By Leonard Finkel
Troon, a leader in upscale golf course management, development and marketing announced that Golf Digest recently named 14 golf instructors at Troon affiliated properties among the best teachers in the United States.
Ranking golf instructors in every state across the country using a ballot system, instructors rank their own peers. As a result, instructors named among Golf Digest’s 2015-2016 list of the “Best Teachers in your State” include:
Alabama
No. 3 Wayne Flint, Highland Park GC, Birmingham,
Arizona
No. 6 Mike Labauve, The Westin Kierland Golf Club, Scottsdale
No. 11 Sandy Labauve, The Westin Kierland Golf Club, Scottsdale
No. 13 Tim Mahoney, The Westin Kierland Golf Club, Scottsdale
California
No. 8 Kip Puterbaugh, Aviara Golf Club, Aviara Golf Academy, Carlsbad
No. 27 Bob Knee, Aviara Golf Club, Aviara Golf Academy, Carlsbad
No. 39 Jamie Puterbaugh, Aviara Golf Club, Aviara Golf Academy, Carlsbad
No. 46 Jason Puterbaugh, Aviara Golf Club, Aviara Golf Academy, Carlsbad
Connecticut
No. 8 Derek Hooper, Lake of Isles, Troon Golf Academy, North Stonington
Hawaii
No. 2 Ben Hongo, Kapalua Golf Academy, Maui
No. 4 Greg Fields, Kapalua Golf Academy, Maui
Kansas
No. 3 Skip Maiwald, Ironhorse Golf Club, Leawood
Utah
No. 1 Doug Roberts, Entrada at Snow Canyon Country Club, St. George
No. 2 Jon Paupore, Jim McLean G. School at Red Ledges, Park City
Leonard Finkel is the author of The Secrets to the Game of Golf & Life and former editor in chief of Golf Journeys Magazine. His work has been featured in almost 200 publications including Golf Magazine, Golf Digest, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Golf Illustrated, Golf Tips and Player Magazine. He has written more than a dozen cover stories for Golf Today Magazine. He has written extensively about golf and travel and has added poker to his writing repertoire. Finkel also works as a marketing and public relations consultant. His specialty niche is writing advertorial copy. Prior to his career in golf, Finkel owned a chain of retail stores and a consulting and import company based in Asia. He attended the University of Utah.