All Posts - Page 4 of 218 - United States Golf Teachers Federation

30 Apr 2026 admin

“PRO” FILE – USGTF MEMBER – SCOTT HART

As a native of Michigan, Scott Hart started playing golf at the age of 8 with his father, who had cut off some old steel-shafted golf clubs to make them the right length for him. He quickly fell in love with the sport and devoted all his spare time to playing as much as possible. During high school, he would bike or drive several miles to play golf before school, then practice with the high school golf team after school. He would then go to work at a local restaurant and get up and do it again each day. He was taught only by his father and the game itself, until he met Jerry Ellstrom.

Hart continued playing golf throughout high school and during his eight years of service in the U.S. Navy as a nuclear engineer, where he captained his team to a base-wide championship. After leaving the Navy, he went into work in the computer field and achieved his bachelor’s degree in computer science. He continued to play golf on many different leagues and courses around the state of Michigan during the six months of the year they have available for golf.

In 2013 he married his wife Bobbie and they both enjoy golfing at every opportunity. In northern Michigan, they would put their golf clubs away every November and not see them again until mid-March or April unless they went on a golf trip someplace warm. His love for golf was too much to only play six months of the year, so he and his wife began searching for other options. In 2018 they researched all available simulator technology and determined that X-Golf met their needs and was a franchised model business. In 2019 Hart and his wife decided to try to change the mentality of weather-dependent golf, found a location and opened the X-Golf Traverse City. This has provided them, as well as local and not-so-local residents, a place to play during the winter months.

In 2022, after losing their resident golf instructor to an outdoor location, Hart set about his journey to become a golf instructor so that the lesson business they had worked so hard to cultivate at X-Golf Traverse City could continue to be successful. By this time, he achieved his Callaway club fitting certification, but did not feel that he was able to provide proper golf instruction. Hart checked out several golf instruction options and ultimately chose to contact the USGTF, earning his Associate membership.

In 2023, almost one year after obtaining his Associate title, and determined to succeed, he attended class in Las Vegas under the mentorship of Master Golf Teaching Professional Bill Rice, a master orator and consummate gentlemen of the game, and passed the playing ability test to become a Certified Golf Teaching Professional.

Since obtaining his teaching certificate, Hart has been providing lessons on a regular basis, providing club-fitting services and enjoy each of his students and customers and the challenges they each face together. He provides single lessons and group lessons but prefers the one-on-one interaction over the group lessons. He feels each person has their own swing, and group lessons don’t always apply to the individual.

Golf instruction has been challenging as well as rewarding, and Hart has fulfilled his lifelong dream of owning a golf business as well as improving the game for others with his instruction provided by the USGTF. He provides over 250 lessons per year while maintaining his full-time job as a senior systems engineer at the local hospital. When the time is right, he will retire and “just golf” indoors and outdoors.

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30 Apr 2026 admin

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT – SUNSHINE ZHANG

Longtime USGTF member Lawrence Sykkmon has a proven track record, and one of his students, Sunshine Burberry Zhang, is making waves. She was kind enough to answer some questions, and here are her answers:

Q. How did you get started in golf, and at what age did you begin playing?

A. I started playing golf when I was about 5 or 6 years old. It began at a nearby driving range, and everything just clicked for me from that point on, even though no one else in my family played golf. My heart and mind felt like it was something I was meant to do.

Q. What have been some of your biggest struggles in golf, and how have you worked through them?

A. One of my biggest struggles would be maintaining that confidence after a tough round. Golf can be very mental, and early on, I would get discouraged easily. Over time, I learned how to block out unnecessary distractions, rely on my routines, talk with my personal coach, and accept that it’s okay to make mistakes. Staying consistent, especially in my short game practices, has helped me work through those moments and come back stronger.

