ORLANDO, Fla. (April 18, 2018) – Acclaimed PGA teaching professional Jeff Ritter, ranked by his peers as one of Golf Digest’s “Best Teachers” in the state of California (No. 8) for 2017-’18, is teaming with one of the Pacific Northwest’s top golf resorts to launch a new Golf Channel Academy location in Bend, Ore.
The Pronghorn Academy by Jeff Ritter officially opened for business last week. Located at the prestigious Pronghorn Resort, the full-service academy will offer a variety of group and individual programs, including private coaching, multi-day schools and single-day workshops. Ritter, a top corporate speaker who has worked with such companies as Apple and Barclays, will also lead a progressive corporate leadership program using a golf-inspired setting to train executives and their teams in practices sustainable for high performance.
Golf Channel Academy facilities, like the Pronghorn Academy, and its world-class coaches operate with the active support of Golf Channel. With 88 locations canvassing 33 states and one European country, Golf Channel Academy is among the most expansive golf instruction networks in the world today.
Pronghorn Resort features two award-winning golf courses set amid breathtaking views of the Cascade Mountains -the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course (No. 36 on Golf Digest’s list of “America’s Greatest Public Courses” for 2017) and Tom Fazio Championship Course (No. 54 on Golfweek’s list of the “Best Modern Courses” for 2017). The Resort was awarded a Golf Digest Editors’ Choice Award in 2017 as one of the “Best Golf Resorts in the Pacific Northwest”.
The indoor-outdoor instruction facility at Pronghorn includes three hitting bays, multiple FlightScope launch monitors and a world-class, eight-acre Tom Fazio-designed short-game practice area with massive greens, bunkers and varying turf conditions that allow golfers to practice any shot from within 120 yards.
“The training facilities at Pronghorn are the very best I’ve seen anywhere in the world,” said Ritter. “After surveying Pronghorn’s two nationally ranked courses and meeting with their forward-thinking leadership, I knew the possibilities to create a game-changing experience were limitless.”
Ritter was previously a Golf Channel Academy lead coach at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach, Calif. An accomplished coach, author and speaker, Ritter is a consistent presence in the world of golf media. He is a regular featured guest on Golf Channel’s Morning Drive Coaches Series, and in 2014 created the MAKE THE TURN Weekly Challenge Series for Golf Digest TV. The program was the most successful series on the Golf Digest platform, garnering 20 million viewers. He also is the National Director for NIKE Junior Golf Camps, creating curriculum and overseeing operations at 120 locations throughout North America.
Supporting the programming at the Pronghorn Academy will be an impressive team of coaches, including Ritter’s wife, Cate, creator of “THE LEAN 18” nutrition curriculum. A sought-after nutrition writer and corporate health consultant, Cate’s work has been featured in such publications as the Wall Street Journal, Golf Digest, Reader’s Digest and Women’s Health, and on Golf Channel and ABC-TV.
“Pronghorn Resort and this special part of the world are so passionately committed to healthy living,” said Cate Ritter. “My role in the program is to make feeling your best both delicious and doable so that you can create a life that’s sustainable.”
For more information about the Pronghorn Academy by Jeff Ritter, please email Jeff at academy@pronghornresort.com or call 480-695-2017.
For more about Golf Channel Academy, including a full listing of all its current locations and coaches, go to golfchannelacademy.com.
ABOUT GOLF CHANNEL
Golf Channel is a multimedia, golf entertainment and services company based in Orlando, Fla. Serving the most-affluent audience in all of television, Golf Channel – co-founded by Arnold Palmer in 1995 and now part of NBC Sports Group – is available to nearly 500 million viewers in 78 countries and nine languages around the world. Golf Channel features more live golf coverage than all other networks combined, including tournament action from the PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour, The Open, Olympics, and Ryder Cup, as well as high-quality news, instruction and original programming. Delivering unmatched coverage of the world of golf, fans are able to enjoy 24/7 live streaming of Golf Channel content through Golf Channel Digital and the NBC Sports App, powered by Playmaker Media. In addition, Golf Channel connects the world to golf through a wide array of digital and lifestyle services including Golf Channel Mobile, a comprehensive app covering golf’s latest headlines, scores and analysis; GolfNow, the world’s largest online tee time booking platform and golf course technology partner, which includes the GolfNow Mobile App, featuring on-course GPS tracking, in-round scoring and game tracking; Revolution Golf, the largest direct-to-consumer digital platform in golf ; GolfAdvisor.com, the world’s largest golf course ratings and review resource for golfers, by golfers; a North American network of Golf Channel Academy instructional facilities; and Golf Channel Am Tour, the world’s largest amateur golf tour; and as the Official Media Partner of St. Andrews Links, the Home of Golf.
Contact:
Dan Higgins
Golf Channel Communications
407/355-4018
Dan.higgins@golfchannel.com
