Suttie Golf Academies
News Articles





Dr. Jim Suttie is promoted to new Emeritus list as GOLF
Magazine Announces its Top 100 Teachers for 2007-2008

NEW YORK, MARCH 1, 2007—GOLF MAGAZINE, the world’s most widely-read golf publication, recently added 15 new instructors to its Top 100 Teachers list for 2007-2008, published in the magazine’s new March issue. The magazine also promoted 15 current members, including Dr. Jim Suttie of Cog Hill G.&C.C. in Lemont, IL and TwinEagles C.C. in Naples, FL to Emeritus status, making them permanent members of the prestigious Top 100 Teachers list.

Dr. Jim Suttie is one of the most sought after teachers in America and currently teaches PGA and Champions Tour stars Loren Roberts, Paul Azinger, Chip Beck and recent Honda Classic champion, Mark Wilson.

Suttie’s decades of motor learning and biomechanical research (his doctorate is in Biomechanics), have culminated in some of golf's most revolutionary teaching methods such as those detailed in his ground-breaking book The LAW's of the Golf Swing. The concepts in the book became a hugely popular GOLF MAGAZINE cover story soon after its publication in 1998.
   
Suttie was also named the PGA of America’s National Teacher of the Year in 2000 and is among Golf Digest’s Top 50 Greatest Instructors in America.

Over the past decade, GOLF MAGAZINE’S Top 100 Teachers list has become the industry gold standard, not only because it was the first such list ever issued, but because of the diligent selection process that GOLF MAGAZINE created to assemble the list. Every other year, the magazine starts from scratch to determine the best 100 teachers in the nation.

More than 800 nominations are accepted from among 32,000 golf professionals including the PGA of America, the Canadian PGA and the LPGA Teaching and Club Professional Division. Each nominee must complete a thorough questionnaire.

The final decision to include a teacher among the Top 100 is made by GOLF MAGAZINE’s instruction editors based upon a combination of 10 criteria including: swing knowledge, communications skills, innovative teaching ideas, flexibility in teaching different learning types, proven success, willingness to share knowledge with peers, longevity, success with well-known golfers, number of nominations/recommendations and industry awards.

The new Top 100 teachers for 2007-2008 include:
•    Brad Brewer, Orlando, Fla.
•    Anne Cain, Amelia Island, Fla.
•    Jason Carbone, Litchfield Park, Ariz.
•    Mike Davis, Las Vegas, Nev.
•    Dom DiJulia, New Hope, Pa.
•    Bill Forest, Scottsdale, Ariz.
•    Patrick Goss, Evanston, Ill.
•    Roger Gunn, Moorpark, Calif.
•    Rod Lidenberg, Woodbury, Minn.
•    Tom Ness, Braselton, Ga.
•    Dan Pasquariello, Pebble Beach, Calif.
•    Carl Rabito, Clermont, Fla.
•    Brady Riggs, Van Nuys, Calif.
•    Tom Stickney, Vail, Colo.
•    Jon Tattersall, Atlanta, Ga.

In addition, 15 longtime members of GOLF MAGAZINE’s Top 100 Teacher list were elevated to “Emeritus” status. These men and women will continue to participate as active members of the Top 100, but have earned the right to be called Top 100 Teachers for life:

•    Jimmy Ballard, Key Largo, Fla.
•    Peggy Kirk Bell, Southern Pines, N.C.
•    Chuck Cook, Austin, Tex.
•    Manuel De La Torre, River Hills, Wis.
•    Jim Flick, Scottsdale, Ariz.
•    Michael Hebron, Smithtown, N.Y.
•    David Leadbetter, Champions Gate, Fla.
•    Eddie Merrins, Los Angeles, Calif.
•    Dave Pelz, Austin, Tex.
•    Phil Ritson, Winter Garden, Fla.
•    Phil Rodgers, La Jolla, Calif.
•    Craig Shankland, Daytona Beach, Fla.
•    Jim Suttie, Lemont, Ill. and Naples, Fla.
•    Bob Toski, Coconut Creek, Fla.
•    Dr. Gary Wiren, West Palm Beach, Fla.

For more information on Dr. Jim Suttie’s lesson programs visit www.jimsuttie.com or call 800-765-3838.


GOLF MAGAZINE ANNOUNCES 2005-2006 TOP 100 TEACHER LIST


Dr. JIM SUTTIE HONORED AS ONE OF
GOLF MAGAZINE’S TOP 100 TEACHERS FOR 2005-06
List Includes 10 New Members and 30 Teachers Honored Since 1991

NEW YORK, JAN. 5, 2005 – The golf industry’s premier acknowledgment of teaching excellence has been issued today as GOLF MAGAZINE released its biennial list of the Top 100 Teachers for 2005-06. Among those chosen from the country’s 25,000 golf professionals is Dr. Jim Suttie of Naples, Florida. He is among an elite group of golf teaching professionals that includes; 10 newcomers, 10 women, 30 professionals that have been on every list since the first in 1991, teaching professionals from 28 different states, and the first-ever Canadian honoree. The complete Top 100 Teachers list appears in the February 2005 issue of GOLF MAGAZINE, on newsstands nationwide January 10, 2005.

