The Inward Nine with Chandler Withington

Chandler Withington
  • 5.0 (98)
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The Inward Nine is a podcast for those looking to discover the best version of themselves. On The Inward Nine we will learn from a range of people in the game of golf as we share our journeys, experiences, successes and failures, lessons learned and advice for the next generation. But we are not here just to talk about success in the workplace. We are here to talk about who we are as people and how we succeed at the game of life. Chandler Withington is a PGA Member of nearly 20 years and has worked in the game of golf for over 30 years. Chandler is the retired head golf professional from Hazeltine National Golf Club (2012 - 2021). Prior to Hazeltine, Chandler was an assistant golf professional at Merion Golf Club (PA) and Seminole Golf Club (FL). Over the last three years, Chandler has become a licensed artist for the United States Golf Association and PGA of America. Chandler's personal mission statement is to have a positive impact on the lives of those around him.

  1. Ep. 64 Chance Cozby / Waste Management Open

    2D AGO

    Ep. 64 Chance Cozby / Waste Management Open

    Have you ever had things not go as you had planned or hoped? Have you ever been a part of a situation you weren't proud of, or one you just wished would go away as soon as possible? If so, then you are in the right place today. Our guest today has chosen to face challenges and criticism head on and he can help you do the same when your time comes, which if you live life long enough, will inevitably come. We are returning to talk to the younger brother of a recently guest on The Inward Nine, he is the younger brother of Cary Cozby and the Director of one of the largest professional golf events in the world at the Waste Management Open. He is the multi talented Chance Cozby. In our conversation with Chance: He will share about a choice he made in getting out college, and not just a choice, but a chance if you will in taking a different path from his brothers and family. Once he went down this path, he will share how doors opened to new opportunities, one which put him the crosshairs of a range of personalities and perspectives. Chance will share about how he grew into the role he is currently in and why he isn't threatened by new ideas, but rather he embraces them. There is a limit to what anyone or any team can do. Chance will share how he advises those around him to not try to do too much, but rather to do fewer things really well. All of us are so much more than what we do in our jobs. There are other interests each of us have. Listen to what happens on New Years Eve five years ago when Chance's teenage son turns on the camera and how it allowed Chance to tap into and share his creative side with others. If you have listened to this podcast before, you know the last thing I will ever encourage any of you to do is to play it safe. Chances must be taken.. and maybe there is no better person to encourage us to take some risks on our life from a man who has embodied his own name in Chance Cozby.    To follow Chance Cozby on Instagram or TikTok @3piecesofpecan To follow The Inward Nine on Instagram @theinwardninepodcast To contact Chandler directly: podcast@archive22.com Music Credits:  Opening: 'Chances' by Five For Fighting Interlude: 'Old Friends' by Ben Rector Closing: 'Almost Home' by Ben Rector

    1h 11m
  2. Ep. 63 Barry Hyde / The Team

    APR 24

    Ep. 63 Barry Hyde / The Team

    What happens when a young man is driving south to a food and beverage job interview in Boca Raton, Florida but his car breaks down well north of Boca in Ponte Vedra? What happens next is the start of long and impactful career in the game of golf for someone who would eventually bridge a relationship between Mastercard and the PGA Tour, just one example of the deals our guest has left behind in the now 30+ year wake of his career. Our guest today has worn many hats, from Chief Golf Officer, Chief Marketing Officer and Player Agent. Our guest today on the Inward Nine is the multi talented and very connected Barry Hyde. Ahead in our conversation with Barry: He will share about how his car breaking down opened the door to a new pathway, with one opportunity leading to the next.. with one very timely cold call leading to his eventual promotion. There is a small three letter word each of us needs to continue to hear to keep moving forward in life. Barry will talk about the approach he has taken to get to that word time and time again. Getting buy in from decision makers isn't always easy and Barry has surely faced his fair share of opposition. We get a front row seat to listen to how Barry has been able to change some minds and in the process installed some indelible marks on the U.S. Open and other USGA Championships. Oh, that person is a 'people person'. We hear that statement about certain individuals, but what makes these people so good at connecting with others? Barry will talk about one of the greatest sports agents of all time and what he feels that person did so well. Barry's job is to represent others and their interests. But as good as Barry is at his job, he feels there is someone else who can do it better than him. He will share who that person is along with his advice for the next generation. Music Credits:  Opening: 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' by the Rolling Stones Interlude: 'Old Friends' by Ben Rector Closing: 'Almost Home' by Ben Rector

