The Academy at IWGR
- Instructors
- Camps
- Track Man Bays
- Player Development Programs
- Schools
- Packages
- Junior Programs
- Corporate Instruction
- Academy Memberships
- Academy Night | Top Tracer Driving Range
Instructors
Jordan Hamblin
PGA Apprentice, Lead Instructor
Lead Instructor at Golf Made Simple 2018, 2019,2020: Indian Wells & Lake Tahoe Locations, Lead Instructor: Golf Made Simple Instructor Training Program, Founder Players Academy, IWGR Operation 36 Assistant Coach, IWGR PGA Jr. League Assistant Coach, "Green Zone" and "Reverse Learning Methodology" Certified
Jordan grew up in Twin Falls, Idaho as a third generation golf professional following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather who are both in the Rocky Mountain Section PGA Hall Of Fame. With their influence, by the age of 10 Jordan started giving lessons not only at junior golf camps but would trade swing evaluations with his father. Through his journey playing competitive golf he's been taught and influenced by many greats of the game including Phil Rodgers, Dean Beman, Dr. Craig Farnsworth, and Pat Reilly. After being the top ranked player in Idaho his senior year Jordan received a golf scholarship at Odessa College the #1 ranked Jr. College in the nation where he played alongside PGA Tour star Abraham Ancer. From there he turned professional playing in state opens and found his love for teaching and coaching golfers as the Lead Instructor at Golf Made Simple where he accumulated approximately 6,000 hours of teaching experience leading schools in Indian Wells, Lake Tahoe, Phoenix, Sedona, Tampa, and Orlando. Jordan prides himself on being able to adapt his coaching to all ages and skill levels and is looking forward to the opportunity to connect and build relationships with golfers in his second year at the Academy.
Bobby Farnham
PGA, Lead Instructor
PGA Class A Member, ADM Certified, PGA Modern Coach Certified, Mental Golf Workshop Certified Instructor, Founder Finding Fairways, PXG National Staff Member
Bobby grew up in "The Burgh" Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Bobby began playing golf at the age of 6 but until he moved to California at the age of 14 his main focus was on baseball and soccer. After a decorated junior golf career playing in high school and various junior tours such as the AJGA and the SCPGA Junior Tour he played Collegiate golf at Cal State San Bernardino where he obtained his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration/Marketing. Bobby turned professional at the age of 22 where he played on the Canadian Tour, Dakotas Tour, E-Tour, Hooters Tour, Adams Tour and the Golden State Tour amounting to multiple wins over his playing career. Teaching soon became his passion where he was mentored by coaching greats Mike Wilson, Dr. Craig Farnsworth, Bobby Foster and the Harmon family tree. While Bobby has been teaching golf for over 20 years, he has come to find that his expertise in mental game coaching and transfer training to enable his players understanding of golf and how to score better are his strengths and passion. Over the years Bobby has worked with students of all skill sets and backgrounds including many juniors he has helped obtain Division 1 golf scholarships, Mini Tour players, NFL, NBA and MLB players. One of Bobby's greatest passions is in working with his foundation "Finding Fairways" where he has ran multiple camps and has received state wide awards for excellence in victim's services.
Eric Solander
PGA, Director of Instruction
Certifications and other: TrackMan, Flighscope, TPI, Boditrak, Callaway Master Fitter, PGA Class A member, Operation 36 Top 50 Coach, First Tee Level 3 Coach, BS Accounting, Turf Grass Management Degree, Founder of "Green Zone" and "Reverse Learning Methodology", Aim Point Certified, PGA Modern Coach, US Kids
Personal Mentors: Phil Rogers, Don Callahan, Bob Crowley, Dan Mahoney, Bob Veroulis, Mike Wilson, Mac O'Grady and Ken Venturi. He has recently done golf schools and educational workshops with Dr. Rick Sessinghous, Dr. Cara Cocchiarella, Dr. Lynn Beasley and Dr. Craig Farnsworth.
