Richard Pace

Golfing Herald met up with Richard Pace, Head PGA Professional at Beverley & East Riding Golf Club for the inaugural article in our series ‘Meet the Professional’.

Richard Pace started playing golf at the age of 13, joining Hornsea Golf Club and embarked on his golfing journey with a handicap of 32. By the time Richard went to Leeds Metropolitan University to study Applied Sports and Exercise Sciences, his handicap was 4 and a couple of years later down to Scratch.

After graduating in 2005, Richard started working for Stretton Wright, PGA Professional at Hornsea Golf Club, turning Professional in 2006. After completing the PGA Foundation Degree, Richard became the Head Teaching Professional at One Stop Golf in Hull. In this role, coaching quickly became his passion, whether teaching a total beginner or an elite amateur.

In March 2018, Richard was appointed as Head PGA Professional at Beverley & East Riding Golf Club, where he has continued to be a highly respected coach, developing golfers of all ages and abilities to reach their respective golfing goals.

Beverley & East Riding Golf Club

Established in 1889, Beverley & East Riding Golf Club is an 18 hole course that is laid out on common land known as Beverley Westwood. This land is managed by the Beverley Pasture Masters, whose remit is to assess the grazing possibilities of each pasture and allocate the number of livestock allowed on each!! Thus the rent paid by the Club to the Pasture Masters is calculated by the area of grassland which would have been available for cattle to graze had it not been for the configuration of the fairways, greens and semi-rough!!

However, this does not distract from an excellent golf course, measuring 6017 yards from the white tees. With stunning views of the Yorkshire Wolds and Beverley Minster, this course feels almost from a bygone age, where every hole is different, presenting the full spectrum of golfing challenges. Allied with superb (but as I can testify very tricky) greens, the emphasis is very much on course management.

Academia vs. Professional Sport

Golfing Herald (GH): So after being “guided” by Richard around 18 holes (in under 3 hours), we retired to the excellent clubhouse where I started our conversation by asking whether he had always intended to go to University or had he been tempted to turn professional at that stage.

Richard Pace (RP): No, I had already made the decision to go to University. I had always wanted to play a sport for a living. I was also a good cricketer so when I was 16 I had to make a decision on which sport to focus on as cricket and golf don’t overly match. I chose golf. Also, I don’t believe you should turn Professional until your handicap is scratch (or better) and looking back I am really pleased I stuck to my guns.

4 to Scratch

(GH): So what was your approach to get down to Scratch?

(RP): At University the golf coach was the former European Tour player Peter Tupling who said that if I wanted to get any lower than 4 I would need to change my swing. At that time I had a stupidly strong grip with very much a baseball swing and hit everything with a 20-yard hook.

(GH): So how long did it take you to get down to Scratch?

(RP): About 2 years to finally “crack it”.

(GH): How was that period of change, to “crack it”?

(RP): Brutal, absolutely brutal!! Many hours standing on the driving range at Cookridge Hall in the depths of winter, freezing cold, but if you want something badly enough……

Turning Professional

(GH): After graduating in 2005 you finally turned Professional in 2006, attached to Hornsea Golf Club.

(RP): Yes. After leaving University I worked for Stretton Wright at Hornsea Golf Club. Hornsea was my home club having played there as a Junior. So it was a nice progression really so when the opportunity to finally turn professional arose it was an honour to accept.

(GH): Stretton must have seen potential in you, not just as an accomplished golfer but in the various facets and skills required to be a golf professional in today’s world?

(RP): Whatever it was, it has worked out alright for me!!

First Professional Win

(GH): Your first win as a Professional was the 2009 Cleethorpes Golf Club Pro-Am. Talk me through that day….was it just one of those days when you were in the zone and you just felt “this is my day”?

(RP): No Idea!! No seriously, the greens at Cleethorpes in the summer are just phenomenal. So there was a degree of comfort as Hornsea is blessed with very good greens. So I am on good greens and I don’t have to try too hard, so I just have to stroke rather than hit the ball. Makes a BIG difference. I did not expect things to happen. I just went there wanting to play golf. I was really pleased with my score of 67 (3 under par) but did not think this figure would be the winning score (maybe a couple of shots short). However, when I walked off the course I found to my surprise that I was leading by 2!!

(GH): Why did you think that your 3 under par score would just fall short?

