The TRUTH about Rick Shiels at golf college!

All right guys welcome back to the Rick Shields Golf Show podcast episode 158 yes now if you're watching this you might notice was sat differently to normal with side by side the guys guys on my left. And I'm on the right uh it's because we've got a guest on today.

So we've got we've been set up but we've just had the guest on um I was nervous about this one I bet you were very very very nervous fortunately. For you most of the bad stories couldn't make the cut so they're all thank God thank God they were. So bad they wouldn't be allowed to come on the podcast today.

We have on the show my ex tutor at College your teacher my teacher Rick Daniels Mr Daniels is my favorite Rick now you're like an all right Rick he's like the Don of all Rick yeah no he is listen when I grow up I'll be Rick this week. So but I've probably said it in the podcast before when I was 16 to 18 I went to a college called my school college to do golf studies I um how should I put it I enjoyed my time there from a social standpoint yes yeah you were um even though I obviously didn't know you back then.

I can just picture you. So so vividly and you uh you said this in the podcast it's coming up now you were wearing Burberry you were earrings in you were um a character I was a key very cocky 16 year old yeah people might say it's not changed. But 20 years ago I turned up at that car he's thinking that was the best thing since slash bread. And I left two years later realizing uh you're not the best thing since slash bread but it did me a good stead to form the career that I've Got to Now um we also allude to we've just finished filming a video at mysco with some of the students genuinely right now it might be one of the best videos we've ever made it was insane um this podcast actually though I was I mean it was very very good it was one of my favorites done in a long time it was actually it was a nice balance it was it was funny in part. But there was actually a lot of really good learnings I think a lot of people who listen to this. Or watch this um want to work in golf and why would you not you know if you're a golf fan which you probably are if you're watching this. Or listen to this working in golf one of the best things you can do there's a lot of advice that if you're no matter how old you are if you're 16 if you're 55 um there's a lot of jobs out there. And hope for this this episode might give you some inspiration and help you out yeah. So Rick's led the golf he's basically head of golf at my school for 22 years he was a student student there is a PGA golf professional. For a PGA golf professional similar to myself and he's had 800 students through the doors at MySQL so there's some really character and he'll tell some stories around that as well and some successes yes he's actually absoluted to the house of success yeah I didn't fully believe his nose started growing. But he's actually still here he's off camera and as it stands he's currently the head of golf in this room as well so that's Rick best head of golf yes he is uh what different podcast this week we will be kind of back to normal next.

Week. And so if you've got any emails you want to send in off the back of this podcast or just generic questions or thoughts or feelings let us know it's podcast ricksheels.com um we have also going to be in next.

Week's podcast going to be talking about a range night we're going to do in Saint Andrews which is actually happening tonight as you're watching this range out tonight at St Andrew. So sorry if you missed out on tickets but there's only a very very selected amount and they went on sale free sale last week and they sold out within about three minutes we'll do more range nights the video will be coming from that. But it means we get to go to our favorite place in the world Saint Andrews and you're going to give away lots of dollar potentially I know I think that's why people now with the tickets. For range night sold out we'll say sold out they were free. But they they sold out they went within minutes I think that's now because people know you go with a love cats. And there's challenges that are achievable yes maybe business strategy what's that charging. For tickets so this might be the last three one it's not very good business model is it really we go to a driving range people don't pay to come we hire the driving range yeah. So anyway it's in partnership with top Tracer um obviously one of my um I'm a global Ambassador for top tray so one of my partners so it's gonna be a really good video stay tuned for that and it also means we're spending three days in Saint Andrews filming some content which will be drip fed through December you're gonna do some breaks in your fives I might be bringing the golf clubs out of retirement yeah there's naughty naughty golf clubs right without further Ado sit back relax. And enjoy um the real Rick the best right the real Rick I want everyone comment below if you're watching this hashtag will of the real Rick that's it. And uh yeah it'll tell you a little bit about what he remembers of me as a 16 year old kid come here before it's a rick. So Rick this is Slightly bizarre. For me I'm not gonna lie to you because as a 16 year old it's 20 years ago from now I walked up to a college in Preston called my school college I had a Burberry t-shirt on okay Burberry color okay. So every trim genuine I know of course it was playing off probably about eight handicapped nice thinking I was the bee's knees earring earrings oh all double plural wow blonde hair fresh faced didn't know what the world was going to bring me okay. And I went to my school college and I was presented probably my first ever class with Rick Daniels Mr Daniels we'd have to call you Mr Daniels as my tutor yeah it's been 20 years yeah I started in 20 years I think I look better after 20 years oh yeah I don't feel like you've aged one I had the same haircut. For 40 years I'm 48 years old I don't think anything's changed apart from I've got a bit grayer that's crazy. So we've obviously introd this podcast as you being my old tutor okay you where I was there. For two years you've been there just you've been there for how long I'm entering my 22nd year wow as a as a member of the teaching staff I was a student there myself. For three years as well on the degree program so I've spent more than half my life at Royal my school that's crazy now today.

We're actually coming off the back of a video we've just shot there today.

