The swing of things: Local golf instructor celebrates anniversary

For Chris Couch, the passion and love he feels for the game of golf didn’t come until he was 16 years old. 

“I started playing around 7 (years old), and I played a bunch of sports,” he said. “So, golf was kind of just a back-burner sport. But, I started taking it seriously (when I was) around 16. I qualified for a PGA Tour event (the Honda Classic), so I kind of changed my perspective on golf and ended up becoming the No. 1 junior at 17 in the world.” 

Couch went on to play at the University of Florida during his college years (1992 to 1995). As a sophomore, was he part of the Gators’ 1993 NCAA championship team — alongside PGA Tour golfer Brian Gay. Couch won the Southeastern Conference championships in 1992, 1993 and 1994 while he was still at UF. 

In 1995, Couch turned professional — but it was not until 2006 when he experienced a career high after winning the PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans. 

“I’m not playing the PGA Tour anymore,” he said. “I probably could play a few tournaments if I wanted to, but I’m mostly teaching now.”

In 2012, Couch suffered a back injury, which didn’t fully let him swing a club. One day, he was at the West Orange Country Club and a child practicing day-in and day-out caught his eye. 

“I just kind of went up to him and asked him if he had a coach,” Couch said. “He said ‘No.’ I said, ‘How would you like to be coached?’ And he said, ‘I’d love it.’ So, I started with him and discovered that I loved (coaching).” 

What started with an informal question and a desire to pass along the knowledge of the sport to others blossomed into a new business, Chris Couch Golf Instruction.

“I have no idea how many students I have; I have a lot,” he said. “I have some weekly students, some every other week, some monthly. Some see me a couple of times a year, (and) they range from 7 years old to 82 years old. So, I have a wide range (of students): I have pros, I have beginners. It’s all over the place.” 

Couch’s wife, Julia, helps with scheduling. 

“I just kind of took on the position of, ‘I’ll do it. Let me do the scheduling, and you can teach,’” she said. “And it just became kind of fun. So, we are trying to find different strategies for setting people up, because more and more people are coming.” 

Lessons are unique and tailored to each student. Some last only an hour, while others can last as long as five hours. Couch teaches students how to be more efficient on the golf course — both with their decisions and their swings. 

“When I get out on the course with them, we mainly talk about the best strategies to think over the shot and really not put too much thinking into it — and especially too much mechanics,” he said. “It’s mostly just picture the shot and react to it, and always have a positive thought when you are hitting.” 

Couch is inspired by the progress his students make, as well as their shared love and passion for the game.

“It’s something love to do — something I definitely want to do forever, so we gave it a name,” he said. “If I was to make an impact … it would just be to teach all my students to be honest and just always do their best.”