LAKE MARY, FL (February 28, 2006) – Though Mike Bender consistently has been listed among the world’s top golf instructors by Golf Digest and Golf Magazine, he’s not exactly a household name. Based on recent performances however, that may be changing for the Timacuan Golf & Country Club-based teacher.
Very few if any golf instructors have ever enjoyed the kind of success Bender has seen through his students in back-to-back weeks.
Joo Mi Kim won the SBS Open on the LPGA Tour February 19, and former student Soo Young Moon was runnerup. The streak continued this past week, as PGA Tour star Zach Johnson fought his way through a distinguished World Match Play Championship field to finish third behind Geoff Ogilvy and Davis Love III. And Seon Hwa Lee tied for first at the Fields Open before losing in a three-hole playoff.
"It is very rewarding to see these professionals rise to the challenge on their respective tours," said Bender, whose Mike Bender Golf Academy at Timacuan in Lake Mary, FL, is home to several other professional tour stars, including Skip Kendall and D.J. Brigman. "I believe in our MEGSA training system, whether being utilized by the tour professional or the average amateur golfer. This type of success by these outstanding individuals helps to validate my faith in the system. We are very proud to be associated with these talented professionals."
The Mike Bender Golf Academy is the first in the country to offer students the use of the MEGSA Perfect Practice Equipment. Bender spent 14 years creating what he feels is the perfect practice system. MEGSA (Most Efficient Golf Swing Attainable) is designed to help students practice properly on their own. The equipment provides negative feedback when the player swings the club into a space he or she should not. Without this type of feedback they cannot be sure they are repeating the proper swing time after time.
Said Bender: "The concept is similar to that of a health club, where the trainer sets you up on a series of machines to guide your workout, and if you do them consistently you reap the benefit."
In this case, the golfers go through an initial assessment to determine the swing changes they needs, then the instructor sets them up with the proper training pieces. The player receives a card that will adjust the equipment to his or her proper setting each time it is utilized. This leads to perfect practice for each individual player, eventually leading to the proper muscle memory.
Timacuan has been one of Central Florida’s most popular courses since opening in 1988. It has garnered many statewide awards, being ranked as high as No. 14 in Florida by The Florida Golf Reporter Magazine.
Prior to starting work on the layout, architect Ron Garl spent time in Scotland studying Links-style architecture, and the research is very evident on Timacuan’s front nine. Sprawling bunkers, generous landing areas, oversized, undulating greens, and framing mounds combine to create a challenging and memorable nine holes.
The back nine has more of a Carolinas Low Country feel, with beautiful oak trees and tall pines providing the framing. One large body of water comes into play on 15, 16 and 17, demanding accuracy. Nearly every green complex has closely-mown fringe areas, allowing for a variety of shot selections when players miss the green. And speaking of the greens, they are consistently among the best conditioned putting surfaces in Central Florida.
The course underwent a renovation by designer Bobby Weed in 1996.
"Timacuan is a semi-private golf club with a private-club feel," said Johnson. "Our guests receive the same first-class treatment as our members. That’s one of the reasons we see the same players return year after year during the season. They seem to love the service, and the uniqueness of the layout at Timacuan."
The course is located near Interstate 4, just minutes from downtown Orlando. For more information visit www.golftimacuan.com, or call 407-321-0010 to book a tee time.
Contact:
Julie Bauman
407-330-4674
julie@jamisongolf.com
