099 | Sales, Superintendents and Golf's Workforce Problem with Paul Hurst

From Leadership on the Links by Tyler Bloom

April 16, 2026 · 36 min · Episode 99

About this episode

Paul Hurst discusses the challenges in the golf industry, focusing on sales, superintendent relationships, and workforce issues.

BOOK A STRATEGY CALL In this episode of Leadership on the Links, we sit down with Paul Hurst, founder of Greens Pro and one of the golf industry's most recognizable voices in independent distribution. Paul shares his unlikely path from aspiring lawyer to university golf course assistant, and how that foundation shaped his passion for the sales and distribution side of the turf industry. Known for his sharp humor and unfiltered takes on X (formerly Twitter), Paul opens up about why he started creating content, what it really takes to build genuine partnerships with superintendents, and why the price-first approach kills relationships before they start. We also dig into one of the industry's most pressing challenges: the growing divide between well-funded clubs and the rest of the market, and what that means for recruiting, training, and long-term sustainability in golf course operations. Plus, Paul doesn't hold back on the PGA Tour's use of vendor volunteers, the culture conversation nobody wants to have honestly, and what separates truly great golf operations from average ones. If you're in turf, sales, or anywhere in the golf industry ecosystem, this is a conversation you won't…

People in this episode

Host: Tyler Bloom

Guest: Paul Hurst

Topics covered

sales
golf workforce
superintendents
vendor relationships
golf course operations

Keywords

golf
sales
superintendents
vendor relationships
PGA Tour
Greens Pro
turf industry

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Greens Pro, PGA Tour