Right now. And which will be coming out in a few weeks I want to touch on that first even though we don't want to give too much away honestly right now I think that's going to be one of my favorite videos we've ever made 100 um I don't want to give it too much away. But we went back to my old school my old college and we challenged 20 of the students there to a competition for some Wonga some big Wonga could be but certainly if it was amazing though was it 18 to 21 the mixture of age yeah they're all the degree students 18 plus. So we have to take that box to make sure we're okay there from amateur status rules as well. So we there was five challenges. And very simple challenges but it was an elimination until we got down to a final two until one of the golfers was crowned I could honestly say I don't think we've ever filmed the video with actually that much tension I could feel the tension you could cut it with a three iron yeah I think there was we've never used. So many cameras we've never used so many people we've never had a rent a crowd yeah we brought a special crowd in that uh we're there with the Quiet signs. And the special boards that we had put up and they did a good job really they did really good were you proud of your students yeah they think they did well they were looking forward to obviously yeah they're excited because you've been interviewer thankfully you've been into a q a with them with a couple of weeks before which I know you've alluded to already. So they've got a bit of a feel for it and then.

They knew what was coming. And obviously the challenges changed slightly for the better and uh I think the video is gonna be great obviously we've struck a little bit with the weather weren't we. But um the way it went and as you said it with the tension we should have uh put them all on heart rate monitors from the beginning shouldn't we I'm not sure how I would have fared in that situation the the we won't again without giving it away the last few golfers that got through to the final stages they were playing. For big money and they were. So cool calm and collected you've either got some very very good golf coaches there or they're just the most it's all down to the coaching I obviously on the staff um but they did really well um I think when people get to see the video I'm sure they'll be encapsulated by it. And it was it was great fun. And thank you for the opportunity no worries um it was good to give back um with you obviously now in your role there at mysco you're we're just discussing this off air what's your actual title it's gonna of course leader what do you think about Titleist head of golf the boss I need to send that to my boss I just think head of golf when I think of mysco. And I'm sure there'll be X pupils ex students listening to this they will only know you from mysco it's very kind. And there's been there's been other tutors there's been other coaches there but certainly from considering you started 22 years ago how how that time frame has changed I'd love to dive out into you I'm in today.

I want to give you the opportunity to tell people listening what is my school college because even now if I've said to people I went to golf College when I was 16. certainly here in the UK it's very unheard of absolutely they're looking. And go what I Love College I still even though I've been the last couple of days and it's over my eyes somewhat I still don't fully understand it and I want to hear your explanation of it because I imagine if you're young and you like golf it must be heaven well you'd like to think that's what we uh we try. And do um we're the oldest running academic golf program in the world we've been going since 1994 in terms of the degree programs that we offer. And some of the Fe program fe16-18 for those that they don't know so you can come at 16 years old. Or you can come 18 years old to do various courses just a quick one what's FeFe sorry further education okay. So it's what you choose to do after gcses yeah. So there's Fe and HC further education higher education so we've been going since 1994. So foxy who you know is was on the first year program of that. So he he's now I know him as a quite a new tutor when I was there um I almost feel like he wasn't in golf it was General sport really um when you were there. And and uh focused on golf now he's got a he looks after football not football sorry rugby golf Cricket so he's he's been loaded with a lot but back then.

He's one of the first students ever to go on to a golf and sports Business program um and I came in 1995 did my three years there. And um went to work at the Marriott at Worsley Park association with the place we know a little bit about I know you've been there a few times so I was down there like the golf events manager. And then.

Got enticed to go back to mysco um back in 2000 2001 and as you say my school is historically. Or synonymously known as an agricultural or Horticultural college and it always has been you know with the farm background and where its location is um. But from being on site as you've seen yourself don't get me wrong that that trend is still that theme is still there um. But it's also developed tremendously to include areas like that nursing Animal Care the international equine Arena that we've got there we've got a motorsport team um and on the back of that obviously the sports side and as well as the golf which has been there the longest we we offer programs educational programs in football rugby Cricket um basketball public services so it the brand itself has grown but people will still always think that my Esco. Or University Central mayesco is an agricultural Horticultural college. So I know when Rick went he had visions of playing golf every single day nine to five and you've soon found out that's not the reality he definitely found out what it what is it certainly well in all the ages from 16 to 21 what are the actual kind of core modules. And if you go to study golf that you would actually undertake yep um a lot of them I'll just go back to you first bit a lot of them students arrive particularly at 16 think they're going to play golf all the time don't get me wrong they do play a lot of golf. But they are there. For an educational program at the same time and without the educational program there they wouldn't be able to take up the benefits of all the facilities that we've got and things that we offer but speaking from my point of view at degree level when they come in they're doing a lot of modules that are everything's related to golf all your assignments all your classroom time is golf examples. And we'll come on to enrichment things that we get up to but modules they do I would say are transferable. So we do marketing. But it's themed around the golf industry so we look at why different brands do different things we do event management Finance Human Resources all to do with the golf industry. But the probably the main module we do over the three years is golf operations because a lot of our students will end up working in the golf operations side of the industry around the world which I'll give you some examples of later um everything they do there. And a typical timetable week for them for example my first years on the management program is they're in 10-12 hours a week Monday to Friday actually in the classroom having structured sessions with the tutors. And the rest of the time they have a coaching day where they can use all the facilities we've got on sites use all the equipment that we've got well there's a golf course in that whole golf course there's a there's two academies now effectively yeah two indoor academies there's a massive put in green which can have an artificial putting green in the center of as well that's great there's a small driving range there on site as well there's obviously golf coaches yeah. So as a golfer you'd like to think when you go at 16. Or 18 depending on on your level you're given opportunities to progress and improve on your game that's built into your timetable as well so your classroom times there obviously well outside of you your period time your classroom time you can go. And practice as much as you like you can use the facilities. And and it's all there on site the only difference between here and say traditionally American Golf scholarships is the weather in the forecast that we get over here. But from um bespoke students that have come through the system I was thinking on the way down just trying to Stewart. And um I think I've been there like I say 22 years I've gone through about 800 students that have come through the system with us which is phenomenal when you think about 800 golf students yeah of all abilities including yourself I've got I'll come back to what you remember with me at college. And that might be a bit of an embarrassing walk down memory lane but you mustn't be able to go very far in the golf industry without seeing one of your ex students yeah I mean we're very lucky as as you know we work a lot on DP World Tour. Or let we get around a lot we we go to different venues we play a lot of events and the chances are that a place we'll go to there's someone there from mayesco. Or they've been there 20 years ago 10 years ago and and there's a network link now of ex-students that are doing. So well in the industry you know I began like say 22 years ago my first students are nearly 40 if not 40.. And they're all in phenomenal jobs in different levels around the world and which I'll tell you about in a bit and we're very lucky that if you go somewhere there's an event on we'll bump into someone from Myers go well I I just a bit of background for everyone listening so obviously I went Peter Finch went Andy Carter went Mark Addison from JCB went yeah um I'm trying to think of other names that have been there Chris Hanson who I definitely want to come on to Chris because I remember Chris at college has been this kind of Superstar way better than all of the rest. And he actually continued to go on to European tour and have great success writing Majors James Robinson who's been on the podcast and and obviously on the channel before I'm sure I've missed names and I apologize if I have but we could sit here all there but even even just the circles that I'm mixing and probably people that are listening. And watching they've probably watched videos from some of those creators or they've seen videos and you know in our kind of YouTube that's how you met Pete isn't it yeah it's how I met Pete's how I met Carter um all those kind of you know interlinked relationships came from the two years that I spent at College I know some of those Lads went on. For a bit longer but then.

