Apply now to be a GOLF Top 100 Teacher

There’s nothing more important to us at GOLF.com and GOLF Magazine than helping our readers enjoy the game of golf. And one such way we strive to live up to that mission is through expert golf instruction from the brightest minds in the game.

Our Top 100 Teacher franchise is the backbone of that cause. With their help, we are always looking for ways we can help you improve.

This year, we are updating the GOLF Top 100 Teachers in America list. This group is the heartbeat of our instruction vertical, helping us lean on the game’s brightest minds to create content across GOLF’s print, digital, social and video platforms. The list remains the golf standard for teaching talent, expertise and innovation.

As part of the update process, we are releasing a public application available to every coach in the U.S. Every submission will be evaluated by a committee of current Top 100 Teachers and Hall-of-Fame members with a goal of identifying the best golf instructors in the country.

This committee will consult a diverse range of experts during the process to make sure we leave no stone unturned. The end result is a list that we believe comprises the best teachers in America who can help you play your best.

If you’re a teacher yourself, or you know one who’d like to apply, scroll down and review the criteria below. You will find a link the the application at the bottom of this page.

Minimum criteria

To be considered for Top Teacher 100 status, an instructor must have at least 12 years of full-time teaching experience and spend at least 750 hours a year actively teaching golf (through individual lessons, group, clinics, schools, classes, presentations, seminars, workshops, etc.). In addition, an instructor must spend at least 750 hours in other lesson- and instruction-related activities. Examples of the latter include organizing lessons, communicating with students, writing articles, filming video, learning, reading, and/or studying any areas related to the field of teaching golf. Combined minimum annual total = 1,500 hours.  

Selection process

Applications are screened against fifteen baseline criteria recommended by the Top 100 Teachers Credentials Committee.1) Number of years teaching2) Annual hours instructing on the lesson tee3) Annual hours engaged in teaching-related activities4) Letters of recommendation5) Employment history6) Reference lists7) Impact on instruction community8) Teaching scholarship9) Teaching awards10) Student portfolio11) Student ratings12) Peer ratings13) Growth of the game14) Volunteerism15) Student results

The applications are then examined and ranked by a group comprised of 15 active and former Top 100 Teachers. Final recommendations are then made by a separate Selection Committee, comprised of GOLF Magazine’s instruction editors, established Top 100 Teachers and alumni, and invited World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame members. (Recommendations are based upon an in-depth review of the fifteen baseline criteria with an emphasis on the following: swing knowledge, communications skills, innovative teaching ideas, flexibility in teaching different learning types, proven success, willingness to share knowledge with peers, longevity, success with well-known golfers, industry awards and number of nominations, recommendations and presentations.) The recommendations of the Selection Committee are submitted to GOLF Magazine for the final decision.