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Raj Jackson
USGTF Level IV Master Golf Teaching Professional
Las Vegas, Nevada
My golf story is about starting small and chasing a dream. I want to share my experiences with other golf professionals around the world. In 2003 I became certified as a Level III teaching pro with the USGTF at Penn National Golf Club in Pennsylvania. I immediately started giving golf lessons at a local facility in North Carolina. My passion for teaching created a golf buzz at the driving range. In fact, at night the cars would line up and turn their headlights on to watch people hit balls while I gave lessons.
Soon after, I caught the eye of the owner of another facility called Woodbridge Golf Club and was offered the position as head teaching professional. This was the single biggest golf break of my life. I had gone from driving range pro to club pro.
One evening I searched “exotic golf jobs” on Google and found a company called Elite Golf Cruises. A few days later, I landed the dream golf job as a golf pro on cruise ships. I was traveling and golfing around the world from Russia, Italy, Egypt, South Africa, and every island in the Caribbean. I worked on the biggest names in the industry such as Carnival, Holland America, P&O, and Celebrity cruise lines. One day, the ship comedian came and took a lesson from me. I showed him some fundamentals and fixed his swing.
He convinced me to innovate my golf lessons into an actual golf show. I then decided on embarking on a career as an international golf entertainer. I sold everything I had and moved to Las Vegas. By mixing golf instruction with impersonations, I created something new, not seen before. My stage name became Hollywood Jackson and “make par like a star” began.
The show teaches the secrets of the swing from legendary stars such as Elvis, Michael Jackson, Prince, Garth Brooks, M.C. Hammer, and James Brown and of course, I guarantee it’s a lesson you’ll never forget.
In summary, I feel like the luckiest guy alive. My job lets me combine my two biggest passions: entertainment and the love of golf. I enjoy giving back by donating golf lessons to various charities such as the Make-A-Wish foundation and the Boys and Girls Club.
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