The Loop

Think teaching 30,000 lessons is a lot? Well, think again.

August 27, 2014

As of today, I feel like such a slacker.

The newest member of the Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy, Matt Fields, has traveled the world -- Bolivia, India, Taiwan, you name it -- and taught "over 30,000" golf lessons (that's an average of one a day for 82+ years, if you're keeping track).

To give that many lessons, your daily schedule would have to include five students, over the course of two decades, even on the holidays. Either this man is the best multi-tasker or he never takes a break.

"He has experience," said Gilchrist, with whom Fields has reunited after years teaching together at the International Junior Golf Academy, "that is much unparalleled in the game."

You would think.

Scores and scores of teachers have already reached that plateau. And with another 30,000 lessons, Matt's hobby would match this Hobby's hobby. But he'd still trail a bunch who've surpassed 70,000 lessons.

Ernie Boshers, who's been teaching since 1986, boasts 80,000. The late Jerry Belt's bio cites he stood on the practice tee for all 100K. Just to count that tally, alone, takes 77 hours—sacrificing another 77 possible lessons. But who's counting?