Watch a professional golf telecast for 10 minutes and it’s easy to see the emphasis on athleticism at the top level of the sport. Recreational golfers are increasingly aware of this performance boost, and integrating fitness into golf instruction is a way to improve their games and your business.
PGA of America Golf Professional Randy Chang is capitalizing on this movement through an indoor teaching studio that takes things a step farther. Chang’s Complete Golf Performance facility houses three simulator hitting bays for practice and instruction, a full-service gym and a complete physical therapy practice under the same roof in Liguna Niguel, California.
The 10,000-square-foot facility intentionally blurs the line between swing instruction and strength training. “We’re building the athlete, not just fixing the swing,” says Chang, the 2020 Southern California PGA of America Teacher & Coach of the Year. “That looks different depending who is standing in front of you.”
Chang’s first client base came from the ranks of the competitive junior players he teaches. It became clear players in their pre- and early teens needed to strengthen up to keep up with the literal arms (and legs) race initiated by players like Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau, and followed by players and parents who were used to training regimens from other more “physical” sports.
“Twenty years ago, coaches told students to just practice more,” says Chang. “Ten years ago, we started talking about biomechanics and launch monitors. Now it’s clear that if you can’t physically do what we’re asking, no amount of practice is going to help. You need to build the capability first.”
Another growth cohort Chang is serving is the aging golfer trying to recover from injury – or recover speed he or she has lost through the years. Integrating golf practice with fitness and the recovery element offered by guided physical therapy means players are getting back to playing after a knee or hip replacement more quickly and with better results.
“The 60-and-over group has been a big one for us,” says Chang, who partners with Dr. John Thomas, a TPI-certified physical therapist. “For the 65-year-old coming off surgery, you’re not doing the same things that a 16-year-old junior is doing. All of our trainers have multiple TPI certifications, and they specialize in building programs that are customized for the client in front of them.”
Chang’s business model works more like a gym than a golf studio, too. Instead of teaching one-off lessons, Complete Golf Performance offers a menu of membership options that start at $99 per month and ramp up bay time, instruction and gym access based on level. The $299-per-month Birdie membership includes 26 half-hour simulator sessions, a Level 1 TPI screening with follow-up lesson and full access to the gym, while the $399 Eagle membership beefs up the simulator time and integrates more in-person golf coaching.
Golf lessons in the studio have elements that look like conventional swing work, but every player has a defined fitness program – along with specific between-lesson homework in the gym and on the simulator. It’s an integrated game improvement plan where the body is just as important as the swing.
The visual of shredded tour players inspiring weekend warriors to get fit can cut both ways, however. Plenty of Chang’s lessons include coaching amateur players out of misguided routines they scraped from popular social media influencers or from DeChambeau’s Mr. Universe phase.
“We saw plenty of players losing mobility, getting hurt, getting frustrated and actually playing worse,” says Chang. “It’s all about doing the right training for the movements you need and building at the appropriate pace.”
