Michael Merritt

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

Other awards won:
2026 Northern California PGA Player Development Award

Total number of individual lessons given per year:
Male: 275
Female: 240
Junior: 230

Total number of individual clinics given per year:
518

Please indicate any Growth of the Game initiatives your facility/academy has launched over the past year (please give specifics on such programs):
Adult 6-Week Training Series: Designed to take total beginners from zero experience to playing-ready in just six weeks.

Senior March Madness: Free 80 minute Clinic to all Senior Moraga Golf Association Members that covers full swing, short game, bunker shots, and putting

Señoritas and Margaritas: An introductory clinic for women that emphasizes fun, social connection, and community-building.

Operation 36 (Adult & Junior): A foundational program teaching golf from green to tee, designed to ease beginners into the game.

Little Linkers: A year-round class for ages 5–9 with a focus on fun, fundamentals, and early engagement. Expanded into week-long summer sessions.

Junior Camps: Summer camps for ages 5–17, tailored by skill level to ensure appropriate instruction and development.

Adult Operation Break 100/90/80: A progression of the Op 36 concept for intermediate and advanced players, helping them break key scoring barriers through structured game plans.

Please share any programming you have made to keep your customers & students engaged:
Señoritas and Margaritas: An introductory clinic for women that emphasizes fun, social connection, and community-building.

Weekly Social Media Golf Tip: Create a golf tip that is collaborated with the instructor's social and the club's social media page.

Operation 36 (Adult & Junior): A foundational program teaching golf from green to tee, designed to ease beginners into the game.

Play with the Pro: On-course instruction sessions that blend learning with real-play experience.

Operation Break 100/90/80: A progression of the Op 36 concept for intermediate and advanced players, helping them break key scoring barriers through structured game plans.

AimPoint Green Reading: Specialized classes that improve players’ putting through advanced green reading techniques.

Wedge Scoring Clinics: Clinics focused on shots from 100 yards and in, paired with equipment education and wedge fittings to enhance performance and drive revenue.

Little Linkers: A year-round class for ages 5–9 with a focus on fun, fundamentals, and early engagement. Expanded into week-long summer sessions.

Junior Camps: Summer camps for ages 5–17, tailored by skill level to ensure appropriate instruction and development.

Golf Orientations: New member orientations that introduce club policies, social and instructional opportunities, and foster early community involvement to reduce attrition.

Junior Golf Academy: Three distinct year-round academies (Aspiring Aces, Advanced Aces, and Wacky Wednesdays), all powered by Operation 36 to track skill progress and build long-term golfers.

Varsity Links: A high-performance program for juniors aspiring to play high school or college golf. Includes practice plans, weekly classes, monthly private lessons, and custom club fitting.

Bay Cities Team: Competitive development program with practices for advanced junior golfers, including high school and college-level players.

PGA Jr. League (13U and 17U) in Summer: PGA Jr League Teams promoting teamwork, sportsmanship, and skill development in a fun, competitive environment.

In House Jr League for Fall: Off season in house Junior League matches that take place on and off course.

Drive, Chip & Putt Prep Classes: A unique prep series designed to help junior golfers perform their best at local qualifiers.

Practice Club: A supervised group practice environment that mimics personal training for golf, helping participants build structure into their improvement.

6-Week Training Series: Designed to take total beginners from zero experience to playing-ready in just six weeks.

In house Summer Junior Tournament Series: Four tournaments throughout the summer that include 4-Club, Sibling/Friend Scramble, Parent/Child, and Junior Club Championship.

In house team junior golf tournaments for fall: 1 to 2 events in to keep kids engaged and play in fun formats to help build a sense of community.

DECADE Course Management Class: A 4-week program introducing players to DECADE principles, improving decision-making and performance on the course.