OUR TVMGA GOLF PROFESSIONALS
(The entire professional golf staff of Tellico Village can be seen at www.golftellicovillage.com.)
Adam Jacob, PGA Toqua Golf Course Professional
Interviewer: Where did you come to Tellico Village from? Born, raised, educated?
I grew up in New Berlin, Wisconsin and started playing golf at age fifteen. I played golf through high school, lettering in my junior and senior year. I graduated from Ferris State University in May 2003 with a degree in Marketing and Golf Management.
During college I held golf internships at Whistling Straights, Kohler, Wisconsin, West Brook County Club, Mansfield, Ohio, and Mission Hills Country Club, Palm Springs, California. My first position after graduation was here in Tellico Village where I completed my PGA course work and became a PGA Member.
Interviewer: Are you an instructor? Who was your best student?
I am one of five instructors here at Tellico Village. My specialty is putting and short game lessons. One of my best students is a junior golfer. He goes to school at Greenback High School. I’ve been working with him for six years and seen him turn into an incredible player. Lately I have been helping get a scholarship to his favorite school Middle Tennessee State, where he can play on the golf team and get a degree in accounting.
Interviewer: What are the requirements for PGA Certification?
The requirements to become a PGA professional are passing a playing ability test. The test is playing 36 holes in a day and shooting a target score of 150-155 (depending on difficulty of the course). After that there are three levels of book work. Each level has five or six topics you have to cover and answer questions about. When your book work is approved, then you take a test. After you pass all three levels, you become a PGA Professional.
Interviewer: Did you ever dream of playing on the PGA Tour?
Sure I dreamed about it but I never had the game to pursue it. I never could find the time to work on my golf game to get to that level.
Interviewer: Who introduced you to golf / taught you how to play / was your mentor?
My father and grandfather got me in the game of golf. My dad starting playing more with work and I just tagged along with him. My grandfather retired to Florida and lived on a course and each time I came down to visit, that’s all we would do. It was a blast. I took a few lessons from the local pro and learned even more when I got to college. When you’re going to school with 100 guys wanting to be golf pros, it’s real easy to get a tip or two here and there.
Interviewer: If you could work at any other golf facility in the world, where would it be?
Augusta National. If I was the pro there I know I would be able to play it a couple of times. Augusta is golf heaven. It’s the most beautiful golf course in the world. If anyone has a chance to go to the Masters, they must drop everything and go. It’s a once of a lifetime place to see.
Interviewer: What do you like most about TVMGA?
The atmosphere. The guys are laid back, everyone is there to have a good time, play golf with their buddies, eat a hot dog and drink some beer. The competition doesn’t get stale because the board and I keep it fresh, rotate around the courses and mix up the games each week.
Interviewer: Is there anything you would like MGA to change?
Nothing yet. The current/previous boards and I have worked very hard to give what we think the guys want. The past few years it shows with our major events filling up and our weekly play increasing.
Interviewer: How can MGA make your job easier?
For guys to show up on time each week.
I grew up in New Berlin, Wisconsin and started playing golf at age fifteen. I played golf through high school, lettering in my junior and senior year. I graduated from Ferris State University in May 2003 with a degree in Marketing and Golf Management.
During college I held golf internships at Whistling Straights, Kohler, Wisconsin, West Brook County Club, Mansfield, Ohio, and Mission Hills Country Club, Palm Springs, California. My first position after graduation was here in Tellico Village where I completed my PGA course work and became a PGA Member.
Interviewer: Are you an instructor? Who was your best student?
I am one of five instructors here at Tellico Village. My specialty is putting and short game lessons. One of my best students is a junior golfer. He goes to school at Greenback High School. I’ve been working with him for six years and seen him turn into an incredible player. Lately I have been helping get a scholarship to his favorite school Middle Tennessee State, where he can play on the golf team and get a degree in accounting.
Interviewer: What are the requirements for PGA Certification?
The requirements to become a PGA professional are passing a playing ability test. The test is playing 36 holes in a day and shooting a target score of 150-155 (depending on difficulty of the course). After that there are three levels of book work. Each level has five or six topics you have to cover and answer questions about. When your book work is approved, then you take a test. After you pass all three levels, you become a PGA Professional.
Interviewer: Did you ever dream of playing on the PGA Tour?
