Rob Gray
November 18, 2011

One of our very talented students, Rob Gray had a hole in one on November 15 at Whirlwind GC; The Cattail course (our flagship site at Wild Horse Pass Resort) during his golf school. Rob is taught by BGA Senior West Coast instructor, Craig Waryan and they were playing the 3rd. hole which measured 160 yards. Rob used a 7 iron for his shot of perfection.

Congratulations, Rob!

August 10, 2011

We are thrilled to report on the incredible success of another one of our students. Yvette Jonsson has been a golfer all of her life, but her handicap (which had once been a 10) had climbed to a 17. We first had the chance to see Yvette last summer at Hiddenbrooke GC (home of our Napa golf schools) where she and her son Erik (who in his own right is a very talented golfer), spent three days learning from our West Coast Director of Instruction, Jim Samsing.

In the months following her school with Jim, Yvette diligently practiced what she learned and her handicap came down to an 11 by the end of the year! Yvette won the “Most Improved Golfer” award at her Club-which rarely goes to a good player like Yvette (is usually won by higher handicapped players who have dropped 10+ stokes etc.), and this year she continue to improve still, as witnessed by her own words:

“I have been playing with so much more confidence! Ten days ago I played a four ball invitational at Green Hills in Milbrae. Although my foursome had players with 27', 29 & 32 handicaps, we won low gross!! I lost one match in my team play which is match play, best ball . I shot an 84 but the women we played against shot a 78 & 79! There was no way we could beat them. It was fun to watch and we only lost by 2 points, we halved all but two holes”.

Congratulations, Yvette, on your wonderful accomplishments; although we are certain, that your handicap will be in the single digits soon!

Keep up the great work, Yvette!

Jay

Michele Gagnon
April 18, 2011

The account below comes to us from Michele Gagnon who just spent 5 days with our incredible East Coast Director of Instruction; Mary Mills. Michele Gagnon. Michele had played golf for 10 years and her lowest score ever had been a 93. As you will read, she accomplished a great deal in her time with Mary. Here is what Michele had to say:

I am passionate about golf and have a strong desire to perform, but had a lot of problems with my swing. I learned 2 new words with Mary: “chicken wings” (which illustrate my OLD swing) and pronation which is becoming my new swing. Throughout the 5 days, Mary was patient, nice to be with and always found positive things to say, even when I was struggling. Mary worked really hard to find innovative ways to correct mistakes that I had ingrained for 10 years, and to change them in 5 days. I really enjoyed the format: 3 hours in the morning and then practice all the great learning on the golf course in the afternoon. Another revelation for me was the time Mary spent to take pictures and videos of my swing and then look at those shots to explain what needs to be changed. So beneficial for me! My technique has improved significantly! Thanks to Mary I know now what to do on the driving range, as Mary taught me drills to specifically address my challenges. That 5 day course improved my knowledge, skills and confidence in playing golf. What else can you ask for?

My best game ever, was 93 before the Bird Academy. On the day after my last school day, I shoot a 92, with a 10 and a 9 (2 very bad holes). My drives have improved significantly, (averaging before, 150 yards) but now, frequently I had drives of 180 to 200 yards, in the past 2 days. Again, this is amazing and I can’t wait to start the season!

I want also to say special thanks to Jay Ewing who was especially nice and helpful and SO customer oriented. Was very patient to answer my question and made sure that my last minute request were answered promptly. He really wanted to make this experience a great one! And it was a superb experience!

HIGH 5 MARY!!! (Mary always gave me a high 5 when I had good shots). Mary: thanks for a very productive week! I had GREAT fun and learned so much!!!

Michele Gagnon
Quebec, Canada

EDITOR'S NOTE:
Great job, Michele! Mary is certain that this is only the beginning for you and that you are going to become a very fine player!

Hani Zeini
March 30, 2011

The Rarest of all Birds

One of our students has just recorded the rarest of all golf shots while attending our school at Indian Wells Golf Resort. On Wednesday, March 23rd., Hani Zeini made an “albatross” on the 12th. hole of the Celebrity course while playing with his teacher, Lee Maiden. The 12th hole is a short par 4 that measured 235 yards on that day. An albatross (which is also sometimes called a Double Eagle) is when a player plays a hole in 3 under par. Hani therefore did two remarkable things with one shot; he had a “hole in one; and an albatross.

In Hani’s words; here is what he had to say: “I greatly enjoyed meeting and working with Lee. We crammed a lot into two days but they were very special two days that I will never forget on many levels. I definitively experienced a marked change in my game as a result of the didactic and fundamental work Lee and I did on specific areas of my game. His approach to teaching, coaching and improving my game is phenomenal, not to mention, his limitless passion for golf and golfers. Experiencing a hole-in-one at Indian Wells with Lee there to witness it, is the other unforgettable part of my experience. Thank you for the experience - I am a believer and a big fan of the Bird Golf Academy”

Hani is a new golfer whose immediate goal is to break 100. Based on his work with Lee, we are pretty certain that will happen; and soon!

It went in!

Hani and Lee on the 12th green.