David Leadbetter Certified Instructors
David Leadbetter Golf Academies around the globe adhere strictly to the company's commitment to excellence, offering golfers of all ages and skill levels the resources to improve their games under the tutelage of the world's finest instructors at the world's finest training facilities.
All David Leadbetter Certified Golf Instructors have completed a stringent and extensive training program. This certification process assures clients the highest level of instruction consistency from all David Leadbetter Certified Instructors no matter which David Leadbetter Golf Academy around the world they choose. The certification process begins when each hand selected candidate enters into a year-long comprehensive training program. This rigorous detailed program has, at its core, a proprietary workbook developed by David Leadbetter. This highly sophisticated in-house manual has a variety of meticulous tasks to train and test trainees on their competence and knowledge of David Leadbetter's teaching philosophies. Further, the candidate's teaching skills are scrupulously tested to evaluate his or her ability to recognize and apply the appropriate instructive practices and techniques to each student. This initial certification process takes approximately one year to complete under the guidance and instruction of David Leadbetter and the Worldwide Director of Certification. In addition to this initial training and to further ensure all Academy Certified Instructors remain current on the latest in teaching trends and technologies, a yearly recertification process is also required. As part of the recertification program, all Instructors receive DVD copies of lessons given by David Leadbetter. They also attend presentations regarding current trends, techniques, and drills used by David and his teaching staff at the global headquarters at ChampionsGate, Florida. Each Certified Instructor must also visit ChampionsGate annually to improve and refresh their teaching skills by observing and assisting David Leadbetter and his Senior Instructors.
Originally from Dublin, Ireland, Sean Hogan was a member of the Irish National Junior Golf Team alongside golf superstars Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington. In 1998 at the age of eighteen, Sean accepted a golf scholarship to attend the University of South Florida in Tampa. While at USF he earned Academic All-American Status while graduating with a degree in management information systems. As a collegiate player, Sean made frequent trips to the David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Orlando to improve the mechanics of his game. It was during these lessons that Sean developed a great interest in the teachings of the game, which ultimately inspired him to join David Leadbetter and his teaching staff as a trainee in 1994. During his apprenticeship, Sean had the opportunity to watch and assist David Leadbetter with players such as Nick Price, Ernie Els, Nick Faldo and Charles Howell. After completing his year long certification program, Sean began teaching golfers of all ages and abilities at several David Leadbetter European Academy locations, including Austria, Spain and Portugal. While in Europe Sean learned to speak German. He also was appointed to the Academy Director at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Carvoeiro, Portugal. While in Europe, Sean played an important role in organizing David's corporate outings for companies such as Merrill Lynch, Boeing and Porsche. Since returning to the United States, Sean has been teaching at David's Worldwide Headquarters at ChampionsGate. An avid triathlete, Sean maintains an exercise program that includes running, swimming, weightlifting and stretching. This stringent workout program fits right in with the fitness conscious ideals David has concerning golf. Sean is married to Lynn Hogan, a public relations manager for Parsons Engineering Group and makes his home in the Orlando area.
Originally from Greenville, South Carolina Kevin Smeltz began playing golf in high school. After earning All-American honors and graduating from the University of North Florida, Kevin decided to pursue a career in golf. Following countless lessons taken at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy, Kevin decided to pursue a career in golf instruction. After becoming a DLGA Certified Instructor and serving as David's assistant with the world's top players, Kevin traveled to Japan to become the Director of Instruction at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy at the Ishizaka Golf Club. After three years in Japan, Kevin returned to Orlando to the DLGA World Headquarters where he now serves as the Director of Instruction. Kevin currently teaches players on the PGA tour, LPGA Tour, the Champions Tour, the nationwide tour as well as some of the world's top collegiate golfers and juniors. Kevin has been voted on Golf Digest's "Best Teachers in Your State" for the last three years. Besides teaching, Kevin has written and appeared in golf publications across Europe, Asia, and the United States as well as appearing in many videos with David.
Born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, Andrew Park began playing golf at the age of 11. After being selected to play on the South African Junior National Team for both baseball and golf, Andrew decided to pursue a career in golf. In August of 1987, Andrew left South Africa to attend Brevard College on a golf scholarship. While studying at Brevard he won two tournaments and made All-State as well as All-American teams. After completing two years at Brevard, Andrew transferred to the University of South Alabama. During his two years there, he won two tournaments and made the All Conference team as well as the NCAA All-American 2nd team. He graduated from South Alabama with a B.A. in Communications. In January 1993, Andrew turned professional and won twice on the mini-tours. He then returned to South Africa to play on their PGA tour, scoring several top ten finishes and one win. It was 1997 that Andrew felt the desire to become an instructor and found that there was no other method more impressive than that of David Leadbetter. Andrew worked at the David Leadbetter Junior academy in Bradenton, Florida for three years, helping some of the worlds top juniors. In October 2000, Andrew became one of David's Senior instructors and began assisting him with the world's top players. Andrew currently teaches players on the PGA Tour, LPGA, European tour, Nationwide as well as some of the World's top collegiate golfers and juniors. Besides teaching, Andrew has written for and appeared in golf publications across Europe, Asia and the United States, as well as appearing on golf shows with David.
