Susan Crowley

Please indicate past awards won/recognitions:
LPGA Awards, Other (Indicate specific awards below in 3-a)

Other awards won:
LPGA National Teacher of the Year 2011, LPGA Western Section Teacher of the Year, LPGA Midwest Section Teacher of the Year, selection as a two-time LPGA Top 50 Teacher, 2025 recipient of the LPGA Midwest Section's Goldie Bateson Service Award, 2 time U.S. Kids Golf Top 50 teachers

Total number of individual lessons given per year:
Male: 150
Female: 450
Junior: 200

Total number of individual clinics given per year:
40+

Please indicate any Growth of the Game initiatives your facility/academy has launched over the past year (please give specifics on such programs):
At the center of every program I offer is one guiding belief: skill development and connection go hand in hand to build golf that is accessible, engaging, and sustainable for every participant. What makes these programs unique is not just the curriculum, but the results—golfers leave with improved skills, measurable progress, stronger self-belief, and friendships that extend beyond the course.

SeeHerPlayGolf (LPGA Master's Capstone Project: Girls Ages 11–18): One in three girls drops out of sports by their late teens. SeeHerPlayGolf addresses this directly, offering five-week seasonal blocks built around indoor TrackMan simulator instruction at Clubhouse Edina, with near-term plans to expand into outdoor, on-course sessions. Combining skill-building with life lessons like resilience, teamwork, and confidence, the program ensures girls don't just "try golf"—they stay in it. Both members and non-members can participate, widening the pipeline of future female golfers. In 2026, the program served more than 150 girls and took 28 participants to the KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club for a firsthand look at the sport's top level of competition.

Golf FORE Women: Designed to eliminate the fear of not knowing anyone or making mistakes, this class creates a safe, supportive space to learn, play, and grow. Each 6-week session blends Operation 36 on-course play with small-group coaching, giving women measurable goals and visible progress. The results have been transformative: women's tee time participation at The Minikahda Club has grown from 22% in 2021 to just under 50% for the September 2025–August 2026 period, with 100% re-enrollment this year and more than 50 new women joining.

Operation 36 Play Programming: My Operation 36 framework is intentionally play-based, with twenty annual play dates that let participants progress at their own pace. Instead of endless range sessions, players experience success on the course from day one, moving gradually from 25 yards out to the full course. In 2026, the program saw 100% re-enrollment plus 40 additional new participants, with many transitioning into full-time golfers who actively use their membership.

New for 2026 — Men Play Op36: Operation 36 has been an overwhelming hit at The Minikahda Club on Thursdays for the women, so in 2026 I brought that same play-based structure to the men's membership on Wednesday mornings. Twenty-six men joined for the inaugural season, closely following the format that has made the women's program so successful. Prizes, gatherings, and a strong sense of camaraderie made it an instant hit and a natural complement to the women's Op36 success.

On-Course Learning Experiences: Unlike programs confined to practice facilities, I bring golfers onto the course where real learning happens. The Women's On-Course Class, On-Course Putting School, and Minikahda Men PLAY all immerse students in live playing conditions, focusing on strategy, trouble shots, and scoring. Capped at 4 students, these sessions create a highly personalized environment—and measurable results: participants have seen their average handicap drop by 5 strokes.

Breakthrough Series: Breaking 60, Breaking 50, and Breaking 40: For players chasing a specific score, the Breakthrough Series turns a scoring goal into a plan—targeting the skills, course management, and shot-making decisions that separate a good round from a great one. Each class stands alone, so players can choose the topics that fit their game or stack sessions to accelerate progress. With just 4 participants per class, the coaching stays sharp, personal, and built around each golfer's path to their next milestone.

LPGA/USGA Girls Golf Club (Ages 4–10): This program introduces young girls to golf in the most fun, welcoming way possible. Through games, storytelling, and group activities, girls learn golf while building friendships and confidence. At The Minikahda Club, participation has grown steadily since 2021, with more than 100 girls engaged in 2026. Many of these girls transition into SeeHerPlayGolf, creating a clear pipeline that supports retention from childhood through the teen years.

Please share any programming you have made to keep your customers & students engaged:
At The Minikahda Club, I've taken women's tee time participation from 22% to just under 50% since 2021—not through a single initiative, but through a layered ecosystem of programming: Golf FORE Women, on-course clinics, Operation 36 play events, and this year's newest addition, Men Play Op36, which drew 26 men into its first season alone. Every program I run is re-enrolling at or near 100%. Participation in these programs provides immeasurable revenue at the club each time an event is held.

I don't build programs that introduce people to golf and hope they stick around. I build programs engineered for retention. SeeHerPlayGolf, my LPGA Master Professional capstone project, exists because I noticed something the industry has been slow to address: girls leave sports at devastating rates during adolescence, and golf can be part of the solution if it's built right. In 2026, that program reached more than 150 girls ages 11–18 and took 28 of them to the KPMG Women's PGA Championship—an experience most junior golfers never get. This isn't a side project. It's proof of concept for what girls' golf can become nationally.