Renee O’Higgins

Please indicate past awards won/recognitions:
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):
PGA Southwest Chapter Player Development Award, PGA Southern Chapter Growth of the Game Award

Total number of individual lessons given per year:
Male: 170
Female: 170
Junior: 40

Total number of individual clinics given per year:
145

Please indicate any Growth of the Game initiatives your facility/academy has launched over the past year (please give specifics on such programs):
I have been busy working to alter the instruction culture at Quail West since my arrival in January of 2018. Prior to my arrival, 9 total clinics were given in 2017. In 2021, we offered the members 145 clinics and had a 70% utilization rate. I have been busy creating an instruction culture at Quail West. Prior to my arrival, many of the members went off property for golf instruction. In 2017, Quail West’s instruction team gave around 250 ( mostly 30 minute) lessons. Last year alone, the staff at Quail West gave around 1,000 golf lessons as a team.

To make the changes listed above, I had to establish the expectation that instruction is taken seriously at Quail West through clinics and lessons. I have created a private area for lessons on the range, improved the practice facility with a wedge range and a fairway bunker. I also formed clinics, marketed events, played golf with members, attended new member receptions, created weekly instruction videos for our Quail West publication and even invited members to lunch. I walked the range, but most of all, I provided robust instruction opportunities and showed the members what it is like when you have a availability for lessons and a clinic program that focuses on golf instruction. I also started working with the other golf professionals and interns on our team to help them become better instructors, thereby ensuring I had a strong supporting staff. Lastly, I have also collaborated with other departments at the club to encourage program development amongst departments. We started weekly junior programs for golf and tennis and continued them during the holidays. We have also created a golf fitness program that incorporates our fitness center’s training staff.

Our programming includes something for everyone. I host around 8 clinics a week during season and they include Skills Clinics, Ladies Clinics, 1/2 Day schools, single skill specialty clinics, on course coaching days, play with the pro, junior clinics/camps, golf fitness programs, club fitting and I bring 1 or 2 well known professionals to the club to host a day of learning each year.

Please share any programming you have made to keep your customers & students engaged:
I am constantly revising the program offerings at Quail West. I am currently working on a fun, new concept called Q-School. I wanted to create a season-long competition, January through April, to get the members excited to be better at golf. We are going to have prizes for the winners. Our goal is to evaluate each student in the program three times. The student with the largest. percentage of handicap drop will win a prize after 12 weeks.