Henry Brunton & Friends Launch New Golf Academy in Arizona
Pictured above: Talking Stick North
SCOTTSDALE, AZ – Four of golf’s leaders in coaching and education are joining forces to create GenNXT Golf Academy – the first high performance junior golf academy in the American Southwest.
Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott of VISION54, Dr. Rick Jensen of the Dr. Rick Jensen Performance Center at PGA National and Canadian Henry Brunton, a world leader in golf coaching, have selected the magnificent Talking Sticking GC as the home base for the ground-breaking academy for aspiring golfers from 14 to 18 years of age.
“Our mission is to utilize our collective experience and expertise at the highest levels of golf to establish the GenNXT Golf Academy with the goal of creating the No. 1 high performance junior golf academy in the world,” says Nilsson, who has worked with hundreds of LPGA and PGA tour professionals over the past two decades. “We see it becoming the gold standard in the sport – providing the next generation of aspiring elite golf athletes with second to none coaching, training and sport science support,” Marriott adds.
The innovative world class golf athlete development program will open its doors on January 5th, 2016 and is currently accepting athlete applications for the semester that runs until June 5th. It’s a full-time residential golf academy for boys and girls ages 14 to 18 with a variety of housing and educational options available for consideration. There are options for athletes to participate in GenNXT for a month, a semester or a full school year. The 2016/2017 GenNXT Academy will commence on August 22nd.
“We have created GenNXT to be a boutique style high performance golf academy. We are all committed to providing exceptional coaching and training support while developing personal relationships with all of our athletes,” says Brunton, a GOLF Magazine Top 100 Teacher who spent 13 years as the Head Coach of Canada’s National Golf Team.
The four lead coaches have surrounded themselves with a world-class support team that will be led by GenNXT Golf Academy Director, Oliver Morton – a top-ranked PGA junior golf coaching specialist from the United Kingdom. Other team members include:
* Dr. Jimmy Yuan – Medical Director at Advantage Training; TPI Advisory Board Member – Golf Fitness/Strength Training/Nutrition/Injury Prevention
* Spencer Tatum- National Performance Director – Advantage Training- consultant to ASU and Auburn NCAA golf teams
* Peter Sanders, founder of ShotbyShot.com, for Statistical Analysis/Golf Analytics
* Michael Pinkey, founder of Combine Golf, for Club Fitting
* Dr. Kim Johnson provides GenNXT with 24/7 medical support
* VISION54 coaching staff- onsite coaching and support from Kristine Reese, Tiffany Yager and Zach Theult
“We recognize that each athlete is unique. Our team is dedicated to providing personalized training, coaching and competition plans based on age and stage of development as they aspire to be the next generation of top performers in the AJGA, USGA, NCAA, PGA Tour, European Tour, LPGA Tour and Olympic Games,” says Dr. Jensen, who is well-known for working with some of the game’s best players that have collected 199 PGA/LPGA/Champions Tour wins including 33 Majors and over $65 million in earnings.
Athletes will have full access to the exceptional practice facilities and two remarkable 18-hole Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw designed golf courses at Talking Stick Resort, which is also the home base for spring training for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies.
“We believe the GenNXT Academy, supported by Henry Brunton, VISION54, Dr. Rick Jensen and Talking Stick Golf Club, will be the BEST of its kind anywhere,” says Steve Leonard, the GM at Talking Stick GC. “We had many opportunities presented to us to bring an academy to Talking Stick. We waited to find the team with the right attitude and motivation. We didn’t want to be the biggest – just the best and one that not only wants to produce great golfers, but even better young adults through the program. I believe this team will do just that.”
Housing options include student dorms at Courtyard Marriott at Talking Stick and there is limited space available to stay at GenNXT Academy House, fully supervised lodging where meals and transportation is provided. The academy is also affiliated with nearby Rancho Solano Prep School and there are other educational options.
For more details or to arrange a visit, please check out the academy website at www.gennxtgolfacademy.com or contact Henry Brunton – henry@henrybrunton.com