You know even even years above or below you start to get to know people and you make connection and it's fascinating like you say the the the spread of all these students I mean it's just incredible yeah we're lucky. And you know yourself every year now in the last four or five years we've introduced an alumni golf day where we invite people back to come and see their old friends and have a day out and have a night out with the current students as well as the past students and from a networking point of view the feedback I've had from uh the guys and the girls that have come back over the last five years it's phenomenal it's been an opportunity to catch up and then.

Develop certain other links that they've gone on from a business point of view to to utilize away from the college which is great all those years ago when it first got set up what was its actual reason why did why did it get set up do you know actually the history of that. And was it trying to compete obviously you're saying it's the oldest where did it get its inspiration from if it's the first ever golf course. And are we saying that even before Americans. And people like that guy no it's the first it's the first ever academic program in the UK because the only other option was back then.

Because I was when I went there I was 18. Or 20 hour and I went there and if I wanted to go on and play professionally and do well in the industry from a playing point of view you have to go to the states. And I get that and we a lot of our students still go to the States now after they finished our programs um but back then.

Someone who I think it was Jeff Hutchins was the guy that was my course leader when I was there. And would have been in in charge of the program I'd spotted a niche in the market and said we need to offer something from a golf background. And it was the first one in the UK alongside another college that I went to before I went to to tomasco at Mary's wood um down in Guildford. And they were the only two places in the UK you could go to Barry Taylor went I think exactly yeah. And you could do some kind of golf studies. And otherwise it was America. Or nothing so someone spotted a nation I couldn't honestly tell you it was in the in the UK who did it. But glad they did. And from there things have grown um there's lots of other places you can go to now around the world around Europe which is great um you know the PGA I'm a PGA professional they offer a bespoke crew as well which is fantastic we're in no competition with the PJ it's all what they do is slightly different to what we do. And from a management point of view and so we're all for supporting different routes for different students in terms of what they want to do. And where they want to go when you hear about the America though obviously it's very well known the American like Collegiate system but when you look at like tour Pros who've gone to America and you see what they've got a major in as they call it it's often like a business or communication whereas this what your Audi is this bespokeley golf are there many golf bespoke ones in America as well there's a PGM program professional golf Management program in America we we have a link with Ohio State. And lots of people out there a gentleman called Michael Keith who's our Link in America for not only what we do. But as a national or International shortage of green keepers at the moment and my escrow was synonymously known again going back to it that if you want to do golf it was green Keepers that came out of my school college. And obviously now it's more so sports management Sports operations that come out of the college we still do the green keeping. And the sports deaf department and it's it's massive uh very well respected but there's an international shortage of green Keepers number of phone calls I get we were talking about phone calls. And emails earlier have you got this stuff you've got that stuff and since covid particularly you know have you got any green Keepers and we can't at the moment fulfill the number of jobs they are which is great. For us because there's so many jobs out there and we've got students lined up to go into these positions um but again going back to America if you want to go out there I had a few friends that went out to the states to Florida. And places like that to do scholarships. And they had to do the major like you said. But you could do things in like PE as your major. Or some art which people might sniff out like what are you doing you're just playing golf all the time. But you still have to do your academics while you're out there with us what we offer is it's a generic view of the golf industry. So they cover all areas of possible industry and our modules and our programs are put together at 16 to 18. And 18 plus to suit the industry so we sit down every every year every 18 months with what we call a technical Advisory Board so can I say run names. And people that yeah yeah of course. So the likes of we have a link with Callaway Odyssey Titleist um TaylorMade uh the Marriott group obviously potential employers we have employers all over the world in in Florida and in the Middle East which I'll I'll give you some more information on and we say this is what we offer you know because ultimately they'll come like I said the first students in our 40 that were with me they're in director of golf positions like um I've got three out in Dubai in Abu Dhabi. And every year they come and say I need three or six staff this year and what have you got for me because they know how they're educated they don't have to train them up as much because they get a good background with us for three years and all our modules that we put together on our program we approach the industry and say this is what we've got what we're missing what do you want this is something we need to change that the industry is always evolving. So we go through things called periodic Course Review where we bring our our courses up to date with what industry require as often as possible to remain relevant and ready for the industries to supply these new graduates to the world what's been the biggest changing factor in that in that period of time so I'm guessing things like golf development coaching has obviously changed because of technology and trapmans and GC quads and all that thing all that side of things I'm guessing the golf business the module has changed enormously because I'm guessing a lot of people when they first came and I would have been one of them at 16 thinking if I'm going to get into golf business the only real way of doing that is being a head pro you know it was the route yeah how do I how do I run a shop that's obviously developed into many more different strands now. And even going on the on the idea of the world that we live in I'm guessing now social media now is a huge part of the course as well yeah I mean we've touched on that. And and that's a module that we've got social media elements built into it but we now need to bring in pure module solid modules about social media usage how it works in Industry um you know going back to the business modules that we incorporate we get a lot of students that come to us that don't want to turn pro. So you know we all support going down the PGA if you want to go that way. But we get a lot of good good guys and girls that come in a very good handicap I mean the average handicap at the University Center's five at the moment across we've got 70 74 students that are present. So the standard's quite good and but not all of them want to play you know they all want to come in there with the hope of improving and getting better at golf some do want to play you've alluded to players that have come through already. But the majority of them will go into a management opportunity. And to to have the skill set that we give them at the University Center is uh crucial to their development I think that's one of the things I noticed that I think sometimes people from the outside think there's almost there's almost three jobs. For a golfer there's been on tour there's been a pro shop but there's been a coach one of the things I loved when we were at my school today.

