MEMBER PROFILE – JIM RONDEAU

One of the strengths of the USGTF is the diverse backgrounds from which many members come. Associate member Jim Rondeau of South Dennis, Massachusetts, is certainly no exception. Rondeau was a longtime baseball umpire, reaching the AA status of the Eastern League. He also umpired in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, and even umpired in the Venezuelan League at the same time USA nemesis Hugo Chavez took over the country in a coup d’etat. He became a USGTF member in 2003, and in 2014 was named the head professional at historic Highland Links in North Truro, Massachusetts. He has also recently been appointed the head professional at nearby Chatham Seaside Links in Chatham. Both courses are managed by Johnson Golf. In addition to being a head professional, Rondeau is the head golf coach at Cape Cod Academy, a private school which competes in a public school league. A resident of Florida for six months out of the year, Rondeau also rubs shoulders with some of the finest players in the world as he has been the tee announcer at both the Honda Classic and World Golf Championships event at Doral for the past 12 years. Finally, he works with The First Tee in both Massachusetts and in Florida, and this coming winter he will begin a new position at TPC Heron Bay in Coral Springs. Rondeau’s philosophy when working with juniors is to make sure they have a good time and not to teach them everything about the game and their swings. Concerning beginners and novices, he likes to get them swinging their left arms, as most beginners and novices tend to overuse their dominant sides. “I’m loving every minute of it,” Rondeau said concerning his career in golf.  “I wish I had done it sooner.”