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As Elvis Smylie closes in on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit, coach Ritchie Smith shares how a team of people applied the finishing touches to an elite young talent.
Elvis is obviously an exceptional talent. He and his previous team had done a lot of great work but when we started to work together 12 months ago, we took a more collaborative approach.
One key area that we wanted to address as a team was his relationship with the ground and building a solid foundation.
Part of that was coaching – his awareness of the ground and how you use it. How his body relates to that ground and how his body relates to the different segments of the golf swing.
That entailed work with physiotherapist Marty McInnes and strength and conditioning coach Luke Mackey because previously Elvis had some instability through the swing and associated pain.
To achieve that we needed a single message being fed through each person and to be quite assertive in what was required.
Elvis responded really well to that and trusted in what we were telling him. That transferred to some really good results at the start of the summer and wins at the WA Open and Australian PGA Championship.
He is now hitting at 17 miles an hour faster and his body is healthier.
Yes, that has something to do with coaching, but it is more to do with the collaborative nature of his entire team in working towards a single outcome.
Based at Royal Fremantle Golf Club, Ritchie Smith was named the 2024 PGA National Coach of the Year – High Performance, the third time he has won that award. Ritchie’s athletes include Hannah Green, Minjee Lee, Min Woo Lee and Elvis Smylie.
We’ve come a long way since the first days of pizza delivery. Forget endless take-away alternatives delivered straight to your door, you can now get groceries, medication and even a nice bottle of red without ever having to leave your house.
The same now applies to golf coaching.
Like so many elements of the global golf industry, online coaching exploded in popularity as golfers sought ways to stay sane during Covid-19 lockdowns.
PGA Professionals around the world began generating content for social media, offering solutions to golf’s most common swing ailments.
Ryan Mouque was based at Wynnum Golf Club in Brisbane at that time, commuting as much as an hour each way to give a half-dozen in-person lessons each day.
Mouque now gives as many as 20 lessons a day to clients all over the world, all without having to leave his backyard.
Nominated for both the PGA Coach of the Year – Game Development, and Coach of the Year – High Performance, at the 2024 Queensland Golf Industry Awards, Mouque gave 4,000 online lessons in the past 12 months.
He is adamant online coaching is as, if not more, effective than in-person lessons.
“The biggest thing with online is realising that too much information for someone can be overwhelming,” explains Mouque.
“If they’ve got set-up issues, grip issues, takeaway issues, wrist angles at the top of the backswing issues, online you can nail the set-up as their first lesson.
“Obviously you can do that in person, but you might not see them for another month or more.
“Players on my unlimited plans can send me a video immediately after practising their set-up in their loungeroom and I will give them feedback within 24 hours.”
More and more golfers have access to simulators and many have nets set up in their backyard, yet Mouque and other PGA Professionals don’t need to see a ball in the air to make meaningful improvements.
If that sounds contradictory, consider that the great Norman Von Nida gave lessons later in his life purely by the sound the ball made off the clubface.
“Someone hitting into a net in their basement, I’ve seen that many swings I know what ball flight is coming out of that particular swing 95 per cent of the time,” says Mouque.
“I don’t necessarily think you need to see ball flight to help someone. You can make a big enough change in someone without seeing the ball flight. Most of the time you can see the swing and know the ball flight produced by that swing.”
More than anything, Mouque says that the immediacy and convenience of having a golf coach on call is why so many of his clients see consistent and sustained improvement.
“Essentially, you’ve got a coach in your back pocket 24/7,” Mouque adds.
“I’ve been able to create some pretty insane transformations to students’ golf swings and their games.
“I’ve taken one guy from a seven handicap to a plus-two. That’s even more satisfying because there are a lot of people out there that say, ‘Oh, online’s not for me. I need that personal touch.’
“My response is always, ‘I honestly bet that you don’t. And if you gave me six months, I can prove it.’”
THE PRO WILL KNOW
Whether in person or online, PGA Professionals are key to playing your best golf. To find a PGA Pro near you click here
Public golf facilities represent the entry point for many beginners looking to take their first steps into playing golf. Those first steps can often be tentative.
