Former GCSAA sales chief leaves association to join the First Tee

For almost five years to the day Mark Bisbing was the director of corporate sales and marketing for GCSAA. It was Bisbing who led the charge on all revenue generated for the association. It was on Bisbing's watch that the Partner Recognition Program (PRP) for GCSAA was created, making companies stretch for that next plateau to give more strength to each of their dollars spent with the association (think super-sizing that order of fries for only an additional 39 cents).

That was until a few weeks ago, when he accepted a new job as the director of corporate relations for the First Tee. Located at the World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Fla., the organization strives to make a positive impact on children’s lives through the game of golf. The organization boasts 3.5 million participants and 705 program locations.

Now living in sunny Florida, Bisbing is already taking advantage of the nicer weather.

“I hit golf balls yesterday,” Bisbing laughs. He wouldn’t have been able to do that back in Kansas where his wife and daughter are still trying to sell their home in Lenexa. GCSAA headquarters had just picked up 5 inches of snow on this day.

In his new position, Bisbing will interact with the First Tee’s corporate partners and solicit funds to support the First Tee. “This was a great opportunity for me. I’ve always wanted to work down here in the mecca of golf,” Bisbing says.

Bisbing says it was with mixed emotions that he left the GCSAA. In one sense he felt like it was best for his family, as the economic environment at GCSAA has been rocky -- layoffs in recent years have cut the staff from 120 to 80 people. And in another sense he felt like he was leaving behind a family -- the great people he’d no longer get to work with every day at GCSAA headquarters. "It's never an easy decision to move your family," he says.

Bisbing says he’ll look back at his five years at GCSAA fondly, but also with a feeling that he left behind unfinished business.

“I still see tremendous opportunity and potential for the GCSAA,” he says. “I think I left and there were still some opportunities that could be leveraged to elevate the brand and revenues for the association that weren’t getting done.”

Bisbing says he enjoyed trying to find creative new ways to connect superintendents to GCSAA’s industry partners.

“The (GCSAA) members are the cornerstone to the success and playability of a course. The main reason you go to a golf course is for the golf course itself, whether the clubhouse is nice or in a trailer,” Bisbing says. “I always challenged the term ‘unseen heroes.’ I always wanted them to be seen heroes. They’re definitely under-recognized for the work they perform.”

For now, the self-described “golf guy” is looking forward to his wife and daughter joining him in Florida, and he’s also happy to still be in the golf business. He hopes he can still help out superintendents in his new role by helping grow the next generation of golfers while impacting the lives of millions of children through the programs and efforts of the First Tee.

“I’ve always wanted to work somewhere where I could make a difference in someone’s life,” Bisbing says. “This isn’t about selling widgets or our stock price, etc., it’s about making a difference in a child’s life. What could be better than that? And to do it in the universe of golf!”