Spotlight: Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy
August 2009
LondonOntarioGolf.com

Golf industry veteran Blaik Shew is proud of his new post as Chief Executive Officer for Junior Golf Corporation—the operating entity for the Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy (IJGA), the International Junior Golf Tour and Heritage Academy.

Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy trains junior golfers for success in tournament golf and beyond. It is the only academy in the world that combines training, academics and competition. Through supportive and competitive environment, students develop the critical qualities of commitment, goal setting and a consistent work ethic to best impact their academics, golf and lives. Teaching and coaching philosophy support the fact that champions are trained, not born.

The Academy opened its doors with an enrolment of six students in 1995. By 2000, the Academy had grown to the point that a housing campus was needed. It opened on Hilton Head Island to accommodate the 44 students enrolled. In 2004 the program reached 100 students and now hosts 142 full-time students.

In 2007, Hank Haney joined the International Junior Golf Academy and his name was added to the organization’s brand in early 2008. The new name, Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy, reflects the renowned golf coach’s increased involvement with students and instructional practices. More than 90 per cent of the IJGA college-bound students receive scholarships.

The Hilton Head, Island S.C.-based IJGA is the world’s premier full-time junior golf training facility. Haney and his elite teaching and coaching team train junior golfers from 22 different states and more than 23 countries. The International Junior Golf Tour (IJGT) is the nation’s second-largest junior golf tour and Heritage Academy is one of the country’s leading private middle/high schools for students pursuing both academic and athletic excellence.

The IJGA—in conjunction with the IJGT and Heritage Academy—is the world’s only organization that combines training, competition and academics for serious junior golfers in grades 5 through 12. The Academy’s full-time boarding program offers a combination of premium golf instruction and rigorous academic studies to help young men and women maximize their potential as student-athletes.

“The junior golf world has a ray of hope, particularly this full-time junior golf training business. Obviously having Tiger Woods’s coach here is a tremendous advantage for us. Hank lives right here in the area, spends about a week a month in the area and teaches the students,” Shew told London Ontario Golf.

Haney has been the IJGA’s Director of Golf Instruction since 2007. Haney provides personalized instruction to every student during the school year. His team of 16 golf instructors work with academy students daily on an individualized training curriculum, ensuring each student achieves the most rapid progress possible.

“Hank loves it,” says Shew. “He knows every kid's e-mail and phone number here at the academy. We have a number of instructors who are here full time. Obviously with Hank's schedule and teaching Tiger and what that involves, he's not here every day. But we have great golf instructors working here with the kids on a daily basis. As well, we have 2005 PGA Teacher of the Year, Peter Krause, spends pretty much every waking moment here. Here lives on the putting green at the golf course where we train.”

Shew – who has more than 25 years of experience in the golf industry and sports academies’ business – comes to the IJGA from Hemisphere Resorts, where he was the President of the IMG Resort Academies division. Prior to joining Hemisphere Resorts, Shew was President and a Director of David Leadbetter Enterprises (DLE), the operating entity for the David Leadbetter Golf Academies (DLGA). Shew is also a former teaching professional.

“I am honoured to be associated with Hank Haney and his International Junior Golf Academy,” Shew said. “Hank is without a doubt the world's premier golf instructor. His tireless commitment to the young men and women at the academy is inspirational. I’m extremely excited to be part of the finest junior golf training school in the world.”

Prior to joining DLE, Shew worked for IMG in its IMG Academies Division in Bradenton Fla., where he was a Director. During that stint with IMG he oversaw its North American academy expansion and also assisted with several international academy opportunities. Shew has also served on several management teams throughout the golf industry and has managed various private, semi-private and resort golf operations. The graduate of Drake University (BA) is a former member of the PGA of America.

“I am very pleased to welcome Blaik as the CEO of my junior academy. His wealth of experience will serve us well as we continue our tireless efforts to provide the premier training, competition and education to our students,” said Haney, a member of the PGA of America and Golf Digest Teaching Professional.

Junior Golf Corporation is owned by The Riverside Company, a global private equity firm which has $2.7 billion in capital under management and counts some of the world’s leading pension funds, insurance companies, banks, endowments and funds of funds as its investors. Riverside’s investment in the Company is led by Jeff Tobin, Operating Partner.

“We’re thrilled to have found someone the calibre of Blaik to lead the Junior Golf Corporation at this exciting time,” said Tobin. “Since our acquisition of the company two years ago, we have accomplished quite a bit while continuing to build upon our status as the leading junior golf academy and junior golf tour. Blaik brings the credentials and the personality to ensure that we keep the momentum going while exploring an increasing number of new avenues to grow the brand.”

Shew is just as proud of the IJGT as it is proud to have him on board. He says, “Of course, we have a full-time academic school, so half the group trains for golf in the morning, and the other half trains for golf in the afternoon. It's a very extensive program. We also own the second largest junior golf tour in the country – the IJGT.

“There's absolutely no question about it. If we don't train them in the classroom as proficiently as we're training them on the range and on the tournament circuit, then we definitely have not achieved our goal,” continues Shew. “We want to prepare students for academic success beyond our business. Ninety-four percent of our graduating class from this past 2008 received a college golf scholarship of some form, and to receive a golf scholarship you have to also have academic excellence as well.

Here’s a sampling of Spring 2009 Canadian success stories at IJGT: Kate Alty, Kingston, Ont; Taylor Burgess, Campbellville, Ont.; Jeffrey Cox, Fort McMurray, Alta; Cameron Kennedy, Thunder Bay, Ont.; Davis Keough, Dartmouth, N.S.; and Evan Littlefield, Thunder Bay, Ont.

With junior golf membership declining in recent years, it’s good to know institutions like the Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy are taking big steps to replenish the supply of talented young golfers.

More importantly, groups like IJGA are taking big steps in securing a bright future for today’s kids through a well-rounded regime of both academics and athletics. And that is the key to everyone’s future. Indeed, golf does give back.