Founders Group International is opening The Golf Performance Center at Grande Dunes Resort Golf Club in Myrtle Beach, S.C. this February. The elite facility will be designed to benefit the golfer by being able to fit him or her with the best equipment and improve their games with instruction.
Led by Director of Instruction and Club Fitting Dale Ketola, instruction will use Flightscope radar technology that tracks the golf ball in its entire flight, as well as high-speed cameras, analyzation software, and other technology. Instructors will also use Flightscope to determine the best equipment for each particular golfer with TaylorMade, Callaway, and US Kids fitting equipment. Golf Digest awarded Flightscope the video analysis award in 2016.
Ketola is a Class-A PGA Professional who trained under Allen Terrell at Coastal Carolina University, the same coach who trained current U.S. Open Champion Dustin Johnson. While in college, Ketola was named twice to the Big South All-Conference Team. Mentored by two of the best-known golf instructors in Andrew Rice and Dr. Jim Suttie, Ketola has now been teaching for 15 years. He’s a certified club fitter with many different vendors, including TaylorMade. Ketola previously worked as the Certified Lead Instructor at Greg Norman Champions Golf Academy in Longs, S.C. In 2015, he qualified for the PGA Professional National Championship.
“Dale has a gift for golf and a passion for learning all he can about the game,” said Steve Mays, director of marketing and sales for Founders Group International. “We were impressed with his philosophy and his dedication to help other golfers thrive.“
Ketola’s philosophy revolves around sound technique, proper equipment, and the right attitude on the course. That’s why he’ll be joined by Dr. Bhrett McCabe, a sports and performance psychologist and licensed clinical phychologist. Dr. McCabe currently works with numerous players from the PGA and LPGA Tours.
“You have to have technique down before you get on the course,” said Ketola. “If you’re thinking about your swing, you’re not going to score well. We want to make sure you’re confident in your skills before you get out there. That’s what this performance center is all about, building confidence so golfers can keep their head in the game.”
“I really enjoy learning about new techniques and watching other great teachers in action in order to share the love and enjoyment I get from the game,” said Ketola. “I started playing at 10 years old. Learning how the greats became great has always been a fascination of mine.”
The performance center is set to open in February at Grand Dunes Resort Golf Club in Myrtle Beach. The 18-hole course is positioned on a high bluff creating a spectacular view of the Intracoastal Waterway, Grande Dunes Marina and the four-diamond resort, Marina Inn at Grande Dunes. The course has received numerous accolades over the years, including National Golf Course of the Year by the National Golf Course Owners Association. Both the fitting and the instruction bays will be on the driving range at Grande Dunes.
About Founders Group International
Founders Group International (FGI) is the foremost golf course owner-operator company in the Southeastern United States. Formed in 2014 through various purchases and the 2015 acquisition of National Golf Management, FGI owns and operates 22 golf courses (423 holes) in and around Myrtle Beach, S.C., America’s seaside golf capital.
FGI administers www.MBN.com, a leader in online tee time bookings, as well as package outlets Ambassador Golf and Myrtle Beach Golf Trips. With the help of Golf Insider’s 100 percent player-generated course ranking system, thousands of golfers plan and assemble their ideal golf itineraries through FGI’s assets, including “top-100 caliber” courses Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club, Grande Dunes Resort Club, TPC Myrtle Beach, King’s North at Myrtle Beach National Golf Club, Pine Lakes Country Club and more than 80 other Myrtle Beach area courses.
FGI also has a division that does residential and retail development, and it has partnered with one of the biggest travel agencies in China to bring golfers and wedding parties to Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Are you looking for that competitive edge?
On March 22 and 23, 2019, Mark Bull and Grande Dunes Golf Performance Center will be offering you an opportunity to:
Founded in 1990 by community leaders, the mission of the South Carolina Junior Golf Association is to introduce juniors to the sport and to pass along the heritage of golf to future generations. Golf instills crucial values in its participants, including a drive for success, healthy competition, character, and commitment. The association has found such success in this endeavor, that in 2008, the SCJGA was named the top regional junior golf association in the country by Golf Digest magazine.
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