Noah Horstman

Please indicate past awards won/recognitions:
PGA Section Teacher of the Year, 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:
Top 50 Operation 36, Top 50 US Kids

Total number of individual lessons given per year:
Male: 500
Female: 400
Junior: 800

Total number of individual clinics given per year:
400

Please indicate any Growth of the Game initiatives your facility/academy has launched over the past year (please give specifics on such programs):
With over 1,000 different player development programs created in my career and over 150 programs at West Coast Golf Academy in the past 18 months alone I have a plethora of knowledge when it comes to designing and implementing programs that breed results. I have also consulted for other clubs and professionals to help them build and design programs at their facilities.

FEEDER SYSTEM- Creating a stair step approach to learning the game. Starting with and moving into the following classes (the following is not a comprehensive list but a great example):

FUNdamentals of Golf
Golf 101
Golf 201
Golf 301
Golf 401
Get Golf Ready
Get Golf Ready 2
Ladies Links and Drinks
Operation 36
Operation 36 Couples
Advanced Classes

WCGA offers Golf Schools and other themed clinics to spark interest in different categories.

THEMED CLASSES (This is not a comprehensive list but a great example):

Advanced Shortgame Class
Blast Motion Class
Bunker Class
Cleveland Wedge Fitting Class
Course Management Class
Find the Fairway Class
Fitness and Golf
Green Reading Class
Mental Boot Camp
Nutrition
Pilates Pinot and Putting
Putting School
Scoring School
Senior Speed Training
Speed Training
Supervised Practice
Summer Saturdays
Simulator Leagues
Rose Club (Ladies Group Lunch Class)
Whiskey Wine and Wedges

Player Development Program Definitions
Private Coaching Is 1-on-1 student to teacher ratio that will have a focus for players who need or are looking for individual attention.
Evaluations Each new student looking to better their game will be required to have an evaluation with one of WCGA’s expert coaches. It is 90 minutes and will cover; short game, full swing, and a brief physical screening.
Club Fitting From a single club to a full bag fit. WCGA will offer all of the top name brands in the industry.

West Coast Junior Golf Academy Offering Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter memberships. This is the best instruction offering for youth golfers looking to get to the highest level. We have a feeder system below starting with SNAG (Starting New At Golf), Academy, up to the Elite Junior Academy.
Elite Academy (8 Kids x 2 wk * 12 weeks)
Intermediate (8 Kids x 2 wk x 12 weeks)
PGA Jr League (12 Kids x 1 wk x 8 weeks)
Operation 36 (10 Kids x 1 wk x 30) 
SNAG Golf Academy (5 Kids x 2 wk x 6 weeks)

Adult Classes These are group classes that have a low student to teacher ratio and each has a unique name and focus. There will be Men’s, Women’s and Couples Classes ranging from brand new golfer to tour level programs.

Class Name (students x number of sessions)
Bunker (4 x 4 times)
Course Mngmt. (3 x 10times)
Find the Fairway (8 x 3 times)
Fitness and Golf (8 x 16 times)
*Golf 101 (6 x 4 times x 2 classes)
*Get Golf Ready (6 x 5wks x 2 classes)
*Get Golf Ready 2 (6 x 5wks x 2 classes)
Golf School (4 x 2 times)
Green Reading (4 x 6 wks)
*Links and Drinks (8 x 16wks)
Mental Boot Camp (12 x 2 times)
Nutrition (4 x 1 time)
*Operation 36 (8 Adults x 1 wk x 30)
*Pilates Pinot Putting (8 x 8 wks)
Putting Schools (4 x 4 time)
Short Game School (8 x 4 times)
Speed Training (6 x 50 wks)
Supervised Practice (6 x 50 wks)
Summer Saturdays (4 x 4 times)
*Whiskey, Wine, & 
Wedges (8 x 2 times)

*Will have a ladies only class available and will engage in the beginner golfer.

Golf In Schools As specified above golf in the schools will have an important role in building other WCGA programs which will ideally lead to more revenue to facilities in membership, F&B and all top line growth across the board.
Colleges (30 x 9 wks)
High Schools (70 x 26 wks)
Middle Schools (60 x 26 wks)
Elementary Schools (100 x 8 wks x 2 times)

Junior Golf Other junior golf programs offer unique elements including the creation of a local junior golf tour. There will be classes that focus on tournament preparation, summer camps with larger groups and different age and ability levels along with higher impact training such as combines for national competitions like Drive Chip and Putt and College golf.