The new members of GOLF MAGAZINE’S Top 100 Teachers for 2005-06 are:

Rick Barry (Sea Pines Resort, Hilton Head, SC)
Henry Brunton (Angus Glen Golf Club, Markham, Ontario, Canada)
Jim Hardy (Jacobson Hardy Golf, Houston, TX)
Shawn Humphries (Cowboys Golf Club, Grapevine, TX)
Don Kotnik (The Toledo Country Club, Toledo, OH)
Brian Mogg (Golden Bear Club at Keene’s Point, Windermere, FL)
Bruce Patterson (Butler National Golf Club, Oak Brook, IL)
Carol Preisinger (The Kiawah Island Club, Kiawah Island, SC)
Chuck Winstead (The University Club, Baton Rouge, LA)
Dr. David F. Wright (Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club, Mission Viejo, CA)

“There are great teaching professionals all across America, but based upon our extensive data and arduous selection process, we are confident that our list recognizes the best of the best,” said Lorin Anderson, Managing Editor for Instruction for GOLF MAGAZINE. “Although it is quite an honor to be selected, the biggest winners will be the readers of GOLF MAGAZINE who benefit every month from the Top 100’s innovative and insightful instruction tips.”

Over the past decade, GOLF MAGAZINE’S Top 100 Teachers has become the industry gold standard, not only because it was the first such list ever issued, but because of the diligent selection process that GOLF MAGAZINE goes through to assemble the list. Many golf clubs specifically look for Top 100 honorees to fill job openings.

More than 600 nominations were accepted from the PGA of America, the Canadian PGA, the LPGA Teaching and Club Professional Division, current Top 100 teachers and from GOLF MAGAZINE readers. Each nominee must complete a thorough questionnaire that was developed in conjunction with Dr. Paul Schempp of the University of Georgia’s Sport Instruction Research Lab – the only lab designed to study how sports are taught.

After the applications are examined and ranked by the University of Georgia researchers, the final decision to include a teacher among the Top 100 is made by GOLF MAGAZINE’s instruction editors based upon a combination of 10 criteria including: swing knowledge, communications skills, innovative teaching ideas, flexibility in teaching different learning types, proven success, willingness to share knowledge with peers, longevity, success with well-known golfers, number of nominations/recommendations and industry awards.

Here’s a closer look at GOLF MAGAZINE’S Top 100 Teachers for 2005-06:

o 30 teachers have appeared on every list since the first list of 50 was published in 1991 including: Jimmy Ballard, Peggy Kirk Bell, Jim Flick, Peter Kostis, David Leadbetter and Bob Toski.

o Teachers from 28 states plus one Canadian province are recognized (based upon main season facility). Florida (23), Arizona (10), California (10) and Texas (9) lead the way.

o The Top 100 teachers have given a combined 3.7 million lessons – an average of 37,000 each.

o For Top 100’s that offer hour-long private lessons the average rate is $211–an increase of 26% since 2001. The women’s average rate is $178 compared to the men’s rate of $215.

o Five offer rates for less than $100/hour: Rick Grayson ($50), Peggy Kirk Bell ($60), Manuel de la Torre ($80), John Dahl ($85) and Eric Alpenfels ($90). The highest hourly rates are Rick Smith ($1000), Mitchell Spearman ($600), Butch Harmon, Peter Kostis & Jim McLean ($500).

o The Top 100 average 28 years of experience. Six teachers have more than 50 years including; Manuel de la Torre (57), Phil Ritson (57), Jim Flick (52), Peggy Kirk Bell (52), Gary Wiren (51) and Bob Toski (50). Just 11 Top 100’s have been teaching for less than 20 years lead by Chuck Winstead (13) and Brian Mogg (14).

o Four teachers have won PGA or LPGA Tour events and four are members of the World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame.

o Top 100’s Mike LaBauve and Sandy LaBauve are married and Jack Lumpkin is Sandy’s father.

o Two resorts each employ three Top 100’s– LaQuinta Resort (Jim McLean, Jerry Mowlds, Carl Welty) and The Cloister/Sea Island (Todd Anderson, Jack Lumpkin, Gale Peterson).

GOLF MAGAZINE is read by 5.8 million people a month, more than any other golf publication. The magazine is published by Time4 Media® a subsidiary of Time Inc., which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX). GOLF MAGAZINE also publishes the official publications for the U.S. Open, PGA TOUR, Champions TOUR, the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, and the USGA.

###