A member of the PGA TOUR and PGA of America since 1985, Bob Lohr played on the PGA TOUR as an exempt player for twelve consecutive years (1985-1996). A tournament winner at the 1988 Walt Disney World Oldsmobile Classic, where Bob defeated Chip Beck in an exciting 5 hole playoff was certainly the highlight. Two playoff losses, one to Jay Haas in the 1993 Texas Open, the other in 1995 to Mark O'Meara at the Canadian Open are among his six runner-up finishes. He also enjoyed five 3rd place finishes during his career.
Aaron Fagan grew up in New Berlin, Wisconsin, and began playing golf at the age of 4, influenced by his father who is an avid golfer. He competed in many amateur and junior tournaments before attending college at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. After having a successful collegiate career, it was only natural for Aaron to pursue a career in golf. Aaron followed up his collegiate golf by turning professional in the Spring of 2000, and played on the Florida mini-tour circuit for several years. It was during this time period, Aaron was drawn to the teachings and philosophies of David Leadbetter, and found he had a talent for teaching. In May 2001, Aaron began his career at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy at ChampionsGate. His keen understanding of the 'cause and effect' relationship of the golf swing coupled with his ability to teach both young and old has made him one of the youngest and most versatile certified-Leadbetter instructors in the world. Prior to joining DLGA, Aaron worked for Meadowbrook Golf/Wisconsin where he was instrumental in their junior program - the largest program in the State of Wisconsin, before transferring to Meadowbrook Golf/Florida where he was an Assistant Golf Professional at ChampionsGate. He currently resides in the Orlando area with his wife, Angela, and their five children.
Originally from Central Florida, Matt was introduced to the game of golf at the age of ten by his father. Matt had a very successful junior golf career which included three top five finishes in the Florida State High School Golf Championship. Matt received a full scholarship to attend Eckerd College in St. Petersburg Florida. While at Eckerd, Matt became the Captain of his college golf team; and then led the "Tritons" to their first ever tournament victory. After graduating, Matt began teaching math in a local middle school. He enjoyed teaching tremendously but the dream to play professional golf was one in which he wished to pursue full time. Matt began taking lessons at The David Leadbetter Golf Academy with a certified golf instructor. He was so impressed with the teaching methods he was learning, and his love for teaching he decided to forego his pursuit of playing golf professionally and joined the Leadbetter team in 2003. Since becoming a certified instructor Matt has had the opportunity to travel to many of the Leadbetter academies. Matt has spent two summers in Vail, Colorado and has also taught in Naples, Florida; Nemacolin, Pennsylvania, and in Half Moon Bay, Jamaica. This past summer, Matt served as the Director of the Academy in Whistler, British Columbia.
Born and raised in Bradford, Pennsylvania, Scott graduated from David Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, where he received a BS degree in accounting. While in college, Scott enjoyed a successful collegiate career earning six tournament victories and several other honors including the school's Most Valuable Player award in 1980. Scott became associated with David Leadbetter in 1985 while pursuing a career as a touring professional. He trained and was coached by David and his senior staff for more than five years and credits David with the majority of his success during his professional career. During Scott's playing career, he played with and performed quite well against many players who are enjoying successful PGA Tour careers. After amassing 45 Top Ten finishes and two Victories as a professional, Scott left his professional career behind in 1991 to pursue his teaching aspirations with the David Leadbetter Golf Academies. "After turning pro in 1982 I began to seek out a teacher that would help me reach my goals" Scott says. "When I found David Leadbetter in 1984 I learned more from him in 6 months that I learned from other well known teaching professionals in 6 years." Following his training at Lake Nona in Orlando, Florida, under the watchful eye of David Leadbetter, Scott served as the Director of Instruction at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Bradenton, Florida as well later moving to Japan where he served as the Director of Instruction at DLGA Japan, just outside of Tokyo. Today, Scott resides in Naples, Florida, where he works with players of all levels at the beautiful LaPlaya Golf & Beach Resort.
