About Golf Schools on the Gold Coast

The concept of AGS was conceived in 1978 during a dinner conversation. Mike Kelly, long one of the major teachers in Australian Golf, was becoming increasingly frustrated by the half hour, once a week, type teaching that is forced on both pupil and teacher by the time pressures of normal, everyday living. He mused that, "if only you could have them for a week".

Tom Linskey’s response was instant. He had been toying with the idea of golf schools similar to those in the USA for some time. "The only difference would be", he said, "that instead of having all the facilities in one resort, ours would be fragmented. But the small amount of travelling involved would be made up for by the variety of golf courses".

An advertising campaign was launched through the newspapers and golf magazines with a very gratifying response. The first schools in March, 1979, were full to overflowing and Australian Golf Schools became part of the language of golf in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

Tom and Mike had drawn up definite guidelines for the teaching program to achieve positive results. The most important being that each pupil by the end of the week must know EXACTLY what their swing looked like and how to continue to improve when back at home. To assist this process, various teaching aids were employed. Some new and sophisticated, some old and simple. Video cameras and rubber tyres lie side by side on the practice range.

By 1980 the golf schools were beginning to overflow and since the concept was for one full week of personalised tuition, other instructors were brought in. Billy Dunk, Charlie Earp and John Sullivan came on board as part of the Australian Golf Schools teaching staff. They still drop in from time to time.

Now, 27 years later AGS is based in Brisbane, close to all the marvellous resort courses of the Gold Coast with its great climate and relaxed environment.