Golf Instructors

About Jason Sedan

Jason is currently the as Director of Instruction at the Orchid Island Golf and Beach Club. Located just north of Vero Beach, FL, Orchid is regarded as one of the smallest and most pristine communities in the country. Jason also trains students at the PGA of America's flagship facility, PGA Village in Port St Lucie, FL. Since 2006, Jason has worked along side the PGA of America's Directors of Instruction and Fitness & Performance to help more than 1,000 golfers improve their games. With 72 holes of championship golf, a 35 acre practice facility, and technology second to none, PGA Village is the ultimate destination to work on your game with Jason.

May through October, Jason escapes the Florida heat to serve as Director of Instruction at the Lake Winnipesaukee Golf Club in New Hampshire. Previously, he has summered at some of the finest clubs in his native suburbs of New York City. ...

About Des Mahoney

Des is the Director of Instruction at Centennial Golf Course near Knoxville, Tenn. He believes the most effective golf instructors exhibit success in four areas:

1) Passion - Des knew that he was destined to be a golf instructor from a young age. He has always had a passion for teaching golf and helping his students achieve their golf goals.

2) Training - Des has studied under or worked for Hank Haney, Chuck Cook, David Leadbetter, Mike Hebron and other noted PGA teaching professionals. He has been to numerous PGA seminars and teaching clinics and believes it is vital for a golf instructor to observe the best teachers in action. He has a weekly newsletter that is sent to all of his students that can be accessed at www.desmahoneygolf.com.

3) Education - Des has been a member of the PGA of America since 1993 and has also completed the PGA Advanced Certification program in golf instruction. ...

About Brian Lackey

Brian Lackey was born and raised in Chattanooga, Tenn. He began his golf career in 1996 after graduating from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Brian has given more than 25,000 lessons in his career, ranging from the elite tour player to the very beginner.

Brian has also worked hard to develop juniors and college-level players to prepare them for the mini tours and PGA tour. He encourages each of his young students to be the best they can be on and off the course and aims to aid in their growth as young men and women.

About Vikki Vanderpool

Vikki has been a PGA Professional since 1998 and a golf instructor for almost 20 years. Her passion stems from learning to play the game at an early age. At 17, Vikki qualified for the LPGA Bank of Virginia Classic. She played college golf at the University of South Carolina and was all-SEC and all-Metro Conference, with 15 top-10 finishes. As an amateur, Vikki competed in, among other events, two U.S. Junior Amateurs, two U.S. Women's Amateurs, a U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links and the North and South Amateur at Pinehurst. She also played on the Futures Professional Tour and posted a career-low round of 66.

During her career, Vikki has taught along side many great teachers, including Peggy Kirk Bell, Harvie Ward and Mike Bennett (Stack and Tilt), among others. She has taught thousands of golfers, including men, women, juniors and touring professionals, but since 2003, Vikki has focused her work on junior golfers. ...

About Kate Tempesta

Kate Tempesta, Founder, Partner and President of Fun, is a member of the LPGA T&CP and the Director of the Junior Golf Program at Montauk Downs. As the leading junior golf professional in New York City, Kate’s groundbreaking curriculum combines golf basics with activities that extend and enrich learning in an environment that is both fun and challenging for children of all ages. Kate embraces the LPGA’s holistic view of the golfer as well as Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences. She takes into account individual learning styles, group dynamics and ability levels and knows how to make the most of every learning experience. As a leading expert in
the golf industry, Kate has spoken on several panels about growing the game of golf, including the Inaugural PGA of America Junior Golf Summit and the National Golf Course Owners Association Annual Conference.

Kate’s education and early career focused on exercise science and fitness. ...

About Mike Krick

Mike comes from a family of golf professionals and has been around the game his entire life. Growing up in the business, he learned all the foundational principles of a good golf swing and he has put those to use as both a player and instructor.

Mike turned professional in 1992 and earned his PGA Membership in 1995. He attended college at Methodist University, played on the golf team and was part of the 1991 NCAA Division III National Championship squad. Mike has worked and taught at great facilities such as Ford's Colony, Wee Burn Country Club and Grand Cypress, and he is now the Director of Golf Operations at Carolina Trace Country Club in Sanford, North Carolina.