‘What do I wear?’ ‘What do I do?’ ‘Who can help me to get started?’
These are questions swirling around the minds of many first-timers who walk into a golf facility, and why Anne-Marie Knight ensures the environment they find at The Pat GC in Adelaide is a welcoming one.
A PGA Professional for the past 17 years after an accomplished playing career, Knight has seen thousands of potential golfers come through the public driving range formerly known as West Beach Park Golf to see if the golf bug bites.
Through her friendly nature and carefully structured programs, Knight’s coaching calendar is booked out weeks in advance as she converts curiosity into committed golfers.
“It is a lot more relaxed at a public facility, so they are more comfortable in that environment,” Knight said of beginners getting started.
“I’ve always had a philosophy that I need to make my environment friendly and open and be engaging.
“You are often the first person that they run into when it comes to their decision whether they want to take up golf. If you’ve got that friendly nature where they do feel welcomed, then you can present a range of programs that they may be interested in.”
While there are some who start golf with the intention of advancing to club membership, there is a growing population of golfers motivated more by the social element that is available.
In conjunction with West Beach Parks, Knight has developed a range of beginner programs designed to meet the market in how they want to participate in golf.
“The idea behind “Bucket and Bubbles” was to get that entire practise range full of women hitting golf balls, feeling comfortable in that environment and to have fun,” explains Knight, the PGA South Australia Coach of the Year – Game Development in 2024.
“Women take up golf for different reasons, and they like the idea of that social aspect.
“It’s not always the beginner player, but certainly it’s a great foundation for those that want to give it a go. They’ve got an hour-and-a-half of coaching and having a champagne and mixing with other women.
“Whether that feeds into playing at other clubs or feeds into my other programs, it is another little pathway that you can provide.
“You just want to grow the game and allow people to experience the game and to decide how they want to be involved in the game.”
The Pro Will Know. To find a PGA Professional to help you get more out of golf, click here.
Royal Fremantle Golf Club’s Ritchie Smith has been acknowledged as Western Australia’s best coach for a second time at the 2024 WA Sport Awards presented by SportWest.
Held at Optus Stadium in Perth on Thursday night, Smith was named Coach of the Year ahead of WA men’s cricket coach, Adam Voges and WA Institute of Sport Swimming Head Coach, Ben Higson.
Nominated twice previously, Smith was named Coach of the Year in 2021 and received the honour again after a year in which he had three players represent Australia at the Paris Olympic Games, guided Hannah Green to three wins on the LPGA Tour and saw Elvis Smylie win both the WA Open and BMW Australian PGA Championship.
Named PGA National Coach of the Year – High Performance at the PGA Awards in November for a third time, Smith’s stable continues to grow and flourish.
He has coached both Green and Minjee Lee since they were just 12 years of age, Minjee’s younger brother Min Woo making it three out of four Smith athletes wearing the green and gold for the Australian golf team in Paris.
“I’ve known Richie since I was 12 years old, since I first got into the junior squad for the Interstate Matches,” said Minjee after her third Olympic selection.
“Obviously he’s got great coaching skills, but he also knows us inside out so he knows exactly what to say when we need to hear it or words of encouragement or when we’re doing well.
“He just knows how to keep us grounded as well.
“It just shows how good his relationship is with all of us, having three out of the four in the Olympic team.”
Green enjoyed one of the greatest years by an Australian on the LPGA Tour in 2024 and finished just one shot out of a playoff for a medal at the Olympic Games.
An influential figure on WA golf for more than a decade, Smith’s reach continues to grow.
He and his team put the finishing touches to Queenslander Elvis Smylie that has already yielded a DP World Tour card and he is currently working on resurrecting the career of Victorian Su Oh.
Kelsey Bennett won three times in 2024 and secured a Ladies European Tour card at Q School. Here, long-time coach John Serhan, shares how they have established a winning mindset.
Kelsey won three times in 2024 but it was her finish to Ladies European Tour Q School that was the best example of having the courage to go for her shots.
