"Educating Golfers, Entertaining People, Enhancing Lives"

  

About Nicole

Nicole Weller is a proud member of the PGA of America, the LPGA and Proponent Group and currently instructs members, their guests and local Wilmington area golfers at Compass Pointe Golf Club near Wilmington, NC while traveling back occasionally to instruct at the prestigious Pinehurst  Golf Academy. She has served on the LPGA*USGA Girls Golf of Savannah Board, two terms on the PGA National Youth Player Development Committee, the LPGA Education Committee, the PGA Special Awards Committee, is a co-author of the LPGA Girls Golf Playbook and has been a proud partner with both Little Linksters and The Littlest Golfer.

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 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 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.

Nicole enjoys quiet downtime at home, traveling & exploiring, baking, home improvement projects 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 hanggliding, skydiving and has attained a black belt in the Isshinryu martial arts form (weapons, forms, sparring).

Books, Ebooks 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. Please CLICK HERE to see more information, see the videos or to order books. The books 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 new book and Ebook, Big Thoughts from Little Golfers, launched in Summer 2021 and is a fun read for adults wanting to see the insrpirational and creative comments kids have said during lessons, with tips for adults on working age-appropriately with children 2+.

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 a her role there as a proud Golf Academy Lead Instructor with the Pinehurst Golf Academy at Pinehurst Resort.  She currently instructs members, their guests and local Wilmington area golfers at Compass Pointe Golf Club near Wilmington, NC and travels back monthly to Pinehurst to instruct the popular new Women's Golf Retreat experiences while speaking / guest coaching at a limited amount of clubs and programs around the country... contact Nicole if interseted in having her visit your program to host an event for ages 2-5 or introducgtory Learn Golf in One Day for Women!

         

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)
  • CURRENT: Golf Academy Instructor - Pinehurst Resort (Pinehurst, NC)

 

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: 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)

 

PUBLICATIONS, MEDIA & APPEARANCES

  • Perceptual & Motor Skills Journal research study published forensic handedness article (1995)
  • Scientific Golf Conference Presentations - New Orleans, University of Ulster N. Ireland, University of St. Andrews
  • Golf psychology articles - East TN Golf News, TN PGA Newsletter, This Week at the Landings (TWATL)
  • Ladies Links Fore Golf (Winter 2010, pp. 36-37, 'Nice Practice Swing!')
  • 6 filmed golf tips for CyberLinks Golf for television (January 2011)
  • 2 filmed golf tips for Golf Digest Magazine (January 2011)
  • EWGA Golfapalooza National Conference Speaker (Amelia Island Florida, April 2011)
  • Golf Digest Magazine Article: Learn to Be a Clutch Putter (July 2011)
  • Golf Digest Magazine Article: Get Your Power Back (August 2012)
  • GRAA Boot Camp lesson with 3 year old Max (2013)  VIDEO 
  • Tee It Up Radio Segment with Kris Wilson / The Littlest Golfer (2013)
  • Interview with Robert Blumenthal of www.golfconversations.com (aired January 2014)
  • The Littlest Golfer Video (aired January 2014)
  • Speaker NENY PGA Spring Meeting (April 2014, Albany NY)
  • GRAA Golf Magazine Video (September 2014) & Article (October 2014)
  • Georgia PGA Teaching Summit Live Lesson Presenter (2014)
  • Proponent Group National Presenter (January 2015)
  • GRAA September Issue Swing Fan Article (2015)
  • PGA Las Vegas Expo National Presenter (August 2015)
  • Fall Meeting Kentucky Section PGA Presenter (December 2015)
  • PGA Youth & Family Summit National Presenter (January 2016)
  • WTOC Savannah News (August 2016)
  • Podcast Interview (August 2016) hosted by Mark Croft KBLUAM.com
  • Fall Meeting NFPGA Section North Chapter Presenter (2016)
  • U.S. Kids Golf Instructor Certification Seminar Host at The Landings Club (December 2016)
  • Little Golf T.R.A.I.N. LIVE TRAINing Workshop Host/Presenter (January 2017)
  • Spring Meeting New England PGA Section Presenter (Boston, March 2017)
  • Golf Talk Live Online Radio Show with Ted Odorico (April 2017)
  • LPGA National Teaching Summit National Presenter with Louise Ball and Stacy Miller Arndt (Des Moines, IA, August 2017)
  • WTOC Mid-Morning Live Interview (2017)
  • WomensGolf.com Kids Golf Article #1(2017)
  • WomensGolf.com Kids Golf Article #2 (2018)
  • Golf Channel Story on LPGA*USGA Girls Golf of Savannah  (April, 2018)
  • WomensGolf.com Aiming Article (2018)
  • Proponent Group Fall Summit Presenter (Dallas, TX, November 2018)
  • PGA SoCal Youth Summit Keynote Presenter (Irvine, CA, March 2019)
  • Philly Section Youth Summit Presenter (Philadephia, PA, December 2019)
  • GRAA Women's Golf Article - Be Better on the Course than on the Range (April 2021)
  • GRAA Youth Golf Article - 10 Keys to Youth Programming (April 2021)
  • Youth Golf Podcast with Chris Knobloch on the Banana Ball Golf Show (May 10, 2021)
  • Nicole's 1995 master's degree thesis, Mental Skill Internventions for Young Golfers, now in digital version through TRACE library at UT-Knoxville
  • Golf Talk Live Online Radio Show with Ted Odorico (September 2021)
  • Golf Range Association of America online magazine article on women's golf Learn Golf in One Day (October 2021)
  • WWAY Learn about Golf in a Day (March 2023)

 

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)

 

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)