Teaching is a passion for Mike. He has never stopped learning about the game of golf and he welcomes the chance to work with players of all ability levels.

About Tim Cooke

Tim enjoyed success on the golf course as a junior and went on to compete at the University of Virginia where he was a team captain during his final season. He realized that golf was always going to be an integral part of his life, and it was at this time that he decided to lay the foundation for a future career in golf instruction. Unlike typical golf instructors, Tim began his career in the academic realm, completing a Master’s degree in Pedagogy from Virginia in 1999. This study, tailored to the teaching of golf, broadened his knowledge of not only the golf swing but also the fields of exercise physiology, motor learning and sport psychology.

Tim is currently the Director of Instruction at Long Cove Club on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Prior to arriving at Long Cove Club, he worked at the prestigious Wade Hampton Golf Club in Cashiers, North Carolina, where he was able to transform the instructional program in an exclusive golf setting. ...

About Karen Palacios-Jansen

Karen was selected as the 2008 LPGA National Teacher of the Year and has been teaching golf since 1994.

Currently the Director of Instruction at Swing Blade Enterprises in North Carolina, Karen is also managing editor of Golf Fitness Magazine and has been named to the Top 50 Female Instructor list by Golf Digest magazine.

Karen has appeared numerous times as a guest instructor on Golf Channel programming and has conducted clinics with Hall of Fame golfers Gary Player, Nick Faldo and Ernie Els. She has worked with LPGA Tour players, and she also developed Cardiogolf, a golf specific exercise program.

About Jim Williams

The first instructor to join the Swingpal and SwingFix roster of teaching professionals, Jim has contributed numerous videos to the swing-tip library and executed hundreds of online lessons for players of all ability levels.

Jim currently owns and operates Golf in the Now, LLC, a golf coaching and golf fitness academy specializing in comprehensive player development. In just four full seasons in Nashville, Jim has more than 100 clients (men, women and juniors) who have captured club championships, won numerous tournament titles, gained college scholarships, and achieved career or season-low rounds! Visit www.GolfintheNow.com for more information on these clients and the various coaching programs available when working with Jim.

About Dennis Sales

Dennis Sales is one of America's top up-and-coming golf instructors. He has been consistently recognized among the best in New England, where he taught for many years until recently moving to Dallas, Texas. Dennis traces his success back to his roots growing up in Cumberland, Rhode Island where he started developing a keen eye for detail and the understanding of how to build athletic skills from his time competing as an athlete himself.

Dennis has built upon this foundation by relentlessly challenging himself and his instruction/coaching expertise to remain at the forefront of golf training. He consistently attends workshops, seminars and certification programs from many of the foremost golf educational programs in the world. His major teaching influences include former National PGA Teachers of the Year, Cheryl Anderson and Mike Bender (students include Masters Champion Zach Johnson as well as tour professionals Jonathan Byrd, and Seon Hwa Lee), Dr. ...

About Michael Brisbane

Michael has dedicated his career to teaching golf. His teaching philosophy is geared toward two simple goals: improving his students' play and increasing their enjoyment of golf. Michael currently teaches at Azalea City Golf Course in Mobile, Alabama, but he has also taught golf in North Carolina and Thailand throughout his career.

Michael continues to have a a passion for teaching golf. He continues to learn and keep up with new technology and innovation. Michael is equally skilled in teaching the full swing, putting and all phases of the short game. His simplistic approach, and dedication to solid golf fundamentals provide a lesson that is easy to understand and implement. Visit www.michaelbrisbanegolf.com for more information.

About Brian Dobbie

Brian has been a PGA member since 1994 and Golf Professional since 1991. Teaching golf is his passion – both the mechanical side and physical side. He has been teaching at Montclair Golf Club the last 10 years, home to an outstanding Junior Program that grows each season. He has been a certified trainer for ten years and many of his clients are golfers. All level of players can benefit from a fitness program tailored to their needs. Brian was named NJPGA Assistant of the Year in 2005 and NJPGA Junior Golf Leader in 2010.

