PROFILE
Title: PGA Director of Instruction, Rock Manor Golf Course, Wilmington, Delaware.
Years as a PGA/LPGA Professional: 42.
Top achievements / honors: Philadelphia Section PGA, Golf Professional of the year (1998); Golf Magazine, Top 400 Teachers in the U.S. and Canada (2001); Variety Club Buddy Program Children's Champion (2003); Srixon Golf National Salesperson of the Year (2005); President of the Philadelphia PGA Section (2001-2003).
SOCIAL MEDIA / ONLINE
Website: RockManorGolf.com
RELATED: PGA Professional Spotlight archive
TAP-INS
Who is your favorite golfer? Jack Nicklaus.
What is your most memorable round of golf? Playing 18 holes with Charles Barkley the day his trade from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Phoenix Suns was announced.
Q&A
The First Call: What made you want to pursue a career in golf?
Michael Cole: My love for teaching and dealing with people in general
TFC: What is your favorite instructional tip to share with a golfer?
MC: Swing forward, not down. Swing to your target, not to the ball.
TFC: What advice do you have for someone considering a career in golf?
MC: Be a well-rounded PGA Professional, but also pick a specific area of interest that you are passionate about.
TFC: What is the best advice you have received on your career path?
MC: Always be proud of that man in the mirror. That is who you have to continue to compete with, no one else.
TFC: Is there a particular area of your job that you find most rewarding?
MC: Teaching has always been my first love. Since my college days, I have always preferred to help others with their game than working on my own.
TFC: Do you have a preferred style or philosophy for teaching golf?
MC: I really stress being mentally focused on the target. One of the toughest parts of the golf motion, compared to other target sports, is that we are trying to move where we are not lookin. It is a very easy neuromuscular reaction to move where we are looking. In golf we are looking down while trying to rotate forward towards our target. I believe that is why we see people move out of balance so often.
TFC: How does being a PGA/LPGA Professional add value to your brand?
MC: The PGA offers many resources to the members. I have found the national and section education seminars very valuable. The PGA/LPGA logos that we display bring immediate accreditation. We are recognized as the experts in the industry.