1 Sep 2024

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT – MO LAUBSCH

By Keith Turchan

My name is Keith Turchan, Assistant Golf Professional at the Preserve at Verdae in Greenville, SC. For my student spotlight, I’d like to introduce you to Mo Laubsch. Mo is a big fan of Scottie Scheffler, minus the footwork. He is an 8th grade student at Presbyterian Academy and has only been playing golf for a little over 3 years. Even though he is fairly new to golf, he has made his HS varsity golf team and has been competing in SCJGA golf tournaments for the last 2 years. Here is what Mo has to say:

“I love playing golf because it’s one of the only sports where you don’t have to rely on anybody else; it is you against the course. It’s also really technical where a lot of things can go wrong, so that’s why I try to practice every single day. Coach Keith teaches me at the Preserve at Verdae in Greenville, SC where I am a member. His instructions help me to be calmer on the course and develop my own swing without rushing through each shot. Training with him has made my fundamentals a lot better. And he is always there on those frustrating days for a quick tip as well, for which I am very thankful. So far my best round was an 80 from the white tees (the men’s tees) at the Preserve at Verdae. I want to continue playing golf in high school and then play golf at a Division 1 college. My dream is, of course, to become a golf professional on the PGA Tour.”

Some of the things that Mo and I work on are feel moves. When a golfer hits a golf ball at speed, it is really hard to tell what is going on. You can have an idea based on direction of the shot, trajectory, curve, thin or fat; but what did it feel like? What caused the good or bad shot to happen and how do we fix it?

To address this, we use a few drills to address his stability and a drill to prevent him from becoming stuck in transition. These feel drills or feel moves help him overcome less than perfect golf shots and bounce back on the golf course.

You would never know that Mo is a beginner — his knowledge of all things golf related is truly remarkable and he is not afraid to ask a question. His attention to the details of his golf swing and the ability to feel and make adjustments when needed combined with a positive attitude is why I believe he deserves this student spotlight.
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1 Sep 2024

USGTF INDUSTRY PARTNER – BUSHNELL RANGE FINDERS

When it comes to rangefinders for golf, the undisputed leader is Bushnell. As the most popular rangefinder among PGA Tour players and their caddies, Bushnell offers unrivaled quality for golfers of all abilities.

Their newest rangefinder, the Pro X3+, offers just about every possible feature that can be found, including 7x magnification, slope compensation, wind speed and direction, and is waterproof. Other Bushnell products offer 6x magnification with their famous Pinseeker with Visual JOLT technology and are water resistant.

Bushnell offers all USGTF members in good standing a personal use discount. For more information, please contact the USGTF National Office at (772) 88-USGTF.

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1 Sep 2024

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 Aug 2024

WGTF TOP 50 TEACHERS NOMINATION DEADLINE

Nominations for the WGTF Top 50 Teachers are now being accepted. All teachers who wish to be considered must submit their nominations. In addition, WGTF federation presidents may submit nominations of their members. All WGTF Certified Golf Teaching Professionals and Master Golf Teaching Professionals are eligible to be nominated. Nominations (including self-nominations) may be made through email at info@usgtf.com or through regular mail to the USGTF National Office at 200 S. Indian River Drive, #206, Fort Pierce, FL 34950. The deadline for nominations is Monday, September 9, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. EDT.
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1 Aug 2024

VIVA LAS VEGAS! U.S. CUP REGISTRATION ONGOING

Registration for the 28th annual United States Golf Teachers Cup is open at https://www.usgtf.com/uscup. This year’s event will be held Monday and Tuesday, October 7-8, at Painted Desert Golf Club in Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the world.

There are participants who return every year to experience the competition, but also for the camaraderie of renewing old friendships and making new ones. And of course, Las Vegas speaks for itself, with many U.S. Cup competitors getting together and experiencing the nightlife that only Vegas can provide. In addition, you will get the opportunity to meet with and talk to members of our National Office staff, including USGTF president Brandon Lee.

The Luxor will serve as the recommended host hotel. It is within a 25-minute drive from Painted Desert Golf Course, and traffic rarely creates delays. Special rates for U.S. Cup participants have been arranged and can be found at https://book.passkey.com/event/50719407/owner/4939/home.
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1 Aug 2024

NEWS FROM NEPAL

By Sachin Prasad Bhattarai

Greetings from Nepal. Over the years, the Royal Nepal Golf Club has been dedicated to nurturing junior golf talent. Through a series of tournaments and programs, the club has identified and developed several promising young golfers. I have been entrusted with leading the junior development camp at RNGC due to my experience analyzing and practicing techniques, particularly during my visit to the United States.

Upon my return from participating in the U.S. Golf Teachers Cup, I actively engaged in various golf activities and tournaments. I noticed that the traditional format of junior tournaments, involving chipping, putting, and longest drive, lacked efficiency, having been unchanged for many years. During my time in the U.S., I observed how juniors were taught and how newcomer tournaments were organized, which inspired me to rethink our approach.

Additionally, the GYAN Foundation hosts annual junior tournaments, for which I was tasked with tournament management. I introduced a new format where junior golfers aged 8 and below played a nine-hole round from shorter distances, while those above 8 played from regular junior tee boxes. This innovative approach generated excitement among junior golfers and diversified our tournament categories, resulting in a successful event with 75 participants, including juniors and ladies.