Originally from Normal, IL. Ron Grotjan began playing golf at the age of 6, influenced by his father who was an accomplished player. He competed in many junior and amateur tournaments with multiple wins at the State level. He attended college at Illinois State University and was a four year varsity letter winner and won one college tournament. In May of 1990, Ron turned professional. While working as an Assistant Golf Professional in Illinois, Ron accumulated 23 professional victories and was also named Central Illinois Professional Golfers Association "Player of the Year" in 1991 and 1995. Through his playing years Ron attributes much of his playing success to David's swing philosophies and teaching methods. Beginning in 2004 Ron felt the passion to become an instructor. Being familiar with the David Leadbetter System it was a perfect match. Becoming a Certified Instructor in the spring of 2005 he looks forward to working with all ages and ability levels.
Originally from Muskego, WI, Nate began playing golf at the age of three. Introduced to the game by his father, he quickly embraced golf and would eventually make it his career. After a great deal of success on the junior and amateur circuit, Nate attended the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where he began to realize a true passion for the teaching aspects of the game. After college, Nate began teaching at a learning facility just outside of Milwaukee and continued to play professional tournaments throughout the midwest. For the next five years Nate enjoyed a successful teaching career in which he developed many longtime students and friends. Many of whom remain under his tutelage still today. Nate's passion for teaching and desire to be at the forefront of the golf instruction world led him to Orlando and the David Leadbetter Golf Academy, where he successfully completed the comprehensive training program and now serves as one of David Leadbetter's certified instructors.
Originally from Seoul, Republic of Korea, JJ Lee began playing golf at the age of 13 when his family was living in Sydney, Australia. Golf became an integral part of JJ's childhood and early adult years and soon after his graduation from Beijing University in China, his love of the game and desire to make it his calling led to a decision to pursue teaching. In 2000, JJ came to the United States to attend the San Diego Golf Academy where he dedicated himself to learning golf and understanding the teaching process. After graduation, JJ returned to Korea and began his instructional career at Asiana Country Club, where he spent the following three years. During his early teaching days in Korea, JJ decided to take his teaching game to the next level and joined the David Leadbetter Golf Academy in 2004. After two years, JJ moved to the David Leadbetter Junior Academy in Bradenton, FL in 2006. In 2006, JJ completed his Leadbetter training at ChampionsGate and is now a Certified Instructor at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy World Headquarters at ChampionsGate.
Ranked by Golf Digest as the #1 golf teacher in Hawaii in 2005 and again for 2007/2008, Eddie Lee has taught at the Wailea Golf Club since 1997. In 2006, he completed his studies with David Leadbetter and his staff at ChampionsGate in Orlando, Florida, and returned to Wailea to help open the new David Leadbetter Golf Academy at Wailea, the first of its kind in Hawaii. As a coach, student and player of the game, Lee is dedicated to continual education, research and hard work to become the best golf instructor he can be. Eddie's clients have included the likes of Mike Myers, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Damon Wayans, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Maria Shriver, but his true passion is in helping beginning to average golfers improve their game. Lee graduated from the San Diego Golf Academy and has been a Class A PGA Member since 1994. He has received numerous honors including being named Teacher of the Year by the Aloha Section PGA, and as Golf Digest Best Teachers in Your State (Hawaii) for 2007/2008.
Born just outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Matthew Hilton inherited two very important characteristics from his father Michael: a passion for the game of golf; and a desire to help others. Matthew harvested that passion into a very successful junior golf career, including the 1998 Wisconsin State Junior title. His success on the junior level earned Matthew a spot on the Marquette University Golf team, where he quickly assumed a leadership role, being named Team Captain and Team MVP in both his Junior and Senior years. Based on his impressive tournament record in College and National amateur events, Matt decided to test his game at the professional level. This led him to Champions Gate, Florida and the David Leadbetter Golf Academy, where some of the best players in the world have come to hone their skills. After a number of successful years on the mini-tours, Matthew realized that he enjoyed assisting his fellow professionals with their games as much as he did refining his own. Teaching, he discovered, gave him the perfect blend of those values he was taught as a youngster: a passion for the game, and a desire to help others. After personally assisting David Leadbetter with such players as Charles Howell III, Trevor Immelman, and Julieta Granada, Matthew spent two years serving as Director of Instruction for the David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Irvine. Currently, he is a Certified Instructor at our PGA National location in West Palm Beach, while serving as Director of Instruction for the new seasonal David Leadbetter Golf Academy location at The Bog Golf Course in Wisconsin.
