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Nathalie Sheehan is one of golf's brightest young stars in the field of instruction. In addition to teaching students in person, using what she has learned from some of the world's best teachers, she has engaged a vast audience through an Instagram account with more than 100,000 followers who enjoy her concise, informative short-form tips. She has also hosted dozens of Daily Video Tips and several multi-part instruction series for GolfPass.
Sheehan also serves as the Director of Women's Golf at Pelican Golf Club, a unique facility south of Tampa, Fla., that in just a few short years has become one of America's most influential golf places, with a refreshingly uncommon focus on supporting women's golf.
The Connecticut native recently sat down with us to talk about her background and influences in golf, how her social media success has complemented her day job and the one thing every golfer needs to practice.
Editor's Note: This interview has been edited for clarity.
First things first. What and who got you into golf?
My dad played hockey in college and took up golf sometime after maybe late in college or when he graduated. He was very into it, and my mom played as well. And from a young age, I just started playing, going to clinics and became obsessed with it.
I was lucky enough to have a golf pro at our club in Connecticut (Gary Reynolds, retired former pro at Hartford Golf Club), who was very supportive of junior golf, which wasn't a cool thing at the time. He made a point of allowing us to be on the golf course, to practice as we pleased. That made it very fun.
Where did you play golf in college?
The University of Delaware.
Did you plan on trying to play professionally or work in golf after college?
I actually did not ever plan on continuing to be in the golf industry after school initially. When I first went to school, I studied fashion merchandising but switched to art history because I didn't like anything about the fashion merchandising side of things.
But I worked for my coach [Suzy Whaley, now the president of the PGA of America and an LPGA Top 50 Instructor in her own right] growing up during the summers and realized how much I enjoyed being around golf and teaching and so decided I wanted to try and go to LPGA Tour Q School when I was done with school which I had never thought about doing before. I got a teaching job at the Philadelphia Cricket Club after I graduated and that summer I went to Q School. I just went one time, realized that that life was not for me and continued down the teaching path from there.
What about working with Suzy Whaley particularly inspired you to become a golf teacher?
She showed up every day with just as much energy and passion for helping every student as the day before, no matter what she had going on in her life. That is how I try to be. No matter what I've got going on, I try to give my all to the person in front of me. That helps make teaching more fun and enjoyable.
Have you had any other standout mentors in golf over the years?
My husband (Justin Sheehan, COO and director of golf at Pelican Golf Club). He was Jim McLean's assistant in Miami and works with LPGA players; he's a great teacher in his own right. I've learned a lot from him and continue to learn a lot from him.
Martin Hall was one of my coaches growing up and has helped me a ton with my career in general. I've been lucky to spend time with other great coaches like Jim Smith, Jr., Jason Baile and Brad Faxon. The learning never ends, and I'm lucky to get to spend time with such amazing coaches and people.
Along with your full-time in-person teaching, you've been big on Instagram (@NattieGolf) for several years. What appeals to you about showing golfers how to play better using social media?
I still have a full-time job giving clinics and one-on-one lessons, but the social media thing started soon after I graduated from college. I've always been very entrepreneurial - both of my parents are that way. I listen to Gary Vaynerchuk's podcast, and one piece of advice he has for people who are having trouble coming up with things to post online is just to record what you do every day. So I just started recording drills and things I was working on in my own swing, in a very simple manner.
A lot of the instructional content out there seemed to be for other coaches. My goal was to put out tips that someone could take and go use on the golf course immediately. No big swing changes, no complicated explanations of why something's happening in your swing. That's how it all started and it's evolved from there. I'm lucky enough to have some amazing brand partners and continue to grow and develop my teaching through social media. It's been an adventure always learning and always evolving.
Be it beginners or experienced players, older folks or juniors, is there a particular type of golfer you particularly enjoy giving lessons to?
I've been doing some reflecting over the past six months as to what I enjoy doing with my time, and my passion has definitely shifted a bit toward helping people - specifically women - learn to be competent and confident in themselves on the golf course. Most people are not great at golf and it's okay to not be great at it - you can still go play! Especially in the business world, you don't have to be an amazing player to get out there and play in your company scramble or take clients out on the golf course. I've been doing more clinics and corporate events, especially for women. It's fun and so rewarding.
Your home club, Pelican Golf Club, is one of America's biggest supporters of women's golf. What's it like working at a club that prioritizes female golfers?
We definitely have women in mind here, aside from hosting an LPGA Tour event (The Annika) that has become a staple in our community. We're also hosting the Women's SEC Championship for the next three years. We do a lot to engage our female members and make it fun and exciting to be here. We do a nice job of serving the women who play here and making them feel welcome.
Something special is that our women's locker room has a beautiful view of the 18th hole out a big window at the front of the clubhouse. The men's locker room does not have a view. Everything from the beginning when the Doyle family built the club was with the female member in mind, and it has been an incredible addition to Tampa Bay.
What's something every golfer should work on the next time they go practice?
Their grip and their posture.
Excluding Pelican, what are your three favorite golf courses in Florida?
Streamsong Black, the Palm Beach Par 3 and McArthur Golf Club.
What are your three all-time favorite golf courses?
Monterey Peninsula, Shooting Star and Philadelphia Cricket Club.
Nathalie Sheehan's new series Golfer's Guide: Swing Sequencing is now available on GolfPass.
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