#GolfChat Questions

Golf Chatter Bio: @ZebWelborn

Real Name: Zeb Welborn
Location: Chino Hills, CA

What Do You Order from the #GolfChat Bar?

Coke. I quit drinking about five years ago. 

How Did You Get Into Golf?

My family has a long history in golf.

My Great Grandfather, on my Mom’s side, moved to the United States and the only thing he had with him, other than his suitcase was a letter of recommendation from James Braid.  He designed a few golf courses and was the head golf club designer for MacGregor.  He taught my Grandmother how to play and my Grandmother taught my Mom.

My Grandfather was the Men’s Club President at the local private golf course in my area, Western Hills, and he taught my Dad who has written for numerous golf magazines over the years.

My Dad bought me my first set of clubs at 11 years old and I slowly got more and more chances to play.  Eventually, I started working at Western Hills as a cart attendant and then got a job at the local public course Los Serranos Country Club.

What Are You Doing in Golf and Why?

I worked at Los Serranos for 7 years, working my way up to the Assistant Golf Professional while going to school to become a High School History teacher.  I left golf to pursue my teaching career which lasted 4 years.

I loved teaching High School History, but realized it wasn’t the career for me so I left teaching figuring I’d fall into something else.  Unfortunately, I made this decision as the recession hit and no one was hiring for jobs anywhere.  I fell back to one-on-one tutoring and my one student soon turned into a business where I learned how to market my business using the internet.

My tutoring business took off and I had numerous business owners of the kids I was tutoring reach out to me to ask me if I could do some of the same work for them and my internet marketing business was born.  I reached out to the course I worked at for 7 years, Los Serranos Country Club to see if they’d be interested in bringing me on board and I landed my first golf course client.

We were so successful at Los Serranos Country Club that I eventually wrote a book, The Social Golf Course which spoke to the importance of social media for golf courses.  I currently handle the social media and digital marketing for about ten golf courses and am looking to help grow the golf industry by managing the social presence of golf courses across the United States.

One of the biggest struggles I’ve had trying to grow 19th Hole Media was demonstrating the return on investment social media brings to golf courses, but recently I’ve created a way to do just that.  I’m looking forward to showing golf courses the potential for growth using social media in 2016.

Favorite #GolfChat Topics?

My favorite #GolfChat topics are the ones that #GolfChatters have a very strong opinion on.  I also love to see #GolfChat topics that create solutions for growing the game.

In my book, we have a chapter on St. Andrews and how the growth of anything really comes down to people.  The citizens of St. Andrews took it upon themselves to “grow golf” (@connectgolf says this terminology is cliche) and I look at #GolfChatters as a fresher version of the St. Andrews of old.

Favorite Golf Quote?

“Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots – but you have to play the ball where it lies.”
– Bobby Jones

Favorite Golf Destination and Why?

It’s not so much a golf destination, but who I’m playing golf with.  Every Summer, my Dad, brother and I have a Father-Son Golf Trip to a golf course between 2 and 8 hours away.  It’s a weekend full of golf, billiards, cards, jacuzzis, competition, fun, and quality father-son time.

How Do You View the State of the Game of Golf?

Golf has so much potential.  The industries that are thriving today are the ones who fill peoples social news feeds with content they’re looking for.  The more a person sees their family and friends enjoying something, the more inclined they will be to take part in those activities.

Every golf course is ingrained in a community and these golf courses all have the opportunity to think more socially and get more community involvement from their local community.

Unfortunately, many local golf courses are dropping the ball.  It’s rare to see a golf course with an active social media presence and it’s even rarer to see one with an effective social media presence.

The potential is there for a revitalization of golf and it’s at our fingertips.  I only hope more golf courses begin to think more socially to get more golfers to the golf course.

Who Are Your Favorite #GolfChatters and Why?

Since starting #GolfChat we’ve had 385 people chime in at one time or another.  Asking me to choose my favorite #GolfChatters is like asking a mother to choose her favorite child.  But, I’d make a terrible mother so my favorite golfer is . . . you . . . Shh. Don’t tell everyone else.

Favorite Golfers and Why?

My cousin, Ryan Welborn played in the 1999 U.S. Open so I’m going to have to go with him because he’s my favorite.