Eric grew up in Missoula, Montana. He credits his work ethic to his "ranch values" that were instilled within him by his greatest loves - his family and friends. Eric grew up as a student athlete playing many sports at a young age and picked up the game of golf at 12 years old as his go to summer activity. With a decorated high school and college golf career, Eric played varsity all four years of high school and another few years of college golf where he was medalist in multiple tournaments. After school, he would later turn professional. Teaching and playing golf became his career from that point forward. Eric did later go back to school and get a BS in Accounting from Cal State San Bernardino.
Eric believes on-course instruction, short game development, understanding athletic motion (bio-mechanics), and crafting the mental game are the keys to comprehensive instruction. Eric's true passion is growing the game, with over 20 years of teaching experience. Eric is proficient in a diversity of teaching methods including using modern technology, historical practices, and modern golf philosophies. At the core of every lesson, Eric wants to know what motivates his students and makes the game fun for every individual. His knowledge of golf course agronomy also allows him to teach his students about the golf course and the natural environment around them.
As an instructor Eric was named an Operation 36 Top 50 coach. He has won numerous Teaching Awards including the most recent 2021 Youth Development Award and Player Development Award and was recently nominated for the 2022 SCPGA Teacher of the Year.
As a player, Eric holds an impressive plus 5 handicap, making him one of the top players in the desert. He is known for his shot making creativity, scrambling and putting. His unique approach to the game allows him to seamlessly transition from play to instructor.
Eric's favorite quote: "I figured it out, everything is the same as a three foot putt." - Mo Norman
Eric's favorite book: "Golf in the Kingdom" by Michael Murphy
Nick Prud'homme
Certified Master Fitter and Builder
Callaway Master Club Fitter, Golf Tec Master Club Fitter, Golf Digest Top 100 Fitter (No Bogeys), True Temper PFC, Fujikura Certified
Growing up in Southern California, Nick Prud'homme took up golf at the age of 3 and quickly became infatuated with all aspects of the game, most noticeably with equipment. Nick comes from an extensive background of custom club fitting and building. He was the Master Club Builder at No Bogeys Custom Golf, then went on to become the Director of Club Fitting for Golftec Orange County. He is a certified Callaway Master Club Fitter as well as an accomplished player, competing for Saddleback College and on the Pepsi Tour for two years. Nick got his start building custom clubs at the age of 16 and has built and worked on sets for golfers on the Korn Ferry Tour, Canadian Tour, Long Drive Tour, collegiate golfers, and former NBA, NHL, and NFL players. With ample knowledge in both club fitting and club building, Nick has the skills to customize any player's set to the most important degree and address the most nuanced aspects of the golf club. Having built clubs from every major brand, (Including Callaway, Cleveland, Srixon, Miura, Epon, Taylormade, Titleist, Fujikura, True Temper, LA Golf Shafts, and more) Nick has a wide view of the best club heads and shafts on the market and how a specific combination can improve a golfer's game, and just as importantly can build the club to the perfect specs to give the golfer their most custom and best performing golf club possible.
Joe Williams
PGA, Director of Golf
B.S. Degree in Economics/Finance from Cal Poly, A.A. Degree in Professional Golf Management from Professional Golfers Career College, Graduate of the Disney Institute on Service Excellence, and a Graduate and Instructor of Harrah's People Pledged to Excellence classes.
PGA member with over 1,000 individual, group and corporate golf lessons taught. Joe Grew up in Northern California and had lived many places in the state before calling the Desert home in 1996. Growing up in the Bay Area, Joe was an avid athlete, playing both baseball and basketball in high school, and working and playing golf at Palo Alto Hills Country Club. Joe had always played good golf, but while living in Lake Tahoe in 1990 thru 1994 he really began to see his golf career begin. He enrolled at PGCC in Temecula in 1995 and graduated in 1996 with honors. Joe moved to the Desert in 1996 and began his career at the Indian Wells Golf Resort as an Assistant Golf Professional. He progressed through a few different roles, Operations Manager, Head Golf Professional, and to his current role of Director of Golf in 2008. Joe is married, wife sandy, and has two children Jake(20), and Kate(17).
