Golf Academy Training

1. High School Golf Academies

This past fall, and summer (2011) articles in the Vancouver Sun reported on the recent trend toward development of high school sports academies. What a cool concept! It made me think back to my "golden years" of sports participation. High school was where my interest in sports peaked.

The Sun report indicates that the BC High School system is taking the 'Academy Approach' in order to attract student athletes and funding for sports programs to encourage for students who want to take their games to advanced levels. For budget-restricted school districts, the academies offer a way to charge fees for the new programmes and raise dollars to promote advances in their curriculum.

In British Columbia, there are now 110 academies offering coaching in 21 sports at 72 different schools. Academies are offered through respective school districts that administer extra fees for the academies in sports as student demand warrants. Luckily, golf is one of the sports covered. Of course not every school district offers an academy, but the idea is gaining interest as a way to maintain student interest through more advanced/specialized programming. Of the 60 school districts in the province, about half of them offer some form of sports academy.

West Vancouver, for example offers academies in golf, hockey, soccer and tennis. Another golf academy is presented at Rockridge Secondary (School District #45). Another golf academy is at Delta School District (SD #37), in Seaquam Secondary School. Seaquam's academy is based at the Northview Golf and Country Club, former host of the Air Canada event on the PGA Tour. Northview GC features two 18 hole courses, driving range and (from personal experience) an outstanding practice area for short game and putting.

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• access to a CPGA golf professional and a golf strength and conditioning specialist
• completion of a 6-week short game instruction program
• 2-D and 3-D video analysis of their swings
• biomechanical assessment of their full swings, short game and putting
• 50 two-hour training sessions at Northview GC
• 25 two-hour training sessions at Seaquam Secondary
• 5 one-on-one lessons outside academy time
• a Titleist golf bag, two Footjoy shirts, and one Footjoy jacket
• a pass for 20 rounds of golf at Northview GC

Right now, the program is offered only at Seaquam Secondary. Kids don't have to be enrolled at Seaquam but right now, most do. To enroll, prospective students apply for one of the 10-12 spots available ( see application process forms). The Academy is part of the course cirriculum; students get credit for Phys-Ed and an Elective for taking part in the full year program (2 blocks out of their 8 block schedule). It is not cheap, cost is $4,000 per student. But, when you consider the extensive training, conditioning, skill testing and 20 rounds at a high quality facility like Northview, this program gives full value by any measure in my opinion.

The Seaquam program starts in the fall and runs for 8 months. Kids can develop their swing technique, course management, physical fitness, mental conditioning and access to competitive golf through this innovative program. The objective is to give students an opportunity with a high performance golf program to enhance their personal education experience and to develop their game and passion for golf.

There are no "standards" between academies as to program content for each sport, so each school might be slightly different, but this one looks awfully good. Bill Richards, Teacher Coordinator of the Seaquam Golf Academy, together with school district staff have done a tremendous job to assemble the components of the academy program into the offering that exists today.

i look at this program and I am so envious. The pass for 20 rounds at Northview GC alone would be phenomenal. I wish I was a student there. Golf wasn't even a school sport when I was in my school years (sorry for the repetive old geezer rant). If they had an Adult Education version of this Academy, I would be there in a heartbeat.

More details of the Seaquam program are available at the school district website.

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Cost for the full year programme is $5,000 with all options included. That is the cost for a junior. But a new option may become available in the coming months. The TPL has been endorsed for entry into Titleist Performance Institutes new International Programme. The school may begin entertaining entrants from all over the world as parents seek schools to prepare their prodigy children for golf at the elite level. Cost of a full year programme will reach $55,000 and up. See the the TPL website for cost details.

International academy training will be for seriously focused juniors from schools similar to the Academies started by Nick Bollettieri, David Leadbetter and IMG (International Management Group). These are full time, all-inclusive training programs that board athletes for the full year, educate, train and provide tour-level competition. Alumni include LPGA member Paula Creamer and PGA player Casey Wittenberg.

Cost for the IMG / Leadbetter program can run as high as $120,000 annually if boarding, golf tuition and high school tuition are included. See the IMG rate schedule for a cost breakdown.

If the TPL International Junior programme is successful, a similar academy may be offered for adults in the future.

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