This morning, we had our quarterly Student Affairs Meeting at the Golf Academy. Last semester, I was nominated class representative, and I will be attending an early morning meeting each semester. It’s a chance to get a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming semester as well as an opportunity for students to address any and all concerns they may be having with faculty and staff. I think it gives the students a real ownership stake in the Academy.
Student Appreciation Week is next week. The Phoenix campus is the only one of the five Golf Academy campuses nationwide that treats its students to an all-you-can eat lunch buffet at Peter Piper Pizza. Campus Director Tim Eberlein has been doing this for years. It may seem like a small gesture, but I think it’s just another reason why Phoenix has the best Academy site.
My class won the Attendance Challenge last semester, but a little more than a month into this semester, we’ve already fallen behind. The class with the best attendance gets to play Ancala Country Club in Scottsdale in mid-September. It’s a great track too! If we can’t get our act together, there’s still a chance for us to play the course as a class if we finish with an attendance percentage above 93%. Any student who has an attendance percentage above 99% also gets to participate. Right now, we’re at 94.6%, but I really wanted to be the first class in Golf Academy history to win the Attendance Challenge all four semesters. It’s never been done. Three semesters, yes. Four semesters, no. We may still be able to do it, but we’re going to have to step it up.
My class is definitely campaigning for more outdoor lessons and more playing lessons with the pros. We have some really talented PGA Professionals on staff, and it’s great to be able to go out and play a round with them whenever possible. It’s one thing to analyze your swing on V1 Video Analysis or the TrackMan launch monitor, but there’s simply no substitute for watching the ball fly through the air under actual playing conditions. Too bad we’re getting into the hottest part of the year. Next week, the thermometer hits 108 degrees. At least it’s a dry heat!