Tom Burley
PGA, Head Golf Professional
Callaway Golf Certified Specialist, True Temper Certified, KBS Certified
Tom is a Southern California native who grew up playing the game at five years old. With a father who was an avid player, and a twin brother to play and compete with, Tom was hooked on golf from the start. Tom enjoys spending his off time with his wife Selene, and his two sons; Carson, 4 and Collin, 1. Tom is a total golf enthusiast who has not only studied the swing itself, but has also studied the history of the game and a student of golf course architecture. Upon graduation of the San Diego Golf Academy, he moved to the Coachella Valley in 2007, where he has spent the last 15 years in Indian Wells. Tom has written multiple articles for the PGA magazine as well as been a guest several times live on the radio to talk about the game and provide tips for callers. As the Head Golf Professional, Tom has worked with various students from a 1 on 1 basis, to conducting corporate clinics and demonstrations for parties of 50 or more.
Private Lessons
For all golf lesson inquires please contact Eric Solander, PGA Director of Instruction esolander@iwgr.com 760-834-3838 ext1022
Player Development Programs
A classroom setting where players will learn themselves and build a custom plan to perform at their peak potential. The classroom will maintain a 6:1 student to teacher ratio.Wells 36 follows the Operation 36 model of starting at the hole and working your way backwards. This is one of our core philosophies in Reverse Learning. Our program is designed to help golfers learn to transition their practice to the golf course.Wells 36 follows the Operation 36 model of starting at the hole and working your way backwards. This is one of our core philosophies in Reverse Learning. Our program is designed to help golfers learn to transition their practice to the golf course.Join the Academy staff on Wednesdays. For some fun on-course instruction. Why can't you bring your range game to the course? Sign up today to find out. 3 Clubs and Putter Play 9 holes with each Academy Pro, followed by a Tournament on the fourth week. Starts mid January!!!Academy Night | Top Tracer Driving Range
Join the Academy staff for a free night of demonstrations, an overview of top tracer benefits as a player or student with a special emphasis on Virtual Golf! Sign up on Thriv to confirm your attendance.Kick off the new year with the golf pros of Indian Wells Golf Resort. The Academy instructors will also be there to help you get a better understanding of the Top Tracer range.Sign up and get paired with one of our golf pros for the first Top Tracer Pro Am. Plenty of fun to be had. Contact Bobby Farnham for more details at bobby.farnham@iwgr.com This is a team event, 4 amateurs to be paired with one of our professionals. Team prizes and contests will be included in the registration fee.Join the fun and compete at Shots in the Night for the Two Person Miniature Golf Tournament. This will be a fun evening and a great way to meet people. Contact Bobby Farnham for details at bobby.farnham@iwgr.com.Packages
Rent A Pro $1495
Players will work with 3 of our coaches each specializing in specific areas of the game, a truly unique and personalized experience. This package is designed for the golfer looking to make big strides in their game in a short period of time.
A monthly program designed for the golfer looking to make serious progress in a short amount of time. Included with this package is...
- One hour lesson/week
- One ½ hour supervised practice session/week
- 2 9 hole playing lessons
- 1 club fitting/spec check
- Mental golf workshop DISC profile
- Thriv Sports profile and locker
- Complimentary Academy Pass membership for 1 year
Technology Bootcamp (3 Hours) $450
1 on 1 instruction in our Trackman 4 swing suite, a complete assessment designed to create body awareness.
A technology combine featuring Trakman 4, BodiTrak and K Vest where students will get an in depth understanding of the cause and effect in how their body influences how the golfer swings the club. Students will leave with a Thriv locker storing their before and after results, the ability to self diagnose and a better understanding for how the body is supposed to control the golf club.
