Faculty Spotlight: Harrison Heublein
Posted on May 9, 2017
Harrison Heublein is a retired Commander from the Navy who served 26 years. He has multiple degrees, including two Masters. He worked as an environmental engineering consultant for 6 years and was very active with the Chamber of Commerce. It was through his activity with the Chamber of Commerce that his career path took a turn. While organizing their annual golf fundraiser, Harrison was told about the Professional Golfers Career College. An advocate of continuous learning, Harrison was intrigued with the idea of learning the business of golf. After presenting the idea to his family in the form of a powerpoint, he began his new path in the golf world.
Harrison Heublein is now an instructor at the Professional Golfers Career College’s Temecula campus. Harrison teaches Rules of Golf to our Freshmen and Principles of Career Success to our Sophomores. He has multiple degrees including: a Bachelor’s in Economics from USC, a Masters in Strategic Studies from Air War College, a Masters in Management from the University of Redlands, and an Associate’s in Professional Golf Management from the Professional Golfers Career College. “I like to learn, education is key” emphasizes Mr. Heublein.
Harrison first began attending PGCC as a student in August of 2012. “Actually Jason Taylor suggested I check it out. Jason is the president of the Lorena Ochoa Foundation up there at Goose Creek Golf Club. I knew Jason when he was at Jurupa Hills Country Club, working with Ron Robinson. Because I was very active with the Chamber of Commerce and we did our annual golf fundraiser there, which was a big event for the year up at Jurupa Hills. So that’s where I met Jason and when I told him what I was doing Jason suggested I check out the Professional Golfers Career College.”
Before attending PGCC Harrison reviewed his options and presented his findings and intentions to his family. “I had to pitch PGCC to my family, I did a powerpoint presentation to the family and showed them, ‘Here’s what I’m looking at’ and I got all their support. I even brought my wife to the campus and walked her around.”
So what did Harrison find appealing about the learning environment of PGCC? “The distinguishing factor that got me here was it allowed me to coach and mentor while attending class. That was an important aspect for me because even with my Masters program I was able to be a coach and do mentoring. I felt the environment at PGCC would enable me to do that here as well.”
“While attending PGCC I worked in the golf shop, I figured it was the best way to get to know the faculty as well as all the students.” Harrison graduated from PGCC as Valedictorian in December of 2013, a “very proud” moment for him. Just as he was about to graduate another proud moment was in the works for Harrison. “I heard about this job from Randy Shannon, it was posted in the school just as I was about to graduate. It was for a high school golf coach at Cornerstone Christian School. So I went up to interview.”
Harrison would get the position as the high school golf coach at Cornestone Christian School, in Wildomar, and was named Majestic League 2015 Coach of the Year, CIF Southern Section. He just completed his fourth year coaching the team to victory. “The team was league champions this year (fourth year in a row).” The key to Harrison’s success, “I just learned how to get out of their way (haha) and let them do their stuff.” An easy task when you have high caliber players. “One of my past students got a scholarship to the University of San Francisco, so it’ll be fun to watch his career. We actually had a freshman who is as good as him. I had 3 players that shot an under par average. That’s why I said get out of their way.”
There are a few challenges that come along with coaching high school students. The biggest challenges are building “familiarity, its association, establishing a rapport and credibility.” Harrison continues “But the biggest thing I took with me that I stress to the students is the Arnold Palmer greeting, which I learned here at the college (PGCC). The Arnold Palmer greeting is you acknowledge them, look them in the eye and smile, if you’re up close you shake their hand. If not, you’re at least looking at them, acknowledging them, greeting them, saying hi and smiling. I emphasized that they are to do that every time they host a team.”
Harrison’s love for golf can be traced back to his Navy days. “I began in 1984, officers on board the ship I was on would say hey let’s go out and play golf.” Thus spawning his passion for the great game of golf. “There was one time I hit off the deck of the ship, it was over in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Bahrain. I took a tee mat and started hitting it out into the gulf while listening to a marine play bag pipes.” Watching the pros play always inspired Harrison, “I’m a fan of Freddie Couples, because he’s smooth. Even though he went to UCLA and I went to USC, I still like him.”
Harrison with Tom Addis III, CEO/Executive Director of the Southern California PGA.
Harrison lives by the golden rule, “be yourself and treat others as you’d want to be treated.” Above all “have fun” and as he tells his players “there’s the Clint Eastwood line, you got to know your limitations.”
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