FRANKLIN, Tenn. – Players in the NFL are some of the most finely-tuned athletes in the world, but even some of the best athletes need help with their golf game. Eight Tennessee Titans football players recently visited The Little Course at Golf House Tennessee, just south of Nashville, to take advantage of PGA Free Lesson Month, an annual promotion by The PGA of America and partners Golf Digest, The Golf Channel, Golf for Women and Nike Golf.
Each May, PGA Professionals across the country offer free 10-minute lessons to consumers. PGA Free Lesson Month is part of Play Golf America, an umbrella-marketing campaign designed to grow the game of golf. Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen has also proclaimed May as “Play Golf Tennessee Month.”
“Many of our players are often asked to participate in charitable golf tournaments,” said Bob Hyde, Tennessee Titans vice president of community relations. “They often reply, ‘I’d love to help, but I’m a terrible golfer.’ And that is what made PGA Free Lesson Month perfect for our players. They were allowed to go out in a very relaxed setting and receive tips from some of the top PGA instructors in the city, and they loved every moment of it.”
Titans players who participated in PGA Free Lesson Month included: WR Drew Bennett, WR Tyrone Calico, DT Jared Clauss, FB Troy Fleming, CB Rich Gardner, DE Shawn Johnson, DT Randy Starks and TE Ben Troupe. Titans radio play-by-play announcer Mike Keith also attended.
PGA Professionals from the Tennessee PGA Section who provided instruction to Titans players included: Carroll Clark and Vikki Vanderpool, both of The Little Course in Franklin, Tenn.; Doug Curtiss of Hermitage Golf Course in Old Hickory, Tenn.; and John Nichols and Stan Smoot, both of Harpeth Valley Golf Center in Nashville, Tenn.
“It’s always fun for us, as instructors, to help golfers improve,” said Vanderpool. “Some of these players had never swung a golf club before. But by the end of the lesson, we saw a lot of improvement. They’ll definitely be more confident the next time they’re on the course.”
PGA Free Lesson Month is one of several programs designed to grow and stimulate participation in the game of golf under “Play Golf America,” a national marketing campaign that is supported by the golf industry. All PGA Professionals participating in the Free Lesson Month campaign can be found on the industry supported website www.playgolfamerica.com.
“We have 180 PGA Professionals in Tennessee offering free lessons this month,” said Chad Anderson, field director for the Tennessee PGA Section. “This is just one of many programs our instructors participate in to help people get started in golf or improve their game.”
