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Dan Castano Trump National Doral Assistant Professional Methodist University Graduate 4 Handicap Hometown: Morristown NJ |
Meet Dan Castano. Dan works in the busy pro shop at Trump National Doral as an Assistant Professional. It is hard enough conquering the top ranked courses on my own, but every once in a while I'll find someone like Dan who reaches out and offers help. The golf industry is a service industry and I am always amazed when I find guys like Dan who go out of their way for golf. Dan and I met on Instagram and during a trip to Florida I got to visit Trump National and meet Dan. The Blue Monster is as good as it gets and all the other courses are pretty good also but the people really make Trump Doral special! I have been to a few Trump Properties now and it is amazing to see the quality people the Trump Organization is able to recruit. Below is a short interview so you can get to know Dan also! If you have any questions for Dan or would like to meet him feel free to email me and I would be happy to introduce you!
Where were you born?
-I was born in Morristown, New Jersey and raised in Denville, New Jersey
Family Decent?
-I am a first generation American coming from a Colombian mother & father.
When did you become interested in golf?
-I became interested in golf when I was about 7 years old. My mother & father both worked in the hospitality industry as servers, bartenders, or cooks when they first came to the United States in the early 80's. They both worked at Morris County Golf Club in Convent Station, New Jersey where my mother still works to this very day. On a slow summer day, a member who was very fond of my family called my mother and told her he would be stopping by the half-way house where she worked at the time. I happened to be with my mom that day since the baby sitter was not available that day, so wearing golf clothes but never having played golf I was excited to hear he was bringing his sons old junior clubs to teach me how to play. He took me out to play 4 holes & I was hooked. That same summer my mother registered me for a golf camp and I went on to play as a child on pitch & putt courses until middle school when I began to caddie and take golf seriously. After I began high school I really took the initiative to register myself for the New Jersey junior tour and realized how I could make golf my career in the PGA Golf Management program.
What is your handicap?
-Currently 4-6 depending on the day. (We all know the saying about playing golf once you're in the industry)
How did you find your way to Methodist?
-I was a caddie at Morris County Golf Club in Convent Station, New Jersey and met a assistant golf pro who was on his junior- year internship for the summer months. Erik Robinson who now is an alum, truly gave me the opportunity to ask a ton of questions about the program, caddie for him in section events, and mentor me in my golf game. That was the summer of 2011 when we played golf at least 3 times a week together or hit the range after I caddied. The head professional who is now a PGA lifetime member, Ted O' Rourke knew the Methodist U program and always got his interns from there. He helped me get my foot in the door with administration of the PGM program and I was accepted and made an early decision after visiting.
What was your experience like at Methodist?
-Methodist was very unique and life-changing. I can't say I could've pictured going anywhere else for college while getting my PGA certification. I majored in Business Administration with a minor in Accounting while having the PGA Golf Management program. I was able to be a normal college student, while having a membership exclusive to those in the PGA program that included state of the art facilities, access to a worldwide network of alum & PGA professionals. Our practice facility was a GRAA Top 50 range in the US amongst the Greenbrier. The staff was like family, and being smaller class sizes really made me feel like I was getting every dollar's worth for the attention and dedication most of the professors had.
How did Methodist influence your career?
-The program gave me great knowledge from professors and pros who have done everything we read and discussed in class. Most have been head professionals, GM's, golf coaches, owners, or superintendents at golf properties all over the US. I was able to have a full hands on experience and served as the tournament coordinator for my sophomore/junior year with great success. I learned to create, budget, organize, and operate a tournament of a 240+ student program from top to bottom. The alumni base that the PGA program at Methodist has is so remarkable and tight knit, that every state has a alum who is actively a PGA member. I was a phone call away after meeting with our internship coordinator to get my foot in the door at many places with ease. I got very involved with the Club Manager's Association (CMAA) as well in my junior/senior year when I was president of our student chapter and I knew I wanted to pursue the management aspect of the industry. I learned a lot more about food & beverage management while studying the PGA books during this time and felt like a more well-rounded candidate once I was out of college.
Did you do internships in college? Where? How was experience?
