KEPERRA Country Golf Club’s second-year PGA associate professional – a young man who knows his way to the podium – recently took on the added responsibility of teaching members and guests the finer art of golf.
Jordan Rooke is normally on the range honing his craft ahead of associate professional events but he didn’t hesitate when asked to step up to a lead teaching role while the club’s resident teaching professional, Chris McCourt, is away playing Legends Tour (over 50s) events.
The tall left-hander is no novice when it comes to teaching golf.
In fact, he regularly assists McCourt teaching the next generation at the club’s highly-successful junior golf clinics. Last year, Keperra took out the Junior Golf Program of the Year Award courtesy of delivering the highest-quality junior development program in the state.
Rooke told Inside Golf he was relishing the additional teaching role.
“I love working at the club and being able to offer coaching services,” the 22-year-old said after returning from winning the Ballina Open Match against a strong field of Queensland and NSW associates.
“I’m excited to bring my knowledge of the game to club members and juniors. I want to continue to build the foundation Chris McCourt has built for juniors with help from fellow associate Jack Jones.”
STEPPING UP: When he’s not helping members hone their skills, Keperra CGC’s associate professional Jordan Rooke is in the pro shop serving members and guests.
Peter Zealley, the club’s golf shop team leader, said Rooke was a mature and capable young man and a fine player in his own right.
“While he is new to coaching, he has done a lot of work with our juniors and is looking after them while Chris (McCourt) is away,” Zealley said.
“Jordan has done some coaching at Kelvin Grove State College. I went along with him and let him run the show and he was excellent.
“He is a good communicator and is able to get his message and ideas across to students really well so that they understand what he wants to achieve with them.”
McCourt said Rooke had a good understanding of the golf swing and worked well with the juniors.
I ask Rooke about his teaching philosophy.
“There is not one way to swing a golf club to get the right result,” he said.
“You only have to look at the PGA Tour to work that out. You have to build a swing around the person’s capabilities.
“The aim is to get the desired shot-shape they (students) want and the flight they are looking for. That is what I’m looking for and also making sure they are square at impact.”
Over the years, Rooke has gleaned his knowledge by picking the brains of other successful coaches like McCourt and his coach Chris Gibson.
And what makes a good teaching professional?
“A good coach is about understanding the person’s expectations and knowing what they want from a coach,” Rooke said. “It’s about explaining it in a way they understand. You don’t need to complicate the message.”
So, what does the future hold for Rooke?
While he enjoys coaching, his ambition is to pursue a playing career in the same vein as Keperra’s John Senden and Peter Senior, a life member of the club.
“I do want to go down the playing path, but obviously I want to offer coaching services in the off-season to share my experiences and help golfers improve their game.”
Last year, Rooke finished second on the Queensland Trainee Order of Merit courtesy of a number of victories and he finished inside the top 10 in the National Trainee Championships.
In 2020, Rooke won the Keperra CGC club championship and has a best low round of eight-under-par off the championship tee blocks.
As a leftie, Rooke is a huge fan of Phil Mickelson. And like the American, he possesses a good short game and is a deft putter.
Also, Rooke can’t speak highly enough of Keperra’s 27-hole layout.
“Keperra is a very good golf course, especially for your short game and you can hit all sorts of shots around here,” he said. “You definitely have to think your way around the golf course.
“Keperra is also a great members’ club,” he added. “It’s welcoming, supportive and there is great camaraderie among the members and staff. I work in the pro shop on Saturday mornings and the members are a lot of fun.”
For those who want to improve their game and shave strokes off their handicap, Rooke is available on Wednesdays, Thursdays and some Fridays and Saturdays.
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