US Kids Tour (QP) (40 x 8 Tourn.)
Jr Golf Open House (100 x 1 day)
Weekend Warriors (4 x 50 wks)
Summer Camps (30 x 3 days)
Sports Camp (10 x 2 days)
Spring Break Camp (8 x 4 days)
College Recruiting (10 x 1 day x 4 times)
Drive Chip Putt Prac. (8 x 26 wks)

Technology Practice It is what it sounds like, a coach will set up parameters on the latest and greatest golf technology to help a players success rate under pressure go up. This is a great opportunity for resort guests and WCGA will be the place to train which means more revenue to each facility.

Launch Monitor (10 x 50)
K-Player (10 x 50)
Tough Lie 360 (10 x 50)

Club Fitting Clinics These clinics have some of the highest success rates for multiple club sales as the person that comes to the clinic is already paying for a club or merchandise in the entry fee. It is a unique way to make sure the student improves with the use of proper club fitting methods.

Wedge Fitting (8 x 1 x 2 times)
Putter Fitting (8 x 1 x 4 times)
Blast Motion (12 x 1day)
Driver Fitting (8 x 1 x 2 times)
Fairway Fitting (8 x 1 x 2 times)
Hybrid Fitting (8 x 1 x 2 times)
Iron Fitting (4 x 1 x 2 times)
Orange Whip Fitting (6 x 1 x 2 times)

Corporate Clinics/ Group Outings Let’s face it corporate outings are still a great opportunity for an organization to give back to its employees or to have a fundraiser, or training session. As a golf professional we are in the entertainment business. Teaching a large group how to hit a golf shot that could save them a few strokes during a round is priceless on the business end and great for WCGA. Corporate outings create more exposure in these large group environments and an opportunity for cross selling. We will work with the professional staff at each facility to promote corporate clinics and allow them to up-sell a clinic to a tournament coordinator during their initial meeting.

Corporate (12 x 4 clinics)
Group Outings (50 x 4 clinics)

Other
The grand opening is one of the most crucial elements for WCGA, sets up the season by filling player development programs. WCGA will offer a day with complimentary clinics, games and have every program available for registration.
Grand Opening (1 Day x 150 players)

Please share any programming you have made to keep your customers & students engaged:
As the Owner/ Founder of West Coast Golf Academy our focus is growing the game of golf at the highest level. Since WCGA is located at five different facilities with all different facility types covered from Resort Course, Municipality, Daily Fee, Annual Memberships, to an indoor space it is of the utmost importance that we keep each segment engaged as to our large set of offerings. With over 150 different player development programs to choose from throughout the year it is important to build a relationship first with the individual to help them better accomplish their goals.

Building relationships through different means is important including taking students to pro-ams including destinations such as the GRAA pro-am at Casa De Campo, but it all starts with our extensive list of player development programs, that I have created in under 18 months of being open at West Coast Golf Academy. My goal is to have something for everyone. My motto is if we don’t have what you are looking for let me know and we will create it for you. That is the beauty of now, “owning” my business and being able to come up with innovative ideas that allow growth of the game at a much faster rate. Below you will find some of the more innovative programming that I have created to help grow the game of golf.

Membership Structure- This year I turned all of my private coaching into a 3:1 program that gives additional value for the student and a plan that allows them to be successful. The plan is incorporated around their goals and allows them (4) visits per month to work with me and (2) sessions per month to work with a performance coach. Members are also welcome to join a weekly on course experience and can utilize my online platform to communicate during practice.

New Student Assessment- It all starts here. Initially I had created a 90 minute New Student Assessment, (NSA) which covered putting, chipping/ pitching, and full swing utilizing K-motion technology to, “BASE LINE” a student. In that 90 minutes I would find out the students goals to see what type of coaching program they would need. As a TPI golf performance specialist I have realized that even the best coaches in the world can not help a student whose body does not allow them to make the change. This is why I have changed the NSA process to include a 30 minute fitness assessment on top of the 90 minute technique assessment with either myself or WCGA’s golf performance specialist who is also a certified athletic trainer. This has solved world problems when it comes to making a swing change as “every player’s body is different!” Now when we help our students accomplish their golfing goals we make sure there is some level of fitness included. For better players it ends up becoming more fitness and mindset over swing technique. At the end of the NSA I will recommend a game improvement package that will help the student reach their goals.

