The Lake of the Ozarks has become a golf professional’s destination of choice, offering great courses, career development opportunities, and growing relationships with both local golfers and visitors seeking excellent golf, all within miles of each other. L•O PROFILE is pleased to introduce you to the following professionals who help shape the great courses and memorable golf experiences around the Lake area.
Paul Leahy
DIRECTOR OF GOLF OPERATIONS
MARGARITAVILLE LAKE RESORT LAKE OF THE OZARKS
Hometown: Cedar Falls, Iowa
Age: 59
Years at current position: 24
Years in the Lake area: 36
PB (Personal Best Golf Score): 69 at The Oaks College: Ferris State University, Big Rapids, Michigan
How did you know you wanted to be a golf professional? My father got me into the game at a young age, and I started to work at the local country club in high school. That is when I started to think of this as a career. Then I went to college to become a golf professional through the Golf Management curriculum at Ferris State University.
Greatest golf accomplishment: Becoming a PGA Member in 1991 and having the honor of winning the Gateway PGA Golf Professional of the Year in 2019. This is voted on by your peers for your dedication and the impact you have on the game.
Describe how The Oaks course has grown/matured under your leadership: I have continued to uphold the service standards that I learned working with mentors in the Marriott Golf System. I strive to create the best experience possible each day for our members, guests, and corporate clients during the outings we host. Kill them with kindness, a good product, and fair pricing, and you will have a customer for life.
Larry Salsman
OSAGE NATIONAL GOLF RESORT
PGA CLASS MASTER PROFESSIONAL
Hometown: Eldon, Missouri
Age: 53
Years at current position: 13
Years in the Lake area: Most of my life
College: I played collegiate golf at Lincoln University.
PB (Personal Best Golf Score): 64 at Mahoney Golf Course, Lincoln, Nebraska
How did you know you wanted to be a golf professional? My first job was picking the driving range at Eldon Country Club at the age of 12. Being around golf was really the only thing I was ever good at, and I cannot imagine myself doing anything else.
Greatest golf accomplishment: Becoming a PGA master professional. It is less than 1.5% of the PGA membership that holds that classification.
Describe how the Osage National course has grown/matured under your leadership: I have to give credit where credit is due; Ryan Manselle has grown Osage over the past 12 years more than I ever could. I’m a great golf course operator. At Osage, we think outside the box and drive revenue in directions not typically considered for golf courses. That is what I think is the biggest misconception about being a golf professional. We do play golf, and even tournaments, but that is not what we really do. We operate and manage golf facilities. We are businessmen and women. What you see on TV are professional golfers.
Robert Wilson
PGA HEAD GOLF PROFESSIONAL
LAKE VALLEY GOLF CLUB
Hometown: Cambridge, England
Age: 50
Years at current position: 7
Years in the Lake area: 24
PB (Personal Best Golf Score): 61 at Dogwood Hills (course record)
Tournament Wins: Professional wins 27, Junior golf wins, I would guess 40 – 50
How did you know you wanted to be a golf professional? After playing at a high level for our County teams. Junior, Colts, and Men’s full teams, I received coaching from the E.G.U. (English Golf Union) and was told it was something I was good enough to pursue.
Greatest golf accomplishment: I made it to the Quarter Finals of the English Amateur Championship at Hoylake in Liverpool.
The future of golf is….looking very bright. With all the new PGA Initiatives, the growth of the game has never been stronger.
Describe how your course has grown/ matured under your leadership: I believe that myself and our Superintendent walked into the perfect storm. Golf was trending in the right direction for the first time since 2008, and then COVID happened. This increased our membership and outside play by over 50%. In turn, this has allowed us to invest more money into the Club. For the seven years I have been here, the Club has been making improvements every year and is continuing to grow.
Matt Dillman
PGA HEAD GOLF PROFESSIONAL
THE LODGE OF FOUR SEASONS, THE COVE, AND THE RIDGE GOLF COURSES
Hometown: Charleston, Arkansas
Age: 50
Years at current position: Started at the Lodge of Four Seasons in April of 2025
Years in the Lake area: I worked at The Club at Porto Cima from 2003 to 2006 and have been at the Lodge for a few months.
College: Arkansas Tech University 1997-2001 Varsity Golf Team – ATU is known for the worst mascot: ATU Wonderboys!
How did you know you wanted to be a golf professional? I grew up on a 9-hole golf course, and it became part of my life. I just continued the enthusiasm for the game.
Greatest golf accomplishment: Becoming a Class A PGA Professional and continuing to grow as a Member of the PGA
The future of golf is….positioned for significant growth. With the programs available now, anyone can get hooked on this great game just like I did.
Describe how your course has grown/ matured under your leadership: I am focused on great customer relations with our guests on the inside. Outside, we have a great superintendent whose goal is to get both courses back to the top in the state. I can’t wait until we get there!