1 Mar 2025

“PRO” FILE – USGTF MEMBER MICHAEL JONES

Michael Jones is a native of south Florida, born and raised Martin County. He developed his love and passion for the game growing up in The Yacht & Country Club of Stuart. He is a 2006 graduate of Florida State University and is a Certified Golf Teaching Professional through the United States Golf Teachers Federation.

His work experience includes overseeing junior golf programs at North Palm Beach Country Club, serving as the first assistant golf professional at Winston Trails Golf Club, and spending 12 years as director of golf at Riverbend Golf Club in Tequesta, Florida. He is now the head professional at Highlands Ridge Golf Club in Avon Park, Florida. Jones has been with Riverbend Golf Club for over 12 years and has given over 8,000 lessons in his time as a certified professional. He gained his full certification with the USGTF in 2016.
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1 Mar 2025

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT – REGAN BOBICH

By Mike Gruber, USGTF Member I’ve been a member of the USGTF for a short period of time (5 years). When I was getting ready to retire from an IT career in healthcare, I needed to find something I enjoyed doing while also trying to give back to organizations or individuals that could benefit from my knowledge and experience. My son has a lot of contacts at the CCIW (College Conference of Illinois Wisconsin) and I asked him to let me know if anyone might need a swing coach and low and behold Elmhurst University called, we spoke and they hired me.

About two weeks into the season, I met the team and started to work with them. The more I spoke with the head coach and other golfers, I was constantly reminded about this “stud” freshman (Regan Bobich) that just arrived on campus. I usually take things with a grain of salt, but I was anxious to spend some time getting to know her and her game. When I first observed her, I couldn’t believe that this 5’2”, maybe 110-pound woman was crushing the ball with such finesse and consistency. Her short game and putting were also very solid. Her swing was so sound I thought I was watching one of the women on the LPGA tour – a bit of a stretch but she was really locked in at practice.

As I got to know Regan and her game, we made very few mechanical adjustments, and I found myself helping her frame out the mental side and strategizing more on course management. She was already ahead of everyone, having a good grasp on the mechanics, but we continued to tweak things from season to season. Once she gets to the range and transitions to the course her intensity increases tenfold. Even though she is a truly exceptional golfer she is even better at acting as she pursues her major in theatre with the hope of landing on Broadway one day. That said, she has a heart the size of California and will go out of her way to help anyone and everyone no matter what the situation is. Not only is she an exceptional golfer, but she’s also an even better person both on and off the course.

Regan has had an extraordinary career at Elmhurst in the CCIW, and she graduates in May. She will eventually be inducted into the Elmhurst Hall of Fame as the top woman golfer.
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1 Mar 2025

USGTF INDUSTRY PARTNER – SWING PROFILE

Link: https://itunes.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1039981052 (iOS) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.swingprofile.swingprofile_android (Android)

50%-off Swing Profile Golf Analyzer Coach Subscription in February 2025

Golf coaching is easy with Swing Profile golf analyzer! For the month of February 2025, we are offering 50% off Swing Profile “Coach” version. Download app and try now! For more information, please contact info@swingprofile.com.

Features of Swing Profile golf app for coaches include:
  1. Available on both iOS and Android (“Coach” version only on iOS)
  2. PGA Show award-winning “Auto Capture” technology for golf analysis and self-training.
  3. “Ball tracker” for instant ball trajectories tracking
  4. Easy “voiceover” for recording your voice and drawing Automatic video backup to secure cloud storage and video synchronization across devices
  5. Easy video exchange with students on both Swing Profile app and email
  6. “Student Lockers” system for organizing student videos
  7. Enlist your coaching business on our “Coach directory” to be seen by hundreds of thousands of Swing Profile users National Office at (772) 88-USGTF
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1 Mar 2025

– A GREAT GOLF TEACHER NEEDS TO KNOW MORE THAN JUST GOLF SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES –



The most respected golf instructors in the world are known for their technical expertise, but their students and the public in general believe that they are experts in all things golf. This includes knowledge of the rules, equipment, current events on the major tours, public relations and public speaking, and perhaps agronomy.

That’s a lot to ask! But it is expected of today’s expert golf instructors that they are a resource of accurate and pertinent information in all fields associated with the game. The only thing worse than a golf instructor admitting they don’t know the answer to something basic that they should know is giving inaccurate information on said subject. People who are proven wrong in their knowledge lose credibility instantly with that person or audience that they are dealing with, and that is perhaps the worst-case scenario above admitting ignorance of the subject.

Fortunately, most USGTF and PGA members are golf “geeks,” so to speak, and follow the game intently in all facets. This is not to say that we need to know every little detail about everything that is going on, but being able to provide an answer or solution to things other than the golf swing is important if we are to reach the highest possible heights of our profession.
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1 Feb 2025

VALUE OF WGTF MEMBERSHIP AND DIGITAL CARD IMPORTANT BENEFIT OF USGTF MEMBERSHIP

The only worldwide body of golf teaching professionals happens to be aligned with the USGTF, and that is the World Golf Teachers Federation. Consisting of over 88 member nations, the WGTF serves to further the interests of all member federations, including the USGTF.

