Gene Bakkum

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

Other awards won:
Top 50 US Kids Coach, 2024 & 2022 NCPGA Youth Player Development Award, 2024 NCPGA Professional Development Award, 2023 & 2021 NCPGA Player Development Award

Total number of individual lessons given per year:
Male: 200
Female: 50
Junior: 100

Total number of individual clinics given per year:
120

Please indicate any Growth of the Game initiatives your facility/academy has launched over the past year (please give specifics on such programs):
In 2025, ELEVATE Golf Academy deepened its commitment to inclusion, innovation, and access with several impactful initiatives. We expanded our reach through enhanced programming and strategic partnerships aimed at addressing financial and social barriers to participation in golf.

One of the year’s highlights was hosting over 200 youth in our expanded ELEVATE Summer Camps—an increase of more than 700% from our previous programming under PGA Jr. Golf Camps. Thanks to targeted local marketing and a scholarship program (serving over 25% of campers), we successfully reached more Oakland youth than ever before. The introduction of an additional Learn to Play team enabled 15–20 new juniors to engage with the game on a regular basis, furthering our developmental pipeline. We also secured a title sponsor for our Spring tournament, now renamed the Dorothy Grate Invitational, demonstrating growing community support.

Through our nonprofit arm, Drive4Change, we narrowed the gender prize money gap in the NCPGA Section by securing $1,500 in 2024 for the Women’s Player of the Year division—triple the prior year’s payout. We also ran three field trips for the Ile Omode School, serving over 120 K–8 students in total, and provided full scholarships to over 40 youth for our summer programming.

Our inclusive approach continued with the expansion of PGA HOPE 2.0, following a successful pilot in 2024. We offered a comprehensive series of adaptive golf clinics, culminating in the CAF Kickoff Clinic and a series of six events at Metropolitan Golf Links—our new, more accessible venue. We also co-founded the NorCal Adaptive Golf Club to provide regular playing opportunities for adaptive athletes, and helped run the 4Vets Tournament which pairs veterans with local youth in a powerful day of gratitude and sport.

In the realm of coach development, I served as moderator at the NCPGA Teacher Coach Forum in January 2025, guiding conversations with top instructors and customizing questions to maximize learning for all attendees. I also attended the 2025 PGA Show and Teaching & Coaching Summit in Orlando, and the Aspen Institute's Project Play Summit at UC Berkeley—bringing back strategies on affordability, equity, and youth engagement to our local programs.

Lastly, in my 10th year coaching middle school golf and second as commissioner, I helped launch inter-league play between Seven Hills, Ile Omode (Oakland’s first middle school golf team), and Alameda schools—bridging communities and creating lasting impact. One player from an unaffiliated school joined our team thanks to a special exemption, and three of our athletes medaled in the season-ending championship.

At ELEVATE, we're proud of how much we’ve grown the game in 2025—and even more excited for what’s ahead.

Please share any programming you have made to keep your customers & students engaged:
At ELEVATE Golf Academy, we’ve continued to evolve our programming in 2025 to maintain high levels of engagement across all age groups and ability levels—while also making golf more accessible, meaningful, and community-driven than ever before.

Interactive Learning for Younger Players:
We’ve expanded our games-based learning curriculum with new, imaginative practice stations that make returning to class something our younger students genuinely look forward to. In addition to popular games like “Stop Light Chipping” and “Carousel Coins,” we added “Treasure Chipping” and “Target Lock Putting”—activities that build fine motor skills while keeping the learning environment fun. Our seasonal Drive, Chip, and Putt contests continue to be a favorite, offering excitement, recognition, and gentle competition. These formats not only build skills but also confidence and peer relationships.

Deepened Pathways for Advanced Players:
In 2025, we increased our focus on personalized development for our older and more competitive juniors through expanded on-course intensives and peer-led mentorship. Several of our college-trained alumni now lead intensives and practice groups, helping juniors learn tournament preparation, pre-shot routine building, and strategic thinking. We’ve also introduced new performance-tracking protocols using customized stat sheets to keep players engaged in their own progression.

Expanded Summer Programming:
This summer marked our most ambitious to date: four full weeks of ELEVATE Summer Camps served over 200 junior golfers—far surpassing our initial goal of 144. We provided full scholarships to over 25% of participants and redesigned our camp stations to include STEM and team challenges to keep campers mentally and physically stimulated throughout each session.

School-Year Calendar & Community Integration:
Our after-school training teams for both middle and high schoolers remain a cornerstone of engagement. With newly formed play-day match collaborations between Seven Hills, Ile Omode, and Alameda middle schools, we’re creating enriching social golf experiences that bridge community divides. We’re also in active discussions with First Tee Oakland and Cal Men’s and Women’s Golf to establish additional school-year opportunities and mentorship channels.

PGA HOPE & Adaptive Golf Clinics:
After piloting PGA HOPE 2.0 last year, we launched a full 2025 program with excellent retention and feedback. The adaptive athletes we coach have returned clinic after clinic, and we’re now exploring year-round engagement options. Our NorCal Adaptive Golf Club, founded in March 2025, is offering tournaments and meet-ups that further foster a sense of belonging and community for adaptive players and supporters alike.

Family Involvement & Parent Advisory Team (PAT):
We continue to engage families through our PAT, which has grown this year in both size and responsibility. Parents now help plan events, coordinate play days, and serve as ambassadors to new families—turning spectators into stakeholders and enhancing the experience for players and parents alike.

Technology & Data-Driven Engagement:
Using GC Quad, Swing Catalyst, and LiveView Golf, we capture swing data, create highlight reels for students, and provide side-by-side comparisons to show progress. Players are now setting their own goals within our training app, and coaches guide them in creating personalized “next step” plans, making their development trackable and empowering.

In short, we continue to focus on long-term retention by keeping golf fun, educational, and deeply personal. Engagement isn’t just about returning week to week—it’s about helping each student feel seen, challenged, and inspired.