Performance Academy Program Roadmap
Find Your Program
Small Pods. Shared Goals. Stronger Players.
Students train in small pods matched by age, gender, skill, and goals. Smaller groups support individual feedback, focused coaching, healthy competition, and accountability. Well-matched peers challenge one another and build confidence and friendships. Ages and placement are general guidelines; coaches place players based on skills, goals, readiness, and commitment.
Ages 8-12 | Levels 4-5
Academy
Build a strong foundation across full swing, short game, and putting. Develop purposeful practice habits, course awareness, and confidence in competition. Designed for committed juniors ready for structured development.
Ages 10-13 | Levels 5-8
Academy Elite
A more selective environment for ambitious juniors pursuing a place among the area's top young golfers. Refine scoring skills, deepen independent practice, and use testing and competition to build consistency under pressure.
Ages 14+ | Levels 5-8
High School Academy
Prepare for high school tryouts, team golf, and stronger tournament scoring. Build course-management skills and a reliable competitive routine while being introduced to the college recruiting process and pathway. Establish habits that support future college golf opportunities.
Ages 14+ | Levels 8-10
Tournament Academy
A highly selective environment for golfers pursuing high-level competition. Build tournament preparation, scoring under pressure, and consistent performance through individualized coaching, with college recruiting guidance and assistance with goals, coach communication, and presenting competitive progress.
Advancement
Earn Your Next Step.
Advancement reflects skills, goals, readiness, and commitment. Baseline assessments, skill tests, and scoring opportunities help coaches evaluate development. Players are retested every four weeks during the Build phase; practice habits, confidence, and posted scores also show progress.
Player Development Levels
The Academy uses the U.S. Kids Golf Player Pathway to structure lesson planning and track progress across putting, play around the green, full swing, golf knowledge, and scoring. Levels 1-3 introduce the foundations; our Academy roadmap begins at Level 4. Coaches combine these checkpoints with observation and on-course performance. These descriptions summarize developmental focus and do not replace the official skills tests.
| Level | 18-Hole Score | Approx. Handicap | Developmental Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 4 | 100-110 | 28-36 | Dependable contact, basic short-game control, a repeatable routine, and growing independence. |
| Level 5 | 90-100 | 20-28 | Improving full-swing contact, distance control around the green, and purposeful club and shot choices. |
| Level 6 | 85-90 | 15-20 | Consistency through the bag, reliable short-game options, and fewer avoidable strokes through planning and routine. |
| Level 7 | 80-85 | 10-15 | Direction and distance control, risk management, thoughtful recovery, and a repeatable competitive process. |
| Level 8 | 75-80 | 5-10 | Stronger scoring, approach play, short-game precision, and decisions under competitive pressure. |
| Level 9 | 70-75 | 0-5 | Advanced scoring, refined shot selection and execution, focus, and composure across a round. |
| Level 10 | 65-70 | +5 to 0 | High-level competitive scoring, precise execution, course strategy, and self-management. |
Mental Skills and Competitive Readiness
Focus, Confidence, and a Plan for Competition
VISION54 emphasizes decisions, attention, reactions, body awareness, and adaptability throughout a round. Players build focus, confidence, pre-shot routines, and the ability to reset after mistakes. Jamey Polak's VISION54 certification and mental-skills experience support this work.
Before, During, and After Each Shot
Think Box: choose the shot and commit to a clear decision. Play Box: shift into execution with a present, athletic focus. Memory Box: recognize useful positives and respond objectively to disappointing shots.
Balance, Tempo, and Tension Awareness
Notice how the body feels and recognize changes in balance, rhythm, and tension. Use that awareness to find a useful cue and return attention to playing rather than searching for technical fixes during a round.
Resilience, Self-Talk, and Adaptability
Practice constructive self-talk, recover after mistakes, and adjust to changing conditions. Confidence grows through preparation and useful responses, rather than expecting every shot to be perfect.
Putting the Skills Into Practice
Connect these ideas to routines, scoring challenges, and on-course situations. Players reflect with coaches; parents reinforce effort, composure, and thoughtful decisions alongside scores.
College Connections
Guidance for the Next Step in Competitive Golf
Tom Porten brings 27 years of college coaching experience and valuable connections within college golf. He currently teaches more than 20 professionals and Division I college golfers. That experience helps Academy players understand college golf expectations and prepare for the recruiting process.
Build a Golf Resume
Tom helps players prepare a clear, professional golf resume with tournament results, scoring history, academic information, and development goals. Players learn to organize and update their information so college coaches can assess their progress.
Identify Programs That Fit
Explore college programs that match a player's golf ability, academic interests, and goals. Guidance encourages realistic conversations about competitive readiness and the college experience each player wants.
Reach Out to College Coaches
Build an outreach plan, draft introductory emails, and present a golf resume and relevant video links. Learn to write clear messages, ask useful questions, follow up professionally, and keep communication organized.
Prepare for Recruiting Conversations
Practice explaining goals, discussing your game, and asking about a program's expectations. Tom's coaching background provides perspective on what college coaches look for in a player and teammate.
Player Ownership, Coach Support
Recruiting is an ongoing process. Players maintain their resume, track results, and communicate with coaches, with support from the Academy team. Guidance and connections support preparation; roster places and scholarships are decisions made by college programs.