Holistic Approach By Way of a Team- At WCGA I knew it was imperative to have a team in place that would allow us to have the best coaching staff around as it pertains to golf performance. This is why I have worked closely with, “My Team” of coaches which includes:
(5) Professional Coaches (All PGA Member or PGA Associate)
(3) Golf Performance Specialists ( Athletic Trainers/ Fitness/ Pilates)
(1) Golf Performance Specialist (Mental/ Life Balance/ Mindset Training)
(1) Doctor of Physical Therapy

Creating A Process- If you are a longstanding instructor you know that one lesson does not make a student better for the long haul. However, an established long term process works wonders and helps the student make the changes that will last. This is why I have created a lesson package structure as follows; Project 3-6, Project 6-12, Project 12-18, Project 12-24 and Game Changer 12-52. These numbers have a simple explanation. The first number is the time you have to use the package in months and the second number is the number of credits you have. For example a Game Changer 12-52 gives you 12 months to use 52 credits. This process has worked extremely well with huge gains from students who now understand their process due to the coach guiding them versus traditional lessons takers asking for, “A” lesson. As we all know, “A” lesson will just scratch the surface for most golfers seeking help with their game.

CREATION OF SOUTHERN OREGON JUNIOR GOLF TOUR (SOJGT)
It has been a passion of mine to create an environment for all junior golfers to get more experience in tournament play without breaking the bank with travel expenses. This is why I created the SOJGT and kicked it off with the Allred Cup. A (5) part tournament series with the best scoring average winning the event and a place in history. The event was named after Gene Allred who is the father of Jason Allred, former PGA Tour player. Gene loved junior golf and grew the game like none other! The tour has been a huge success as our students are now learning to play tournament golf. It has also been good for the teaching business as more kids start to look to improve as they realize their ability level through competition. It has been a huge motivation for many juniors and we have had over 300 juniors start in only 11 events!

Online Lessons- Utilizing Coach Now mobile app it makes it very easy to have students upload lessons and for me to analyze them anywhere in the world. It also keeps the coach and student accountable as the videos are always saved on their Coach Now profile. The Coach Now profile is a locker that is only seen by the student and coach. This is a monthly fee based program.

Junior Golf- Stair Step Approach (What is it and how many juniors have we taught)

Global Golf Academy- This is a unique partnership created between WCGA and St. Mary’s School in Medford, Oregon recruiting golfers from around the world that already know golf is their primary focus. The St. Mary’s partnership allows for Global Academy members to receive the, “BEST” golf coaching and prep school education duo anywhere on the west coast! We have two global academy members, one from China and one from Taiwan. Our goal is to grow the program to 50 members and St. Mary’s will build a dorm specifically for golfers on campus.

PGA Junior Sports Camp- I have always wanted to start a program like this and it finally happened. I created a PGA Junior Sports Camp this year. The goal is that the program takes our students and builds the athlete first. I have partnered up with our Golf Performance Specialist having our juniors work on coordination, strength, speed, balance… For example I will have them hit putts on one foot with their eyes closed to learn proprioception. We do golf relay races at every practice. Please check out our Facebook page to see one in action. It has been extremely well received and we are finding that the kids that become athletes first are far better golfers later in life. The first session had 13 kids and our second session starts next week!

Kids Unlimited Partnership (9 Title 1 Area Schools)- With nearly 3,000 kids we have had to go through our first years program it has been extremely special. Utilizing SNAG, (Starting New At Golf) and PGA Tour product it has been a fun and safe environment. Before COVID hit the plan was to take the kids at the end of the year to the golf course the final four weeks. This program runs the entire school year.

Mental Performance Coaching- I brought on a mental performance/ life balance coach primarily for the Elite Academy. We currently use coach Aaron two hours a week, one hour on Fridays, (on course) and one hour on Saturdays (group classroom/ competition setting). In the past six months I have seen the power of mental performance and now offering private sessions and unveiling a (6) week course for business professionals locally that will be held at Rogue Valley Country Club.

Adult and Junior FUNdamentals of Golf- This has been one of the most successful programs for WCGA. The academy was missing a huge element when we first opened and that was an introductory class. We had a parks and rec class, but it wasn’t the same as it was promoted by the parks department. I came up with a 90 minute class for $25 that goes over the FUNdamentals of the game. A typical class will cover putting, chipping/ short game, and full swing in 30 minute increments. This FUNdamentals of golf class has turned out to be invaluable since many of our other classes fill up due to this entry level program. The average Saturday class has between 8-12 participants which means we have seen over 650, “New or Beginner Golfers” in this class since its inception. This class has been so successful that I am expanding it to Oak Knoll Golf Course in Ashland on Wednesday evenings.

Ladies Links and Drinks- 30 minutes of short game instruction followed by on course instruction. To wrap up there is a re-cap with the pro, with a refreshment of choice. At $20 per class this program has sparked a younger demographic’s interest in the enjoyment of the game over a highly competitive environment. This program is offered on Fridays at 5:00p.m. so that the working woman can participate and unwind after a long week. There have been over 350 ladies who have attended this class.

