The Teacher/Player Relationship |
By: J.L. Lewis
September 2009
In the game of golf the teacher/player relationship is more involved than most other sports for several reasons. From an early age most golfers has some form of instruction from a professional or a parent. Often times, young golfers will stay with the same instructor for many years like Jack Nicklaus with Jack Grout or Harvey Penick with Ben Crenshaw. Golfers will generally go through several instructors throughout their golf lives and settle on the one they feel most comfortable with, like I have with instructor Bill Moretti, at the Academy of Golf Dynamics.
I have worked with several instructors throughout my career, beginning at age seven with Gene Schmidt, who was the PGA Professional at Emporia Country Club. Other instructors from Emporia Country Club who had an influence on my golf game are; Mary Fay Bradley, Junior Golf Instructor, Jimmy Santa Maria, Club Professional and Pat Tobach, PGA Professional. Leroy Wilcox was my golf instructor for a little while and he was the Superintendent at Emporia Municipal Golf Course as well. I learned from Stan Thirsk who was the PGA Professional at Kansas City Country Club, as well as Ron Blevins, who was the Wichita State University Golf Coach. I was fortunate to have received lessons from Harvey Penick, who was the PGA Professional at Austin Country Club, author of the Little Red Book, and who passed away April 2, 1995. Others who have influenced my golf game are Dick Harmon, PGA Professional at River Oaks Country Club in Houston, who is the brother of Butch Harmon, and Bill Farkas, PGA Professional at Las Vegas Country Club. The instructors who have influenced my life and game from the Academy of Golf Dynamics in Austin, Texas are Mike Adams, PGA Professional, Chuck Cook, PGA Professional, Jackson Bradley, PGA Professional, and finally Bill Moretti, who has been my instructor for the past 15 years. I gained valuable information from each of these instructors.
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