Sean Pender
6834 North Oriole Ave,IL
Summary
Sales and hospitality leader with 20+ years of experience in driving multimillion-dollar growth and delivering exceptional service. Proven track record of exceeding revenue targets while enhancing client experiences in luxury retail environments. Skilled in team leadership and relationship management, fostering strong connections with affluent clients. Seeking to leverage operations and relationship-selling expertise to contribute to a top-tier organization.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Assistant Golf Professional /Head Golf Professional
Park Ridge Country Club
Park Ridge, IL
02.2021 - 07.2025
- Developed first caddie management system using Golf Genius to streamline scheduling and enhance communication with over 250 caddies.
- Increased golf club sales by over 300% from 2021 to 2025.
- Provided over 500 hours of lessons, clinics, and group sessions for all age groups.
- Cultivated relationships with external vendors to secure quality products and services.
- Fostered connections with members and community outreach to drive long-term business growth.
- Monitored pace of play policy compliance to ensure optimal member experience.
- Created engaging activities that boosted junior golf participation from 70 in 2021 to 90 in 2023.
- Planned and coordinated member golf trips to various domestic and international locations.
Lead Assistant Golf Professional
The Mirabel Club
Scottsdale, AZ
02.2020 - 02.2021
- Promoted a superior golf experience by addressing member concerns, demonstrating empathy, and resolving problems.
- Organized a fundraiser for clubhouse restaurant staff who were laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic that raised over $30,000 for my fellow employees.
- Communicated effectively with outside staff, locker room and starters to ensure top quality service for all 275 members and their guest’s.
- Maintained confidential budget reports to ensure they remained up-to-date for Director of Golf.
- Created daily sales sheet to ensure objectives were met and all sales were properly recorded.
- Increased golf shop sales by 18% in 2020 by featuring custom club fittings, demo days and daily merchandising of products.
- Maintained golf cart fleet rotations to ensure proper upkeep and maintenance practices including 50 golf carts and 6 staff carts.
- Created turf rotation plan for 4 Practice Facilities.
- Developable a uniform policy for all 200 club employees
- Managed all payroll and benefits for 29 employees
Lead Assistant Golf Professional / Head Golf Professional
Scottsdale National Golf Club
11.2016 - 11.2019
- Created schedules for golf shop, member service, caddy services, outside service, locker room and valet staffs.
- Installed the use of Golf Genius Golf Shop to enhance member communications on special orders.
- Provided 5-Star Service to ownership, members and their invited guests. Provided successful working within a high level of service and high pressure and fast-paced environment.
- Supervised detailed reports of daily, weekly and monthly financial operations.
- Maintained two golf shops at two different club house locations that produced $3.8 million in annual revenue.
- Increased golf shop profit by 24% in 2018 vs 2017.
- Recorded less than 1% shrinkage in two golf shops congruently. Designed employee bonus program based on results of sales of golf clubs and apparel.
- Developed Daily Sales Analysis program through Microsoft Excel to promote exceptional customer service and provide direct link between revenue growth and personalized service.
- Worked with ownership to create operating budgets and initiate financial planning of $20 million operation.
- Provided administrative support to ownership in areas of calendar management, domestic and international travel.
- Retained 75% of seasonal staff from 2016 - 2019.
- Recruited, interviewed and hired employees and implemented an onboarding program to promote positive feedback, engagement and staff morale.
- Conducted personalized club fittings and lessons for ownership, members and their invited guests.
- Created member profiles for all members with size and style information.
- Coordinated lessons with professional staff, outside service and instructors.
- Cross - trained other departments' staff to best support club initiatives.
- Delivered human resources financial support by certifying and processing payroll, completing deposits, performing pay adjustments and promptly distributing checks.
- Monitored team performance to identify productivity improvement opportunities.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Professional Golf Management
Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA08-2009
Minor - Business Administration And Management
Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA08-2009
Minor - Finance
Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA08-2009
Skills
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Financial reporting
- Customer relationship management
- Team leadership
- Operations management
- Sales strategy
- Retail operations
- Strategic planning
- Verbal and written communication
- Staff training
- Complex problem solving
- Vendor negotiation
- Public relations
- Business administration
- Communication skills
- Budget management
- Recruitment and staffing
- Scheduling expertise
Affiliations
- 15 Year Class A PGA Member
- Illinois PGA Assistants Committee - 2022 and 2023
- Penn State PGM - Mentorship Committee - 2010 - Present
References
References available upon request.
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