Golf Program Appoints New Coach

The Robina High School on Queensland’s Gold Coast, Australia has appointed Mark Officer as the new Head Instructor of its Golf Program. Due to the departure of former Head Instructor Peter Claughton who has taken up a position with PGA IGI in South Korea, Officer was appointed to the position in January 2007. The Robina program has become world famous because of its past and present students. In 2006 many people became more aware of the good work being done at Robina High through the exploits of Amy Yang, at that time a Year 11 student of the school. Amy was invited to play in the Australian Ladies Masters at Royal Pines in February 2006 and shocked the golfing world by winning the tournament which boasted many top name players including Australia’s own Karrie Webb.

The tournament is a co sanctioned event between the Australian LPG and the European Ladies Tour and carried prizemoney of $700,000. Amy Yang has subsequently turned professional and has played a number of events on the European Tour while still attending Robina High where she plans to complete her Year 12 schooling. The school also has a number of other outstanding students in Cecelia Na, Haeji Kang and Maggie Yuan who have won numerous tournaments between them including the Queensland Junior, Queensland Stroke Play and Greg Norman Junior Masters.

The Robina High program girls team dominates the Inter Collegiate competitions it participates in which includes the leading golf academies, university programs and private schools and where the players are usually much older than the Robina team. The boys’ team also has a number of promising prospects who are sure to leave their mark in future events.

Participants in the Robina High golf program have two training sessions per week prior to class as well as another three sessions per week where they play, practice or have specialized instruction. Co-ordinator of the program is Shane Stevenson, a physical education teacher at the school who has a background in golf as well as a number of other sports.

“We are sorry to see Peter Claughton leave us to take up the position in Korea and very much appreciate what he has done over the past two and a half years in building and overseeing the program. However we are very excited to have appointed Mark Officer based on Peter’s recommendation and our own selection process”. Stevenson stated.
“Mark has a wealth of experience in coaching and tournament play as well as managing a company which manufactures and distributes golf training aids which we will be implementing into the program in the upcoming months”.

The company that Mark Officer operates is called Perfectstroke and it has a number of golf training products that are used by teaching and touring professionals around the world including on all the main tours. The Perfectstroke Putting Aid is the featured product but the company also makes a number of putting mirrors, a putting platform , an aid to help improve clubface control as well as distributing a number of other top line training products including the Leaderboard and David Leadbetter’s Swing Setter.

For further information on the Perfectstroke website go to www.perfectstroke.org and more information and contact details on the Robina High School Golf Program go to http:www.robinashs.qld.edu.au/