For Premier Agent® Meghan Hardin, competing on Golf Channel's "Big Break Atlantis" wasn't much different from being a Lake Arrowhead real estate agent: Both are highly competitive endeavors that require honesty, diligence, hours of practice, and a respect for people and places.

Hardin couldn't remember a time when she didn't play golf; growing up, she lived on a golf course and her mother, an excellent player herself, introduced her to the sport early on. But it wasn't until she was in high school that Hardin started taking her talent seriously, playing on the men's varsity golf team and hitting from the blue tees. Hardin continued honing her game at California State University San Marcos, but favored the program at Palomar College and transferred schools. While at Palomar, she was team captain of its 2011 California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) championship team, but even bigger things were on the horizon.

Lay up or go for it all?

In 2012, Hardin auditioned for "Big Break Atlantis" and was chosen from among several thousand other hopefuls, but there was a catch: To compete on the show, Hardin had to give up her amateur status. At the tender age of 19, Hardin faced a big decision: stay in school or go professional? She chose to pursue a professional career and appeared on "Big Break Atlantis," the youngest competitor in the history of the show at the time.

Although she was eliminated in the first episode, Hardin expressed no regrets for her choice. She went on to play - and win - in a number of notable tournaments, including the Ahmad Rashad Celebrity Classic and the Grasshopper Tour. She was also invited back to "Big Break NFL" where, partnered with pro quarterback Mark Rypien and pro golfer James Lepp, she helped her team make it far into the competition.

Sizing up her next shot

Hardin's mother, a real estate agent herself for years, introduced her daughter to the business; for Hardin, joining her mother's team in Lake Arrowhead was a natural next step after playing nearly nonstop competitive golf. Today Hardin spends hours honing her real estate skills, doing research and marketing that her clients don't always see - tasks that closely parallel her golf career, which she said taught her a lot of "life lessons."

"On 'Big Break Atlantis,' we had these crazy challenges like breaking a window pane or lobbing a shot into a point circle on the green," Hardin recalled. "The TV audience just sees the golf shot, but behind the scenes, there are hours of warm-up."

Hardin has appeared in a number of television shows since "Big Break Atlantis" and keeps her game sharp by playing in charity golf events, but she is currently directing her energy and celebrity toward helping home buyers and sellers. The tech-savvy real estate agent vigilantly maintains her business website and has tens of thousands of followers on Twitter and Instagram, which gives her a distinct marketing advantage.

"Women in golf is rare and it exposes you to a strong, leadership-type of woman, which people find attractive," Hardin observed. "Plus, earning awards and accomplishments helps you in real estate because clients like to deal with people who've made a name for themselves."

Working on the fundamentals

Hardin finds many clients on the golf course, so she knows first-hand that old-school networking and customer service are key to making and maintaining relationships.

"Golf is a wholly different sport than any other and it's all about loyalty, honesty, integrity and class," Hardin noted. "For example, I understand how high-end country clubs treat their members, so when I went into real estate, I took what I saw and applied that level of customer service to my clients."

Hardin is currently attending broadcasting courses for the next stage in her golf career, but she remains focused on helping buyers and sellers meet their housing needs. She's enjoying the excitement of it, and applying the work ethic and never-quit attitude that she developed as a young golfer.

"If anything, real estate feels easier because golf was something I did from 5 a.m. to nighttime, working out and practicing," Hardin recalled. "I don't have to sweat as much now; it's the same formula, but it's just real estate instead of athletics."

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