[New] GETTING TO KNOW COACH JIM &

Coach Tom

they work 60 or more hours per week. They organize the children’s programs at the course, working with 300-400 golf campers throughout the summer, and also teach upwards of 30-40 hours per week of private lessons to golfers of all ages.

Coach Jim and Coach Tom, as the golf campers call them, are busy throughout the year, though. Jim said approximately 10 percent of his students do off-season training – some outdoors and some indoors – and Tom explained that with the recent addition of the covered and heated driving range shelter, they are easily able to continue golf camps and lessons through the fall and winter. Downers Grove Magazine caught up with these busy golf teaching professionals to learn a bit more about who they are and what they do.

When did you start playing golf?

Jim: I started playing golf at the age of 16 while working at the Diversey Driving Range in Chicago. We did not have a golf team at my high school, but I walked on to the golf team at Northeastern Illinois University as a freshman.

Tom: When I was 10 or 11 years old, I played a lot of baseball, and my dad said, “You should play golf.” He was a good player, and he taught me how to golf on our farm. I’m left-handed, but at 10, I learned how to golf right-handed.

How long have you been a golf instructor, and how did you get started?

Jim: I have been a golf pro (PGTCA) since the late 1980s. I have been at Downers Grove Golf Club since 1998.

I started playing golf competitively in college for a few years, and I became a certified professional and played in some professional tournaments in the early ‘90s.

Tom: I began teaching golf in 1990 at Village Greens Golf Course in Woodridge. I happened to be at the course when one head pro left and another came in. The new head pro over there came to me and said, “I don’t know what you’re doing for a living, but you’re a really good player. I’d like you to get into the [golf teaching] business.” He invited me to interview for a position as a golf instructor, and I taught at Village Greens for four years. Then I was asked to go work at a golf store – I sold apparel and clubs and did club fittings – and did that for 10 years. A friend of mine said there was an opening at the Downers Grove

Golf Club in 2010, and I have been a golf teaching professional (currently a USGTF Affiliate Member) here for 12 years now.

Did you have another career before you were a golf teaching professional?

Jim: I was a teacher in Downers Grove School District 58 for over 30 years and retired in June of 2020. I also managed the Diversey Driving Range in Chicago for about 10 years in the 1980s and early ‘90s.

Tom: I was in sales before becoming a professional in the golf realm. I was a biology major at Eastern Michigan University and then worked in industrial chemical sales. It was ok, but I was happier on the weekends when I was out playing golf.

Besides the Downers Grove Golf Club course, what is your favorite golf course?

Jim: Even though I haven’t been there yet, it would definitely be St Andrews in Scotland. I’ll definitely get there some day!

Tom: I used to play a lot at Prairie Bluff – it’s really nice. I’m from northwest Ohio, and even though I’ve lived here for 30 years, there is also a course there – a private course where they play LPGA tournaments – that I like to play when I get back there (which isn’t as much as I’d like).

What tips would you offer to golfers, especially new ones?

Jim: Take some lessons, develop a good practice routine, and be patient. Getting good at this game does not happen overnight.

Tom: Everybody has the ability to golf. I show you a little something, and you do the rest. I also emphasize just making contact with the ball and taking motion out of the person’s swing. Most people move too much when they swing. Another key that I try to instill in people is to use the ground a little bit more... it’s physics involved.

What is one of the most rewarding parts of being a golf teaching professional?

Jim: It’s always gratifying when one of your students “makes it.” I’ve seen many success stories over the years.

Tom: The rewarding part is getting to work with all of the people in camp and lessons and them becoming better and coming back to tell about it.

In your experience, how has golf and being a golf instructor changed over the years?

Jim: Golf is very popular now and has brought a lot of new players to the game. That’s great, but it has brought challenges with people not familiar with “golf etiquette.” I try to take every opportunity to educate people on appropriate expectations around the golf course.

Tom: The equipment has changed. Club shafts are so much different, and there are different driver heads and balls. A lot of courses aren’t long enough or as challenging. I’m not sure if it’s bad or good, just the balls go farther. I think that is a challenge for teaching; players care most about distance, which isn’t the whole part of the game. If you make good contact, you’ll hit far.

Working long hours, you probably don’t have much spare time these days. However, when you do, how do you like to spend your time?

Jim: I like to work out and travel a little bit. I’m fairly handy around the house, and I enjoy spending time with my wife, family, and friends.

Tom: I study a lot about the golf swing. My father was a general practitioner doctor…and would be reading about medicine at home after being at the office all day. It’s carried over to me. I have stacks of books all over the place. I’m always thinking about and trying to improve technique, so when I get the chance, I want to read, make notes, and try to see how I can do. If I can do it, then I can have somebody else do it. I hit a lot of balls, too.

What is something people might not know about you?

Jim: I was fortunate enough to play three sports in college: basketball, baseball, and golf. It would be tough to find coaches today that would allow that!

Tom: In the spring, the Downers Grove Golf Club hosts the Pine Hollow Open. Different pros from the area come and play, and I’ve won that a time or two.