And in previous days is that the corridors with like little posters of you know it's pupils from from Years Gone by. And some of the kind of amazing jobs they've gone to do whether it be you know um working. For a golf brand or director of golf a really well-known Golf Club I suppose you might get some youngsters Who start 18 thinking you know I want to be here to be a player but quite quickly their eyes get open to how many amazing careers there are out there. And I bet you get some people actually must not put the clubs away but start to focus more academically because they've got these aspirations that aren't to do with playing yeah absolutely I think a lot of them come in that want to play. And by no way do we say no we've got no chance. But we know how hard it is. But people have done it from our place they've come enough you've said Chris. And we can talk about Chris um of three handicap you know which is a great handicapper that's a good player. But to get the difference between being three handicapped and make it onto playing on the DP World Tour as it is now it's phenomenal. And it's extremely difficult we can look at the stats. So many people make it but we've had people come through the system to do that uh. But like I say you've been down our Hall of Fame so we've got lots of students that are in position Andy Carter's on the wall we haven't got you up I know you refuse to fill the paperwork I know um can I make a video instead yeah I think we've done that um. And as you've seen we've got people all over the world you said Mark Addison at JCB we've got guys. And girls running their own golf clubs um in the Middle East um every year we send between 8 and 12 students to work in a place called Frenchman's Creek in West Palm Beach Florida and they can't go unless they've got these management skills that put predominantly they must have their degree program now in place a lot of jobs are asking. For BA honors or a BSC even to the point where the PJ have now developed their own Top-Up program or to make their prolification into a ba program it's very interesting because I remember going at 16. And I I remember going to a careers advisor at the age of 14 let's say at school. And they were like you know Rick what what does he want to do. And at the time I was just in love with golf. And I'll be honest I didn't really know what I wanted to do in my life I didn't really know what career path I just knew I loved Golf. And I think I might have even said I want to be a golfer. And probably got laughed at and you know and I remember from that period of time between 14 and 16 starting to look at well what do I do with my life like what do I do do I go to college. And and do what my mates are doing. And kind of they don't really know what they want to do in life as well go. And do whether it's a business you know a levels. Or something else and then.

My school came up on the cards and from for me location-wise it was only an hour down the road up in Preston. And it was like what there's a golf college with all the golfers. And you can. And you can like I said I definitely went with this idea that I'd be playing golf all the time. And got kind of very um aware that that wasn't going to be the case I feel like you might correct me if I'm wrong the students now come with a little bit more switched on that they might not be playing golf you probably told me when I was 16. But I probably didn't listen but I feel like they probably come with a bit more understanding of the course at that point um and genuinely for two years as much as I struggled as I've said before academically I've never been good academically I struggled in the classroom what a forged their like relationships I lived away from home. For two years I absolutely loved it it was literally I got all my manic stage out of me. And at 18 I'd left college and got I ended up getting a really good job at Mia in Knutsford and I'd almost like because of the training I got from from my school and the advice it was like well at probably that point I realized I wasn't good enough to be a golfer to be a tour pro because like say in my year group I think he might have been a year older me was Chris Hanson which I want to come on to as being maybe one of your most successful players that have come out of MySQL. So put me in a good stead to go well I'm not as good as him but I still want to go away every day and put my golf shoes on and call it work so that's where I started to go down this kind of PJ pathway really and obviously it developed into social media and things like that but it was it was from that kind of advice to go well actually is X Y. And Z jobs you can do in golf which helped me go okay well I don't have to put everything in just being a playing pro because the chances are super slim is Chris your most successful player that's come out of my skill I think if you're judging It On by reaching the Pinnacle which is to get onto a playing career. And earning thousands of pounds I mean Chris is a good friend of mine. And he won't mind me saying he's done exceptionally well like what you say when he was there he was off three handicap uh came towards lovely lad played played a bit of Yorkshire Golf. And stuff like that worked hard socialized like you said just going back to what you said you expected 16 to come in you've seen our renter crowd today.

