Finding a Golf Coach

Starting in March of 2008 you will be able to buy Tigerade. It will actually be called “Gatorade Tiger,” but either way, you’ll soon have a choice to make when you buy your next 32 ouncer: “Be like Mike” or “Be Like Tiger.” If increases in PGA Tour TV ratings and Nike apparel sales are indicators, then I’m guessing many will chose the later. Tiger’s popularity has not just benefited corporate sponsors though; it has benefited everyone in the golf industry. In many ways, the effect Tiger has had on golf is similar to the effect Lance Armstrong has had on cycling. And somewhere on the hierarchy of those who have benefited from Tiger’s popularity are local golf coaches.

Tiger Woods Picture: Britannica.com

Yesterday I got a chance to sit down with one of Seattle’s best golf coaches, David Elaimy. Though Elaimy has built his teaching and seminar business on regular customers and little marketing except for word-of-mouth, newer teachers may need to be more proactive to generate students. To tackle the problem of finding students, let’s first ask the reverse question, how would a student find a teacher?

In the absence of a friend’s recommendation, a student would likely turn to Google. (Where else?) On the results pages they would find course listings and Yellow Pages or City Search style directories. Then, after not finding any sort of aggregated information such as teacher ratings, reviews, etc., the student would likely take a shot in the dark by going to the local driving range or golf course.

This process is not a problem for many coaches because often times, especially during the summer, good coaches have more students than openings. So really, whether they are conscious of it or not, the problem belongs to the student: the weekend golfer who wants to finally break 100 or the accountant who wants a few tips before the company golf tournament. So how are these people going to find a good teacher?

Alright, alright, you see where my framed question is going, but in speaking with David it became very clear that golf is a space where TeachStreet could really deliver a worthwhile service to students, especially because no one else is focusing their attention on the teacher/student connection. There are, however, some interesting newcomers and relative newcomers in the golf industry who focus on helping teachers and students in other ways.

Cybergolf.com: Mukilteo based Cybergolf, founded by Jeff Shelley, serves up its own channel of golf TV. Cybergolf TV episodes are 3-4 minutes long and are broadcasted daily. It is a well produced show that gives Sporstcenter a run for its money.

SmarterLessons.com: Subscription based value-add for teachers that includes calendaring, bill pay and email services. Essentially it’s a place where students can sign up for classes online.

The First Tee: A great organization with over 1.5 million participants that gets inner city kids involved in golf.