Professional Staff

Liza Abood • Brendan Horton • Jim Estes

Liza Abood

PGA/LPGA Golf Professional

Hometown: Bethesda, MD

Years teaching: 23

Education: B.S. Physical Education, University of Maryland

• Private 30 minute lesson: $50.00
• Private 50 minute lesson: $80.00
• Package of (5) 50 minute private lessons: $350.00
• Semi-Private 50 minute lesson: $45.00 pp
• Package of (5) 50 minute Semi-Private lessons: $200.00 pp

Liza Abood, PGA/LPGA Golf Professional teaches at the Olney Golf Park. A native of the Washington metropolitan area, and a graduate from the University of Maryland, Liza’s childhood days included many rounds of golf.

The highlights of Liza’s successful professional career include being named the 2004 PGA Middle Atlantic Player of the Year and finishing 5th in the 2003 LPGA Teaching and Club Professional National Championship. And also, Golf Range Magazine awarded her as one of their “Top 50 Golf Instructors in America”

Liza has been a Class A Member of the PGA since 1989 and a Class A Member of the LPGA since 1995. She exhibits impressive teaching credentials and many professional affiliations with prestigious clubs. She has taught golf at the following Florida clubs: Fisher Island, South Beach, Miami; Indian Creek Country Club, Miami Beach, Florida; Grand Harbor, Vero Beach; and PGA National, North Palm Beach. She has also instructed at the TPC at Avenel, Potomac, Maryland; The Weston Golf Club, Weston, Massachusetts; and the Scarsdale Golf Club, Hartsdale, New York.

Currently, Liza is teaching private, group and junior lessons at the Olney Golf Park, and she is available for playing lessons. She also teaches the Golf School for Women series.

“I look forward to helping my students enhance their skills and lower their scores, and for new golfers, to provide an introduction to golf and a lasting foundation for their game.”

For more information contact Liza at labood@olneygolfpark.com or call Olney Golf Park at 301-570-6600

Brendan Horton

Instructor, Lead Club Fitter and Club Repairman

Hometown: Silver Spring, Maryland

Years teaching: since 2002

Education: B.A. Biology, Colorado College

• Private 50-minute lesson: $70.00
• Package of Five 50-minute private lessons: $300.00
• Semi-Private 50-minute lesson: $40.00 pp
• Package of Five 50-minute Semi-Private lessons: $160.00 pp
• Leader Club Fitter since 2013
• Titleist Staff Member since 2009

Brendan was the assistant golf coach at Colorado College for two years while teaching chemistry there. He turned professional in 2000 and played on the Hooters, Tear Drop, and Moonlight mini tours from 1998 through 2002. Brendan has worked at Olney Golf Park since 2000 and has been an assistant professional since 2004. As an amateur golfer, he played for and captained his high school and college teams, and was selected as a member of the Division III All-Coaches Team.

For more information contact Brendan at bhorton@olneygolfpark.com or call Olney Golf Park at 301-570-6600

Jim Estes

PGA Director of Instruction

Hometown: Washington, DC

PGA Professional

Years teaching: Since 1988

Education: B.A. Economics, University of Maryland

Jim Estes, PGA Director of Instruction at Olney Golf Park, has played and taught golf professionally since 1988 and earned Class A membership in the PGA of America in 1993. In pursuing his fullest potential as a player and instructor, Jim has been coached by some of the most accomplished instructors in the game - teachers such as David Leadbetter, Jim Suitie, Jim Flick, and Mike Adams - as well as workingalongside them as a teaching professional. Jim's playing accomplishments include earning exempt status on the PGA Tour (with two top-15 finishes in 1998), playing in four U.S. Open Championship and one PGA Championship, and winning on the Nationwide Tour. Jim has demonstrated outstanding proficiency at the highest level utilizing a holistic multi-disciplinary approach encompassing a golf specific conditioning program, mental training strategies, a specific swing model based on physical attributes, along with equipment fitting and course management.

Jim blends his experience as a player with years of academic study of the game of golf. His PGA Tour-proven knowledge of golf swing mechanics is equally balanced with is expertise in the physiology of th human body and his understanding of the psychology of the game. Jim is certified by Dr. Greg Rose of the Titleist Performance Instituted as a golf fitness trainer and worked with several top sports psychologists as an instructor. Jim has also worked with Dr. David Wright, owner and founder of Mind Under Par Golf Schools, who created mental training exercises for measuring and analyzing mental performance. His knowledge of the capabilities and limitations of the human body and mind have helped Jim teach a wide range of students effectively, from beginners like army specialist and single-amputee Sean Leis to collegiate athletes to Senior Tour players like Carl Lohren.

In 2005, Jim focused his efforts on the development of a golf program that helped disabled veterans rehabilitate from their injuries. Just one of the highlights of this successful program was teaching Gulf War Veteran Sean Lewis, who lost his right leg above the knee, to break 100 in just three months. Jim was also instrumental in organizing and running Olney Golf Park's Veterans Appreciation Day, contributions which were recognized by local news programs. Jim believes a player should swing according to their body type rather than fighting natural tendencies. He identifies the source of physical power and consistency based on body type, and identifies physical limitations. He can then provide instruction on how to improve elements of strength and flexibility that allow the mechanics of the golf swing to be applied more easily.

In the Olney Golf Park Teaching Studio, Jim uses real-time and play-back video to help illustrate and reinforce the proper swing positions and motions . This helps accelerate learning because students can see what they are feeling on the computer screen right at their feet. Students also become members of the V1 Internet Academy and Jim can upload voiced-over, video-lesson segments to the V1 website for students to download and study at home. In addition to the use of such technology, Jim teaches students tried-and-true ways recognize swing patterns from the flight of the ball and the shape and direction of divots. Such instruction, together with the Internet Academy, allows students to take their knowledge with them and helps to eliminate endless hours practicing the wrong elements of the game.

Jim's Students Include:

• Nationally acclaimed golf instructor and Senior PGA Tour player Carl Lohren
• Two-time U.S. Senior Open participant Jim Castagna
• 2003 Washington D.C. Amateur semi-finalist Josh Williamowsky
• 2004 US Women's Senior Amateur participant Carol Davies
• 2004 Maryland Women's Amateur semi-finalist Leslie Stacks
• Korean PGA Tour Member Hyung-Uk Yoon (best finish 9th Korean PGA Tour)

For more information contact Jim at jestes@olneygolfpark.com or call Jim directly at 301-807-4458