1 Sep 2020

WGTF-Netherlands Holds Seminar

A great turnout was received at the recent WGTF-Netherlands seminar held July 19 – July 25 with 16 New professionals receiving their certification. Director, Bjorn Beekman reports that the course was well-received by all. With the federation being in good standing with the NGF in the Netherlands and with the help of their professional educators, the WGTF of Netherlands continues to grow step by step. They look forward to holding their next course this coming October with 10 participants already registered to attend.
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1 Sep 2020

Payne’s Valley Cup to Feature Golf Greats

Payne’s Valley Cup, an 18-hole charity exhibition match featuring four of the greatest golfers of today, will be held Tuesday, September 22 at Payne’s Valley Golf Course in Ridgedale, Missouri. Tiger Woods, one of the four participants, designed the public layout. Woods will team with Justin Thomas to take on the European duo of Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose in a Ryder Cup-style format featuring fourball, foursomes and singles. The course is a tribute to the late Payne Stewart, who was a good friend of the course’s owner, Johnny Morris. The match hearkens back to the days of yesteryear when exhibition matches were the norm. Proceeds will go to the Payne Stewart Family Foundation. The match can be seen live on Golf Channel from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. EDT.
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1 Sep 2020

“PRO” File – Touring Professional Sofia Popov

“A former caddie, about to become the Masters champion.” Those famous words were uttered by Bill Murray’s character Carl Spackler in the golf movie classic “Caddyshack.” A real-life version recently happened when Sofia Popov captured the AIG Ladies Open at Royal Troon in Scotland. She caddied just two weeks prior in an LPGA event in Toledo, Ohio, for Ann van Dam. The following week, Povpov, a Symetra Tour player, got into the LPGA tournament when it needed additional players to fill the field, and the LPGA Tour turned to the Symetra Tour, its developmental tour. Popov finished in the top 10 at that event, earning a spot at Troon. A minor league player coming out of nowhere to win a major championship simply isn’t heard of in men’s golf, but last year Nasa Hataoka basically pulled off the same feat as Popov when she also won the Women’s Open. Popov is considered German although she was born in the United States. She now has status on the LPGA Tour and it’s safe to say her caddie days are behind her.
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1 Sep 2020

Editorial – Big Opportunities for Teaching Professionals Coming Up

The COVID-19 pandemic will go down in our lifetimes as one of the most significant events – if that’s the right word – that we’ve encountered. Businesses and schools were closed, livelihoods and life savings were lost, all in an attempt to stem the outbreak. I will admit that my opinion on how we and other nations handled the virus probably doesn’t square with what most people think, so I’ll keep my specific thoughts to myself. Before anyone gets the wrong idea, I am not dismissing the many lives lost to the virus. It is a tragedy of epic proportions and I truly have great empathy and sympathy for those families and friends mourning the loss of loved ones. But I also have great empathy and sympathy for those whose futures have been permanently compromised due to the mitigation strategies employed here and elsewhere. Unfortunately, it seems that there were truly no good choices in how to handle this. As with anything, life goes on. And I’ve been lucky enough to see an uptick in my teaching business at Southbridge Savannah Golf Course in – where else? – Savannah, Georgia. People have been seeking healthy outdoor activities, and golf has been one beneficiary. This has translated into people wanting to improve their games. Hopefully, my fellow teachers have experienced this, too. Is this golf “bounce” permanent, or at least long-lasting? I hope so, and I believe so. The same things that drew us to the game are drawing new people to the sport and also reclaiming long-lost golfers who abandoned the game in search of career success. But in talking to some of these people who have come back to the game after a years-long absence, I get the sense that they now realize life is more than about chasing the almighty dollar. Sure, earning money is important, but it seems that these people realize they have earned enough to start enjoying the fruits of their labors. We stand to benefit in the coming years, and by putting forth our best efforts, we can help assure the well being of our sport for a long time. By Mark Harman, USGTF National Course Director
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1 Aug 2020

USGTF Logoed Face Masks to be Made Available…

Our USGTF headquarters are doing our best to help create a better solution to help get over the coronavirus. As one of these efforts, we are in the process of designing professional grade, washable, masks for our members to wear.