-The PGA program requires 16-months on internship credit to be eligible to graduate with the concentration and apply for membership. I worked from 2007-2012 at Morris County Golf Club as a caddie, bag-room attendant and range employee. At first I really liked the private-club atmosphere and landed an assistant position at Spring Brook CC in Morristown, New Jersey. I was there for two 3-month internships back-to-back summers in 2013/2014. I was doing a lot of merchandising, junior golf, some instruction, and tournament ops during my time there. Under Tony Santillo, PGA I felt like I was under a great mentor and friend. He was always willing to help me develop as a player, golf pro, and more importantly an individual. Tony gave me every tool I needed to do my job and excel. It was truly a difficult decision when my junior year rolled around and I was contemplating pursuing the management side of the golf industry and debating going to a public course rather than private. I researched resort properties and came to the conclusion that I wanted to go elsewhere than New Jersey to grow and see new places. I applied and heard back from the HP at Trump National DORAL, Cory Head, PGA. (Also Methodist alum). I drove down, had my interview and was working as an assistant golf pro here since May 2015 for an extended 5-month internship. I returned in 2016 for two weeks to work the WGC Cadillac Championship in March and then returned for my 7-month internship in May 2016 after finishing undergrad studies. I graduated December 2016 and elected to membership this January '17.
Where was your first job out of college?
-Trump National DORAL is my first "official" job aside from internships as a Class A.
What positions have you held?
-I've been an Assistant golf professional since I started here in May 2015.
How has your experience been at Doral compared to other jobs?
My experience here has truly impacted my skills as a individual, speaker, golf professional, and sales person. I have gained tremendous experience in handling different situations and coming to a resolution briskly and efficiently. The day-in day-out operations of such a vast resort offers any golf professional here a maximum capacity experience in how controlled a 800 round day can be, spread among 4 courses. I enjoy the up-beat and constant traffic we get on a daily basis here.
How is it working for the POTUS?
(In-directly) working for him is fantastic! The trump organization is a very good company inside & out. I see the growing success the organization has along with the attention to detail along the way-learning from prior decisions, using resources to make smart business decisions and being a open environment to have an opinion with a huge emphasis on straight-talk to avoid miscommunication. The founding of the organization based on very unique pillars instill integrity, pride and work ethic in all associates during training and beyond. I feel that the organization has been so successful because of that.
I find more and more articles suggesting golf is a dying sport especially with Tiger sidelined due to injury. Do you see this in your daily experience?
Here at Doral I do not necessarily agree. The junior golf in south Florida is huge, and being a host of the biggest international junior golf event (Publix Junior) Doral has a large junior golf community among members and visitors. I can see why many assume this being a factor, but I believe Tiger has lost his effect on golf as time passes. The thrill fans get of him entering in a event in turn- spikes viewers and helps ticket sales indefinitely. As far as an idol or hero, I see the next generation being the front-runners that juniors are admiring. Golf is growing in junior golf popularity (slowly) and I believe the more players like Rory, Spieth, Thomas, Fowler, and Johnson continue to keep a great image on tour- more juniors gain an interest.
As a professional where do you see golf headed in the next decade?
I see golf cycling through the Tiger effect and rebuilding on elite competitive rivals at the top of the game. All of the young guns are good..really good, now more than ever social media, television, and the internet has made it so you cant miss a masters, US open, or Ryder cup again. Junior golfers are the future of golf, while the older generations are the ones who will possibly go on to play champions tour events after the PGA tour was their stomping grounds. Imagine that- Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth, Rory, and Dustin playing on the PGA tour while Mickelson, Langer, couples, Daly, Stricker , battle out on champions tour. I believe it will keep the golf movement an ever growing sport as entertainment. As far as gaining new golfers, places such as Top Golf are remarkable. Mixing sport with the social dynamic really is a major advantage it has to continue its steady rise as a business and supplement to golf course play.
In conversation with the owner of Executive Golfer Magazine, he explained there are 3,500 private clubs in America, 600 of them are untouchable and will succeed regardless of demographics, these include the top-ranked clubs. There are 500 clubs or so that are doomed to fail regardless of how great management is due to demographics. The rest of the clubs must evolve or they will fall by the waste side. Do you agree?
I believe there is a backlash to how many courses were built in the economic booms of the 80's/90's which means several were opened with little forecasting or SWOT analysis on the demographics of the area they were opened. These will fail in my opinion. It is sad to say, but is reality.
