Dean Kandle Is Always Learning How to Help Golf Professionals Be the Best Version of Themselves

Dean Kandle is golf ’s equivalent of a dual-threat quarterback.

His dual career in golf includes serving as the PGA of America GM at St. Davids Golf Club in Wayne, Pennsylvania, while helping PGA Professionals worldwide develop leadership skills and build their careers through his website, podcasts, seminars and virtual videos.

The recipient of the 2024 PGA of America Professional Development Award, Kandle became enamored with education, leadership and career enhancement opportunities as a young PGA of America Golf Professional, conducting research and soaking up advice from others to build his own career. Then, he decided to share his knowledge through a variety of channels for the benefit of golf industry professionals worldwide.

In 2017, Kandle launched his own website, www.golfprofessionalgrowth.com, with the tagline “Work Smarter. Live Better.” He documented what was working for him at St. Davids Golf Club to introduce concepts centered on productivity, time management and leadership. The content on the website was a huge hit and is credited with changing the lives of hundreds of PGA of America Professionals as they advanced their careers.

“Prior to the launch, I woke up at 5 a.m. every day to spend 60-90 minutes on content creation before I left for my job at St. Davids,” recalls Kandle, now 46 and a PGA of America Member for 17 years. “Building the site from scratch took nearly six months of work, but I was committed to the process. I wasn’t sure who would read my work, but I knew that what I learned had truly helped me and thought it could help some of my colleagues.”

Kandle’s dedication to education and his passion for helping other PGA of America Professionals learn leadership skills and build their careers is interesting since early in his pursuit of a career in golf he decided becoming a PGA Professional wasn’t for him. He was enrolled in the Professional Golf Management program in 1995 at Penn State University, but decided to change his major.

“At the time, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” reflects Kandle. “However, just two years later, I decided to recommit to the golf industry. I graduated in 2001 with a newfound passion for the industry and a commitment and drive to succeed.

“Within the next 12 months, I completed the Certified Professional Program in Golf Operations. That knowledge I acquired and the ability to use that program to stand out from the pack played a pivotal part in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a Head Golf Professional when I was hired at St. Davids Golf Club in 2010.”

By 2021, Kandle had captured a national audience by hosting seminars and podcasts such as the Golf Professional Growth Career Summit. His audience on the Golf Professional Growth website also grew by leaps and bounds, and he helped others stay connected during COVID-19 with his popular series of podcasts and webinars.

The Philadelphia PGA Section named Kandle the 2020 PGA Golf Professional of the Year and bestowed the educator with the 2019 and 2020 Professional Development Award. Then, Kandle had a decision to make – continue as the PGA of America Head Professional at St. Davids or devote all of his time to professional development.

“I believed I could make a positive impact on PGA Professionals if I could commit all of my time to professional development,” said Kandle, who accepted the position of Vice President of Professional Development and Education for Golf Business Network in January of 2022.

Near the end of 2022, Kandle received an unexpected call from his former club, St. Davids, inviting him to return to the facility as its GM. “Although I had never foreseen this possibility,the opportunity and challenge it presented were undeniably intriguing. This proved to be a once-in-a-career chance that aligned seamlessly with my family’s needs and aspirations,” admits Kandle.

“Today, my unwavering dedication to leadership education and development continues. Lifelong education and training hasn’t just impacted my career, it has made my career.”