About Justin Bruns
My name is Justin Bruns. I have developed this personal website for those interested in learning more about my career path as a PGA Professional.
About Me:
I was raised and born in Cissna Park, a small farm community located in central Illinois. While attending Cissna Park High School, I was the team captain for the men's golf team both my junior and senior year. I also attained the rank of Eagle Scout through strenuous amounts of time and work ethic.
Growing up, the game of golf was always a true passion of mine. Determining a career path seemed to come easy for me. After completing my high school education, I enrolled in the Professional Golf Management (PGM) program at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan.
While in the PGM program, I was elected President of the Professional Golf Management Student Association (PGMSA) in the summer of 2009. I also served as the board secretary as well as numerous chairperson positions throughout my tenure. The PGMSA is a nonprofit student organization, developed for PGM students to grow comradery among students and provide an organized professional atmosphere to increase social and professional interaction and engage in activities that support the community of Big Rapids.
Upon graduation, I attained a Bachelors of Science Degree in Business. I majored in Marketing as the golf business relies heavily on promotion through creativity and problem-solving skills. I also minored in Club Management because I have strong aspirations of becoming a general manager of a golf course one day. It also allowed me to enhance my managerial skills which I will be able to take to the workforce. I was elected into the PGA of America as a Class A member in February, 2011.
I have gained exceptional work experience through three internships at Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Georgia, Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami, Florida, and La Grange Country Club in Chicago, Illinois. While at Reynolds Plantation, I was employed as a Golf Operations Intern at the 27-hole National Course. While at Doral, I was employed as an Assistant Golf Professional within the resort before accepting a hierarchy of responsibilities as the assistant for The Club at Doral, a private membership facility located on property. I was hired as a full time seasonal Assistant Golf Professional at La Grange Country Club, an equity owned club, after completing my education at Ferris State. After three month of employment, I officially graduated from college and continued to work at La Grange before accepting a full time position back at Doral Golf Resort & Spa following the 2009 season. I also had the opportunity to work for the PGA of America in the merchandising operations for the 2008 Ryder Cup at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.
Currently, I am employed at Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami, Florida. I wanted to return to Doral as I viewed it as a great opportunity to grow as a professional as there are so many areas and operations to learn from. In June, 2011, I accepted the position as the lead Golf Professional at the Jim McLean Signature Course which is the sole off property golf course at Doral. Here I was able to oversee a team and make the facility my own by implementing my own ideas and principles to better the service and golfing experience for our guests and members. It truly was a privilege as I was able to learn and manage every aspect of the business which included all inside and outside operations, retail, and club management.
On a personal level, I consider myself to be an enthusiastic person who is very much a highly self-motivated individual. I strive to meet personal as well as team oriented goals to help build upon my résumé. As an analytical thinker, I systematically make sure that I understand what needs to be done and that it is done correctly. I am looking for a position of employment where I can truly develop as a professional. I hope to do this by continually learning new aspects of the golf business so that I can persistently meet my goals and strive to be a professional that is highly recognized within the industry. Understanding that the journey will be long and will require dedication as well as hard work, it is something I truly look forward to.
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