Gareth Jones collects top SA Coach award

Glenelg Golf Club’s Gareth Jones has taken out the 2015 SA Coach of the Year at the KPMG Celebration of South Australian Sport awards held at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Wednesday night.

This award adds to his collection in 2015 after taking out the PGA Teaching Professional of the Year (SA) at the SA Golf Industry Awards night in October.  Gareth will also attend the PGA of Australia’s national awards night being held at RACV Royal Pines Resort next week nominated for PGA Coach of the Year.

Gareth has provided a developmental pathway from junior level to the Golf Australia National Squad and Rookie Professionals. As National Coach for SA, he has implemented a High Performance Camp Program for elite players, introducing world class service providers that SA players would have little access to otherwise.

Gareth has been the driving force behind the implementation of Club based teaching programs, developing the Club’s popular and hugely successful Junior Tigers Golf Program and Junior High Performance Program, implementing world’s best practice training programs for our Pennant squads and providing regular men’s and women’s coaching clinics with fellow Glenelg teaching professionals, Adrian Wickstein and Sarah King.

In addition to providing AAA rated professional tuition services, Gareth has worked closely with our Head Professional, Shane Robinson, to provide high quality retail and golf operations services for members and guests, and has been warmly received by the membership base.

Since Gareth’s appointment, our annual member satisfaction survey results for Pro Shop tuition and service levels continue to be the highest of any criteria surveyed with our members.

Gareth was recently appointed as Japan Golf National Coach and he continues to balance the demands of this new role with his existing roles at Golf Australia, Golf SA, and our Club, as well as raising a young family.

One of Gareth’s greatest achievements is coaching Antonio Murdaca from a young age to becoming the 2014 Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion, earning a spot in the 2015 Masters Tournament. Gareth not only took on the coaching role, but was also bagman for Antonio in both events.

Gareth’s current coaching positions include Japan Golf National Coach, Golf Australia National Coach (SA), Golf SA Head Coach, Golf SA Men’s State Team Coach, Srixon Sports Ambassador Coach.