I’ll be the first to admit it—I was a doubter.

When I first heard about ChatGPT, I was afraid of it. Big Brother is watching at worst. Another tech trend with more buzz than backbone at best. Another “disruptor” trying to solve problems that didn’t exist. I’ve seen a lot of those come and go. College kids using it to write their papers. PGM students using it to do their portfolios. It was plagiarizing. Cheating. Downright lazy. I thought no chance am I going to use it…

Until Monday.

I sat through an AI presentation at the WNY PGA Section meeting. I walked in thinking, whatever, let’s get this over with. Forty-five minutes later, my jaw was on the floor. I listened to a Director of Golf talk about how he was using ChatGPT to write newsletters, create updated policies and procedures manuals, generate marketing ideas, and even draft emails in response to a members “concern”. This wasn’t just tech for tech’s sake—it was saving him time and energy – all while giving him thoughtful responses to what he was asking for help with.

Another presenter showed how the tool could build a full driver fitting matrix based on the shafts available and the player’s profile. I had no idea this thing could go that deep. That presentation alone was enough to make me want to try it.

And like a persimmon driver catching the sweet spot one more time—it just clicked.

Now? I’m a believer. Not in the sci-fi, robot-overlord kind of way. But in the this thing actually helps me do my job better kind of way.

Whether I’m writing a blog post, designing a fitting chart, digging into swing mechanics, or building out a detailed launch monitor spreadsheet, ChatGPT has become my silent assistant—no coffee breaks required. It never gets tired. And it never slows down.

It’s not replacing my experience. That’s not possible. It’s amplifying it—helping me organize ideas faster, communicate more clearly, and take more off my plate. The more I talk to it, the more it learns how I think, and the better it can assist me.

But here’s the important part—it only works if YOU know what you’re doing. Not with the program, but as a professional. You still have to ask the right questions. You still have to know what you’re looking for. You still need the judgment and expertise to evaluate what it gives you. Just like teaching or fitting, the quality of the output depends on the quality of the input.

Here’s how I’ve used it so far:

• Translate complex launch monitor data into simple, fitter-friendly language.
• Build Excel tools that save me hours. This could be hours EVERY week.
• Break down concepts like dynamic loft vs. spin loft for my own continuing education.
• Get a rough draft rolling when the blank page is staring back at me.

It’s like having a second brain—one that’s fast, focused, and never gets bogged down in details. It helps me move the ball forward, whether I’m in the car (I can talk to it), on the range at a fitting event, or behind a screen.

I still believe in hard work and hands-on experience. But I also believe in tools that make us better. ChatGPT has become one of mine.

So how easy is it to get started?

Do yourself a favor: go to chat.openai.com and create a free account. You can type to it like you’re talking to it. Be direct. Be specific. Treat it like a collaborator. You’ll get the hang of it quickly.

Try this – type in:

“My name is ___. I’m a golf professional at ___ Country Club. I’m working on a schedule for my outside staff. Can you help me with this?”

I did this for fun, and in five seconds, I got this:

“Absolutely, I can help with that. A few quick questions to dial it in:

How many outside staff members do you have?

What are your operating hours each day of the week?

Are there different roles (e.g., starters, bag drop, range attendants)?

Do you want rotating days off, set shifts, or flexible schedules?

Are there specific days or events that need extra coverage?”

I replied with:

“We operate 7 days per week from 6 AM to 8 PM. I need one person until noon and two people for the rest of the day. Full-time staff: Bill, Bob. High school part-timers: Timmy, Stevie, Ryan, Jason, Alex, Frank, Mike. Part-timers are capped at 20 hours per week and can’t start until after 4 PM on weekdays. I’d like the full timers to get their 40 hours Monday through Friday. Can you schedule this?”

Fifteen seconds later, I had a daily list. I asked it to reformat into a weekly view with employee names down the side and days across the top. Done in another 10 seconds.

Then I asked:

“Can you make sure everyone has hours? I’ll take 3 guys on Wednesday afternoons for men’s league, 2 on Saturday mornings, and 3 in the afternoon. Also give me a summary of weekly hours per employee.”

It updated the schedule and included a full summary in under a minute. All in. it took less than 10 minutes – while I was writing this.

Yesterday, I started out playing around with it. I asked ChatGPT to help build a matrix: ideal launch, spin, peak height, carry, and total distance – for every club in the bag. In 5 MPH increments from under 70mph to 120+ mph. For 3-4 player types in each swing speed group. I did this while I was setting up a second rig for fitting events. I literally was not even at my computer full time while this was going on. I had to read and interpret the data, and question some of the results, but that’s what it does. It relies on me as a professional. If I didn’t know what I was doing, I wouldn’t be able to do something like that. But seriously, I have a spreadsheet that shows the ideal launch conditions of any player type in any swing speed class – want a copy? I got it done while I was doing something else…

If I had to do that manually, it would have taken me days—if I could even do it at all (I seriously doubt I could do it). With ChatGPT, I could review data, suggest adjustments, and recalculate in real-time. It saved me days. Maybe more. Honestly this is a project I never would even consider starting without this tool.

That’s the point. This tool saves you time—real, precious time. It doesn’t do the job for you, but it helps you get it done faster, and with fewer headaches. You still need to guide it. You still need to think critically. But you can delegate to a “someone” who knows almost everything and is always available.

Imagine taking last year’s rules sheet for an event, telling ChatGPT the new date, the updated format, and asking it to rework the whole thing. Thirty seconds later, it’s done. You tweak a few lines, export to PDF, and you’re finished. Even if it only saves you 15 minutes – do that four times a day, and that’s an hour. That’s your lunch break back. Or time at the ball field or a school play. Or time on the golf course to play a few holes. Oh yeah – I remember what it was like to play golf…

I didn’t expect this. I thought ChatGPT was the dark side. My wife now calls it my new best friend.

Didn’t see that coming. But I’m glad it did.