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GolfTEC to add 100 PGA pros, CEO responds to industry declines
As we reported on June 23, Dick’s Sporting Goods let go of its entire staff of PGA professionals, leaving an estimated 500 pros out of a job.
The decision came amidst regular news of the decline in golf participation, flat equipment sales, and pervasive doom-and-gloom scenarios such as “3 reasons golf is in the rough” on CNNMoney.com and “How the business of golf got stuck in the rough” on the Financial Post.
It’s in this environment that golf instruction company, GolfTEC plans to add more than 100 PGA professionals to its existing roster of 600 pros. As the company’s CEO and co-founder, Joe Assell, recently wrote in an editorial, “Some would blame [Dick’s] decision on a declining interest in golf, but I don’t see it that way.”
Further, Assell wrote:
“PGA Pros have propelled a 100 percent increase in our company’s revenues over the last five years. During that time, we gave millions of lessons to hundreds of thousands of golfers who visited a GolfTEC Coach at one of our 190 locations. In fact, outstanding work by PGA Professionals at our improvement centers has GolfTEC poised for an exceptional 2014. This will include record highs in our revenues, number of lessons given and the number of GolfTEC locations.”
The CEO doesn’t feel that he is alone in his optimism. As he wrote:
“There are a number of people who appear to share my view that it is a good time to invest in golf. Donald Trump’s entry into golf course and resort ownership, Newcastle Investments’ recapitalization of American Golf, and the investments of Kohlberg & Co. and Great White Shark Enterprises in Troon Golf all point to an upside for our industry.”
Reached by phone last week, Assell said that declines in the golf industry have much to do with golfers’ limited time, lack of skill, and reduced discretionary income. He said that major innovations in golf technology have plateaued and that golf equipment can only ever do so much to improve a golfer.
Legitimate and lasting improvements can only come from taking lessons, Assell said. Thus, he feels GolfTEC is uniquely positioned to meet industry challenges head on, thanks to its convenient locations, online scheduling and lesson portal, roster of PGA pros, defined methods and costs commensurate with the market rate of lessons in each center’s area.
Assell pointed to data from the National Golf Foundation, which correlates spending, participation, and enjoyment to handicap. The lower a golfer’s handicap, the more he/she spends, plays, and enjoys the game. Thus, one way to counter a decline in participation is to help those who do play to get better, as well as helping new golfers to understand the golf swing and consistently improve.
Such is the work of GolfTEC. And in the face of industry contraction and frequent bad news, the company seems unfazed.
+For more about GolfTEC, check out the company website.
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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
…The Jailbird craze hasn’t really slowed down in 2024, either. According to Odyssey rep Joe Toulon, there are about 18-20 Jailbird putter users on the PGA TOUR.
Most recently, Akshay Bhatia won the 2024 Valero Texas Open using a broomstick-style Odyssey Jailbird 380 putter and Webb Simpson is switching into a replica of that putter at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Now, Fowler, who essentially started the whole Jailbird craze, is making a significant change to his putter setup.
Fowler, who has had a couple weeks off since the 2024 RBC Heritage, started experimenting with a new, custom-orange Jailbird 380 head that’s equipped with a standard 35-inch putter build, rather than his previous 38-inch counter-balanced setup.
According to Fowler, while he still likes the look and forgiveness of his Jailbird putter head, he’s looking to re-incorporate more feel into his hands during the putting stroke.
He told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Championship that the 38-inch counterbalanced setup “served its purpose” by helping him to neutralize his hands during the stroke, but now it’s time to try the standard-length putter with a standard-size SuperStroke Pistol Tour grip to help with his feel and speed control.
Although Fowler was also spotted testing standard-length mallets from L.A.B. Golf and Axis1 on Tuesday, he confirmed that the custom Odyssey Jailbird 380 is the putter he’ll use this week at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Head over to PGATour.com for the full article.
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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
So, with a couple of weeks off following his latest start at the 2024 RBC Heritage, Thomas sought to re-address his driver setup with the remote help of Titleist Tour fitting expert J.J. Van Wezenbeeck. About two weeks ago, Thomas and Van Wezenbeeck reviewed his recent driver stats, and discussed via phone call some possible driver and shaft combinations for him to try.
After receiving Van Wezenbeeck’s personalized shipment of product options while at home, Thomas found significant performance improvements with Titleist’s TSR2 head, equipped with Thomas’ familiar Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 60 TX shaft.
Compared to Thomas’ longtime TSR3 model, the TSR2 has a larger footprint and offers slightly higher spin and launch characteristics.
According to Van Wezenbeeck, Thomas has picked up about 2-3 mph of ball speed, to go along with 1.5 degrees higher launch and more predictable mishits.
