Paul Haase Wins Michigan PGA Teacher of the Year

Paul Haase, who teaches at the Miles of Golf facility in Ann Arbor, has been named the 2008 Michigan PGA Teacher of the Year.

I took several lessons from Paul about ten years ago and was impressed then with his teaching ability. Like a good teacher in any subject, he started with lesson objectives, taught basics, retaught concepts and left you with a summary of lessons learned and things to work on. He straightened out my grip and got my fairway woods play going. Even today, fairway woods are among the strongest part of my game.

Paul’s also got an amazing memory. I haven’t had a lesson with him in quite a while, and yet every time I see him in the shop, he remembers my face and name.

I’ve thought about returning for more lessons with Paul over the last couple of years, but haven’t been able to do it. For one thing, I really can’t afford it. Eighty dollars an hour is just out of my price range (I don’t begrudge him the fees; he’s well worth it). I’ve found I get much more value with cheaper group lessons. And second, he is well and truly booked. Even when I had the money, I found that it was difficult (nigh impossible) to get to see him at a good time.

At any rate, congratulations Paul

The full press release is below:

Paul Haase earns honor as ‘08 Michigan PGA Teacher of the Year

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—Veteran PGA professional and instructor Paul Haase might not remember every student he’s ever taught, but he recalls all of his notable lessons—and not just the ones he’s given.. “I had my first lesson at age 14,” says the winner of the 2008 Michigan PGA “Teacher of the Year” award. “It was with Don Tinum at Redford (now Rogell Golf Course) in Detroit. He worked on my grip.”

Since then, thousands of golfers have put themselves in Haase’s capable hands for their own instruction. The veteran professional has long been one of Michigan’s most successful and popular instructors at the Kendall Golf Academy, located at Miles of Golf near Ann Arbor. “My association with Dave Kendall and Chris Mile has made things easy for my students and me,” says Haase. “We’ve got everything any golfer could ever need right here and I’m proud of the success rate our teaching staff of professionals has.”

Haase’s own success and reputation allow him to stay in Michigan throughout the winter, where his lesson book is no less crowded in the cold months than it is during the summer. In fact, Haase gave 163 lessons in January alone! Noted for his work across all age groups, Haase says his journey as an instructor is never boring. “I like to see what people think about the golf swing,” he says. “To me, I’ve always been fascinated by the misconceptions so many golfers seem to have about the mechanics of the swing.” But not all of Haase’s students are lacking in swing knowledge. He’s worked with numerous professionals and top amateurs, including highly-regarded senior amateurs Bill Zylstra (Golfweek’s second ranked senior amateur in the U.S.) and John Lindholm, the former Michigan Amateur champion and 2007 Michigan Golf of Hall Fame inductee.

“Paul’s recognition with the Michigan PGA award was a long time coming, but that just made it all the more deserved,’ says Dave Kendall. “We always crowd in to hear him talk about the golf swing and his students are completely devoted to him.” Kendall is a two-time Michigan PGA Teacher of the Year (2000, 2004.)

Haase and Kendall are two of the eight full-time professionals on the Kendall Academy teaching staff. Last summer, Golf Digest ranked five Kendall instructors in its Best Teachers in Michigan ranking. A comprehensive golf operation offering a retail store, practice and teaching facility, and club-fitting center, Miles of Golf is located at 3113 Carpenter Road in Ypsilanti, just 1.5 miles northeast of the US-23/I-94 interchange. The Miles of Golf offices can be reached at (734) 973-9004 or toll-free at (877) 973-9005. Additional information is available on the web site http://www.milesofgolf.com.