Monique Thoresz

Please indicate past awards won/recognitions:
PGA Section Teacher of the Year, GRAA Top 100 Growth of the Game Teaching Professional, Golf Magazine Top 100, Golf Digest Best in State

Other awards won:
US Kids Master Coach, Metropolitan Section Player Development Award winner

Total number of individual lessons given per year:
Male: 350
Female: 350
Junior: 650

Total number of individual clinics given per year:
120

Please indicate any Growth of the Game initiatives your facility/academy has launched over the past year (please give specifics on such programs):
Growth of the Game Initiatives: Built Different

My mission as Director of Instruction is centered on converting the 90% of non-participants into active, passionate golfers, scaling engagement across every demographic. This goal requires us to be Built Different—to overcome facility limitations with creativity and engineer programming that prioritizes community, access, and long-term retention.

1. Innovative Facility Utilization: Overcoming Constraints

At Quaker Ridge, the lack of a formal driving range forced us to become highly creative with our existing grounds, turning potential obstacles into unique assets. This approach is the cornerstone of my "Built Different" philosophy for player development:

• Reclaiming the "Nursery": We repurposed the underutilized golf course "nursery" area into a dedicated, high-impact learning zone. This space is now the hub for all junior clinics, short-game schools, and wedge proficiency sessions, allowing us to conduct group instruction without disrupting daily course play.
• Use of Our Indoor Facility: We maximize our incredible indoor facility—featuring six TrackMan simulators and a 12’x21’ Puttview putting green—to provide year-round programming for our juniors, including a winter tournament series and individual instruction.
• Strategic Expansion: I collaborated directly with our Superintendent to secure approval and space for an additional dedicated putting green in the Nursery, exponentially increasing capacity for instruction and practice opportunities for all members.
• On-Course Immersion: Our Women’s On-Course Clinics bypass the need for a traditional range entirely, immediately immersing players in real-world scenarios focused on club selection and strategy, promoting skill transfer and engagement.

2. Engineering New Pathways for Engagement (The 90% Focus)

To engage non-participants and occasional players, our programs must create a sense of belonging and remove the intimidation factor of traditional golf instruction. I successfully launched and championed three groundbreaking, community-driven initiatives this past year:

Initiative – Target Demographic – Impact & Retention

MINI-PGA JUNIOR LEAGUE Ages 5–7 (The Future 90%) Proactive Pipeline Development. We captured kids earlier than typical leagues, exposing our youngest members to team golf and on-course play from 50 yards and in, securing long-term participation before competitive scheduling takes over.

Sunday Afternoon Beginner Clinics New/Novice Women Golfers Flexible, Community-Based Entry. Created "on the fly" in response to member need, I established a group text chain for participants, instantly forging a peer community that drives practice attendance and social retention.

Practice Club Novice Women (Retention) Self-Directed Skill Development. This informal, staff-supported group allows novice players to self-organize practice times. We provide a custom practice plan, removing the pressure of formal clinics and successfully fostering independent improvement.

3. The Committed Athlete Program (CAP): Elite Player Development and Retention

My commitment to growth extends beyond beginners to the essential retention of our most dedicated youth. I personally established and direct the Committed Athlete Program (CAP), a highly selective training and mentorship initiative for advanced juniors pursuing college golf.

The CAP program separates us by offering a level of support rarely seen at the club level, ensuring we retain top talent and drive aspirational golf culture:

• Bespoke Support: I provide detailed, written practice plans, conduct in-tournament observation (an invaluable benefit to both the student and me), and offer in-depth training on tournament preparation, nutrition, yardage book strategy and essential mental preparation for competitive success.
• Proven Results: The success of the program is evident: every CAP student significantly improved their stroke average this season, fired personal bests, and are moving up the rankings on the Junior Golf Scoreboard, moving them demonstrably closer to their college golf dreams.
• Pipeline & Influence: The program began with five students who followed me from my previous facility, and it has grown to include three Quaker Ridge junior golfers, with more member-families in the pipeline. The CAP program is the ultimate statement of our commitment to world-class player development.

4. Comprehensive Program Suite & National Leadership

In addition to my programming efforts at the club, my professional engagements outside the club are aimed at boosting the local, regional, and national level credibility of Quaker Ridge:

• Industry Leadership: I currently serve a four-year term on the PGA’s National PGA Coach Programs Committee (fka Junior Golf Player Development), actively setting the national agenda for player development growth and support of PGA Professionals around the country. I also serve on the Met Section Education Committee.

