By Vinnie Manginelli, PGA
At the Golf Range Association of America (GRAA), we are fortunate to engage with PGA of America Golf Professionals from all aspects of the game. However, it is the teachers, coaches and instructors who are at the core of our annual Growth of the Game awards.
Few PGA of America teaching professionals have as complete a resume as Dale Abraham. The PGA of America Director of Instruction at BIGHORN Golf Club in Palm Desert, California has awards (Two-time Section Teacher of the Year), accolades (Top Teacher honors from GOLF Magazine, Golf Digest and Golf Tips Magazine) and certifications (Aimpoint, Trackman, Blast Golf, TPI and more!)
Abraham is one of only 52 GRAA Elite Growth of the Game Teaching Professionals. In fact, his accomplishments in golf date back to college, when he was a three-time NCAA All-America at the University of California San Diego.
Dale Abraham is the subject of our latest Golf Range Magazine Five Questions Feature. Enjoy.
Golf Range Magazine: Can you tell us when and where you got your start in the game of golf?
Abraham: Growing up in Northern California, I was 17 years old when I started playing golf – between my sophomore and junior years in high school. I had played many sports until then but wound up choosing golf over baseball at the time. I played two years of high school golf and then played at the University of California San Diego in La Jolla, California.
Golf Range Magazine: When did you know you wanted to be a PGA of America Golf Professional, and what is your current role and facility?
Abraham: During college, it was my goal to play on Tour, but I suffered a significant wrist injury just one week after graduating that derailed my playing career. I wound up working for David Leadbetter and found that I enjoyed teaching golf. I pursued PGA membership while working for Leadbetter and have been teaching full-time for about 28 years. I am currently the PGA of America Director of Instruction at BIGHORN Golf Club in Palm Desert, California from the fall to spring, and the PGA of America Director of Instruction at Cape Arundel Golf Club in Kennebunkport, Maine during the summer.
Golf Range Magazine: What’s trending in your programming and instruction?
Abraham: Over the past few years, I have seen a lot of golfers interested in hitting the ball farther, as well as golfers being more open to working on their games on the golf course. When you think about it, golf is the only sport where you practice on a different surface than you play. Having the ability to teach and coach on the golf course, where a golfer can quickly implement what he or she learns, has helped my students make tremendous strides. I use my website and newsletter for the majority of my communication with students versus other traditional social media platforms, and have been working on an exciting project through my website that I hope to have completed and up and running soon.
Golf Range Magazine: What is your favorite part of the game of golf? The business of golf?
Abraham: My favorite part of teaching is helping others improve their skills, bringing increased enjoyment to their lives. Seeing the smile on someone’s face as they tell you about a success they just had on the golf course is priceless and never gets old. I also enjoy getting to know my students and appreciate the friendships that are forged through the game of golf.
Golf Range Magazine: What does the future hold in golf for you? What’s on the horizon in teaching and mentorship as a proven leader in golf coaching and instruction?
Abraham: I hope the future holds many more years of helping others play better golf. Keeping up with the advancements in technology means I’m learning something new each year and helps keep me sharp. I also like to stay informed about new theories in instruction, coaching, biomechanics, equipment, course management, the physical side of golf, nutrition and more. I think advancements in AI will help make teaching and coaching golf more effective and even better than it currently is.
For more information on Dale Abraham, PGA, check out his website today!
