Bill Daggett

Director of Golf at Barnsley Resort

Bill, tell us a little bit about your background. How did you get into the sport and where has your golf career taken you?

Golf really wasn’t on the radar for me until when Jack Nicklaus won the 1986 Masters, as I can remember my father’s excitement when Jack holed that famous putt on 17. We can all thank Vern Lundquist for that memorable quote of “yes sir!”. After that tournament, my father was hooked. I, on the other hand, was involved with other sports such as soccer and baseball. Growing up and being around my father, I enjoyed the game. I wasn’t any good at it, but it was fun. With school and other sports and activities, golf just wasn’t a priority until I got to high school. I tried out for the team and didn’t make it. I still played over the summers with my father and his friends and I slowly got better.

When I moved to Newnan, Georgia after high school, I started to play and practice more. I was out of the seasonal North and down in the South there were more days for better play with longer summers and short winters. I attended West Georgia and considered being a part of the golf team at the University, until I found out that there was not a team. Instead, I took a job my junior year at a local public course to satisfy my playing wants and needs. It was the best job I had experienced thus far since I could play and practice as much as I wanted to, and I even had keys to the lights on the range. Sometimes I would pound balls till midnight, though I would just have to pick them up before I left since that was the deal.

After college I worked for an environmental consulting firm in Atlanta, figuring that was what you did with a science degree out of school. I hated every minute of it, to the point that I would skip out early from work and head over to the old Bobby Jones course just north of downtown and play just about any chance I could. The course was close, cheap and very accessible. Between the Bobby Jones course and the old Chastain course in North Fulton, I played just about 3-4 days a week. So based upon my interest in playing and participating in small tournaments, my interest in becoming a professional grew, but I didn’t know how to start the path to get there.

My father introduced me to an old pro of his in Newnan named Ted Meyer, who at the time, was a pro at Summer Grove in Newnan, Georgia. He and I talked for a while about the path to the PGA and the steps to take to become a Class A professional. The first step was to take a Playing Ability Test, or PAT, 36 holes of golf in one day, and to pass meant posting a score at or below the qualification score. I took my test at the Oaks Course in Covington, Georgia and passed on the first try, put my two weeks in at the environmental firm and within a few weeks after that, started my new career as an Assistant Professional at Planterra Club in Peachtree City, Georgia.

Golf has been good to me, although it has been a difficult and challenging path. I have worked in just about every facet of the industry from grounds maintenance to administrative and everywhere in between, and I still look forward to getting out of bed and getting to the course where every day brings new challenges and rewards.

Tell us more about your PGA Certifications in General Management, Golf Operations and Teaching and Coaching. How do you feel they enhance your new role as Director of Golf?

that are geared toward developing professionals to streamline their careers. This knowledge-based platform offers disciplines such as General Management, Executive Leadership, Golf Operations, Retail Management, Teaching & Coaching, and Player Development, each delivering specific learning opportunities relevant to industry trends. Completing any one of these disciplines helps the professional in feeling that they’ve learned new information, ready to be implemented at their club, course or resort, helping to improve not only their place of business but also set themselves apart from other professionals. These are the reasons why I chose to pursue the program.

I chose Golf Operations because the majority of my work revolves around this discipline, so it made sense to enhance that skill set and obtain this certification. I also wanted to become a better teacher, and the tools and knowledge that I received from the Teaching & Coaching certification has strengthened that. General Management rounded out my skills as to what I thought was necessary to understand more about total operations. I feel as though having all three of these certifications has helped me tremendously in my career and has given me a leg up in the competition of landing a key leadership role at an awardwinning facility, such as Barnsley Resort.

What drew you to Barnsley Resort?

Since I’ve lived in Atlanta for many years, I feel like I’ve been privy to many happenings in golf in and around the area, especially new course openings. I remember when the Barnsley course opened, and in 2001 I had an opportunity to play it. I remember the bentgrass greens and tees, which reminded me of the courses I played up in Northern Virginia as a kid, but something that I wasn’t used to seeing were the dramatic elevation changes around the course. From that first experience, I knew that this place was remarkable. The Inn wasn’t built yet nor the Georgian Hall, and I remember the golf operation running through one of the cottages. The place was truly a one-of-a-kind golf experience, which I will never forget, and when I heard that there was an opening for Head Professional, I had to act on it.

What are some of the best holes on the course? Why?

Barnsley Golf Hole #14

very different from the other, either in elevation changes, hazards surrounding the hole and the length of the tee shot. You better be on your “A” game when playing this collection of Par-3 holes.

The final 4 holes is by far the toughest collection of finishing holes in North Georgia. The green complexes on holes 15 and 16 can be brutal if your shot lands on the wrong tier of the green, which makes your approach shot that much more critical. Hole 17, the last Par-3, is the most difficult of the Par-3 holes on the course since water surrounds the entire right side of the hole. There is no “bail out” and you must hit a precise shot or you will be looking at a big number. The final hole, hole 18, is a great finishing hole which requires a very accurate and long tee shot that will set yourself up for critical approach to an elevated 3-tiered green that slopes from back to front. A birdie here will seem like a huge victory!

Do you have any favorite brands of golf equipment or gear?

Equipment today is far superior to the equipment we had just a decade ago. Manufacturers, such as TaylorMade, Titleist, and Callaway, have made huge R&D steps to make the ball as far as possible. We promote all three of these brands in our golf shop as we feel that these three brands are the pinnacle of our industry.

Which golf events are your favorite to participate in?

Being a member of the PGA allows me to participate in a number of playing opportunities. I have participated in Section open and PGA events in both the Michigan Section as well as the Georgia Section. To qualify for the Section open championship is a special feat, as you are playing against ex-tour players as well as the best in your section and the best of the best, and it truly is an honor to represent my facility while doing it.

Are there any upcoming charity events at Barnsley Resort our readers should know about?

Barnsley Resort offers many charitable opportunities to either contribute financially or to come out and be a part of. This year we are hosting the United Way of Bartow County as well as Open Door Homes of Rome, Georgia. These are wonderful opportunities to get involved with, either through donations or contributing to the event. Please go to Open Door website http://www. opendoorhome.org/ and United Way’s website https://www.bartowliveunited. org/ for more information.