Leslie Cloots

Please indicate past awards won/recognitions:
GRAA Top 100 Growth of the Game Teaching Professional

Other awards won:

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

Total number of individual clinics given per year:
100

Please indicate any Growth of the Game initiatives your facility/academy has launched over the past year (please give specifics on such programs):
Over the past year, I have continued to focus on creating welcoming entry points and developmental pathways for women and juniors. For women, this includes beginner-focused Ladies Golf Schools, ongoing drop-in clinics shaped around participants’ needs, and on-course coaching opportunities that help golfers bridge the gap between learning skills and confidently playing the game.

My growth-of-the-game work also extends beyond my primary teaching facility through leadership of the U.S. Kids Golf Raleigh Local Tour and LPGA*USGA Girls Golf – Triangle. These programs provide juniors with opportunities to learn, compete, build friendships, and become part of the golf community.

Across each initiative, my goal is the same: reduce the intimidation and barriers surrounding golf, create positive early experiences, and provide a clear pathway for participants to continue learning and playing.

Please share any programming you have made to keep your customers & students engaged:
My approach to retention is to make sure students always have a clear next step in their golf journey. Rather than relying solely on individual lessons, I create opportunities for golfers to stay connected through recurring private coaching, clinics, on-course instruction, junior events, competitive-development opportunities, and ongoing communication between sessions.

I also maintain continuity through lesson recaps, video archives, practice priorities, and remote coaching resources, allowing students to revisit what they learned and stay accountable between appointments.

For group programs, community is an equally important part of engagement. Creating environments where golfers develop relationships with other players gives them additional reasons to practice, play, and return. The objective is not simply to generate repeat lessons, but to develop golfers who improve enough, feel comfortable enough, and become connected enough to make golf a lasting part of their lives.