1 Jul 2024

LUXOR IS THE PLACE TO STAY FOR THE U.S. CUP

Opened in 1993, the Luxor in Las Vegas continues to be a favorite draw for visitors to the “Sin City.” With its distinctive pyramid building and vertical laser light visible for up to 275 miles, the Luxor has been a spectacular staple of the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip for three decades. This year, it will once again serve as the recommended host hotel for the United States Golf Teachers Cup.

The Luxor is within a 25-minute drive from Painted Desert Golf Course, and traffic rarely creates delays. Special rates for U.S. Cup participants have been arranged and can be found at https://book.passkey.com/event/50719407/owner/4939/home.
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1 Jul 2024

NEWS FROM GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND

By Peter Hudson

It has been a very wet winter and spring in the U.K. and Ireland, with many courses and driving ranges closed for days and weeks at a time. This, however, has led to greater demand for those of our members who have indoor golf schools and studios. This market segment is a real opportunity for the independent golf coach, especially with more and more game improvement being conducted online.

There are very few differences in the skills required to be a successful golf teacher/coach in these environments. True, there may be a need for a higher level of technical equipment and knowledge, but clients still learn best instinctively and intrinsically. If you have not read The Inner Game of Golf or Fred Shoemaker’s Extraordinary Golf, they are a great starting point for this genre. Interestingly, Homer Kelly, who is an expert in engineering, geometry and science, only learnt from feel in a blacked-out room!

Newswise, we conducted a training course with seven golfers in April, and the next is planned for Oxford in August. Those attending and planning to attend are many and varied in their previous work endeavours. Sports coaches, business coaches, accountants, I.T. experts, business managers and taxi driver are just some of their backgrounds.

We were invited by WGTF Netherlands to take a team of six players for a small European competition, organized by WGTF Netherlands, over two days in June. It is a wonderful opportunity to share ideas and grow the WGTF family values. We will also continue to work closely with V1 Technologies, and they help us offer superior customer service, learning and communication.

We also work with Fore-business in the U.K. and Ireland, and now have at least six coaches who have enjoyed business from this outlet. The are currently growing in the USA and other parts of the world, and if you are a qualified coach, I highly recommend you contact their agents and arrange to join, or you may also contact me at info@wgtf.org.uk and I will arrange for them to call you.

I will be attending the PGA marketing exhibition in Orlando 2025. If anyone would like to meet, share ideas and maybe have a round of golf, let me know. Meanwhile, play well, teach well!
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1 Jul 2024

REGION UPDATE

Northeast – Alan Brown captured the USGTF Northeast Region Championship this past June, firing an 18-hole total of 76 to edge out runner-up Jonathan Dorfmann by one shot. The tournament took place at Mountain View Golf Course in Ewing, New Jersey.

Division winners included Brown (60-69) and Dorfmann (50-59); Nick Verdes (49 and under); Jim Peters (70+) and Hyounkyoung Kim (women’s). After the tournament, Northeast Region director Bob Corbo said, “It was great to see everyone. This year, we had six new participants, and players came from Wisconsin, Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. I hope everyone had a safe trip home.”

Central –  The USGTF Central Region Championship, originally planned for Walden Ponds Golf Course in suburban Cincinnati on July 21-22, will be rescheduled due to a scheduling conflict. At this time, the date and location are uncertain. Region director Tony McMullin will have an update shortly, and we will have that information in future USGTF monthly e-newsletters as well as on the USGTF’s website at https://www.usgtf.com.

Southwest – The USGTF Southwest Region Championship will be held Friday-Sunday, September 20-22, at Twin Creeks Golf Club in Allen, Texas. The entry fee is $250. For more information and to enter, please contact region director Bruce Sims at bsims@pga.com.
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1 Jul 2024

“PRO” FILE – U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONS BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU AND YUKA SASO

Since he first came onto the professional scene in 2016, Bryson DeChambeau has always marched to his own drummer. With a swing built on the single-plane concepts of Moe Norman and using single-length irons, DeChambeau hasn’t always been well understood by the golfing public or pundits. A quest for greater distance in 2020 further heightened the curiosity factor as he built his body to be like a football lineman.

But a funny thing happened along the way. Thanks to his YouTube channel, DeChambeau has amassed an extremely loyal following, and during his win at the recent U.S. Open, his infectious personality won over even the most stubborn detractor. Currently a member of the LIV Golf Tour, DeChambeau has cemented himself as one of the game’s must-see performers.

The same can be said of current U.S. Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso. She has only two victories at the highest level of women’s golf, and both are U.S. Opens. She also won the title in 2021. While she hasn’t won any other tournaments on the LPGA Tour, she has been a steady performer, sprinkling in 18 top-10 finishes in 67 starts. Another golfer who comes to mind who won two U.S. Opens but not much else — only one other victory — is Andy North on the men’s side. With Saso’s record of consistency, it would seem only a matter of time before she starts winning more often.
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1 Jul 2024

“PRO” FILE – USGTF MEMBER J.T. SMART

By J.T. Smart

My story begins as a brain tumor survivor at the age of 18 months old. The main side effect of removing the tumor was loss of the fine motor skills to my right side. In other words, my right side is as strong as most 10-year-olds’ at best, and I am missing a lot of dexterity most people would take for granted. It also affected my memory in regard to long-term and retention.

With all that being said, these disabilities brought me to golf at the age of 12, and golf was a sport that made me feel like everyone else. I competed at the varsity high school level as a freshman, winning a valley championship and dozens of tournaments on various junior tours. I also volunteered at several junior clinics throughout those years year. My golf journey continued in college and mini-tour events, and I even got to caddy for my great friend in his early start on the PGA Tour.

