The Golf Academy of America is back in session for the Fall Semester. After eight months, we are now halfway through our program, and it’s time to get serious. It’s time to start thinking about what we want to do when we graduate in April of 2016. Now, we’re upperclassmen. The start of this semester reminds me of the start of my 3rd year at Arizona State. That’s when I started looking for internships and the opportunity to experience firsthand what I thought I wanted to do for a career. I still have Career Development on my mind. It was our first class of the day. Here’s a look at the schedule:
Monday
Tournament Golf w/ Campus Director Tim Eberlein
Tuesday
Golf Club Fitting w/ PGA Professional Gary Balliet
Elementary Accounting w/ Richard Lewis
Wednesday
Career Development w/ Director of Career Services Fred Barr
Advanced Rules of Golf w/ PGA Professional Ed Ekis
Thursday
Essentials of Food Service Management w/ Denise Duarte
Anatomy, Exercise and Bio-Mechanics w/ Dr. Jordan Mackner
Methods of Teaching w/ PGA Professional Ed Ekis
Friday
Managing Golf Facility Operations w/ PGA Professional Warren Pitman
Planning/Organizing Tournament Golf w/ PGA Professional Ed Ekis
Advanced Rules of Golf
Normally, this class would be taught by Robin Farran, a USGA Rules Official who, in years past, has actually helped write the Rules of Golf and who also regularly officiates the U.S. Open. This year, Farran was on-hand for the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay. Sadly, Mr. Farran has meningitis, and it’s unknown when he will be able to return to the Academy. It’s too bad. I was looking forward to hearing stories of USGA rulings – both good and bad. He will be missed, but that means PGA Professional Ed Ekis will be at the helm. I have to admit, I was surprised when Ed started the class off by referring to a blog post I had written about the Rules of Golf during first semester.
I wrote that I believed one of the inherent problems with the game itself is that the Rule are too complex. Rather than re-work the entire syllabus, Ed suggested that we come up with a simplified version of the Rules as a class, something that future classes and perhaps even other campuses can use to more easily explain them. I think it’s a great idea! You have to have an advanced knowledge of the Rules in order to be able to simplify them. I’m excited for the challenge because I know we can simplify the Rules into “Rules You Can Actually Use.” What a concept. We’re going to put together a PowerPoint presentation complete with videos of what you can and can’t do.
Quote of the Semester
Each semester, we get new name placards with a different inspirational quote on the back. This semester’s quote reads, “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” The older I get, the more I’ve come to realize how important attitude really is. The good news is that you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone at the Golf Academy who has a poor attitude. It’s golf, and for the most part, everyone is happy to be here. Attitude does matter, and it can go a long way in getting you to where you want to go. I also think attitude is contagious. If you’re in a good mood and have a pleasant demeanor, it rubs off on those around you.