Pilates Pinot and Putting- This program received recognition by PGA magazine and I have been running it since 2012 when I was at Illahe Hills in Salem, OR. Each year I have made minor tweaks to the program. This year we have created an environment to do pilates on the lawn and have different local wineries participate in pouring and talking about their wines.

Operation 36 (Op 36) Programming- I have always utilized the method of teaching a new golfer from the green back. Op36 gives the tools needed to manage golfers on a grand scale with their Op36 app for smartphone and or computer. In the past 18 months I have taken it from a junior platform and added in Couples Op36, Adult and Ladies Classes. We offer Op36 matches every other weekend all year long. It has been amazing to watch the young kids playing with the adults. It has truly become a family affair!

Speed Training- As a TPI Certified Instructor in Golf I learned about speed training from Dave Phillips, TPI Owner. The gains were incredible by the PGA Tour players picking up nearly 10 yards on average in as little as 3 weeks time. I have seen gains of over 40 yards by students who have come to speed training classes consistently. I use a Saber Speed Trainer which was the top new product at the PGA Show years back. I was on the front lines when my friend Craig Hocknull, PGA was creating this training aid and I was able to help him put the first models together. This product is amazing and proven to show gains! This year I did my first Speed Training Golf School where each student received a Saber Swing Trainer.

Golf Fitness- With kids being home and zoom schooled due to COVID I had to think out of the box and came up with Golf Fitness classes that we offer at different times throughout the day. This acts as a PE class teaching different movement patterns that are not only golf specific but focused on core stability and posture. With the addition of a trainer that focuses on the spine we are going to keep moving forward with this program allowing all bronze silver and gold members to participate along with our SAS and Elite junior academies.

Custom Fitting Days- I have always offered a custom fitting day, but this year was different with COVID. I decided to discount the fitting by 30% and offer an ongoing fitting day at Centennial Golf Club. In that time Centennial is now the #1 selling Callaway Green Grass Account in the state. The fitting efforts have accumulated over $250,000 in revenue in the past 18 months. On the teaching front this is a great opportunity to work with someone that you may not otherwise see and many times the fitting turns into a New Student Assessment.

Kids Unlimited Golf Club Drive- There was a huge need for golf clubs as many of these kids can not afford lunch each day let alone a new set of golf clubs. The golf club drive went on for two Saturdays and we received two truck loads of clubs. I have since traded in the majority of these clubs for money and am currently in the process of buying junior clubs for Kids Unlimited to loan out to students who would like to take up the game.

Non-Profit Creation- I am currently working on a non-profit that will allow those who apply to receive scholarships into our golf programs. Currently, WCGA has personally given over $30,000 back in scholarships to our junior development programs.

Wildfire Relief- Reaching out to WCGA families I have created a drop point for donated items to families in Southern Oregon who have lost their homes due to the local wildfires. It is in the works that the families that lost everything will also be offered complimentary golf lessons during this trying times in hopes that we can rekindle their spirit and life balance.

LPGA Girls Golf- I started this program as a monthly endeavor. However, there was a need to have it regularly which is why there are now two classes a week. This program encourages girls in golf and offers a unique twist with a social activity at every class. Currently, we have; 5-7, 8-10, and 10-13 year old age groups. We are going to introduce a high school program next year. We have introduced 30 new female golfers with this program in 2020. In 2021 the plan is to have a Kids Unlimited LPGA Girls Golf program bringing in over 1,500 new girls to the game through this program.

Supervised Practice- It’s exactly how it sounds. A coach is on the practice facility and students that are in a private lesson package have the opportunity to practice with a professional available for a check up. This continues to influence good practice technique and has become extremely well received.

Technology Training- This program allows private package lesson takers to rent out technology to train with including; (2) Foresight GC Quad launch monitors, Flightscope launch monitor, K- Player and K-Coach bio feedback, Boditrak pressure mat system and blast motion technology. It is important to note that this training only works as a tool and technology training does not work well for all personality types so THE COACH MUST KNOW THEIR STUDENT!

Simulator Leagues/ Parties and Contests- With two Foresight GC Quads with simulation I created a 12 week simulator league at Centennial Golf Club with six teams of four. We played round robin four ball match play. The finals were at Pebble Beach in March. This program was a home run! Over the winter we rented the simulators out to small groups and parties. We offered instruction that went along with the rental. I ran a few contests with the simulators that included the OPGA High School players workshop that was hosted at Centennial golf club and we had a closest to the pin on hole #7 at Pebble Beach.

