Summer Golf Camp

And away we go! 

Our first summer golf camp hit the ground running with Assistant Professional Jim Sykes heading up the program for ages 3-17. Activities included putting, chipping, pitching, bunkers, rules, etiquette, full swing, SNAG Golf, course play, ice pops, water balloons and much more.  Whew!

The weekend banquet ended with door prizes and a slideshow. Words can't describe how much fun the campers, as well as the instructors! Two more camps to go so sign up for some great fun!

Don't forget the July 4th Junior Golf Camps for ages 2-3 on Tuesday, July 3 from 9-10am, ages 7-12 on Wednesday, July 4 from 9am-12pm and ages 4-6 also on Wednesday, July 4 from 10am-12pm.

Sign up required by Saturday with Nicole Weller at 912-695-5211.

Check out these fun pictures from the summer camps!

GR: Golf Range Magazine

How exciting! My husband, Ty, and I are in Golf Range Magazine. It features an article by me about the importance of practice plus two videos. Click here to check it out.

Girls Golf Academy Recap

I recently had the privilege and honor to be selected as one of 15 teachers in the U.S. to teach at the first-ever LPGA/USGA Girls Golf Academy (coinciding with the State Team Championship) at The Kiawah Island Club Cassique Course near Charleston. What an amazing 3.5 days with some of the top teachers and 60 participants who had so much energy and passion for educating and inspiring our future golfers. 

A quick recap: 

Sunday entailed an instructor's meeting followed by a reception for all participants, families, volunteers and coaches at the Beach Club with Nancy Lopez. 

Monday brought camp (set-up, instruction, meals, wrap up) from 7am-4:30pm. I was stationed at SNAG (Start New at Golf) and lead with Full Swing Drills (we did the Game of 2's, how to warm-up and GOLF, just like the basketball game HORSE). I team taught with SNAG leader Kelly McCammon and then taught with LPGA pros Teri Johnson and Karen Palencios-Jansen (Cardio Golf instructor on the Golf Channel). Then came dinner with staff at the Ocean Course on the porch by the putting green before an immense storm rolled in that forced us into the Ryder Cup Bar - a great 2nd choice!

On Tuesday we had more camp (set-up, meals, instruction, wrap-up, teacher meeting) from 7:30am-5:30pm and I was again stationed at SNAG throughout the day, first working on pitching skills and games and then having the girls create their own hole with any equipment, first describing their creations then playing them.

Wednesday wrapped up the camp with a lot of fun activities such as:

• A morning rules/etiquette seminar
• Dance skits by the girls and one by the teachers (hopefully that was not posted to YouTube!),
• The opportunity to play a 9-hole SNAG course (I was proud to be the leader of my girls group who won with their 9-under par scramble) or a 3-hole course set up on the range
• Awards from the Academy week
• A grand finale water balloon siege (teachers had soaker guns and I ran the gauntlet between 2 lines of girls to get hit by balloons). For some reason, they love being able to soak the teachers! 

Then I got to meet and chat with Beth Daniel, who was there to present the awards. What a way to end the week! 

We even had several girls participate from the local LPGA/USGA Girls Golf Savannah Chapter (under The First Tee umbrella directed by Barbara Essig and headed up by Vonnetta Epps). I had a remarkable time, picked up so many new ideas and amped up my love for SNAG, which is sweeping the globe, especially in China, Japan, Korea, Ukraine, Brazil and many more places.

Here are some photos from the week:

Junior Golf Battles Have Begun!

Caution... Junior Golf Battles underway! 

This summer juniors will be joining me for all new Junior Golf Battles.  The juniors will be matched up in skills competitions against each other, themselves or the pro. 

 Our first session had juniors chipping through the Chipping Ladder and the kids were the first team to get 3 through the ladder before the Pro. Each junior also won individual contests but overall, lots of FUN with our colorful golf balls and targets.  Check out the photos below!

The Junior Golf Battles are held most Thursdays from 3-4pm with various prices based on participation. The sign-up deadline is Tuesday (of the week in which they wish to participate) at 5pm. 

And don't forget Wednesday Summer Junior Golf Clinics ($10) from 2:30-3pm at various courses and our popular summer camps!

To sign-up, contact Nicole Weller at 912-695-5211. 

Wounded Warriors Golf Clinic

What an honor to be able to help create a golf clinic for our nation's heroes this past weekend.

On Saturday, June 2, The Landings Club hosted nearly 15 Purple Heart Wounded Warriors and their guests.  Participants listened to a demo clinic with special guest instructor Judy Alvarez, Don Vickery (first PGA double amputee professional who works at Wilmington Island Club), Tommie McAurthur from Hunter Army Air Field and myself before splitting into groups to get personal attention on putting, short game and long game tips. 

Many of the soldiers had never received golf instruction of any kind but all the soldiers were very appreciative, especially with all the help and encouragement from the Landings Military Family Relief Fund volunteers. The stories I heard, the determination I saw in their eyes during practice and the smiles that came forth from the day truly made it a wonderful event for all involved. 

I learned that the combat medic I worked with carries roughly 200 lbs. of equipment on him in action. That's roughly 4-5 sets of golf clubs at one time. Wow - I was humbled to say the least. 

We wrapped the day with a two-team challenge that included a pitching, a putting, a chipping and a full swing challenge for points. After all was said and done, the teams earned 108 and 104 points, respectively -- a very close game! 

Participants, guests and volunteers even received signed books from Judy Alvarez and enjoyed a great bbq at Deer Creek. 

Thank you to all those involved who helped make the event a success, especially pros Ty Weller and Chris Leake, Deer Creek outside staff, Deer Creek F&B Tammy & her staff, and the Landings Military Family Relief Fund volunteers.

Check out these fun photos from the day. Click here to view the full album.

Learn to Discover Golf

I've been working on a new idea and it made so much sense today during a lesson today that I'm ready to share it with you! 

Students often come to lessons and expect pros and teaching gurus to fix their issues. Golf swings and motions are definitely not a static (stationary) thing -- golf is dynamic. Many touring professionals know they will eventually lose it, so to speak, but know what the symptoms are and how to combat them. 

Our bodies are not fixed machines. We're wonderful human beings with variation, so my thought is to encourage golfers to learn new ideas and then go out and discover golf. 

Discover skill variations and ideas.

Take a suggestion and exaggerate it to learn what it does. 

Explore what happens if, for instance, you were to try having both hands positioned to the front-side shoulder and then both hands positioned to the rear-side shoulder and see what happened to 20 golf shots. 

The best players in the world did that and still do. We're here as teaching professionals to help guide you but you should still go out and explore the ideas and, most importantly, make them your own!