Tim Conaway

Please indicate past awards won/recognitions:
GRAA Top 100 Growth of the Game Teaching Professional

Other awards won:

Total number of individual lessons given per year:
Male: 900
Female: 300
Junior: 100

Total number of individual clinics given per year:
100

Please indicate any Growth of the Game initiatives your facility/academy has launched over the past year (please give specifics on such programs):
This year I have focused on providing a low cost entry into high level coaching with free or reduced price new student assessments. Part of that new student assessment is conducted on the golf course. Additionally I have partnered with the local school districts adult continuing education program in Sarasota to provide low cost 5 week classes. These classes range from Intro to Golf classes to more advanced coaching. Additionally I have offered several one day classes that were skill specific. We conducted a 3 hour putting class that encapsulated the three skills needed for putting, (startline, speed, and read). At the beginning of the season I conducted two separate “Back 2 Basics” tune up class that covered general ball striking and short game instruction.

This past spring I launched a play with the pro program. The only fees were for the course and I would play 9 holes with my students. This provided a great opportunity to enrich our relationships in a more relaxed environment but also provided insight into where their individual games needed to be focused on.

This fall I started a high school golf program for a title 1 high school in Sarasota. I went on to campus both in the spring and the fall and worked to recruit students to participate. I was able to get 4 students to play but they did not have much if any golf experience. Without being able to field a competitive team I trained them in my studio three times a week so they can be exposed to the game and be provided coaching that otherwise they wouldn’t be able to have access to.

Please share any programming you have made to keep your customers & students engaged:
With our new studio launch I created a whole new business model that was designed to retain and engage customers. The memberships are value priced and include practice time in our studio. For hour of instruction a student receives in the membership, they also receive an hour of practice time. That practice time can be reserved in 30 minute sessions and is only for the hitting bay. The member has full access to are strength and mobility center as well as our putting studio at no extra charge or time allotment. They can spend as much time here as they would like at no extra charge. The memberships are tiered so that the more time they commit to the lower the monthly cost will be. In addition there are discounts provided for the higher level memberships. All members receive reduced fees for any additional coaching or simulator rental they want to reserve in addition to their membership allotment and they get a discount on merchandise and priority booking for any events.