Q. What are some of your biggest accomplishments in golf so far?

A. So far, my biggest accomplishment would be competing as a student-athlete at California Baptist University. I’ve also had some personal milestones like shooting my lowest tournament round, placing fourth in a collegiate tournament, and helping my team place well at collegiate events. Besides scores, I am proud of the discipline and consistency I’ve built over the years, balancing academics with competitive golf.

Q. Do you have any goals or aspirations in golf for the future?

A. Yes, I do. My goal is to play on the LPGA Tour and compete at the highest level. I aspire to become one of the top golfers in the world, and what drives me is the love for the game and the discipline it has taught me – pushing me to improve every day, both on and off the course.

Q. Do you have any social media handles you’d like to share with us?

A. Yes, you can follow me on Instagram: snnny_. I use it to connect with others and share updates from my golf journey.

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30 Apr 2026 admin

EDITORIAL – EXAMING THE SIX RULES CHANGES ON THE PGA TOUR

The PGA Tour enacted six Local Rules changes for 2026, with some interesting angles:

1) When “lift-clean-replace” is in effect, the player may now move the ball only within one scorecard length instead of a club length.

2) Players now get free relief in the fringe from any immovable obstruction and not just sprinkler heads.

3) Players may now replace a damaged club with components that are carried in the bag.

4) Players may now take free relief if their ball is in any pitch mark in the general area, not just their own.

5) If a player accidentally causes their ball to move outside the putting green and is unaware, the penalty upon discovery is now one stroke instead of two.

6) In cases of internal out-of-bounds, this will now apply only to shots hit from the teeing ground.

What’s noteworthy is that the Rules of Golf state, “Rule 1.3c(3) states that the Committee does not have the authority to apply penalties in a different way than stated in the Rules of Golf. Therefore a Committee must not use a Local Rule to waive, modify or apply a penalty.” Rule change #5 clearly violates this principle, and in regard to #6, the Rules of Golf state, “The Rules do not contemplate an area having more than one status during the play of a hole, and so an area must not be marked as out of bounds for certain strokes, or strokes made from certain areas such as the teeing area.” The other Local Rules changes (except for #1) by the PGA Tour also do not adhere to what a committee is permitted to do under the Rules of Golf.

What does this mean? Does it mean the PGA Tour is testing the waters to see if it can enact Local Rules outside the purview of what is permitted by the USGA? The most obvious reason they may be doing this concerns the ball rollback to be enacted in 2030. The PGA Tour has made it clear it does not like the rollback, and this may be a precursor of them refusing to go along with it. It will be interesting to see what happens going forward.

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31 Mar 2026 admin

NEWS FROM TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

By Anthony Benny

In Trinidad and Tobago today, we are facing a serious problem with crime, and sadly this issue is even affecting our young people in schools. Because of this, we must stop and ask ourselves what we are doing to guide the next generation in the right direction. As a golf instructor, I know firsthand what the game of golf and the discipline of sports can do for a young person’s life, because it helped shape my own.

Over the years, the number of young people playing golf in Trinidad and Tobago has declined. There was a time when selecting a junior team was difficult because there were so many talented players to choose from. Today, the situation is very different, and we see fewer young people involved in the sport. This is why it is more important than ever to bring golf back into the lives of our youth.

In the past, school golf programs produced some of the country’s finest players. Those programs not only developed skill, but also built character, discipline, and respect. I strongly believe that reintroducing golf in schools is one of the best ways to help young people stay focused and choose a positive path.

At present, I am teaching golf at three schools, and the results have been very encouraging. The students are learning not only how to play the game, but also how to carry themselves with pride, respect others, and work hard to improve. My goal has never been only to teach golf, but to teach life lessons through the game.

Through golf, young people learn discipline, friendship, respect, patience, social skills, and responsibility. These are qualities that will help them both on and off the course, and throughout their lives. I am proud to continue this work alongside my assistant coaches, Jean Edgar and Jada Charles, as we remain committed to developing young players and helping to build a better future for Trinidad and Tobago through the game of golf.

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