“I’d say I’d been driving it fine, not driving it great, so I just wanted to, honestly, just test or try some stuff,” Thomas said on Tuesday in an interview with GolfWRX.com at Quail Hollow Club. “I had used that style of head a couple years ago (Thomas used a TSi2 driver around 2021); I know it’s supposed to have a little more spin. Obviously, yeah, I’d love to hit it further, but if I can get a little more spin and have my mishits be a little more consistent, I felt like obviously that’d be better for my driving…
“This (TSR2) has been great. I’ve really, really driven it well the week I’ve used it. Just hitting it more solid, I don’t know if it’s the look of it or what it is, but just a little bit more consistent with the spin numbers. Less knuckle-ball curves. It has been fast. Maybe just a little faster than what I was using. Maybe it could be something with the bigger head, maybe mentally it looks more forgiving.”
Head over to PGATour.com for the full article.
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The 2024 golf season is in full swing with the warm weather settling in and those long summer days right around the corner, but what if we told you that you should be thinking about golf this fall? While it may seem to be a ways away, now is the perfect time to start putting together your end-of-season fall golf trip.
Courses are in great shape, the weather is more enjoyable as temps cool off, and your golf game is in peak condition after playing all summer! The best part about fall golf trips is that there are some great deals to be found at golf destinations across the country! Additionally, you can get away to the Caribbean on an all-inclusive trip or travel across the pond for some links golf in the UK or Ireland before the end of their golf season in October.
If you are happy to stay stateside this fall, here are the best golf destinations you should book for your fall trip.
Myrtle Beach, SC
Commonly known as the “Golf Capital of the World”, this coastal destination is home to over 200 golf courses making it the ideal location for a golf trip! If you’re looking for golf and accommodation onsite, choose from a wide range of resorts including favorites like Barefoot and Legends. Alternatively, you could rent a house or stay by the beach and play top tracks like Caledonia, Grande Dunes, Pine Lakes, True Blue, TPC Myrtle Beach and many more! With a plethora of options, you will be able to customize your trip to stay within budget! Fall in South Carolina is a golfer’s paradise with minimal rain, sunny skies, and temperatures in the low 80s (dipping into the 70s in later fall with lower humidity), the perfect combination for a golf trip.
If you’ve never played golf in the desert, fall is the best time to do so and there is no better selection of desert layouts than Scottsdale. With a wide variety of golf resorts, courses, and attractions, it is easy to see why many professional golfers call this place home. Enjoy a golf and city trip with a stay close to the nightlife in Old Town and a tour of the local courses like Raven, McCormick Ranch, and Ocotillo. Head north of the city with a resort stay at The Westin Kierland or Hyatt Regency and play some Championship courses like TPC Scottsdale, Troon North, or Grayhawk. Or head out to the fabulous We-Ko-Pa Resort and Golf Club and indulge in the ultimate desert golf experience. The weather in Scottsdale will be very warm (mid to high 80s), with cloudless skies and green grass contrasting the desert landscape.
The golf mecca in the state of Florida, Orlando is a great golf destination any time of the year, but fall is really where it flourishes. Course conditions are impeccable, the weather is warm with fading humidity, and there are a multitude of off-course activities for the whole family. Stay & play at some of the best golf resorts like Reunion and Omni Championsgate or tick off a bucket list course when you visit Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill. A few other reasons this destination is so popular is the wide variety of rental houses throughout the area, perfect for a large group and the quality courses to choose from including Waldorf Astoria, Celebration, Shingle Creek, and the three Disney courses! With easy accessibility through the MCO Airport, Orlando is a no-brainer for a fall golf trip.
PAIUTE GOLF RESORT – LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
A destination often overlooked when it comes to golf, Las Vegas in the fall is a wonderful treat! A stay on the iconic Las Vegas Strip gives you a wide range of 3 to 5-star hotel options within walking distance to the city’s biggest entertainment venues, casinos, restaurants, and more! For golf options, you will need to travel outside of the city (roughly 20 mins) to play some incredible desert layouts like Rio Secco, Revere, Cascata, and the trio of courses at Paiute Golf Resort. If you fancy a longer day trip, you can always take the hour-long drive up to Mesquite and play Wolf Creek and Conestoga for a pure desert golf experience.
Alabama – Robert Trent Jones Trail
If you’re a golf nerd (like me) and you’re looking for something a little different for your trip, look no further than the incredible RTJ Trail in Alabama. The Trail spans 11 different locations across the state with over 400 holes of golf all designed by legendary course designer Robert Trent Jones, Sr. The more popular courses on the trail are in Birmingham, Montgomery, and Auburn, making it perfect for an extended trip. Some of the best courses on the trail include Ross Bridge, Grand National (2 courses) and Capitol Hill (3 courses).Weather-wise, fall is the best time to hit the trail with average temps hovering around 80s (dipping into the 70s as fall goes on) with a limited amount of rainfall. The summer months are usually where the pricing is the highest so you can find the best deals in the fall with courses still in good condition.
