MY LIFE IN GOLF.
IN MY OWN WORDS.
“I wasn’t born with a golf club in my hand, but I was reborn with one.”
Every experience is part of the story.
When I fell in love with golf as a young adult, I had no clue where this game would take me. Looking back, I can see how much it has shaped my life—and how I’ve worked to shape the game in my own way.
I’ve worked on the grounds crew and carried the bags. I’ve managed a driving range, taught at a university, coached a college team and competed for opportunities to keep playing. I’m proud of all of it. The smallest jobs belong in my story just as much as the biggest opportunities.
I’ve written several books exploring the golf swing, and my instruction and commentary have been featured in various golf magazines. Golf Channel viewers may remember me from the original season of The Big Break. Each experience has given me another way to share my knowledge and connect with people who love this game.
And while you’re here, check out my books. They make great gifts—especially for that friend who blames everything on the clubs.
I’m especially proud of the hundreds of instructional videos I’ve shared on my YouTube channel over more than 15 years. It lets people see the evolution of my thinking: what I believed then, what I’ve learned since and what I understand now.
What I bring to the game.
I study the swing, ask questions and put my ideas into practice. My books and Top Down teaching grew out of that work—looking at how the body moves, how we use our hands and how the mental and physical parts of golf work together.
I’ve also written about the swings of Calvin Peete and Teddy Rhodes. Studying the game means paying attention to the people who helped shape it, including the great Black golfers whose knowledge and contributions deserve recognition.
My mission is to help average golfers understand the inner workings of the swing so they can play and create their best golf. There’s a personal side to that mission, too: I want to share my knowledge openly and be respected for that knowledge in a game I hold close to my heart.
A few stops along the way.
- Grounds crew member and honor caddie at Muirfield Village in Ohio; caddie at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando.
- Developed and taught a golf instruction program at Ohio University; served as transitional men’s golf coach at Marietta College.
- Assistant golf professional at Errol Estate and Winter Park country clubs in Florida.
- Original cast member of The Big Break; field-tested the winning Club Caddy on Golf for Inventors.
- Golf author and training aid inventor; participant in mini-tour and U.S. Open qualifiers. Career-best round: 64.
The person behind the ShadeTree.
Before golf, I was a varsity athlete, studied at Marshall University and served in the U.S. Army Reserves as a light vehicle mechanic. I earned Soldier of the Year honors along the way.
Orlando is home. I’m married to Melissa, and we have two daughters, Brielle and Darby. Golf is a big part of my life, and so are the people I share it with.
Thank you for coming under the Shade Tree.
Charles Calhoun
The ShadeTree Pro
Always Good Golfing
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ALWAYS GOOD GOLFING.
Ready to discover a new way to think about your swing?
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