John Hughes - John Hughes Golf
John Hughes is an Award-Winning Golf Coach as well as an accomplished speaker and author.
With more than 29 years of experience, John Hughes is a Golf Coach to golfers of all skill levels, from beginners to major tour winners. One of only 376 individuals (>1% of all PGA Members) who’ve earned the designation of PGA Master Professional (Instruction), John has the skills, ability, knowledge, and experience to provide you an opportunity to play to your potential while experiencing the absolute best golf lesson you will ever have.
John Hughes’ Career Highlights
Current Top 25 Instructor – Golf Tips Magazine
PGA of America Master Professional of Instruction
Recipient – 2013 PGA of America’s Horton Smith Award, recognizing educational contributions to all golfers
Recipient – North Florida PGA Section’s 2009 Teacher of the Year Award
President – North Florida PGA Section
Foundation Board Member – North Florida PGA Section Foundation
Head Coach – Celebration High School Ladies’ Golf Team
Former National Director of Instruction – Golf Digest Schools and Advantage Golf Schools
Students include the “Who’s Who” of the corporate, entertainment, political, and sports industries as well as Club Champions, NCAA Champions, Mini-Tour Professionals, and PGA Tour Winners
How old were you when you got started in golf and what eventually pulled you into becoming a golf professional?
My father always had a club laying around the house for me and my siblings to use in the backyard when we were young. It was my sophomore year in college before I truly found a passion for the game. Although I did not play college golf, I did play a lot of golf after college. What was a pass time became a serious hobby, and then became a lifestyle, and quickly thereafter became a profession. Golf provided me an outlet for my competitiveness after having to give up a promising professional soccer career. And golf also provide me a way to give back, knowing from the beginning of my professional career that I wanted to be a full time coach of the game.
How do you stay current with the latest developments in teaching methods?
I am a veracious reader, spending countless evening hours reading and learning about golf, bio-mechanics, golf technology, psychology, and other subjects that keep me current with the science and art of coaching/playing golf. I do study video, FlightScope numbers, as well as other data to hone my intuitions and sharpen my eye for details. And I am always networking with a fantastic group of friends and mentors, debating the relevance and effectiveness of coaching techniques. All this allows me to simplify the process for my clients, which in turn provides my clients an opportunity to reach their potential.
Do you specialize in teaching any facets of the game?
I’m a coach of all facets of the game. This is important because my clients can count on me to assist them no matter what their issue.
Golfers choose their coach based upon a number of factors, including the communication style and whether they feel they can establish a relationship with a coach. Forcing a client to establish multiple relationships with coaches because one coach can not take the client to their potential with a particular skill can be counterproductive. Assisting my clientele with all aspects of their game provides them the confidence that I can get them to their potential. And it also eliminates any possible conflicts of information or instruction communication, simplifying the improvement process for the client.
What sets you apart from other golf professionals?
I take pride in my communication skills. My clients know that if they contact me by 5PM any day of the year, they’re guaranteed a reply the same day. No matter if they are frustrated with their game, excited about an accomplishment, or they just want to pick my brain, they know I am available.
Another item that sets me apart is my use of the golf course within most if not all my programs. Knowing how to take new skills to the course is typically a missing ingredient among most amateur golfers. Being able to coach my clients on the course on a regular basis provides us both a way to apply their skill development under real time conditions or situations. Doing so builds the skills under pressure and provides confidence to my clients that they can play to their potential.
What’s the most exciting thing on the horizon for you personally or professionally?
I’m very excited about my business growing globally. The Orlando area is a melting pot of residents and tourists that make the area special. The ability to assist golfers from everywhere in the world is an opportunity not too many other areas can provide a golf coach.
Because the past few years my clientele base has expanded, I’ve decided to expand my business by developing a remote coaching portal that I hope will launch by July 1, 2020. It will contain an element no other remote platform will offer, allowing me to better serve my current and future clients.