It’s More Than Training Champions
Junior Players Golf Academy prepares young golfers for challenges on the course as well as in life.
Interested in playing for your favorite college team or one day rubbing elbows with pro golfer Rory McElroy? Visit the Junior Players Golf Academy for a day, and you’ll see that these impressive goals of golfing success are not only dreams but realities.
The world-renowned Junior Players Golf Academy has received acclaim for producing quality junior golfers at its Hilton Head, South Carolina, location, and now, a new location has opened in Orlando to train national and international golfing hopefuls.
Located at the Orange County National Golf Center and Lodge, the JPGA golf academy accepts, not only full-time students traveling from other states and countries, but also local junior players who wish to further their passions for the game of golf.
“We are very simple and are a boutique academy, where we don’t have 100 kids in our academy. We want kids [who] are here for the right reasons and want to train to possibly play college golf, kids [who] have a passion and motivation to take their skills to the next level,” said Keith Bach, JPGA’s president.
On the Green
Much of the development of the JPGA Orlando location was taken from the success of JPGA’s Hilton Head location, with a focus on five key components: fitness, training, schooling, facilities and housing. Hilton Head’s 11,000-square-foot office/training facility on the 5-by-12 mile island allows students the exclusivity to harness their golfing talents and be responsible for their needs at a young age.
The Orlando location opens up the same opportunities in a big way with improving one’s game and maturity through Orange County National’s 36-hole championship courses, state-of-the-art driving range, and practice areas that are perfect for working on short game, especially having access to the short course, “The Tooth.”
“It’s a great spot to take advantage of all aspects of the game,” Keith said. “It benefits the students as they learn and prepare for tournament golf.”
For full-time students, Windermere Preparatory School and The Crenshaw School allow students to continue their educations as they attend JPGA, while students also train in fitness and work on the mental side of the game to help them prepare for the mental pressures that occur in competitive golf and traveling for tournaments.
Structure & More
What Keith prides JPGA on and families have found beneficial is the structure of the golf academy for all students, which couples well with the on-site coaching staff, who are equally devoted and passionate, just like the students. Clive McCann is the head coach for JPGA and has an unbelievable passion for teaching juniors.
“We want to make sure that the students are successful in everything in addition to golf, like doing well in school, doing well at home, and going on the road,” Keith said. “There are certain guidelines that we stick to in making sure that students are there for the right reasons, because they tend to become more successful that much quicker.”
One example is Ewen Ferguson, a previous JPGA student, who recently turned professional last year and won the 2013 Boys Amateur Championship, 2014 Scottish Match and Stroke Play, 2015 Walker Cup, and took part in the Professional European Tour last year. He plans to come back to train again with JPGA coaches in the near future.
Another JPGA success story is that of a teenage girl from Chile. She went from being a beginner golfer, not being able to break 100, to playing for one of the most reputable colleges in South Carolina for women’s golf.
“We have taken students [who] are very good players to students [who] are somewhat beginner level, who have realized that golf is something they want to pursue and want to play college golf,” Keith said. “It’s our job to guide and make them better, while nurturing the students and giving them a sense of independence.”
Words can only do so much, so plan a visit today, and see how the Junior Players Golf Academy can help your child achieve success in both golf and life.
For more information about Junior Players Golf Academy, call 843-686-3355 or visit jrpga.com. ♥