BACK TO SCHOOL
One is a legendary golf instructor and swing guru for the world’s best player.
The other is an equally legendary golf destination, home to dozens of
outstanding courses and one of the PGA Tour’s most popular events. Together Hank
Haney and Hilton Head Island share top billing on the Golf Channel’s new reality
series.School of Golf: Hilton Head Island will document four months in the lives of
students at Haney’s International Junior Golf Academy (800-791-8229, IJGA.com)
on Hilton Head Island. Scheduled to air beginning September 2, School of Golf
will give viewers a glimpse of the ups and downs faced by teenagers from around
the world who have chosen to live at the academy to pursue their dreams. It will
also showcase the dramatic improvements in the technical and mental aspects of
the students’ games by Haney and his team.
Haney joined
the International Junior Golf Academy in 2007, and his name was added to the
organization’s brand in early 2008. The IJGA is the only golf academy in the
world that combines training, academics and competition, with 142 full-time
students from 23 countries currently enrolled. More than ninety percent of its
college-bound students receive scholarships, and many are now finding success on
the men’s and women’s professional tours.
Of course, the setting isn’t
bad, either. For more than 50 years, Hilton Head Island has been lauded
worldwide for its outstanding golf courses, pristine beaches and breathtaking
natural beauty—a resort destination of remarkable scope and sophistication. The
prominence of the International Junior Golf Academy has helped call attention to
yet another of Hilton Head Island’s most alluring attributes—an abundance of
world-class golf instructional facilities that cater to all ages and ability
levels.