The young Hohnen had already tasted life as a pro on the old PGA Tour of Australia, won on the pro-am circuit and felt the culture of his established Sydney club. 

“I remember the encounter clearly. An older Killara member, John Harrowell, said, ‘Son, you might contemplate another position or one with more money but the best advice I can give you is, ‘Don’t leave anything you are enjoying’,” Hohnen recounted.

“Well, it’s 2023 and I’m still here with a passion. Every day I come in the driveway of the club I know I’m going to enjoy myself.”

Much of that has to do with Hohnen himself, his upbeat attitude and the genuine connection between Killara and its Head Professionals over decades.

Remarkably, the club has only had three over the past 70 years through the late David Mercer, Hohnen and his fellow Head Professional, Patrick Fairweather.

Killara Golf Club recently honoured Hohnen, 66, with a cocktail party for more than 200 people to celebrate his 50-year connection.

“It was a great evening and I consider it a wonderful association over 50 years. Killara has always been very supportive of its golf professionals when a number of clubs have changed ideas and taken over pro shops, some successfully, some not,” said Hohnen, pictured with David Mercer and Peter Fowler at the 2018 David Mercer Pro-Am.

“I’ve considered it a privilege that the club has twice given me trips to try to qualify for the Senior Open just as they did Dave in 1973 when he did qualify for The Open Championship at Royal Troon.

“It cuts both ways. I have wonderful members to work for. There’s no retirement plan.”

The teenaged Hohnen caught public transport to Royal Sydney when he started his apprenticeship under Mercer’s brother, Alex, in 1973.

“I’d caddied for Dave as a kid and he said if I got my handicap down to three he’d look at starting me as an apprentice. A position opened for me at Killara later that same year,” Hohnen said. 

Hohnen enjoyed his time playing on the local tour. In 1989, he finished joint 10th behind Greg Norman in the Australian Tournament Players Championship at Riverside Oaks.

It’s their third round together that he recalls with a classic story and a chuckle.

“Greg birdied the final three holes for a 69 and I birdied the final two holes for a 70,” Hohnen recalled.

“Greg said, ‘Great day, good luck, hope we play better tomorrow’.

“I had to say, ‘You might have felt you didn’t play great, but I did. That was my A game.’”

Hohnen is proud that his mentor’s name lives on so vibrantly through the David Mercer Senior Classic on the Legends Tour. This year, Hohnen will host at Killara on November 16 with a bumper purse of $100,000 thanks to the backing of Thompson Health Care.

“I always wanted a Pro-Am to honour David’s name. For it to be successful over the years with great member backing and showing off the renovated course is a great credit to Killara Golf Club,” Hohnen said.

The Tasmanian-based pro has been named as captain of the Australian squad which will play in the Four Nations Cup on home soil at Moonah Links against teams from South Africa, Canada and New Zealand in September.

The Four Nations Cup is a professional tournament with a difference. To be eligible for selection, players must be a Full Vocational Member of the PGA of their respective country and not hold a full Tour card.

Now a Teaching Professional at Royal Hobart Golf Club, Laycock had a long and successful career as a touring pro, gaining four Tour victories, playing in three majors and climbing as high as 69th on the Official World Golf Ranking.

The 51-year-old, who finished full-time touring life in 2016, won last year’s PGA Professionals Championship National Final at Yarra Yarra Golf Club in Melbourne and will be joined in the Australian team by the next three placegetters in that event – TJ King, Jayden Cripps and Bradley McLellan.

Laycock’s only previous golf captaincy experience is limited to being assistant captain for the great Peter Thomson at the Dongfeng Cup, a teams event pitting the Asia-Pacific against China.

And the challenge of leading the Aussies at Moonah Links is one he’s keen for.

“It’s exciting. I’m really looking forward to it,” the two-time PGA Tour of Australasia winner said.

“I’ve never been a captain of any team; unless you count being captain of a soccer team when I was 13 or 14-years-old.

“Even though I’m busy here at Royal Hobart, I still try to keep my hand in at the playing side with some senior events or playing with the members once a week.

“With the Four Nations coming up, I’ll try to get a bit more practice in to make sure I’m as ready as I can be and provide any help I can to make it a successful event for us.”

