Golf Journal: Catching Up With Chelso Barrett

This content was first published in Golf Journal, a quarterly print and monthly digital publication exclusively for USGA Members. To be among the first to receive Golf Journal and to learn how you can help make golf more open for all, become a USGA Member today.

For someone literally born into the game, the thought of burning out on it never crossed Chelso Barrett’s mind as he grew up at the family-owned Bretwood Golf Course. The 36-hole public facility in Keene, N.H., was built by his grandfather and great-uncle a generation before Barrett was born. Chelso honed his considerable skills there – good enough to finish runner-up to Jordan Spieth in the 2011 U.S. Junior Amateur, play four seasons at Texas Christian University, and eventually try pro golf.

It didn’t pan out. Two unfulfilling seasons on PGA Tour Canada, along with unsuccessful attempts at qualifying for the PGA Tour, led to burnout. He decided to take a one-year hiatus from competitive golf in Starkville, Miss., where his now-wife Kortnie (Maxoutopoulis), whom he met while both competed at TCU, was the assistant women’s golf coach at Mississippi State. Barrett accepted an assistant pro position at the university golf course.

In the back of his mind, Barrett had long suspected he might end up being more successful teaching than playing – and so it proved. Barrett, 31, fell in love with golf again as an instructor. 

When Kortnie became the associate women’s coach at San Jose State in 2021, Barrett took a job at nearby CordeValle, becoming the club’s director of instruction three years later, teaching members and working regularly with 10-15 promising juniors and amateurs. In 2025, he also found time to become the Northern California PGA Section’s Player of the Year, winning two tournaments and never finishing outside the top 6.

All of this caught the eye of the Northern California Golf Association as it sought a coach for the U.S. National Development Team’s newly created Northern California State Team, one of 30 rosters under the U.S. National Development Program (USNDP) umbrella. 

Barrett got the gig, in no small part due to his playing experience and an ability to connect with juniors.

“My greatest coaching influence is Jon Horner, the head pro at CordeValle,” said Barrett. “He tells me to teach through stories. It’s really fun with these high-level players, because I remember what they are going through mentally and physically.”

The Chelso Barrett File

Family: Wife Kortnie, 3-year-old daughter Blair

Residence: Morgan Hill, Calif.

Biggest USGA Moment: Runner-up, 2011 U.S. Junior Amateur

Quote: “I love what I am doing, and it’s freed me up to play better. Whether I shoot 85 or 65, I’m still going to give a lesson Tuesday morning at 9 o’clock.”

Telling a young student that he once went toe-to-toe with the likes of Spieth, major champion Cameron Smith, and PGA Tour winners Wil Zalatoris and Nico Echevarria can provide more connection than a swing tip.

“Competing helps me as a coach,” said Barrett. “I think it’s important to stay in touch with the game, in particular the mental game and the pressure you feel. Playing keeps me fresh and helps me relate to the kids and what they’ll be feeling on the course.”

When Barrett and NorCal State Team captain Pat Hurst, a two-time USGA champion and former LPGA Tour star, gather the players for their first formal camp in April, those past experiences will certainly resonate. But Barrett is more excited about playing a role in the game’s future.

“The sky’s the limit,” said Barrett. “We’re just scratching the surface.”

David Shefter is a senior staff writer at the USGA. Email him at dshefter@usga.org.