What can clubs do to stay relevant and successfully provide a golf lifestyle to the next generation? Will the next generation be willing to pay for golf?
Apps and Social media are the two main opportunities I do not see golf clubs taking advantage of. It's a given- every 10-80 year old will have a smart phone soon enough, and they will be on them at least a handful of times daily. It is the easiest way to stay relevant in the constantly evolving tech environment we live in. There is no doubt if you throw something for a "deal" on a app advertisement, or email list- they will come to play and they will pay.
-I was born in Morristown, New Jersey and raised in Denville, New Jersey
Family Decent?
-I am a first generation American coming from a Colombian mother & father.
When did you become interested in golf?
-I became interested in golf when I was about 7 years old. My mother & father both worked in the hospitality industry as servers, bartenders, or cooks when they first came to the United States in the early 80's. They both worked at Morris County Golf Club in Convent Station, New Jersey where my mother still works to this very day. On a slow summer day, a member who was very fond of my family called my mother and told her he would be stopping by the half-way house where she worked at the time. I happened to be with my mom that day since the baby sitter was not available that day, so wearing golf clothes but never having played golf I was excited to hear he was bringing his sons old junior clubs to teach me how to play. He took me out to play 4 holes & I was hooked. That same summer my mother registered me for a golf camp and I went on to play as a child on pitch & putt courses until middle school when I began to caddie and take golf seriously. After I began high school I really took the initiative to register myself for the New Jersey junior tour and realized how I could make golf my career in the PGA Golf Management program.
What is your handicap?
-Currently 4-6 depending on the day. (We all know the saying about playing golf once you're in the industry)
How did you find your way to Methodist?
-I was a caddie at Morris County Golf Club in Convent Station, New Jersey and met a assistant golf pro who was on his junior- year internship for the summer months. Erik Robinson who now is an alum, truly gave me the opportunity to ask a ton of questions about the program, caddie for him in section events, and mentor me in my golf game. That was the summer of 2011 when we played golf at least 3 times a week together or hit the range after I caddied. The head professional who is now a PGA lifetime member, Ted O' Rourke knew the Methodist U program and always got his interns from there. He helped me get my foot in the door with administration of the PGM program and I was accepted and made an early decision after visiting.
What was your experience like at Methodist?
-Methodist was very unique and life-changing. I can't say I could've pictured going anywhere else for college while getting my PGA certification. I majored in Business Administration with a minor in Accounting while having the PGA Golf Management program. I was able to be a normal college student, while having a membership exclusive to those in the PGA program that included state of the art facilities, access to a worldwide network of alum & PGA professionals. Our practice facility was a GRAA Top 50 range in the US amongst the Greenbrier. The staff was like family, and being smaller class sizes really made me feel like I was getting every dollar's worth for the attention and dedication most of the professors had.
How did Methodist influence your career?
-The program gave me great knowledge from professors and pros who have done everything we read and discussed in class. Most have been head professionals, GM's, golf coaches, owners, or superintendents at golf properties all over the US. I was able to have a full hands on experience and served as the tournament coordinator for my sophomore/junior year with great success. I learned to create, budget, organize, and operate a tournament of a 240+ student program from top to bottom. The alumni base that the PGA program at Methodist has is so remarkable and tight knit, that every state has a alum who is actively a PGA member. I was a phone call away after meeting with our internship coordinator to get my foot in the door at many places with ease. I got very involved with the Club Manager's Association (CMAA) as well in my junior/senior year when I was president of our student chapter and I knew I wanted to pursue the management aspect of the industry. I learned a lot more about food & beverage management while studying the PGA books during this time and felt like a more well-rounded candidate once I was out of college.
Did you do internships in college? Where? How was experience?
