Tim Cooke
Director of Instruction
The Sea Pines Resort
Hilton Head Island, SC, USA
Tim Cooke joined The Sea Pines Resort in 2013 and holds a master’s degree in pedagogy from the University of Virginia and earned Master Professional in Instruction status from the PGA of America in 2009.
His numerous honors and recognitions include PGA Carolinas Section Teacher of the Year, US Kids Top 50 Instructor, and national Top 50 Growth of the Game Teaching Professional.
He is also on Golf Digest’s list of the top teachers in South Carolina, and Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Teachers in America.
More than 100 junior golfers coached by Cooke have made the jump to collegiate golf in his teaching career. Cooke also is working with professionals on the PGA, LPGA, Champions and Korn Ferry tours.
He has made numerous Golf Channel appearances and has authored dozens of instructional articles for major magazines. He resides on Hilton Head with his wife Kara, and their two children.
The Cooke Story
I went to the University of Virginia with the intention of playing on the PGA TOUR. Playing ACC golf at a top 25 program was the stepping stone to the TOUR in my opinion but when I arrived in Charlottesville, my golf game did not! I wouldn’t change my time at UVA for anything but I can honestly say I was a better junior than collegiate golfer.
Walking around campus my fourth year I knew the TOUR was not in my future but I still loved the game. I remember thinking about my childhood coach, Gary Smith, and how much I had enjoyed learning from him. Also my college coaches were people I looked up to immensely and still do to this day. So at that moment, I knew I wanted to coach.
I had an extra year of eligibility, so I met with one of the deans of the Education school and expressed my desire to become a coach and if there was a degree that could help me. Dr. Anne Boyce became my advisor for my Master’s degree in Pedagogy and the emphasis in motor learning, exercise physiology, and sport psychology jump-started my coaching career.
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When did you find out you were selected for the fifth time by Golf Magazine as one of the top 100 teachers in the US?
In early September, I found out that I made the list again although publicly could not announce it until early November.
What starting advice would you give to someone who is relatively new to golf in regards to finding quality teaching?
Search your local area for PGA Professionals and reach out to them to see if they offer beginner group and/or individual sessions.
What’s the breakdown in terms of time relating to learning the game — full swing, short game, putting, course management — that you generally follow with students?
90% of my clients are performance-based (pros, college, mid am, and high school players) so the majority of my days are spent finding ways to level up those players’ games.
The time allotted depends on the player’s need to enhance the performance. However, I spend a lot of time on full swing and short game as I have a few putting coaches who are friends and assist some of my players in this aspect of their games.
What is the more difficult assignment — teaching someone new to the game or someone at the elite level?
Both are challenging in their own unique ways. The objective of teaching a new player is to create small successes and to set expectations, while having fun with the sport for the first time.
Yet at the elite level, the player can almost always do what you ask so very quickly you will know if your technical game plan is correct — or cuts will be missed!
Do men and women view instruction from different perspectives. If so — what’s the primary difference?
In general, I have observed that women are more likely to fill the group short clinic instruction setting, while men gravitate to individual instruction.
If someone wants to level up their game and compete to test their game, I am happy to be on the journey of improvement no matter the gender.
The biggest misconception students have about instruction is what?
“You have to get worse to get better” is just not true.
Will you hit some bad shots while exploring an upgrade in the swing: yes. Should you leave a lesson with a game plan and knowledge of what to work on and hit more effective shots: yes!
If you could change one thing in golf unilaterally — what would it be and why?
I would create a set of tee boxes on every course at 100 yards from the hole. This way new players would find success in lower scores early in the golf journey, and good players would have a great way to work on wedge play in an on-course setting.
What are the benchmark signs the relationship between teacher and pupil is working and when it’s not working?
The easy answer is scores. Are the scores improving? Beyond score you can look at data as it relates to your objectives when you started working with the teacher.
For example, if you were looking to increase driver distance and your speed and distance off the tee has improved, then you are on the right track.
You are actively involved with junior golf development through instruction. What’s the biggest mistake parents make when introducing a son or daughter to the game?
When first introducing a kid to the game, it’s essential to create a fun environment.
The mistake I see with young kids is parents hovering over the junior and dictating when they leave.
Instead, the young player, especially under the age of 10, should be the one who dictates the end of the practice session.
Best advice you ever received – what was it and who was it from. And, the best advice you can give to a golfer looking to seriously improve their game is what?
20 years ago I was spending time with one of my mentors—William McKee, who developed Wade Hampton Golf Club. I had been interviewing for some head professional jobs at high-end clubs around the country.
But he knew that my passion was helping others through coaching so he asked, “Do you want to count inventory in a golf shop or help others achieve greatness in the game?” From that moment on I have strived to be the best coach I can.
For the golfer who is looking to seriously improve their game: invest in a stats program and log all of your rounds for three months. Then, take the data to a coach and build an improvement plan for the various areas of the game. The objectivse should be to maintain the strengths and improve upon the weaknesses.
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For more info go to:
www.seapines.com/golf/learning-center/instructors
