Golf Coaches Bios

Steve Bann played full time on the Australian Professional Golf Tour from 1981 to 1986, then part time for the next 10 years. From 1986 to 1990, he was the Head Professional at Box Hill Golf Club in Melbourne. Next, he became founder and Head Coach of the Victorian Institute of Sport, which was responsible for producing many recent tour professionals: Geoff Ogilvy, Aaron Baddeley, Robert Allenby, Stuart Appleby, Marc Leishman, and others. He helped produce several international golf tournament winners and helped eight graduates earn their US PGA Tour cards. In 2006, Steve was named Victorian PGA Coach of the Year. Some of his present students include Stuart Appleby, Nick Flanagan, and K.J. Choi. At Saddlebrook Golf Academy, he is delighted to work with an emphasis in junior development, to instruct golfers of all ability levels, and to still coach elite amateur and professional players.

Steve, 2007 Australian Golf Digest Coach of the Year and 2010 Australian PGA Teacher of the Year, has appeared on the Golf Channel, ESPN, and ABC. He has been the Golf Australia Magazine Teaching Editor and published four books including Golf Gadgets and Play Like Pros.

Dale Lynch has been a member of the PGA of Australia for almost 30 years. He played on the Australian Tour for seven years and coached at the Victorian Institute of Sport, described above, since its inception. Dale was named Victorian PGA Coach of the Year in 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000. Throughout their careers, he coached and still coaches several young Australian golf champs including Aaron Baddeley and Geoff Ogilvy. At Saddlebrook Golf Academy, Dale also is excited to work with an emphasis in junior development, to instruct golfers of all ability levels, and to continue coaching elite amateur and professional players.

This 2006 Australian Golf Digest Coach of the Year winner coaches US Tour players such as Steve Allan, Mathew Goggin, David McKenzie, Roger Tambellini, and Kim Felon.

John has been a member of the BannLynch Golf Coaching Staff in Melbourne, Australia since early 2002. Prior to becoming a full-time coach, he received a degree in Human Movement (Kinesiology and Structure) from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Combining his knowledge of the body in motion with the golf swing enhances his coaching. His passion for personal fitness and golf shines throughout his coaching. During his tenure with Bann/Lynch, John has attended eight world-wide coaching summits, leading to his Class AAA Coaching Classification. John was involved with the Victorian Institute of Sport, which produced recent tour professionals, including Geoff Ogilvy, Aaron Baddeley, Robert Allenby, Stuart Appleby, and Marc Leishman. In 2005, he was appointed as the Director of Golf Instruction at the most prestigious course in Australia, Capital Golf Club. John served as the personal coach to many guests, including, Justin Timberlake, Will Smith, Robbie Williams, Roger Federer and President Bill Clinton. In 2009, John moved to the United States to further expand BannLynch Golf, and was appointed the Director of Instruction at the International Institute of Golf at The Cliffs Communities in North and South Carolina. Joining Saddlebrook Golf Academy in 2011, John, along with the entire BannLynch Golf Team, is excited to focus on junior development. He also gives private and corporate instruction as well as assisting several elite amateur and professional players.

Chad Phillips has been a member of the BannLynch Coaching staff since 2009 and has been coaching the game since 1993. He has been trained by Dale Lynch as both a coach and a competitive player.  His highly successful junior career in Michigan included four time all state honors, Detroit Free Press Athlete of the Year, four regional championships, back-to-back high school state championships, and numerous top five finishes in AJGA events. Chad turned professional and began competing on various professional tours after attending the University of Mississippi on a golf scholarship. He still continues to work on his own game, maintaining a high level of playing proficiency. Chad consistently attends numerous coaching summits, providing himself education on all the latest information, practices, and technologies available to golf coaches. Chad is excited to work with any level of player and enjoys seeing all golfers reach their chosen goals. In recent years, he has utilized his extensive experience in junior golf to develop some of South Carolina's finest junior athletes.  These juniors have realized success in state, regional, AJGA, and other major junior events and have moved on to collegiate and professional levels. Chad's students now include an impressive forum of top juniors, amateurs, collegiate golfers, and professionals, including 2010 PGA Tour member and current Nationwide Tour member, Brent Delahoussaye.

Career Pathway:

• Assistant Golf Professional and Junior Golf Program Leader atTyrone Hills Golf Club in Fenton, MI
• Assistant Golf Professional at Spring Meadows Country Club in Linden, MI
• Assistant Golf Professional at Ballenisles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, FL
• Manager and Head Teaching Professional and Club-fitter at Golf Headquarters inGreenville, SC
• Assistant Golf Professional at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Dothan, AL
• Director of Instruction at Eagle Zone Golf Academy in Greenville, SC
• BannLynch Coach at The Cliffs at Keowee Springs in Keowee Springs, SC

Mark is a Class A PGA Professional elected to membership in 1988 by the Professional Golfers Association of America. He is still recertified each certification period by the PGA, by attending continuing education classes, by the PGA. He served as an apprentice at Summit Chase Country Club, later a Head Professional at Metropolitan Golf and Tennis Club and Cross Creek Golf Club for ten years. In 1998 he came to Saddlebrook Resort, became a certified Arnold Palmer Instructor teaching juniors and Adult classes. working for the Arnold Palmer Golf Academy. In 2004 he was appointed the Director of the Saddlebrook Prep Junior program. He has developed numerous nationally ranked players, in 2003 his student Martin Ureta was the number two ranked junior player in the country by Golfweek, he graduated from the University North Carolina, and know plays on the Nationwide Tour. Mark has had many players go on and play at the Division 1 level and obtain scholarships. He is know proud to have joined the elite program and coaching of the BannLynch team.

Michael has been a golf professional since 1988 and has been employed at Saddlebrook Resort since 1990 and a certified golf instructor since 1993 as a member of the Arnold Palmer Golf Academy and now with Bann Lynch Golf. He started his teaching career at the age of twenty when he became a professional ski instructor. Mike was born in Flint Michigan and grew up in the Detroit area where after playing four years on his high school team he attended Northwood University. Mike started playing competitive golf at the age of 12 and still is very competitive today, finishing runner up in his playing ability test for the P.G.A. In addition to providing adult instruction at our academy, Mike has coached multiple district and regional champions in both the boys and girls divisions, along with nationally ranked juniors and collegiate players. Mike enjoys teaching golfers of all skill levels and has over 1,000 hours of golf instruction per year since 1998.