Jeff Henry, the 2004 & 2005 PGA Nebraska Section Youth Player Development Award Recipient and 2004, 2008, & 2014 Assistant Professional of the Year, is a PGA Assistant Golf Professional at the Country Club (Nebraska) of Lincoln.
Jeff Henry on the importance of offering an Adult Learning Club:
Group clinics are a great way for golfers to learn the game and improve their skills, while meeting new people and reducing their financial investment. More often than not, these clinics have a prescribed agenda put forth by the teaching staff. A few years ago, we launched a new program called the Adult Practice Club in which students come to our group sessions with a desired topic in mind. This innovative format allows students to attend four sessions out of the dozen scheduled on our club calendar each month. Many come with a specific topic to discuss; others simply go with the flow and absorb whatever information is being disseminated. If multiple topics are to be covered, we will allot a portion of the one-hour session to each aspect of the game to be addressed. We plan and publish the season schedule early in the year so students can consider their availability and sign up accordingly. We limit each session to eight students, so we strive to have them register in advance – this is still a work in progress. With the close relationships we have with our members, it is important that we stay abreast of their progress between sessions, helping to clarify any questions or issues they may have. This program is akin to supervised practice sessions, and to ensure members get the most out of the education, we use all aspects of our facility – on course, practice range, and putting and short game areas.
Jeff Henry on the business impact of offering an Adult Learning Club:
After two years, the Adult Practice Club has proven to be popular among our members and a successful endeavor for our teaching business. Students pay $125 per month and can sign up for consecutive months or take a break in between. Through these group clinics, our Assistant Professionals not only gain recognition among our members, but earn lesson revenues for their time. We also increase our private lesson base as a result of the work we do with members in the group format. In addition, these sessions provide many opportunities to evaluate members’ equipment and potentially help them upgrade their clubs, increasing custom fittings and golf shop sales. Finally, the Adult Practice Club has been so successful that we are starting a version for our youth golfers that will offer them two monthly sessions and will continue well into the fall.
If you would like to email the author of this Best Practice directly, please email mcjrhenry@aol.com
