Sarah Bidney

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

Other awards won (if provided):
Iowa PGA Section Instruction Awards • 3-time Iowa Teacher of the Year • 3-time Iowa Youth Player Development Award National Instruction Awards • Master Top 50 Operation 36 Coach ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ • 4-time Golf Digest’s Best in State (Iowa ‘19-‘27) • 13-time GRAA Growth of the Game award recipient

Total number of individual lessons given per year:
Male: 200
Female: 200
Junior: 300

Total number of individual clinics given per year:
235

Please indicate any Growth of the Game initiatives your facility/academy has launched over the past year (please give specifics on such programs):
2025 Growth of the Game Highlights

In 2025, I focused heavily on expanding and enriching programs that I brought to Hyperion Field Club to keep engaging juniors, adults, and families in golf.

Reimagined Summer Junior Camps: I restructured the recreational camp model to include on-course Thursday coaching, doubling each participant’s in-person instruction and greatly enhancing engagement for both juniors and parents.

Introduced “Bidney Bucks”: A new incentive system encouraging practice, positive behavior, and play outside of class. It successfully motivated juniors to practice independently and built excitement within families.

New & Expanded Programs:
– Launched a Spring Bootcamp for new golfers — combining instruction, play, and community connection.
– Organized a Family Drive, Chip & Putt event to promote family participation.
– Continued the Sips & Swings adult social golf series, which sold out again in its second year with over 60 total participants.

Junior Club Championship Growth: I took over and expanded the Jr Club Championship from 12 players in 2024 to over 90 in 2025 — a powerful sign of junior engagement and retention.

Family-Focused Play Opportunities: Hosted three Operation 36 Adult/Junior events each season, with 150 players participating in 2025, strengthening family involvement in golf.

Community & Leadership Development:
– Inaugural Board Member and Junior Golf Chair for the Johnston Golf Foundation, offered a series of free clinics to 70 juniors.
– Volunteered with the Johnston Girls High School Team for winter instruction.
– Created a High School Volunteer/Mentor Program, giving teens meaningful opportunities to earn service hours through scorekeeping and mentoring younger players.

Enhanced Member Value: Partnered with Hyperion’s Head Pro to provide golf shop discounts for lesson and program participants, reinforcing engagement and retention.

Please share any programming you have made to keep your customers & students engaged:
Keeping Golfers Engaged – A Year-Round Development Model
As Director of Instruction at Hyperion Field Club, I’ve transformed the teaching culture from a small, summer-only offering into a comprehensive year-round development academy for juniors and adults of all abilities. In just three seasons, program enrollment has surpassed 825 participants, with programming offered January through October — a major expansion made possible by the addition of indoor winter bays built each season since 2023. I also offer golf lessons year round, January through December.

My instructional model blends structured learning, on-course coaching, and community connection, ensuring every golfer finds a place to belong and grow. Programs are offered in semester formats (8–12 weeks, 15+ hours each) with a 4:1 or better student-teacher ratio, keeping instruction highly personalized and effective.

Adult Programs:
– Sips & Swings – fun, social golf clinics with themed instruction and beverages
– New Golfer Bootcamps – 3-hour experiential intro events combining instruction and on-course play
– Operation 36 – structured developmental pathway for adults
– Adult Performance Coaching – 36-hour advanced program for committed players

Junior Programs:
– Future 36ers (ages 4–6)
– Operation 36 Junior Development
– PGA Jr. League
– Summer Junior Golf Program
– Leading Edge Elite (competitive players)
– Spring Break & August Camps

Each program blends skill building with play, emphasizing fun, confidence, and measurable progress. In 2025 alone, members participated in over 3,100 hours of teaching and coaching, plus 700 private and semi-private lessons.

To sustain growth, I built a five-coach instructional team featuring top teaching professionals and award-winning high school and college coaches, collectively offering 115 years of coaching experience — an exceptional resource for members.

Engagement extends beyond weekly instruction:
– The Hyperion Junior Club Championship grew from 12 to over 90 players in one year, serving as a rite of passage for many first-time competitors.
– Family and community programs like Operation 36 Parent/Junior events and the Johnston Golf Foundation free clinics (serving 70 juniors annually) strengthen the game’s roots locally.
– Partnerships with the golf shop provide discount incentives for lesson participants, adding member value and retention benefits.

Beyond the club, I continue to mentor professionals, serve on committees, and represent the Iowa Section nationally — earning recognition as a 4-Star Master Top 50 Operation 36 Coach, 3-time Golf Digest Best in State Teacher, and 8-time GRAA Growth of the Game Elite Member.

Thank you for this opportunity!