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: