Coosa Junior Golf Academy is the year-round golf training program offered by Rome’s Coosa Country Club. Offered to Darlington School resident students as an extracurricular opportunity, CJGA enrolls highly motivated male and female student-athletes who share a common goal – to obtain a premier college-preparatory education and elite golf training within a single, competitive program.

The only golf academy in the State of Georgia with a boarding component, CJGA is directed by Coosa Country Club’s head golf pro, Master Club Fitter Brian Albertson. He and his staff of certified coaches and performance training specialists have designed a training regimen that develops each participant to his or her maximum potential. This program is unique in several aspects. By integrating a strong academic curriculum, state-of-the-art athletic facilities, and professional instruction on the course, the academy develops the highest potential in every player regardless of skill level. Academy Director Brian Albertson and his staff achieve success through solid fundamentals, clear communication and state-of-the-art digital video analysis technology. This dedicated team of coaches is also committed to mapping out college recruitment strategies that fit each athlete’s unique academic and athletic abilities.

CJGA has established relationships with the Atlanta Junior Golf Association, Georgia PGA Junior Golf Tour and the Southeastern Junior Golf Tour. Based on their individual level of play, golfers have year-round opportunities to compete in events hosted by these entities as well as the American Junior Golf Association.

CJGA meets daily from 4 to 6:16 p.m. Darlington resident students who participate in CJGA live in one of the school’s six student houses, three for boys and three for girls. The house system is the backbone of the family-like atmosphere at Darlington, developing strong student-faculty relationships. Fifty-five percent of the school’s faculty and staff members live on campus and provide invaluable support and interaction with students both in and out of the classroom.

Staff Bios

Leanne Mann, director of operations, has more than 20 years of coaching and teaching experience. She is a certified TOEFL instructor with memberships to both USPTA and USPTR. In high school, she was a 12-time All-State honoree and won two state championships in track and field. At the collegiate level, she excelled in tennis, cross country and track. She was a three-time All-American and finished second in the 1985 NAIA heptathlon, which later earned her induction into Campbell University’s Sports Hall of Fame. After graduating with dual major in communication and literature, she went on to become a 16-time North Carolina state cycling champion. Ranked among the United States’ top eight cyclists from 1988-92, she participated in both the National Cycling Championships and the U.S. Olympic Cycling Trials.

Brian Albertson is a Class A Member of the PGA and head golf pro at Coosa Country Club. A master club fitter, he has taught several PGA Tour players as well as over 30 college golfers. He is a member of the National PGA President’s Council, the National PGA Ambassador Program Committee and currently serves as president of the Rome Junior Golf Association. In 2001, Albertson founded the Georgia PGA Junior Tour and was named Ping Georgia Clubfitter of the Year. In 2010, he was named the American Junior Golf Association Golf Professional of the Year.

Travis Nance, an assistant golf professional at Coosa Country Club, has 23 years of experience in the golf industry, including 10 years as a playing professional. His teaching strengths include full swing and the mental game. In 2001, Nance played in the PGA Tour Q School Finals and the following year, he was a Nationwide Tour member. He is also a multi-time winner on several professional mini tours.

Tripp Powell, an assistant golf professional at Coosa Country Club, has spent the last 10 years working in the golf industry. His teaching strengths include the short game and the mental game. A former Shorter College standout, he played four years of varsity golf and graduated with a degree in business administration. In 2006, he was named SSAC All-Conference and placed third in the Georgia Public Links.

Facilities

• 50,000-square-foot, two-story, clubhouse with lockers and fully equipped pro shop
• 18-hole course redesigned by George Cobb in 1961
• Course winds along the banks of the Coosa River, providing a rewarding and accommodating game for players of all skill levels
• Bermuda fairways and Bent grass greens
• Host site for seven Georgia State Amateur Championships
• Annual site for AJGA Burgett H. Mooney Coosa Classic

Darlington School – independent school founded in 1905, located in Rome, Ga.

• 96,000-square-foot athletic facility complete with natatorium, indoor track, weight room, wrestling room, locker rooms, meeting rooms, four multi-purpose courts and performance gym

Program Features

• Weekly full swing digital swing analysis
• Extensive work with Launch Monitor
• DartFish video analysis during play
• Extensive focus on short game in separate short game area with bunkers, chipping area and putting green
• Corrective drills
• Practice techniques
• Effective course management skills
• Tournament performance and scoring
• Physical strength, flexibility, endurance conditioning and nutrition
• Mental efficiency with team sports psychologist
• Expert club fitting analysis
• College Golf e-Resume Service
• Round-trip transportation from Darlington School to Coosa Country Club
• Team golf bag and uniform
• Additional play or practice time, which may be scheduled on weekends