Phillips named Director of Instruction at FlyingTee in Jenks
By Ken MacLeod
Tracy Phillips, one of the most respected PGA teaching professionals in the state, has been named the director of instruction at FlyingTee, the new golf entertainment facility set to open this spring in Jenks.
Phillips, 53, will continue to run the Buddy Phillips Learning Center at Cedar Ridge Country Club, where he has taught since 2002. He will split his time between the facilities and also have a staff of PGA professionals to help give lessons, hold clinics and inspire many of the golf neophytes at FlyingTee to learn more about the game.
"Tracy is a great addition to the FlyingTee team," said John Vollbrecht, CEO and Co-Founder of FlyingTee. "He will build our instruction program and be a great ambassador for us in the community."
"I think it’s a great opportunity for me to introduce a lot of new people to the game of golf," Phillips said. "And do it in a really fun atmosphere that cuts down on the time needed for the golf experience. I think the market is unlimited for the number of new golfers a place like FlyingTee can help create. The technology they have is second to none."
Once construction is finished this spring, FlyingTee, located in the Riverwalk Crossing shopping center, will be a golf entertainment facility featuring three restaurants and bars as well as 60 hitting bays that use sophisticated ball tracking technology to offer a variety of games as well as golf improvement applications. A precise opening date has not been set but owners are expecting to open in April.
Phillips was one of the top junior players in the nation when he signed with Oklahoma State, but his playing career was on hiatus for much of his teaching career, which started as an assistant to Hank Haney in Texas. Phillips has recently regained his enthusiasm for competition and has been winning PGA South Central Section events with regularity. Phillips is the two-time South Central Section Senior Player of the Year and competed in the 2015 Senior PGA Championship. He was named the South Central Teacher of the Year in 2013.