HEATHROW, FL – Golf coaches have developed a vast array of instruction programs over the years, reminiscent of that wall of 2,000-plus putters in Arnold Palmer’s beloved Pennsylvania workshop. In each case the additions just kept coming—but programs aren’t as easy to organize as putters. To address that reality, Proponent Group has researched and compiled a comprehensive 21-page guide called the “Programming Optimizer” and made it available to its 475 creative yet business-savvy members.
“Golfers have myriad reasons for getting involved with formal instruction and coaches have addressed those needs with diverse formats and themes,” says Proponent Group president Lorin Anderson. “We felt the time had come to gather them up in one document under a dozen or so categories, accompanied by best practices and other helpful context.”
The new guide, according to Anderson, “is designed as a clearinghouse for program ideas our coaches have used over the years with success.” No facility would choose to offer everything in it simultaneously. Instead, the member-exclusive Programming Optimizer is provided as an “idea bank” to assist coaches in keeping they offerings fresh, plugging holes in current programming and reaching golfer types they haven’t drawn attention from previously.
Programming priorities the new document covers include such concerns as:
- Creating a wide matrix or programs to attract all levels of golfers and ensure a steady pipeline of new students
- Offering programs at a variety of price points
- Building multiple layers of junior programming that reach down as low as ages 4 or 5, with pathways for competitive and non-competitive youngsters alike
- Matching programming to local golf demographics
- Plugging in turnkey options that can help fill gaps, such as Get Golf Ready, Operation 36, LPGA Girls Golf, and others
- Including some limited premium-priced offerings
As often happens with Proponent Group’s library of definitive Guides, this one is expected to evolve and be regularly updated.
“If you look back 15 years, there was no national Drive, Chip and Putt competition,” Anderson points out, “so there weren’t any Drive, Chip and Putt Boot Camp programs. But innovative instructors quickly developed them and have made them a success. This is an aspect of the golf coaching profession that never stays static.”
About Proponent Group
Proponent Group is the only organization solely focused on helping golf’s dedicated, full-time instructors grow their businesses and build their careers. Founded in 2007, Proponent Group recognizes that even accomplished teaching professionals need a unique array of professional services to build their teaching brand, create job security and grow compensation. If you are a full-time coach and would like access to this or other company-provided support tools, you can join Proponent Group at proponent-group.com