Ken Venturi is never one to spread himself too thin. Now retired
from more than three decdes as a golf analyst for CBS, Venturi has
strong charitable interests in only nine different entities.
Ken Venturi is never one to spread himself too thin. Now retired from more than three decdes as a golf analyst for CBS, Venturi has strong charitable interests in only nine different entities.
As a PGA professional, he won only 14 times on the Tour, including an improbable U.S. Open victory in 1964, nearly collapsing due to heat exhaustion after completing his final round. As an amateur, Venturi – raised in San Francisco and a graduate of San Jose State – came ever-so-close to winning the Masters.
Now Venturi is spreading his wings once more and injecting his teaching philosophy into the lifeline of the Ridgemark Golf and Country Club in Hollister. The Ken Venturi Golf Academies begins operation June 2 at Ridgemark and is contracted through Aug. 31. If there is concerted interest, the stay will be longer, perhaps even year-round.
Ridgemark is the only California base for the Venturi Academies, the others being in Orlando, and Clearwater, Fla., Las Vegas, Nev., and Greensboro, N.C. Two years ago, the company had an eight-week stint in Sacramento.
“We were searching for a quality facility out west which was weather-friendly for the summer months,” said Venturi Golf Acadamies CEO Scott Schneider. “Ridgemark really fit the bill.”
“We are pleased to have the only California-based Ken Venturi school at Ridgemark,” said Ridgemark General Manager Terry Clark. “I expect there will be many local players joining, plus some alums of the Sacramento school will come down.”
There are five different options for students:
2-Day School
3-Day School
Full Single Day
Half Day
90-Minute Video
Prices vary accordingly and the first two options even offer a “Stay-and-play” opportunity with Ridgemark’s fine lodging facilities. School instructors use the teaching philosophies of Venturi, who learned from the legendary Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan, having played a lot of golf with the latter. Venturi authored a number of game improvement books and has been one of golf’s most sought-after personal teachers.
“I have the time now,” said Venturi, a resident of Rancho Mirage. “We have the right people involved in the right locations.”
“The school develops player profiles for the individual,” said KVGA Vice President of Marketing and Sales Rick Babcock. “There are video sessions, but golf is best taught on the course.”
Schneider has worked for Venturi in some capacity for 25 years.
“Ken is still very active in running his school,” said Schneider. “Nothing is done without his approval.”
Finally, a tribute from Venturi’s longtime partner on CBS, Jim Nantz.
“Golf is a sport that appreciates its heritage and tradition more than any other,” said Nantz in an interview with Edward F. Pazdur in Executive Golfer Magazine. “And here we have Kenny, a guy who really represents a tie to the past, a guy who was taught by Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson, a guy who was a neighbor of Gene Sarazen and knew Bobby Jones. … He’s irreplacable. He’s a connection to the history of golf.”
For more information, go to www.kenventuri.com or contact the Ken Venturi Golf Acadamies staff at (800) 543-7084.