    1h 18m
  3. Ep. 62 Josh Smith / Orinda CC & Flag Bag

    APR 17

    Ep. 62 Josh Smith / Orinda CC & Flag Bag

    So, what happens when a young and introverted man finds himself at a bar in Bandon, Oregon and tries to strike up a conversation with the people next to him? These weren't the people he thought they were. In fact, they were much different. But the young mans curiosity pays off and he suddenly finds himself studying the shaping of the dunes and bunkers for the 2nd course at Bandon Dunes, a course designed and being built by an architect he had never heard of. This chance meeting would change everything for our guest on todays episode. He is not only the superintendent at Orinda Country Club. He is a savant and one of the most talented artists in golf. He is also the founder of one of the most unique golf bags you well ever see, a company known as Flag Bag. Our guest today on the Inward Nine is Josh Smith. Ahead in our conversation with Josh: He will share about the person he ran into at the bar in Bandon, Oregon and how it opened the door to his eventual career in course construction, architecture and as a superintendent. He will talk about how being unemployed led him to find a hobby to pass the time.. a hobby which got noticed by the right person at the right time and it changed everything. When it comes to everything changing, we often talk about taking chances. There are moments we recognize we have to take advantage of. Listen as Josh tells us about a time he is stuck in traffic and uses a bagel receipt and a bit of courage to meet the person he has spent his life beside ever since. Creativity and ideas. How do they come to us and what do we do about them? Josh shares about the origins of his company Flag Bag and how the idea of making a golf bag out of course flags came to him. And finally, Josh and I talk about the relationship between a superintendent and a golf professional and what Josh feels it takes for these two people to have a thriving partnership.   To learn more about Flag Bag, please visit the company website or follow on Instagram @flagbagolf Follow The Inward Nine on Instagram @theinwardninepodcast.com. You can connect more with Chandler by sending an email: podcast@archive22.com Music Credits:  Opening: 'Thunder Road' by Bruce Springsteen Interlude: 'Hungry Heart' by Bruce Springsteen Interlude: 'Secret Garden' by Bruce Springsteen Interlude: 'Old Friends' by Ben Rector Closing: 'Glory of Love' by Peter Cetera

    1h 29m
  4. Ep. 61 Smathers and Branson

    APR 10

    Ep. 61 Smathers and Branson

    Have you ever wondered how the most successful entrepreneurs took an idea and made it into reality?  On the episode, we learn the story of two college roommates who when studying together abroad in Italty were both gifted needlepoint belts by their girlfriends. What neither of them could have imagined in the moment was they really had been gifted a business idea. When they began having friends ask their girlfriends to make more belts, it got them asking the question - what would it look like to start a company around needlepoint belts? Thus was born the company Smathers and Branson.  Ahead on this episode, company founders Peter Smathers and Austin Branson will share:  About the idea development phases. From idea, to sample to production, to launch and taking the product to market and their eventual growth over 22 years. About the value of knowing when to develop an idea and also when to pivot from that same idea. How to communicate your vision to others to help it become a reality. Peter and Austin share about their path to finding a manufacturer. Even once they found a possible partner, they still had cross a pivotal bridge to make the product reach the marketplace. They will share what that bridge is. About the ability they feel has helped them succeed and it's not one that can be developed in a classroom or read in a book.  Business partnerships are tricky and delicate and they often fail. Peter and Austin share about the warnings they received before going into business together and why they feel they have lasted together as long as they have. To learn more about Smathers and Branson and to search their entire catalog of products, please visit their website: Click here.  You can follow Smathers and Branson on Instagram @smathersandbranson.  To connect more with Chandler:  Send him a DM on Instagram @theinwardninepodcast or on LinkedIn.  Or, send him an email: podcast@archive22.com To shop Chandler's full line of hand drawn artwork, please visit the Archive 22 website.

