ZSTRICT Golf Academy

Ben Mackey is the General Manager and resident PGA professional at ZSTRICT. In addition to opening and running GOLFZON’s flagship simulator facility, Ben has also worked at a multitude of green grass facilities. Most recently as Director of Golf for Middlesex county with Indigo Golf Partners. He was also the Head Golf Professional at The Golf Club at Oxford Greens in Oxford CT.

Ben is a graduate of Ferris State University as a PGA Professional with a business degree. Ben will bring a unique skillset to the Leadbetter Academy and provide a wealth of knowledge in the golf swing and simulator technology.

Ben believes that there is not a “One size fits all” method for the golf swing, and each player is unique. The goal is to identify what works well for the particular student, and build upon that foundation creating a fundamentally sound swing. From highly skilled, to novice golfers, Ben can help to take your swing to the next level.

Gary Murphy is a PGA Golf Professional who was born and raised in Westchester, New York. He graduated from Villanova University in 1987 with a BA in Economics and a minor in Political Science. In 1992, Gary was elected to membership in the PGA and has served on Metropolitan PGA Membership and Tournament Committees.

In 1997, he attended the PGA/USGA Rules Workshop and was the winner of the National PGA Senior Junior Championship in 2001. He was also a Low Professional 2006 and 2008 Mitch Pro Am, Low Professional 2011 Great River Pro Am, Low Round 62 at the Concord International course and a medalist of Westchester PGA Qualifying 65 at Rolling Hills County Club in Wilton, CT.

Gary Worked at Lake Isle Country Club and Wykagyl Country Club prior to joining the staff at Innis Arden in 1994, and was hired as Head Golf Professional in 1997 and is now teaching at Golfzon Social at Chelsea Piers Stamford.

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
It is important to understand how to learn the game of golf whether you are just starting out or a seasoned player. When the opportunity arises to teach a total beginner it is like starting with a blank canvas. The player has no bad habits or misconceptions of how to swing or how to play different shots so lessons can begin right away with learning. When an experienced player takes a lesson, we have to go back to the player’s history and evaluate their history and knowledge to ensure they have the correct fundamentals and concepts. I follow a six step approach to teaching the game of golf which includes fundamentals of the setup, motion of the swing, technique to pitch/punch the golf ball, how to chip and putt, bunker plays, and how to really “play the game”. If you try to learn the game in this order you will have the most success!