There has already been a huge uptick in fall golf trip bookings, so make sure to start planning now to get the travel dates and tee times you want for your group!
Editor’s note: This article is presented in partnership with Golfbreaks. When you make a purchase through links in this article, GolfWRX may earn an affiliate commission.
RELATED: 7 PGA TOUR courses you need to play
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Chuck
Aug 15, 2014 at 2:21 pm
I am very happy with the lessons I have received from Ian in the Chicago area. Proven Path – Proven Results!!
n79pp
Sep 14, 2014 at 12:16 am
I am a 4 and have been at student at golftec for around 18 months. I have given it enough time and now I’m officially done. The biggest issue is that the instructor doesn’t seem to remember what we worked on last lesson and has me take 4 or 5 swings, then seemingly randomly picks something to work each lesson. Sometimes 3 to 4 concurrent changes (even I know you never should do that). I also don’t think he gets to the root cause of swing flaws resulting in a fix of the wrong things. I have never ever swung on top of the plane – ever! I do now. I have never fanned a driver off to the right with a weak fade until now. The actual cause of this is a slight lateral move on the downswing (result is fade) that has gotten worse with the new over the top move (compounded problem) – not “hanging on” to the club like he is suggesting. I suppose if you are a 25 handicap golftec can help you. But if you are a fairly decent player trying to get better it is imperative that you find a good pro. BTW, they teach stack and tilt.
Sid
Aug 15, 2014 at 2:56 am
Goltec is a joke. Their pricing structure is outrageous. Any teacher or program requiring upfront payment is ridiculous. They won’t refund your money for UNUSED lessons if you are unsatisfied. I love how they claim to have a 95% success and customer satisfaction rate. I would love to see this independently verified. Most people are so embarrassed that they were duped into spending $1000-2000 that they feel like that can’t say their true feelings or it will expose what an idiot they were for falling for it. System golf teaching is inefficient- different people have different needs. And they never teach anyone how to actually play. I’ve known many people who have gone there and most of them ended up quitting golf altogether because of chronic shanking. Golftec is not the answer to resurrecting golf. Time to look elsewhere.
bud
Aug 15, 2014 at 11:22 pm
went to golftec as a mediocre highschool player averaging around 80 i would guess. worked the winter of junior year thru summer with occasional lessons during senior year. average went down to 76. went to state finished ~20th
now playing division 1 golf at miami university.
every golftec instructor teaches what they believe to be right. find someone you believe in and work well with. if you work hard and actually do the drills on your own time (!!!!!) you will improve
Bill
Aug 21, 2014 at 7:18 pm
last time i check miami does not have a mens golf team
Dave
Aug 14, 2014 at 10:31 pm
Golftec is too expensive to be taught by people who are lost without their camera, sensors, and other tech.
Tommy
Aug 14, 2014 at 9:42 pm
All of the centers in Chicagoland teach stack and tilt FYI
bradford
Aug 14, 2014 at 11:19 am
“Dicks Buys Golftec–Re-Fires 100 PGA Pros”
nikkyd
Aug 13, 2014 at 4:52 pm
Gotta be better than the “barely passed my P.A.T. ” pros at dicks. That place is a joke.
bradford
Aug 14, 2014 at 11:20 am
How’d you do on yours?
Regis
Aug 13, 2014 at 12:37 pm
Wow An article on the golf industry that is not bashing Taylor Made. Kudos to Golf Tec. I’ve played a lot of golf in a lot of different environments . Few if any golfers take lessons at all let alone on a regular basis. I may not like Golf Tec and I may not agree with their teaching/marketing philosophies but Good Job.
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Charlie
Aug 13, 2014 at 2:07 am
All of the GolfTec people I know teach some pseudo stack and tilt hybrid. Be wary my friends!
cc-rider
Aug 13, 2014 at 10:07 am
Be wary of gibberish comments like this one….
Evan
Aug 13, 2014 at 3:54 pm
You’re way-off Charlie…
I couldn’t be more pleased with the results of the past year I’ve spent with GolfTEC. The two pro’s that I’ve worked with – worked with MY game, not some stack and tilt nonsense. I’ve recommended them to many including some playing partners that are quickly closing the gap on me…
Marty
Aug 13, 2014 at 10:53 am
I took lessons at GolfTec and I can say it was the best thing to happen to my game, one season of lessons took me from a 30 handicap to a 15 and I have gone lower since then. My pro was very against stack and tilt.