    1h 17m
  5. Ep. 60 Cary Cozby / Southern Hills

    MAR 27

    Ep. 60 Cary Cozby / Southern Hills

    The scene is Las Vegas, Nevada. A young assistant professional from Oklahoma is heading back to his hotel room around 9 PM when most other golf professionals are just heading out to the town. The assistant pro suddenly crosses paths with a head professional from the most prestigious clubs in Oklahoma and makes an impression. He didn't realize it in the moment, but his career path has just changed forever. In a matter of seconds, he had just displayed the character and integrity which would prepare him to eventually succeed the head professional he had just, that pro was Dave Bryan the head pro at Southern Hills. Our guest on this episode of The Inward Nine is the 2016 PGA of America Golf Professional of the Year, the current Director of Golf at SHCC  and a friend to so many of us, he is Cary Cozby.   Ahead in this episode: Cary will unpack the legacy of his father Jerry, the 1985 PGA of America Golf Professional of the Year. More than his outstanding father, Cary will talk on the impact of his mother and the qualities he feels they possessed as a team which prepared him for his own success. Never before on this podcast have we discussed the grieving process. If we all live long enough, it is inevitable we will have to support our own parents through a loss, while grieving our own. Cary shares his perspective and what he calls a gift in the midst of one of the saddest times any of us will ever experience. One would assume that receiving the offer to be the golf professional at Southern Hills is a slam dunk, no brainer, but that wasn't the case for Cary and his family, who had planted deep roots in another midwestern city. Cary shares with us the phone call which gave him all the perspective he needed to make his eventual decision. Luck. Timing. Words we talk about often here. Cary shares a story about being back in Las Vegas later in his life. This time, he and his son are stranded while trying to make it to Los Angeles for Game 1 of the 2017 World Series. What happens next is the result of how sports can bond together perfect strangers, creating a lifetime memory for one young Dodger fan. If you aren't familiar with the Golden Rule, Cary will remind us of its importance and why he makes intentional time and effort for others who are trying to find their way. We talk quite often on this podcast about the cliché – you are always interviewing. Cary's moment with the pro from Southern Hills in Las Vegas proves this to be true, but Cary adds another element to this mindset, and its one every great leader needs to possess. Of the many things Tiger did great, Cary hones in something most might overlook with it comes to one of the greatest players of all time, and it is what keeps Cary motivated still today. To connect with Chandler: Email: podcast@archive22.com Instagram @theinwardninepodcast Music Credits: Opening: 'Moonlight Graham' from the Field of Dreams Soundtrack Reading: 'If' by Rudyard Kipling Opening: 'Caution' by the Killers Interlude: 'Old Friends' by Ben Rector Closing: 'Almost Home by Ben Rector

    1h 44m
  6. Ep. 59 Trillium Rose / Top 50 Teacher

    MAR 20

    Ep. 59 Trillium Rose / Top 50 Teacher

    What happens when a young film student working in New York City on the set of Saturday Night Live returns home to Vermont for a wedding and is suddenly offered an assistant golf professional position at her home course? The result is a compete career shift and a journey our guest has been on ever since.   Today on The Inward Nine we welcome a Golf Digest and LPGA Top 50 Teacher and the 2017 Middle Atlantic Teacher of the Year. Our guest today is the director of instruction at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Maryland, she is the wonderful Trillium Rose.  In this episode:  Trillium will share about how a cold call to one of golf's most respected golf professionals and the resulting conversation gave her the direction she needed to understand the road ahead of her. As Trillium began to grow as a teacher while working at the Jim McLean Academy in Florida, she helps us understand how Jim pushed, prodded and prepared all of his teachers to be ready to go out and teach on their own. Trillium Rose has a curious mind. So much so that even after nearly a decade of teaching, she went back to graduate school to learn even more than she already knew. She will share with us what she learned, and also how she adapted her teaching style in the following days and years. We most often refer to people like Trillium as a teacher, but she feels there is a word other than teacher which is more appropriate as to how we get the most from our students. In our conversation, I gave Trillium an imaginary magic wand and told her she instantly change the way we all teach the game. Her answer might surprise you, but it also seems to be where teaching is heading. To connect with Trillium:  Instagram: @trillium_rose Website: www.trilliumrose.com To connect with Chandler:  Email: podcast@archive22.com Instagram: @theinwardninepodcast Music Credits:  Opening: 'Shattered' by O.A.R. Interlude: 'Old Friends' by Ben Rector Closing: 'Almost Home' by Ben Rector

