Golf:

Many golf professionals will shy away from junior golfers, instead focusing their efforts on more mature players.

There are a few negatives in instructing juniors, specifically those who are just casual golfers.

The problems can range from inattention to overbearing parents. Some parents use golf lessons as a form of mini day-care.

Nick Kumpis doesn’t see those potential problems, instead the Pelican Hill instructor is far more focused on the positives.

So much so that he has been named one of the U.S. Kids Golf Top 50 Teachers by the Georgia-based junior golf organization U.S. Kids Golf. The “Top 50 Kids Teachers” are selected from golf professionals from across the country that have shown exemplary dedication to the growth and development of junior golf.

“To be named to this list is a great honor, and I am proud to be recognized for my work with juniors,” Kumpis said.

Kumpis has been at Pelican Hill for more than a year now, compiling an impressive resume. He has worked with both Jim Flick and Hank Haney, Tiger Woods’ teacher, as well as with Jaime Mulligan, who lives in Newport Coast and has several golfers he works with on the PGA Tour including John Merrick and John Mallinger.

Kumpis has never been one to shy away from the more unorthodox golfer. He and fellow professional Seth Glasco started the Southpaw Academy for left-handed golfers while the two were at Black Gold Golf Club in Yorba Linda.

Also working with children will be perfect for Kumpis since he is the proud father of a daughter, Chloe, who recently celebrated her first birthday.

At Pelican Hill, Kumpis teaches golfers of all ages and skill levels, with three programs for juniors: private lessons for one to three juniors, summer camps and “Little Golfers.” Little Golfers is a new program Kumpis launched at Pelican Hill.

“Although most junior golf programs start at age seven, this program allows kids to start at the age of five,” Kumpis said. “I believe if we start them earlier like soccer and baseball, it will help grow the game. Because kids this age get tired or bored hitting golf balls for too long, the Little Golfers program focuses on three- to five-minute activity sets teaching essential golf skills such as speed and balance.”

That was one of the many reasons Kumpis was honored by U.S. Kids Golf. The Top 50 Kids Teachers was a way to recognize top instructors working with junior golfers. The program received written material about each potential candidate’s junior golf programs, coaching philosophy, reasons why their programs are successful and letters of recommendations from students or parents.

Those elite professionals selected to the Top 50 have dedicated their careers to developing youth golf in their communities and are known for their overall excellence and commitment to serving youth. They have demonstrated the ability to organize, administer and teach at a very high level, and are recognized by their peers and students as role models for the youth in their programs. This very experienced group of men and women has made a commitment to helping kids not only learn the game of golf, but also develop a love for the game that lasts far beyond their days in junior golf.

The mission of U.S. Kids Golf is to help kids have fun learning the lifelong game of golf and to encourage family interaction that builds lasting memories. It is a mission that Kumpis has embraced and it shows with this honor.