Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2009 - 42

An Eye for Instruction
Years ago, local pro Peter Krause singled out Hank Haney
as a great golf instructor. Years later, Haney reciprocated.
By Jon Roe
N
early a quarter of a century
ago, local pro Peter Krause
took a trip to the Palm
Springs area after the golf season had
ended in Minnesota. His mission: to
get instruction on his own game from
a teacher starting to draw national
attention.
" I still had some hopes for my golf
Jon Roe
game back then, " Krause says. " And, if
nothing else, I wanted to remain somewhat competitive with
the guys in the Minnesota section. ... I had heard of this guy
who was starting to work with some of the big-name pros, like
Mark O'Meara, so I went out to the club in La Quinta where
Hank Haney was working and took a few lessons every year
for myself. "
" Peter is the best teacher I know.
Nothing rattles him, and he is
extremely patient. Bottom line, Peter
is one of the best teachers in
the world. " -Hank Haney, golf instructor
Krause, who at the time had started his teaching career at
Indian Hills Golf Club, would go on to become Minnesota
PGA Teacher of the Year numerous times while also working
at Anoka's Greenhaven Golf Course, Edina Country Club,
Edinburgh USA, Windsong Farm and Bunker Hills Golf Club.
He drew career inspiration from Haney and became a longtime
friend of the now nationally acclaimed instructor.
" It was just the way Hank went about teaching, " Krause says.
" His approach made sense to me and made me realize there
were more people I could help overcome their slice than golf
tournaments I ever had a chance to win. "
Indeed, Haney, who has made a name for himself as Tiger
Woods' instructor and become a TV star trying to make a golfer
out of Charles Barkley, has offered so much teaching knowledge
40
MINNESOTAGOLFER Summer 2009
to Krause, the Minnesota pro has become one of the Top 100
teachers in the U.S., according to one national golf magazine.
The pair's mutual admiration also resulted in Haney selecting
Krause as Director of Instruction at the Hank Haney International
Junior Golf Academy near Hilton Head, S.C., slightly more
than a year ago. " I wanted to hire the best-possible coach, and
Peter is the best teacher I know, " Haney says. " Peter has a perfect
demeanor to teach the 150 kids we have in the academy. Nothing
rattles him, and he is extremely patient. Bottom line, Peter is one
of the best teachers in the world. "
Haney's junior golf academy is golf instruction on steroids.
This year's roster includes students from 22 states and 23 countries.
Most of the students are trying to draw the attention of
college recruiters for a potential scholarship, but there also are
long-range dreams of honing skills to the pro-tour level.
Each day at the academy is divided between textbook classes
and golf instruction. Students are mainly high school juniors
and seniors, but Krause says he also has a 12-year-old enrolled.
The full-time program mirrors a regular school year (September
to May) and tuition runs from $25,000 to nearly $50,000 a year
including room, board and other expenses.
" I like the fact that not only are we teaching golf, but we are
also teaching life skills to the kids, " Haney says. " That is far more
important to me than teaching them a certain golf swing. Work
ethic, patience, perseverance, planning and maintaining attitude
are paramount to success, no matter what you do. "
Krause, who grew up in Coleman, Wis., a small town near Green
Bay, had worked as a personal instructor with professional golfers,
including Graham Marsh, Bruce Crampton and Dale Douglass,
while teaching in Minnesota and Arizona or southern California
in the winter season. Now, juniors are his focus.
" Being around these kids really energizes you, " Krause says.
" You realize over the years that you have to develop new techniques
all the time to get your ideas across to the student. Every
person is different and reacts to your ideas in different ways.
Working with these kids really keeps you on your toes.
" You're always looking for a way to turn on the light bulb
for a student, whether it's somebody in high school or somebody
who is a senior, " he continues. " Hank has told me that he's
always learning something new, like just from having worked
with Tiger. You're always learning, always growing. "
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Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2009

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