GOLF
Bobby P. gives one-on-one putting grip instruction to Justin Ferraro of Port St. Lucie. The 7-year-old loves his lessons at the Jensen Beach Golf Academy.
He enjoys working with kids. He’s forming them more than
just teaching them golf. He teaches them manners and
respect. And he’s got a pretty good success rate.”
Petelinkar said his most successful students are twins
Daryl and Derek Fathauer, whom he taught during his first
academy class. The two college seniors are nationally ranked
and are No. 1 and 2 on the University of Louisville golf team.
“Their work effort and internal drive not only to beat each
other but be the best they can be is what motivates them to
become PGA tour players. They help me teach the kids during
the summer. They are always willing to chip in.”
Petelinkar said another student of his to follow is Maria
Castellanos. “She is a senior at Jensen Beach High and she is
going to the University of Louisville,” said Petelinkar, who
has been her mentor over the past few years. Another academy
graduate, 7-year-old Sean Gardner, is ranked 82nd in
U.S. Kids Golf.
Yet even older golfers show up at the academy for lessons.
Pierre and Christine Desbiens, a snowbird couple from
Montreal, are in the third year of instruction with Petelinkar,
but their experience isn’t just about golf. “We come here
for golf lessons, but it’s part social, part golf,” said
Christine Desbiens. “He corrects our bad habits and gives
us confidence. He changed my swing, but it took two
years. I had bad technique. With Bobby we are not
stressed. We like to learn.”
“It’s a group of people having a supervised practice. One
on one is pressure,” said Pierre Desbiens. “If you practice by
yourself, you practice your mistakes. When you practice in a
group you correct your flaws. I have been teaching flying all
my life. One of the first qualities of an instructor is you have
to love what you do and be able to transfer your knowledge
in an enthusiastic way.”
Justin Ferraro, 7, sees his lessons a bit differently. “It’s
almost the best thing I have ever done. Whenever I step out
of the car here it changes my life. He gives us nicknames and
we learn. Mine is ‘just in time.’ I want to be a golf champ,”
Ferraro said.
Petelinkar said the hardest thing is to teach someone who
doesn’t have the drive to be a student of the game or the
physical ability. “When a father or a husband pushes them,
the defense mechanisms are up and you can’t penetrate that.”
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