Norcross, GA (Nov. 4, 2016) – Eighteen members of the U.S. Kids Golf Coaches Institute were recently recognized in the Golf Digest’s “Best Young Teachers in America”, featured in the November 2016 issue.
Leighann Albaugh – Independence Golf Club (Midlothian, VA)
John Bierkan – Aronimink Golf Club (Newtown Square, PA)
Jessica Carafiello – Innis Arden Golf Club (Old Greenwich, CT)
Alison Curdt – Sherwood Country Golf Club (Thousand Oaks, CA)
Alex Fisher – JW Marriott Wildfire Golf Club (Phoenix, AZ)
Justin Foster – Bull’s Bridge Golf Club (South Kent, CT)
Kevin Johnson – Spring Creek Golf Club (Plano, TX)
Eujone Kim – Axis Golf Academy & Fitting Center (The Woodlands, TX)
Justin Klemballa – SunRidge Canyon Golf Club (Fountain Hills, AZ)
Nick Kumpis – Santa Ana Country Club (Santa Ana, CA)
Corey Lundberg – The Club at Carlton Woods (The Woodlands, TX)
Megan Padua – Maidstone Club (East Hampton, NY)
Brad Pluth – Bluff Creek Golf Course (Chaska, MN)
Brian Rogish – Crystal Springs Golf Academy (Hamburg, NJ)
Kaylin Skovron – Jeff Islar Golf (Southlake, TX)
Taylor Smith – Baton Rouge Country Club (Baton Rouge, LA)
Taylor Smith – Inverness Club (Toledo, Ohio)
Brandon Stooksbury – Idle Hour Club (Macon, GA)
Honorees were selected via Golf Digest’s editors, who worked with PGA and LPGA sections, other top rankings lists, gathered input from Tour players and studied each candidate’s accomplishments and student successes. Golf coaches become members of the U.S. Kids Golf Coaches Institute by becoming a Certified Coach, or being selected for the Top 50 Kids Teacher Award.
“Being named a Best Young Teacher means a great deal to me because it shows I’m making a difference,” said John Bierkan, Director of Instruction at Aronomik Golf Club in Philadelphia, PA. “I think that’s what all coaches really want at the end of the day – to know that sharing their knowledge means there is a group of people who will be enjoying golf for a long time to come.”
The sentiment was echoed by John Bryan, Vice President of the U.S. Kids Golf Coaches Institute. “We’re pleased that so many of the nation’s best young teachers focus on youth golf,” Bryan noted. “It’s rewarding to know that young golfers have the opportunity to learn the game from these outstanding professionals who clearly have a passion for coaching them.”
The focus on the U.S. Kids Golf Coaches Institute is to educate golf professionals around the world with the latest data, best practices and effective programs that help young golfers learn and enjoy the game of golf.
To read more about the Golf Digest Top Young Teachers, please visit: http://www.golfdigest.com/story/best-young-teachers-in-america-2016-17
For more on the U.S. Kids Golf Coaches Institute, visit: https://www.uskidsgolf.com/coaches
Contact:
John Kim
U.S. Kids Golf Foundation
(404) 210-3505
jkim@uskidsgolf.com
