Special Awards Feature
Living by The Golden Rule is Key to Assistant Professional of the Year Derek Rush, PGA T
reating others how you want to be treated is just the tip of the value-system held by Derek Rush, PGA, Assistant Professional at Cherry Hills Country Club and 2019 Colorado PGA Assistant Professional of the Year. Helping people and always treating all people with the same level of respect are other important beliefs by which Rush lives his life. “I feel very fortunate to be receiving this award,” comments Rush. “The list of past recipients is very impressive, and I am very happy to be a part of this list.” Although Rush didn’t really come from a golfing family, his grandparents got him and his older brother involved in the game. At 5-year old, he began swinging a club. Moving from Denver to Vail when he was 12, Rush’s competitive attention was focused more on football, track, basketball and skiing … basically, everything except golf. One of Rush’s first jobs was working at Eagle Vail Golf Club during high school when Ben Welsh, PGA, was the Head Professional there. Rush still remembers when Welsh would take time out of his day to show him some of the basics of the business. “I remember thinking that Ben was such a young guy and he had such an awesome job,” says Rush. “I was just a 16-year old kid who didn’t yet know I wanted to be in the golf business, but Ben took the time to work with me. I remember him showing me how to re-grip clubs. It was a small gesture, a small thing but it had a huge impact on me. In fact, today, I teach people to re-grip clubs the same way he taught me back then.” When heading off to college, Rush chose the PGA Golf Management Program at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. After college, he worked a couple seasons at The Club at Cordillera and Cherry Hills Country Club and spent a couple years at Denver Country Club before returning to Cherry Hills in 2016. Initially, Rush thought he would tailor his career toward teaching; however, once in the business and the influences of John Ogden, PGA, Head Professional
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at Cherry Hills, he aspires to move into a Head Professional or Director of Golf position. “This realization evolved since I got into the golf business,” admits Rush. “John (Ogden) has shown me what it is like to run an operation and to be a more well-rounded individual. He definitely knows the ins-and-outs of every element of the business and that is where I would like to be one day.” Rush has a real connection with everyone he teaches, he enjoys watching his students get better and work on their swing. This season alone, he taught 500 lessons ranging from golfers who are 4-years old to 91-years young. Young or old, it is his goal to treat each of them the way he would want to be treated and to always respect each of them equally. “The world is a small place, and, down the road, you never know what connections will resurface,” says Rush. “I have an opportunity to be around a wide range of extremely influential people at Cherry Hills – from doctors and professional athletes to business men and retired professionals. Yet, I really try to focus on treating everyone the same and showing those I work with the importance of treating all of them with the same respect.” The Colorado PGA Assistant Golf Professional of the Year is awarded to a PGA member or Apprentice for
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