(RP): Maybe I underestimate how well I have played on the day, or because of what has happened to me before in events, but all of my victories as a Professional have been like that. Whenever I have won I have always thought my score would be a couple of shots short. Maybe because I have had experiences in the past where you think you have done something well and you actually haven’t and it can be a touch demoralising. So I just take every score/round for what it is. Golf is probably the only sport where you can play amazingly well and still lose. So that was my day when I was just very level headed in my thinking and approach on a Golf Course.

(GH): So when you realised you had secured your first victory as a professional, can you remember your overriding emotions and thoughts?

(RP): Shock to be honest!! Looking back, I got off to a fast start when I turned Professional. My first event as a professional was in a Yorkshire PGA Event at Malton Golf Club. It was scheduled to be 36 holes but was reduced to 18 holes due to rain delays. I shot 3 under par and was in a 4 man playoff. Possibly it put me on the back foot as I thought “I can compete with these guys”. I wouldn’t say I went into the doldrums but I certainly did not play to my potential immediately after that first event.

(GH): If you had actually won that first event, do you think it would have been a case of “too much too soon”?

(RP): Absolutely.

European Tour Player Aspirations

(GH): When you turned Professional you wanted to be a European Tour Player. How far did you travel down that particular road?

(RP): In 2009, after 3 years of study I completed the PGA Foundation Degree course. I then played in the first stage of Qualifying School, hosted by Chart Hills Golf Club. Even back then, the entry fee was a substantial amount. Very good preparation followed by some really good golf in the first round. Shot a 70, 2 under par which included a double bogey. Thought, pretty good score, only to see that somebody had shot a 62!! So I ended up going to the range hitting balls a little bemused, thinking I played some really good golf and I was 8 shots behind the leader.

(GH): So how did the rest of the qualifying event unfold?

(RP): I shot 70-74-70-73 for a total of 1 under par and missed the cut by 5 shots. I realised that I was either not quite good enough or maybe not quite ready. Emotionally I was ready but maybe slightly immature from a golfing perspective. I thought I might have another go but then I was presented with the opportunity to be the Head Teaching Professional at “One Stop Golf”. I then moved into a full time teaching role and all of a sudden priorities changed. I was now combining teaching with playing in Yorkshire PGA Events (and really enjoyed them) and almost overnight golf changed from being a paid hobby to being a business.

(GH): Have you ever thought of having another try?

(RP): 2018 has been very kind to me, with 3 wins this year: the Brough Classic (36 hole Pro-Am), the Yorkshire Open at Howley Hall and the East Riding Open at Filey. Playing well ALWAYS makes you think yeah, why not have another go. But then I think I would be competing against guys who do nothing but play golf, underpinned by a lot of financial backing and I would then turn up after working (say) 70 hours the previous week!! …..no, I am more than happy with my golfing career/business. It’s not that I don’t believe I couldn’t compete but from a business perspective, right now it doesn’t make sense.

Assess, Learn & Improve

(GH): Your teaching philosophy is one of “Assess, Learn and Improve”, so what is it about Teaching and Coaching that you really enjoy?

(RP): Getting people to hit a golf shot they have never hit before. When somebody who walks into my teaching studio when they are “down & out” and slightly “hating golf” and getting them to be able to do something that “re-ignites” their love of the game is extremely rewarding.

(GH): When we played earlier today, a recurring theme was that playing golf should at all times be fun.

(RP): Totally agree. When I first started playing golf it was fun. I still play for fun now. I am very fortunate that I get paid to play, providing I play well, and yes golf is my job/business but it is still fun. Today, playing is a day off for me: I get the chance to go and play golf and potentially/hopefully come home with a Trophy!!

(GH): But as you say, the common thread is one of enjoyment?

(RP): Yes, but the number of golfers I see that don’t enjoy playing golf and they walk off after every round of golf very frustrated is frightening. So my question is “What are you going to do about it?”. I recently read an article which stated there were about 5 million registered golfers in the UK but less than 20% take lessons.

(GH): So why do you think there is such a low percentage of golfers who sign up for lessons?

(RP): In my opinion…..I think in the past too many golfers have had lessons more about “you must swing the club like this” as opposed to lessons that “make you better”. As a Teaching Professional, you really need to understand the individual. Previously, golf lessons have been very prescriptive, namely “This is your problem, there is a video camera, this is what you are doing wrong”, rather than “It might just need a minor tweak”.