5 Lesson Package $800
Private (5) 1 hour lesson series individual
includes- video analysis, TrackMan 4 data tracking, BodiTrak and on course instruction customized to meet your goals.
10 Lesson Package $1550
Private (10) 1 hour lesson series individual
includes- video analysis, TrackMan 4 data tracking, BodiTrak, Mental Golf Workshop and on course instruction customized to meet your goals
20 Lesson Package $2750
Private (20) 1 hour lesson series individual
includes- video analysis, TrackMan 4 data tracking, BodiTrak, Mental Golf Workshop and on course instruction customized to meet your goals
Junior Programs
Interested in junior programs and camps click here:
https://www.operation36golf.com/landing/1139
Operation 36
A nine week program that lays the foundation of reverse learning. Learn to play golf from the green back, advance and level up based on competition among yourself and the golf course. This program is playing focused with skill sessions attached to strengthen transfer training and carry over to better results on the course. Based on class size we attach 2 to 4 coaches. Included in the program is the following...
- 9 Academy classes to hone skills
- 5 OP 36 9-hole events
- Op 36 mobile app
Juniors- $495
Holiday Clinics (2 hours, 2 days) $125
Dates will be released soon! Our holiday clinics help kids learn new skills, play games involving transfering the new skills to the golf course, and earn prizes based on honesty, integrity, and how well they can apply the new skills learned. Each clinic is 2 hours of fun for everyone.
PGA Junior League
Registration starts in February 2023
Corporate & Group Instruction
Group golf instruction programs are the perfect way to garner more productivity and success from your business meeting in addition to making it memorable. If you have a social group what better way to show them a positive and engaging time than treating them to entertaining and educational golf instruction. Choose and customize your program from a menu of curated activities designed to strengthen your relationship with clients, create a memorable experience, and build camaraderie among your guests. Options include clinics, demonstrations, on course coaching, technology sessions and custom full day and multi-day programs for instruction. Our PGA professional staff can even provide your guests with a unique and enjoyable golf school followed by a Pro-Am competition or golf outing.
Instructional Demonstrations | $750 | up to 100 players | 90 minutes
*2 to 4 Instructors will be on hand based on group size
Add a special touch to your tournament or outing. Our PGA professionals are available for entertaining and educational demonstrations of the golf swing during warm-up prior to your event. Our coaches will be mic'd up covering specific topics, philosophies and playing strategies
Mental Golf Workshop | $135 PER PERSON | 6 to 24 players | 90 minutes
*1 to 2 Instructors will be on hand based on group size
A great value add for your group package. You and your group will attend a mental golf workshop seminar ran by our PGA professionals that will teach you about the DISC profiling system. Your custom profile will demonstrate your mental game tendencies, much like video and launch monitors produce customized information for working on your swing and customizing your equipment. The profile is built for self-coaching as well as for collaborating with your instructor or coach. Each attendee will leave with a custom report and plan to help achieve better success and enjoyment on the golf course.
Your report includes "workshop" type exercises that will reinforce important mental game strategies and make it easy to self-coach yourself and improve your game.
Professionals on The Practice Tee | $50 PER PERSON | 8 to 24 players | 60 minutes
*1 to 2 Instructors will be on hand based on group size
Our PGA professional staff is available for "tournament day tips" during warm-up prior to the tournament. This is a great way to shake off the rust prior to your round and tee off with a simple approach to your game that day.
Video Swing Analysis & Email of lesson | $50 PER PERSON | 4 person minimum
*1 to 2 Instructors will be on hand based on group size, time dependent on group size
This program is designed to add a personal touch to your golf outing. Our Professionals will video the swing of each golfer in your outing in our Trackman 4 Swing Suites. All participants will receive an email of their swings with a professional analysis. Email can be personalized with your company logo, name, and date of your golf outing.
