International News

Ireland
By Garry Todd
President, Irish Golf Teachers Federation

The Irish Golf Teachers Federation continues its growth during 2002 by training and certifying golf teaching professionals right here in Ireland. In the past few years, golf has certainly grown in this country as it has throughout the world. It gives us all great pride to be a member of the World Golf Teachers Federation.

Talking The Talk - Public speaking can be more daunting than playing a round of golf at Killarney in a gale, but with a little attention to your presentation skills the next time you’re giving a clinic to 50 golfers, and being judged on everything from what you say to how you present yourself, take a little walk, a deep breath and remember these steps.

1) Know your audience. Study the people you will be addressing, ask yourself, who they are, what are their values, what are their likes and dislikes. For instance, will they appreciate humor? Then formulate your presentation based on your analysis.

2) Determine what your audience needs to know. Great teachers need to focus on the listener’s interests. Ask yourself, “What’s in it for them?” and then make sure you relay the answer to them.

3) Specifics are terrific. Bring your points to life by using real life examples, anecdotes, etc. You can look to anyone from Colin Montgomerie to Nick Faldo. Just one caution, about too many personal anecdotes is that they tend to become more meaningful to the speaker than the listener.

Traveling to Ireland for a golf vacation? Please contact me at gtoddjnr@iol.ie

Mexico
By Rafael Conde
President, Mexican Golf Teachers Federation

We proudly announce that the MGTF is now in operation in Mexico!! We are actively organizing our first certification course to take place during the first week of October 2002. We will follow all USGTF methods and techniques to make a solid contribution to the teaching of golf teaching professionals in Mexico and to keep up with the World Golf Teachers Federation quality of standards.

We are operating under the supervision of Level IV Master Teaching Professional Jim Perez. The Mexican Golf Teachers Federation is one of 35 WGTF member nations.

For those not too familiar with the country of Mexico, here are a few facts:

• We have a population of 100 million people.
• The government is democratically elected.
• 42% of the population is under 18 years of age.
• We have 190 golf courses in the country with 50 golf courses currently under construction.
• Unlike the United States, all of the golf courses in Mexico are private.
• The main tourist sites are mostly within three hours drive from Mexico City.

Rafael Conde is a chemical engineer and MBA who worked as an executive for over 30 years in US based multi-national corporations. He became a USGTF member in 1999 and has since been actively involved in teaching golf to all ages in Mexico. He is in the process of opening a golf academy in the northern part of Mexico City. Rafael would appreciate hearing advice from any WGTF members with regard to making his golf academy a success.

South Africa
By Ben Schulian
President, South African Golf Teachers Federation

Golf greetings to all our readers of Golf Teaching Pro Magazine. As I write we are in the month of July. The South African Golf Teachers Federation is now 1 year old, and going from strength to strength.

We will be conducting our 6th certification course in August 2002 at Graceland Casino Hotel in the province of Mpumalanga in South Africa, which is situated 150 km east of Johannesburg.

The SAGTF is proud to announce that our merchandise range has been increased from not only SAGTF shirts but we also offer SAGTF golf caps and SAGTF blazer badges.

We are also very proud to announce our first lady SAGTF professional who qualified at our previous course at Graceland. Deborah Martin passed the certification course with flying colours, currently playing off a 7 handicap. She has been appointed as teaching pro at a driving range, currently under construction in the Cape Province. The SAGTF staff has nick named her our “first lady.”

I have appointed my brother Eric Schmulian who is a retired fighter pilot as an agent for the SAGTF. Eric resides in St. Francis Bay and will be operating from there, which is in the South of South Africa. Eric will be responsible to register new students from the Cape Province and also to secure venues in the Cape. We have found it necessary to conduct courses in the Cape as potential students find it too far and costly to travel 1500 kilometres to the certification courses conducted in Mpumalanga.

With the value of our currency at ±10:1 against the U.S Dollar, the participation in the annual World Cup still seems out of reach, although it is still one of our goals to send a team to participate.

The SAGTF wishes all our readers the very best and may your drives be straight and true - your putts, short and few.

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