Best Lesson

(GH): From all the lessons you have conducted over the years do you have a really good example to illustrate your approach?

(RP): One of the best lessons I have ever conducted resulted in 2 shots in an hour!! There was 1 shot at the beginning of the lesson, a question was asked, we spoke, then some whiteboarding and then we discussed a few concepts and ideas that the golfer had which were fundamentally flawed, and then 1 shot at the end. High fade to a lovely draw in 2 shots!!

One size does not fit all

(GH): Earlier today we touched upon mentoring and coaching in any profession, not just golf, and that the teacher/coach has to be more chameleon-like rather than the old-fashioned “one size fits all”.

(RP): If someone comes to me and says “I really want to improve my golf”, I will ask “How much practice do you get?”. Invariably the response is “I don’t”. Thus aspirations do not match reality. So I really like to understand the individual by asking questions and gathering information.

Move to Beverley & East Riding Golf Club

(GH): Richard, how did the move from Head Teaching Professional at One Stop Golf to Head PGA Professional here at Beverley come about? Were you headhunted and/or did the position become available?

(RP): Yes, the position became available and the time was right in that I needed a new challenge. I had reached a point where although teaching people on a driving range is important, and driving ranges have a place in the game and everything was great…….but, I couldn’t do what I really wanted to do. By this I mean a lot of the coaching and mentoring I wanted to do is here. We must never forget that golf is played outside, where terrain, weather conditions, etc. all play their part. Driving ranges are great for practice but golf is the only sport where you don’t really practice where you play. I have seen many examples of golfers who have great driving range swings but can’t “Play Golf”!!

(GH): Obviously, being the Head PGA Professional of such a historic club such as Beverley is much more than just teaching members and non-members?

(RP): Correct. Although the majority of my time, say 75%, is spent Teaching I am also responsible for the retail side of the Pro Shop, but I do have an excellent team who run that aspect of the business. Also, I still have the opportunity to play in Pro-Am’s, 1-day events and Alliance Competitions.

(GH): So today, about 8 months into your new role, what would you say is the best aspect?

(RP): Variety. Seeing different golfers, interaction with the members and guests, welcoming clients who may not be members of this Club. Making people smile on the Golf Course and making their golf experience one that (hopefully) ensures they return.

Expectation Management

(GH): I know one of your coaching tenets is “Expectation Management”. Could you expand upon this term?

(RP): A good example is that the best player in 2017 on the PGA Tour from 125/150 yards from the green was Rory Mcllroy, whose average proximity to the hole during the Calendar year was 5% (i.e. 7 & 1/2 yards from the hole from 150 yards).

(GH): So during our round this morning there was no surprise I continually missed the greens from that sort of distance.

(RP): Spot on……and yet I have clients who get frustrated for missing a target by 5 yards from a distance of 150 yards!!

(GH): So would I be right in thinking that you then turn this perceived negative into a positive by drawing the attention of the Client to the PGA statistics.

(RP): Absolutely. All golfers (whatever level) have to accept they won’t hit perfect shots all of the time, if at all.

A Tweet the other day on Junior Golf

(GH): I read with interest the other day one of your tweets on the subject of Junior Golf. Where shall we start?

(RP): I don’t believe in handicaps for Juniors, because you can’t take two 13-year-olds and expect them to playoff similar handicaps; potentially different physical age and mental age development. A Junior is likely to fall out of love with the game when he sees his handicap is not quite as good as one of his peers or friends.

(GH): What other challenges do you face with Juniors?

(RP): One of the challenges with modern-day golf is that Juniors watch the Elite Professionals on TV and what do they see; Pars, Birdies and Eagles so immediately they want to emulate the Professional. That is great but the reality is that from the white tees and maybe 9 (or more) shots later……not good for confidence and retention.

(GH): So what measures or steps would you introduce to address these various challenges?

(RP): The first step is to just get Juniors on a Golf Course and just play, have fun and smile. Next step is for Juniors to play from a tee appropriate to their age, development and his/her ability where they would at least have the opportunity to make a Par (or better) and progress accordingly. Much more satisfying than somebody saying “Great Swing” as they run up a score from the White Tees.

The best facet of your game

(GH): I thoroughly enjoyed watching you play this morning. What would you say is the best facet of your game?

(RP): On the technical side, long irons. Just love hitting a 2 iron. Allied with this, arguably strategy.

