December 31, 2009–Las Vegas resident Butch Harmon has been named, in a poll of his peers conducted by Golf Digest, as the best golf instructor for 10 years running. The award is well deserved because in 2009 Harmon helped Stewart Cink win the Open Championship while Phil Mickelson publicly lauded Harmon for helping him become the game's hottest golfer. Now Harmon and his school pros–the school is located at Las Vegas golf course Rio Secco Golf Club–are communicating with students and fans at the new ButchHarmon.com.
The Butch Harmon School of Golf is located at the back end of the Rio Secco driving range, and is basically a living historical golf landmark. Many of the game's biggest talents make stops at the school to hone their games, and you never really know who will be there on a daily basis. Mickelson and Cink make stops there (Cink says he loves the seclusion and gets his best practicing done at the school), plus, at times, Ernie Els, Natalie Gulbis, Charley Hoffman, and many others. Over the years, Harmon has also worked with Fred Couples, Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, and Adam Scott.
And with the newly-designed website and an updated presence at Facebook, Harmon and his staff of highly-trained pros are welcoming in the age of new media and working to communicate with new and existing students. And even though Harmon spends a lot of time with this high profile students, he still enjoys working with the everyday golfer during his VIP golf school settings. Recently, the school management released the 2010 schedule and reservations are still available for schools throughout the year. Click to the website for information or call the school for personal service at 1.888.867.3226, option 2.
The VIP two or three-day schools include personal time with Harmon, plus assistance from his staff of pros who work with the likes of PGA Tour players Charley Hoffman and Scott Piercy, among others. While at the school, students also get to spend time with Harmon listening to stories about the greats of the games in addition to enjoying personal playing lessons with the Harmon pros while teeing it up on two of the best Las Vegas golf courses, Rio Secco and Cascata. Both of these Las Vegas golf courses were designed by Rees Jones, dubbed the U.S. Open doctor. And the schools include VIP lodging at either Paris Las Vegas or Caesars Palace in addition to other elements.
Cascata was one of only two courses in the United States to receive a rating of 29 out of 30 in the recent ZAGAT golf course survey in the areas of service and facilities. Rio Secco Golf Club is the home of the annual Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge, an event that is nationally-televised on ABC and features 3-player teams from the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, and Champions Tour playing against each other in a team competition. Both Las Vegas golf courses are operated by Harrah's Entertainment. Even if you don't attend a Harmon School, you can click to either official course website to secure Las Vegas golf tee times or Las Vegas golf packages at these resort Las Vegas golf courses.
"The thing is I've been working so hard with Butch and I've hit the ball so well, and yet my scores haven't reflected that," said Mickelson during the week of the Tour Championship. "And now you're starting to see the distance that I've increased, the accuracy, (I'm not) so far off fairways, the iron shots, all the stuff that Butch and I have worked on, you'll start to see the results because the putter is now where it should be." Mickelson went on to win the 2009 TOUR Championship, thanking Butch in his victory speeches and press conference. Mickelson then won the HSBC Champions event shortly thereafter against a star-studded field.