Laycock has been based at Royal Hobart since late 2019 and said the move to teaching had come quite naturally.

“Like most pros on tour, I was always trying to assist anyone I was playing with if they wanted to improve their game,” he said.

“It was probably a natural fit to do what I’m doing now which has been a great move for me personally.”

King, who is based at Mt Coolum Golf Club on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, is the only member to back up from representing Australia in the inaugural Four Nations Cup at the Kyalami Country Club in South Africa.

McLellan is currently based at Cool Clubs Melbourne, while Cripps has been focussing on the playing side of the game after previously being based at The Ridge in Sydney’s south.

The Aussies finished second behind Canada in the 2022 Four Nations after finishing with a 15-13-2 record from their 30 fourball and singles matches.

This year’s Four Nations Cup, running from September 18-21, will be contested over six rounds, with each team playing three single matchplay rounds and three fourball matchplay rounds.

Each day will consist of four single games in the morning, and two fourball games in the afternoon, allowing a maximum of one team match point and six individual game points per day available to be won.

Spectators are welcome to watch the action at Moonah Links.

Updates on each day’s play will appear on www.pga.org.au.

In moments between discussions centred around latest product releases, Gerrard wonders how it is that he came to be here. How a golf-mad kid from regional Victoria could conjure a pathway that would one day see him appointed as the Global Director of Vokey Wedges.

He tells graduates of the PGA of Australia’s Membership Pathway Program to not be afraid of diversions from ‘the plan’ yet, in some weird way, where he sits today at Titleist HQ in Carlsbad, California is exactly where he always wanted to be.

Growing up in Swan Hill four hours north of Melbourne, Gerrard was talented enough to be selected in Victorian state junior squads. But as he dreamed of a life on tour, his parents directed him to first advance his education.

He was accepted to study law at Victoria University but, with a golf bug that continued to itch, Gerrard married up the timelines and devised a new plan. Rather than spend six years studying law, he would study for a Bachelor of Business at Charles Sturt University’s Wagga campus and then begin the three-year training to become a PGA Member.

Playing remained a priority and after receiving the Norman Von Nida Rookie of the Year award from the Queensland PGA in 2009, Gerrard set off to play mini tours in the US.

“I missed my first cut at like 4 or 5-under and quickly realised that everyone’s really good at playing golf,” Gerrard recalls.

He returned to Australia and had stints at both Hyatt Regency Coolum and Twin Waters on the Sunshine Coast.

Working alongside the likes of Peter Heiniger, Grant Field and Steve Hutchison exposed Gerrard to the full scope of a PGA Professional but his transition into the equipment world was not entirely by design.

“In between giving lessons, I was kind of the accidental guy who was fitting product,” Gerrard adds of his time at Twin Waters.

“I got to meet the Acushnet team and then a year or so later a job popped up in Melbourne to run the fitting centre and fitting network for Titleist ANZ.

“Within the first three months I was flown over to California and shown the ropes. That was when I realised that they’d given this job to a guy that really had no clue.”

Self-deprecation aside, the combination of his university degree and “real-world” training through the Membership Pathway Program gave Gerrard the foundation to advance rapidly up the ranks, leading to his move to California in 2019 to take up the role as Global Product Marketing Manager for Titleist Golf Clubs.

“My PGA training opened my eyes to all of these different jobs within golf that I had never considered,” Gerrard explains.

“I still joke with people today that when I’m hiring, I look for PGA qualifications because I know they’re going to be a jack of all trades, that they put their hand up to do 15 different things at once and that they’re probably pretty good at all of them.

“The PGA brand is as strong as it’s ever been around the world because they know that if you’ve done that training, you’ve learned a lot, you’ve experienced something in the real world and it’s going to stand the test of time.”

And take you to places that you perhaps never thought possible.

If you would like to explore the opportunities available through the Membership Pathway Program and PGA Institute visit pga.org.au/education

Her time in golf has embraced playing at the top level as a pro, corporate golf, teaching, golf operations, running clinics, encouraging more women to play and much more.

That exposure has converted to one abiding feeling.

“I’ve always worked in the golf industry and there’s always such an opportunity to facilitate an enjoyable experience,” Fleming said.

