2025 SOPGA Awards Spotlight: Ben Chandler, PGA

For Ben Chandler, PGA, growing the game of golf has never been just about teaching swings. It’s about developing complete players and helping people grow as individuals through the sport. In recognition of his extraordinary contributions to player development, Chandler has been named the 2025 Southern Ohio PGA Player Development Award recipient.

As the Director of Instruction for Cincinnati Recreation Commission (CRC) Golf Courses, Chandler was tasked with reintroducing instruction across six facilities through the new CRC Golf Academy. For more than a decade, CRC focused primarily on rounds and merchandise, leaving player development on the sidelines. In just one season, Chandler not only revived instruction but built a thriving culture of learning, mentorship, and community engagement.

At the core of his teaching philosophy is a commitment to measurement and biomechanics. “Measure, don’t guess,” Chandler often reminds fellow professionals. Whether analyzing grip, setup, posture, or ground reaction forces, he relies on data-driven instruction to give students a blueprint for their own swing. 

Chandler also emphasizes the mental and fitness aspects of the game. Collaborating with Dr. Morris Pickens, he integrated sports psychology into lessons, teaching players how to think on and off the course. He partners with TPI-certified trainers at It’s Working Out to connect golfers with specialized fitness programs, ensuring they understand how mobility, flexibility, and strength impact performance. 

“Lessons should be more than hitting golf balls,” Chandler says. “They’re an opportunity to connect with people and give them tools for life.”

In 2024 alone, Chandler designed and led more than 50 new adult and junior programs across CRC facilities, ranging from beginner clinics to advanced high school prep camps. He expanded PGA Jr. League participation, created school partnerships through the Golf in Schools program, and introduced initiatives for adaptive athletes and underserved communities, including The Bridge Adaptive Program, The First Tee, and Forever Kings. His programs reached more than 2,600 participants in a single year, while instruction revenue at CRC facilities increased 5x from 2023 to 2024.

For Chandler, receiving the Player Development Award is less about recognition and more about reaffirming his mission: to build programs that connect with people, inspire future professionals, and grow the game in every corner of the community. In his words: “Be more than someone who gives a 60-minute lesson. Go the extra mile to be something more than a teacher.”