COACHES
DAVID THOMAS
- PGA Golf Professional (Advanced Coaching), Australia, qualified since 1999
- Mizuno, Callaway, Titleist, Fitter
- K-Vest Biomechanics Certification – Levels 1, 2 & 3
- TPI Certified – 1,2 & Junior
- TrackMan Certified
- FlightScope Certified
- PGA All Abilities Coach Accreditation
- SAM Putt Lab 1 & 2 and SAM Balance Lab Certified
- Gravity Fit Certified
- Focus Band Certified
Key Training Aids/Programs
I own and work with the following training aids and programs:
- K-Vest Biomechanic 3D (4 Sensor)
- K-Vest Biomechanic 6D
- K-Players Biomechanic x 5
- Flightscope X3
- Swing Catalyst
- Swing Catalyst Force Plates
- Focus Band
- 2 x SAM Putt Lab
- SAM Balance Lab
- GASP Lab 5
Language Skills
- English (first language)
- German (fluent)
TOM LINSKEY
Heading up the team is the Owner/Operator of the Australian Golf Schools. As a golf professional who has been in the industry for over 55 years, Tom brings an immeasurable teaching and managerial background with him. Since he finished playing the Tour himself he has owned and managed various golf courses and driving ranges throughout NSW and QLD and has a keen eye for employing teaching staff who really know how to teach.
Tom has spent his career helping golfers from beginners to touring professionals producing many champions along the way. He led the Italian Squad as National Coach during the 1980′s and has seen and solved every swing problem imaginable. His main Professional successes were the Italians, Costantino Rocca and Alberto Binaghi (now National Coach and responsible for Matteo Manassero and the Molinari brothers), Gabriel Hjertstedt from Sweden, Andre Stolz and Colin Bishop from Australia. His pupils have also won numerous Amateur Championships including both French and Italian titles as well as Gabriel’s part in the Swedish Team’s win of the Eisenhower Trophy. A no-nonsense approach coupled with a thorough understanding of the golf swing, together with a long teaching history makes Tom a masterful instructor for any golfing enthusiast.
Not content to just ‘play’ for a living, he has forged a profession as both a playing and teaching pro, a golf course designer, a coach, an administrator and an entrepreneur. A full member of the Australia PGA since 1965, Tom was an active tournament player from then until 1991. He also played on the European Tour in 1972, ‘76 and ‘77. From 1995 to the present he has been active on the Australian Senior Tour. However, in 1981 Tom took a complete change in direction and became Director of the National School of Golf in Rome. Tom’s role encompassed many facets of Italian golf, including the responsibility for the training, development and educational programs for all categories of Italian golf professionals.
He was also responsible for developing and conducting a ‘college-type’ curriculum for Italy’s best young amateur golfers. As head coach he was charged with the advancement of all national squads, as well as the further development of the National Junior Program and on-going programs for the sport of golf in Italy. His two major success stories were Sergio Prati and Constantino Rocca, still rated Italy’s best-ever golfer. Prati was a member of the ‘college’ squad and in 1983 won the French and Italian amateur championships. Linskey ‘discovered’ Rocca at age 25, working as a caddy master at Bergamo Golf Club and encouraged him to realise his potential. History recalls that Rocca became a dominant player in Europe, and was a Ryder Cup hero in 1997 beating a 21-year-old Tiger Woods. Rocca was the first Italian golfer to play in the Ryder Cup and in the 1995 British Open at St Andrews, tied with John Daly, only to be beaten in a play-off. As a sign of their gratitude for his five-year involvement with their golfers, Linskey was bestowed life membership of the Italian PGA.
Tom’s initial appointment as a teaching professional was at Wyong Golf Club in 1966. He was there until 1974, but during that time showed his first inclinations as an entrepreneur, establishing a golf practice range at nearby Bateau Bay. In 1979
Tom founded Australian Golf Schools Pty Ltd, a golf school that still operates today and is based at Emerald Lakes Golf Club in the centre of the Gold Coast. He remains a director and head coach of the school and estimates that in 40 years he has tutored thousands of golfers.
He has also ventured into golf design and construction, overseeing projects in Australia, Malaysia and in Italy where he designed the third 9 holes for the Golf Club Bergamo l’Albenza. In Queensland, they are Meadowbrook Golf Club and Riverlakes where he has served as GM and Director of Golf Operations from 1987 to 2001. Other developments comprise Toukley, Mangrove Mountain, South West Rocks and Rum Corp Barracks, all in NSW. But Tom’s involvement in golf has not been without giving back. From 1978 to 1992 he held various executive positions, including honorary secretary/treasurer of the Australian PGA Tour; member of the founding committee of the PGA Tour; board member of the Australia PGA; Australian delegate to World PGA conferences and a committee member of the Greg Norman Golf Foundation. He shows no signs of curtailing what has been a fascinating and triumphant association with his world of golf.