Henry
Aug 13, 2014 at 5:33 pm
Dude, your an idiot !!
Honest Abe
Aug 14, 2014 at 1:18 am
That is not true at all. I’m out of Palm Springs and have taken lessons from golf tec for a year. I had to actually call headquarters to find a someone they would recommend for stack and tilt. My local golftec guy is a jim hardy disciple which is close enough. I travel a lot for work and practice all over SoCal only one teacher I have talked theory or teaching style with teaches or is even very knowledgable about stack and tilt. If you watched any of the videos you would know more about stack then most golf tec guys. Golf tec is great just really expensive.
cally golfer
Aug 14, 2014 at 10:54 am
Shame your swing can just not be saved….piff
Tom
Aug 14, 2014 at 11:41 pm
Golftec by me in IL definitely teaches S&T. Maybe the 3 teachers I have been to are just the ones. I love the idea of Golftec, but as a 1 handicap, it has not improved my game at all after 50 lessons (at least they were free!) I would highly recommend it to anyone who has no knowledge of the golf swing, but anyone who has big goals like me should be very wary of the Golftec teachers who just teach their system rather than individualized instruction that I have received from top ranked teachers in this area like Jim Suttie and John Elliot. There is only so much you can do in a half hour with these Golftec sessions. Feedback is very limited. I wish they would bring this technology outdoors.
Gonzo
Aug 15, 2014 at 8:55 am
Charlie you are an idiot. What do you know about S&T? After teaching 10000 lessons with GolfTEC the last 1800 were the best lessons I ever gave after learning from Mike and Andy. Quit reading golf digest for your monthly tips.
Tom
Aug 15, 2014 at 2:19 pm
At least Gonzo can confirm the S&T nonsense taught by at least one scrub at GolfTec. So much for individualized instruction!
Humanlabrat
Aug 13, 2014 at 1:17 am
I think if you are not a low handicap golfer that has good knowledge about the technicalities of the golf swing, lessons are very beneficial and would help anybody enjoy the game more.
MHendon
Aug 13, 2014 at 12:18 am
There is no question the better I became at golf the more I wanted to play. So GolfTec’s belief the best way to grow the game is through lessons may very well be right. However the growth created by this strategy will undoubtedly be much slower then many on wall street can stomach. But those that are brought to the game through this method are much more likely to make it a lifetime instead of a season.
Billy Joe
Aug 12, 2014 at 10:54 pm
I had a great experience with Golftec. I really liked my teacher Mark. He always made sure to explain the reasoning behind everything. I think that the only thing holding many golfers back is that they think they know everything so they can figure it out by themselves. I have a few friends who take a lesson and then won’t do anything the pro asks because they don’t agree. Then they don’t get any better.
Taylor
Aug 12, 2014 at 9:55 pm
I’ve had 6 lessons at my local golftec. Went from a 18 handicap to a 7.3 in under a year. Stuff works.
Carl truitt
Aug 13, 2014 at 6:37 am
I was a 20 HC last year, and this year I qualified for the FedEx playoffs….give me a break…..you are obviously a GolfTec instructor or joe assell’s brother in law!
Scooter McGavin
Aug 12, 2014 at 9:41 pm
Until they run out of money a year from now and do the same thing as Dick’s.
Hellstorm
Aug 12, 2014 at 9:20 pm
This guy Joe knows what he is talking about. Of course people will do something more if they are better at it and get more enjoyment from it. The problem is that most people starting out look at what lessons cost and they can’t justify the cost. I would say the average lesson in my area is probably around $65/hr…which is equal to about two and a half rounds of golf or six large buckets at the range. It really is a lot of money for somebody knew who is not sure of where they are going with golf.
I have often wondered why there is not a tier system for lessons. Why not have shorter lessons….15 minutes to teach somebody how to grip the club and get aligned….a few group lessons here and there for supervised hitting. I read that a guy in Florida is charging a flat rate for a season and giving 15 or 20 minute lessons whenever you feel like you need something looked at or adjusted and he seems to be doing very well and his golfers are actually improving more than under the old model. I wish more PGA guys and girls would offer this type of set-up. I think that would go a long way, especially for new golfers who might be overwhelmed with an hour of instruction.
Evan
Aug 13, 2014 at 3:57 pm
A typical lesson is only 30min and usually another 30min to yourself – to groove whatever you were working on.
n79pp
Sep 14, 2014 at 12:37 am
30 minutes to grove the stuff you just learned. Sounds good to me.
Tom Stickney
Aug 12, 2014 at 8:27 pm
I know joe personally and he’s a stand up guy…I support him 100%!
M-smizzle
Aug 12, 2014 at 7:15 pm
So it says here your last job was at dicks sporting goods