GolfWRX Featured Writer Dennis Clark has written nearly 100 articles since April of 2012, and his work has been read more than 5 million times.

Clark achieved the elite PGA Master Professional designation in 2002 and is routinely listed among the top teachers in the country. He’s been a pro for more than 25 years, and currently runs the Dennis Clark Golf Academy at the Marco Island Marriott in Naples, Fla.

The Philadelphia native was voted the 1996 PGA Teacher of the Year (Philadelphia section), the 2002 Top Teacher (Mid-Atlantic Region, Golf Magazine), the 2008 Golf Professional of the Year (Tri-State Section), and the 2010 Junior Golf Leader (Tri-State Section).

I spoke with him about his background in the game, teaching philosophy, and writing for GolfWRX.

Here’s Dennis Clark in his own words.

How he got started…

I started out as an education major in college. I have two degrees in education. I was originally going to teach, but I’ve always loved golf, and I ended up in this direction. I became a club pro…been a PGA pro for many years.

I was a middle of the road club pro as a player. I knew I would never play golf for a living, and I loved teaching. I started out with the goal of establishing myself as a teacher. A lot of guys start out with the goal of playing golf for a living. I knew I could break par on a good day and shoot 75 on a bad day. I wanted to help people who were curious about the hows and the whys of things. Even when I was playing in tournaments, I’d be looking at other pros and working with them. I was always very curious about the swing.

I worked with the John Jacobs schools for years, then the Golf Digest schools…I was the director of instruction at a couple of clubs. Now, [at my academy] I do everything from clinics, to corporate outings, to three-day schools, to private lessons. I work with everyone from professionals to beginners.

Clark’s academy is located at The Rookery (pictured), part of the Marco Island Marriott in Naples, Fla.

It’s a comprehensive, well-rounded instruction program. My big season is November through the better part of May, then we keep the academy open through the summer, but it’s a little bit lighter. We run about 750 people a year through here.

How writing for GolfWRX has helped…

GolfWRX exposes your instructional style to the multitudes. 5 million people have read the articles I’ve written on there. It gives you international exposure. Now you don’t capitalize on that being a local instructor; in other words, we’re limited to a facility. So I’m in South Florida. Someone in Norway can read the article and really like it, but they’re probably not going to come here for a lesson. But the people who like your style and the way that you present your material and are within driving distance or come here on vacation [will come].

I do online analysis with people that don’t live in the area, but who can relate to my style. They’ll send me golf swings. Through the V1 system, I can send them back and suggest corrections.

His approach to writing instruction articles…

You try to write as generally you can, but still make specific points; I think that’s part of the challenge. If you read my articles they’re always “if this, then that.” I’ve developed a reputation as a very individual teacher. There are a million ways to skin this cat. If you look in the golf hall of fame, you’ll see a myriad of swings. I’m all about trying to find the right combination to solve your golf equation. Like: If you take it back this way, that’s fine, but then you’ve got to bring it down this way…

Why he’s not a “method” teacher…

I completely eschew methodology. I think method teachers only help some people, but they’re not going to help everybody. The joy of my work is that every hour, every day, I have different puzzles to solve. Every golfer that I work with, they have a core move…it’s almost built into their golfing DNA. You have to work around that move. You may be like a Raymond Floyd, who takes the club way inside, or a Jim Furyk, who takes the club way outside…we’re not going to beat our head against the wall trying to change that. Let’s try to find something that’s compatible with that. I think that people relate to that style…thinking that they don’t have to do it one particular way.

People come to me saying, “I know I should do this…” There’s no should! There’s what you do do. Let’s go ahead and fix that up. I learned that from John Jacobs…he had a very practical style of teaching.

Clark teaching a golf school at his academy.

Think about this: Name me one thing that every great player does… except get the club back to impact squarely. Every one of them is different. You say, “You have to swing the club upright?” Well, how the hell did Trevino make all his money swinging the club around his back?

How a golf instructor establishes a good reputation…

At the end of the day, my reputation is based on word of mouth. If people hit the golf ball better they’re going to tell other people. The marketing that I have is the person that’s right in front of me.

People ask me, “Do you ever get tired of teaching golf?” I don’t teach golf. I teach people to play golf. It’s a completely different approach, and every learning style is different.

Favorite piece he’s written…

In one of the first pieces…I said, “I want to write about some of the myths about golf.” Keep you head down, keep your left arm straight and slow your swing down. They’re going to help some people, but they’re not set in stone, and they’ve ruined a lot of golf swings. If somebody keeps their head down, they can ruin their posture. If they try to keep their left arm straight, they can get too stiff. I think that article got me started and it kind of grew from there.