He has been a golfer since he stepped out on the links as a student of Hottentots Holland High School in Somerset West, South Africa. Upon graduation and completion of his mandatory South African Army Service, he left the beautiful and verdant world-renowned courses he'd learned to play on and pursued his quest for further skill and knowledge Stateside, putting down roots in Columbus, GA. During his studies at Columbus State University (then Columbus College), he was a four-time All American; two- time Academic All American, and a member of two NCAA Champion teams, taking home the Columbus College Golf MVP in 1994.
Mark transitioned from a successful collegiate athlete to a professional golfer. But before long, the drive to learn the entirety of the game of golf lead Mark to try his hand as a player agent with International Management Group (IMG) of the Mark McCormack Group. During his two-year stint at IMG, he was introduced to renowned PGA TOUR golf instructor, Robert Baker.
With the guidance of Baker, Mark spent the brunt of 1998 developing his teaching skills. He discovered that inside every great coach is a caring mentor. He also discovered his unbridled passion: Teaching golf. The student
had become the teacher.
At the end of that year, Mark traveled home to South Africa to open the Baker Golf Academy at the Vodacom Golf Village in Somerset West. In his position as Director of Golf at the Academy, Mark trained the new Baker instructors and worked as Head Instructor until the end of July 1999 when he was afforded the opportunity to break away and independently 'test the waters'
coaching on the European
Tour.
Mark approached the opportunity with hard work and dedication, enjoying a successful season in Europe and the U.S.A. He came home inspired, employing the experience he garnered to launch his own golf business, Dynamic Golf Instruction, in South Africa at the Strand Golf Course. While at Dynamic Golf Instruction, Mark continued to offer high tech, cutting edge golf instruction and spirited corporate golf days.
In 2001, Mark was offered the position of Head Golf Coach at his collegiate alma mater, Columbus State University, where he would go on to be a two-time NCAA Div. II Atlantic/Southeast Region Coach of the Year and, just last year, the NCAA Div. II National Coach of the Year. Year after year, he keeps the Columbus State Cougars Men's Golf Team in contention for titles and in service to the community.
In 2002, as part of a Columbus State University initiative, Mark Immelman Golf Instruction at Bull Creek opened its doors offering golf lessons to the community and surrounds.
Since then, Mark's clientele has
grown rapidly and he has built a large following of novice, club, corporate, and professional clients.
Apart from his work with his brother, Trevor, winner of the Green Jacket at the 2008 Masters in Augusta, GA, notable clients include Larry Mize ('98 Masters Champion), Tjaart van der Walt (Nationwide Tour), Kriss Cloninger (President and CFO - Aflac), Paul Amos, (President and CEO - Aflac USA), among others on the US PGA tour, European Tour, Africa's Sunshine Tour, Asian Tour, Nationwide, and Hooters Tours. He has also become very involved in corporate golf days and VIP client entertainment and his obvious teaching skill and affable nature have made him very popular with a number of organizations.
A good instructor, whatever their field, never stops learning and, in an effort to widen his scope of services and skills at his disposal, Mark has taken a keen interest in writing, both in the editorial and instructional fields for various golf and news publications. He has also done some television commentary both on and off the course as a golf analyst and roving golf course reporter, notably on the European and Sunshine Tour. Mark's work as a coach, golf instructor, television announcer, and writer has not gone unnoticed and he has been recognized with a few notable awards and honors over recent years. These include: Georgia Trend magazine's Top 40 Under 40 - Georgia's Best and Brightest; Golf Digest magazine's Top 20 Instructors Under 40; Golf Coaches Association of America - National Coach of the Year.
It takes a dearth of words for a writer to describe a man's life. More often than not, the man himself can do it in a single breath: "I exist to serve by cultivating ability and talent. To provide comprehensive, professional golf instruction, that is easily understandable and of the highest possible quality, to ALL golfers of ALL abilities and skill levels."
