Daniel Shelden

Please indicate past awards won/recognitions:
GRAA Top 100 Growth of the Game Teaching Professional, Golf Digest Best in State

Other awards won:
2020 Illinois PGA Youth Player Development Award

Total number of individual lessons given per year:
Male: 300
Female: 100
Junior: 800

Total number of individual clinics given per year:
50

Please indicate any Growth of the Game initiatives your facility/academy has launched over the past year (please give specifics on such programs):
Our Growth of the Game initiatives are to incorporate as much fun and entertainment as possible to our junior golf program. Our program does a great job of introducing golf to young players and keeping them engaged with fun, productive lesson plans. The development of the junior golf program over the past thirteen years since I have been a part of the Ruth Lake staff as been paramount for the growth of our club. When I started in 2012, I was given the okay to run the junior golf program. In that year, we participated in the inaugural year of PGA Junior League, which included 10 kids total. For the past six years we have run our own league with four teams, with 12 kids per team, ages 10-13. The past two summers I developed a beginner version of PGA Junior League for my juniors ages 7-9. The idea of this program was to continue working on the fundamentals that we learn in our junior golf program but more importantly get them time on the golf course and begin to experience healthy competition. I have my older juniors play from the US Kids Level 1 & 2 tees but for this beginner group, they teed off from the 100-yard marker. I felt the 100-yard marker was a good challenge point for the participants, but at the same time it gave them plenty of chances to make birdies and pars throughout the round. The team aspect (2-man scramble format) provided so many opportunities for players to interact with each other and talk through how to play a particular shot. The two players would consistently talk through how they wanted to approach a shot or ask for advice on how a putt might break. Good shots were met with high-fives and bad shots were met with encouragement. This was extremely reassuring as these were my beginner students who either just took up the game or were a year or so into their golf careers. Parents and coaches were starting to see children develop leadership skills playing as a team. It’s these leadership skills that will serve these junior golfers greatly as they get older. For all that can be said about the format or team camaraderie, the most important thing I saw as a PGA Professional was that the kids were out having fun! That’s the biggest success we can ask for!

Please share any programming you have made to keep your customers & students engaged:
As a PGA Director of Instruction at Ruth Lake Country Club, my responsibility is to create a positive experience for all athletes so that it will keep more players engaged and retained in the game of golf. In my efforts to continuously evolve the sport and grow participation, it is important to focus on youth golf. Getting kids to play at a young age often helps develop an early love for the game that can truly last a lifetime. At Ruth Lake Country Club, I offer a youth golf program that steers students through the game via a variety of learning and playing opportunities. Because I work with students in the age ranges of five through college level, it is important to be able to keep them engaged while meeting them at their skill level.

I start kids at age five with our Little Linkers program where I introduce the game, focusing on fun, colorful drills and games that create an excitement for golf while preparing them for my nine week junior camp. This camp covers all areas of the game in a beginner format, highlighted by more fun drills and games, as well contests to start introducing competition. As their skills improve and they continue to grow in the game, they transition into my PGA Junior League. I have two different leagues (four teams in each league) of PGA Junior League, one for my eight- to ten-year-old golfers and one for my ten to thirteen year old golfers. This league is basically their first true opportunity to display their skills while teaming up with other juniors their age in competition. In my PGA Junior League practices, I incorporate more on-course play, rules and etiquette, as well as a more in depth understanding of full-swing fundamentals. Finally, my Lakers program is designed to incorporate team lessons and practices for those kids who want to participate in a higher level of competition (high school & college). The Lakers program is run like college golf practice where all players are given different tasks (putting, short game, full-swing) that must be completed at the end of practice. These junior golfers play team competitions against neighboring clubs to give them experience playing their own ball and competing. The feedback I have received from parents on the progression of our program has been tremendous.