(GH): My observation (for what it is worth) is your Course Management was very evident by the way you navigated the 18 holes of Beverley.

(RP): This year, when I have won, I have always said (to the local press) it was all about “staying patient” or “boring golf”. Every shot is a new challenge whilst you must forget the previous shot. I like to play conservative golf aggressively. By that mean pick targets which allow me to hit my “average shot” and fully commit to it. I prefer to play a little fade, so I allow for my miss to be in the biggest portion of the green. If I hit my best shot I will be close, and if I hit my worst, I should still be putting. If I can walk off a golf course at the end of every round and say yes, that was as good as I could play today and as long as I still get nervous on the 1st Tee, then I won’t stop playing.

Outside of golf

(GH): So outside of golf what are your interests?

(RP): Most sports. Love watching Rugby (Union and League), Hate Football. Like reading books such as “Sacred Hoops” by Phil Jackson, the Chicago Bulls Head Coach as I am always looking for opportunities to better myself whether, in Business, Coaching or Psychology.

Favourite Sporting Event

(GH): So what is your favourite Sporting Event (obviously not the F.A.Cup final based on your response to the previous question!!)?

(RP): The Ryder Cup. It gets people who have never played golf before interested in playing golf. Therefore by definition, if we can have more events something along the lines of the Ryder Cup Match Play format mixed with noise and bright colours. I really think that the 2016 Rio Olympics Golf missed a trick by playing a 72 hole Stroke Play format. Golf is gradually becoming a Stadium Sport; just look at the Par 3 16th at the Waste Management Phoenix Open where the hole is enclosed by a grandstand.

(GH): I know. It was either this year or last when Andrew “Beef” Johnston high-fived spectators from the tee to the green. The course was rocking!!

(RP): I am all for respect and traditions but if we were still to play golf in a jacket and tie then we just won’t be playing golf.

Fantasy Fourball

(GH): In addition to yourself, who would join you in a Fantasy Fourball?

(RP): Tiger Woods (I can still remember him winning his first US masters), Clive Woodward (probably the first person to take coaching to another level and transcend other sports) and Peter Kay (need a comedian to balance the fourball).

If not a Professional Golfer

(GH): OK Richard. If not a Professional Golfer, then what?

(RP): I would have loved to have been a Sports Psychologist. At University I did my dissertation in Sports Psychology and what I find fascinating is the motivation behind the reason why. We are still learning so much about how the brain works. We just don’t understand enough about what the brain does.

Favourite Golf Course

(GH): Other than Beverley & East Riding, which is your favourite course in the United Kingdom?

(RP): Too many.

(GH): Can you single out one in particular?

(RP): Formby. Every hole is just different and it is so good. Though I do love The Renaissance Club near Edinburgh which is fairly special.

(GH): And your favourite course outside of the UK?

(RP): Monte Rei Golf & Country Club, Portugal. Designed by Jack Nicklaus. Unbelievable.

What would the members say

(GH): Probably an unfair question as you have not been at Beverley that long, but if I was to poll the membership what words would they use to describe you?

(RP): Hard working, professional, reliable and accommodating, but ask me in another year!!

Marooned

(GH): A bit of fun. You are marooned on a remote Island. Which 3 items would you not be without, and please keep it clean?

(RP): Podcast App/Earphones, a good bottle of Scotch and a Golf Club/Golf Ball.

The Nineteenth

(GH): And finally. You are now in charge of the R&A so outline your mission statement/vision on Golf?

(RP): Make golf more approachable. The challenge should be appropriate for the individual. In Amateur Golf, have an event where handicaps are irrelevant and where you play of different tees appropriate to age and ability, and the lowest score wins. Need to appeal to a younger audience. Need to play quicker. I would never want to stop players hitting the ball as far as they can because the distance a ball is hit is part of the game. However, the Elite Players are very fit, professional athletes, but it won’t be long before we have a course in excess of 9,000 yards. As a consequence, the game will take much longer, will be much harder and is just not going to appeal and golf will just die. The uniqueness of golf is the possibility, with a few exceptions, of playing any course in the world…..let’s keep it that way.

(GH): Richard. Huge thanks for your time today and sharing some very thoughtful and innovative ideas on the game of golf and providing insight into the life of a PGA Professional. Also, thanks to the hospitality of Beverley & East Riding Golf Club and for allowing images of the course to be used within this article.