By Vinnie Manginelli, PGA
Fox Hollow Golf Course is one of five courses under the Baltimore County Golf umbrella. Located on the Fox Hollow Golf Course practice range is the Fox Hollow Training Center, a 10-time Golf Range Association of America (GRAA) Top 50 Public Facility.
Maryland native and Towson University grad John Rosecrans is a PGA of America Player Development Professional at the Fox Hollow Training Center, a role he assumed five years ago after spending several years at Rocky Point Golf Course, another of the five Baltimore County Golf courses.
Rosecrans describes Fox Hollow Golf Course as having more than 60 hitting bays, 30 of which are covered for protection from the elements. The facility has three lighted greens for putting, chipping and pitching and practice bunkers for extensive short-game instruction and practice.
The facility offers golf instruction to golfers of all ages and skill levels. They’re currently hosting five junior camps for kids from 6-16 years of age at Fox Hollow alone, and Rosecrans runs a “Terrified to Try” clinic that he named to put at ease the minds of the many beginning golfers they serve, as well as active golfers who may have been hesitant about taking their game to the next level. This series of three weekly clinics covers all the physical aspects of the game and gives the participants many great opportunities to ask questions about the swing, short game, rules, etiquette or any other aspect of the game they’d like to inquire about.
Rosecrans and his team also do many small group lessons and ladies’ clinics that promote camaraderie and the social aspect of golf, as much as the physical, mental and technical sides of the sport. Their Clinic and Cocktails sessions highlight the facility’s golf instruction and F&B services.
The Fox Hollow staff is very adept at custom club fitting to ensure golfers have clubs suited to their specifications. They use Trackman, Onform Video, training aids, the Mizuno Shaft Optimizer and a variety of fitting carts from the biggest names in golf equipment. Rosecrans averages 6-8 fittings per week and has a 90-95 percent sell rate, boosting retail revenues in the Fox Hollow golf shop. They host demo and custom fitting days to also help increase new club sales.
“We invested more in equipment, staff and infrastructure last year to help facilitate this success,” Rosecrans explains. “We expanded our club fitting options and added a full-time PGA fitter and instructor so we could accommodate every customer possible. Using our customer database, local advertising and updated infrastructure, we have seen tremendous growth in 2023 and so far in 2024.”
The Fox Hollow team is very active in their local community, hosting Baltimore County public schools for practice and matches in the fall, and private high schools for practices and matches in the spring.
“We are also the home of the Towson University men’s and women’s golf teams and work closely with them on-site and on campus through golf events at popular university functions including sporting events, community events and job fairs,” the former Tiger says proudly. “We have been and will continue to be a partner with the Special Olympics. In season they use our facility for practice in preparation for their yearly tournament.
Rosecrans’ team at the training center includes John Miller, PGA; Joe Gallup, PGA Associate; and Mike Messina, a PGA of America Golf Professional who splits time between Fox Hollow and nearby Greystone Golf Course.
For more information on Fox Hollow Training Center and Baltimore County Golf, log on to their website today!
