USGTF MEMBER PROFILE – GALE JAMES

Gale James is a prime example of the personal fulfillment, benefits and enjoyment the game of golf can bring to many individuals.  She was introduced to golf in 1988 by her doctor.  After the loss of her mother, instead of her doctor prescribing medication to help her come out of depression, he prescribed hitting golf balls as “therapy.”  She decided to give his prescription a try. Gale could be seen at Westchester Golf Course in Los Angeles on almost any evening of the week after work.  After several months, she was hitting the ball straight, in the air, and 135 yards long.  When local golfers at the range asked her why she only had one club, she would chuckle and reply, “Oh, I don’t play golf. I don’t know anything about golf.  I’m just out here for therapy – doctor’s orders.”  Upon seeing her natural talent and ability, one of the local golfers gave her a full set of old golf clubs he had stored away.  Golfers, including golf professionals she met, encouraged her to learn more about the game and to begin playing.  Overwhelmed by their encouragement, she began to become more curious and wondered if she really could play the game.  Soon thereafter, she began to play the “little courses” (par-3s). In 1989, she was invited to become a member of Western States Golf Association’s Golden Tees Golf Club.  With the help and support of club members, and after winning her first tournament, she soon began to believe that she, indeed, had a special talent for the game.  From that point on, it was full steam ahead! Today, Gale is well-known around the California golf links from San Diego to Sacramento.  During her 15 years as an amateur golfer, she won a host of first-, second- and third-place trophies and awards in championship tournaments, including Los Angeles City Championships (two-time First Flight winner), Santa Barbara City Championships, Western States Golf Association’s (WSGA) Annual and Club Championships, The Gas Company Golf League, Continental Airlines Golf League, Spring Valley Country Club Team Challenge, and others throughout northern and southern California. Gale began her study in golf instruction in 2000.  She earned her professional Level III teaching credentials from the United States Golf Teaching Federation (USGTF) in June 2002 in San Diego, California.  She earned her USGTF Level IV Master Teaching Professional credentials in October 2009 in Phoenix, Arizona.  Gale competes during the year in professional golf tournaments in various locations, and currently teaches at golf courses in Los Angeles and surrounding areas. She offers both group and private lessons. “I wonder where I’d be emotionally if it wasn’t for golf and a good old-fashioned doctor, and my invitation to join the Golden Tees,” she says.  “I feel truly blessed to have the opportunity to play and enjoy the game I love, to meet people who love the sport as much as I do and, first and foremost, to have the opportunity to teach others to play a sport they can ‘enjoy for a lifetime.’” Gale believes that “Learning the game should be a fun, exciting, and invigorating experience” for her students.  Her focus is on teaching good golf fundamentals from the start, and helping her students learn how to handle the mental influences and challenges they will face in all levels of the game. Her enthusiasm for teaching and coaching is coupled with her design and implementation of results-driven training programs.  Her patience with her students and determination to help them be the best they can be at the game has earned her rave reviews as a professional golf instructor.