Summit however stayed squarely on celebrating
the best in the business and a shared love of
the game. Day one began with a passionate
and informative delivery by the President of
the PGA, Suzy Whaley (whose daughter Kelly
attended the IJGA Hilton Head just a few years
ago!). Insights into the future of instruction and
the changing role of the PGA mean changes are
afoot for the organization, many of which are
designed to promote the game and improve the
quality of instruction delivered to the public. A
sentiment and direction warmly welcomed by
the audience.
The group of attendees featured a Who’s
Who in the world of golf coaching. It was
an appealing mix of movers and shakers in
the game, alongside the well-respected and
experienced veterans of instruction. There were
also a number of individuals, non-teaching
professionals, who have contributed to the
current body of knowledge that has over the
years, seen golf instructors increasingly utilize
technology to inform their teaching. Some of the
highlights included seeing the “cool Californian”
George Gankas performing a live lesson with
his unique method of instruction on full display.
Presentations by Mark Broadie, the author of
Every Shot Counts are always educational and
David Orr (putting expert) always entertaining!
There were teaching legends Chuck Cook,
Mike Adams and many others in the crowd
who more quietly deliver a great product,
educating colleagues, having success with their
students along the way. Essentially the common
denominator was that everyone was there to
learn from one another.
CONGRATULATIONS
JONATHAN YARWOOD!
IJGA OC Director of Golf Jonathan Yarwood
was named to Golf Digest’s “Best in State”
Instructors. This top honor comes as the result
of Golf Digest surveying more than 1,500
golf instructors across the United States. The
collective experience, expertise and student
success of the teachers on the state lists is
unmatched in this exclusive group. For 20
years, Golf Digest has produced the most
comprehensive instructor rankings in the game—
anchored by peer evaluation from hundreds of
elite teachers across the country. CONGRATS
Jonathan!
All in all, it was a great couple of days that served
to remind me that the instructional community is
a wonderful and diverse group of people.
Karen Harrison, IJGA BG Director of Health and
Athletic Development
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