About Nicole

Nicole Weller is a proud member of the PGA of America, the LPGA, Proponent Group and the North Brunswick Chamber of Commerce. She currently instructs members, their guests and local Wilmington area golfers at Compass Pointe Golf Club near Wilmington, NC while traveling back to the Pinehurst area to instruct with the Pine Needles Golfari Schools. She has served on the LPGA*USGA Girls Golf of Savannah Board, two terms on the PGA National Youth Player Development Committee, LPGA Education and Hall of Fame Committees, the PGA Special Awards Committee, LPGA and PGA Mentorship Programs and is a co-author of the LPGA Girls Golf Playbook. Nicole was voted an LPGA Top 50 Teacher again in 2023 and listed #3 on the Golf Digest Best in State Teacher for North Carolina.

A U.S. Kids Master Kids Teacher certified with both U.S. Kids Golf and Spirit of Golf, Nicole was given the prestigious honor of being the only professional to ever receive both the 2013 PGA and LPGA National Junior Golf Leader awards in the same year. Some of her top accolades include 2017, 2019, 2021 & 2023 LPGA Top 50 Teachers List, GRAA Top 50 Growth of the Game Teacher, Georgia PGA Horton Smith Section Award, Golf Digest Best 50 Women Teachers, Golf Digest Best Young Teacher, Golf Digest Top Teacher in the State, LPGA T&CP Southeast Junior Golf Leader and Teacher of the Year, Georgia PGA East Chapter Teacher of the Year. Some of her most favorite recognitions are the handmade artwork of her young students!

Nicole has been a presenter at PGA National Youth & Family Summits and the LPGA National Teaching Summit, as well as numerous LPGA & PGA Sections around the country. She will be presenting at both the PGA Show (LPGA Seminar) and the inaugural We are the Women in Golf Summit in Daytona Beach in 2025.

Nicole enjoys quiet downtime at home, traveling & exploring, baking, home improvement projects, bringing golf to children at the local children's hospital in Savannah and Wilmington and family time with her husband and cat near Wilmington, NC. Her background includes a European upbringing, with both parents having immigrated to the U.S. from Germany and Switzerland and a brother who now resides overseas. She has been hang gliding, skydiving and has attained a black belt in the Isshinryu martial arts form (weapons, forms, sparring).

Books, Ebooks, Matching Flashcard Game, Golf Scavenger Hunt Puzzle and Programming

Nicole published her children's golf book, Stick to Sports: Let's Play Golf, in 2011 and flashcard memory game, Match Play Golf, in 2014. The book is perfect for youngsters ages 4-8+ complete with point and sticker rewards and a suggested itinerary for adult mentors to follow. The flashcards are perfect for ages 2-6 and have several different ways in which to play. Her follow-up book and Ebook, Big Thoughts from Little Golfers, launched in Summer 2021 and is a fun read for adults wanting to see the inspirational and creative comments kids have said during lessons, with tips for adults on working age-appropriately with children 2+. Nicole launched her Golf Scavenger Hunt Puzzle for ages 4-8 Fall 2023... assemble the 54-large-piece puzzle and then find the items within the scene from the box insert! Nicole strives to make her games educational, fun, engaging, tactile and non-stop golf fun anywhere!

Please CLICK HERE to see more information, see the videos or to order product.

In 2016 after a two-year development phase, Nicole partnered with Dr. Patricia Donnelly to create a turnkey certification program to help golf professionals and those in the industry being introducing youngsters ages 2-5 into the golf culture through an online certification program complete with complete yet adaptable curricula and optional equipment kits as needed. The Little Golf T.R.A.I.N. program is based on Teaching through Play, Research, Age-Appropriateness, Intrinsic Motivation and healthy Nutrition concepts. She is no longer running the program but encourages those interested to visit www.littlegolftrain.com for further information...

Career Background

Nicole began her golf career at age four through her Dad, Max, in southeastern Lakeville, Massachusetts when he began to learn golf as well. She was senior co-captain of the Coyle & Cassidy High School Boys Golf Team in Taunton and competed in state, regional and national youth and women's amateur golf before playing on the Wake Forest University Women's Golf Team ('94). Nicole pursued her master's degree in sport psychology from The University of Tennessee ('95) and first entered into the golf industry as an assistant professional at Cherokee C.C. in Knoxville. She quickly gained footing as a successful teaching professional at Fairways & Greens Golf Center in Knoxville and was President & Site Director for LPGA*USGA Girls Golf of Knoxville (2002-2004), growing the program from 15 to nearly 80 girls. Nicole, with husband and fellow PGA member Ty Weller, relocated to Savannah in 2005 to The Landings Club, where she served the golf instruction program for the large community membership and club staff on Skidaway Island as the Head Teaching Professional until 2019. She and her husband moved to Pinehurst in early 2020 for a short one-year stint to join up with U.S. Kids Golf at the Longleaf Golf & Family Club and U.S. Kids Golf Academy at Longleaf before Nicole shifted into her role as a proud Golf Academy Lead Instructor with the Pinehurst Golf Academy at Pinehurst Resort, where she also created and hosted Women's Golf Retreats during 2022. She currently instructs members, their guests and local Wilmington area golfers at Compass Pointe Golf Club near Wilmington, NC and travels back monthly to the Pinehurst area to instruct the popular Pine Needles Ladies Golfari Schools with the teaching team there.

