Learn from The Best! Tips from GOLFTEC Coaches in the South who made the list.
This year GOLFTEC had 31 Coaches who made the Golf Digest “Top Teachers in Every State” list. We will take you through their golf backgrounds, coaching methods, goals, and tips so you can get to know them and see how they can help you play better golf!
If you live in the South, particularly in Florida or Texas, be sure to get in touch with these Coaches to start your GOLFTEC journey with the best. If not, be sure to contact your local GOLFTEC to get started with a Coach. Your Coach could be the next to make the Best Teachers list!
Steve Lippincott – Florida
Steve Lippincott has been with GOLFTEC for over 15 years and is the Director of Operations for the Southeast Region. Steve previously was the Director of Instruction at GOLFTEC Carrollwood in Tampa, FL.
Steve became a coach out of college when he realized that he got more enjoyment out of helping his friends improve than working on his own game. That has showed as Steve’s list of achievements includes being named to Golf Digest’s Best Young Teachers list twice, Best Teachers in Every State list twice, including this year, and GOLFTEC Regional Manager of the Year in 2020.
“In a state like Florida where there are so many fantastic instructors, being recognized by my peers as one of the top is very humbling,” said Lippincott. “I’m proud to be listed amongst so many people I call friends.”
Click here to contact GOLFTEC Carrollwood to start working with our great Coaches in Florida!
Doug Strawbridge – Texas
Doug Strawbridge has been teaching for almost 20 years and has taught over 30,000 lessons. Doug is the Houston Regional Manager and Director of Instruction for GOLFTEC Upper Kirby in Houston, TX.
Doug’s long list of accomplishments includes the South Texas PGA Section-Eastern Chapter Harvey Penick Teacher of the Year award in 2020, as well as Golf Digest’s Best Teachers in Every State, but there’s one memory that still tops them all for Doug.
“When I was 10, I played in an STPGA Parent Junior at the Tournament Course at The Woodlands. My father and I won the event,” said Strawbridge. “To this day, that trophy still sits on my desk as a reminder. It trumps any college or professional win I have achieved.”
Dog also provides a great piece of advice for future golf instructors. “It’s important to never stop learning. In this age, students have access to information and technology more than ever. You are either adapting and growing or you are being left behind.”
Click here to contact GOLFTEC Upper Kirby to start working with our great Coaches in Houston, Texas!
Erik Wait – Texas
Erik is the Regional Manager of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and the Director of Instruction at GOLFTEC Frisco. Erik has been with GOLFTEC for over 20 years, and knew from an early age he was passionate about helping people play better golf!
Some of Erik’s greatest achievements in Coaching include having several Students receive full ride college scholarships for golf in Texas and Oklahoma, and helping more than 15 Students win their club championships in the North Texas area. One of his students won her club championship 13 out of 15 years!
“It’s an honor to be on this list with the best teachers in America,” said Wait. “What’s even more meaningful is that this list is voted on by my peers. Making the Best Teachers in Texas list is an achievement that has come from 25 years of dedication and effort at being the best coach I can be for my students…and it feels good to reach a milestone like this by helping my friends reach their own personal milestones and goals!”
Click here to contact GOLFTEC Frisco to start working with our great Coaches near the Dallas/Fort Worth area in Texas!
Thomas Valdez – Texas
Thomas is a Certified Personal Coach at GOLFTEC Houston Galleria, and has been with GOLFTEC for nine years, but has been teaching golf for over 17 years!
In addition to this year’s Best Teacher in Every State list, Thomas also has earned Golf Digest’s Best Young Teachers in America award. However, it’s the work Thomas does with the Special Olympics that he’s really passionate about.
“Being the Golf Coach for Fort Bend Arc Special Olympics of Texas is one of my proud accomplishments,” said Thomas. “They teach me more than I can ever teach them, and watching them play and hit golf balls brings a smile to my face and emotions that are hard to explain. They are the best lessons I teach and the most fun I have teaching the game I love.”
Thomas also appreciates how hard he has worked to get to this point and is grateful to be a part of this Best Teachers in Every State list, saying, “To be named on a list that is voted on by your peers is absolutely amazing and humbling all at once. It makes me proud that I can show my son that I followed my dreams and anything is possible with passion and hard work.”
Click here to contact GOLFTEC Houston Galleria to start working with our great Coaches in Houston, Texas!