Certified Putting Instructor

Frank and Robbie talk putting on a recent meeting at St Andrews

It’s many years since Robbie Stewart became a head golf professional at the tender age of 22 years old at Largs Golf Club in Ayrshire ascending to become Director of Golf at Cruden Bay, one of the world’s top 100 courses. A Fellow Professional of the PGA, he has just become a Certified Putting Instructor (CPI) and is looking to help golfers in Moray putt better.

The Certified Putting Instructor (CPI) Course, is a certification based on scientific principles offered by U.S. based Frankly Golf and the PGA with the goal of helping golfers putt better, adding an extra dimension to the services that the golf professional can deliver to those they teach.

“I wish the CPI Course had been available to me very much earlier in my career and believe it should be part of the PGA training. It reinforced much of what I had learned over the last 30 years. It has helped give me the evidence and backup that many of the things I have been teaching over the years are correct, and I also learned some new things that I had never thought about before and in fact, it has helped my own putting.

“I enjoy all aspects of learning, both coaching and business. I was PGA Director of Golf and Manager at Cruden Bay, which is obviously a very well known course, but wanted to get back into doing more coaching in the community and out from behind my desk. “

After some time helping develop Paul Lawrie’s Academy in Aberdeen, it wasn’t long before he was approached by Buckpool Golf Club in Buckie with a plan.

“The golf club built an indoor studio where I can conduct my lessons regardless of the weather conditions and with a 12 x 18 putting green installed I can share my putting expertise and knowledge.”

Robbie also looks forward to deploying his CPI knowledge on the front line of growing the game.

“I am a Scottish Golf Clubgolf Coach Developer and travel to various clubs in the area that do not have a resident professional to provide coaching services. I really enjoy developing junior talent and I am involved in Get into Golf and had much success in encouraging more beginner ladies, mums, grans and aunties to play. At one club where we offered the programme, we doubled the membership of the ladies section.

“When I offer my beginner programmes, putting is my first class and I am really looking forward to enhancing my classes with my new knowledge from the CPI Course.”

Frank Thomas, founder of Frankly Golf, former longtime USGA Technical Director and inventor of the graphite shaft recently visited with Robbie at St Andrews Links.

“It is wonderful to see how an enthusiastic Fellow Professional of the PGA has turned to the CPI Course we developed — specifically to advance the knowledge of PGA professionals—to maximize his coaching ability and in turn, helping grow the game.”

And what does Robbie think about his role as a roving professional in a rural area?

“I enjoy travelling around the local clubs in my area and seeing how much of a hub the golf club is for the local community. I just love to see more people playing golf, enjoying the game and now I can help them putt better as well.”