One of Golf Digest magazine’s Best Young Teachers joins one of northern Michigan’s top resort destinations
GAYLORD, MI. – Jason Guss, a rising star among the country’s young PGA golf instructors, has joined the team at Otsego Club & Resort in Gaylord where he will launch the resort’s new golf academy.
Guss, 34, comes to the Otsego Club after 11 years working with Rick Smith, one of the games top instructors. Guss was on staff at Smith’s golf academies at the nearby Treetops Resort in Gaylord, and Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida.
He has earned national honors from one of the most influential publications in the game. Golf Digest magazine listed Guss among its Best Young Teachers in 2010. Guss was also twice selected by Golf Digest as one of the top 20 teachers in America under the age of 40 — the only teacher in Michigan to earn that prestigious recognition.
Guss is also one of three instructors selected by the magazine to create their first set of hour-long instructional DVD’s called The Golf Digest Clinic.
“I am very excited about the opportunity to take my professional teaching knowledge and swing philosophies and start my own golf academy with the Otsego Club”, Guss said. “The Otsego Club is a world-class resort destination and I am looking forward to providing a world-class golf academy experience for guests and members.”
With his addition to the Otsego Club, Guss joins the Osprey Recreation group, one of the state’s leading golf course operators and the owners of the Black Forest and Wilderness Valley courses on the western outskirts of Gaylord. The Black Forest course was designed by renowned architect Tom Doak and has earned national recognition as one of the top courses in the country and the state.
Guss said his apprenticeship with Smith, and Smith’s top assistant, Henry Young, was invaluable.
“My years working with Rick and Henry gave me the opportunity to work with some of the greatest players in the game, and learn about the golf swing from one of the best in the game,” he said. “It was truly an opportunity of a lifetime.”
Guss often assisted Smith, while Smith coached such elite players as PGA Tour stars Phil Mickelson, Rocco Mediate, Lee Janzen, and Jerry Kelly to name a few. In addition, Guss also taught at the Brett LeBrocque golf academy in Melbourne, Australia, one of the best golf schools in that country.
“Jason Guss is truly one of the most talented and elite young golf instructors in the country. We are very excited to be able to have someone of his experience start developing golf academy programs for Osprey Recreation and the Otsego Club,” said Phil Cutting, Director of Hospitality and Recreation for Osprey Recreation.
In the coming season, the Otsego Club and the new golf academy will offer a variety of instructional programs including one, two, and three-day sessions, on-course instruction, as well as individual lessons for beginners to elite players.
There will be a variety of programs for junior players with special instruction for those with ambitions to play collegiate golf. A program tailored for women will also be a feature of the new academy.
“I am looking forward to sharing my swing philosophies with golfers of all levels as well as growing the game,” Guss said. “Regardless of your playing ability, whether you’re a beginner or an elite player looking to take your game to the next level, our golf academy will provide the tools and opportunities to improve your golf game.”
Guss has been a keynote speaker for the Michigan PGA Section, sharing his own insights into the golf swing. He filmed four Golf Channel Academy instructional pieces, and appeared as a guest on Michigan Golfer Live.
About Otsego Club and Osprey Recreation
Founded in 1939, Otsego Club & Resort has been a prominent fixture in northern Michigan and is the oldest operating private ski club in America. The resort’s two 18-hole courses are complimented by Doak’s Black Forest course, and the original 18-hole layout at the Wilderness Valley complex. In addition, the resort offers 117 lodge rooms, suites, and condominiums. There are more than 24,000 square feet of meeting space, and three restaurants, including the award-winning Duck Blind Grille and The Pontresina, a multi-year winner of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. Visit www.otsegoclub.com for more information.
Osprey’s recreational properties division owns a number of other resort and golf properties around Michigan giving them a wealth of knowledge in the industry and the Michigan market. Osprey’s other properties include Manistee National Golf & Resort featuring Canthooke Valley and Cutter’s Ridge in Manistee, The Medalist in Marshall, and Ridgeview Golf Course in Kalamazoo.
Osprey is a privately held real estate investment company that owns, develops, leases and manages real estate for various “Osprey” holding companies and partnerships in Michigan, Florida, North Carolina, and other areas in the Southeast United States. For more information on Osprey Recreation, please visit www.golfosprey.com.
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Kevin Frisch
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