About Christian Czaja

Chris is the 2010 PGA Teacher of the Year for the South Florida Section and was also named the 2009 Southeast Florida PGA Teacher of the Year. Originally from Greenwich, Connecticut. Christian has worked at several clubs around the country and now teaches year round in Boca Raton, Fl. He graduated from East Carolina University and is one of the top playing and teaching professionals in the South Florida Section of the PGA.

Christian has won numerous Chapter and Section PGA events and played in three National Club Professional Championships. Chris has extensive training and experience in teaching. His brother is also a PGA professional in the Metropolitan PGA. Chris has coached players on the PGA tour, Nationwide tour, Canadian tour and LPGA tour. Additionally, several of his juniors now play college golf. Other students include top amateurs and numerous club champions.

Christian is a member of the Golf Business Network Speakers Bureau. He often contributes to PGA. ...

About Cary Lonis

Cary is the Director of Golf at North Augusta Golf and Country Club. He has been coaching/instructing for almost 20 years and also has experience as a college head coach. Cary is a Hank Haney Pro Level 2 Associate Instructor, having spent time at the Haney Ranch in Texas and at the Hank Haney International Junior Academy at Hilton Head Island, S.C. He has done immense research into not only the full swing but especially putting analysis. Cary brings forth a simple no-nonsense approach that uses humor to seek that elusive path to improvement.

Cary has worked with players of all experience, including his first Hooters Tour player and a top-10 NAIA college player. He has the ability to quickly identify weaknesses and is capable of helping players of all ability levels take their game to the next level.

About David Emerick

David has been a respected instructor and PGA professional since 1987 and currently teaches at the Crossings at Carlsbad, one of the top courses in the San Diego area. He is very active with junior golf in Southern California and has created a variety of programs to help golfers of all ages and abilities.

David's goal is to improve the swing the student brings to him! Simply enjoy the aspect of learning and improving ... it's fun!

About Todd Kersting

Todd is a lifelong resident of New Mexico and was elected to PGA membership on April 1, 1994. When Todd was still an amateur in his early 20s, he gravitated toward teaching golf to the surplus of junior golfers at Arroyo Del Oso, as well as assisting with fundraising for PGA National Golf Day Charities.

When the position of Assistant Golf Professional became available at Arroyo Del Oso in 1989, Todd quickly accepted. In 1995, he was promoted to Head Golf Professional at Arroyo Del Oso, and in 2002 he became the Director of Golf at Puerto del Sol, where he remains today.

Todd has taught players of all skill levels for more than 25 years, and many of his juniors have moved on to play in college. His energy, sense of humor and patience is a combination that makes the learning process fun, and he looks forward to helping anyone make the game of golf a part of their lives.

About Andy Scott

Andy is the Director of Insturction at the Andy Scott School of Golf at Kelly Greens Golf & Country Club in Fort Myers, where he operates junior camps, golf schools, clinics, individual lessons, and playing lessons.

Andy's specialty is grooming junior players to the collegiate ranks. He has trained and developed 14 Juniors to NCAA collegiate golf scholarships. He developed a college prep junior program that entails tournament evalulations, playing lessons, Individual lessons, skills test, group practice sessions, college resume building, body screening, and practicing with a purpose.

Andy has trained and shadowed with several top 100 instructors such as, Hank Haney, Bob Toski, Martin Hall, Jim McLean, Mac O'Grady, Phil Ritson, Gary Wiren, Andy Plummer, Mike Malaska, & Mike Bender.

He has taught more than 17,000 lessons in his professional career.

About Jacob Marta

Jacob has been teaching since he was 15 years old. He learned to teach and play golf while working for his father, a head professional in Sacramento, Calif. He has worked in the golf industry for more than 20 years and is currently the Director of Instruction at Bernardo Heights Country Club in San Diego, Calif. There, he has been inspiring and coaching a majority of the club's active membership.

Jacob has developed successful junior programs and is passionate about encouraging juniors to play the game of golf and have fun. In 2005, he was the instructor for the Ladies club champion, the Men’s club champion, Match Play champion and the Junior club champion. Jacob continues to produce winners for club events.

