Hilts will work with Proponent Group senior team to pursue new opportunities for members’ professional advancement
ORLANDO, Fla. (Dec. 15, 2017) – As part of its continued emphasis on the importance of the golf teaching professional, Proponent Group has announced Andy Hilts as its new Director. Pro-ponent Group, a member-based Golf Channel Academy affiliate, is completing its 10th year as a vital resource for top teachers in the U.S. and abroad.
Hilts joins the Golf Channel Academy operations group and will report to Lorin Anderson, Vice President of Instruction. Hilts’ addition further strengthens Golf Channel’s golfer engagement strategy by providing high-quality teaching, coaching, game-improvement and player develop-ment opportunities.
“Over the past decade Proponent Group has become the go-to organization for helping dedi-cated, full-time golf instructors grow their businesses and improve career opportunities,” said Anderson. “I’ve known for some time that when we were ready to take Proponent Group to the next level, Hilts would be our first choice to step in and serve the group’s 650-plus members.”
Hilts, a Proponent Group member since the organization was founded, previously spent 17 years with GolfTEC as an award-winning instructor and executive. During his tenure with GolfTEC he gave more than 12,000 lessons and oversaw a comprehensive training program. In that time he educated and mentored more than 1,800 professional coaches worldwide.
A PGA Master Professional in Instruction, Hilts was named the Colorado PGA Section Teacher of the Year in 2005. His diligent work in continuing education for fellow Colorado PGA mem-bers earned him the Section’s Horton Smith Award in 2008 and again in 2015. Golf Digest named Hilts one of the Top 40 Teachers in America Under 40 from 2009 to 2013 and ranked him among the Top 5 Teachers in Colorado.
Hilts has been actively involved in golf media throughout his career, authoring numerous arti-cles for Golf Digest, GOLF Magazine and PGA Magazine. He has made multiple appearances on Golf Channel and is the author of “The Par Plan,” an instruction book published by GOLF Maga-zine in 2013.
“This new role with Proponent Group comes at an exciting time for teaching and coaching and at an ideal point in my own golf career,” said Hilts. “Being part of Proponent Group as an active member supported my development in countless ways, so I was thrilled and humbled when Lorin made me the offer. I’ve trained and mentored golf coaches long enough to understand how successful careers and profitable teaching businesses are built. I look forward to being part of what’s coming next in golf instruction.”
Hilts’s dedication to education for the instruction industry includes his past participation in the PGA of America’s National Instruction Committee. He excels as an industry speaker, having been a presenter three times at the PGA of America’s National Teaching and Coaching Summit and also at events hosted by Proponent Group, the Executive Women’s Golf Association, and PGM programs at various universities.
A native of Wales, Wisconsin, and a graduate of Mississippi State University with a degree in Business and Professional Golf Management, he resides in Denver, Colo., with his wife and two sons.
Contact:
Dan Higgins
Golf Channel Communications
407/355-4018
Dan.higgins@golfchannel.com