Sure I dreamed about it but I never had the game to pursue it. I never could find the time to work on my golf game to get to that level.
Interviewer: Who introduced you to golf / taught you how to play / was your mentor?
My father and grandfather got me in the game of golf. My dad starting playing more with work and I just tagged along with him. My grandfather retired to Florida and lived on a course and each time I came down to visit, that’s all we would do. It was a blast. I took a few lessons from the local pro and learned even more when I got to college. When you’re going to school with 100 guys wanting to be golf pros, it’s real easy to get a tip or two here and there.
Interviewer: If you could work at any other golf facility in the world, where would it be?
Augusta National. If I was the pro there I know I would be able to play it a couple of times. Augusta is golf heaven. It’s the most beautiful golf course in the world. If anyone has a chance to go to the Masters, they must drop everything and go. It’s a once of a lifetime place to see.
Interviewer: What do you like most about TVMGA?
The atmosphere. The guys are laid back, everyone is there to have a good time, play golf with their buddies, eat a hot dog and drink some beer. The competition doesn’t get stale because the board and I keep it fresh, rotate around the courses and mix up the games each week.
Interviewer: Is there anything you would like MGA to change?
Nothing yet. The current/previous boards and I have worked very hard to give what we think the guys want. The past few years it shows with our major events filling up and our weekly play increasing.
Interviewer: How can MGA make your job easier?
For guys to show up on time each week.
Charles Roffers, Toqua Assistant Golf Professional
Interviewer: Where are you from / born?
I was born in Riverside, California, but spent the majority of my life living in Tampa, Florida.
Interviewer: Where did you go to school?
I spent my high school years at Bloomingdale HS in Valrico, Florida. I played all four years on the varsity golf team, making it to state competition two of my four years there. I then went to Tallahassee Community College in Tallahassee, Florida prior to attending Florida State University.
Interviewer: How about your golf education?
I started playing golf at the age of 7. My dad got me hooked and would take me out to the course with him when we lived in Okinawa, Japan. My parents found golf coaches for me around the age of 12, which I worked with throughout high school.
Interviewer: Are you an instructor?
I am one of five instructors here at Tellico Village. I spent three years at FSU teaching a course called Golf for Business and Life, where we instructed beginner students. By the end of the semester, the students would be able to play nine holes in a reasonable time, be familiar with most of the rules of golf they would encounter in a round, and would also be aware of proper golf etiquette.
Interviewer: Who was your worst student?
I had a student who had the worst mental outlook on golf. He was a perfectionist in every way, no shot was ever acceptable. He could find fault in every golf shot, making it very difficult to teach any positive reinforcement. I love working with people that understand that golf is a game of misses. No shots are perfect, and that’s okay!
Interviewer: What are the requirements for PGA Certification?
In order to earn PGA accreditation, passing a player ability test is required. The passing score ranges, depending on the slope and rating of the golf course played. I completed my playing ability test last year at Cleveland Country Club.
Then there are three levels of book work required to complete. The course work prepares you for everything you’ll need to run a successful golf course.
Interviewer: Did you ever dream of playing on the PGA Tour?
Of course I’ve dreamed of playing on the Tour, but the skill the tour players possess is unbelievable. I had the privilege of playing golf alongside current tour professionals, Brooks Koepka, Jonas Blixt, and Daniel Berger while I was the assistant pro at FSU, and saw the difference between our games. The tour players hit the ball so much further, and accurate. Without the long ball, it’s just too tough to score well on the long golf courses they play on.
Interviewer: Who introduced you to golf / taught you how to play / was your mentor?
My father introduced me to golf at the age of 7, but my real instruction began when I joined the Greater Tampa Junior Golf Association, founded by Michael Cooper. He is also one of the founding members of the First Tee program. He and his team of instructors helped pave the way for my love of the game.
Interviewer: When did you come to Tellico Village?
My fiancé and I came to Tellico Village in April 2015, while she was pregnant with our daughter Charlotte. My parents live here, so we moved here to be closer to family for support.
Interviewer: If you could work at any other golf facility in the world, where would it be?
I think I would really love to travel to a different country like Australia, or New Zealand. I had a friend work an internship at Cape Kidnappers, New Zealand, and said the views were absolutely breathtaking.
