Miller joins Leavenworth Golf Club as new golf pro

Folks who play a round at the Leavenworth Golf Club (LGC) may notice a new face among the staff.

The LGC recently hired Nathan Miller as the facility's new golf pro.

Miller, a Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) golf pro for six seasons, said the golf aspect of his role accounts for 10 percent of his job while the remainder consists of business and administrative operations for the LGC. He spent the majority of the first week on the job attending meetings with board members, sponsors, advertisers and staff. He also dove into the LGC's budgets, inventory, as well as prepared the club's pro shop and golf course for the start of the season.

Miller has also spent time meeting the LGC members, and enjoys the politeness, energy and excitement the they bring to the golf course.

"We've been figuring out how things are done and how things will work out going forward," Miller said. "It's been kind of a challenge, but it's been really good."

Born and raised in Helena, Montana, Miller's love for golf began as a high school freshman when he played for his school's golf team.

He explained the golf team held tryouts a week before the baseball team. Seeing an opportunity to play a couple rounds of free golf, Miller borrowed his father's clubs, without his permission, and attended the golf team's tryouts. Miller, who had played baseball all his life and had never swung a golf club before, hit a 148 and 143 in 18 holes.

After the golf coach said he was keeping Miller for the team, the future golf pro declined, saying he was going to play baseball instead. When he informed his family of the scenario, Miller's parents, encouraged him to stay with golf.

"Growing up in a coaching family, I told them I was going to quit the golf team to play baseball, and they told me I couldn't," Miller said. "'(They said) You took somebody's spot in a tryout sport, you're not quitting golf."

A natural athlete, Miller's golf skills progressed the more he practiced. As his golf game improved, Miller grew to enjoy the sport. He even received a scholarship to play the sport at the University of Montana Western where he also competed on the school's basketball team.

Miller said the individual aspect of golf fits with his competitive nature in that he can rely on himself to practice and improve his skills to succeed. He has also enjoyed the various lessons golf taught him, and the relationships he has built with fellow competitors on the course.

Miller played in college and competed in the professional level before he took a break from the sport.

"I was so competitive at it for so long that I almost couldn't go out and enjoy a casual round of golf," Miller said. "I felt obligated to practice, I felt obligated to compete. I was at a point in my life where I wasn't there anymore. I didn't want to put in the time and effort to practice and be successful at it. Rather than drive myself crazy, it was easier to just walk away than to try and play casually." 

During this time, Miller owned a voltage wiring company and coached high school fastpitch-softball and basketball for 12 years. He returned to the links, playing in tournaments and competing against local pros, who would quiz him on his golf background and strike up conversations with him about the game.

An assistant golf pro at Bill Roberts Municipal Golf Course encouraged Miller to return to golf on a full-time basis. He planned on advertising an assistant pro position at the course and asked Miller if he would be interested in the position.

Miller and the assistant pro continued to discuss the matter and he began researching credentials and accreditations for PGA pro status. He also spoke to his family, who encouraged him to pursue the path of a PGA golf pro.

"They were all in agreement that it was the perfect choice for me," Miller said. "I got started and jumped right in as an assistant at the public facility, and I kind of worked my way up from there to this position now."

He learned about the opening at LGC through the PGA job search, which matches golf pros with jobs opportunities that match their criteria. After the advertisement for a golf pro at LGC came to Miller's attention, he spoke with the head pro's wife, who was born and raised in Cashmere, about the area.

Miller, who is married with two children, loves to spend time outdoors fishing and photographing wildlife. He said the scenery in Leavenworth is similar where he grew up.

"The pine trees, the lakes and mountains," Miller added. "Visually it was easy for me to move here." 

As a golf pro, Miller enjoys having the opportunity to use his golf knowledge and experience, and the coaching mentality, to help people become better golfers. His favorite moment as a golf pro was back in Montana where he held "Golf in Schools," program. During the winter months, he raised money by teaching golf in the P.E. classes. Being a pro has also taught him to examine the technical aspects of golf and share it with others.

"I get to give back to so many people and help them with their golf game, and introduce junior golfers to a game that's given so much to me," Miller said.

He also follows today's current golf scene, more so than he did growing up. While Miller admired Tiger Woods during his younger years, he now follows athletes like Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed.

One of Miller's goals as the LGC golf pro Miller is to create programs and events for junior golfers and families in Leavenworth, similar to when he worked in Montana.

An upcoming program at LGC is Family Golf Month, scheduled for the month of May. During Thursdays and Sundays after 3 p.m., juniors can play free golf with a parent. There will be free junior golf clinics on Sundays at 2 p.m.

Miller also plans on holding junior golf clinics during the summer.

"The junior golfers, the family golf, beginners golf, that's something very important to me," Miller said. "I want rekindle some of that stuff going on here, as well as give back to the schools."