(CORAM, New York) – Rich Jones, Director of Instruction at Pine Ridge Golf Club on Long Island has won the prestigious “PGA Player Development” national award bestowed by the PGA of America.
Jones is one of 12 National Award recipients from among nearly 29,000 PGA Professionals, making the PGA of America one of the world’s largest member sports organizations.
Heavily involved in the community, Jones also is a Certified First Tee Coach whose expansive student roster includes hundreds of juniors. He is praised for his easy-to-understand instruction techniques which translate to immediate improvement on the golf course for beginner to tournament-ready youth, as well as adult men and women, seniors, disabled golfers and professional athletes.
Jones’ unique, knowledge-based teaching philosophy is rooted in education of “how” and “why” and not just “do” and “don’t.” His mastery of the “Nine Ball Flight Laws of Golf” helps students better understand their distinct golf swings, and Jones’ “hearing it, seeing it, feeling it” methodology is augmented by extensive video and technology used to develop consistent habits.
For students to follow paths to become better golfers, Jones emphasizes the importance of pre-swing fundamentals, such as proper grip, aim, stance, balance, posture, alignment and ball position as the foundation of the golf swing. To help students achieve their goals, Jones prescribes drills and complementary training for students to practice correctly at home, on the range and the course.
Specializing in custom individual and small-group instruction for juniors, Jones’ notes youth’s “stickiness” to the game is critical to golf’s sustainability for generations to come.
“I feel privileged to help shape and mold my students’ outlook on golf, because I know golf will shape their outlook on life,” says Jones, a PGA Member since 2003. “I believe in teaching so much that I dedicated my career to making golf accessible and affordable for juniors, especially those who would not normally have the chance to play. It is my gift to share, my responsibility and my way of giving back.”
The National PGA Player Development Award is one of many accolades Jones earned over his career. They include the Metropolitan PGA Player Development and Junior Leader awards, Top 50 Teacher distinction by U.S. Kids Golf and appointment to the PGA President’s Council on Growing the Game.
Located on Central Long Island, the upscale yet affordable, daily-fee Pine Ridge is popular for its spectacular 18-hole, 6,607-yard, par-70 layout. Carefully carved from a stunning pine forest, golfers’ journeys are void of boredom. Finely manicured bent grass greens, tees and fairways, as well as a comprehensive practice facility, give thousands of golfers reason to make Pine Ridge their home course. A 4,000-square-foot clubhouse features a wrap-around deck for post-round, social-distancing conversations. Pine Ridge is beautifully situated within The Point at Pine Ridge residential development.
For more information: www.pineridgegc.com, 631.331.7930
MEDIA CONTACT:
Dan Wooters
Buffalo Agency
201.919.7425
dwooters@buffalo.agency