About Kari Sampson…

I began playing golf at the age of 16. My grandfather, a PGA Professional in Northern California, introduced me to the game of golf on the driving range where he instructed for over 34 years. With all of his teaching and competitive experience, he handed me a 9 iron, placed my hands on the club and challenged me to hit the ball. It wasn’t a tough challenge, or so I thought. After all, I was a great athlete in the other sports I competed in including basketball, softball, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, and waterskiing. All I had to do was make contact with a small stationary ball while I stood in a semi-stationary position, no bodily contact involved. How hard could it be? After multiple attempts and denials, I finally made contact and hit a pure 9 iron about 110 yards. The moment was EUPHORIC! I had no idea how I did it, but I spent the next two hours on the range trying to duplicate the same shot!

It took only minutes for me to become hooked on the game of golf. Just 2 years after picking up the game I started actively competing in golf. The rest is history. For the past 15 years, the game of golf has surrounded my life and infiltrated all aspects of my life, including but not limited to;

2 District Championships for Clarkston High School
Top 10 place at WIAA State Championships as a senior at Clarkston High School; top 20 finish at WIAA State Championships as a junior.
Collegiate student-athlete at the University of Washington, where I competed within arguably the best conference (Pac-10) in Division 1 golf
Employment at NIKE as a NIKE Golf Marketing Research Analyst
5 years as the Men’s and Women’s Assistant Golf Coach at Washington State University
1 year as the Women’s Assistant Golf Coach at the University of Idaho

Playing the game of golf was certainly more for me than just chasing a little white ball around the golf course. It ignited a desire in me to work very hard for every small accomplishment I earned both on the golf course and in life. First and foremost, I learned very quickly how to have respect for the game. Golf is a game of integrity: no one is there to blow a whistle when you make a mistake. It’s up to you to make the right decisions. Golf is a game of respect: you must always respect your playing partners and more importantly the game of golf. Golf is about internal discipline: anger, profanity and disgust will never provide you with lower scores. GREAT golf is about hard work: great golf never comes without a good amount of sweat and tears. GREAT golf is about determination: will power takes you above and beyond your initial vision of success. And lastly golf is about perseverance: never giving up and learning from your mistakes will always take you the extra mile!

To this day, one of my greatest accomplishments was earning an athletic scholarship to the University of Washington, especially coming from the small town of Clarkston with only 3 years of playing experience under my belt. Even though I came to collegiate golf with only raw talent, I learned how to be successful and competitive at the top Division 1 level. I was fortunate enough to travel all over the United States with my teammates, playing at some of the most miraculous facilities imagined. I also had the privilege to compete on a daily basis with some of the best competitive women in the nation. Talk about a blessing! Without having the respect for the game of golf that I only acquired through hard work, determination, perseverance and a lot of sweat and tears, I would have never had the opportunity to play for a Pac-10 university, nor would I have had the future opportunities of teaching and coaching at the collegiate level or working for NIKE golf.

I attribute all of my success to those mentors, coaches, and instructors that came alongside me with passion, commitment and desire to help me find success. As an instructor, I find the most delight in doing the same! There is truly nothing more gratifying than assisting others in accomplishing their goals. I have personally worked very hard on my game and have played and taught at a very high level. With my experience, I can help anyone improve in their game. Whether it is introducing you to the game for the first time, shaving a few strokes to break 100, refining your strengths and weaknesses to break 80 for the first time or even helping you in preparation for collegiate golf and beyond!

Kari Sampson, Bryden Canyon Golf Instructor
Contact Info: 208.746.0863
karisampsongolf@gmail.com