Editorial Archives - United States Golf Teachers Federation

31 Mar 2025 admin

– THE IMPACT OF A PARENT’S DEATH ON TOP ATHLETES – TIGER WOODS WITHDRAWS FROM HIS SIGNATURE EVENT AS HE PROCESSES DEATH OF HIS MOTHER –

Tiger Woods recently lost his mother, Kultida, shortly before the start of the Genesis Invitational, for which he serves as the host. He withdrew from the event as he was still processing her death, according to Woods.

You might recall that before the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, Woods’ father Earl had passed away shortly before that event. Woods’ mind was really never there and he missed the cut. However, he came back strong the next month to win The Open at Royal Liverpool.

Athletes process their parents’ deaths in many ways. Football player Brett Favre lost his father to an unexpected heart attack on a Sunday and had a football game scheduled for Monday night. Not only did he play, he played in spectacular form with his father serving as his inspiration. Favre said, “I wanted to play better than I’ve ever played before.”

The difference in mindset between Woods and Favre has many factors to consider such as faith, personal philosophy, upbringing, etc. One big difference is that Woods plays an individual sport where Favre played a team game, and the latter had many people counting on him, although undoubtedly his teammates would have understood had he not played. In Woods’ case, he said he knew his mother would have wanted him to play the Genesis, but his heart wasn’t in it.

Just like “normal” people, athletes are human with families. How they process their parents’ deaths during their playing season is a matter of personal choice and should be respected by all.

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1 Mar 2025 admin

– 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 admin

– EDITORIAL – WHAT DOES TGL INDOOR GOLF MEAN FOR THE GOLF INDUSTRY AND FIELD OF TEACHING? –

Indoor simulators are now everywhere. Those who live in cold-winter climates now have a way to keep their games sharp by visiting their nearest simulator. Golf simulator leagues have even popped up in many locations.

TGL (Tomorrow Golf League) aims to take the simulator experience to a whole other level, as this league features PGA Tour players playing on a giant simulator in an indoor arena. No less than Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are the faces of this venture. This begs the question: What does the start of theTGL mean for the golf industry and the field of golf instruction? With so many people comfortable using simulators, it should resonate with many golfers. There is also a video-game aspect to the TGL which should appeal to the younger demographic. Hopefully it will spur people to try simulator golf and in turn, get out onto a real course. And as far as its effect on the teaching industry, more golfers in the pipeline can only mean more potential students.

The television ratings for the first two weeks show great promise, but the second week featured apparent simulator glitches when Woods airmailed a 100-yard shot 30 yards over the green. Other pros were equally perplexed by their results, too. Hopefully whatever remaining glitches remain will get worked out, and the TGL will provide another avenue for fans to consume television golf.

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1 Jan 2025 admin

EDITORIAL – WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MASTER AND CERTIFIED GOLF TEACHING PROFESSIONAL®?

There are two trademarked phrases that the USGTF holds dear: Certified Golf Teaching Professional® and Master Golf Teaching Professional®. If there is anyone who is using these phrases – whether it’s another organization of golf professionals and/or teachers or an individual – who hasn’t gone through the USGTF certification process to earn one of these titles, they are in violation of U.S. trademark law and are subject to legal action.

Hence, there is a distinct difference between the two. A certified teacher has learned all the basics of teaching the game of golf and is qualified to give a competent lesson to beginners, average and advanced players. A master teacher has learned and demonstrated more in-depth knowledge and abilities to the point that he or she is qualified to teach all players, including tour players. And not only that, but a USGTF Master Golf Teaching Professional has demonstrated that they cannot just give a competent lesson, but they can give an excellent lesson.

Master teaching professionals in the USGTF have to demonstrate their advanced knowledge and abilities by presenting a written thesis; pass a shotmaking demonstration and an extensive written test. Once these are accomplished, they have earned the title Master Golf Teaching Professional. To attempt to qualify at this level, a person must have been a Certified Golf Teaching Professional in good standing for a minimum of 12 months.

Many say that going through the Master Golf Teaching Professional process is the most educational thing they’ve done in terms of their teaching education. If you think you need to take your teaching to the next level, explore what the program has to offer at https://www.usgtf.com/master-golf-teaching-professional.

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1 Nov 2024 admin

EDITORIAL – WHY DOESN’T IT FEEL STRANGE THAT WE MEET SO MANY TOUR PLAYERS IN THE GYM?

Long before Tiger Woods made working out mandatory for today’s tour players, and even before Gary Player hit the scene with his endless pushups and sit ups, an amateur golfer named Frank Stranahan made waves with his powerlifting routines. Ranked number one in powerlifting in his weight class from 1945 through 1954, Stranahan also competed in golf at a high level, finishing runner-up in both the Masters and British Open.

Both Player and Stranahan were considered anomalies, that is, until Woods came on the scene. Other pros quickly saw that part of Woods’ success was in his incredible fitness, and soon pros everywhere followed suit. College programs even got in on the act, requiring players to participate in early-morning workout sessions before class.

Before Woods, it was thought that lifting heavy weights was bad for golfers, but he quickly proved that idea wrong. Brooks Koepka is said to be able to bench press well over 300 lbs., for example. And the reason why we see so many players in the gym today is that the game at the professional level requires so much power off the tee that more than a few mph of ball speed can be attained through working out. In fact, Bryson DeChambeau took it to such a level that he finished second in the 2022 World Long Drive Championship.

As time goes on and science advances, we will likely see swing speeds continue to increase and players refine their workout routines. Where the limit is, who knows?

