Golf Coaches Bios

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 Golf 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 now plays on the Nationwide Tour. Mark has had many players go on and play at the Division 1 level and obtain scholarships He also worked three years under the Bannlynch Teaching program as a Master Instructor, run by the coaching team of Steve Bann and Dale Lynch. Mark has well over 20 thousand hours of golf instruction, at all levels from beginner to the advanced player.

Thomas is a graduate of Saddlebrook Preparatory Golf Academy and the University of South Florida. Thomas returned to Saddlebrook and is providing valuable insight for our AJGA competitive students. Thomas has helped the students develop superb golf course strategy, enabled the students to lower their scoring average and developed a competitive environment with some of the best players in the country. 
 
After graduating from Saddlebrook Prep, Thomas was accepted into the University of South Florida. Thomas played on the Men’s Golf Team and received All-Big East Conference Academic Honors. Thomas also represented the team as a captain while playing for the university. After graduating from USF, Thomas competed in professional golf tours and qualifying schools.
 
Thomas brings value to the Saddlebrook Golf Academy as an alumnus of Saddlebrook Prep’s student-athlete program, a college player and as a professional. His experience provides our students with excellent insight with strategic golf course management and preparing them for their next level of competition.

Michael has been a golf professional since 1988 and has been employed at Saddlebrook Resort since 1990. He was a certified Arnold Palmer Instructor at the World Headquarters for eighteen years    and three years as a Master Instructor with Bann Lynch Golf.  Mike started his teaching career at the age of twenty when he became a professional ski instructor in southeast Michigan. Mike was born in Flint Michigan and grew up in the Detroit area where after playing in junior high and four years in high school, he attended Northwood University. Mike started playing competitive golf at the age of twelve and still is very competitive today, finishing runner up in his playing ability test for the P.G.A. while spending over ten years in the organization. In addition to providing adult instruction at Saddlebrook Golf Academy, Mike has coached multiple district and regional champions in both the boys and girls divisions, along with nationally ranked juniors who have made the top 10 in the AJGA rankings, along with multiple collegiate players. Mike is very proud to have instructed and coached students who have choose to become golf professionals in their own right, with some that have gone on to play at a tour level. Mike really enjoys teaching golfers of all skill levels and has over twenty five thousand hours of golf instruction from the beginner to the professional golfer.

Doug has been intricately involved with the Saddlebrook Resort for the past five years. Doug currently coaches students in our full-time golf academy as well as the summer camp and adult golf programs. Doug helps all of his players set and reach their goals and objectives. In 2016, Doug completed the Saddlebrook Coaching Certification Program. Doug is an apprentice and enrolled in the Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA) PGM program. Doug is an outstanding member of the North Florida PGA Section.
 
Doug is a native of Ohio where he played competitive golf for several years. As a freshman he qualified for Ohio State High School State Championship. Doug took a break from his golfing passion to proudly serve his country in the United States Navy for seven years. Doug routinely participates in golf tournaments in the Tampa Bay area. Doug currently coaches both junior and adult players at all levels.

Kate Granahan is a newly elected member of the PGA.  She is a recent graduate of Pennsylvania State University where she majored in Professional Golf Management with a minor in Business. She also competed four years on the Penn State Women’s Golf team, where she gained high caliber playing experience.
 
Before coming to Saddlebrook Prep, Kate interned in multiple private clubs and in her senior year, she interned in the Golf Teaching and Research Center at Penn State, where she researched and studied 3D Biomechanical Swing Captures, Trackman data and Force Plate data to help her understand and teach the golf swing better.