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 Kennedy has been at Sycuan resort for 15 years (Photo: Eddie Meeks). Holly Kennedy, the tournament director and PGA teaching professional at El Cajon’s Sycuan Resort, used good learning experiences in the game growing up to propel her to her current profession. What inspired you to become a golf teacher? I had two amazing golf instructors: Donna Abrego from Presidio Hills Golf Course and Boyd Barrett from Cottonwood Golf Club, both in San Diego. They made every lesson and every hour of practice fun and enjoyable for me. Do you have the same teaching approach for women as you do for men? For the most part I would say yes. For me, the process starts with learning as much as possible about the student and then helping them decide what it is they want to accomplish. You can help people get better by simply helping them determine where they want to go and how they want to get there. Once the game plan is in place, now matter how experienced or inexperienced a student is, I begin with an analysis of the fundamentals: grip, posture, alignment, balance and timing. Do you see any swing flaws that are more common with women than men? The most common swing flaw across the board, for both men and women, is the tendency to grip the club too tight and swing the club too hard. Both men and women want to hit the ball farther, and as a result they end up tight, rigid, and out of balance. I begin almost every lesson by letting the student warm up for a few minutes, and then ask them to rate their grip pressure on their first five swings or so, on a scale of one to five. The second I point it out, you can see the light bulb go off in their head — and once the awareness kicks in and the tension starts to release, we can move on to other swing thoughts. What’s the best golf tip you’ve ever received? Smile when you putt. My husband taught me that. It’s amazing how many more putts you can make when you have a smile on your face. What’s the most common problem you see in your students and how do you fix it? Tension, tension, tension! As I mentioned earlier, it’s the most common problem encountered by students of all abilities. But once you create that awareness, that they actually are squeezing the life out of the handle of the club, you start a chain reaction of better motion and movement, better balance, and ultimately better ballstriking. What’s the most challenging thing about being a golf teacher? Wanting every lesson to be fulfilling in some way for the student, and seeing them walk away feeling like it was an enjoyable, fun and worthwhile 30 or 60 minutes that they just spent with me. There will always be those occasional lessons where, for whatever reason, you and your students just aren’t quite connecting. They might have had a horrible day at work, or felt rushed when they arrived, or not had a chance to practice. It’s taking those situations and trying to turn them around for your student — so they feel better and have a chance to feel a moment of success during the lesson — that is very challenging. What’s the most satisfying thing about being a golf teacher? When I finish a lesson and see the satisfaction and happiness on a student’s face. I’m a big fan of mini-celebrations on the lesson tee, because the student’s success is ultimately your success. And, in my opinion, that’s worthy of a celebration.  What’s your best round ever and where?My best round didn’t center on the score as much as it did the experience. Three years ago, Sycuan gave several members of our staff a dream weekend at Spanish Bay. During that trip we played Pebble Beach and, to this day, I will never forget that round. We had 80-degree weather and calm winds — unheard of in October. I was provided the most incredible caddie named Dustin Hoffman (no, not the actor) and shot a 76. I remember nothing about the shots I played but can tell you how beautiful each hole was and how incredible the views were. That day was the epitome of what golf is really about — the experience and not the score. What was the first thing that attracted you to the game? Golf has been in my life and my family since I was 7, so it was more a family recreation experience that turned into a way of life for us. The fact that I met my future husband here at the club is kind of nice too, and inspired me to stay in the business and continue to share this life experience with him. What’s your greatest achievement in golf? That would have to be the fact that I have been at the same club for 15 years now and can honestly say I have enjoyed coming to work every day of my working career. It also is incredibly fulfilling to look back and know that I started as a 7- year-old member of San Diego Junior Golf, became a member of the PGA of America, and am now serving as the SDJGA’s vice president. It doesn’t get much better than that. What’s your personal motto on the course? From a playing perspective, I have no fear. I expect that every drive will be straight, every putt will go in and that I will shoot par. It doesn’t always happen, but it’s a great way to start your round, and having that fighting spirit has helped me soldier through some of the toughest situations in competition. Aside from that, I approach the golf course with a laughter-is-the-best-medicine mentality. It works and can help make even the worst round enjoyable. What is your most treasured golf possession? My family is from New England and my great grandfather founded a nine-hole club in Maine called Blue Hill Country Club. I’ve spent part of every summer there playing what is probably the most challenging nine holes of golf you’ll ever encounter. My most treasured golf possession is a framed photo of the original clubhouse that my cousin found on eBay and gave to me for my birthday one year. |
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RSS SubscribeReaders Feedback:
Real brain power on display. Thanks for that asnewr!
| Comment at 5/25/2011 |
Great common sense here. Wish I?d thgouht of that.
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| Comment at 6/1/2011 |
