LedgeRock's Miller Pivots During A Pandemic, Excited To Return

April 28th 2020
In a few states, COVID-19 has brought golf to it's knees. Pennsylvania is one of them. Many public courses dependent on revenue may go under. Many private clubs may go public. Golf has been a "touchy" subject in Pennsylvania. Amid crisis, LedgeRock Golf Club has chosen to take advantage of downtime and get ahead on long term renovations it had planned over the past few years with famed architect Rees Jones. The club was able to complete renovations on Holes 6 / 10 / 11 last year and decided to move forward with major work on Hole 17 this year along with brush clean up around the course, some tree thinning, and changes to Hole #1 as well. Long time Superintendent, Alan FitzGerald, is putting in quality time with staff maintaining the course and moving forward with renovations which has been allowed per State Governor Wolf's closure order. What was not approved was Golf Instruction leaving Director Of Instruction Andy Miller at home for weeks now. For some this may seem like a nice break, but for Miller it's far from vacation.
"Disheartened I think is the best word I could use to describe how it feels," said Miller. "Coaching isn't just a job to me. I enjoy helping people achieve their goals. I enjoy the personal interaction with people. It's something I've done for so long (20 years and counting!) that it's become a part of who I am. During the season it's pretty much teaching and coaching for 10-12 hours straight. To have that go away and not really know when I'll be able to get back at it is a tough thing to deal with," said Miller.
LedgeRock Golf Club has always been "Golf Tech" forward. They were one of the first to build and develop a Learning Center which offers indoor heated bays, meeting rooms, a lounge area with bar, an indoor putting area, and a lesson bay fully loaded with all the latest tech that would satisfy a tour pro. Miller calls this bay home. He's worked with some of the top amateur players in the country in his bay named "The Chip Lutz Swing Studio" after famed Senior Amateur Chip Lutz who is a long time member and ambassador of the club. No more would Miller be working in his teaching bay till further notice.
Until NOW! Miller got some great news. Governor Wolf announced golf courses will be allowed to open May 1st. What seemed to be a possibility of a very long haul comes to end on Friday. "Excited, elated, ecstatic, overjoyed," Miller said. A virtual staff meeting tomorrow morning at 11am to discuss specifics and safety protocol, Miller might not sleep tonight? Miller has a back log of excited students ready to get back to work. With an uncertain date of May 8th for most Pennsylvanians returning to work, Miller could have students with some lofty goals and nothing but practice time in their foreseeable future!
What Has Miller Been Up To During Downtime?
Many days at LedgeRock, Miller arrives before sunrise and leaves after sunset. He's been recognized as one of the top instructors in PA by Golf Digest and one of the top Junior Golf instructors in the country for years now. To be told to not come to work and relax didn't last very long. Miller decided to create "At Home Golf With Andy" which has gone on for 40 Days. A few minutes of daily humor with golf lessons intended to be practiced at home by his students.
"Upon finding out that we would be closed indefinitely, I immediately started brainstorming on what I could do to stay connected to our membership and my students," said Miller. "I didn't want to do the same old thing where I offer just golf tips and advice. There are thousands of videos with golf tips. Don't get me wrong, some of those are great. But I wanted to be different and give people something that was a bit more entertaining. I wanted each episode to have a little golf instruction, and a lot of humor. I try to get my kids involved as much as I can. It's been a great way for people to see what I'm like outside of work."
The feedback Miller has received has been unique. "I think Coach Andy is so successful with kids because he does such a good job creating a fun atmosphere and the kids literally forget they are developing all the important mechanics to the golf swing. What he does is extremely effective and the evidence is in the older kids he's been working with over time. They are just so good! It's no surprise Coach Andy was able to create a daily video series that was fun, entertaining, and gave everyone something to practice on the daily. It really is something many of us looked forward to," said a LedgeRock Member. What was a surprise was all the exposure Miller was able to gain, even outside of golf.
"Disheartened I think is the best word I could use to describe how it feels," said Miller. "Coaching isn't just a job to me. I enjoy helping people achieve their goals. I enjoy the personal interaction with people. It's something I've done for so long (20 years and counting!) that it's become a part of who I am. During the season it's pretty much teaching and coaching for 10-12 hours straight. To have that go away and not really know when I'll be able to get back at it is a tough thing to deal with," said Miller.
