Talking Golf With The Golf Guy-Season 5 Episode 11 With Mike Malaska
in Blog, Podcasts by Jeff Waters

Talking Golf With The Golf Guy-Season 5 Episode 11 With Mike Malaska

When Weber State collegiate golfer, Mike Malaska won the 1974 Utah Open golf tournament as an amateur, playing against the best professional golfers in the area, some who were also competing on the PGA Tour, it offered a hint of the promise of what he could accomplish in the sport of golf.

Mike Malaska

But no one could have foreseen that journey, which began on a sultry summer weekend at Ogden Golf and Country Club, would take him to the very loftiest pinnacles of achievement and success in the business world of golf, not just playing the game at the highest levels, but revolutionizing how the sport is communicated, played, and taught to the millions of players world-wide who subscribe to his teaching website, view his countless YouTube videos, watch him on the Golf Channel, or attend his golf schools, camps, and business presentations.

The accolades and awards he has received are many and distinctive including: 1974 College All-American; 2011 PGA National Teacher of the Year; 2015 Utah Golf Hall of Fame; Golf Digest’s 50 Greatest Teachers; Weber State’s Athletic Hall of Fame; and Worldwide Director of Instruction at Nicklaus Golf Academies, among many others.

His teaching website, https://www.malaskagolf.com/ has become a world-wide brand with 3,000 subscribers and 6 million YouTube videos along with his two best selling books, “I Feel Your Pain,” and “The Invisible Swing.”

In a deeply personal and candid recounting of his journey from diminutive Nibley Park Golf Course in suburban Salt Lake City, to the lofty heights of achievement, national acclaim, and inclusion among the greatest teachers in the history of golf, Mike shares some of the lessons he has learned along the way.

I caught up with Mike after a long day of teaching as Director of Instruction at his home base, Superstition Mountain Golf & CC, in the foothills of Scottsdale, Arizona.

Please listen here.

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Jeff Waters, MBA, is a PGA Master Professional and the President/CEO of Rocky Mountain Golf Enterprises, a Utah-licensed and registered corporation that uses golf as a marketing tool. With over fifty years of experience in the golf industry, Jeff has worn many hats in diverse roles, including as a player, teacher, Head Professional, administrator, and small business owner. Jeff's extensive background includes ten years as a competitive player, ten years as a Head Golf Professional, overseeing the entire golf course operation, three years as the Director of Player Development for Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation, managing, directing, and supervising multiple golf course programs, and over thirty years as a golf coach and instructor at Rocky Mountain Golf Academy, teaching the game. His elite professional status as a fully trained and certified PGA Master Professional highlights his commitment to the sport. This prestigious designation is merited by a small and exclusive group of Golf Professionals worldwide. This wealth of experience in both the sport and business of golf has established Jeff as a highly skilled and knowledgeable expert and one of America's most qualified and accomplished Golf Professionals. In addition to his practical experience, Jeff has a robust academic background, including a BS in Political Science from the University of Utah, graduate studies in Economics and Commercial Recreation, at that school, and a Master's in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. He has also taught undergraduate courses at the University of Utah's College of Health and served as an adjunct professor at Granite Peaks Community School. As a well-known media personality, Jeff's versatility in the golf industry is evident through his work as a celebrated broadcast journalist and radio host. He has traveled extensively nationwide, announcing major sporting events at arenas, ballparks, stadiums, and golf courses for national media outlets and syndicated on the Rocky Mountain Golf Radio Network. A member of the Golf Writers Association of America, Jeff regularly contributes editorial pieces to national print publications and has authored multiple books, essays, and short stories. His work has appeared in numerous domestic and regional periodicals and magazines, such as Utah Golf News, Rocky Mountain Golfer, Golf Today, Utah Fairways, Jackson Hole Golf News, and Utah Golf Magazine. He has also contributed to blogs, podcasts, internet forums, and his website at www.jeffgolfguy.com. Jeff's unwavering dedication and service to the golf industry continue to inspire others, underscoring his deep commitment and affection for the sport, business, and recreation of golf.