By Vinnie Manginelli, PGA
PGA Section Special Awards are often viewed as validation that the hard work and dedication we put in as PGA of America Golf Professionals are effective and impactful. It’s always satisfying to be viewed in such esteem by your colleagues in your PGA Section. Billy Sampson, the PGA of America Director of Instruction at Old Tabby Links in Okatie, South Carolina has earned several Special Awards in a very special PGA Section – Carolinas.
With a Bill Strausbaugh Award, a Player Development Award, a Teacher of the Year Award and a Golf Professional of the Year Award at the Section level, additional Chapter accolades and four Golf Range Association of America (GRAA) Top 100 Growth of the Game Teaching Professional awards, Sampson has certainly made his mark on the game and on his students and members. He’s a true mentor to many.
“I am originally from Elizabethton, Tennessee, and played golf at Elizabethton Golf Club,” Sampson shares. “My father would take me out to play when I was four or five years old. He moved to Chattanooga when I was 12 years old, and I’d stay with him for a few weeks every summer. He’d drop me off at a nine-hole golf course on his way to work and play with me on his way home. That is when I fell in love with the game.”
As he played golf throughout his teenage years, Sampson played high school golf and football but did not play golf in college at East Tennessee State University, instead opting to play rugby. He did, however, compete in local amateur golf tournaments as his game continually improved. Shortly after ETSU, he moved to Hilton Head Island and began his professional golf career at Sea Pines Resort, where he learned the business of golf from PGA of America Golf Professionals like Cary Corbitt and John Farrell.
“Sea Pines Resort was the place where I found my passion for teaching while studying under acclaimed instructors such as Don Trahan and Rick Barry,” he explains. “I continued my professional career at Old Tabby Links beginning in 1995 and was the Director of Golf from 1996 to 2019 and assumed the PGA of America Director of Instruction role in 2019. During my time at Old Tabby Links, I have been blessed to take lessons and work with top coaches like Jack Lumpkin and Mike Shannon.”
Now a Quarter Century PGA Member, Sampson believes that helping golfers stay healthy and active in their fitness will lead to an extended golfing life for them.
“As our membership ages, I intend to keep them constantly progressing with their game,” he says. “Instead of watching their abilities dwindle, I want them to maintain or even gain distance and accuracy while remaining confident even as they age.”
Sampson formed a weekly Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) workout class to assist those members already in the program, as well as others who are interested in learning more about the benefits of golf fitness. These exercise regimens differ from regular workouts because of the focus on golf-specific stretches and strength training. He has found that they are more likely to stay with the program and see wonderful results, both physically and on the golf course, by participating in a group setting and working together.
“I have students who are blind, others with Parkinson’s Disease and several others who have had hip, knee and shoulder replacements, and have found ways for them to continue playing golf,” Sampson boasts proudly.
With very few juniors at his facility, Sampson assists the local high school golf program and gives back at his alma mater in Elizabethton. In discussing player development, Sampson is passionate about helping beginners and seasoned veterans of the game improve their skills and increase the enjoyment they experience from the game.
He uses Trackman for all levels of golfers and believes that taking Trackman to the course has been a very successful program, appreciating the true numbers derived from the technology. He also uses a portable pressure mat on the golf course for different lies and putting. “This gives us great feedback to see the difference between practice and playing,” he says.
Looking ahead, Sampson sees the fitness aspect of golf continuing to grow. He appreciates using technology for fitness assessments and workouts and looks forward to inspiring juniors to play golf. He will continue to provide his aging golfers with the attention and expertise of him and his golf and fitness coaching staff. This professional collaboration is a huge asset to the development of his members and students.
Sampson is active with the Folds of Honor Foundation, an organization that “provides life-changing scholarships to the spouses and children of America’s fallen or disabled military and first responders.” Enjoy this short video of Sampson not only sharing his love of helping golfers get the most out of the game but also discussing his efforts for Folds of Honor over the years. Bravo, Billy, Bravo!
