Back in 2008, Golf Digest featured a list of teachers to watch that were under 40, in years following the list grew in popularity and size and morphed into Golf Digest’s top 40 under 40. As we expanded our search, we realized it was hard to contain the list to 40 as there are so many promising young instructors across the country and it became our Best Young Teachers list.
Since its inception, our team of editors has worked with coaches from all over the U.S. every two years to identify the next great generation of golf instructors. If selected, they are nationally recognized and get opportunities to collaborate with Golf Digest on digital and print articles.
Making this list is a stepping stone on the path to a successful career for many teachers.
“It was my first national teaching honor, and in some ways it launched my career,” says Michael Jacobs, now ranked eighth on Golf Digest’s 50 Best Teachers in America. “I don’t teach in South Florida or Scottsdale [Jacobs is based on Long Island, N.Y.], so outside of my little circle, the Best Young Teachers list put me on the map. It was a really big deal, and I hung the article in the pro shop. In fact, it’s still there today, almost a decade later. Very special to me.”
“The first year I was named a Golf Digest Best Young Teacher was a turning point in my career. It helped me in so many ways,” says Devan Bonebrake, a current Golf Digest Best Young Teacher and the host of Golf Fix on Golf Channel, “It gave me a huge influx of clientele and was the number one credibility statement of any publication. Thus far of all my accolades, this has been the one that’s opened the most doors and the one I’m most proud of.”
“Being a Best Young Teacher was instrumental in helping me grow my reach, brand, business and my confidence,” says Erika Larkin, currently one of Golf Digest’s 50 Best Teachers in America and Golf Digest’s No. 1 teacher in Virginia, “It gave me an early start in my career. It helped me network not only with the editorial staff but with the top 50 teachers when I visited shoots and events. After being recognized by Golf Digest, I instantly had a much larger platform. Being able to share my ideas with the entire audience of Golf Digest was and is extremely exciting.”