Gleneagles PGA head golf professional, Russell Smith
Posted by Russell Smith on 20th July 2010
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My name is Russell Smith and I’m the head golf professional at Gleneagles. This is my ninth season here and one of my main responsibilities is to oversee the Gleneagles Golf Academy, our golf centre of excellence.
I’ve been involved in golf for the last twenty years, playing, coaching and working professionally both in the UK and internationally in places like Germany, Asia and the United States. I really do love the game and the complexity that arises with coaching individuals at any level. When you see someone become passionate about golf and love being out on the course, it really inspires me to help and educate those individuals about the great game.
New technology has made our teaching methods even more interactive as we give e-coaching analysis after each lesson, making the learning process even easier. This allows all skill levels of golfer to benefit from The Golf Academy’s professional knowledge; from beginnners who’ve never played or held a club, to existing golfers who are looking to improve and even players who are looking to pursue a career as a golf professional. All of this combined with the spectacular views from each of the three varied courses, makes the golfing experience very special indeed.
I was spellbound by the game when I was a young lad watching the 1984 Open Championship, which saw Spaniard Seve Ballesteros win the title at St Andrews. I got hooked watching the charisma of Seve as he played the most deft and creative shots around the green to take home the title. Every great player needs imagination and Seve certainly had that in abundance. His inventive play and charm inspired me to take my game to the next level. I was fortunate to grow up playing on a variety of different inland and links courses in Fife, the home of golf. This allowed me to experience different course layouts and ground conditions that improved my shot making skills and ultimately helped me become a better player.
That’s one of the great things about the courses Gleneagles has to offer - the variety of play that arises from them. The prestigious Queen’s course is a very traditional course with natural woodland beauty and has had some of the world’s top players cross it paths. It’s challenging yet inspiring whereas the King’s course, again classic and traditional, is a masterpiece of design and the course takes you on a journey through spectacular moors and hills, yet challenging your skill level at every hole. Perfect, especially when you experience these courses in the early evening when the sun is setting to give you a wonderful backdrop to play a shot.
Then you have our modern classic, the PGA Centenary course that has panoramic views and was created by golf legend, Jack Nicklaus. It will be the course of the Ryder Cup 2014 and before that will be the setting for the annual Johnnie Walker Championship at the end of August, which is the last counting event of the European Tour before the Ryder Cup team is announced.
Colin Montgomerie is captaining this year’s Ryder Cup team and as well as the players making the team on merit he will also have a few wild cards to pick from which will make the atmosphere of the competition very exciting. There is always a great buzz at Gleneagles when major tournaments are on and everyone here can’t wait for the action to start.
Ahead of that, the courses are now in truly great condition, making them a joy to play on… hats off to the high level of maintenance and care by our experienced greenkeeping staff after the very harsh winter and challenging spring weather.
Make sure you come along to Gleneagles this summer and try your hand at the game. There’s no better place in the world to learn to play golf or indeed play a round or two. Let us inspire you, the way Seve did to me.
Yours in golf,
Russell
Find out more about Gleneagles three championship golf courses here in Scotland