-The PGA program requires 16-months on internship credit to be eligible to graduate with the concentration and apply for membership. I worked from 2007-2012 at Morris County Golf Club as a caddie, bag-room attendant and range employee. At first I really liked the private-club atmosphere and landed an assistant position at Spring Brook CC in Morristown, New Jersey. I was there for two 3-month internships back-to-back summers in 2013/2014. I was doing a lot of merchandising, junior golf, some instruction, and tournament ops during my time there. Under Tony Santillo, PGA I felt like I was under a great mentor and friend. He was always willing to help me develop as a player, golf pro, and more importantly an individual. Tony gave me every tool I needed to do my job and excel. It was truly a difficult decision when my junior year rolled around and I was contemplating pursuing the management side of the golf industry and debating going to a public course rather than private. I researched resort properties and came to the conclusion that I wanted to go elsewhere than New Jersey to grow and see new places. I applied and heard back from the HP at Trump National DORAL, Cory Head, PGA. (Also Methodist alum). I drove down, had my interview and was working as an assistant golf pro here since May 2015 for an extended 5-month internship. I returned in 2016 for two weeks to work the WGC Cadillac Championship in March and then returned for my 7-month internship in May 2016 after finishing undergrad studies. I graduated December 2016 and elected to membership this January '17.
Where was your first job out of college?
-Trump National DORAL is my first "official" job aside from internships as a Class A.
What positions have you held?
-I've been an Assistant golf professional since I started here in May 2015.
How has your experience been at Doral compared to other jobs?
My experience here has truly impacted my skills as a individual, speaker, golf professional, and sales person. I have gained tremendous experience in handling different situations and coming to a resolution briskly and efficiently. The day-in day-out operations of such a vast resort offers any golf professional here a maximum capacity experience in how controlled a 800 round day can be, spread among 4 courses. I enjoy the up-beat and constant traffic we get on a daily basis here.
How is it working for the POTUS?
(In-directly) working for him is fantastic! The trump organization is a very good company inside & out. I see the growing success the organization has along with the attention to detail along the way-learning from prior decisions, using resources to make smart business decisions and being a open environment to have an opinion with a huge emphasis on straight-talk to avoid miscommunication. The founding of the organization based on very unique pillars instill integrity, pride and work ethic in all associates during training and beyond. I feel that the organization has been so successful because of that.
I find more and more articles suggesting golf is a dying sport especially with Tiger sidelined due to injury. Do you see this in your daily experience?
Here at Doral I do not necessarily agree. The junior golf in south Florida is huge, and being a host of the biggest international junior golf event (Publix Junior) Doral has a large junior golf community among members and visitors. I can see why many assume this being a factor, but I believe Tiger has lost his effect on golf as time passes. The thrill fans get of him entering in a event in turn- spikes viewers and helps ticket sales indefinitely. As far as an idol or hero, I see the next generation being the front-runners that juniors are admiring. Golf is growing in junior golf popularity (slowly) and I believe the more players like Rory, Spieth, Thomas, Fowler, and Johnson continue to keep a great image on tour- more juniors gain an interest.
As a professional where do you see golf headed in the next decade?
I see golf cycling through the Tiger effect and rebuilding on elite competitive rivals at the top of the game. All of the young guns are good..really good, now more than ever social media, television, and the internet has made it so you cant miss a masters, US open, or Ryder cup again. Junior golfers are the future of golf, while the older generations are the ones who will possibly go on to play champions tour events after the PGA tour was their stomping grounds. Imagine that- Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth, Rory, and Dustin playing on the PGA tour while Mickelson, Langer, couples, Daly, Stricker , battle out on champions tour. I believe it will keep the golf movement an ever growing sport as entertainment. As far as gaining new golfers, places such as Top Golf are remarkable. Mixing sport with the social dynamic really is a major advantage it has to continue its steady rise as a business and supplement to golf course play.
In conversation with the owner of Executive Golfer Magazine, he explained there are 3,500 private clubs in America, 600 of them are untouchable and will succeed regardless of demographics, these include the top-ranked clubs. There are 500 clubs or so that are doomed to fail regardless of how great management is due to demographics. The rest of the clubs must evolve or they will fall by the waste side. Do you agree?
I believe there is a backlash to how many courses were built in the economic booms of the 80's/90's which means several were opened with little forecasting or SWOT analysis on the demographics of the area they were opened. These will fail in my opinion. It is sad to say, but is reality.
What can clubs do to stay relevant and successfully provide a golf lifestyle to the next generation? Will the next generation be willing to pay for golf?
Apps and Social media are the two main opportunities I do not see golf clubs taking advantage of. It's a given- every 10-80 year old will have a smart phone soon enough, and they will be on them at least a handful of times daily. It is the easiest way to stay relevant in the constantly evolving tech environment we live in. There is no doubt if you throw something for a "deal" on a app advertisement, or email list- they will come to play and they will pay.