Maxwelton Golf Club Professional Kyle Miller works at his computer in the clubhouse. This is Miller’s fourth year as head golf professional. Photo by Blair Baumgartner.

By Blair Baumgartner
InkFreeNews

SYRACUSE — Maxwelton Golf Club Professional Kyle Miller grew up in Goshen and is a 2005 Goshen High School graduate. He played golf all four years and his home course was Maplecrest.

Miller started working at Black Squirrel Golf Club when he was 13 and always looked up to course owner Tony Krebs. He also looked up to Maplecrest head golf pro John Guipe.

He attended Indiana University for a year and then decided he wanted to be in the golf industry. He moved to Orlando, Fla., to attend a 16-month junior college program at Golf Academy of America.

Reflecting on the program and his time in Florida, he said, “You learn the industry inside and out from groundskeeping to food and beverage to managing and operating a course on a daily basis. It was a great time. I got to play a lot of golf. The first month after moving to Florida, I met my wife Leah. We’ve been married 11 years and have two kids.”

After Miller graduated, he worked as an assistant professional at Windermere Country Club in Orlando, Fla. He also worked at Mayacoo Lakes Country Club in Palm Beach, Fla., and Champions Club in Stewart, Fla.

“About eight years ago, we moved to Kansas City, Mo., where my wife got her first job in the medical industry. I did the stay-at-home dad thing for a couple years,” he said.

Four years ago, Miller and his family were visiting and he found out the new club pro at Maxwelton had left midseason. He asked the owners if he could forward them his resume.

“If I didn’t do it, I would have regretted it the rest of my life. I had an interview and am looking forward to year four here,” he said.
“There have been a lot of improvements. Bob Carlson, the former club pro and owner, passed away about five years ago and new ownership took over. They put a lot of money back into the course. They totally renovated the clubhouse.

“We’re currently putting up a halfway house on the course that will have restrooms and a little snack/concession area for outings and weekend play,” he said.

Miller said people can always find a game at the club. “There’s 20-30 guys that play here everyday at noon, Monday through Thursday. We have another big game at 1 p.m. that’s a shotgun where we get 36-40 players. There’s a ladies league that plays on Wednesdays.”

“We have a great team here in the pro shop with myself and Alex Yoder, who has been here since I started. Austin Bender has been in the industry since he was a teenager. We have a fantastic membership base,” he said.

For Miller, it’s really all about relationships. “I love getting to know people on a personal level. People come here to have fun and that is our main goal — for people to come out and enjoy themselves,” he said.

“We have a member here, Neil Boston, who hand draws a portrait of our club champion every year.”

He mentioned Bob Carlson’s legacy and ability to maintain active membership with many members being around for as long as 50 years.

“We have a very loyal membership. In the morning, players can come get a round of golf in and hit the lake in the afternoon,” he said.

Miller gushed about the Town of Syracuse. “Syracuse is an awesome little town. It’s kind of a golf cart town. There is a strong sense of community here. It’s a great community.”

His passion for the game can be summed up in this quote.

“I love golf because you can play it your entire life. It’s very unique in that aspect. You can enjoy yourself, put your phone away, get away from work and spend time with your friends and family.”