This routine has helped Graff maintain a level of play reserved for the elite of golf: the PGA professionals. It’s also helped him translate all of the game’s idiosyncrasies for the average Joe by keeping it as simple as possible. Graff’s patience and excellent communication skills have made him a popular – and comfortable – teacher at the Great River Indoor Academy and Knights of Columbus Driving Range. “I try to give my students exactly what they want, not what I want them to have,” says Graff. “They will get a clear plan as to how they can best achieve their desired result,” he adds.

A golfer since he was just seven years old, Graff grew up playing junior golf tournaments. Graff’s hometown hosted the Pepsi Little Peoples Championship each year; Graff was a regular competitor. He went on to play in the Donald Ross Junior, the Western Junior and the Junior Masters. In high school, Graff’s golf team won the State Championship and Graff won the individual title. He played college golf at Illinois University and also teed it up in many amateur tournaments, most notably the Western Amateur, the Northern Amateur and the Illinois State Amateur.

In 1996, Graff turned professional and started playing on what was then the Lone Star Tour. It’s now known as the Tight Lies Tour. He also played in a few Hooters Tour events. Graff tried PGA Tour Q School in 1997, and in 1998, he played a few events on the South American Tour and the Tear Drop Tour. Clearly, Graff is no stranger to competition and has much to share with any level golfer looking to take his game up a notch. “I love to compete,” says Graff. “I love the challenges and obstacles that the game of golf presents. I like to prepare and practice for an event and then see what I am capable of accomplishing. I enjoy setting goals and improving myself.”

Graff puts the same effort into helping his students achieve success. Dr. Marc Lochbaum, a professor of sport psychology at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, came to Graff as a beginner golfer. In less than three years, Graff coached him into a 10 handicap and a hole-in-one shooter (he recently scored his first ace!). Says Graff, “Marc has the best attitude that I have ever been around. He has more fun in an hour of instruction than anyone I know. He treats every event as a moment to learn. He works diligently on the task at hand and doesn't stray from his objectives. He celebrates every success and anchors it for the future.”

“When I approached him about getting his equipment fitted to him, he readily put his trust in me,” says Graff, “and he took the next step by getting fitted with an open mind. Marc treats every ball as though it will be the last ball he will ever get to hit.” Graff enjoyed watching Marc develop from a beginner into someone who understands, for example, the importance of the short game and translates that into his time allotment when practicing. Marc did everything Graff emphasized and more. “He was a true joy to watch develop, besides being a lot of fun to laugh and learn with,” smiles Graff.

Graff’s advice for most beginners is to separate learning the mechanics of the golf swing and playing golf. According to Graff, these two animals are completely different. He recommends beginners learn the pre-swing fundamentals, then progress to aim and alignment, then focus on the centeredness of a hit, and then finally, concentrate on the target. These are the key points he also covers with intermediate level golfers. Advanced players need to learn new types of shots. Graff attempts to give them more options on the course by working on shot-making. Much of this work falls in the short game area.

Graff knows the value of a good short game. The best part of his game is putting; he’ll never forget the three-foot, downhill, left to right slider he had to sink to force a playoff in the high school State Tournament. Graff enjoys blasting out of the sand, too, and feels pretty confident  attempting most any bunker shot. He loves to play such shots at Pine Needles and the Eisenhower Course at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. “Both have extremely beautiful surroundings,” says Graff of his favorite courses. He wouldn’t object to traveling to Pinehurst, either, where there are a number of courses within a short distance of each other, all presenting unique and exciting challenges.

If he’s ever in trouble during a round, Graff just reminds himself he’s probably gotten out of worse jams before. “I think about past successes when things weren't going as planned,” says Graff. That usually gets him back on track. Not particularly superstitious about the game, Graff lets the weather determine what he’ll wear for a round of golf - white and khaki when it’s warm, darker colors when it’s cool. Graff has an obvious knack for the game, but the choice to make it a career was made even easier by the many opportunities to be outdoors in the fresh air amidst beautiful surroundings. “I love the independence of the game,” adds Graff.

A resident of Quincy, Illinois for most of his life, Graff shares his home now with wife, Amy. When he’s not on the lesson tee watching people have fun and helping them improve, Graff enjoys tennis, hiking and off-road trail-riding in his jeep. You can learn more about lessons with Graff by e-mailing him at GRFT117@netscape.net. Thanks, Ryan!