Needing to make birdie on the final hole, Kelsey secured her 2025 LET card by hitting two shots when she needed them most when there was a temptation to play safe instead.
Can you win playing conservatively all the time?
The answer these days is definitely not.
If you can’t win playing that way, you need the courage to commit to every shot.
There’s a great deal of acceptance that comes with that because you may not hit the perfect shot. But it might go exactly where you want it to, and that should be your focus.
Everyone has those thoughts of where they don’t want to hit it, but those who do it better have awareness and strategies to get their focus back on what they want to achieve.
Find a divot a couple of metres in front of you, visualise the ball flying through the air and then landing on the green.
Trust that your body knows what to do and allow the subconscious mind to create the shot.
More than not being scared to win, it’s also about not being scared to fail.
John Serhan is the Head Teaching Professional at St Michael’s Golf Club in Sydney and was named 2022 PGA NSW Coach of the Year – High Performance. Among the athletes he coaches are Tour Players Kelsey Bennett, Harrison Crowe, Sarah Kemp and Nathan Barbieri.
Harry McMillan knows that the world of golf is now open to him after completing the Membership Pathway Program by being named the 2024 PGA of Australia Associate of the Year.
Now employed as an Assistant Professional at The Lakes Golf Club where he was offered an opportunity to begin the MPP after writing a letter, McMillan scored 69 in his final exam and finished with a playing average of 0.63.
Nominated for the award by his supervising Professional, Russell Skennerton, McMillan received the majority vote by the Vocational Members Council and has been lauded as a worthy recipient.
For McMillan, his PGA credentials represent the necessary grounding to build a career in golf.
“You’re always a little bit surprised when you receive such high praise and recognition is awarded to you,” said McMillan.
“It was just nice recognition for the efforts given at The Lakes, both with the assignments, playing well in the four-rounders this year and helping out around The Lakes both with member events and then helping with the juniors where I can.”
In putting forth the nomination, Skennerton highlighted the ways in which McMillan has positively contributed to The Lakes over the past three years.
“Harry has an outstanding work ethic and he always puts the business first before any personal needs that he has,” Skennerton wrote.
“He is always willing to stay back or work an extra shift where needed.
“He accepts responsibility for jobs that go way beyond his scope as an Associate Member.”
Introduced to golf by his father growing up in Coffs Harbour on the New South Wales North Coast, McMillan was a talented soccer player and cricketer.
It wasn’t until the age of 16 that he made golf his priority and saw a way to make a career in the sport through the Membership Pathway Program.
And he didn’t have to look far for inspiration.
Good friend Bill Stocks completed the MPP at Bonville Golf Resort south of Coffs Harbour and after stints at Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs in New Zealand is now working at prestigious Southampton Golf Club in New York.
“We’re lucky in that the PGA of Australia is so highly regarded amongst other countries such as the US, throughout Europe and Asia,” said McMillan.
“It’s pretty cool to be able bounce around the world off the back of being a PGA Member. And I think having The Lakes Golf Club as an employer for the past four years will go a long way, too, if I was to explore opportunities over there.”
Although he has aspirations to move into management roles at golf clubs in future, McMillan first wants to scratch the itch of seeing whether he can play on Tour.
Winner of the Wagga Wagga Associate Pro-Am and 12th at the PGA Associate National Championships in November, McMillan will attend Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Qualifying School in April buoyed by how his game has developed through weekly matches over the past three years of the MPP.
“As a player, I’ve certainly become a lot more consistent through the program,” he added.
“Having to play majority of Mondays, different golf courses, different conditions each week, learning to adapt and know your game a little more rather than just playing at your home club week in, week out and then trying to go and win an amateur event or even professional events.
“It’s good just having something to play each week and just your game, develop your skills a little bit.
“The reason I went down the MPP path instead of putting all your eggs in the one basket, being able to get in and secure a PGA Membership as a Vocational Member.
“You can then explore management roles down the track, whether that’s immediately after or in 10 years’ time.
“That’s the advantage of doing the Membership Pathway Program.”
Director of Golf, Rodney Booth, has found the right balance of member play, visitor rounds and beginner programs for all ages to drive impressive growth at Catalina Country Club.