So a lot of them would expect to come and play lots of golf and don't get us wrong they do play lots of golf. But like I say you've still got to do your academic program as well. And they can play plenty of times during the week. And they get they can burn the candle at both ends as our he students certainly do um. But Chris Chris was one of those that was like you on the the national diploma which is now called the b-tech program. And after um I think it was Year One uh year two he looked at I want to play I Wanna I really want to work in the industry. But I want to be a player and we explained and he knew how hard it was. But he rededicated his life um to changing the changing the way he practiced he was up early in the morning six o'clock he was out on the rain it's freezing I drive in 7 30 8 o'clock. And you'd see Chris sitting balls and thinking what are you doing it's freezing. And he's in the gym and this is going back to 20 years ago. And things have changed dramatically there's loads of jobs now but like I say when you came and you were thinking I want to work in Industry I want to play there wasn't as many job opportunities now. And golf has grown which is great. For us and going back to Chris you'd see him beating the balls. And you'd see him working his nuts off and or he didn't change his lifestyle to the extent he still went out with the lads but he was out still if he'd burn the candle he was still out in the morning working I felt like he was a lot more switched on nicely well you were rolling back in he was going out with his Shack back to go. And it falls on The Fairway I mean stuff like that. And he worked hard and he finished with us he did his two years instead of three. So he did a foundation degree you can do a two-year instead of the full three years. And he kept on playing did well with the uni teams uh did well at the amateur levels at various various events. And went through europro and in his very first year on europro um he did extremely well I think he finished third in his first event that he played in picked up one of these nice checks. And then.

A couple of years later he wins the order of Merit for the Euro Pro with about 38 Grand something like that for the year which was phenomenal gets onto challenge tour uh through himself he'll say he struggled a little bit on challenge tour. But then.

Kept working he's not staff as he did that was his mentality it still is now. And he made his way he got he went to tour School obviously we've just had school last week one of our past students has just got done quite well at tour School come back to that in a minute and um you got you got the last card at tour School Chris did yeah um the videos always say you had like a five foot to Chris said it's about two. But it wasn't that far but it looked good on camera and he gets his card and for us we couldn't be more delighted as a seeing someone who's come through our system but he put the work in we were only part of the system he everything's all credit to him you know to get from where he was three handicapped to I think he left us off plus three the old plus three um. And to get out there to go on a tour card and do well on. For a good few years and I think in his best year he got 450 000 Euros which isn't to be sniffed at. And um he comes back he talks to the students every year he does sessions with them every year he's doing extremely well now with his own tour the 2020 tour. And stuff and he is one that we can look at. And say there's others that have come through that have been at the college as well it's Tom Murray uh Paul Kinney is still doing very well as a in in the local region. And then.

Just alluded to there we've got Callan Barrow who's one of Craig students who was with us. For a few years he's been working with Craig for eight years and he was at tour School this year he's the only amateur to get through into the rounds five. And six so he guaranteed himself a full charge to a card and I think he finished 40th. And got a few starts I think he's playing in Australia next.

Week in the first EP Tour event. So to go from the classroom to tour is phenomenal. And it takes a lot of effort and work and that brings me back nicely to you Rick so you were there um because people don't go wrong people ask me all the time. And I said well it's 20 years ago. But I can remember it yeah he had the earrings he had like a spiky thing of a hair I have to find a picture somewhere with loads I've got loads at College yeah yeah yeah we'll put it in the uh we'll put it in the podcast I'll have to send them into you. And then.

You can you can shred them. But uh yeah like earrings. And stuff and the toolkit we gave you which wasn't great at the time but then.

We've got you all pictures of you and Pete and stuff like that and I always say tomorrow so what was written like I said it was like any other 16 year old that came in you just wanted to you know you're living away from home because back in 2000 to 2003 to live away from home at 16. it's difficult. But it was great wasn't it because it was the best I I really loved that living away from home a bit too much you know you're meant to be back in your room at 11 o'clock. And you because you treated as under 18s and stuff but obviously you're still out in the middle of Preston or whatever and bits and pieces I'm sure um and you know you had a great time we met lots of nice friends and you've alluded to it already you know with the networking skills of people you met at College 20 years ago or the likes of Pete and Carter and that a lot that are out there doing great. And um life skills were formed yeah. And look what you've got to can I always say to these guys. So well how can I be the next.

Rick Shields. Or I can be the next.

Chris Hanson. Or things like that and it's just party hard to be right socialize to be rigged um yeah it was it was a mad time of two years. And it was lit actually I don't know people who have gone to University not many 16 year olds will get to live away from home is it still now do they get to do it now yeah they can go in I agree it is quite young still when you think yeah today's 16 year old's different to you were 16. right 16 to 18 we we'd go. And we'd socialize and it was just you've got your own bedroom your own pad yeah you were 20 minutes away from Preston Town Center we used to get a taxi into town we'd go out three nights a week it was dead Dirt Cheap it wardens are chasing you around checking you're in which is it was like we're at University when we were 16. that must be like obviously Rick as you can tell loved it. But you get some students who struggle with that because they are just 16. absolutely absolutely absolutely I do think it's difficult you know being there that long. And seeing people come through the system you can see how some love it you can see how some embrace it. And then.

You also see the ones that do struggle with it. And I understand that um as a parent myself I I would probably want to see my kids go in at 18. knowing what I know where that's a bad thing or a good thing for me to say on on the microphone here but at 16 now to be able to go away have you I mean the accommodation is phenomenal at the college you know it's like ensuite bedroom everything there you've got a shared common room. And and everything's that it's a mini market in like a lot of chocolate the food is good two. Or three times now in the last few weeks we've never had never seen so much potatoes any potato sponsors uh guys the man birthday I must admit that I felt very awkward this today.

