Grand Strand golf academy earns accolade as Top 50 school | Myrtle Beach Sun News

The Steve Dresser Golf Academy at True Blue Golf Club in Pawleys Island and Barefoot Resort & Golf have each been recognized as a Top 50 in America Public Golf Facility and Driving Range by the Golf Range Association of America (GRAA) in the December 2017 issue.

Additionally, Steve Dresser was named to the GRAA “Top 50 Growth of the Game Teaching Professionals,” which recognizes instructors who are focused on growing the game.

The Top 50 Ranges/Public Facilities recognizes public facilities with nine holes or more of regulation golf that emphasize the range as a core amenity essential to the facility’s instruction and club-fitting programs while offering the general public a quality facility to hone their own games.

The large Barefoot driving range has 75 grass tees, measured greens and flags as targets, bunkers, lights, a putting green, three heated bays, several forms of technology used in teaching and fitting, food and beverage at Putters Pub, and weekly clinics through the Alasdair Dyer Golf Academy. Barefoot dispenses approximately 5 million range balls per year, according to the GRAA.

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This is the third consecutive year the Dresser Academy has received the recognition. It features a short game practice area, bunkers, practice green, measured targets, indoor bays with mats, food and beverage, new range balls every three months, and teaching and fitting technology, and offers vacation golf schools, clinics, demo days and junior programs. The academy offers club-fitting using seven major brand fitting carts.

Dresser said he spends at least 40 hours per week teaching, and the academy is involved with juniors, seniors, women and minorities, is involved with the community through free clinics and speaking engagements, offers 11 different golf school options per week plus after school clinics and summer camps for juniors, adult clinics, short game schools, demo days, fitting days, etc.

“I guess they look for those who offer the ‘whole package,’ are generous with their time, teach players from all walks of life, devote most of their time to teaching and developing players and keep up with the latest technology,” Dresser said. “I've always felt that growing the game is my strongest suit.”