• Speaking Engagements: I have had the opportunity to share best practices through multiple speaking engagements this year, including the PGA National T&C Summit ("Attracting Beginner Golfers with Intention"), the Troon Northeast T&C Summit (“Business Development for PGA Professionals”), and the Five Iron T&C Summit (“How I Build Golf Swings”).

By focusing on creative utilization of limited resources, engineering community-based programs that engage the beginner, and championing the future of golf nationally through initiatives like CAP, I am consistently delivering growth and results that are demonstrably Built Different.

Please share any programming you have made to keep your customers & students engaged:
Keeping Customers and Students Engaged: Program Diversity and Future Vision

Retaining engaged members requires a deep, year-round commitment to programming that serves a dynamic spectrum of skill levels and scheduling needs. My role as Director of Instruction is to maintain an atmosphere where all members feel a valued sense of progression and belonging, ensuring that golf remains at the forefront of their recreational choices.

2025 Initiatives: Maximizing Current Engagement

While the previous response detailed our focus on growth initiatives, the following programs were instrumental in maximizing current member retention and engagement in 2025:

• Women's Score Better Clinics: We offered a diverse portfolio of options, including Weekday/Weekend Scoring Clinics and specialized On-Course Clinics. This format addresses the key barrier of scheduling for both working and non-working women, and directly targets intermediate players seeking tangible results (breaking 100/90), ensuring sustained participation.
• Skill Development Schools: We offered highly popular, immersive clinics like the Basic and Advanced Short Game Schools (single 3-hour sessions). By focusing on technique and scoring principles (chipping, pitching, putting, bunkers), these schools drive measurable improvement that keeps members returning and playing more rounds of golf.
• Motor Skill Development Clinics: These clinics are designed for both men and women interested in building the fundamental motor skills essential for developing a repeatable, efficient golf swing.
• Year-Round Junior Focus: We combat the seasonal nature of our club by making golf a year-round sport for our juniors. This includes Fall PGA Junior League (20 comprehensive sessions) and a Winter Junior Clinic and Simulator Tournament Program, which significantly boosts off-season engagement and skill retention.

Foundational and Flexible Programming

Our comprehensive program is continually refined, incorporating successful past initiatives that can be activated as needed to meet shifting member demand. These examples demonstrate our commitment to flexibility and providing low-barrier entry points:

Program Focus – Objective – Tone & Approach

Newbie Tuesday Comprehensive game and etiquette orientation for brand new golfers. High-touch, non-intimidating; covers everything from cart etiquette to the first few holes.

Ladies Rookie League Skill development for new golfers using structured, game-like scoring principles. Uses the successful Operation 36 model to build on-course comfort and measurable progress.

Afternoon With the Pros Instruction followed by playing the course with professional staff. Combines high-quality instruction with essential member-staff relationship building and on-course strategy.

Happy Hour Clinics Mixed-gender single-topic clinics for the after-work crowd. Low-commitment, social format that maximizes participation among working members.

Future Vision and Digital Ecosystem

My vision is to continuously scale up our programs by leveraging technology and providing accessible digital resources. This planning ensures fresh content, minimizes instructional bottlenecks, and reinforces student-instructor connections outside of lessons:

• Custom Digital Resources: I am actively expanding a proprietary Drill Library—a usable and accessible collection of my best teaching ideas. This resource is regularly shared with students to facilitate independent practice and improve their games between sessions.
• Program Transparency: I am collaborating with the club's administration to update our website with a clear Roadmap for Junior Golf and a College Golf 2035 Master Plan. These documents provide our membership with clear, long-term visions for player development.
• Cultivating Connections: My future plans include re-introducing Travel with Members (luxury and Pro-Am experiences) and expanding a Play with Pro schedule to deepen member relationships, which directly fuels participation in instructional and club events.
• Expert Access: I plan to build out our Guest Instructor Program, bringing nationally recognized experts to Quaker Ridge to offer unique learning experiences that keep the membership excited and engaged with new ideas.

This combination of high-impact current programming, a responsive foundational suite, and a clear vision for digital and travel engagement ensures our instruction department is a consistent driver of value and engagement for the entire membership.

I am incredibly proud of the comprehensive strides we have made in developing this instructional program and its direct benefit to the Quaker Ridge membership. When golfers play better, they come back more often and support the club more; therefore, our unwavering focus is on delivering a world-class instructional experience that keeps our membership engaged, improving, and committed to Quaker Ridge.

Thank you for your consideration of my application.