WEEKLY TEACHER TRAINING- With five coaches and looking at hiring three more in the next (18) months there is a constant need to train my team. This is why I have weekly meetings with the WCGA team both individually and in a group setting. Teacher training in a group setting could be a theme where I ask the coaches about a swing flaw and they have to give me ways they would fix it utilizing training aids, technology or the way they see fit. The goal is that each WCGA coach does not, “over teach” but understand the process to help their student achieve their goals! Having a team atmosphere has been amazing as you always have someone to bounce ideas off of that creates a faster learning process for the student.

Bundling Programs- A few drop in programs did not get a lot of traction and instead of cutting them I bundled them into (8) and (12) week programs and promoted to the people that would benefit most by way of personal phone calls. This completely revitalized a few programs that were dying. Instead of three people in a class there are now 10-15. Plus there is income always coming in since they have paid up front for these packages.

GOLD SILVER BRONZE PROGRAM- This may be one of the more innovative programs that will save a bunch of headaches and keep service at the highest level. The program is a monthly membership fee ranging from $99- $249 and allows for unlimited classes to be taken with advanced sign up. There are a limited number of these packages available. For example the Bronze member would be allowed to participate in Golf 101, Adult FUNdamentals of Golf and Supervised Practice classes unlimited times throughout the month. This helps the academy in two ways:
It guarantees income to a coach. Even if one person signs up for a class the coach will still make the same rate as if the class is full.
Gives the student flexibility with a busy schedule to still get better and not break the bank if missing a class.

PGA Junior League (Beginner) April-October Since 2013 I have played an active role in PGA Junior League as a captain. Last year was the first season WCGA had a PGA Junior League Team and we hosted two seasons. Our team tied for first place in conference and I was the co-captain for the All Star Team. We continue to get stronger with nearly 100 kids participating in just two seasons. This will turn into a year round program in the future.

USGA/ LPGA Girls Golf (Beginner) Year Round As the only USGA/ LPGA Girls Golf program in the area I have a goal of creating 400 NEW girls playing golf in the next four years. With the Golf in the Schools program partnership with Kids Unlimited this is becoming a reality.

WCGA Weekly Camps (Beginner) May-October Originally we partnered up with PGA Camps to start this program up. However, WCGA has recently taken it over. These week-long camps have been a great way to show the FUNdamentals of golf and encourage future learning and playing this great game! A typical camp will have, on average, 15 kids for five days from 9:00a.m.-12:30p.m.

Operation 36 (Beginner-Advanced) Year Round As a Top 50 Operation 36 Coach, this has been an amazing addition to the WCGA programming efforts. With a 10 level process of teaching kids, “Game Golf” promoting on course learning Op 36 has been a “Home Run!” Moving forward we are utilizing the Op 36 app for our intermediate and elite level programming to help track stats along with properly placing juniors in our more advanced programming. Must be at 200 yards to be an intermediate and forward tees to be elite. There are other variables that apply. Year to date we have been in the Top 10 in the country in the Global Challenge with a 4th place being our highest finish out of over 500 facilities.

PGA Sports Camp (Intermediate) Year Round Amazing program that I created this year that takes our students and builds athleticism. I have partnered up with our Golf Performance Specialist having our juniors work on coordination, strength, speed, balance… For example I will have them putt on one foot with their eyes closed to learn proprioception. It has been extremely well received and we are finding that the kids that become athletes first are far better golfers later.

WEST COAST ALL STARS “WAS” (Intermediate) Year Round This brand new program was needed as WCGA continued to grow junior golf in our, “stair step approach.” We needed one additional level up program between Op 36 and Elite Academy. WCGA All Stars is that additional level. You must be at 200 yards in the Operation 36 model to be considered for this program and it is an application process to get in.

High School Competitive Advantage (Intermediate/ Advanced) Year Round This program partners up with local area middle school and high school kids that want to develop their games for competitive school golf and summer tournament play but are not quite at the Elite Academy level. It is offered on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 4:30-6:00p.m. and the price point becomes $15 per class when they sign up for 3 months. We have over 30 kids in this program from local area schools.

Elite Academy (Advanced) Year Round The most advanced program for juniors that WCGA offers. It is typically by invitation only based on work ethic, maturity and community involvement. This program is for the kids that are truly passionate about the game at a high level. This program offers 24 hours of group coaching a month with 2 private coaching sessions. We incorporate Mental performance, Fitness and Nutrition along with discounts into our Junior Golf Tour.