About Gary Cliplef

Gary is a PGA Class A Professional and Director of Incentive Golf in San Diego, Calif. He has more than 30 years of teaching and professional playing experience. Gary has served as a Teaching Professional at Carmel Mountain Ranch, Rancho Bernardo Inn, Stardust Country Club and Mission Trails golf courses.

Gary has instructed a wide range of students, from the beginner to LPGA and PGA Tour players.

As the Director of Instruction at the John Jacobs Golf Schools, Gary has taught hundreds of students at many of their worldwide locations. John Jacobs Golf Schools is one of the top golf schools in the world, enabling more than 15,000 students each year to become better golfers.

Gary's reward, he says, is to help his students learn the game and to help them get to their next level.

About Kevin Lacey

Kevin is one of Florida's top PGA golf instructors and an accomplished player. He has the distinct honor of being named to The PGA's President's Council on Growing the Game of Golf for the past five years. Kevin is the Director of PGA Golf Instruction at Emerald Bay Golf Club on the Emerald Coast in beautiful Destin, Fla., and the Director of Instruction for The Edwin Watts Golf Academy.

Kevin also has developed an individual program called, "Play Better Golf, Now!," which is designed to track the progress of each golfer he works with. This system allows golfers to track their progress in order to obtain their goals. Kevin currently works with: LPGA professionals, Sunshine Tour professionals (South Africa), The Nordea Tour professionals (Sweden), multiple club champions, collegiate golfers, high school golfers that desire to reach the next level of competition, middle school golf teams, as well as adults and juniors just starting the game.

About Doug Spencer

Doug's passion for golf began at a very young age in West Virginia and even as a kid he knew he wanted a career in the sport he loved.

Doug's career aspirations ultimately took him to Florida, where he worked as a club professional for 10 years, but he had a strong desire to take his coaching to an even higher level. He had previously worked with Golf Magazine Top 100 teacher Brian Mogg for six years to improve his own playing career, and he recorded a third-place finish at the 2010 Mizuno Pro-Am at Pebble Beach.

After that strong showing, Mogg offered Doug a position as Director of Instruction at his academy in Seoul, South Korea. In 2010, Doug was the coach for Korean touring professionals Hyun Ji Kim and Ju Young Park, as well as other aspiring professionals and juniors on the Korean National Team. He is currently the Director of Instruction at Mogg's Honolulu location at the Hawaii Prince Resort on Oahu.

About Jonathan Dron

Jonathan serves as the PGA Director of Instruction at Sportz Skillz Golf and Tennis Center, a 7,500 square foot indoor performance center in Colorado Springs. When not teaching at Sportz Skillz, he is teaching at the Eisenhower Golf Course, located at the US Air Force Academy, and at Great Moves Physical Therapy located in Southern Colorado Springs.

Jonathan has been featured in the Colorado Springs Gazette, the Colorado Springs Business Journal, and local radio stations. Jonathan’s commitment to the game is evident by his involvement in the PGA Golf Management Program at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, the US Air Force Falcon Golf Camp and the hours spent on the lesson tee with juniors, women and amateur players alike.

About Mike Peterson

Mike is a lifetime member of the PGA of America with more than 38 years of teaching experience. He is a certified instructor at the PGA Center for Golf Learning and Performance in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Mike is an ambidextrous golfer and highly skilled from both sides of the ball (he has made holes in one both right and left handed).

Mike graduated from the University of Illinois with both B.S. and M.S. degrees in Education, with a specialty in motor learning. He began looking at swings with a movie camera in the mid 1970s and is considered one of the pioneers in the use of video and computer technology for swing analysis.

Other career achievements include: coaching a college golf team, speaking at the PGA Teaching Summit in 1990, managing the PGA National Academy of Golf, and serving as Director of Instruction at multiple resort, private and public golf facilities. ...

About Craig Renshaw

Craig's wealth of experience at the top of his profession has equipped him to help players of all ability levels take their game to new heights. He has taught for nearly 20 years and gives more than 1,000 lessons annually. To refine his knowledge of the golf swing, Craig has worked with some of the biggest names in the instruction industry, including Hank Haney, Butch Harmon, Jim McLean and Dave Pelz, among others. He divides his year between two facilities and teaches at Lake Winnipesaukee Golf Club in New Hampshire and Golf Digest Golf Schools in Arizona. In addition to his two current locations, he has taught professionally in Missouri, Florida, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont and California during his career.

