Michael Wenzel

Please indicate past awards won/recognitions:
GRAA Top 100 Growth of the Game Teaching Professional, Golf Digest Best in State, Other (Indicate specific awards below in 3-a)

Other awards won:
2011 IPGA Youth Development Award, 2014 U.S. Kids Master Professional, 2019 Golf Digest Top 40 Under 40

Total number of individual lessons given per year:
Male: 325
Female: 160
Junior: 925

Total number of individual clinics given per year:
30

Please indicate any Growth of the Game initiatives your facility/academy has launched over the past year (please give specifics on such programs):
This past year I launched an 18-Hole Youth League to keep kids engaged in the game after they tried out for their High School team and didn’t make it. I also run a youth travel team for kids 9-13, and they play in individual 9-hole stroke play tournaments. To help my eighth graders better prepare for high school tryouts, I promoted them up to join the 18-Hole league. We play 18-Holes every Saturday, and I monitor their play and offer them tips and strategies as they play. In addition, I help them with their mental games, and how stay positive after a bad hole or shot to help them with enjoying the game and ultimately lowering their scores. This was a startup program for me, and I have 10 kids enrolled, and hope to grow it to 12-16 in coming years.

Our PGA Jr. League Program expanded this year from 44 -65 players, allowing us the opportunity to send two teams of 8 to the All Star Game. My goal is to get to 72 players next year to be able to send three teams of 8.

Please share any programming you have made to keep your customers & students engaged:
Each year at the club we host our own club championships for men, women and junior players. This year they asked for my help to promote the junior club championships, and we ended up having our biggest turnout ever for the Youth Par 3 Championship, Youth 9-Hole and Youth 18-Hole Tournament. In addition, at the end of each league season I run a parent/child event on our 9-hole course to help create a sense of community for all the families involved.