The support of RNGC’s president, captain and development committee has been crucial in implementing these progressive programs and ideas over the years. Recognizing that golf is not widely popular outside the capital city of Nepal, I initiated efforts to promote the sport nationwide. I began by providing basic information about golf through national television broadcasts. These videos, presented in Nepalese, cover fundamental aspects of the game, including rules, techniques and equipment, making golf more accessible and understandable to the Nepalese audience.

The following contains the coverage of golf on national television:

Basic Knowledge of Golf For Begineers | SPORTS INFO | 2081-01-07 (youtube.com)
Uses of 14 Golf Clubs | SPORTS INFO | 2081-01-21 (youtube.com)
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1 Aug 2024

REGION UPDATE

USGTF regional championship events are a great way to connect with old friends, meet new ones and play in a competitive environment that is affordable, with tee assignments based on age and gender. There are currently four region championships played annually with one more left on tap:

Central – The 2024 USGTF Central Region Championship has been cancelled and will not be held this year.

Southwest – The USGTF Southwest Region Championship will be held Friday-Sunday, September 20-22, at Twin Creeks Golf Club in Allen, Texas. The entry fee is $250. For more information and to enter, please contact region director Bruce Sims at bsims@pga.com.
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1 Aug 2024

“PRO” FILE – LPGA PROFESSIONAL XANDER SCHAUFFELE

He had been knocking on the door to major championship titles for several years but could never quite close the deal. That is, until he broke through by winning the PGA Championship this past May at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.

Xander Schauffele wasted little time in capturing his second major championship when he blitzed the field with a final-round 66 to win The Open Championship at Royal Troon in July. Schauffele was also touted as one of the players who, once he won one major, would win multiple majors, and it was surprising to few that he affirmed that notion so quickly. The championship itself was a tense, back-and-forth affair with some of the top names in the game in contention, including world number one Scottie Scheffler, Billy Horschel and Justin Rose, until Schauffele birdied three holes on the tough back-nine stretch to win by two over Rose and Horschel.

There is talk by the pundits in saying that Schauffele should now be considered as Player of the Year for his two major victories despite Scheffler’s overall dominance in 2024, underscoring the importance that some give to the major championships. However, Scheffler did also win The Players back in March, which many consider equal to a major championship, so that comes into consideration. Schauffele will certainly have a strong say in who wins that award in the coming months ahead.
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1 Aug 2024

“PRO” FILE – USGTF MEMBER HORACE MITCHELL

By Horace Mitchell

My name is Horace Mitchell I have been a resident of Detroit since 1969 and played golf since 1974, at the now-closed Palmer Park Golf Course. Over the years, I’ve been able to produce not only a better-than-average golf game, but in doing so, I was blessed to put it to the test against the best players I have come in contact with no matter what their skill level.

The system that was developed by me over the years has allowed me to compete and win against tour players in my prime and win consistently, against names such as Charles Sifford, Bobby Stroble and Nate Starks. These were a few that had been to the tour. That was fine, but with how I was playing, at times I would assist any of my peers who were making an error or who were having trouble, and it worked to help them. Fast forward…I had always wanted to see if what I had developed was transferable and not just a quick fix or gimmick cure. One day I sat down and put a six-lesson program together, and all I needed now was an opportunity to test it. In 2008, my assistant and I got that chance and went to assist Miss Johnson with her Hollywood Golf junior program. She allowed me to introduce my developed curriculum, along with what they were already doing:

– Attitude
– Aptitude
– Execution

To date, it has worked so well that seven of the young students have gone to the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, enrolled in their PGM program and obtained their PGA cards. These are the same young men and women who began with us as children. I have now written a book, The Mental Guide for the Average Golfer. I wrote the book to help other struggling golfers who have never looked at golf from the “mental” approach and concept. This book will surely assist any level of golfer to nudge their game in the proper direction.

I hope this is something people see, as I do and know, as a “need.” For too long, the mental side of the game has been omitted in the instruction process. It is my quest to fill that void. I was instructed by my father that wherever there is a void, there is a business. Cover that void and you have not only covered a void but also cured the problem. Mentally, the game of golf supersedes any other sport for needing the ability to learn to control “self!” This is the only approach focused on in this publication.
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1 Aug 2024

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT – KEITA YOBIKO

By Yasuhiro Yobiko

My golf school student and my own 15-year-old son, Keita Yobiko, participated in the Drive, Chip and Putt finals in 2022 and 2023, which are held at Augusta National Golf Club on the Sunday before the Masters every year. Only 80 of the approximately 70,000 junior golfers who attempted to qualify in the United States can participate at Augusta National, but he won the tough qualifying rounds held prior to the finals. I have been to Augusta in the past because two other students from my golf school qualified in 2018. Augusta National is a very special course and there is nothing like it. It is such a great experience no matter how many times we go.

Keita has also achieved great results in addition to participating in the Drive, Chip and Putt. He had 11 consecutive wins on the Southern California PGA Junior Tour; won the Toyota Tour Cup when he was in junior high school; finished in 4th place in the U.S. Kids World Championship (boys 12-year-old division), and played in the Van Horn Cup. He will continue to play, practice and work hard to improve his physical strength, with the aim of winning on the professional golf tour. I am looking forward to his and my other students’ success in the future.
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