To accomplish this, Pontiff focuses on the existing swing and shapes his teaching style around improving it. He encourages players to spend less on equipment and more on lessons. "Don’t try to learn a swing on your own," says Pontiff, "I tried that - it just motivated me more to take lessons." Of course, Pontiff has been golfing since he was 4, so he probably knows a thing or two about forming your own swing and then getting help to improve it.

Pontiff grew up in Houma, Louisiana where his parents frequently played a 9-hole course nearby. As a young boy, he’d tag along reluctantly and spend most rounds horsing around in the locker room. One day he fell and hurt himself, and suddenly, the locker room wasn’t such a great place to be. He wandered out to the range and started hitting balls, and he discovered he liked it. "It was way cooler than getting hurt in the locker room," says Pontiff.

He enjoyed the game so much he introduced golf to Ellender Memorial High School when he was a sophomore there, starting a team and becoming the first person to letter in the sport. Since then, he’s won several tournaments, including the 1995 Mobile Tel Classic and the Millbrook Pro-Am in Mississippi, shooting a 68. Pontiff is a 3-time Nike Tour and 1-time PGA Tour Tournament qualifier.

As a teaching professional at Chateau Golf & Country Club in Kenner, Louisiana, Pontiff enjoys helping people improve their skills on the golf course. "I like the challenge of helping a student who has no idea how to better themselves or what they are doing wrong and watch their eyes light up when they learn to fix something so simple," says Pontiff.

Pontiff works with all levels of players, encouraging beginners to focus on taking lessons, intermediate players to get some tournament experience and advanced players to be thankful for how far they’ve come. "Advanced players shouldn’t take things for granted," says Pontiff, "They need to appreciate all the little steps they’ve taken and can continue to take to be great players."

A motivational teacher, Pontiff looks to his supervisor and past-PGA President Bill Caldwell, Jr. for inspiration. Tom Rogers, Dane's first PGA Golf Supervisor, is credited for Dane's course management. He also follows David Berganio, Jr. on the Nike Tour because he overcame personal hardships and found success in golf.

When things get difficult for Pontiff out on the course, he tells himself not to blow everything in one shot. "You have to find a way to let out your anger," says Pontiff. "Life is long – it’s not only one shot. Make the next one better." Pontiff is most confident around the greens and in the sand, and his favorite shot to play is a flop shot. He favors making these shots on his home course in Kenner; he also likes to travel to Biloxi, Mississippi to play the Bridges Course designed by Arnold Palmer.

Pontiff has lived his whole life in Houma. His easy demeanor yet no-nonsense approach to golf lessons has made him a popular teacher with a knack for getting results. You can reach Pontiff at the Ormond Country Club (985) 764-2257. Thanks for sharing, Dane!