves. But her mantra might be better described: Have an attitude of latitude.

It is the latitude her parents afforded her in her youth, to try different things, sometimes failing in the effort. It's the latitude she so desperately craved early in her career when she felt pigeon-holed, as she was trying to find her place in the golf business. It's the latitude she continually gives her loyal cadre of instructors, many of whom have stayed at the Dana Rader Golf School since the day the doors opened, through boom times and bust.

"My parents, Jean and Vernon, gave my brother and me plenty of rope, but cautioned us not to hang ourselves! Dad was an avid golfer, an entrepreneur and a former POW in World War II, so I suppose he valued freedom and independence more than most," begins Rader, consistently honored as one of the game's finest instructors by all the major golf publications.

"He told us, 'You are free to try what you like, and do what you want within limits. We will trust you until you prove otherwise. But don't waste your dime and call me from jail, because if you go that far, I'm not going to help you!' As a kid I was riding motorcycles, as a teenager I drove solo to Myrtle Beach; these were activities and experiences way outside the norm for that time and place."

Originally from Morganton, N.C., just an hour-and-change from where she has long since established herself in Charlotte, Rader has cut an imposing figure since her youth. A shade below six feet tall since her early teens, she developed into a solid basketball player who never showed much interest in golf despite her dad's encouragement.

The "aha" moment occurred when a high school friend marveled at her natural swing after cajoling her onto the course out of summertime boredom. She quickly became obsessed with the game, reading every book she could find - both biographical and instructional, and started practicing diligently. In a habit that has never abated, she began keeping meticulous and voluminous notes: number of balls hit, shot shapes, shot results, even atmospheric conditions.

Rader quickly became a force on the local golf scene, and then as she got closer to scratch, on the statewide scene, and in combination with her already formidable basketball skills, went off to Pfeiffer University to play hoops and join the men's golf team. She had a tremendous advantage in her development as a golfer because her home club Mimosa Hills offered her a pair of amazing mentors: Joe Cheves and Billy Joe Patton.

The former was the club's head professional for 30 years, and enshrined in the Guinness Book of World Records. Not only did he better his age more than a thousand times, amazingly he shot 64 at age 81, and then shot 70 a few years later at age 87, and the 17-stroke differential between his age and score was one for the record books. The latter was best known for almost winning the 1954 Masters as an amateur, played on five Walker Cup teams, and captained another. In tandem, they accelerated Rader's interest in, understanding of, and love for the game.

"Joe was very polished and professional. Billy Joe was more flamboyant and countrified. The combination of their guidance, along with my Dad's, who was a low-handicapper himself, really helped me along," relates Rader, who eventually was able to shoot 70 from any set of tees at Mimosa Hills - women's, men's or championship.

Post-college, Rader took a job as an assistant pro at renowned Myers Park, one of Charlotte's distinguished private clubs. She felt constrained by her shop duties, and despite the membership's financial support while making a run at the LPGA Tour, she was despondent and disillusioned after failing to secure playing privileges. "I didn't pick up a club for nearly a year, other than to demonstrate the grip during lessons," recounts Rader.

"There was a time when I seriously considered leaving the game to go into telemarketing," recalls Rader, now an LPGA Master Professional. "I was making a pittance at Myers Park, and my telemarketing salary would have tripled my golf earnings. But I realized that golf was what I thought about in the morning when I woke up, and before I went to sleep, and I couldn't give that up. I feel the same passion for it today, and continue to think the game is a great revealer of character, discipline and tenacity. The game teaches you that you won't get your way in life all the time, or even much of the time. And that's about as important a lesson as a person can learn."

After two years, mainly on cash register duty, the fledgling pro left Meyers Park for nearby Raintree Country Club, where there was a bit more responsibility in terms of running tournaments, facilitating group outings, and generally interacting with a less homogenous crowd then previously. "It was an improvement, but honestly my first five years in the business weren't ideal. It was a real challenge for me, looking for my niche."

