By Vinnie Manginelli, PGA
Lou Guzzi, the 2013 PGA of America Teacher of the Year, is the PGA of America Owner/Operator at the Lou Guzzi Golf Academy in Ambler, Pennsylvania. He is a multiple award winner in the Philadelphia PGA Section and is a GRAA Elite Growth of the Game Teaching Professional.
“When I was young, my dad and I would go to the driving range once in a while,” Guzzi tells us. “He didn’t really play, but we liked to hit balls once in a while. From around the age of 12, I would hit plastic golf balls across the neighbors’ lawns to a hole that I dug in the ground to shoot at. Once I reached my lawn, I would use a real ball to putt out. We lived in a row home in Philadelphia, so all the houses were connected, and everyone knew everyone, so the neighbors did not get mad at me for being on their property.”
When he was 17 years old, Guzzi was hanging out with his girlfriend, looking for something to do, when he remembered that he had an old set of clubs that he purchased at a yard sale. They decided to go to the local public golf course and play. Guzzi says that is the day when he considered himself hooked on golf.
Guzzi would go on to play many amateur golf tournaments while self-employed in the late 80s—in fact, he’d win four club championships. He had taken many lessons and was around the golf world so much that he already had a ton of experience in the game.
“When I turned 30, I had the opportunity to become the head golf professional at Flourtown Country Club,” Guzzi recalls. “That is the club where I was a member, and I knew the operation very well. That is when I became a PGA of America Golf Professional!”
Today at the Lou Guzzi Golf Academy, Guzzi’s teaching program is designed to help golfers of any handicap reach their personal goals. He believes that teaching all aspects of the game is very important, and added an aboutGolf simulator to his academy in 2019, raising the bar on coaching and data analysis with his students.
“It has opened up a tremendous amount of additional teaching opportunities,” Guzzi says. “Using the simulator to take a student on the course has been a game-changer and allows me the opportunity to teach them all about pre-shot routine, club selection, shot selection, course management and more. It has also made it possible to teach 12 months out of the year, allowing me to grow my business.”
After several decades of coaching, Guzzi says there is nothing better than helping a student learn something new and seeing the excitement on their face as they watch the results of a beautiful shot in action.
“When golf is very important to them, helping them improve their skills is an honor,” he boasts. “It’s very rewarding to be a part of making their life more enjoyable through golf. I am very blessed to teach this great game and feel very fortunate that I can do something that I love as my profession.”
Guzzi enjoys going to his teaching building every day to create the best possible learning experiences for his golfers. He’s also tapped into technology to get his brand out for people to see. In fact, Guzzi has produced over 400 teaching videos to help golfers improve their game, and his Transformation Golf website offers members 24/7 access to learn on their own time and schedule.
Guzzi has been running his business for many years and enjoys a very full schedule of students. He says if it’s not broke, then don’t fix it. He feels that mentorship is very important and enjoys sharing his knowledge and experience with other coaches. In fact, over the past four years, he has chaired the National PGA Teaching and Coaching Summit Committee.
Our committee did an outstanding job for the 2023 and 2025 Summits in Orlando during the PGA Show,” he says proudly. “It was challenging and rewarding to work with so many great coaches to bring the best experience to the summit. Moving forward, I look forward to speaking at the Teacher of the Year Conference in Pinehurst, along with other opportunities to share my information and learn from many other coaches.”
For more information on the Lou Guzzi Golf Academy, log on to his website today!
