Stafford, VA – Don Frost, the PGA General Manager of Clustered Spires Golf Club in Frederick, Md. has been selected as the MAPGA’s 2013 Teacher of the Year. This award recognizes excellence in golf instruction along with overall performance as a PGA Professional. Frost will be recognized in front of his peers at the MAPGA Hall of Fame and Awards banquet to be held on March 9, 2013 at the Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center in Gaithersburg, Md.
Frost took his first golf lesson at the age of 5 from Quin Sullivan, a PGA Professional and the 2008 MAPGA Bill Strausbaugh Award winner. By the age of 13, he was hooked on golf and continued to improve his skills with the help of Mr. Sullivan as well as MAPGA’s 2001 Teacher of the Year Rick Krebs. He played in three Maryland State High School Golf Championships and then became one of the star players at Frederick Community College.
Following college, Frost spent a few years playing professionally on the Space Coast Mini-Tour in Florida and during that time, he made key connections with some of golf’s top instructors like Hall of Famer Bob Toski and Golf Digest’s Top 50 Instructor Martin Hall. He earned his PGA membership in 1994 and harnessed the teachings of his mentors to mold a successful career centered on golf instruction.
When Frost joined the staff of Clustered Spires in 1996, the number of rounds played was averaging about 30,000 for the year; private instruction was at 200 lessons (zero were from clinic format); and only 42 juniors attended summer camp. Since 1998, an average of 40,000 rounds are played at Clustered Spires; the junior camps field over 150 juniors; and about 800 private lessons and 200 group lessons are given each year.
With his “always keep improving” attitude, Frost achieved certification with the Titleist Performance Institute (T.P.I.) which led him to create “The Vault” at Clustered Spires. The Vault is a state-of-the-art instructional room that offers 3-D swing instruction, T.P.I body analysis, and mental golf evaluations. In the area of group instruction, he hosts “The Don Frost Clinic” which is geared toward beginning golfers and offers both lesson tee and on-course instruction. Over 4,000 students have received instruction through these clinics.
Frost has been fortunate to work with several accomplished golfers in the area including PGA Champions Tour golfer Donnie Hammond (also of Frederick, Md.), and top Maryland amateur golfers Chris Baloga and Ray Sheedy. In addition, his list of students includes attendees of the Maryland School for the Deaf as well as underprivileged youth who attend his summer junior programs. Teaming up with the Frederick County School system, he hosts the Frederick County High School District Championship at Clustered Spires and has created a summer program specifically for high school-aged girls who want to learn golf. This program alone has increased girls participation in Frederick County by 25%.
About the Middle Atlantic Section of the PGA of America
The Middle Atlantic Section of the PGA (MAPGA), located in Stafford, Virginia, is one of 41 Sections of The Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA), headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. As a part of The PGA since 1925, the MAPGA consists of over 1,100 members and apprentices in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia and small portions of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Together, the MAPGA golf professionals, volunteers and staff support the mission of The PGA to promote enjoyment and involvement in the game of golf and to contribute to the game’s growth by providing services to PGA Professionals and the golf industry.
Contact:
Stephanie Jennings, PGA
sjennings@pgahq.com
(540) 720-7420 ext. 116
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