Alumni Spotlight: Sheldon Friske
Posted on June 14, 2019
Sheldon Friske came to the Professional Golfers Career College from a small town in Canada. He heard about the school while playing college hockey. Friske gained success in the golf industry after graduating from PGCC. He currently works as the Head Professional at the Meadowbrook Golf & Country Club, where he’s been since 2017.
Sheldon Friske grew up in Geraldton Ontario, Canada. “I mostly played hockey growing up and eventually received a hockey scholarship to the University of Wisconsin-Superior.” Friske and his team made it to three NCAA Final Fours, but unfortunately didn’t win. “I found out about PGCC while I was playing hockey at UWS.” He had played with some local course assistants who persuaded him to become a golf professional. “One of them had heard of PGCC and gave me the information and the rest is history. I wanted to stay in sports but didn’t know what role to go into.” As he took a closer look at golf, that was the route he wanted to follow.
Friske’s parents got him into the game of golf when he was a kid. “It was great because they were both teachers, so they had the summers off and were able to take me to the course every day.” Living in a small town he didn’t have many options for activities and golf helped keep him out of trouble during the hockey off-season. During those years Friske, “enjoyed the game and it was fun to hang out with my friends, but I never played in any tournaments until attending PGCC.”
During his time at the Professional Golfers Career College is when Friske really got into the game of golf. Along with improving his playing ability while at PGCC, he gained many lessons about the industry. “PGCC gave me the right tools coming out of graduation that most young pros didn’t have.” Friske shares, “Getting first-hand knowledge from current professionals at the school really opened my eyes to what the golf business was really about.”
Friske enjoyed his time at the college, but some of his favorite memories were from off campus activities with his classmates, creating friendships he maintains to this day. “I still keep in touch with a few classmates and it’s great to see them still in the industry furthering their careers.” He immersed himself in the Southern California experience while at PGCC by going to concerts in L.A., visiting Tijuana, and playing roller hockey in Venice Beach. “Living the California life was great, especially for a small-town kid from Northern Canada.”
After graduating in 2002, Friske got a job as the Head Teaching Instructor at Elite Golf Cruise. After giving lessons on the finest cruise ships for a year, he made his way back to Canada. Friske then took a position as Assistant & Associate Professional at the King Valley Golf Club, in Ontario, Canada. He remained at the King Valley Golf Club for five years before moving on. He then landed an Associate Professional job at the Woodensticks Golf Club, also in Ontario.
Friske continued his journey through the golf industry and worked at Golf Town. At Golf Town, a Canadian golf superstore, he was the Director of Instruction, happily providing golf lessons. An opportunity arose which brought Friske out of the superstore and back to the course. He became an Associate Professional at The Thornhill Club, also in Ontario, Canada. On May 29th, 2018, Friske made a hole-in-one of the 7th hole, a 171-yard par 3, at The Thornhill Club. He worked at The Thornhill Club for four years until he moved into his current position.
“Currently I am the Head Professional at Meadowbrook Golf & Country Club. It is a small (400 members) private club that is owned by the members.” Friske relishes his time at the club, he explains. “I’m not behind a desk working at a computer all day. I get to be outside socializing with the members, on the range selling and teaching. Just the atmosphere of the club makes it a great place to work.”
The most rewarding part about Friske’s job is seeing the improvement of the golfers he provides lessons to. “The first time you see a student break 100 or get a hole in one and the look on their face, it’s priceless.” While he’s delighted after seeing his students advance their skills, the highlight of his career came in 2009. “My biggest golf highlight would be Monday qualifying for the Canadian Tour’s Jane Rogers Classic in 2009. I didn’t make the cut, but just to play in a professional event was a great experience.”
Sheldon Friske started off knowing he wanted to get into sports and made the choice to pursue a career in golf after hearing about the Professional Golfers Career College. To those looking to make their own path into the golf industry, Friske says “It will be one of the best decisions that you will make in your life. The lesson that you will learn as well and the instructors that are there will help you learn things that you will take with you the rest of your life.”
“Make sure that whatever you do in life you enjoy it.” Friske advises, “If you don’t love your job it will affect everything in your life, so find something that you are passionate about and follow it.”
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