These stepping-stones lead me to a career in golf instruction. The notches in my belt I acquired throughout my years of competitive golf, combined with my unique perspective on how to swing the club, has shaped the teaching philosophy I have today. I gained my USGTF Certified Golf Teaching Professional status in 2014 under the mentorship of Master USGTF instructor Jim Perez, a man I admire not only for golf instruction, but for his ability to communicate to his clients. I also acquired a TPI Golf certification; an International Golf Psychology Association certification through the USGTF; a U.S. Kids Golf certification and Vector Green Reading certification, thanks to Hector Avila, who’s also a USGTF instructor.

As of today, I am married to a wonderful girl named Kelsey and we have bonded over playing the game of golf together. We love playing new courses with each other, and of course, we both love the competition of couples’ events. I have an indoor teaching facility where I give more than 1,000 lessons a year. I coach for the Fresno City College golf team, and I have built a golf program with a team of club fitters, personal trainers and instruction, all in the aim to help reach my clients’ maximum potential.
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1 Jul 2024

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT – CLAIRE YOUNG

Claire Young from Los Angeles started playing golf at the age of 7, and only two years later the competitive bug bit. She started playing in U.S. Kids Golf tournaments on a regular basis. She picks up the story:

“My dad would drive me all over California for the tournaments. When I turned 12, I played in my first AJGA tournament. I joined a country club near the school, where I practiced most of the time after school. Later, I was accepted into Harvard-Westlake School and became the number two player on the team. Golf has given me the opportunity to learn about discipline, patience and hard work.”

The Harvard-Westlake girls golf team won the Mission League championship in 2021 and 2022, with Claire earning All-League honors. She had an 18-hole best of 71 in 2023 at the CIFSS Ford Girls Golf Individual, and regularly shoots in the 70s. She was voted Stanford Player/Camper of the Week in 2022 by members of the Stanford women’s golf team and their coach, quite an honor considering she was one of 125 campers.

USGTF member Astrid Hussenjian is her former coach but keeps in regular contact with Claire. Hussenjian said, “I coached her and her sister for many years, but now they have other coaches, which is pretty normal in golf. We are still friends and I follow their journey, and once in a while I get asked to watch their swings, give them advice and play on the course with them.”
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1 Jul 2024

USGTF INDUSTRY PARTNER – SWING PROFILE

50%-off Swing Profile Golf Analyzer Coach Subscription in July 2024

Golf coaching is easy and fun with Swing Profile golf analyzer! Now for the month of July 2024, we are offering 50% off Swing Profile “Coach” version, as well as 50% off our golf putt training app “Putt Profile” (www.puttprofile.com). Download the apps and try now! For more information, please contact info@swingprofile.com.

Features of Swing Profile golf app for coaches include:

•  PGA Show award-winning “Auto Capture” technology for golf analysis and student self-training.

• “Ball tracker” for instant ball trajectories tracking

• Easy “voiceover” for recording your voice and drawing Automatic video backup to secure cloud storage and video synchronization across devices

• Easy video exchange with students on both Swing Profile app and email

• “Student Lockers” system for organizing student videos

• Enlist your coaching business on our “Coach directory” to be seen by hundreds of thousands of Swing Profile users

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1 Jul 2024

EDITORIAL – WGTF TOP 50: AWARD AND VALUE

In any field of endeavor, there are those who separate themselves from the rest. The WGTF Top 50 was inaugurated years ago to recognize those who have achieved and maintained a standard that is among the highest in the golf teaching industry. Those who are on the list can truly be proud of this accomplishment.

There might be a misconception that those who did not make the list are not as “good” at teaching as those on the list. This is certainly far from the case. In selecting the overall Top 50, other factors are taken into consideration, such as years of service to the golf industry, published items, peer recognition and growing the game initiatives, for example. In other words, those who are on the list are there because they possess a list of attributes that goes far beyond just teaching ability alone.

The list also recognizes the global structure of the golf teaching industry, as there are fine teachers and coaches in all corners of the Earth. There are a variety of teaching styles represented — which is important — as no one teaching style fits all students.

The list is updated every two years, and look for the 2024-25 list to be featured soon.
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1 Jun 2024

USGTF/WGTF ACHIEVES ANOTHER MILESTONE: WGTF-NETHERLANDS RECOGNIZED BY NGF

 
In an email to WGTF-Netherlands president Bjorn Beekman, the Netherlands Golf Federation (NGF) has officially recognized WGTF-Netherlands to be on equal footing with the PGA of Holland as an association of golf professionals. This means all WGTF-Netherlands Level 3 and Level 4 professionals can now compete in NGF professional events, as previously this was only reserved for members the PGA of Holland.

This matters a great deal, according to Beekman. “It is indicative of the continued growth and improvement of WGTF Netherlands and the entire WGTF,” he stated. “It is a sign that golf governing bodies worldwide are beginning to respect the strength and legitimacy of the WGTF.”

Beekman went on to say, “I think customers always have to have a choice. When you like fast food, you can choose McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King, etc. I think it’s good to see the difference between both education organizations, We as the WGTF are more for the adults with life experience and a life before golf, so we help them in a career change. Everybody is welcome to join the WGTF who has a passion for golf.”  
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1 Jun 2024

US CUP REGISTRATION ONGOING

Registration for the 28th annual United States Golf Teachers Cup at Painted Desert Golf Course in Las Vegas, Nevada, is available at https://www.usgtf.com/uscup. The national championship event of the USGTF features play in three divisions: Open, Senior (50+) and Super Senior (68+). The U.S. Cup has many regular players who return every year to renew old friendships, make new ones, and to compete for national honors. If you have yet to experience a U.S. Cup, please do yourself a favor and consider joining us this year!
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