After we'd shut the video orange Stewart who's just off the camera here Q jumped us. And we got we got booed yeah by the big scary basketball players yeah well to be fair they were right. But yeah we had to come back to record a podcast that's what we were saying with the golf kids you can do what you want really. So that's Rick she is with the basketballs they don't care what you do um yeah it definitely Ford. And RSA again now in hindsight almost once I've got to 18 I'd almost like right that's out my system I've partied I've done all that and that's where I almost then.

In my own sense I think I got a head start on quite a lot of people. But then.

Definitely who then.

Continued because a few more of my friends continued on to doing degrees and spent two or three more years there they nearly killed me those did you where I went straight into a job yeah I got a I got a really a very lucky I got a very very good job. And I was almost just straight into the world at 18. And I felt I felt ahead of my world I'm sorry I was just about ahead of my friends because I was like I'm working it just felt started yeah I think as well that's probably twofold because not only did you get all the partying out your system like you said a number of times off camera as well there were some guys there whose ability you could tell you weren't going to match I hear Chris Hanson if you'd have gone to a college down the road. And just at home whatever and you're still playing at your home owned Golf Club you might have had that big fish in a small pond mentality actually I can still get on tour. But because you've been in the real world with better plays that were actually golf playing golf maybe isn't isn't. For me I want to go down the coaching route I'll tell you a funny story so so probably year two or something I I actually bought Chris Hanson's old Mizuno tp-11 irons off him okay blades like 25 quid. For a set of plays because they were worn away. And you thought this would look good if I'm using these you're spot on so he's a tired the the center spot was black yeah like worn out because it was yours like it. But I don't know I don't know if mine were brand new still in the rapper I used to have these big shovels. So I bought these blades and then.

I'd go home to my home golf course at the weekend and play and then.

Pretend oh how's it going Rick oh yeah I've been doing a little bit of practice. And I'm showing them this a tie and that's been worn out to a pool and they're like wow that's amazing yeah. But yeah it was it was a great like say life lesson what what going back though. And I think you've summarized the college up really really well there it's like there's. So many different opportunities and like say so many students go to mySQL for different things but it as a whole it's almost more like an um an apprenticeship College I think is an easy describing way of doing it you go there because you've got a hobby. Or you've got things that you've been passionate about and you go there to enhance it or learn more about it like say whether it's the equestrian whether it's the Motorsports the mechanics or whether it is golf. Or football or basketball whatever it may be it was what I'm interested to know a little bit from more your background is obviously you alluded to before you're a PJ Pro did you have Ambitions when you were 16 18 to kind of make it on talk because I from memory you're a very good player. And weren't you offline is very good not recently weren't you off like quite a low plus handicap as well yeah. So I like I said go back. And bore you again I was at University I went to my school myself um I'd done two years previously in London at Mary's wood had a great time did a golf studies program straight out of a levels down there again like going back to you at 16 to 18 it was a fantastic time on my life I was living away from home I missed home. But I had a set of people from all over the world that was there with um I really enjoyed it fantastic time my golf improved dramatically uh I was a member at a place called West Hill which was phenomenal. For 60 quid a year which was an amazing Golf Course down there. And I had a great time and I finished and I came on and I said to my mum. And dad um I loved it but I don't think I've learned anything. And I was 20 years old. And my handicap had come down to scratch or plus one when I gone down I was off one. Or two um and I really enjoyed it but I thought I'm not quite ready to I want to play but I know where I'm nowhere near good enough um and did you know that because of other students yeah yeah because you hang around with the players. And stuff like that and um my mum by chance had seen Myers go I knew nothing about my school so what year would it have been 1995 the summer she said well why didn't you go here they're doing a golf management degree. So I said okay if you let me I'll go you know it's quite local it wasn't five was originally from Stockport. So um traveled lived in and I had two good years there I really enjoyed it my golf improved again um did my Top-Up degree at down the road at Preston campus you can now do it all on site at mysco. So it's a lot easier and by the time I'd finished there I was off plus two I'd represented um uh Great Britain. And Ireland in the world shooting games in Switzerland with Phil Kenyans in the team Graham Maley um Steve Cox who's over at the PJ tour and I was one of the chief rules referees that was our team we flew out to Switzerland. And we were one of the first ever great Great Britain teams at the University level to come back with a medal which was great. So um even then.

Back then.

You know I was a decent player. But I was nowhere near good enough to to play my mum. And dad were very supportive. And always said if you wanted to to play will support you. But I didn't believe that was good enough. And I didn't want to put any Financial constraints on them and I look back now with hindsight I'm glad I didn't and because I love what I do um. But after I finished um my degree they said right you've got the summer. And then.

We'll we'll have to find a job so I was nearly 23 years old then.

22 years old. And I was allowed to play. So I played a full season in the northern order America as it is. And National tournaments didn't do great at all played okay. And then.

The Marriott was opening up at Worsley Park. And it just said golf staff required. So I sent my CV in it didn't apply for any particular job got interviewed and two weeks later find out that I've got the job and I was given the job as a golf events manager. And I worked there for for just short three years and my role was obviously dealing with the corporate day Society days the membership. And I shared an office with eight girls all right ladies and they were in charge of the reservations. For the hotel and stuff like that so being the sporty one that I am um obviously obviously as you know a lot of the team football teams come and stay at the Marriott and things like that so I was given all the opportunities to to do that. And develop my skill set there from a business point of view dealing with the the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus Milan's and the players that would come and stay and I'd have to go and look after them as well as the Premier League stuff um I always remember one one year getting the proper bollocking off Phil Thompson when Liverpool came to stay and it wasn't my fault but well that's where my love for Man City obviously exceed Liverpool um and a great time and then.