JOSH SMITH
Emerald Lakes Teaching Professional, Josh Smith, is one of the most popular coaches on the coast and runs the extremely successful junior program, that continues to produce great results. Josh lives in Brisbane and travels down the M1 each day to do what he loves most, teaching golf. “Emerald Lakes is the perfect training ground for young golfers. It has great short game area and putting green, but best of all, the club encourages us to take the kids out onto the course from an early age, something very rare in the golf club environment these days. They are now reaping the rewards winning many club pennant championships over the last few years” Smith said. Smith started playing when he was 8 years old and his passion for the game carries on through his teaching.
As a youngster he watched many of the great players such as Norman, Couples and Faldo, who inspired him to take the game more seriously. “I loved watching those guys whenever they came to play here and as a visual learner, I watched and tried to copy what they did.” After years of coaching, Smith still thinks it is the basics that matter the most. “I try to teach my students that hard work pays off, but I also make sure they maintain a love of the game. If they love the game, they don’t see working hard on their game as a pain, but something they look forward too. These are the guys who succeed the most, the ones who wake up every day excited to play golf and learn. My main goal is simple, I want to introduce as many people to the game as I can, and make sure my current students continue to love the game more and more”
While he has been lucky enough to play with some great players throughout his professional career, his highlights these days are when one of his clients calls to let him know they have won their club competition, made a representative team or even just dropped their handicap.
TOM LINSKEY
Heading up the team is the Owner/Operator of the Australian Golf Schools. As a golf professional who has been in the industry for over 55 years, Tom brings an immeasurable teaching and managerial background with him. Since he finished playing the Tour himself he has owned and managed various golf courses and driving ranges throughout NSW and QLD and has a keen eye for employing teaching staff who really know how to teach.
Tom has spent his career helping golfers from beginners to touring professionals producing many champions along the way. He led the Italian Squad as National Coach during the 1980′s and has seen and solved every swing problem imaginable. His main Professional successes were the Italians, Costantino Rocca and Alberto Binaghi (now National Coach and responsible for Matteo Manassero and the Molinari brothers), Gabriel Hjertstedt from Sweden, Andre Stolz and Colin Bishop from Australia. His pupils have also won numerous Amateur Championships including both French and Italian titles as well as Gabriel’s part in the Swedish Team’s win of the Eisenhower Trophy. A no-nonsense approach coupled with a thorough understanding of the golf swing, together with a long teaching history makes Tom a masterful instructor for any golfing enthusiast.
Not content to just ‘play’ for a living, he has forged a profession as both a playing and teaching pro, a golf course designer, a coach, an administrator and an entrepreneur. A full member of the Australia PGA since 1965, Tom was an active tournament player from then until 1991. He also played on the European Tour in 1972, ‘76 and ‘77. From 1995 to the present he has been active on the Australian Senior Tour. However, in 1981 Tom took a complete change in direction and became Director of the National School of Golf in Rome. Tom’s role encompassed many facets of Italian golf, including the responsibility for the training, development and educational programs for all categories of Italian golf professionals.
He was also responsible for developing and conducting a ‘college-type’ curriculum for Italy’s best young amateur golfers. As head coach he was charged with the advancement of all national squads, as well as the further development of the National Junior Program and on-going programs for the sport of golf in Italy. His two major success stories were Sergio Prati and Constantino Rocca, still rated Italy’s best-ever golfer. Prati was a member of the ‘college’ squad and in 1983 won the French and Italian amateur championships. Linskey ‘discovered’ Rocca at age 25, working as a caddy master at Bergamo Golf Club and encouraged him to realise his potential. History recalls that Rocca became a dominant player in Europe, and was a Ryder Cup hero in 1997 beating a 21-year-old Tiger Woods. Rocca was the first Italian golfer to play in the Ryder Cup and in the 1995 British Open at St Andrews, tied with John Daly, only to be beaten in a play-off. As a sign of their gratitude for his five-year involvement with their golfers, Linskey was bestowed life membership of the Italian PGA.
Tom’s initial appointment as a teaching professional was at Wyong Golf Club in 1966. He was there until 1974, but during that time showed his first inclinations as an entrepreneur, establishing a golf practice range at nearby Bateau Bay. In 1979
Tom founded Australian Golf Schools Pty Ltd, a golf school that still operates today and is based at Emerald Lakes Golf Club in the centre of the Gold Coast. He remains a director and head coach of the school and estimates that in 40 years he has tutored thousands of golfers.
He has also ventured into golf design and construction, overseeing projects in Australia, Malaysia and in Italy where he designed the third 9 holes for the Golf Club Bergamo l’Albenza. In Queensland, they are Meadowbrook Golf Club and Riverlakes where he has served as GM and Director of Golf Operations from 1987 to 2001. Other developments comprise Toukley, Mangrove Mountain, South West Rocks and Rum Corp Barracks, all in NSW. But Tom’s involvement in golf has not been without giving back. From 1978 to 1992 he held various executive positions, including honorary secretary/treasurer of the Australian PGA Tour; member of the founding committee of the PGA Tour; board member of the Australia PGA; Australian delegate to World PGA conferences and a committee member of the Greg Norman Golf Foundation. He shows no signs of curtailing what has been a fascinating and triumphant association with his world of golf.
