By Rob Willis
HE took down Greg Norman in shooting a tournament record score at the Australian Masters, conquered another giant of Australian golf in beating Peter Senior in a playoff at the same event, played two World Cup’s and the inaugural Presidents Cup.
A seven-time winner as a professional, he competed in Australasia, Europe and Japan before playing nine years on the US PGA Tour.
That was then – this is now. So just what is Victorian Bradley Hughes up to as we move into 2023?
Well, the 56-year-old stepped away from the PGA Tour and competitive golf some 15 years ago, but he remains entrenched in the golfing industry having transitioned into a successful and sought-after coaching career.
Resident in South Carolina, Hughes is currently the teaching professional at the Holly Tree Country Club near Greenville, has authored three instructional E-Books, drives a thriving on-line coaching business and has created a training aid, the Down Under Board, which is receiving rave reviews.
When the curtain came down on his playing career in 2008, Hughes turned his attention to instruction, initially giving half hour lessons in a retail store. From there Hughes took on a job as a head professional, also in Greenville, before returning to Australia in 2012, splitting his time between coaching gigs in Melbourne and in Sydney.
After three years back home, the opportunity presented to return to the US and to South Carolina and seven years later he is still at Holly Tree, where the former Melbournian is now widely making major strides in the coaching space.
Tournament professionals, celebrities, club members and golfers from all over the world seek out his expertise, both in person and through his website and on-line coaching.
“Most of my lessons are from people from out of town, out of state, even out of country,” he explained. “I’ve done the on-line stuff for people from Germany, Finland, Peru, Hong Kong, Ireland, and I teach a little girl from Nigeria. Basically all over the world,” Hughes said.
Included amongst his pupils is three-time US PGA Tour winner Brendon Todd and underrated Aussie professional Cameron Percy, while Hughes has also tutored the likes of former world number one Luke Donald, ex US Ryder Cup player Brandt Snedeker and charismatic American Harold Varner III.
“Two seasons ago Brendon won the fairways percentage and Cameron Percy greens in regulation. I thought that was a cool stat,” Hughes said.
A natural talent and someone who admits he had little interest in technique as a player. Hughes did the work, became a student of the golf swing and, from humble coaching beginnings giving lessons in a net at a suburban golf shop, developed his craft to become a respected instructor.
“I didn’t really have lessons at all. I had no clue when I used to play. I knew nothing about the swing,” Hughes confessed.
“When I first started teaching I wasn’t getting the results. I kind of took six months off and sat home and looked at old swings. My swing, old swings of good players, good looking swings like (Ben) Hogan, Adam Scott, and I looked at the really funky looking swings like (Lee) Trevino, Peter Senior, Chi Chi Rodriquez, all the funky swings that were really good too.
“I found similarities, because you can’t have a funky swing and be that good. They had to be doing something right.
“The first two guys I taught went from shooting 120-130, down to (scoring in) the 80s in less than a month. So I stuck with it and it hasn’t really changed in the whole time I’ve been teaching. It’s been the same theory, the same order of learning,” he said.
As for the learning, Hughes talks about his first E-Book, The Great Ball Strikers, which received multiple five-star ratings. The equally successful and informative 360 Path detailing his drills and game improvement ideas followed before in his most recent deep dive into the technique of Ben Hogan.
Then there is the hugely successful Down Under Board, which complements his 360 Path E-Book in building on Hughes’s swing theories and philosophies.
“The Down Under Board is part of drill two and three. You’ve got to use your feet and your legs, which is what the Down Under Board is for.”
The Down Under Board is assisting golfers of all levels and Hughes is inundated with lesson requests from far and wide through his website www.bradleyhughesgolf.com where his E-Books are also available, while the extremely popular members’ site at bradleyhughesgolf-members.com features instructional content and more than 500 exclusive videos.
Where is he now? While his celebrated playing days might be a distant memory, Bradley Hughes is forging a second successful golfing career with his talent and dedication baring the fruits of his labour.
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