Mike Richards

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

Other awards won (if provided):
2023 SFPGA Section- Player Development Award, 2014,17,18,19,20,21,22 GRAA Top 50 Growth of the Game Teaching Professional, 2014 SFPGA Section- Teacher of the Year, 2011&2018 SFPGA Southern Chapter- Teacher of the Year, 2017 US Kids Top 50 Kids Teacher, 2009-2016& 2019-2022 US Kids Top 50 Kids Teacher Honorable Mention, 2019 Sun Sentinel Boys High School Coach of the Year, 2022 SFPGA Southern Chapter Player Development Award

Total number of individual lessons given per year:
Male: 1600
Female: 600
Junior: 800

Total number of individual clinics given per year:
100-140

Please indicate any Growth of the Game initiatives your facility/academy has launched over the past year (please give specifics on such programs):
This has been an interesting year for me. My club closed April 3rd 2023 to start a $20 million dollar renovation. With some support from area golf clubs, I was able to grow my summer kids camp even though I didn’t have any range or course at my facility. I was able to offer a 5 week Elite Camp for the serious golfer trying to make their varsity or JV team in the fall. I found a local golf course who allowed me to use one of their three 9 holes. My Elite camp ran from Monday-Friday 8AM- 4PM. Every day we started with putting and short wedge practice, then I would take them to the 9 holes to see them play. I would select shots from around the green on each hole to see how many up and downs they could make. After this, I would have them play 27 more holes, from 50,100 and 150 yards. Par would be 27 from each distance over the 9 nine holes. The goal for my golfers was par or better. Once they did this, they played the last 9 holes from the regular tees. I wanted to see a score and improvement over each day/week. This camp grew form 6-8 kids the first week to 14 the last week.

Please share any programming you have made to keep your customers & students engaged:
With my Club closed due to renovations in early April 2023, I have found many different ways to keep my clients engaged in lessons and playing golf. I had the ability to use 3 different indoor simulators with Trackman, Full Swing and one at a local indoor facility named 4 Majors. I contacted one local Country Club and they allowed me to use their 3 practice holes. This Country Club also has 2 short game areas in addition to the 3 practice holes. I reached out to several other clubs and I am able to take students to multiple courses for playing lessons. My students loved the practice holes because I had them in real on course situations that a driving range could not offer. On example was I had them hit under a tree over water onto a green. We spent many hours on wedges and short game approach shots. In addition, I have done some face time lessons when my clients doesn’t have the time to see me face to face. I had a challenge in front of me and I overcame that challenge and I was able to keep my students engaged and continuing to grow the game of golf.