Your Instructors' Career Highlights

Kim Inglis, Director of Instruction (Thailand)
Originally from New Zealand, Kim moved to Thailand in his early 20's and headed up the International Marketing Team at Jack Nicklaus designed Country Club Khao-Yai (now Kiriyama Golf Resort). After three years Kim travelled to Canada, where he graduated in the top five percent of both academic and playability rankings at the CPGA's Professional Golf Management Program. He spent two seasons at the highly-acclaimed Lake Placid Resort Hotel & Golf Club as 1st Assistant Golf Professional before returning to Thailand to form the Lam Luk Ka Premier Golf School and subsequently Golfthink in January 2004.

Kim's golf instructional and golf course review articles have been published in: Bangkok 101, OB Golf & Lifestyle Magazine, Golf Asia Magazine and The Thailand Golf Guide and Golfthink has been featured in Asian Golf Monthly Magazine, SeaSpray Magazine, and by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. He has spent time with Jim Flick at the Nicklaus/Flick Golf School, attended a David Leadbetter Golf Academy and has won tournaments as an amateur (defeating the Canadian Senior Amateur Matchplay Champion in a playoff to win the 1997 Cordova Bay Club Championship), and as a Pro (Winner of 2000 Tail Of The Pup Cup, Lake Placid) He also has three career Hole in Ones!

Graham Sampson

Head Golf Pro Northern Thailand

Asian PGA Category ‘A’ Golf Teaching Professional

Golf Experience:
Teaching Professional 23 years, of which 14 years Head Instructor at John Jacobs and Golf Digest Schools. Guest PGA Instructor Discovery Bay Golf Club, Hong Kong. U.S. Class A PGA Member. Affiliated with: The PGA of America, USGA, Scottsdale Golf Group, Taylor Made Golf.      

Teaching Philosophy:
Enable students to be their own coach by understanding cause and effect and ball flight. By playing golf, and utilizing on course instruction with students, we formulate a plan for their improvement based on an analysis of their strengths and weaknesses. The goal on the practice facility is to eliminate the students most damaging swing fault—not change their entire swing.  The goal on the golf course is to limit swing thoughts—and develop a pre-shot routine that enables the student to play by feel and visualization.

Location:
Chiang Mai, usually at Highlands or Santiburi.

Derek Schade, Director of Instruction (Chiang Mai)
Derek is a Canadian PGA Professional with extensive experience teaching and playing professionally in Thailand, Canada and the United States. He has developed a teaching style that focuses on fundamentals and makes improving your golf an enjoyable experience. Derek's goal is to make it easy for you to learn to play better golf and most of all enjoy your golf more by focusing on what is important to you. His relaxed teaching structure lets you learn and have fun at your own pace, by focusing on what is important to your specific needs. Derek is based at Chiang Mai Highlands.


Jim Smith, Head Golf Professional (Hua Hin)
With over twenty years as a golf professional and member of the Canadian Professional Golfers' Association, Head Golf Professional in Hua Hin, Jim Smith will help you improve all aspects of your game be it a first time golfer or seasoned player looking too fine tune specific areas of your game. With Jim's easy going and logical approach every student will come away with a better understanding of their golf game and knowledge to improve their skills. Combined with a variety of practice drills designed to help validate their understanding of the golf swing, each student can develop the confidence to hit better golf shots. Hitting better golf shots achieves lower scores making the game more enjoyable and fun to play.


Ratanachai (Golf) Chearananta, Head Golf Professional (Bangkok)
After studying over 10 years in various fields in Canada including the Professional Golf Management Program, Golf returned to Thailand where he attained his Class A Thai PGA status. With over 10 years teaching experience golf has taught a variety of nationalities from all over the world and is an expert in adapting to each players learning style. For advanced players, he frequently uses golf swing software programs to analyze your golf swing and is focused on helping you gain distance and accuracy. Golf is also a golf fitness expert and believes in professional conditioning to enhance the golf swing.


Shane Teertrakul, Director of Short Game Schools (Bangkok)
Shane is currently teaching part-time as he completes his Ph.D. Having perfected his craft in the states, Shane's philosopy on teaching is focused on enabling the student to get the most of their abilities and making a fun learning environment. Shane is an accomplished player with one the best short games in Thailand and will give you the tools to go out and shoot lower scores.