Kyle Benish, a three-time Western New York PGA Section Assistant Professional of the Year, a three-time Western New York PGA Section Merchandiser of the Year – Resort, the 2024 Section Professional Development Award winner and the 2023 Section Player Development Award winner, is the PGA of America Head Professional at Holiday Valley Resort in Ellicottville, New York.
Kyle Benish on the importance of using short-range target fun to make practice more playful:
At our facility, we use creative targets inside 100 yards to help golfers dial in their wedge game and keep practice playful. These include:
- 50-yard target green – Mowed at a tighter height this season to simulate the look and feel of true putting surfaces, it brings a tour-like vibe to every shot.
- Black Diamond targets, where two four-foot plywood diamonds provide a dramatic “crack” when struck. Occasionally, a well-struck shot may even pass through, offering a great teaching point for juniors on ball speed and range safety.
- “Ring the Bell” Stop Sign – Painted with a bullseye and placed at 80 yards, this unique target rewards well-struck shots with an unmistakable ring. It’s a crowd favorite for juniors, groups and challenges.
Everyone who practices at our facility participates in this. Our website and social media platforms are great avenues for communication on these items, but most of the time it’s word of mouth.
Kyle Benish on the business impact of using short-range target fun to make practice more playful:
Using creative targets inside 100 yards to make practice more playful has increased traffic at our course, which results in more profit for our practice facility. It leads to more fun, more practicing and more rounds. This leads to more people coming to the resort, which helps all departments – from lodging, to golf, to food and beverage. I have been PGA of America Head Professional at Holiday Valley for four years. My first year, we added a few things, and each year we evaluate and tweak a few things, which has led to more revenue and more success.