Nick Covino grew up in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and was introduced to the game by his father and grandparents when he was 10-years-old. He was soon captivated by the sport and started successfully competing around the northeast in junior events and at the High School Level. Early on, It was apparent to Nick that he wanted to pursue golf as a career. After a successful High School and Junior Golf Career, he was accepted into the PGM Program at Penn State University. During his time in the PGM Program, he taught at Scotch Valley Country Club in Hollidaysburg, PA for two years during his internships. After a few years in the PGM, Nick was offered a third internship in Pittsburgh, Pa, where there was a David Leadbetter Academy on site. It was after observing the Instructors at the academy teach David's philosophies, that Nick became fascinated with the golf swing and found personal satisfaction in helping others improve his or her golf game. Nick joined the David Leadbetter team in Naples, Florida, in the fall of 2007. It was there where he continued to observe Master Certified Instructors, and grasped David Leadbetter's philosophy of the golf swing. Nick has also spent recent summer months at the DLGA Headquarters in ChampionsGate assisting David with many of the top Touring Professionals, as well as assisting many of the other top instructors at the Academy. Nick's Passion for teaching, his understanding of the golf swing, and his ability to relate it to others have allowed him to be one of the youngest certified instructors at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy. He is now located at the LaPlaya Beach and Golf Resort Academy in Naples, Florida, helping students of all ages improve their golf game and reach their ultimate potential.
Tim Vickers is a native of the United Kingdom (born in Leeds, England) and was educated in England, France and the Netherlands before moving to the United States in 1998. In Europe, Tim excelled as a junior athlete competing at top levels in numerous sports. It was when he came to America, however, that Tim turned 100% of his focus to golf. Over the coming years he developed a keen enthusiasm and zeal for the game. After a solid high school career, Tim earned a walk on spot at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and following two promising years at Tennessee, Tim was recruited to play at Florida State where he earned his undergrad degree in 2004. After four years developing his skills in college, Tim turned to the professional ranks. In three years of professional golf, Tim competed on the European Challenge Tour, Europe's Developmental Tour and Alps Tour, as well as stateside on the Gateway Tour. Tim was introduced to David Leadbetter's golf instruction early in his junior career and over an eight year span developed a keen understanding of the golf swing and a passion for David's unique holistic approach. Tim was impressed so much by the philosophy of David that he stopped playing competitively in 2008 to become a DLGA certified instructor and is currently teaching at DLGA World Headquarters at ChampionsGate, Florida.
Bob Hite is originally from Paducah, Kentucky where he began playing golf at the age of 14. Bob played collegiate golf at Northwood University (2000-2004), where he graduated with a BA in International Business. Shortly following graduation, Bob turned professional and became a member of the PGA Professional Apprenticeship Program working diligently to become a certified class "A" PGA professional. His teaching career began as an instructor for Golf Digest Schools at PGA National Resort & Spa (2005-2008). Since 2004, Bob has been an affiliate to the PGA National Summer Junior Program, and continues to express a great deal of passion and dedication toward teaching junior players. In 2007, he was appointed the Director of the Summer Junior Program at the PGA National Golf Academy and in 2008, became the Director of Junior Golf Programs and Staff Instructor. In 2009, Bob became a DLGA Certified Instructor so that he could apply the world renowned teaching philosophies of David Leadbetter at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy at PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Bob, his wife Rubi and son Ayden, currently reside in West Palm Beach, Florida where he devotes his time helping golfers of all ages and abilities better identify their faults and map out basic principles of self-correction.
Born and raised in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Renee played golf as a junior competitively until gravitating to field hockey in high school and playing through college. After graduating from Penn State University, she relocated to Maui, Hawaii where she was reintroduced to the game of golf and acquired an appreciation for the teaching philosophies of David Leadbetter. Renee entered the golf industry in 1997 and has been a PGA Class A Member since 2001. She has over 10 years of teaching experience and enjoys imparting her knowledge of the golf swing and her values of solid fundamentals to students of all playing abilities. Renee has turned beginners into club champions, and while this arch of achievement is rare, she enjoys working with students and watching their enjoyment of the game grow as they experience improvement. Renee currently serves as a DLGA Certified Instructor at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy at Wailea Golf Club in Maui, Hawaii.
Dr. Robert K. Winters is an internationally renowned sport psychologist, author, professional speaker, and President of Mindpower Sports. Dr. Winters completed his Ph.D. degree in Sport Psychology at The University of Virginia within the Curry School of Education. His major academic areas focused on confidence, performance achievement, counseling, and educational research. Dr. Winters has spent the past 25 years investigating how thoughts and attitudes affect one's ability to perform to an optimal talent level. Dr. Winters is best known for his applied work in helping world-class athletes, collegiate teams, and business executives attain confidence, team cohesion, and the psychology of peak performance and achievement. He is a former touring professional golfer and collegiate golf coach and he studied sports vision and sports medicine procedures during the early part of his professional training.
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