Series: Diary of A Golf College Student
Article 6: Boca Ratan
by Jonathan Gibbins

Back to previous entry

I cannot help but feel out of place in the city of Boca Raton, just north of Fort Lauderdale. It is very flat and spread out and to my surprise, has only been built in the last thirty years or so. In fact, in the 1930’s it was still a small village. The recent construction is the main reason for the average road having two lanes split by a lush verge of grass and gated communities for safeness. The city also boasts drive-in banks, drive-in grocery stores (in Las Vegas they have drive-in weddings!) and valet parking at the supermarket. I cannot even imagine these things where I grew up in Yorkshire!

In order to survive in this city, it is clear that you have to own a car because places are spread so far apart. Even if you own a bike, it is hard to get to some places because there are no pavements on some sections of the city.

As I learn more about the city, I discover that a handful of well-known golf teachers base themselves in Boca and many other have in the past.

The most recent example is Dave Pelz, the short game guru who is instructor to more than 200 tour pros all over the world. He is a former NASA scientist and has done golf research for the last twenty years. He is the author of two great books (“Putt like the Pros” and “Short Game Bible”) and is always presenting shows on The Golf Channel.

He bases himself at the very exclusive Boca Resort and because he is so good, he is not cheap. A three-day school will set you back $5,000 and apparently he is fully booked for the next two years!

In contrast to this, the famous player Tommy Armour (his nickname was “The Silver Scot”) used to teach at the Boca Golf Club for over thirty years and in most cases, didn’t charge a penny. His real pleasure came from passing on his knowledge and in result, has influenced many teachers that have followed him. 

 In my mind, he had the perfect lifestyle. He would teach in the mornings, play in the afternoons for money with his friends and then indulge in a variety of leisure activities. He wrote only one book on golf (“How to Play Your Best Golf All the Time”) and it has become a well deserved classic. His predecessor as head pro was Sam Snead, who didn’t teach that much, but he could certainly play and joke with the members!

With so many people wanting a golfing base here (beautiful weather is the reason), the area is literally buzzing with players and teachers all throughout the year. In fact, of the top-100 teachers in America, over 60 of them have academies in Florida. I realise my fortune and start to search for some of the best ones, which is hard because my current coach tells me the best golf gurus hide from top players in order to remain relatively unknown. They do this so they can give back to the game much more, which is their real pleasure in life.

Come back to the site next week and read the next installation of life on a golf scholarship!