    1h 15m
  7. Ep. 58 Mike Harmon / Secession

    MAR 13

    Ep. 58 Mike Harmon / Secession

    What happens when a PGA Tour card holder fails to get through Q school and runs into a PGA head golf professional while Christmas shopping? Ahead on this episode is the story of Mike Harmon, the longtime head professional at Secession Golf Club in Beaufort, South Carolina.  In our conversation with Mike we discuss:  How the culture at Secession was not only created, but also on role as the guardian and protector of its culture ever since. Mike had to sell countless memberships over his 30 year career. When it comes to selling, Mike will share the key word he feels is at the foundation of the process. Mike will soon be taking his 100th overseas golf trip. There are many reasons Mike has continued to jump over the pond and he will share why these trips can impact your business in countless way. Along with being called The Old Pro, Mike could easily be referred to as Mr. Style. Mike will talk about why he feels style matters and also about how when he was recruiting, he sought our style in others. Mike might be one of the best writers amongst all the golf professionals I've known. Mike will educate us on not only why you should pay attention to your writing, but the side benefit to it we all could use. When it comes to handing down advice, Mike shares about a defining moment in his life that began opening doors soon thereafter.. and not the ones he saw coming either. To connect with Chandler:  Send him an email: podcast@archive22.com Or, a DM on LinkedIn or Instagram @theinwardninepodcast Music Credits:  Opening: 'Raise Em Up' by Keith Urban Interlude: 'Old Friends' by Ben Rector Closing: 'Almost Home' by Ben Rector

    1h 40m
  8. Ep. 57 The Catastrophe Series Part 3: Hurricane Helene with Tom Dale

    MAR 6

    Ep. 57 The Catastrophe Series Part 3: Hurricane Helene with Tom Dale

    What happens to the lives of golf professionals when catastrophe strikes? How do these people pick up the pieces when they feel everything has been lost?  In this episode, we visit with the Director of Golf at Linville Golf Club, Tom Dale, and the events of Hurricane Helene from the fall of 2024. Following the devastation to the North Carolina mountains, Tom and the club found themselves in a unique position to help the surrounding community. Tom takes us through the ah-ha moment which led to the club immediately ceasing their operations to make their property and assets available to those who needed it the most.  The members and staff at Linville Golf Club have exemplified what it means to be stewards of all they have been entrusted with. Please join me in celebrating their life changing and ongoing efforts.  Music Credits:  Opening: 'Something To Believe In' by Poison.  Interlude: 'Superman' (Instrumental) by Five For Fighting Closing: 'Stand By Me' by Ben E. King

    29 min
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5
out of 5
98 Ratings

About

The Inward Nine is a podcast for those looking to discover the best version of themselves. On The Inward Nine we will learn from a range of people in the game of golf as we share our journeys, experiences, successes and failures, lessons learned and advice for the next generation. But we are not here just to talk about success in the workplace. We are here to talk about who we are as people and how we succeed at the game of life. Chandler Withington is a PGA Member of nearly 20 years and has worked in the game of golf for over 30 years. Chandler is the retired head golf professional from Hazeltine National Golf Club (2012 - 2021). Prior to Hazeltine, Chandler was an assistant golf professional at Merion Golf Club (PA) and Seminole Golf Club (FL). Over the last three years, Chandler has become a licensed artist for the United States Golf Association and PGA of America. Chandler's personal mission statement is to have a positive impact on the lives of those around him.

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