Mary Hafeman

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

Other awards won (if provided):
PGA National Player Development Award

Total number of individual lessons given per year:
Male: 150
Female: 450
Junior: 125

Total number of individual clinics given per year:
55

Please indicate any Growth of the Game initiatives your facility/academy has launched over the past year (please give specifics on such programs):
We’ve been involved with growth of the game programs specifically designed to help a junior or adult beginners grow as players improve their swings, knowledge of game and rules, develop shots needed on course, fitness, mental approach and most importantly on course experience. After the students pass 3 years of play/instruction we encourage them to develop tracking games for skill development and eventually establish a handicap. We start by creating games to track how many shots are in the air and certain distances – we want to make it fun and help them see improvement and meet fellow golfers which become friends and playing partners.

Please share any programming you have made to keep your customers & students engaged:
All of our programs and instruction is geared to student specific learning at every level. We help our clients learn the entire game starting with games and implementing fundamentals of the swing. During their learning time, we integrate rules, etiquette, real life on course golf situations and specialty shots. We’re helping them in a game like situation to develop confidence, decision making and building a sound routine. Decision and shot making is critical a golfer who is very versatile- knowing when and where to take chances – play it safe etc. Because we have developed fun game like situations, in both group and individually, we see a good retention rate and happy golfers. Everyone learns at their own rate – it’s been fun seeing many of them join leagues, or clubs. We also take our clients on travel trips around the US and World. It’s fun to experience different courses and best of all it’s great to see the kids and adults become friends and play a lot of golf. I like the golf travel because you get to play with them in different situations, learn more about their games and how you can help them improve when you really see them under real playing conditions. The more you can create game like situations on the range and skill games into a clinic or learning situation on course – you are able to help the students become more actively involved both physically and mentally. Many of my students are more motivated by both individual and group challenges – makes practice more fun and productive – thus it then flows to their overall game improvement and them becoming lifelong golfers.