Her background and education in youth golf, sport psychology, golf fitness and competition have allowed Nicole to provide an all-encompassing program for thousands of students. Creating a comfortable and Socratic learning environment that is specific to all students is key to her. Feedback through digital and non-digital learning tools, video, self-assessments and challenge games are just a few tools she uses to enhance the learning experience. She has enjoyed using many fun learning tools such as BirdieBall, My Mini Golf, SNAG, Orange Whip Trainer, ParKit, TagTeach, Grip it Rite, CoachNow, Live View Golf... among many. Her goals are simple - Nicole strives to meet the students' needs, involve them in the learning process, encourage transfer training methods, provide guided feedback resources and assist in making golf an anticipated and fun experience in their lives. Nicole looks at set-up fundamentals, club path, club face and centeredness of contact with regards to all swing motions in golf.

Nicole released an article with Dr. Patricia Donnelly targeting childhood development stages and how they relate to young golfers, with thoughts on how adults (coaches, parents, grandparents) can successfully help children ages 2-9 gain a fun and effective introduction into the game. CLICK HERE to read the article.

PAST POSITIONS

Carolinas Golf Association Intern (Pinehurst, NC)
Pinehurst Jr Golf School Counselor (Pinehurst Resort & Country Club, NC)
Assistant Golf Professional (Cherokee Country Club, Knoxville, TN)
Teaching Professional (Fairways & Greens Golf Center, Knoxville, TN)
Site Director & President Girls Golf of Knoxville, Inc. (501c3), a chapter of LPGA*USGA Girls Golf
Head Teaching Professional (The Landings Club, Savannah, GA)
Senior Director, Longleaf Golf Academy & U.S. Kids Golf Foundation / Certified Coach (Southern Pine, NC)
Golf Academy Instructor - Pinehurst Resort (Pinehurst, NC)
CURRENT Golfari Instructor - Pine Needles Resort (Southern Pines, NC)
CURRENT Teaching Professional & Educator: Compass Pointe Golf Club (Leland NC near Wilmington for members and outside guests)

AWARDS

2002: Coyle & Cassidy High School Athlete Hall of Fame Inductee
2004: Isshinryu Karate Sho-Dan Black Belt
2004: Tennessee PGA Knoxville Chapter 'Junior Leader of the Year'
2005: GOLF Magazine 'Southeast Region Top Teacher' - February Issue
2007 & 2009: Georgia PGA East Chapter 'Teacher of the Year'
2010: Golf Digest Magazine Top 40 under 40 'Best Young Teacher'
2010, 2011, 2012: U.S. Kids Golf 'Top 50 Kids Teacher'
2011: LPGA T&CP Southeast 'Teacher of the Year'
2012: Golf Digest 'America's Best 50 Women Teachers'
2012, 2013: LPGA T&CP Southeast Junior Golf Achievement Winner
2012: Georgia PGA Section Horton Smith Trophy Recipient
2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016: GRAA Top 50 Growth of the Game Teaching Professional
2013: PGA National Junior Golf Leader **
2013: LPGA T&CP National Junior Golf Leader **
2013: U.S. Kids Golf Master KidsTeacher
2015: Golf Digest Best Teacher in State (13th on Georgia list)
2017, 2019, 2021, 2023: LPGA Top 50 Teachers
2017 & 2018: GRAA December Golf Range Magazine Growth of the Game Elite Status Member
2021: Golf Digest Best Teacher in State (4th on NC list)
2023: Golf Digest Best Teacher in State (3rd on NC list and only female instructor listed)
2024: Four nominations for the 2024 Carolinas PGA Teacher of the Year Award

CHARITIES, BOARDS, COMMITTEES & NON-PROFIT SUPPORT (PAST AND PRESENT)

Supporter of Big Brothers Big Sisters (and a past BIG several times)
The First Tee of Savannah Volunteer
LPGA*USGA Girls Golf Site Director (Knoxville & Savannah Landings Club) and Committee Member (Local Savannah Chapter)
2013-2014, 2017-2019 PGA National Youth Player Development Committee
2015 Co-Author on the LPGA Girls Golf Playbook Project
2015-2016 PGA National Awards Selection Committee
2016 Launch of Little Golf T.R.A.I.N. as Co-Partner with Dr. Patricia Donnelly. Ambassador role 2019.
2017 Personal visits to Memorial Children's Hospital to bring golf activities to children
2018 LPGA Education Committee
2018-2019: Coordinate and host events for the Web.com Tour Savannah Golf Championship (Youth Clinic, Executive Women's Golf Experience, Family Fun Zone)
2023 LPGA Hall of Fame Selection Committee
2023 - Current LPGA Mentor
2024 - PGA Carolinas Section GROW Chapter Mentor Liaison and Mentor
North Brunwick Chamber of Commerce Member
2024 began personal visits to Novant Health Betty H. Cameron Women's & Children's Hospital to bring golf activities to children

COMPETITION BACKGROUND

AJGA Tour (1989 Rolex/Golf Magazine All-American Team)
State, Regional and National Girls & National Women's Amateur Championships
3 USGA Girls Junior Championships & 1 U.S. Women's Publinks Championship
High School Boys Golf Team Senior Co-Captain & 1990 State High School Girls Champion
1993 NCAA Championship (7th team finish) & ACC Championships (1994 Championship team)
LPGA T&CP National Championships & Southeast Team Championship
GA PGA East Chapter Pro-Ams
Several Knoxville karate competitions (placed in weapons and forms, competed in sparring)