1 Jul 2020

GOLF TEACHING PRO Magazine Now Out In Digital Format

The Summer 2020 edition of Golf Teaching Pro is now available. This issue features great topics and several pertinent and timely news stories from around the world. The format for this issue has been changed from paper to digital to make it more easily accessible, no matter where you are! Take it with you on your device and enjoy the articles, whether in between lessons or during your down time. The magazine can be found at https://www.usgtf.com/summer2020.
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1 Jul 2020

Tournament Update – U.S. Cup, Central Region Championship Canceled; Northwest Still a Go

Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic rendering it infeasible from a logistical standpoint, the 25th annual United States Golf Teachers Cup will not be held in 2020. The event was slated for this October in Las Vegas, Nevada. We look forward to having the silver jubilee edition of our national championship in October 2021 at the same venue, Revere Golf Club, and plans call for this to be the biggest and best U.S. Cup in history.

USGTF Central Region director Brent Davies has announced that the region championship scheduled for August 2-3 at Pheasant Run Golf Course in Canton, Michigan, has also been canceled. Davies cited several factors in making the decision, including the continued closing of the U.S./Canadian border.

USGTF Northwest Region director Nathan Guerrero has announced that as of press time, the region championship slated for TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, California, on Wednesday and Thursday, September 16-17, is still scheduled to be played. The course is also home to the PGA Championship later this year and is a wonderful opportunity for USGTF members to visit the great city of San Francisco and to play on one of the nation’s best layouts. For more information and to enter, please contact Geurrero at prtime.ng@gmail.com.

prtime.ng@gmail.com
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1 Jul 2020

Callaway VIP Program Available to Members

Callaway Golf is the USGTF’s longest-standing industry partner and offers personal use discounts for all USGTF members. Associate members receive Callaway product at wholesale cost; Certified Golf Teaching professionals at 10% off the wholesale cost, and Master Golf Teaching Professionals at 30% off the wholesale cost. To take advantage of this program if you are already not a Callaway VIP member, contact Lucero Padilla at (888) 897-4847 or at lucero.padilla@callawaygolf.com.
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1 Jul 2020

Job Opportunities and Careers Now Posted at USGTF.com

The USGTF has launched a new Job Opportunities section on our website. Our mission is to not only certify you and other members, but to help you gain and grow in the golf industry. In order to be successful in the industry, it is imperative that USGTF members have access to career and job opportunities on a timely basis. In addition, we also continue to offer the best in ongoing education, as well, through our member publications and advanced certification courses. Please take the time to explore at www.USGTF.com.

Recent Job Postings:
  • Varsity Girls Golf Coach (Richland, MI)
  • First Assistant Golf Professional (Mathews, LA)
  • Assistant Golf Professional (Durham, NC)
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    1 Jul 2020

    Return to Tournament Action

    The PGA Tour’s return to action on June 11 at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Forth Worth, Texas, went off as smoothly as could be hoped. Every player and caddie was tested for the COVID-19 coronavirus and all came out negative. The following week at the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, player Nick Watney tested positive and had to withdraw before the second round. The players he played with, Bud Cauley and Luke List, then tested negative.

    However, several other players have tested positive since then, along with a few caddies. As a result, the Tour has updated its policies. Players and caddies, along with instructors and tournament staff, are now no longer permitted on the tournament site until a negative test for the virus is returned prior to the beginning of the week. Players who take the tour-chartered plane to the next flight will be tested both before and after the flight.

    At this point, it would have to be said that the Tour’s policies are much more stringent than what the players would face at home, and as a result, is likely reducing the spread of the virus among its players and other personnel. As commissioner Jay Monahan noted, no system is perfect but so far, it is working as designed.

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    1 Jul 2020

    “PRO” File – Touring Pro Dustin Johnson

    Dustin Johnson’s win at the Travelers Championship in late June certainly further cemented his status as one of the game’s elite players, and also placed him closer to the category of one of the game’s all-time greats. Johnson now has 21 PGA Tour wins with one major championship, a feat only 32 golfers in the history of the game have achieved.

    Johnson’s game took off several years ago when he did two things: He started hitting a reliable fade shot off the tee, all the better to put his 300-yard drives into play, and he worked tirelessly with a TrackMan launch monitor on his wedge game, making him one of the best from under 125 yards. When Johnson is on, there are few that can give him a challenge. Perhaps only Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka are in his league when talking about players who are playing their best.

    The only knock on Johnson is the fact that he has not won more than one major, the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont. Many observers think he should have had a few more by this time, as McIlroy, Koepka and Jordan Spieth have all won multiple major titles. Although Johnson is no longer a spring chicken at the age of 36, he is still young enough to have many more legitimate opportunities to add to his total.

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    1 Jul 2020

    New Generation of Golf Shoes Also Meant For Off The Course

    The original spikeless golf shoe revolution actually happened in the early 1980s when some manufacturers began to make shoes with nubs instead of cleats on the bottom of the shoes. Many courses banned the shoes, erroneously thinking they would cause more damage to the greens than the traditional metal spikes.

    In 1993, SoftSpikes introduced a plastic, swirled cleat as a replacement for the metal spike. Although the spike itself offered somewhat poorer traction than did a metal spike, it wasn’t long before golf courses started to ban metal spikes, all the better to leave greens spike-free and to not tear up clubhouse carpets. Today, plastic spike technology has evolved to the point where they offer better traction than the old metal spikes ever did.

    Another revolution occurred in 2010 when Fred Couples showed up at The Masters wearing spikeless Ecco golf shoes without plastic cleats. Style-conscious golfers everywhere took notice, and a new trend was born. Today, every major golf shoe manufacturer offers a selection of shoes without plastic cleats. The stylishness of these shoes also means golfers can wear them easily off the course in casual settings. From a golf perspective, tests have shown that while they offer good traction for playing, it is still not quite as good as that offered by plastic cleats. But for many, the added comfort and ability to wear them seamlessly off the course outweighs that.

    Whatever your choice, there have never been more options for golfers to find comfort, style and performance in their footwear.

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