VACAVILLE, Calif. – The Northern California Section of the PGA is pleased to announce that Bill Johnson, PGA Director of Instruction of Del Rio Country Club in Modesto, Calif., has garnered the 2013 NCPGA Teacher of the Year Award. Johnson is being honored for his contributions to golf instruction for players and professionals at the facility, PGA Section, and National level. People of all ages and playing levels can take advantage of the resources at their local facility. There are PGA Golf Instructors there who can help them learn or improve their golf skills.
Bill Johnson created and implemented Team Johnson, a unique Junior Development Program. The participants receive both private and group coaching by Johnson and his staff, observed practice and on course play, encouragement and incentive to advance to the next level. There are four levels – Introductory, Game Development, Tournament Preparation, and College Preparation. Johnson is launching a Junior Academy at Del Rio that will include non-member participants and feed future Team Johnson candidates. With about one hundred participants over the course of five years, the Team Johnson Junior Development Program has proven to be a way to involve, enthuse and improve junior golfers.
With a very large and highly competitive pool of candidates, Johnson was selected as an Honorable Mention for the 2012 U.S. Kids Golf Top 50 Kids Teachers award. Johnson’s instructional videos can be found at www.billjohnsongolf.com
“I measure the performance of my teaching by how successful my students are,” said Johnson.
Johnson has been recognized for instructing many PGA Professionals, Mini Tour Players, collegiate players, Northern California top juniors, as well as celebrities and professional athletes of other sports. Among this list is his distinction as one of Joseph Bramlett’s instructors, as he has worked with Joseph since he was 12 years old. At the age of 14, Bramlett became the youngest person to ever qualify for the U.S. Amateur Championship. He since has played in multiple U.S. Amateur Championships, the U.S. Open Championship at Pebble Beach, graduated from Stanford University, and attained his PGA Tour Card. He is currently playing on the Web.com Tour.
Jacob Solomon of Dublin, Calif., is another of Johnson’s students. This year Solomon tied for third in the 38th Junior PGA Championship.
At the collegiate level, Johnson provided a special bi-weekly program for the Santa Clara University Men’s Golf Team, serving as an outside mentor to challenge them, provide a practice schedule, and offer swing guidance.
At his facility, Johnson has implemented the NCGA Youth on Course, Tee it Forward, and Golf Industry Supplier Diversity initiatives. Johnson has also been working closely with the LPGA professional at Del Rio to create more women’s clinics and expand golf instruction to reach a larger female Del Rio and community audience.
“Teaching is the foundation of the game of golf and it requires an array of unique skillsets to be an effective instructor,” said NCPGA Awards Chairman Ted Mattila, PGA. “Bill’s complete understanding of the game, his strong communication skills, and his calm demeanor make him excel in this role.”
Johnson is among 19 recipients of the NCPGA’s 2013 Annual Section Awards. Section awards are given to PGA Professionals and industry leaders who have excelled in the game and business of golf. The NCPGA will recognize its 2013 Annual Section Award winners on Sunday, December 8 at the NCPGA Special Awards Ceremony & President’s Dinner at Contra Costa Country Club in Pleasant Hill, Calif. This event, a highlight for the year, will be held the evening prior to the NCPGA Annual Meeting. There are more than 200 golf professionals and industry leaders expected to attend. E-Z-Go Textron is a presenting partner and PGA Resort and Spa and the Northern California Golf Representatives Association is a supporting partner of the Awards Ceremony & Annual Meeting.
About the Northern California Section of the PGA of America (NCPGA)
Organized in 1920 to promote interest in the game of golf, the birth of this association was heralded as an important step to the advancement of the game in this district. The Northern California Section is one of the forty-one designated Sections of the PGA of America, the world’s largest working sports organization. With over 1,100 dedicated PGA Professionals and apprentices at over 500 golf facilities in Northern California and Northwestern Nevada, the association continues to have a positive impact on the game of golf and communities both regionally and nationally. For more information, please visit www.ncpga.com.
Contact:
Jennifer Noel – jnoel@pgahq.com
Nancy Maul – nmaul@pgahq.com
(707) 449-4742