About Christopher Foley

Chris tailors his teaching toward his student's individual ability level and goals. His focus on proper fundamentals helps produce results in line with his mission of aiming for long-term improvement while achieving short-term success.

Chris teaches at Cragun's Legacy Courses, named one of the "Best Places to Play" by Golf Digest and located north of Minneapolis in Central Minnesota.

Since 1996, more than a dozen of Chris's students have received college golf scholarships.

About George Connor

George, a PGA professional, has been teaching and coaching golfers for almost 20 years. Prior to moving to Gillette Ridge, George was at the Hartford Golf Club as the main instructor. His simple approach to the sport accommodates an individual's physical ability and skill level. George's students include state amateur champions and collegiate players, as well as beginners. He is also an Aimpoint Certified Instructor, SeeMore Putting Institute Instructor, K-Vest Level Two Certified Instructor and TPI certified.

About Chris Rowe

Chris is currently the Head Golf Professional at Whispering Pines Golf Club, just outside of Houston. Before Whispering Pines, Chris was at the historic Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Ten PGA Tour events and thousands of lessons later Chris found his passion for teaching golf.

Chris has been nominated to Golf Digest and Golf Magazine's Top 100 instructor lists. He has had one student make it through all three stages of PGA Tour Qualifying School to earn a tour card and has taught four high school state champions. Of his junior students, more than a dozen have gone on to play collegiate golf. Chris has been published in Golf Digest, along with numerous other publications, and he continues to write monthly columns for Houston Links Magazine and DFW Links Magazine.

About Bernard Sheridan

Bernard is an Impact Zone Golf Certified Instructor and the founder and Director of Golf Instruction for Par Breakers Golf Academy. He is also the founder of the Quantum Core Swing and has an uncanny knack for assimilating other sports to the game of golf.

His many certifications including Impact Zone Golf. He is a custom club fitter for Mizuno Golf and Weszty golf. Additionally, Bernard is the head instructional writer for Tri-State golfer magazine. Bernard teaches players of all age levels and handicaps, starting at age 3 and going up.

Bernard’s instruction is based on solid fundamentals of core rotation and solid connection of the arms and body working as a unit, understanding how the golf club works as a tool and the dynamics of the Impact Zone.

About Erika Larkin

Born and raised in Queens, N.Y., Erika has pur­sued her passion for golf since the age of 8. As a ju­nior, she competed on local and national levels and earned a scholarship to play Division I golf at James Madison University (’02).

Erika has been working in the golf industry since 1999 and teaching since 2003. In 2006, she became a Class A PGA Mem­ber. In 2007, she became one of only 18 female PGA Members certified in instruction. Shortly thereafter, Erika established Larkin Golf LLC and launched www.larkingolf.com to highlight her simple and fun teaching philosophies. Erika has been published regionally and in a number of online publications and she has taught and presented alongside several top-100 teachers, including Suzy Whaley and Rick Martino.

As the Director of Instruction at Stonewall Golf Club, Erika runs the Larkin Golf Learning Community, offering adult and junior private instruction, group class and camps, and she has specialties in golf fitness and green reading.

About Lisa Hall

Lisa is a former Solheim Cup player and has nine worldwide wins professionally. She married English-born professional golfer and renowned teaching pro Martin Hall in 1998. She has shared this golf journey with Martin for 30 years and as such knows better than any one how and what he teaches. She has taught thousands of students and has watched Martin on a daily basis how to effectively communicate with students to become the kind of golfer they most want to be.

A native of England, she played college golf at the University of Florida and turned professional in 1991. Lisa joined the Ladies European Tour (LET) that year. In 1995 she won the Indonesia Open and topped the Kosaido Asian Circuit Order of Merit. She won her first LET title at the 1996 Women's Welsh Open and played for Europe in the Solheim Cup that year and for a second time in 1998.

In 1997 Lisa joined the LPGA Tour. ...

