Stooksbury brings first junior golf camp to Idle Hour

Brandon Stooksbury originally attended Tennessee to become a doctor. But as he sat in a medical ethics class, he couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable.

His options were limited after that. The only other thing he knew was golf.

So Stooksbury got his degree in turf grass management, and for the past 10 years, he hasn’t regretted teaching golf.

Some people are just wired to teach. Stooksbury fits this category.

And for the first time ever, he will be able to take his teaching expertise to a different level with the PGA junior golf camp in late June, and it will allow for growth other than the skills on the course.

“Golf camps are designed to be a two-fold kind of learning experience,” said Stooksbury, the director of golf instruction at Idle Hour Club. “Obviously, there is a very large golf component and golf skills ... and then there’s a life skill component.”

In his two-and-a-half years at Idle Hour, Stooksbury is excited that the PGA has chosen his academy to host a golf camp. The camp will take place June 28 through July 1 for half-day training and Aug. 2 through Aug. 5 for full day sessions.

“I’ve got the best office in the world,” he said, referring to working on the golf course.

One thing he likes the most about his job is working with kids and adults of all ages and seeing their reaction when they finally get it.

It’s very rewarding to him when he helps someone figure out the puzzle of being able to do something they couldn’t do before. He likes helping players improve their stroke, shooting an 85 when they generally shoot a 90. Moments like those are what help Stooksbury not see his work as a job.

And that is what is getting him prepared for the upcoming golf camps. Teaching is something he loves. While he might find it difficult at times working with so many personalities, the end reward of seeing a youngster so happy, growing as a golfer, is gratifying.

“We love to have a bunch of people, hanging around, wanting to learn golf,” Stooksbury said. “The kids are just the purest form of ‘here to have fun,’ so we have a lot of fun with the kids.”

This story was originally published June 21, 2016 at 10:08 PM with the headline "Stooksbury brings first junior golf camp to Idle Hour."