“To watch the joy of a beginner golfer hitting the ball in the air for the first time is happiness for me. There’s an addictive side to wanting to help players get better.

“It’s a hard game and you forget sometimes. Once you have played for a long time, you can easily become self-absorbed so it’s good to see that sheer enjoyment.”  

Fleming’s appointment to the top job at Rich River is a great fit for the busy 36-hole club at Moama, on the New South Wales side of the Murray River, and a great fit for her.

“It’s a welcoming club in general and really encouraging to females,” Fleming said.

“Rich River was the first NSW club to sign The R&A’s Women in Golf Charter (to maximise the potential of women at all levels in the game). In action, that has meant a massive shift so the ladies’ club championship is no longer just three mid-week rounds but includes Saturday play and a joint finale with the men.

“Rich River has a great line of juniors. You see them on the range from sun-up to sun-down and you want to see those kids progress.

“I conduct a lot of clinics and one piece we can do better is converting golfers from the beginners’ pathway to becoming members in an environment that isn’t intimidating.”

Fleming, 37, has been a PGA Professional since the beginning of 2020 and her breadth of experience made the transition from player mode easier than it is for some.

As a pro through her 20s, Fleming won the 36-hole Texas Women’s Open in 2012. Her 7-under-par 65 in the final round included a hot stretch of five birdies and an eagle in six holes mid-round.

On home soil, a 2-under 71 on the final day for 43rd at the 2012 Women’s Australian Open at Royal Melbourne was of the highest quality.

No player in the field made up more ground that Sunday when winner Jessica Korda and major winners Jiyai Shin and Yani Tseng were shooting 74s. 

“I gained so much confidence from that round. It was one of the best days I’ve had on a golf course; it felt like I’d shot 65,” Fleming said.

“Pitching to greens below the hole all week, putting well, hitting the ball into the right places… it gave me a feeling I belonged out there.

“Having grown up on the Mornington Peninsula and in Melbourne and having played pennants for Yarra Yarra, it was an extra thrill in my home state.”

After her stint on the ALPG, the former Victorian State team member’s shift into corporate golf didn’t mean suddenly giving up her own game.

“You had to perform at corporate days so it kept my golf at a fairly good level along with those years learning about that side of the game,” Fleming said.

Teaching at Sydney’s Pittwater Golf Centre and time as an Assistant Professional at Long Reef were all part of her progression.

“It certainly got me to the mindset that I needed to be a PGA Professional to make this a career. I transitioned nicely,” Fleming said.

Fleming works beside the experienced Steve Loader, Rich River’s Director of Golf. She’s also been offering helpful advice ahead of the Deniliquin Pro-Am set for September 6.

“Doing the bridging program took hard work. There was the study, playing, still doing corporate golf and life’s curveballs but the assistance I got along the way was greatly appreciated,” she said.

New Club President Susan Hull added: “The signing of the Women in Golf Charter in March is Rich River Golf Club’s commitment to progress the sport and career opportunities golf presents to women of all ages.

“We are very fortunate to have Jody, along with outstanding facilities, to progress the Charter for the club.”

A single parent, Fleming has a smile on her face each time she sees her boisterous 4-year-old, Noah, reach for his Young Gun clubs.

“He and his little friend from day care love mini golf. Them just hitting a ball is that pure joy that golf can bring,” Fleming added.

It’s a fascinating slant to her busy role in country Victoria. In March, she stepped up as Australia’s latest female head pro and the first at a club with a heritage dating back to 1895.

Tatt’s eight-year tenure at Ballarat Golf Club as an Assistant Professional prepared her perfectly when predecessor Dave Wallis was a mentor.

“I love it and feel great pride in seeing the family name on this business,” she said of forming Tatt Golf.

“In many areas it actually doesn’t feel any different because helping Dave with the everyday running of the business and golf were some of my roles anyway.

“I’ve always been someone who enjoys wearing many hats in golf. It keeps things interesting. It is never Groundhog Day because you are doing everything from lessons to managing stock within the shop.”

Brother Travis works beside her and is in his final year of the PGA Membership Pathway Program. Nephews Jackson, 17, and Riley, 15, are helping in the shop and learning the ropes.

