International Institute of Golf Launched
Six Mile, S.C. (April 15) — The International Institute of Golf (IIG) celebrated its grand opening at The Cliffs at Keowee Springs in Six Mile, S.C., on Saturday, April 25, with renowned Australian instructors Steve Bann and Dale Lynch establishing a home base in the United States at this academy.
The U.S. facility is modeled after the highly successful Victorian Institute of Golf Sport in Melbourne, Australia, which Lynch and Bann started 18 years ago. U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy, eight-time winner on the PGA Tour Stuart Appleby, and rising star Mathew Goggin attended and conducted a shot-making demonstration. All are IIG students.
The day began with a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9:30 a.m., followed by the shot-making demonstration.
The IIG at Keowee Springs will feature the most modern equipment and training aids. But, what sets it apart is the staff – what it teaches and how it teaches.
“We focus on all aspects of the game – physical, mental, technical and strategic,” said Lynch. “By concentrating on these four factors, we are able to assess and develop each golfer’s individual capabilities and set realistic goals according to each player’s needs.”
Bann and Lynch gained notice at the Victorian Institute where they developed great players like Ogilvy and Appleby, who they have worked with for nearly 20 years. They also have worked with Robert Allenby and Aaron Baddeley since they were juniors. The IIG staff will continue services to their current professional clients at Keowee Springs, but will also welcome amateur players. The staff currently instructs five of the top 56 golfers.
The Cliffs at Keowee Springs is one of eight private master-planned residential developments within The Cliffs Communities, founded in 1989 by Jim Anthony and located in the heart of the Carolina Preserve stretching from Greenville, S.C., to Asheville, N.C.
The Institute accompanies a new award-winning Tom Fazio-designed golf course at Keowee Springs, where the focus is on building a full family-wellness community. Opened in 2008, the golf course at Keowee Springs was selected one of the top 10 new private courses by Golf Magazine. The IIG staff is represented by Blue Giraffe Sports in Atlanta, which opened discussions for the idea of having the Institute relocate to The Cliffs in 2006.
“Many people think that Dale and I only work with elite level golfers,” said Bann. “But some of our biggest coaching thrills and successes have been teaching people to break 100 for the first time.”
The Institute features the latest computer, video and motion analysis technology including an innovative indoor practice area complete with hitting bays and a putting studio. Through a partnership with Nike Golf, the IIG will exclusively feature a Nike Golf 360 Fitting Studio to insure that clients find equipment that will properly suit their games. The IIG will also feature the Swing Catalyst Studio and be the flagship location for Swing Catalyst within the United States. Designed in Norway, this technology combines the elements of motion analysis, launch monitor and force plate to gather feedback on all aspects of a student’s golf swing.
The outdoor practice facility, also designed by Fazio, is state-of-the art and includes features not found on traditional practice ranges. The area includes manicured tee areas that include slopes, mounds and hills so students can learn how to hit all types of shots. There is even a sizeable tree intentionally planted right in front of one of the teeing areas so that students can be coached on decision-making and shot execution.
Additionally, an 80-yard short-game area with varying rough heights, run-offs and green shapes and speeds will help golfers learn different ways to save strokes.
“We can have golfers practice every shot that they will ever see on the course,” said Bann. “It’s a total practice and teaching facility.”
Lynch has relocated to the Greenville, S.C., area full-time. Bann will commute across the continents at the outset, splitting his time between the IIG at Keowee Springs and Melbourne training facility.
