“PRO” FILE – USGTF MEMBER JAMES DRAPER III

James Draper III of Martinsville, Virginia, is a USGTF Master Golf Teaching Professional®.  He is currently the director of golf at Beaver Creek Golf Club in Collinsville, Virginia, and golf coach at Patrick & Henry Community College in Martinsville.  He has been around the game of golf for nearly 40 years with playing success on the high school and collegiate levels. He is a past PGA Works national champion and CIAA conference champion. Going back to school at age 35, he won his school’s host event by seven shots.

Draper attended Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina, but finished his education at Winston-Salem State University. Draper was inspired by his grandfather, who played on the Neckbone and Chitterling Tours professionally, and his father, who coached high school and college golf and could break 80 from both sides of the ball.

His teaching philosophy is a simple technique in which resistance, space, and width are the key components of the swing. Draper is US Kids Golf-certified and has been an instructor with The First Tee of Central Carolina for 13 years.  He also finds joy in working with adaptive golfers in his area.