Her next job, at River Hills Country Club, across the state line in Lake Wylie, S.C., was more to her liking. "I became the teaching professional there, worked my own end of the range, and started to develop autonomy as I became more established." Five years later, much to the chagrin of the South Carolina membership that had grown so fond of her, Rader returned to Raintree, her reputation as an instructor continuing to grow. "My second stint there was seven years long, and was far more productive and fulfilling then when I was there initially," continues the former LPGA Teaching Professional of the Year. "It was all instruction based, no more answering the phone or grunt work. About five years into the position, the Raintree brass allowed me to rename the operation the Dana Rader Golf School."

Rader, the author of a popular instruction book called "Rock Solid Golf," looks back in retrospect. "I didn't realize until after the fact what it was I was searching for. It was the same independence and latitude afforded me back when I was young, under my parent's roof."

It was a natural shift for the golf coach to move into public speaking, her platform emphasizing that inspiring, motivating and encouraging people - no matter what the particular endeavor - would yield positive results. A restaurateur hosting a gathering where Rader spoke was affected to the point where he signed up for her golf school, and thereafter, made a point of introducing her to a local developer named Smokey Bissell, who was constructing what would soon become Charlotte's only in-town golf resort, the Ballantyne Hotel.

"Mr. Bissell was looking to add an instructional component to his resort and golf course operation. I got in for a last-minute interview, and had to postpone or otherwise rearrange more than 20 scheduled golf lessons that day to make my appointment," recalls Rader, shaking her head at the memory. "He had about 80 applications to run a golf academy, but my proposal was the only one with a business plan, and I was fortunate to be awarded the opportunity."

Her golf academy opened in 1997 at the west end of the driving range, preceding the actual opening of the golf course itself. Rader began with four full-time instructors, eventually increased that number to eight, and currently has about 15 total employees including support staff in the million-dollar enterprise.

One of her longtime admirers is LPGA legend Nancy Lopez, who has watched Rader's business grow through the years. "I have known Dana for a long time, and have worked with her numerous times in Charlotte with my work for the March of Dimes. She is very classy, and you can see right away what a strong businessperson she is. She is very bright, has a great personality, people like her and gravitate towards her. She has a serious side of course, but also a fun-loving side, and people just naturally like her, which isn't an attribute that everybody has," explains the Hall of Fame member, who has that very same attribute in abundance.

Rader's venture at Ballantyne flourished, owing to the booming business climate in Charlotte. The upscale hotel was consistently booking incentive groups and corporate outings, and what better way to recreate after meetings and seminars than by taking a golf lesson or clinic prior to heading out on the course? In excess of 15,000 students would come through the door on an annual basis, and familiarize themselves with Rader's three basic tenets to improvement - physical, mental and emotional. "First we evaluate any physical limitations, injuries and flexibility issues. Then we observe ball control from different target lines with different clubs. In order to help with the mental and emotional aspects of the game we must understand what is happening with the mechanical aspects," said Rader.

"Second is the mental aspect. We have to empower them with a belief that they can make changes in their swing, and teach them how to take the mechanics on the course by providing a productive and effective pre- and post-shot routine. The most important factor that creates success for our students is a practice program that mirrors their play. This helps with their mental game so that they are better prepared to play the game. They have to hit shots in practice on the range and on the course with a quiet mind. We try to get them to clear the chatter out of their head so they can perform. This takes a lot of practice and mental discipline."

"Lastly is the emotional aspect, helping them with performance anxiety. We listen to their thoughts and feelings and help them through the change process and through the ups and downs of the game. This emotional aspect is vitally important. The game of golf is very personal and students need to have coaches that care and understand their fear and doubt."

There was fear and doubt throughout the city when the financial crisis rocked banking-centric Charlotte in 2008, and the flush times turned fallow. "Our revenues dwindled significantly, and this place occasionally looked like a ghost town. I could barely grasp what I was seeing," sighs Rader. "I went to the banks for assistance in meeting payroll, everyone cut down their hours, and we persevered."