About Steve Lidinsky

Steve was born and raised in sunny south Florida. He grew up playing all sports but it wasn’t until he was 12 years old that his grandfather gave him his first set of clubs and started teaching him the game.

Steve played competitively in high school while getting his first job at the local country club, and it was there that he decided he wanted golf to be apart of his future. Having worked at different clubs in different positions, he found teaching the game to be unique and rewarding.

"I knew from the first time I watched Martin Hall give a golf lesson that I wanted to become the best teacher I possibly could."

Steve became Hall’s assistant in 2008 and through hard work and dedication has worked his way to where he is now as the Head Teaching Professional at the Martin Hall Academy of Golf. Steve has spent time with and learned from Hall, Hank Haney, Stan Utley and Phil Cheetham (Head Biomechanist and Director of the TPI Biomechanics Advisory Board).

About Mike Fay

Originally from Sterling Heights, Mich., Mike began playing golf at an early age. He attended New Mexico State’s Professional Golf Management Program and graduated in 1995. Shortly after, he became a PGA Class A Professional of the PGA of America.

Mike's golf career has taken him to locations in New Jersey, Florida and Michigan. During this time he was able to study and learn the game from some of America’s greatest teachers, such as Jim McLean, Scott Watkins, Rob Schaal and Mike Adams.

Currently, Mike brings his talent and experience to his home state as the PGA Head Professional of the Monument Course at Boyne Mountain Resort in Boyne Falls, Mich. He also hosts "Ask the Pro" on Sunday Nights at 9 only on Twitter - a highly interactive conversation with some of the world’s top golf instructors, commentators and players.

Mike is also an exceptional player. During the 2001 PGA Section Championship, he set a course record with a career-best 63 on The Legend. ...

About Alison Curdt

Alison is a PGA Master Professional in Instruction and LPGA Class A Member. She has more than two decades of golf competition background and played on full scholarship at Florida State University. After turning professional in 2004, Alison moved to Palm Springs to begin her teaching and professional playing career while working at top resorts and clubs in the desert.

In 2007, she arrived at Sherwood Country Club as the Teaching Professional and First Assistant. Sherwood is located in Los Angeles and proudly hosts the Tiger Woods Foundation World Challenge Tournament. Alison oversees all programs related to men, women and juniors, in addition to running, coordinating and teaching camps and clinics.In May 2012 Alison won the LPGA T&CP Western Section Championship and earned an exemption into the Wegman’s LPGA Championship, an LPGA major.

About Ed Oldham

Ed’s expertise and professionalism has earned him recognition as one of Colorado’s top golf instructors. He has been helping golfers from beginners to professionals for more than 30 years. Ed has spent time watching and learning from some of the best teachers in the country, including Mike Malaska, Jim Flick, Dr. Jim Suttie, Hank Haney, Ben Doyle, Butch Harmon, Bill Harmon, Jim Hardy, Stan Utley, Mike LaBauve, Laird Small, Todd Sones and Dr. Craig Farnsworth.

These experiences have helped Ed to solidify his understanding of the mechanics and dynamics of the golf swing, allowing Ed to tailor his instruction to the individual. Ed earned the PGA Master Professional teaching certification in 1999. This is the highest level of certification available to PGA professional instructors.

About David Gigax

A native of Blissfield, Mich., David is a graduate of the University of Toledo with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management. He has been a member of the PGA of America since 1997 and has been teaching golf for more than 20 years. David has taught golf to all calibers of players from the beginner to the professional.

He was elected to PGA of America’s Presidents Council for the Growth of the Game for 2007 and 2008. He has also been elected by his peers to PGA of America boards and committees.

David has also been trained in club repair and club fitting by Titleist, Cobra, Callaway, Taylor Made, and Ping. He has been trained and certified to use the latest in teaching technology and regularly attends teaching and coaching summits to increase his knowledge of golf by learning new concepts from fellow professionals.

About Jason Helman

Jason has compiled a career of nearly two decades in the golf industry and has succeeded every step of the way as a swing instructor and coach. In recent years, Jason has garnered acclaim as one of the top teachers in the world. Jason is a leader at the forefront of golf instruction, in 2010, he was named both the Ontario and Canadian PGA Teacher of the Year and in 2011 he was recognized by Golf Digest Magazine as one of the top five prominent teachers in Canada. In 2012 he was added to the elite team of Golf Channel Swing Fix instructors and was also named Canadian Teacher of the Year by Pro Shop Magazine.