A favourite spot on the New South Wales South Coast for holidaymakers, retirees and young families, the 27 holes at Catalina have long been a popular playground for those who live in the area or those just in for the weekend.
That can create its own challenges in balancing member demand with the opportunity of visitor green fees yet Booth and his team have embarked on a range of initiatives that maintains member satisfaction while welcoming new golfers to the facility.
The result has been an explosion not only in membership numbers and visitor rounds but introductory programs that have proven popular for all ages.
“We have cadets from the age of eight beginning their lifelong journey all the way up to 70-year-olds that have decided to take the game up for one of many reasons,” said Booth, who was named the PGA National Club Professional of the Year at the 2024 PGA Awards.
“Within this age gap, we cater for an array of individuals and groups ranging from schools, work organisations, community groups, people with physical or mental limitations as well as those that just want to give golf a try who haven’t up until now.”
At either end of the age spectrum, newcomers to Catalina are relishing the start of their journey in golf.
In an area popular among retirees, the junior base has more than tripled while the beginner ladies programs have proved so popular there are now as many as four sessions per week.
“Our junior program’s gone from around 30 juniors up to more than 100 now,” Booth added.
“Our beginner ladies engagement programs are really kicking some goals now. We’ve got three or four clinics a week and even membership’s just grown exponentially over the last three or four years.
“We’re putting through more than 200 people a day at the moment so it’s busy but having that personal contact as much as you can goes a long way.”
Key to Catalina’s success has been a focus on making sure that each experience, no matter how frequent, is an enjoyable one.
“We’ve got a great product at Catalina – the clubhouse, the facilities, the service, the golf course – so it is then about making that day-to-day experience one that they remember,” said Booth.
“Whether it’s a member that’s frequenting two or three days a week, a visitor that comes out once a year or those participating in our various programs, making sure that their time and their experience is worthwhile and they want to come back in again.
“If they walk out of the pro shop with a smile on their face and appreciating the journey, then my job’s partly done.”
With three wins on the LPGA Tour, Hannah obviously had a fantastic year in 2024. But when we looked at her play from the year prior, it was only a couple of putts a week that was the difference between a win and a top 10, explains coach Ritchie Smith.
What we saw with Hannah’s putting stroke in the pre-season was that the swing path was very square, but there was a lot of rotation at the face.
We wanted to discourage that rotation so that it matched up with the path better.
To address that, we changed the putter to a centre shaft.
It was the better choice of the equipment that helped to create a better pattern of movement.
Many club golfers use equipment that they like the look of, rather than what works best.
By spending as little as 10 minutes with a PGA Professional, you can work out what equipment you need by analysing the data.
The result won’t be instant, but with enough reps you will see a change in performance.
Which ultimately means more putts going in.
Based at Royal Fremantle Golf Club, Ritchie Smith was named the 2024 PGA National Coach of the Year – High Performance, the third time he has won that award. Ritchie’s athletes include Hannah Green, Minjee Lee, Min Woo Lee, Elvis Smylie and Hayden Hopewell.
When you’re the only girl in Geraldton who plays golf, finding friends to play with – let alone learn the game with – never enters your mind.
Rachel Campbell grew up the daughter of a PGA Professional, so found her way into golf via that path. She has since discovered since joining the team at Lake Karrinyup Country Club in Perth that many women desire a more collective entry point.
Since taking over the Women’s Introductory Program six years ago, Rachel has introduced 48 women to golf over a 22-week period each year.
Last year, 37 of those women took up the transitional membership offered by the club. Next year’s program, which starts in March, has just six of the remaining 48 spots still available.
Each program consists of six groups of eight women and Rachel believes that it is the shared experience that makes it such a success.
“It’s often safety in numbers,” says Rachel.
“There’s always two or three friends that are doing it together because one won’t do it without the other.
“It’s very social. There’s a lot of chatting that happens in our classes and it’s a pretty relaxed atmosphere, but that’s what they’re there for. They’re there to have some fun, do something with their friends.”
