By Vinnie Manginelli, PGA
Sean English is no stranger to winning awards in the golf industry. With Teacher of the Year honors in the Southern Ohio and Middle Atlantic PGA Sections, English has transformed the golf games of countless students, from beginners to seasoned players. In addition to a Section Professional Development award and multiple U.S. Kids Golf Top 50 Coaches awards, English recently earned his first Golf Range Association of America (GRAA) Top 100 Growth of the Game Teaching Professional award.
As a kid, English played many sports, but he developed juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 12. It was at this time that his stepfather, Leroy Bentley, introduced him to the game of golf.
“I was lucky enough to have a wheat field behind my house in Paducah, Kentucky,” English recalls. “After school, I would come home and hit two shag bags full of golf balls during warm weather.”
That initial experience in golf grew throughout English’s teenage years, as he learned the game under PGA of America Golf Professional Daniel “Kayo” Mullen at Paxton Park Golf Course in his hometown of Paducah. English would go on to play four years of college golf at Southern Illinois University.
“I wanted to be just like Kayo!” English says. “After college, I moved to Cleveland, Ohio where I began my career as a golf professional under PGA of America Master Professional Charlie Stone. Charlie molded me into a great teacher and professional while at Beechmont Country Club.”
After six years as an assistant professional at Beechmont, English would secure his first head professional role at Urbana Country Club and then at The Legend at Bristlecone where he was also the club’s PGA of America Director of Golf.
English dove into golf instruction full-time in 2004 when he moved to Kenwood Country Club. He became the lead instructor at Caves Valley Golf Club in 2012 and joined The Elkridge Club in Baltimore, Maryland as its PGA of America Director of Instruction in 2018.
At Elkridge, English builds relationships with his members through programs for the entire family. Their PGA Jr. League program has expanded into two 12U teams and a 17U team. Elkridge’s summer camp program, which was once three weeks, is now a 12-week program for core juniors and six weeks for their Pee Wee age group.
“If the kids are happy, mom and dad are going to be happy,” English adds. “In addition to adding Rookies clinics throughout the year, we started a Tuesday Ladies Night for the working moms/wives and ran a men’s beginning golfer group last summer, as several dads wanted to be able to join the rest of the family on the course.”
The Elkridge Club has a Learning Center where they host holiday parties and corporate events, and members can enjoy time with friends while watching sports year-round. The Learning Center is equipped with two Trackman devices, a SwingCatalyst Balance Plate and a four-camera video system. When the weather dictates, they close the doors and use the Trackman simulators for further engagement with members. English says it’s important to be available to their membership. As such, during shotgun events, they are on the range chatting with golfers, providing swing tips or showcasing new equipment.
When asked for a success story to share, English tells the tale of 10-year-old Lane A., who had no golf experience when he first attended their junior camp.
“We use Operation 36 programming in most of our programs and help players level up after being able to shoot 36 from 25 yards, 50 yards, and so on,” English explains. “Lane had never been on a course, only coming to the driving range with his dad once or twice. On his first hole, Lane holed his 25-yard shot for an ace and went on to post a score of 36 to pass his Level 1 Performance Test. The happiness on his face after the round was the reward I love in teaching.”
Looking ahead, English sees the virtual golf trend continuing to grow. At Elkridge, their Trackman simulators have been vital in engaging with members year-round. However, to help facilitate that growth, they are looking to expand their Learning Center to create another bay, add another Trackman and build a sitting area with a bar and restroom. This will enable them to run leagues for members during the winter and create added value in an Elkridge Club membership.
