Darren Falk

Please indicate past awards won/recognitions:
Other (Indicate specific awards below in 3-a)

Other awards won:
NEPGA Player Development Award – 2024. Cape Cod PGA Teacher of Year – 2021. Golf Digest Best Young Teacher – 2021-2024. Golf Digest Best in State – 2023 – 2026

Total number of individual lessons given per year:
Male: 200
Female: 150
Junior: 15

Total number of individual clinics given per year:
250-300

Please indicate any Growth of the Game initiatives your facility/academy has launched over the past year (please give specifics on such programs):
No new programs were launched this year.

Please share any programming you have made to keep your customers & students engaged:
Hello Golf! A Program for New Golfers
Holly Ridge’s ‘Hello Golf’ program has served as a catalyst to bring new golfers to the facility. This 4-week program is designed to help the new golfer feel comfortable on the golf course and does so in a relaxed, and fun environment. Darren has been instrumental in helping develop the curriculum for the program.
This program is meant for complete beginners, many of which have never picked up a golf club before. The maximum group size is 6 so students feel comfortable in a small group with other players, very much like themselves. The first 2 weeks are focused on the technical side of the game; full swing, and short game fundamentals. Weeks 3 and 4 are primarily spent on the golf course. For those who have never played before, being on a golf course can prove to be a very daunting task. They learn not only how to play and which clubs to use and when, but more importantly proper etiquette. Many times, the biggest hurdle for golfers is fear of embarrassment. They don’t want to look foolish out there. On some occasions, we even talk about how to purchase range balls and the ball dispenser works! For those who started playing golf as a child, this is all second nature. But to someone who knows nothing about golf, the fear of range balls rolling all over the place is a real fear. The goal of this program is making the student feel comfortable at a golf course, both in their ability as well as their knowledge of the ins and out of a golf operation.
This past year saw over 100 students go through this program. And more impressively is how many become regular golfers at Holly Ridge. Due to the demand of this program, an additional instructor has been added so Darren can focus on the other programs he offers. The original curriculum that Darren created is still being followed.

Hit & Giggle Golf
With the success of the Hello Golf Program, it was assumed that graduates would directly move into a Golf League. This proved not to be the case. Students did not feel ready for a league and needed to be more comfortable on the course still. Enter Hit & Giggle Golf! Each session consists of 12 students and the first 30 minutes of the program is group instruction. Topics are rotated each week (Putting, Chipping, Irons, Driver) and the goal is to present a simple idea, so the student leaves with a “nugget” of information for the day. After the instruction portion, students are paired into groups and play a 9 hole scramble. No scores are kept, and the atmosphere is relaxed and fun. The goal is for participants to make new friends and form their own group outside of the class. Many of these groups have made their way into a golf league or have an established tee time at Holly Ridge during the week. In 2024 there were a total of 62 Hit & Giggle sessions with 720 participants. Students are limited to 1 session per week due to the high demand.

Adult Short Game Clinic
Darren started this clinic upon his arrival at Holly Ridge and it has been extremely successful. This class is limited to just 6 participants to allow for individual work with each student. The class covers Putting, Chipping, and Pitching. Students are given notes for the class sent through the CoachNow App, which they can access via their phone or through the CoachNow website. Students can share feedback and ask questions in this space as well.
2024 saw 105 students partake in this clinic.
In the putting portion, the 3 Skills of putting are discussed.
1.) Distance Control
2.) Starting the ball online
3.) Reading the Green
For chipping, the golfer learns to use different clubs to create different shots.
1.) Hybrid – “Putt” chip
2.) Low Shot – with 8 or 9 iron
3.) Mid Shot – PW or SW
4.) High Shot – SW or LW

Adult Full Swing Clinic:
With the success of the short game clinic, Darren added in a Full Swing Clinic 4 seasons ago. The class was held twice a month on Saturdays from 1:00 – 3:00. Often, students combined this with the Short Game Clinic in the morning to create a mini “Golf School”. This clinic is designed for all levels of golfers. The class is limited to 6 students so there is plenty of individualized attention. Half the class is demonstration and the other half the students getting to practice what they learn. Students are given notes for the class sent through the CoachNow App which they can access via their phone or via the CoachNow website. Students can share feedback and ask questions in this space as well.
2024 saw 95 students partake in this clinic.
As we know, the Full Swing can be very hard to teach in a group setting. Rather than focusing on lots of technique, this class was based on what Darren considers the 3 Fundamentals of golf:
1.) Solid Contact
2.) Hitting the ball with enough distance
3.) Controlling the curve of the golf ball

Weekly “After School Program”
This program has grown each year under Darren’s direction. The first season consisted of an average of 35 per session. This upcoming season will see over 130 juniors each session. This program runs for 6 weeks, with each week focused on a specific golf skill. Additionally, each week has its own “theme” to keep things fun and allow even the newest junior to feel engaged.
Each class beings with a “get to know you’ talk. Darren will come up with different questions each week to serve as icebreakers (favorite food, favorite animal, favorite superhero). This relaxes the kids and often facilitates in bonding kids when they hear other juniors share their same interests.
Each week will have one focus, and 1 or 2 keys for them to work on. Students will have a few minutes to practice and then we get right into games. Sometimes the students compete as teams against one another. Other times Coach Darren challenges the group in a “Kids vs. Coach” competition.

The end of each session is wrapped up with a “Prize Table” where students may choose any item for themselves.

In 2024, Holly Ridge’s junior golf program saw over 300 different children participate in a class.