Rachel herself was an outstanding junior golfer who attended New Mexico State University on a golf scholarship before spending time on the Ladies European Tour, Futures Tour in the US and the WPGA Tour of Australasia.
But through offering the group lessons where half the time is spent on course to make ladies feel comfortable and aware of golf etiquette, Rachel is seeing the wider benefits that playing golf offers, even if you don’t carry a scorecard.
“One of the ladies who was in the program my first year in 2019 is now nominating to be on the committee,” says Rachel.
“Six years ago, she didn’t know anyone in the club and had never played golf.
“She said that the program positively transformed her life and that she has ‘found her tribe’ with a passion for golf.
“Some of these ladies will never play a comp. They just want to play nine holes on a Monday morning with their friends and have a coffee.
“There are a group of ladies who now go away on golf trips together who met doing the introductory program.
“They’ll go down to Margaret River; one lady has a boat so they’ll go to Rottnest Island for the day and play the Rottnest Cup. They recently went to Adelaide.
“It’s quite amazing. They didn’t know each other well and now they’ve just formed this nice group.
“Golf’s probably not the highlight – it’s the eating and drinking and a bit of travel along the way – but golf brought them all together.”
PGA Professionals throughout Australia offer introductory group lessons. To find the one nearest to you visit www.pga.org.au/find-a-pga-pro/
Sustainability and a more actively engaged membership are the key tenets that Robert Blain is using to elevate one of Sydney’s busiest golf courses.
Nestled amongst a collection of courses that includes Bonnie Doon Golf Club and sharing a lake with The Lakes Golf Club, Eastlake Golf Club not only offers affordable membership options in Australia’s most populous city but also access to public play.
Blain joined Eastlake as General Manager in July 2023 after a stint as Director of Golf at New South Wales Golf Club.
Sensing the opportunity to maximise the potential Eastlake Golf Club presented, Blain went straight to work on key projects, including the installation of a 100kW solar panel system, consultation with Greater Sydney Landcare on a commitment to plant 4,000 native trees and a streamlining of membership categories that included new models aimed at encouraging cadet, junior and colt participation.
The nett result was an almost 10 per cent growth in membership and a nett profit of $250,000 despite $400,000 in capital expenditure, Blain paying tribute to the position the club was in when he became General Manager.
“It is one of the busiest courses in Sydney, so it’s a matter of capitalising on that popularity,” said Blain, who was named the PGA National Management Professional of the Year at the PGA Awards in November.
“The club has been going from strength to strength before my time and I’ve seen it myself in the time I’ve been there.
“For myself and the management team, it’s a case of improving it where we can, listening to members’ feedback and taking them along on the journey.”
Part of that journey will be further course and infrastructure upgrades that will include construction changes to five of the club’s 18 holes.
These will be aligned with Eastlake’s course safety development applications which also includes the planting of more than 4,000 native trees in accordance with the club’s Environmental Management Plan.
Eastlake has also engaged an architect to revamp the clubhouse amenities, further enhancing the member and guest experience.
“We’ve made a fair push in the sustainability area,” said Blain.
“We installed a large solar panel system on the roof of the clubhouse and we have engaged in a detailed native tree planting program with Greater Sydney Landcare.
“It’s all part of the course safety plans that we’ve got coming in the next 12 months or so.”
After completing the Membership Pathway Program under Colin Hunt at Twin Creeks Golf and Country Club, Blain was the Head Professional at Hamilton Island Golf Club, became Golf Operations Manager at Royal Sydney Golf Club and then Director of Golf at New South Wales Golf Club.
He says that grounding, and the fellow PGA Professionals he has worked under, put him in a strong position to take on the General Manager role at Eastlake.
“I started with Colin Hunt at Twin Creeks and then worked with him again at Royal Sydney when I was there,” said Blain.
“I had David Burton at New South Wales, Rob Selley at a couple of the courses that I worked at and Paul Hinton at Royal Sydney.
“I’d like to think that I have taken bits from each of them and tried to build them into my own management philosophy.
“Everyone says the door is always open but I do just to chat to the staff and make sure things are going smoothly and address any issues that might arise before they become bigger issues.”