Interviewer: What do you like most about TVMGA?
I love meeting new people, and there are so many people that are part of MGA, from all different walks of life that bring their stories and personal experiences each week to share. It truly is great to meet people that have had their hand is so many different aspects of the world.
Interviewer: Is there anything you would like MGA to change?
In the amount of time I’ve spent with the MGA so far, it seems to run really smooth. Every week we have a different game, whether its teams or individual, and the guys seem to really enjoy the camaraderie and competition. So no, there’s nothing I would change at this time.
Interviewer: How can MGA make your job easier?
As much as I hate to repeat what Adam has said, being on time for the game really makes it much easier for us to manage. There are always some last minute changes every week, and tardiness just makes it more difficult for us to adjust teams/pairings accordingly.
I was born in Riverside, California, but spent the majority of my life living in Tampa, Florida.
Interviewer: Where did you go to school?
I spent my high school years at Bloomingdale HS in Valrico, Florida. I played all four years on the varsity golf team, making it to state competition two of my four years there. I then went to Tallahassee Community College in Tallahassee, Florida prior to attending Florida State University.
Interviewer: How about your golf education?
I started playing golf at the age of 7. My dad got me hooked and would take me out to the course with him when we lived in Okinawa, Japan. My parents found golf coaches for me around the age of 12, which I worked with throughout high school.
Interviewer: Are you an instructor?
I am one of five instructors here at Tellico Village. I spent three years at FSU teaching a course called Golf for Business and Life, where we instructed beginner students. By the end of the semester, the students would be able to play nine holes in a reasonable time, be familiar with most of the rules of golf they would encounter in a round, and would also be aware of proper golf etiquette.
Interviewer: Who was your worst student?
I had a student who had the worst mental outlook on golf. He was a perfectionist in every way, no shot was ever acceptable. He could find fault in every golf shot, making it very difficult to teach any positive reinforcement. I love working with people that understand that golf is a game of misses. No shots are perfect, and that’s okay!
Interviewer: What are the requirements for PGA Certification?
In order to earn PGA accreditation, passing a player ability test is required. The passing score ranges, depending on the slope and rating of the golf course played. I completed my playing ability test last year at Cleveland Country Club.
Then there are three levels of book work required to complete. The course work prepares you for everything you’ll need to run a successful golf course.
Interviewer: Did you ever dream of playing on the PGA Tour?
Of course I’ve dreamed of playing on the Tour, but the skill the tour players possess is unbelievable. I had the privilege of playing golf alongside current tour professionals, Brooks Koepka, Jonas Blixt, and Daniel Berger while I was the assistant pro at FSU, and saw the difference between our games. The tour players hit the ball so much further, and accurate. Without the long ball, it’s just too tough to score well on the long golf courses they play on.
Interviewer: Who introduced you to golf / taught you how to play / was your mentor?
My father introduced me to golf at the age of 7, but my real instruction began when I joined the Greater Tampa Junior Golf Association, founded by Michael Cooper. He is also one of the founding members of the First Tee program. He and his team of instructors helped pave the way for my love of the game.
Interviewer: When did you come to Tellico Village?
My fiancé and I came to Tellico Village in April 2015, while she was pregnant with our daughter Charlotte. My parents live here, so we moved here to be closer to family for support.
Interviewer: If you could work at any other golf facility in the world, where would it be?
I think I would really love to travel to a different country like Australia, or New Zealand. I had a friend work an internship at Cape Kidnappers, New Zealand, and said the views were absolutely breathtaking.
Interviewer: What do you like most about TVMGA?
I love meeting new people, and there are so many people that are part of MGA, from all different walks of life that bring their stories and personal experiences each week to share. It truly is great to meet people that have had their hand is so many different aspects of the world.
Interviewer: Is there anything you would like MGA to change?
In the amount of time I’ve spent with the MGA so far, it seems to run really smooth. Every week we have a different game, whether its teams or individual, and the guys seem to really enjoy the camaraderie and competition. So no, there’s nothing I would change at this time.
Interviewer: How can MGA make your job easier?
As much as I hate to repeat what Adam has said, being on time for the game really makes it much easier for us to manage. There are always some last minute changes every week, and tardiness just makes it more difficult for us to adjust teams/pairings accordingly.