LedgeRock Golf Club has always been "Golf Tech" forward. They were one of the first to build and develop a Learning Center which offers indoor heated bays, meeting rooms, a lounge area with bar, an indoor putting area, and a lesson bay fully loaded with all the latest tech that would satisfy a tour pro. Miller calls this bay home. He's worked with some of the top amateur players in the country in his bay named "The Chip Lutz Swing Studio" after famed Senior Amateur Chip Lutz who is a long time member and ambassador of the club. No more would Miller be working in his teaching bay till further notice.
Until NOW! Miller got some great news. Governor Wolf announced golf courses will be allowed to open May 1st. What seemed to be a possibility of a very long haul comes to end on Friday. "Excited, elated, ecstatic, overjoyed," Miller said. A virtual staff meeting tomorrow morning at 11am to discuss specifics and safety protocol, Miller might not sleep tonight? Miller has a back log of excited students ready to get back to work. With an uncertain date of May 8th for most Pennsylvanians returning to work, Miller could have students with some lofty goals and nothing but practice time in their foreseeable future!
What Has Miller Been Up To During Downtime?
Many days at LedgeRock, Miller arrives before sunrise and leaves after sunset. He's been recognized as one of the top instructors in PA by Golf Digest and one of the top Junior Golf instructors in the country for years now. To be told to not come to work and relax didn't last very long. Miller decided to create "At Home Golf With Andy" which has gone on for 40 Days. A few minutes of daily humor with golf lessons intended to be practiced at home by his students.
"Upon finding out that we would be closed indefinitely, I immediately started brainstorming on what I could do to stay connected to our membership and my students," said Miller. "I didn't want to do the same old thing where I offer just golf tips and advice. There are thousands of videos with golf tips. Don't get me wrong, some of those are great. But I wanted to be different and give people something that was a bit more entertaining. I wanted each episode to have a little golf instruction, and a lot of humor. I try to get my kids involved as much as I can. It's been a great way for people to see what I'm like outside of work."
The feedback Miller has received has been unique. "I think Coach Andy is so successful with kids because he does such a good job creating a fun atmosphere and the kids literally forget they are developing all the important mechanics to the golf swing. What he does is extremely effective and the evidence is in the older kids he's been working with over time. They are just so good! It's no surprise Coach Andy was able to create a daily video series that was fun, entertaining, and gave everyone something to practice on the daily. It really is something many of us looked forward to," said a LedgeRock Member. What was a surprise was all the exposure Miller was able to gain, even outside of golf.
Egglands Best
OMG love this! So creative, and a great family bonding activity! https://t.co/rwuPibXqMV
— Eggland's Best (@EgglandsBest) April 25, 2020
Crayola Crayon Company
Now that's taking a swing at creativity! Glad our chalk could be used in this golf lesson ⛳
— Crayola (@Crayola) April 17, 2020
PGA Jr League
Making the turn....#SafeAtHome□
— PGA Jr. League (@PGAjrLeague) April 18, 2020
□@LedgeRockGC pic.twitter.com/DpuauWyWmX
Philly Junior Tour
Today’s at-home golf tip is featuring Andy Miller, Director of Instruction @LedgeRockGC . Have questions about your game? Comment or email them to [email protected] and we will address them during our Instagram Live Session on Friday at 2:00pm https://t.co/sEcBsEbZ2z pic.twitter.com/6N32e4Sxfq
— Philly Junior Tour (@PhillyJrTour) March 24, 2020
"The feedback has been tremendous," said Miller. "I receive texts, emails, comments every day! I've had members tell me that my video is the one email they look forward to during the day. I've been blessed to have other golf professionals reach out to me and tell me they've started using the same format to connect with their members and students. PGA Magazine featured the video series in a digital "Best Practices" and will have an article on the series in the next printed PGA Magazine. PGA Junior League is featuring me in a "Captain's Spotlight" email that will go out to hundreds of thousands. It's been just awesome. And I have fun doing it!
It all comes down to passion and drive.
Miller proves passion is the key to his success. COVID-19 has changed the way we live in America, at least for the near future. As creatures of habit, change can be harder for some than others. Being sent home was a tough day for Miller but he found a way to improvise and continue what he loves doing, keep his students engaged, and give his membership a few minutes to look forward to daily.
He's beyond thrilled to get back to work May 1st, but will "At Home Golf With Andy" get shelved or live on!?....
You'll have to follow to find out!
You'll have to follow to find out!
Follow Coach Andy Miller At -
Twitter - https://twitter.com/LedgeRockGC
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ledgerockgc/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/LedgeRock-Golf-Club-171046399572999/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/LedgeRockGC
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ledgerockgc/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/LedgeRock-Golf-Club-171046399572999/