Walters, 57, has been lead instructor at St. James Plantation, The Number One-Selling Community in the Coastal Carolinas, for the last 13 years, helping hundreds of St. James members and guests improve their golf swings and lower their scores.
“Golf Digest got the right man,” said Dave Kjome, director of golf at The Clubs of St. James Plantation. “I don’t know anyone who works harder or who knows more about the golf swing than he does. He’s one of our most valuable assets to our golf program.”
Walters came to St. James in 2000 when the community’s ownership group brought in The Jimmy Ballard Swing Connection Golf School to enhance golf instruction. Prior to joining the St. James staff, Walters served as an instructor with the Colbert-Ballard Golf Learning Centers (CBGLC), founded by PGA touring pro Jim Colbert and legendary instructor Jimmy Ballard in 1994.
He served as a roving instructor with the company, with stops in metro-Detroit, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Miami, and Orlando. He developed the CBGLC instructor certification program accredited by the PGA of America, and was ultimately promoted to Director of Instruction for CBGLC.
Walters developed a passion for teaching the game of golf while at Ferris State University, where he majored in the Professional Golf Management program and graduated with a B.S. Degree in Business Marketing in 1980.
He began his career under the tutelage of well-known teaching pros, Bill Straussbaugh, Dr. Gary Wiren and Jimmy Ballard.
“My philosophy as an instructor is to teach my students the ability to self-diagnose and self-correct their own individual swing,” Walters said. He has a student understand how a club’s path and face angle affect the flight of a golf shot. From there, the student only has to be mindful of three basic fundamentals to correct poor shot-making even while on the course.
“I use a hands-on approach to build a relationship with my students to produce positive results,” he said. “We start with a solid understanding of the set-up fundamentals and golf’s master fundamental “Connection” and progress to developing a swing that they can consistently repeat.”
The Clubs at St. James Plantation are proudly managed by Troon Prive®, an industry leader in upscale course management representing private clubs of distinction.
About St. James Plantation
St. James is situated along the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), near the seaside village of Southport and historic Wilmington. Residents enjoy completed first-class amenities, including a private oceanfront beach club, walking and biking trails, a 475-slip ICW marina and marketplace, fitness centers, 4 welcoming clubhouses, dining, fantastic tennis, parks and gardens, 81-holes of championship golf, over 500 acres of nature preserves and tons of active resident groups.
Real estate options range from spacious custom homes to patio homes and condominiums. Homes range from the mid- $200s to $1 million plus, and homesites range from the $80s. Plan your visit right now! Call (800) 245-3871.
St. James Plantation
Southport, North Carolina