Currently, Jason is the Director of Instruction at the Greg Norman designed Wyndance Golf Club, just North of Toronto, Ontario and he also is the owner/director of Jason Helman Golf. ...

About Steve Whidden

Steve is currently the Director of Instruction for The Steve Whidden Golf Academy at Rosedale Golf and Country Club located in Bradenton, Fla. He is the 2010 Southwest Florida PGA Teacher of the Year and has worked with numerous world-renowned instructors, including David Leadbetter, Mike Bender and Peter Kostis, among others.

During his 20-plus years of teaching, Steve has worked at a number of outstanding facilities and golf schools, from the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Fla., to The Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla., to the TPC at Harding Park in San Francisco.

About John Marshall

John has been teaching golf in the Atlanta area for the past decade. He was formerly director of instruction at Heritage Hills Golf Range and now is affiliated with the Affiniti Golf Academy in Atlanta. His specialty is helping students hit the golf ball further. John is a two-time American Long Drivers Association super senior national champion and a five-time RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship finalist. That being said, he helps people with all facets of their game. Additionally, John has been a volunteer instructor with the First Tee Program in Atlanta for the past nine years. He is certified by the United States Golf Teachers Federation, the Mike Austin Swing Method, the Titleist Performance Institute, and Impact Zone Golf. He has been nominated as one of the top instructors in Georgia by Golf Digest magazine.

About Erik Horve

Erik first picked up a golf club at the age of nine and ever since has held a strong passion for the game of golf. After working in the industry for a number of years, he turned his sights to becoming a teaching professional. Erik began his PGA apprenticeship in 1996 and achieved his goal of becoming a PGA Member in 2001. During this time he taught at both public and private golf facilities throughout California. Erik was elected to the Southern California PGA Metro Chapter Board of Directors in October of 2002 and appointed to the Southern California PGA teaching committee in 2008. He had the fortunate opportunity to work under three different SCPGA "Teacher of the Year" award winners and considers himself fortunate to have mentored under former PGA Tour player Moon Mullins.

About Dean Spriddle

I was born in Plymouth, England, grew up in Singapore and was raised in Dunfermline Scotland. I played for Fife at Boys, U 21 and Men’s before playing in the 1989 World Student Golf Championships in Sardinia Italy, where I was runner up to Lee Porter of the U.S. I was offered a Master’s in Education at UBC in Vancouver. I played at UBC for a couple of years, formed and coached the UBC women’s golf team in 1991, and then coached the men’s team in 1992. In 1993, I went to Canadian Q school and earned my Tour Card and played in 1994 and 1995. In 1995, pending the birth of my first child, I retired from competitive golf to teach and coach. I coached the Alberta women’s team from 1996-99 and then took over the Canadian Women’s National Team from 1999 and resigned in 2009. I have attended the last seven World Amateurs and our best finishes included silver medals at the 2004 and a 4th place in 2008. ...

About Todd McKittrick

Todd is the current PGA Head Professional at Black Creek Club in Tennessee. He moved to Chattanooga after a stint at Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. He apprenticed under Golf Magazine Top 100 Instructor Tim Mahoney after turning professional in 2001. Todd developed his golf skills non-traditionally as a 23-year old and therefore understands the patience needed to teach older beginners as well as juniors.

Todd's passion for instruction comes through watching others learn the game he loves. Todd is a competitor in the game as well. He played multiple sports as a child and young adult including competitive baseball and hockey. His passion for competition feeds his fire to compete as a golf professional as well. Todd is heavily involved with The First Tee organization and other charities. While he is fortunate to with work with world class competitive golfers, Todd loves teaching someone new to the game as well. ...

About Mike Davis

Mike consistently has been recognized as one of the top instructors in the nation, having been chosen by GOLF Magazine for their prestigious Top 100 Instructor list, and he has been ranked as the No. 2 instructor in Nevada since 2002 by Golf Digest. Mike also has been chosen as Instructor of the Year 12 times by various PGA Chapters and four times by PGA Sections.