“Dad and Mum have also been popping in every now and then to lend a hand. It’s a real family feel in here and poor Steve (Patterson) and Liam (Howlett) are asked regularly, ‘Are you a Tatt too?’, as part of the team,” Tatt said with a smile.

“It’s nice to feel a level of respect from male and female members, young and old. Growing up in the golf industry has helped with all those conversations and the relationships you build in the game.”

Those conversations come easily. Harder for Tatt, 38, was delving deep inside herself to draw a positive from attacks of anxiety in her own game when playing at the top level.

She played pennants for Victoria Golf Club in 2005, the same year she won the women’s club championship. Success at the Castle Hill Country Club Pro-Am on the ALPG Tour in 2008 in the final year of her PGA training was another highlight.

“I suffered anxiety on course and the main reason I talk about it now is to help others who suffer from it,” Tatt said.

“Unless you’ve gone through a few mental demons and tried to play golf, it’s hard to understand.”

Tatt lined up for the Women’s Australian Open last December at Victoria Golf Club with Wallis as caddie. It was all to simply enjoy the experience and the chance to play at Victoria GC again. The demons returned on her eighth hole, the 17th.

“Off the tee, I toe-shanked my 4-wood out of bounds,” Tatt recalled.

“I had that horrible feeling in the hands and said to Dave, ‘I can’t do it’. I topped the next one off the tee.”

To her credit, she kept going and conquered another mental hurdle on the next tee.

“My security blanket 4-wood was gone so I had to take out driver, which had been a problem club in the past. I piped it up the middle. The rest of the round wasn’t great but I was OK,” Tatt said.

That latest tournament experience has fed into many of the messages she now imparts to club golfers with a problem club, a perceived hang-up or jitters as a beginner.

“I want to be open because issues I have had can assist others,” Tatt explained.

“I’ve had young guys open up to me during lessons about anxiety problems on course. We go through the possible triggers and develop coping techniques from there.

“I’ve one member who now finds the positives to every round he plays rather than concentrate, to his detriment, on a couple of poor shots. We don’t hit perfect shots all the time. That’s a good thing for players of all standards to understand.

“Play one shot at a time, rather than counting shots, is one thing I often talk about. Beginners to the game don’t need to look pretty with their swings but absolutely they can still enjoy it, improve and play in a comp when they never imagine it is possible.”

They may also work for your students and help to build a long-term player-coach relationship.

Attention over intention

Golfers will invariably arrive at a lesson with lots of intentions, but the reality is that they can only devote their full attention to one thing. It’s important that they understand the difference so encourage them to focus their sole attention to one aspect of their game during the lesson so they leave better-equipped than when they arrived.

Control you, then the club

Watch Rory McIlroy swing a golf club and most golfers will marvel at the combination of speed, power and balance. As PGA Professionals we cannot be expected to get everyone swinging like Rory McIlroy but we can put them in a starting position that will give them the best chance of making their best swing. I might say the word ‘balance’ 20 times every lesson because without it, we can’t control what the club does on a consistent basis.

Care less, but don’t be careless

Anyone who swings a golf club has a 50/50 chance of achieving one of two results; hitting it where they want the ball to go, or not. And if it doesn’t, it’s not the end of the world. Encourage that mindset within your lessons and you will see a significant increase in their rate of improvement.

Consistent actions, not consistent results

Nine out of 10 people who come to me for lessons want to improve their consistency. The issue I have with that is that most golfers don’t do enough things consistently within the golf swing to generate consistent results. The most we can ask of our students is to concentrate on being consistent in their setup and their thought process; the results will speak for themselves.

Leave with confidence

Most golfers think that once they leave a lesson, the magic stays behind. I stress to my students that whatever good shots they hit, whatever progress they make, is completely their doing. The bad shots? They’re on me. Whether I am standing beside them or not, they are now more capable of hitting better golf shots after the lesson than they were before. That should fill any golfer with confidence the next time they play, and make them want further lessons in future.

Andrew Thomas has been a PGA Professional for the past 30 years. He teaches at Wembley Golf Course in Perth and was named the 2022 WA PGA Game Development Coach of the Year.