Philip Du Preez – Head Teaching Professional

Wingate Park Country Club

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What led you to becoming a PGA Professional?	I started playing golf at aged 16 and fell in love with the game. After completing school, i went to a golf academy where i played a lot of golf and tournaments across the country and also completed a degree in Officiating and Coaching Sciences as well as my PGA Diploma. Soon after studying and getting into the golf industry i realized how fortunate I am to be a PGA professional. Looking back at my career i can truely say that it has been great to work with such a diverse range of people and other professionals.
How long have you been in your current position?	8 years, 6 months
What does your job entail?	Full time coaching, club-fitting, golf clinics, golf development clinics, engaging with members, running the driving range
Do you have any environmental or sustainability goals that you have met and would like to share?	As a coach, my biggest goal has been to build healthy relationships with golfers, to show interest in their needs and to guide them towards their golfing goals. Seeing golfers grow in the game by assisting them in reaching their fullest potential and achieving their golfing goals has made it sustainable for them to practice and play more often. Another goal is getting as many people as possible involved in golf, especially juniors to help build an even better future of my home club.
Please give us a brief outline of the path you took to lead you to your current position	Before becoming a teaching professional, I used to be a in retail and working as a hardware golf sales consultant at The Pro Shop. I soon realized that helping golfers improve their game was my biggest passion. Building relationships and working with a wide range of people has brough so much joy and excitement to my life as I am very happy and fortunate to be in the position that I am in.
Why do you feel that you would be a good candidate to win this award?	Delivering the PGA’s values and principles with the focus on growing the game of golf has been my biggest passion and desire to see my students enjoy, develop and perform. Engaging with a diverse age of golfers on different levels, building relationships and seeing results has been by far the most rewarding. I believe that creating fun is the key element to excitement in the game of golf as at the end of the day we all want to call it a sport that we love. What i love most about teaching the game of golf is that it requires discipline, perseverance and respect, likewise our everyday lifestyle.