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1 Oct 2024 admin

EDITORIAL – THE POWER OF GENETICS – ODDS FAMOUS GOLFERS’ CHILDREN WILL SUCCEED IN PRO GOLF

One of the greatest blessings children of famous athletes have is that the odds are great that they will be blessed with top-level athletic ability to succeed at least at the collegiate level. They also will have every resource available to them to maximize their potential.

However, one of the greatest curses children of famous athletes have is that, well, they are children of famous athletes. Not only do they have the pressure of living up to what mom or dad did, but coming from a privileged environment often leads to an insufficient work ethic. The son of one Hall of Fame golfer told the USGTF staff several years ago that because of his privileged environment, he simply wasn’t hungry enough to put in the time and effort necessary.

Examples of sons succeeding at the highest level of sports are few and far between. Most notable is baseball player Barry Bonds, son of Bobby, and in golf we have Bill Haas, son of Jay. Gary Nicklaus, son of Jack, had his cup of coffee on the PGA Tour, as did Andy Miller, son of Johnny. The problem of following in a parent’s footsteps, even if it’s in another sport, is that there is a certain undefinable talent that only a very, very few possess to reach the top professional level, and working extremely hard and correctly to maximize whatever talent the children possess often isn’t enough.

Now we have Charlie Woods attempting to follow in his dad Tiger’s footsteps. So far, he has nowhere near the accomplishments “Pops” does, nor should he be expected to have them. Charlie is an individual in his own right, and Tiger is one of the two greatest golfers to ever play (we’ll leave the debate as to whom is the best for another time). He might be a late bloomer or a never-bloomer – we have no way of knowing at this time. The best we can do is sit back, enjoy how he progresses and let him be his own person.

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1 Sep 2024 admin

EDITORIAL – AN INTRODUCTION TO OLYMPIC GOLF: HISTORY, DIVISIONS, PLAYING STYLES, AND MORE!

Only golf geeks and Olympic aficionados might know that, contrary to popular belief, the first Olympic golf competition did not take place in 2016 but in 1900 in Paris. Charles Sands emerged victorious over the one-day, 36-hole competition and Margaret Abbott captured the 9-hole ladies’ gold medal. In 1904, at the Games in St. Louis, Missouri, only men competed. A team competition was contested followed by five grueling days of 36-hole matches among the 32 who survived — you guessed it — a 36-hole qualifier!

Fortunately, when golf returned in 2016, sanity prevailed and the standard 72-hole tournament format was used. Sixty golfers qualified for both the men’s and women’s competition, with a maximum of two golfers per country (four if they were all ranked in the top 15 in the world). Justin Rose won the gold medal in a tight race over Henrik Stenson, with bronze medalist Matt Kuchar saying he was never so happy to finish third in his entire life. Inbee Park of Korea took home the women’s gold.

There was lukewarm interest in the 2016 golf competition among some of the world’s best, with many opting not to play, and the 2021 competition was marred by COVID-19. However, the 2024 edition proved to be extremely popular among both fans and players. Rory McIlroy noted that the two purest forms of golf they play — the Olympics and the Ryder Cup — do not offer any prize money directly. It goes to show that among even the world’s best players, all of whom are millionaires many times over, the thrill of victory and representing one’s country are still worth pursuing on their own merits

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1 Jun 2024 admin

EDITORIAL – GOLF ETIQUETTE AND HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS ON THE GOLF COURSE

What types of players are there that others don’t like playing golf with? First and foremost, anyone who behaves poorly is not likely to be the top choice of playing partners for other golfers. This doesn’t just extend to cursing, throwing clubs, etc., but also a golfer mainly talking about himself or herself throughout the round. Showing little interest in other people or subjects is a recipe for boorish behavior, too.

There’s a saying good company is more important than good golf, and that is certainly an accurate statement. It’s also relevant when conducting business on the golf course, because another saying is that you can tell more about a person in 18 holes of golf than you can in days or weeks of being in other settings. Our experience holds this to be true. Rare is the person who acts one way on the course and then another off the course. Does the person play with honor and respect of the rules and etiquette, or do they cheat and ignore basic courtesies? Even honest ignorance of the rules and etiquette is a problem because that person did not take the time to do due diligence in what is required in a golf course setting. And if they’re not prepared there, it’s likely they would not be prepared in a business setting, too.

Some of the strongest friendships and fruitful business partnerships have been forged on the golf course. And how we conduct ourselves and honor the game and our playing companions goes a long way in success or failure in these areas.

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1 May 2024 admin

EDITORIAL – WHERE DO LIV GOLF AND PGA TOUR STAND NOW?

In June of 2023, the PGA Tour announced it had agreed to negotiations with Saudia Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) to collaborate with each other. For those of you who are unaware, the PIF is the funding arm of the LIV Golf Tour.

The news shocked many in the golf world, with Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee claiming it was one of the darkest days in golf history. For context, Chamblee is an ardent detractor of the LIV Tour due to its association with Saudi Arabia.

However, this past January, the PGA Tour and the Strategic Sports Group (SSG) announced a partnership in which the SSG would provide a private equity investment. According to Golfweek, “The program, which is a joint venture between the PGA Tour and Strategic Sports Group, will reward 200 PGA Tour players with $1.5 billion in equity. The program rewards players based on career achievements, future participation and services and more. The grants are only available to qualified players.” In other words, PGA Tour players will be awarded cash and other types of financial benefits for staying loyal to the PGA Tour and not joining LIV Golf.

Where the situation stands with the PGA Tour and the PIF (and by extension, LIV Golf) remains to be seen. Sources close to the situation say an agreement of some sorts is still planned, but now it’s simply a waiting game. One thing is certain, though: Every PGA Tour player should be grateful that LIV Golf emerged, because had it not, there is no doubt that the money now currently flooding PGA Tour players’ bank accounts would not have occurred.

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