"As an entrepreneur I consider it imperative that I create jobs for people. I love team-building, and have been so fortunate to attract and keep great employees," continues the former Charlotte Business Woman of the Year. "And once things stabilized a bit, and our revenues began to return closer to the levels we were accustomed to, I continued to operate with my long-time philosophy of allowing my instructors and support team the latitude to do their jobs with few constraints, no micro-managing or interference needed."

One of the reasons the golf school remains such a viable entity is because of its namesake's prominent media profile. Skills, smarts and tenacity aside, sometime a media profile increases due to a potent combination of empathy and serendipity. "A member of my foursome was a complete beginner, shaking like a leaf, at Pebble Beach some years ago," recalls Rader, who was taking part in an LPGA Summit at the time. "At the expense of my own game, I really got into helping her that round, stance, swing, everything, and she was so grateful for the guidance. Wouldn't you know it, inside of a few months she left her reporting job at a Dallas newspaper, and was named the editor of Golf for Women Magazine!"

A regular instructional presence at the now-defunct magazine, along with ongoing contributions to the other mainstream publications, keeps her at the forefront of her profession, and the telephone ringing. Despite her myriad other administrative duties, "the boss" teaches upward of 30 hours a week herself in the high season every spring and fall.

Continues Lopez, who won nearly 50 times on the LPGA Tour, including three major championships, "I respect Dana, and think she's very trustworthy. If I had a secret to tell I know I could count on her to keep it! You can also tell how much she loves golf. I've watched her teach, and she manages to maintain the enthusiasm of someone giving their first lesson. That gusto in combination with her knowledge and professionalism makes her an amazing teacher. The ladies love her, they can tell how sincere she is in her love of golf, and her desire to get them enthused about the game. Dana is the type of person that when you haven't seen her for awhile, and then see her heading your way, you are really excited to say hello and catch up. That to me is a wonderful complement."

"Much as I adore golf, and have devoted my career to helping others get more enjoyment from the game, I never wanted to be pigeonholed as just a golf professional," concludes Rader, recently named one of Charlotte's 50 most influential businesswomen. "To be engaged in my community, to provide jobs and careers for deserving, talented individuals, and to be recognized by others as a competent businessperson in a town that is so business-oriented, those are accomplishments and accolades that will make me proud for the duration of my career.

"I am indebted to all my mentors, colleagues, and the various role models who have helped me along my career path. I'm thankful my reputation isn't just as a fine golf professional, but as a fine professional, period."

Dana Rader's Tip for Fellow Golfers:

There are lots of teaching methodologies and it can be confusing. My best advice to all golfers is a simple one. There are many roads to take to learn the game but you must pick one and stay on it. Golf is about skill development and every time you change teachers, methods or use the latest fad tips, you under-develop your skill. Golf must be learned like anything else, and that is with the proper skill progression and not with a "try this, try that" mentality. Find a good teacher and stay on task with developing your skills and you will have a lot more fun.

Dana Rader's Tip for Fellow Golf Professionals:

One thing that is very critical is choosing the right work environment. There are three core decisions you must know before you step in to an environment that could be toxic. First, know your core values so you will know if you and the culture have similar values. Second, is the leader learning? You want to be under a leader that is growing and getting better, not complacent and behind on current trends in the industry. Thirdly, how will you grow and what can you expect from leadership to help you grow and develop to be the best you can be?

Joel Zuckerman, called "One of the Southeast's most respected and sought-after golf writers" by Golfer's Guide Magazine, is an award-winning travel writer based in Savannah, Ga. His seventh and latest book, entitled "Pro's Pros - Extraordinary Club Professionals Making Golf Great!" was released in June 2013. This is the first-ever golf book to shine the spotlight on the beating heart of golf - the unsung, yet hard-working club professional. Joel's course reviews, player profiles, essays and features have appeared in 110 publications, including Sports Illustrated, Golf, Continental Magazine and Delta's Sky Magazine. He has played more than 800 courses in 40-plus states and a dozen countries. For more about Joel, or to order this unique new book, visit www.vagabondgolfer.com.

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