Trackman Studio Contests | $40 PER PERSON | 8 person minimum | 60 to 90 minutes
*1 to 2 Instructors will be on hand based on group size
Our PGA professional staff will host your group in our world class trackman studios where you can compete against each other or team up with a partner. We have a wide variety of contests, games or simulated rounds to choose from.
- Long Drive Contest
- Points based par 3 shoot out
- Closest to the Pin
- Skins Game
- Simulated round on any of 100 world renowned courses
- Customize your own games
On-Course Instruction | $200 PER PERSON | 4 to 12 players | 2 to 3 hours
*1 to 3 Instructors will be on hand based on group size
This program is designed to create enjoyment among your group on the golf course. Our professional staff will join your group on the course to provide instruction, course management, and fun! The cost includes a nine hole round of golf with our professional staff, the student to professional ratio will be 4-1. Booking times are based on season and availability.
One-hour Clinic | $60 PER PERSON | 8 to 100 players
*2 to 5 Instructors will be on hand based on group size
A single topic clinic covering full swing or short game. Clinics will take place based on group size and topics being covered. Specific topics available upon request.
90 minute Clinic | $90 PER PERSON | 8 to 100 players
*2 to 5 Instructors will be on hand based on group size
Usually a multiple topic clinic covering full swing and chipping or putting. We will have multiple stations available with instructors at each station. Participants will rotate between stations covering each specific topic. Clinics will take place based on group size and topics being covered. Specific topics available upon request.
Two-hour Clinic | $120 PER PERSON | 8 to 100 players
*2 to 5 Instructors will be on hand based on group size
Usually a multiple topic clinic covering full swing and chipping or putting. We will have multiple stations available with instructors at each station. Participants will rotate between stations covering each specific topic. Clinics will take place based on group size and topics being covered. Specific topics available upon request.
One, Two or Three Day Golf Schools | up to 6 people/school | 3:1 student/coach ratio
*Call for pricing and availability
This unique golf school is based on our philosophy of simplifying the game through three phases of learning; Reverse Learning, Tempo and Balance and Target Manifestation. Our golf schools are unique in the sense of being heavily focused on transfer training and on course instruction. We have a team based points race where each student will be teamed with a coach to compete against each other for an end of school championship prize.
Additional Value Adds
- Beat the pro
- Pro's Drive
- Par 3 Contest hosted by a PGA professional
- Trackman long drive
- Adult Miniature golf
*If you are interested in us setting up and hosting a special clinic/event for your group we are happy to create a unique experience for you and your guests.
Academy Subscriptions
*there is no annual fee or minimum contract
Academy Junior (ages 7-17)- $99/mo.
A monthly subscription to the Academy at Indian Wells. With subscription junior members are entitled to the following benefits...
- $10 practice sessions for Junior members with the exception of lesson days or playing days where practice sessions are included.
- Access to private academy range.
- Custom Thriv Sports profile-athlete build out, custom practice and playing plans, digital locker ($100 value)
- Troon Junior Club membership ($50 value)
- ½ off Junior lesson rate ($50 vs. $100)
- $10 walking round afternoons only based on season and availability (1/week)
- 24 hour access to the Academy Coaches, virtually thru Thriv.
- Access to Master Club Fitter - Nick
- Complimentary holiday clinics ($125 value/clinic)
Academy Pass- $149/mo.
A monthly subscription to the Academy at Indian Wells. With subscription silver members are entitled to the following benefits...
- $10 practice sessions for Academy members with the exception of lesson days or playing days where practice sessions are included.
- Access to private academy range.
- Custom Thriv Sports profile--athlete build out, custom practice and playing plans, digital locker ($100 value)
- 1 complementary 60 minute trackman session/mo. (on own, $60 value)
- Troon Rewards membership
- 25% off twilight golf for non residents, 1 complementary twilight round/month for residents.