Like I say my Esco are looking. For some staff and I've always fancied teaching I don't know why it just was there niggling. And I seen it and I thought well I had a great time when I was at my school. And why not go back and teach something that you love you know like you've already alluded to it golf's a hobby but to be able to do. And work as a hobby you never work a day in your life do you. So that's what you will say to me I'm never working. But um to go about there and and go back and and end up with you as one of my first students Rick uh it was fantastic I mean you're you're a year later after I started. So and I've been there ever since and we've developed the programs over the last 20 odd years since I've been there and we've got I'm just a small Cog in a team of seven of us at the moment that are there. And we can't do it without each other um I think the service. And the opportunities we provide with what we do is is phenomenal. For what we are. And um I could say if I could do anything different I'd move us to like Florida. And stuff like that because we're different to the American scholarships and what they do they're heavily focused on the performance side. And although we've got that as one of our qualifications it's more to do with people that come towards handicap isn't a prerequisite you don't have to be plus four to come to my Esco College University Center mysco it's just an interest in the game. And over the years we've had people come off 28 handicapped the complete beginners that want to study an academic program to get a position in the golf industry because there's so many job opportunities now and age isn't a barrier either so in the last two years we've had um engage in Adrian was 55 years old when he started the program with us. And he he's just left last year with the first class honors degree wow so we get them as young as 16 and as old as 55 and they come in with an ambition to work in the industry at various levels and and we try and point them in the right direction through the industry links that we've built up with over the last for me 22 years that I've been there wow that's incredible so you had no you mentioned a minute ago you always had this kind of idea of teaching was that never coaching as such because you have coached at my school obviously haven't you've done your pieces yeah I mean I'll let you in to see I didn't I didn't do my PGA to coach um when did you when was that then.

Sorry I'm a bit lost the timeline was that. So I I started at myersco 2000 2001 and um whilst I was there a lot of jokes go around that teachers get a lot of holidays. So I'd just like to say that straight that we don't get we don't get student holidays so when they're off like my lot finished in Middle of Starting May and they don't come back till September they got like 15 16 weeks as a degree student for their summer if I'm lucky if I get four or five weeks off in the summer so we we get Pro router holidays we get around um six to seven weeks a year when you've got kids like myself you know I take my holidays when they're off but back then.

Before the kids and everything and when I turned Pro I turned Pro in 2002 and the only reason I did it was I played at the Lancer open at Blackpool North Shore. So I was playing with the some of the big players like shackers Dave Shack lady. And Scott Austin from hesketh at the time and players like that John Cheatham and I finished second in the event as an amateur I had a hole in one in the event on the seventh hole and I got nothing for it there was a there was a villa in Spain. For a week and I packed it for a one and I've looked at the Villa and they go no amateurs can't win the pro prizes okay. And um end up finishing second in the tournament Scott Aston wins it and he wins I think one. And a half thousand pounds was the cash prize in 2001 2002.. And I would have got a check for a thousand pounds which back then.

I was all right he was quite decent. And I was getting I got about you. For 200 pounds to spend in your local golf store and I just looked at and I thought I'd played County golf and I'd love playing County golf with with the teams and I saw what am I doing you know um I'm not going to play all year with my new role at the college I can't because of my commitments to what I'm doing academically. But I've got a five six week window in the Summer where when I take my holidays I could have like a mini tour so that's what I did I thought right I'm going to turn pro I'll do my pj training at the time he could do an accelerated route where it was two years instead of the three. So that that was very beneficial. For me what was the benefit in the overus losing your amateur status then.

Money would you not. But if you if you just if you just turned Pro could you know I've just still won the money then.

Um yeah you can. But also when I looked at it in a from a career point of view the PJ are a fantastic brand. And to have that qualification behind me it would certainly benefit me that makes sense in my role what I do now I know also I guess in you might not have known this at the time. But a lot of yours students like me went on to do their PGA. So it meant at least you've been there and done that and got the T-shirt yeah. So a lot of the a lot of the qualifications that you deal with us you could say very similar to what you do. For your PJ training uh apart from at the end of the PGA program you you or when you start you turn professional well what we do we don't have to turn professional you can gain all the industry experience you need. And the management skills but like I said handicap's not a prerequisite you don't have to turn pro. So that five six week window in my Summers was an opportunity just to uh you know pay my house deposits. And things like that and stuff so pick up a couple of checks instead of vouchers because over the years we're playing with all Ladue pick up your vouchers which was great. And I know it's changed now you can actually win money to put the money in your account now with the the way the RNA have changed the system parameters. And that was my only reason why I did the PGA to start with. But obviously it complemented what I do as a with my teaching qualifications that I picked up at the college as well. So it enhanced my credibility you could say in terms of if I'm stood in front of you at the classroom and you're throwing rubbish at me and things like that and wanting to go and play golf at least you've got someone in front of you actually knows hopefully what they're on about yeah it makes sense um I'm not sure a question here. And you have to name names okay okay what's some of the most interesting you've had 800 students come through your door give me some interesting funny stories like you don't have to name names. But what are ones that are clean. For the video oh that stopped it already isn't it there must have been some Shenanigans it must be very difficult to to have because how many new students come each time 30 odd yeah we normally get around 25 to 30 students across both courses in the in the uh. And over the 22 years you've been doing it 800 students yeah there's been some right characters. And accepted the week when you came in and when I got to retire and I have to write a book yeah you know when I can't get in trouble um I think some of these might be. For after the podcast yeah after the podcast obviously. But no there's not been that much I mean I wouldn't be at College if there was problems like that. But we've had lots of characters and we get lots of lots of things we travel a lot we work with the tours a lot and I've told you some stories about some of the guys that have got into uh not trouble in a bad way but in an indirect way on tour where um we've got super fans for players and things like that that follow players around and we have to keep them away from them so they don't bother them while they're playing things like that one of the things I noticed um today.

