Hi, my name is Brian Campbell and welcome to The Junior Golf Podcast! That lovely lady in the picture is my wife, and best friend Joccelyn. I could not take on this challenge without her and I am grateful for her help and support. We are based in Raleigh, North Carolina, The Home of American Golf! I started playing golf with my grandfather at the age of 4. Him and my grandmother lived on a golf course in Chattanooga, TN where he would take me out in the evenings and teach me to putt and chip. My love for the game was born and has been a part of my life ever since. To this day I still have the putter that he cut down for me.
As I got older I would move further and further away from the green until eventually, I made it to the tee box. I would sneak out on the course and play as many holes as I could before dark. By the time I was 7 yrs old I was playing nonstop. In the Summer my parents would drop me off at the local course and my friends and I would play 36 holes every day. I joined the local junior tour when I was 9 and competed all around Chattanooga until I turned 16. Throughout this time I had won many tournaments and competed at the State level. I continued playing through High School before enlisting in the Air Force.
Throughout my Air Force career which lasted 9 years, I played as often as I could but not as much as I wanted. It wasn’t until I separated from the military that I began playing much more regularly. Nowadays I practice all the time, coach middle school golf and compete on the Carolinas Golf Association Tour.
In 2016 I volunteered at my daughters’ middle school for the assistant golf coach position. I had never coached golf before and thought this would be a great opportunity. I submitted my resume and got the position. It turned out to be one of the most fun and most rewarding things I have done. We ended up winning the Conference Championship and I was offered the Head Coach position for 2017. Coaching junior golf was an eye opening experience. It took me back to being a kid again and reminded me of the importance of junior golf. Although golf at every level is challenging and competitive, it can still be fun! The fundamentals, skills, and etiquette taught at this level is the foundation for their golf future. Proper coaching, mentoring and guidance throughout this process is crucial to their overall success, satisfaction, and love for the game.
After starting my coaching job I began researching the world of Junior Golf. Throughout my research one thing stood out to me…there’s a need for more exposure. We want to connect the parents and players with questions to those with the answers and solutions. The junior golfers of today are the Future of Tomorrow and we want to provide every opportunity for them to succeed. Our mission at The Junior Golf Podcast is to provide every avenue and open every door that we can for these kids. Hopefully, with our help and with the help of those involved in Junior Golf, we can educate the world and Grow the Game!
Sincerely,
The Junior Golf Podcast