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Imagine that your “office” is an idyllic golf course in Hawaii, the rolling green fairways overlooking the clear, blue Pacific Ocean. That slice of paradise is indeed a reality for Scott Ashworth, ’93, who is the Director of Golf at the Four Seasons Resort Lanai and has put together a distinguished 27-year career as a PGA golf professional.

A dream job scenario, Ashworth’s interest in golf began as a youngster in Spokane. With his father a longtime golf course superintendent and his uncle and cousin also part of the business, he grew up on the golf course.

While they laughingly claim he’s “gone to the dark side” as a golf professional rather than pursuing a career in course maintenance, Ashworth’s passion for teaching was also a family affair. His mother was a professor at Eastern Washington University and spent her career teaching early childhood education.

“My mom said ‘I always knew you’d be a teacher,’” he recalls. “‘I just didn’t know it would be golf.’”

That passion was sparked when Ashworth started working at the University of Washington Driving Range as an 18-year-old, first-year student in 1989. He was asked to fill in for one of the instructors and the rest, you can say, is history.

“That ignited the fire,” he says. “From then on, I taught at the UW Driving Range. Over the four years, I taught thousands of students. It was great training for me to be a teacher and a golf professional. I love being around people and I love being a mentor. When you see people getting excited about what it is you’re teaching and they get it, it’s a pretty cool vocation.”

After graduating from the UW, Ashworth became the assistant golf professional at McCormick Woods Golf Course in Port Orchard and was quickly promoted to head professional in 1997. Then came the opportunity to depart for Hawaii and become the head golf professional at Ko Olina Golf Club on Oahu in 2001.

Ashworth has remained in Hawaii ever since, also working at courses on Maui and Kauai before accepting his current role at the Four Seasons Resort Lanai in 2014. He has received numerous accolades over the years, including 2008 and 2018 Golf Professional of the Year from the PGA Aloha Section. He is also in his second stint on the PGA Board of Directors, representing members in Hawaii, as well as the Northern and Southern California sections.

Scott Ashworth, a political science grad from Spokane, was the youngest UW Driving Instructor ever hired at 18 years old. Now, he teaches golf professionally and runs the NYC Marathon for charity.

But Ashworth’s impact on the golf community doesn’t end there.

Last November, he ran his fifth New York City Marathon in support of PGA Reach, the charitable foundation of PGA America that aims to make golf more accessible for youth, military and diverse populations. Ashworth co-captained the 15-person running team of PGA golf professionals that raised more than $125,000. He’s run the NYC marathon every other year since 2017 to support the foundation despite having never been a runner before.

“I’ve been so blessed that the PGA has given me so many things in life between my job and where I live, this was really a great way for me to give back to my association and what it’s done for me,” Ashworth says.

He is also proud to support the causes championed by PGA Reach.

“I love all of our pillars, what we stand for and the amazing programs we have,” Ashworth says. “(For example) when you hear life-changing stories of how golf has pulled some of our veterans through dark times it will bring tears to your eyes.”