Fox Hills Golf Instructor Wins Prestigious PGA Award

The third time is the charm for Jordan Young, Fox Hills' very own PGA director of instruction.

After making it to the final four candidates for the PGA Player Development Award for the past three consecutive seasons, Young was finally named the award's recipient during the PGA Championships last month.

"It was pretty nice," Young said. "It was definitely a relief to finally win it, with all the hard work and effort put into it, it's nice to have for the facility. We're doing some of the best things in the whole country right here in Plymouth. And it's pretty great just to be recognized by my peers around the country."

The 42-year-old resident of Flat Rock is the first member of the Michigan PGA Section to be named recipient of the PGA Player Development Award, (formerly The President’s Plaque), which was established in 1982, and in 2006 became a special award that supports Play Golf America initiatives.

Born in Ontario, Canada, Young began golfing at 9-years-old when his grandfather began taking him to the golf course. He played collegiately at Eastern Michigan University and professionally for several years after graduation. 

Under Young’s direction, Fox Hills developed a Junior Performance Center; launched a Junior Golf Camp in 2009 that now features more than 120 participants; hosted a winter golf school; coordinated women’s programs; fitness programs; a high school coaches’ “Open House;” secured a club fitting and custom repair specialist; built community outreach with the local Plymouth (Mich.) Rotary chapter; and advanced its social media technology by promoting Global Golf Lessons.

Young said he likes player development because it's always a challenge and always changing. He likes that it's not a regular 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. job and that he can do it outside.

"And I still get to play golf and enjoy the sport," he said.

Even though Young works with golfers of all ages and skill levels, it's the raw beginner he likes to work with most.

"The person who hasn't played golf before - that's the most fun because you can make the biggest impact in the shortest amount of time," he said.