SAN DIEGO – Fourth semester students from the Golf Academy of America (GAA) campus in San Diego recently volunteered for the grand opening of Scratch Junior Golf…Accelerated in Poway, Calif., and received an unforgettable experience working alongside some of the industry’s most respected golf instructors. The students participated and assisted for tours, safety, and customer service but the spending the day with golf notables Rick Smith, Tina Mickelson and Dr. Robert Duval.
“Scratch delivers a fun and educational way for junior golfers of all skill levels to play to their potential and become great players. We were very excited to have some of our students available to help them during their grand opening,” says Kevin Neisch, PGA, director of career services for Golf Academy of America, San Diego Campus.
The Scratch Program is not outdoor teaching made available indoors, but rather a specially designed curriculum that combines the fundamental basics of the game, with advanced technologies and personalized instruction from Smith and Mickelson, to create a completely unique learning experience. From a student’s first lesson, the facility’s revolutionary “Scratch Skills Handicap System” provides a detailed, swing-by-swing analysis of progress, a virtual “super-scorecard” that shows just how far, and how fast improvement is made.
Rick Smith is regarded as one of the PGA Tour’s best sounding boards for swing advice. In 2009, he was ranked as the number two golf instructor in the world by PGA Tour players and since 2000, he has been consistently ranked as one of the Top 10 golf instructors in the world by Golf Digest. Smith also currently operates Rick Smith Golf Academies at The Treetops Resort in Gaylord, Mich., and The Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla. Tina Mickelson is an accomplished teacher of the game as well and she is the Ambassador for Women’s Golf for both The Santaluz Club in San Diego, Calif., and Callaway Golf. Dr. Robert Duval is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Certified Athletic Trainer, and Master Golf Fitness Instructor specializing in 3-D swing biomechanics, strength and conditioning, manual therapy, rehabilitation, and therapeutic exercises as they relate to golf. Dr. Duval founded and directs the Discovery Performance Center (DPC) for the Discovery Land Company and is currently a senior member of the Medical & Health Advisory Board for the Titleist Performance Institute located in Oceanside, Calif.
Golf Academy of America graduates are working as golf and teaching professionals, club fitters, golf tournament organizers, golf course owners, golf product development specialists and more around the world. Attending GAA helps students qualify for jobs within the $76 billion golf industry. Offering a 16-month program of golf instruction and golf business management, the Golf Academy of America provides graduates with the education required to get the golf job they desire.
The Golf Academy of America leads the industry in golf education and features four campuses in major golf markets – Phoenix, Myrtle Beach, Orlando and San Diego. The GAA was founded in 1974 and is today accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) which is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), a national advocate and institutional voice for self-regulation of academic quality through accreditation.
For more information on the Golf Academy of America, please call 800.342.7342, or visit www.golfacademy.edu.
Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the Golf Academy of America is the oldest and largest two-year golf college in the world. GAA’s 16-month program balances classroom studies, practical experience and comprehensive understanding of the business of golf. For more information, call 800.342.7342 or visit www.golfacademy.edu.
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