Steve Herbert at work at Royal Fremantle Golf Club
Steve Herbert is the Teaching Professional at Royal Fremantle Golf Club and is passionate about the game of golf. When asked what a Teaching Professional does, he explained:
“I spend my time trying to help people make the most of their golf. A lot of people try to play golf without lessons or by asking friends and relatives to teach them, and they get a lot of wrong information and it doesn’t work”.
“The other significant problem is that only 10 % of golf clubs actually fit you. People buy the same golf clubs as their mates but they might have a different swing, or be taller, or shorter, or stronger. The golf clubs may be really good but if they don’t fit they won’t work.Very often these two reasons are enough to ‘turn off’ someone who could have gone on to enjoy many years of playing golf with friends and family”.
As a Teaching Professional and an Accredited Golf Club Fitter, Steve can see how a person uses their golf clubs and advises them how to buy a set that will work for them, rather than buying on emotion or the recommendations of others.
“If I sell something I have to see them three or four times a week [in the pro shop or on the course]. People have had enough of not getting any service; we sell golf clubs based on good old fashioned service and thorough product knowledge”.
Mates Forever
For the past 10 years Steve has worked with Andrew Mowatt at the Royal Fremantle Golf Club in a relationship that has survived the test of time. Andrew teaches six days a week and Steve coaches the juniors, performs club fitting for members, specialist repairs in the workshop and of course he teaches too.
At about the time Steve had accepted his first position as Head Professional at Sun City Golf Club Andrew decided to become a Professional Golfer. Steve was appointed as the PGA Director for Apprentices during Andrew’s apprenticeship. And when Steve decided to join the Professional Tour he turned to Andrew for advice on his own game and how to improve it sufficiently to succeed on the tour.
It was almost inevitable, with this history, that when Andrew was appointed as Head Professional at Royal Fremantle Golf Club he invited Steve to join him as his Teaching Professional.
10 years later the bond that was ignited through a shared passion for golf not only lives on but thrives. ‘Working together you are expanding and developing teaching ideas constantly and finding new ways to present the same message. He helps me, I help him. Time flies when you’re having fun’.
The Early Years
Never wanting to do anything other than to ‘play golf for golf’, when Steve left South Fremantle High School he applied for and was accepted as a PGA Apprentice to Peter Mills at Cottesloe Golf Club. Three years later, having completed the course, he was recommended for the position of Resident Golf Professional at the newly opened Sun City Country Club.
Steve arrived with a 13 foot caravan complete with annexe which he parked at the end of the first tee. This was not only his home for the first 2 years but also the pro-shop and the workshop. He started out with only 350 members but it was the start that he’d been working for all of his life.
Ten years later, club Captain Chris Wardley said ‘
“…rest assured that the members will compare whoever takes over the professional shop with Steve Herbert, the young lad who started off living in a caravan to service the members. They will find it hard to match”.
The 1st Tournament is Really Special
Driving to Geraldton WA, 22 years old, your Dad [who happens to be your biggest fan] is with you, the golf clubs are in the back of the car, you’re looking forward to a great weekend and the car breaks down and refuses to go. Fortunately, a fellow golfer heading to the same tournament stops and gives you both a lift, otherwise who knows, you may never have played in the tournament let alone come first.
The field included such notables as Roger McKay and Wayne Smith, and on the second day after 72 holes Steve was tied for the lead and they went back to the first tee to playoff.
In what must be some kind of record Steve birdied the first hole twice, it was played first and last, and went on to collect his first Golf Title.
Since winning the title, Steve has played in 25 consecutive open tournaments at Geraldton. ‘You keep returning to your first victory, it’s really special’, Steve reflected.
Achievements
• Teaching Professional, Royal Fremantle Golf Club
• AAA Rated PGA Golf Professional
• Level III Accreditation Golf Coaching
• Accredited Golf Club Fitter
• Director of PGA Trainees 1985-1986
• Bangladesh Coaching Clinic 1986
• Professional Golf Tour Australia & New Zealand [3 years] wins include
o Spalding Open Winner
o Port Hedland Open Winner
o Logandale Pro-Am Winner
o Geraldton Open Winner
