Billy Winters and his family
You may have had your fill of golf after the Masters’ weekend in Augusta, or you may have been bitten and infected by the golf bug! Whether you watched on TV or were able to set foot on the revered greens, you may be interested in a noted golf pro on Signal Mountain.
Sure, Signal Mountain has it going on, from top notch public education to the Signal Mountain Playhouse to the Mountain Arts Community Center to the Signal Mountain Library and on and on from there! Each one of these amenities or bonuses or selling points is worthy of a feature! Add to that not only the Signal Mountain Golf and Country Club, but, according to pundits at “Golf Digest,” the best teacher in the state of Tennessee!
That is correct. Signal Mountain resident Billy Winters has been a teaching professional at SMGCC since last May and was recently voted as one of the best teachers in the state by his industry peers. And his resume is impressive! He actually taught for “Golf Digest” for five years, before serving as the director of golf instructions at the luxurious Greenbrier Resort. During his time at this iconic West Virginia retreat, he taught alongside legendary Nick Faldo and Lee Trevino, as well as with Michael Breed, David Leadbetter, Nancy Lopez, Beth Daniel and Suzy Whaley.
Billy says his experience with both Golf Digest and The Greenbrier allows him to “deliver premium results, with guest satisfaction always coming first.”
This designation as one of the very best in the state is not a new honor for Billy. He has achieved this title every single year for the past decade!
To say Billy is a lifetime golfer is an understatement. He caught the bug for this sport from his grandfather at age 7 and grew up playing as much as he could. He knew early on what he wanted to do with his life and trained under multiple top-100 instructors. An accomplished player, Billy coached Dr. Condoleezza Rice and Jerry West, among other well-known clients.
He loves the sport of golf, but finds his true calling is instruction.
"Getting someone to hit a better ball flight is so rewarding! The most challenging part of it is when someone is struggling to get the fix we are looking for. I always blame myself. Am I missing anything? Can I do anything differently? It would be easy to blame the student. But that’s an excuse. I leave it all out on the lesson tee,” he said.
Billy and his wife, Alicia, and children, Nolan students Will (10) and Jace (6) love living on Signal Mountain, as does their dog, Khloe. You’ll find them on the golf course more often than not.
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Ferris Robinson is the author of three children’s books, “The Queen Who Banished Bugs,” “The Queen Who Accidentally Banished Birds,” and “Call Me Arthropod” in her pollinator series “If Bugs Are Banished.” “Making Arrangements” is her first novel. “Dogs and Love - Stories of Fidelity” is a collection of true tales about man’s best friend. Her website is ferrisrobinson.com and you can download a free pollinator poster there. She is the editor of The Lookout Mountain Mirror and The Signal Mountain Mirror.
Ferris Robinson