And yesterday and I'm going to be quite stereotypical hit. So today.

Or typical here but it's something I believe when you do find people who've played golf from a young age obviously there's gonna be some Outcast. But most people are respectful. And well-mannered and you know respect the rules and I noticed that today.

I mean I know they're not young young kids you know some of the you know some are grown-ups 18 to 21. But every single one of them was polite. And um you know a real kind of crazy credit to the college and also credit to the parents exactly yeah no that's one thing yeah. And I think again I'm going to be. So typical I think if you like to say a number of footballers. Or other good players you might not always see that same level of uh maybe maturity yeah well he lives are just at the end even at the end when when I was saying bye to the lads today.

They all shut my hand they all proper looked at me in the eye some of them took the hat off like. And it was just like well-mannered that's the beauty I think of golf like that's why I'm. So uh privileged to have played from such a young age there's some things you don't even realize at the time like you said shaking hands taking your cap off you know speaking to grown-ups I think golf does massively teach you. And you could see that definitely today.

Yeah we're lucky I mean uh golf has got their ticket you always get um some strange characters. But most of them are excellent. And I've been there like I said we keep saying it 22 years. But I wouldn't be there if I didn't enjoy my job and every year I get a new batching and every year that refreshes me because I get a new group young but I do because things can get stagnant you know you've three years. And you're spending time together not in a bad way just you know you want to keep everyone happy and the band to go in as such that you have in the classroom and that link with the students and the staff and every year the staff when we get a new group of students in it's a fresh challenge for us um certainly educational particularly being a parent now seeing what comes through at 16 and 18. and but I love it you know and they give me grief I give it back and but you're right at the same time I've got the etiquette across the campus we're very lucky at my disco whether it is football rugby um we've got some good groups. But I'd thank you for your comments the golfers are a really good group at the moment what we've got a very good etiquette professional skills as much as possible. And I think some of that will come through on the video when when they when the the viewers watch what happened yeah I can't honestly can't wait. For that I think it's gonna be amazing um Rick thanks. For your time it's been amazing I I've Loved it's been a lot of the story there that even though I feel like I'm as an ex student I feel like I'm very uh switched on with my scone what they've done there's lots of in that story that I've learned today.

Which has been great I think a lot of people listening certainly if you've got young kids are not sure which direction to go down whether it is Moscow. Or not at least know there's options out there that you can actually pursue your careers. Or your hobbies or things that you love and and like I say we probably all sit here now with that privilege of being able to do it do a job that we love. And it like I say it almost then.

Doesn't feel like a job it feels like more you're just getting paid for a hobby which is great we get. So many emails not just from youngsters from people of all ages saying you know I love golf it's my hobby I'm not the best golf but I'd love to quit my job doing whatever it might be and get into the World of Golf and I think you know even the people that don't want to go back into education this certainly shows that there are. So many jobs out there in the world in golf that are exciting. And unique yeah absolutely this we've reached that stage now at the moment we've got students coming through. And we can't fulfill the number of job requirements that are coming in on the back of covert. And we've got to sustain that as a as a sport as an industry but for our point of view it's great you know at the moment students come and I always tell you've got to be willing to start on the bottom of the ladder and work your way up you can't go into these 25 30 000 whatever pound jobs straight off the bat some will. And we've had students that have done that you know but if you graft it's like the hotel industry you can work very quick up in the golf industry from a management point of view. And um coming at 16 coming 18 there's a variety of programs for all ages and abilities um you know people are more than welcome to have a look online our websites ring me. Or any of the guys at the campus and have a chat parents want to speak to us I get lots of Twitter messages from people that see where I work and say what do you do. And things like that and I know Rick Shields has been through your program and Chris Hansen like saying oh I know another student that's been through can we come. And meet you please feel free to do. So don't get me wrong it's not for everybody sometimes and I get that but come and have a look at what we do have a look at what we the setup is like. And um you know there's plenty of positive stories that have come out of my escrow and I'm sat next.

To one now obviously and loads of others as well and please feel free to contact us if you are interested in any kind of golf career perfect did I mention it in the podcast that I got a college Fellowship did I mention that a couple weeks ago you said you weren't gonna say oh I've got a last time I went. And I'll say it I would say the principal yeah Allison yeah mentioned that I uh now have a college Fellowship. So I basically get a degree next.

Summer you finally complete your degree somehow somewhere there's one caveat you have to reply to the um guys right guy says I have to do it in like a will quill I want to be quill. And then.

There's Posh as you want can I just send him a WhatsApp yeah that would be the Rick Shields way. So I don't see why not because down that lens now require you to accept your fellowship this is Robinson Mrs Robinson I accept my college fellowship. And I will be there cap. And gown next.

July thank you very much official uh brilliant thanks for your time uh Rick you're amazing um last question who's the best student me or Peter Finch thank you thanks all right guys sexualist then.

We'll stay tuned to come like And subscribe and we'll see you next.

Week.