KemperSports Golf Professional Feature: Jessica Quayle

KemperSports is one of the largest employers of PGA professionals in the country. In conjunction with our ongoing player development initiatives, we will share features on golf professionals within the KemperSports portfolio of properties – experienced individuals dedicated to growing the game and sharing their passion for golf with others.

 

Jessica Quayle
Class A LPGA Teaching Professional
Director of Instruction at Oakmont Golf Club (Santa Rosa, CA)
Learn more: https://golfwithjessica.com/

 

Q: What motivated you to begin teaching?
A: I started golfing at age 8, and from that time on I was both a player and a student of the game. When taking a lesson, I would always want to know the whys and causes behind changes made to my golf swing. Movement and how the body works fascinated me, which lead me to earning a college degree in Kinesiology. Once I ended my playing career on the LPGA, I started teaching right away at the Harvey Penick Golf Academy and began sharing all of the knowledge that I had accumulated. I can also say that I am a product of my environment, as I am proud to be a 3rd generation educator in my family!

 

Q: What has been the most impactful moment in your teaching career thus far?
A: One of the best things about teaching is taking a student who has physical limitations and working with their swing to make golf more enjoyable. To be able to take a student to a place that they didn’t think was possible, whether it be playing a round of golf without back pain, hitting a longer tee shot, or playing smarter on the course makes teaching worthwhile to me. That being said, other special moments for me are watching my junior golfers matriculate from high school to being a student athlete and later playing professionally. It is gratifying to develop and mentor other young golf professionals into their career path.

 

Q: What advice do you have for a beginner picking up the game?
A: Keep it simple and fun! Don’t let your spouse or other people on the range give you “free” golf advice! Start with a solid foundation and find a teaching professional who works with your learning style. Don’t be afraid to sample different instructors until you find the right one.

 

Q: What is the most rewarding part of your job?
A: My goal in teaching is to make every student their own best teacher. It makes my day when a student tells me how they fixed themselves during competition or on the course using the things they learned in our lessons. When working with golfers, each student is a little mystery that I get solve to make them better.

 

Q: In your opinion, what makes golf great and fun?
A: I like golf because of the challenge! No matter how good your score, there are always shots left on the course. You work towards mastery, yet never achieve it. Even when I shot a 65 recently, I struggled on the first 4 holes hitting into a water hazard, then into the desert, and finally chili-dipping a wedge. The bonus was making 8 birdies after that.