MARTIN AYERS

Martin Ayers currently holds the position of PGA Tour Swing Coach and has more than 24 years of playing and teaching experience.  He began playing as a junior in Sydney, Australia at the age of 12 and from there went on to win the Australian under-18 title and numerous state age tournaments.  In 1996 Martin turned professional at Australian Q-school and from there won 6 professional titles on the Australian PGA national ranking circuit.  In 2000 after an injury finished his playing career Martin began teaching at the ASMedia Golf Academy. 

He is currently the swing coach for Steve Elkington, winner of the 1995 PGA Championship, and the 1991 and 1997 Players Championships, and 7 other PGA Tour events.  After losing his tour card for the first time in 2009, Elkington began working with Martin Ayers in April of 2010.  Elkington added 12 yards to his driving distance average while slightly increasing the number of fairways hit, from April until the end of the season: total driving rank at year’s end was 11^th.  All of this culminated in 8 cuts made in a row at the end of the summer and a near miss at the 2010 PGA Championship to regain his full playing status for the 2011 season.

During this interactive presentation Martin will outline what he has learned from some of the greats of the game and how that can be applied to the golf swing today using his DOCF system (Diametrically Opposed Circular Forces).  

MIKE BENDER

In 2009, the PGA of America named Mike Bender as their National Teacher of the Year, the highest teaching award a member can earn. He also is ranked among the Top 10 Greatest Teachers in America by Golf Digest Magazine and, for more than 15 years, has been included in GOLF Magazine’s Top 100 Teacher list.  

As Bender has quickly achieved worldwide recognition among his peers, the game’s top players have sought out his advice. Zach Johnson, six-time PGA Tour winner and 2007 Masters champion, has trained with Mike since Johnson was launching his professional career on the mini-tours more than a decade ago. LPGA stars Seon Hwa Lee  and Vicki Hurst also have worked with Mike for years. More recently, PGA Tour veterans including, Jonathan Byrd, Robert Damron, D.J. Brigman, and two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen, have put their faith in Mike. All told, Bender has helped nearly two-dozen PGA, Champions and LPGA Tour professionals with their games.

Many of these professionals have a high comfort level with Mike because they know he has been in their shoes. Bender was a three-time NCAA All-American (1978-1980) and two-time NCAA Division III individual champion (1979-1980) before spending three seasons on the PGA Tour from 1987-89.

A great instructor must also have a burning desire to transfer this knowledge to actual improvement in each student’s game. Mike not only wants to be able to explain how a student should make the most efficient golf swing possible, but he wants to make sure the student feels the proper swing for himself. Once the student can feel the proper motion, it becomes critical to find ways to enable the student to develop the correct motion even when the teacher isn’t watching.

Bender’s revolutionary solution is called MEGSA PPE. The final result, which stands for Most Efficient Golf Swing Attainable Perfect Practice Equipment is now being used by more than a dozen touring professionals, including Johnson and Morgan Pressel. This comprehensive training station is located on a practice range or indoor facility and allows golfers to hit shots while avoiding the unit's adjustable bumpers that provide real-time feedback as to whether or not the club and body are in the preferred positions during the swing.

Today, from his home base near Orlando at Timacuan Golf Club in Lake Mary, Florida, Bender continues to design new training aids, refine the MEGSA PPE and study the golf swing in even more detail to determine what traits can make a golf swing even more efficient and powerful. For Mike, it is a quest for perfection that will never be complete, it is also a quest that has already made Bender one of the game’s finest instructors.

KRISTA GREEN

Krista Green is an entrepreneur, author and speaker - named by Calgary Inc. magazine as one of their "Top 40 Under 40" outstanding young business professionals. She is the author of the book "Get Noticed. Be Remembered: Creating a Personal Brand Strategy for Success" and the 4-Disc Audio Series "How to Brand, Sell, Market and Grow Your Business". A competitive figure skater for 19 years at the Regional and National level, Krista is a NCCP-certified Coach and continues to utilize her coaching skills as a high performance coach for business owners and corporate athletes. 

MARK THOMPSON

Mark Thompson is the Managing Principal of McKinley Solutions Exchange in the Toronto office and President, Chief Engagement Officer. Prior to McKinley, Mark was the senior project manager for employee satisfaction/engagement during the TDCT merger, and previous to that was an active member of KPMG’s career management and executive search teams. 

Mark’s practical approach to performance improvement draws on over 15 years of experience in team building, leadership, communication and employee engagement specializing in the Canadian Private Club, Golf as well as hospitality and tourism industries.

Mark is actively involved in training and development, project management and business development. He manages client relationships as the key contact for program development and delivery. His focus is in the areas of team and leadership development, program facilitation, and instructional design.

Mark holds a business degree with a specialization in human resources and management from Bishop’s University. He is an active Ironman triathlete, road cyclist and mountaineer enthusiast and proud father of two active boys.

MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2011

7:30 – 8:30                 Registration & Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 10:00               PGA OF ALBERTA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

10:30 - 12:00              BREAKOUT SESSION #1
                                           Krista Green: Hitting from the Sweet Spot OR
                                           Mark Thompson: Building Great Teams

12:00 – 1:00               Lunch *Member Photos with Peter Charlton

1:00 – 3:00                 BREAKOUT SESSION #2
                                           Krista Green:  Personal Branding OR
                                           Mark Thompson: Business Innovation

3:00 – 5:00                 BREAKOUT SESSION #3
                                           Krista Green: Organizing & Time Management OR 
                                           Mark Thompson: Communications & Feedback

5:00 – 6:00                 Cocktail Party

TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2011

8:00 - 9:00                 Registration & Continental Breakfast

9:00 – 12:00               MARTIN AYERS

12:00 – 1:00               Lunch

1:00 – 4:30                 MIKE BENDER

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2011*

8:00 – 8:30                  Registration

8:30 – 9:30                  MEDIA INSTRUCTION

10:00 – 12:00               GOLF IN SCHOOLS & PARENT EDUCATION  

12:00 – 1:00                 Lunch & Phys.Ed Teacher Education

1:00 - 2:00                   GOLF IN SCHOOLS & PARENT EDUCATION

2:00 - 3:00                   PROGRAM OVERVIEW & KEY INITIATIVES 

* Interactive Teaching Seminar to be held at EagleQuest Golf Dome

The third day of the Spring Seminar is the perfect opportunity to promote what we do as golf professionals throughout Alberta and to learn from some of the best teachers we have in our Association. This third day will be the launching of our involvement with the “Golf in Schools” program created through a partnership between the RCGA and the CPGA. Former PGA of Alberta Teachers of the Year will be teaching classes of children from Grades 1 – 6 for 4 hours at the Eaglequest Golf Dome (3 classes at a time for 1 hour each). With media in attendance, we hope to showcase our attention to the future of our game through our involvement with junior golf. WE NEED YOU IN ATTENDANCE. By signing up you will show that you’re committed to growing the game and giving back to the golf community. Also, you will have the opportunity to learn from the best on how to teach school-aged children and make it fun for the kids to learn. And, you will learn more about the Golf in Schools program which you can take back to your facility to grow the game in your community.

*Dress Code for the Interactive Teaching Seminar is Golf Attire

$119.00