Meet the new boss

Highlighting his career in the game, Robin Shelton named SCPGA president

Robin Shelton will be the first to admit that he sort of fell into his career in the golf industry. But he just as readily will tell you how fortunate he is for it to have happened.

Shelton, the PGA General Manager at Seacliff Country Club in Huntington Beach, began a two-year term as President and Chairman of the Board for the Southern California PGA in early December – and his election to the position means he’ll be able to give back to the game that has given him so much.

​“It's both an honor and humbling at the same time to step into this president's role for the Southern California PGA,” Shelton said. “I knew when signing up for this commitment that it would give me an opportunity to serve the membership, and I'm excited to be actively making a difference in the Section. I follow in the footsteps of some incredible leaders and I am very honored to serve during these next two years of my presidency.”

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Robin Shelton, pictured here with his wife, Joyce, is an award-winning PGA Professional.

Shelton will lead a nearly 100-year-old organization that serves 1,700 golf professionals at more than 500 golf facilities across Southern California. He ran unsuccessfully for the SCPA board in 2011, but became deeply involved with the Section’s education committee as a way to participate and was elected to the board two years later. He became Secretary in 2016 and Vice President in 2018. 

As President, Shelton’s main responsibilities will be to ensure the achievement of the SCPGA’s strategic plan and goals while ensuring the health of the organization. He said he finds it just as important to support the Section staff, a group of truly talented people who are responsible for executing that strategic plan.   

​“I heard PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan once say that ‘Golf was one of the greatest forces for good on the planet’ – and I truly believe it because of its ability to connect people, bring people together and deepen relationships,” Shelton said. “I’m excited to work with so many passionate people in our game to advance the game of golf for its impact on people.”

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Both avid golfers, Shelton tries to get out on the course once a week with his wife, Joyce.

Like so many others in the industry, Shelton took his first golf job during high school years with the allure of playing golf for free. That job at Tijeras Creek Golf Club eventually led him to the assistant professional role there, and he continued to advance in his career while simultaneously pursuing his education – he double majored at UCSD in 2003, received an MBA in Executive Management from Pepperdine in 2011 and also earned his CCM (Certified Club Manager) from the Club Managers Association. He became a PGA Professional in 2006 and a Master Professional in 2011.
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​Shelton said he is most proud of the fact that he has mentored more than a dozen people who have grown into leadership positions in the industry, and his favorite thing about the game is spending four hours with great people smiling and laughing. He tries to play golf once a week with his wife, Joyce – an avid golfer who also works in the business – and once a week with members at Seacliff. 

“My wife and I are trying to play all of the top 100 courses in the country in our lifetime. We love golf and travel – and it’s a cool thing to share between us,” Shelton said. “I also believe it’s important to play golf with members and important to find time to play golf. We have to set the example. If we as industry professionals and leaders can’t find time to play golf, how do we expect others to find time?”

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Shelton's career has taken him to six different clubs in California throughout the past 23 years, and he knows he is fortunate to have found a profession that’s truly a passion for him.

“Honestly, it was something that I fell into – but since starting I’ve had three distinct moments where I remember exactly where I was when I truly realized (and was then reminded) how special it was and that it was my calling,” Shelton said. “When I was sixteen years old, I just wanted a job where I could make money and get free golf. Years later, I realized that I had a special ability to connect people and deepen relationships through golf. I like to say that we create positive outcomes for personal relationships and human experiences through golf.”

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