The CDC along with many states are now recommending and/or requiring people to wear masks while in public, which includes during golfing lessons.

While wearing these masks will give you and your students an extra feel of security during their instruction, it is also important to continue safe social distancing practices when able, wash your hands and/or use sanitizer regularly and be mindful not to touch your students equipment unless absolutely necessary.

We hope to have these masks available to all members within the coming weeks.

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1 Aug 2020

USGTF to Host First Masters Class After Covid-19 Shutdown

The first in-person USGTF certification program since the COVID-19 virus shut down much of the world will be a Master Golf Teaching Professional® class from August 10-12 at Legacy Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nevada. Longtime USGTF examiner Bill Rice will conduct the class. Participants must present a written thesis, complete a shotmaking demonstration, and successfully take a written test in order to obtain their Master Golf Teaching Professional designation.

All classes will be held outdoors with social distancing and masks or face coverings required. For more information and to sign up, please contact the USGTF National Office at (772) 88-USGTF or at https://www.usgtf.com/master-golf-teaching-professional/.

USGTF Certified Golf Teaching Professional® in-person classes are also resuming, beginning August 24-28 at the Legacy Golf Club. More information can be found at https://www.usgtf.com/certified-golf-teaching-professional.

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1 Aug 2020

Nike Member Benefit Review

Nike Golf has been an important USGTF partner for a number of years, and although golf clubs are no longer produced by the company, it is still involved in the golf business by way of apparel and shoes. USGTF members receive a 25% discount off the wholesale price. To purchase Nike products with this discount, please contact the USGTF National Office at (772) 88-USGTF or info@usgtf.com.
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1 Aug 2020

USGTF-Korea Virtual Education Certification Course a Success

USGTF-Korea conducted a virtual certification course July 24-26 entirely online with 136 participants, utilizing the Learning Management System. All participants were required to log in at the assigned times, and instructors taught the class from a remote location. The process proved to be very successful. In addition, the playing ability test was conducted beforehand, with participants wearing masks and engaging in social distancing.
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1 Aug 2020

Manufacturers to Release New Clubs Soon

Every time golf club manufacturers release new product, it creates a buzz in the industry. Here are some upcoming launches:

Mizuno – The popular JPX 919 line of irons has been discontinued, to be replaced by the JPX 921 line. The MP series focuses mainly on blade-type designs, while the JPX series features cavity-back irons. The Tour model from the 921 series has more weight lower in the heel and less weight higher in the toe area. According to golfwrx.com, the JPX 921 Forged model appears to be forged entirely from chromoloy, Chromoloy is an alloy steel that has more strength than regular steel. The iron promises to promote more distance than in the 919 series. The launch date for the JPX 921 line is September 17.

Srixon – The ZX 5 and the ZX 7 iron and driver models will be replacing the successful Z 585 and Z 785 models. The ZX 5 for both irons and drivers is designed with more forgiveness than the ZX 7, which is designed with workability for the better player in mind. A probable launch date is sometime in the fall of 2020.

Cleveland – The company known for its wedges has done it again with its new ZipCore line of wedges. According to Cleveland, “The new RTX ZipCore is a technological leap forward for Cleveland wedges. We’ve inserted a low-density core inside the clubhead, allowing us to create a wedge with unprecedented consistency and exceptional feel. They also feature our tour-proven grinds and most aggressive groove technology to date–all packaged in a sleek yet traditional design.” The release date for these wedged is August 14.

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1 Aug 2020

“PRO” File – Touring Pro Max Homa

He might be better known for his Twitter feed, but make no mistake – PGA Tour player Max Homa has plenty of game. He was a first-team all-American at the University of California, winning the NCAA Division I individual championship in 2013. He was selected that year to represent the United States in the Walker Cup matches. Turning pro later that year, Homa won his first year out on what is now the Korn Ferry Tour and earned his card to play on the PGA Tour. However, a few years of bouncing back and forth between the tours belied the early promise he held. He finally won on the PGA Tour at the 2019 Wells Fargo Championship. Since then, he has gone on to record a number of good finishes to date. Homa has been somewhat of a Twitter sensation with his clever tweets, but recently announced he is no longer using that medium to communicate. That might be all the better to allow Homa to focus more on his game and perhaps ascend to even greater heights.
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