Brian Mackey

Please indicate past awards won/recognitions:
Golf Digest Best in State

Other awards won:
NJPGA Youth Player Development Award 2024, NJPGA Patriot Award 2023 and 2022

Total number of individual lessons given per year:
Male: 2,500 at Club; 540 by Brian Mackey
Female: 1,680 at Club; 460 by Brian Mackey
Junior: 100 at Club; 30 by Brian Mackey

Total number of individual clinics given per year:
60 at Club; 20 by Brian Mackey

Please indicate any Growth of the Game initiatives your facility/academy has launched over the past year (please give specifics on such programs):
Community Outreach:
Growing the game is at the heart of why I teach, and I am passionate about creating welcoming pathways for people to experience golf and discover all that it can offer. Although BallenIsles is a private facility, I believe our impact should extend well beyond the club’s membership. Through meaningful community partnerships, we proudly introduce the game to juniors and veterans throughout the surrounding area.

First Tee of the Palm Beaches and PGA Jr. League:
Our partnership with the First Tee of the Palm Beaches gives local junior golfers the opportunity to learn, compete, build confidence, and develop a lifelong connection to the game through PGA Jr. League. From May through August this year, we had the privilege of coaching more than 35 junior players. Watching these young golfers grow in skill, teamwork, and enthusiasm is incredibly rewarding and reinforces my commitment to expanding access to the game.

PGA HOPE at BallenIsles:
I am especially proud to have brought PGA HOPE to BallenIsles for the first time in the club’s history. This program is deeply meaningful to me because it demonstrates the power of golf to support healing, build relationships, and create a genuine sense of community. Three fellow coaches and I work with 25 veterans for two hours each Saturday over a six-week period. It is an honor to introduce these veterans to the game and to see the connections, confidence, and camaraderie that develop through each session. Initiatives like PGA HOPE embody exactly why growing the game is my passion.

Please share any programming you have made to keep your customers & students engaged:
Inclusive Programming for Every Customer:
Keeping customers and students engaged is one of our highest priorities. Beyond private instruction, we enthusiastically offer a wide range of clinics, group instruction, and shared learning experiences designed to welcome and serve every demographic across our customer base. Whether participants are new to the game or experienced players, our goal is to provide relevant, enjoyable opportunities that deepen their connection to golf and encourage continued growth. This year, we are excited to expand that commitment by welcoming three distinguished guest instructors.

Featured Guest Instruction:
Leading mental-performance coach Julie Elion will deliver an engaging classroom-style session focused on helping students strengthen the mental side of their game. New Jersey’s No. 1 instructor, Nick Bova, will lead a dynamic program covering body-movement patterns and the full swing. Top tour coach Gabe Hjertstedt of Gabe Golf will provide an immersive short-game school, giving students another exciting opportunity to learn from an accomplished specialist.

Practice Like a Pro Clinic Series:
In addition to our guest presentations, we are thrilled to introduce the Practice Like a Pro clinic series. This new offering will give students an inside look at how their instructors and club professionals prepare for events, structure purposeful practice, and continually sharpen their games. By sharing these proven habits and strategies in an accessible group setting, we can inspire golfers across ability levels to practice with greater confidence, intention, and enjoyment.

Women’s Golf Experiences:
We also offer a robust schedule of women’s golf experiences, including on-course instruction and group clinics focused on the full swing, short game, putting, and course management. These programs are an essential part of our broader commitment to ensuring that every segment of our customer base has access to welcoming, engaging, and meaningful instruction. Providing programming for all demographics is not simply an enhancement to our operation—it is fundamental to our mission and of the utmost importance to us.