Taylor Lambertsen, a three-time Golf Range Association of America (GRAA) Top 100 Growth of the Game Teaching Professional, a U.S. Kids Top 50 Master Kids Coach and a 2025-2026 Golf Digest Best Young Teacher in America, is a PGA of America Associate Teaching Professional at Briarwood Country Club in Deerfield, Illinois, and the Events Coordinator and Girls’ Golf Coach at DePaul College Prep High School in Chicago, Illinois.
Golf Range Best Practice: Taylor Lambertsen on the importance of being the coach your students need to excel in golf:
When I started playing golf, I had a full-swing coach and a short-game coach. My parents made sure I had the guidance I needed to advance my golf journey. Finding the right swing coach is about weighing who’s affordable, available and the right fit. Coaches have to be knowledgeable in the game, adaptable in their approach, close to where you live and most importantly, fun. Coaches create relationships with their students and help kids enjoy playing and practicing the game. Building bonds with students to create a comfortable learning environment opens doors for the coach and student to achieve greatness. There are many ways to make the game of golf engaging for today’s youth. Parents refer to my classes as Coach T’s ParTee because my classes are fun and exciting while introducing new skills and improving each child’s game. I believe it’s my responsibility to mentor junior players as well as to coach them. I create bonds by dancing to Hannah Montana, coaching birthday parties, attending plays and dance recitals and going on the course for play days (cartwheels after good shots are the icing on the cake). These extras keep the kids interested and make them want to come back for more.
Taylor Lambertsen on the business impact of being the coach your students need to excel in golf:
Building trust with each junior golfer is the first step. We may spend some lessons smashing water balloons or playing golf baseball so that it changes the typical routine, because in life, there are curve balls. Teaching them that there is more to golf than they know and demonstrating the positive impact it can have in the long run is at the top of my list. Showing them how to be positive, grow through the ups and downs of the game and build confidence and perseverance that they can use in all aspects of life is something all coaches should do. To help me grow, my dad found a female coach in the northern suburbs to work on my full swing and another from the Leadbetter Academy, who focused on improving my short game. With their guidance, my skills developed quickly. That led to collegiate golf and a career as a coach and mentor. With the junior golf success I have seen in recent years, I’m creating a new program to be implemented this fall and winter to keep the engagement with my young golfers going year-round. This builds my in-season programming, creating growth in participation and in my lesson business, as well.
If you would like to email the author of this Best Practice directly, please email taylorlambertsen@gmail.com.
