Adam Jacob Wins State Award
Adam Jacob Wins State Award
Established in 2003, the Richard Eller Growth of the Game award recognizes a Tennessee PGA golf professional for their outstanding and continuing contributions to the Growth of the Game. The award is presented to and individual who has:
• Established player development programs at their facility
• Increased rounds of golf at their facility
• Promoted golf to all sectors of players
• Provided leadership in the area of Growth of the Game
• Participated in National Growth of the Game initiatives and activities
Tellico Village Golf Pro Adam Jacob was recently awarded the Richard Eller Growth of the Game award.
Adam has given hundreds of private lessons – both in individual and group settings in his fifteen years at Tellico Village. He has initiated round table sessions to teach the assistant golf professionals step by step how to set, organize and run efficient clinics and tournament events. He is involved in area school programs and coordinates community youth outreach programs at Tellico Village. Inspired by the five-week-long PGA Get Golf Ready program, Adam created fundamental clinic programs for men and women of all ages that spanned twelve weeks in the spring and twelve weeks in the fall. Each week focused on a different facet of the game. The group setting promotes the game because it is social, fun, and less intimidating. Each class is held for 10-12 golfers, class sizes large enough for participants to meet new people but small enough for each individual to receive one-on-one instruction. Each student expressed their enjoyment with the program and most attend multiple sessions. The clear majority of the membership at Tellico Village are seniors. The dynamic is enhanced when programs are designed to reach out to junior golfers as well. In order to accomplish this, Adam holds a week-long camp for juniors aged 6-17 every summer. Participants average around 70-80 kids daily. Each day a different part of the game is covered, and the rules of play are outlined. At the end of each day all campers play a fun game that spans what they have learned. Midway through the week, the students take a shot and dunk the Pro in a dunk tank – a big hit. The final day brings a golf tournament and the winners go home with a trophy. The annual junior camps are a week of hard work and fun and have become increasingly popular. Adam utilizes the PGA’s Tee it Forward program. This program has helped his senior membership enjoy the game a lot more and has received rave reviews. Adam believes in this program because the guidelines help every caliber of player in the Village participate. From beginners to single-digit handicappers, there is a way for every golfer to enjoy the game. The Tellico Village forward tee movement started at about 15-20% participation. Now the participation levels are at 65% for men and nearly 75% for women. With the aging membership, Tee it Forward has truly helped. For example, Adam’s Thursday men’s league participation has increased steadily by 7-8 golfers a week in the past year. From April through July, rounds increased by 264 and just over $10,700 was received in new revenue thanks to the Tee it Forward program. To help grow women’s golf in Tellico Village, Adam modified the PGA Jr. League program and used that formula for the beginner ladies league. The initial year has 75 ladies involved. Adam broke the ladies into eight teams and each month designed a match. This format has brought the league closer together and has been an amazing experience so far. The players are learning more about tournament golf and the rules of golf. The ladies all come up with team names, wear custom shirts and some even create team flags to put on their carts when they play. Trophies will be awarded to the winning teams in the final week. This program has helped increase league participation by 24% a week. Tellico Village is fortunate to have three golf courses, and sponsors four local middle/high schools, providing a place to play and practice year-round. Adam personally works with each school’s coach and sets up times for group practice and matches. Adam is the assistant coach for the Greenback Middle School team. His roles include teaching the youth about their golf swings, going over the rules of golf and teaching tournament play. Players show great improvement by the end of the season. This year, the Greenback Middle School girls fell just one shot short of making it to state for the third year in a row. Coaching youth in the area schools is a fantastic experience that Adam looks forward to continuing to do for many years to come. Due to the prosperity of the implemented instruction programs, rounds have risen 10% and men’s league participation is up 8%, ladies league is up 18% and couples league increased 5%. The extra rounds have generated more than $50,000 in revenue. Adam tracks all the players at the group clinics and 30% have joined a ladies or men’s league this year. The Tellico Village practice facilities have also experienced a growth in usage. Customer satisfaction has increased tremendously. Almost every morning the range is packed and it’s difficult to find a spot to practice. Members are making the golf course their second home. With the golf courses in excellent shape, members report being extremely happy with all the programs and events to participate in and are enjoying their retirement even more.