Additionally, he has a long history as a competitive golfer. Mike has won numerous regional tournaments, played in three U.S. Opens, one PGA Championship and was a full time PGA Tour member in the mid-70s.

Mike has taught more than 90 students who have played on college golf teams around the country. His former students have become high school and college coaches, PGA professionals and professional golfers.

An expert in the field of video instruction, Mike won an award for his research project: “The Efficacy of Using Video in Golf Instruction” from the World Scientific Congress of Golf, in St. Andrews, Scotland. ...

About Brandon Roby

Brandon has extensive experience teaching every kind of golfer. He has put together a successful junior program for young children and a Junior Players Academy for competitive juniors. PGA and TPI certified, Brandon is also accomplished as a short game instructor. His background equips him to help any golfer improve.

Brandon's passion for golf developed quickly after he began playing and joined his high school team. It didn't take long for him to decide he wanted golf to be his career. Brandon's career path started in the retail side while in college and he began pursuit of PGA membership in 2000. A key early influence was Golf Digest Top 50 Women Teacher Patti Butcher, who helped Brandon discover a passion for teaching golfers of all levels. He went on to work five years with Charlie Vandenberg, Master Professional and multiple Michigan Section Teacher of the year winner. ...

About Jess Hansen

Jess has been playing golf for more than 45 years and has been a senior executive in government service for 27 years. He has lived all of his life in the Kansas City area and calls this area home. Jess has worked as a senior executive in public service in the metro Kansas City area. Most recently, he has been the head instructor for the Phil Ritson-Mel Sole Golf School in the Kansas City area. Jess currently is also the Director of Instruction at the Drumm Farm Golf Club in Independence, Missouri, which is a suburb of Kansas City. Earlier in his career, he was a walk on for Emporia State University’s golf team, and most recently he finished in the top 10 of a monday qualifier for the Senior Tour.

Jess teaches golf with a passion and instills this passion into his students to help them play better golf. He loves to see the moment when the instruction comes together for the student. ...

About Rod Cook

Originally from Fridley, Minn., Rod turned professional in 1997, participated in PGA Tour qualifying school five times and won more than 20 professional golf events. Rod worked for six years as the Director of Instruction at Black Diamond Ranch in Lecanto, Fla., ranked a top 100 golf facility, and he spent five years as the Head Teaching Professional at the Four Seasons Resort and Club in Dallas, home of the Byron Nelson PGA Tour event.

Rod currently is the Head Professional at the Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Popagayo, ranked one of the 53 best golf courses outside the United States. Rod is a Titleist TPI level 3 golf/fitness Instructor and specializes in golf fitness training. In addition, he is also a Titleist certified club fitter. Rod is on the faculty staff for the Professional Sports Care group, which certifies doctors to work on the PGA Tour.

About Tyrus York

Tyrus has been teaching golf since 2005 following the completion of his collegiate golf career at Cumberland College in Williamsburg, Ky. After working as an Assistant Golf Professional at Kentucky's Man O' War Golf Learning Center for six years, Tyrus began teaching at the Larry Ward High Performance Golf Academy in Lexington in 2011.

A PGA professional, Tyrus has done significant work in junior golf programs, but he has also worked with adult players of all ability levels.

Tyrus has set teaching goals of being able to build trust with his students while determining the method of teaching most compatible with each of his student's learning styles.

About Justin Tackett

Justin Tackett has worked at several golf facilities around the country. Hailing from Massachusetts, Justin has worked in Massachusetts, Florida, New Mexico, and all over Georgia as a Golf Professional. Justin has worked in many aspects of the golf industry and has been the lead instructor of many camps and clinics. He joined the Canongate team back in March 2007 and credits his teaching philosophy to his mentor, friend and Life Time PGA Member, Don Butzin and also Golf Digest’s 11th ranked instructor Manuel de la Torre, who is today’s leading proponent of Ernest Jones’ swing principles. Justin has learned the concepts and application of those principles through study, observation and personal conversations with Manuel de la Torre and Don Butzin over the last 5 years.