All USGTF members will receive a WGTF digital membership card, a valuable commodity that gives members worldwide recognition. In addition, it comes with an array of benefits, including the ability to transfer membership to another member nation upon relocation. Digital membership cards can be found at http://www.WGTF.com/member-search-2.
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1 Feb 2025

DUES RENEWAL NOTICE AND REMINDER

Being a member of the USGTF has many benefits and advantages. In addition to having the right to identify yourself as a USGTF member, members also receive professional recognition, personal use discount programs from most major manufacturers, access to discounted liability insurance, ongoing professional education opportunities and chances to compete with and meet fellow members at our regional and national championship events.

Those wishing to remain a member in good standing are reminded that if you haven’t paid your dues for 2025, they are now past due. If you have any questions, you may contact the USGTF National Office at (772) 88-USGTF or (772) 595-6490. You may also write to the National Office at info@usgtf.com or member_services@usgtf.com.
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1 Feb 2025

WGTF IN PROCESS OF REBUILDING GERMAN FEDERATION

Germany, represented by the Deutschland Golf Teachers Federation (DGTF), was one of the earliest members of the World Golf Teachers Federation when the WGTF was formed in 1993. After an initial period of strong growth under the late Achim Picht, the DGTF’s momentum stalled. A couple of revival efforts in recent years fell short.

Today, the DGTF is being reformulated as the WGTF of Germany under the leadership of Bjorn Beekman, who currently runs the WGTF of The Netherlands. Germany has the second-most golfers of any European country behind only England, so the demand for qualified teaching professionals should be strong. The WGTF, under the direction of USGTF president and CEO Brandon Lee, is assisting in Beekman’s efforts and should produce strong results for 2025.
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1 Feb 2025

REGION UPDATE – SE REGION CHAMPIONSHIP THIS MONTH

Southeast – The USGTF Southeast Region Championship will be played Tuesday and Wednesday, February 25-26, at Harbor Hills Country Club in Lady Lake, Florida, located approximately halfway between Ocala and Orlando. Harbor Hills is an outstanding venue, extremely scenic and in excellent condition. It has previously hosted a PGA Tour-affiliated event, proving its worth as a championship venue.

Tees will be based on age and gender. The entry fee of $245 includes two rounds of tournament golf, range balls prior to play, and prize money. You may enter one of three ways: by check to region director Mark Harman, 1656 Colony Dr., Ridgeland SC 29936; Venmo @MarkHarman, or PayPal markharmangolf@aol.com. (Please be advised the spelling is “Harman” and not “Harmon.”) The entry deadline is Monday, February 17. If you have any questions, you can reach Harman at mark@usgtf.com.
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1 Feb 2025

“PRO” FILE – TOURING PROFESSIONAL HIDEKI MATSUYAMA

How would you like to shoot 32-under for four rounds and not win? That scenario happened in the PGA Tour’s first event of the season, The Sentry, when Collin Morikawa fired that number only to fall three strokes short of winner Hideki Matsuyama. What in the world is going on on today’s PGA Tour? The Sentry is played at Kapalua in Maui, Hawaii, a course known for generous fairways and ease of play, since it is, after all, a resort course. Having a par of 73 helps the cause, too.

Coming off a very good year in 2024 where he won twice and scored seven top-10 finishes in 20 events, Matsuyama picked up where he left off at Maui. He grabbed the second-round lead with a pair of 65s and then put his foot to the floor, firing a 62 in the third round before a final-round 65 closed the deal. He is one of the best ballstrikers on the PGA Tour, finishing 33rd in strokes-gained-driving and 15th in strokes-gained-approach shots in 2024. He continued that fine ballstriking in capturing the Sentry.

Matsuyama is the most successful Asian golfer to ever play on the PGA Tour. In addition to his 11 PGA Tour wins, he is also a major champion, having captured the Masters in 2021.
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1 Feb 2025

“PRO” FILE – USGTF MEMBER SETH DICHARD

(Courtesy of Seth Dichard)

Seth Dichard, the founder of the Seth Dichard Golf Schools & Centers, has solidified his place as a prominent figure in the New England golfing community. His remarkable journey in the realm of golf began at a young age, influenced by his father’s involvement in the sport. From playing locally during his high school years to competing in college at Pfeiffer University, Dichard’s passion for golf only grew stronger.

This dedication eventually led him to pursue teaching, a path he embarked on starting in 2000 under the guidance of renowned instructors Dr. Jim Suttie and Jim Mclean. In 2005, Dichard realized his dream by establishing the Seth Dichard Golf Schools, a testament to his commitment to sharing his knowledge and skills with aspiring golfers. He not only shaped the skills of LPGA Tour player Alison Walshe from Westford, Massachusetts, he also mentored numerous club, state, regional and national champions. His expertise has been acknowledged by industry authorities, earning him accolades as a Top 50 WGTF Teacher, a Top 25 Instructor in New England by New England Golf Monthly and recognized by Golf Digest as one of the Best Teachers-by-State in New Hampshire.

In addition to his exceptional teaching abilities, Dichard is the mastermind behind the Putt-Rite Speed Trainer, a cutting-edge putting aid he invented in 2018 which is embraced by his students and both PGA and LPGA professionals. With an impressive track record of nearly 25,000 lessons taught, Dichard recently launched New Hampshire’s number-one premier indoor golf center in 2021. This state-of-the-art facility boasts seven top-of-the-line indoor golf simulators with two private teaching bays, a professional club fitting and repair shop and a convenient bag room for golfers.

His unwavering dedication to the sport and commitment to nurturing talent shine through in every swing and every lesson he imparts, establishing him as a true professional in the world of golf.
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