Vannet enjoying new lease of life at Newmachar as shared vision bolsters junior drive

You never stop learning in this game. Just ask Lee Vannet. In 36 years as a PGA pro, Vannet has seen it, done it and accumulated a loft-full of t-shirts. At 54, his enthusiasm for a game that’s “in his blood” remains undimmed while his thirst to learn is unquenchable.

“I completed a Masters in Performance Coaching at Stirling University over the last couple of years and the graduation ceremony is in June,” he said of this rewarding return to academia which has bolstered an already impressive cv.

“It was hugely interesting. In this game, you tend have an insatiable appetite for learning. You think you know a fair bit about coaching but doing this Masters quickly made me realise that there’s so much more to learn.”

There are many who are reaping the benefits of Vannet’s experience and energy. The former British Boys’ champion stepped into a new role as head PGA professional at Newmachar in Aberdeen at the turn of the year. In terms of compatibility, Newmachar and Vannet are so suited, they could’ve been custom-fitted in the pro shop.

“The club’s philosophy is very much in line with my own philosophy in that we are both very passionate about promoting junior golf and women’s golf,” added Vannet, who made his first golf club at the age of just 12 in the renowned Simpson’s Golf Shop in his native Carnoustie. “Newmachar has great facilities and some terrific programmes. It was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down.”

Regularly passing on his bountiful pearls of wisdom to over 70 juniors, from the ages of five to 15, on a weekend, Vannet’s own Junior Texas Scramble has just been held over the nine-hole Balgove course in St Andrews.

Now in its seventh year, the event allows the youngsters to put into practice what they have learned in a competitive environment while placing emphasis on team building and growing confidence. And there’s always plenty of fun. “We had a walk on the Old Course and over the Swilcan Bridge and with all the stands going up for The Open they all got a great buzz,” said Vannet of the unique atmosphere of the Old Course.

The buzz Vannet gets from coaching, meanwhile, continues to drive his endeavours. He was a highly-talented teenage golfer from that great hotbed of Carnoustie back in the day and went on to play on the European Tour. There remain a few lingering regrets about what might have been though as he reflects on those formative years.

“I never really had a coach as a kid and I didn’t have any mentorship as such,” said Vannet, who was pipped to a European Challenge Tour title in a play-off at Letham Grange 1994. “I just done things on my own. Looking back, I wish I’d had the coaching and guidance that is available now.

“For my Masters dissertation, I interviewed around 14 Tour players in an effort to find out what had got them to a certain level. Almost all of them, from a very young age, had a plan, good coaches and a structure.

“I was surrounded by good players when I was young and learned almost through osmosis by soaking up things from what I saw. But I was relying on my own ability and when things start to go wrong you don’t have anything to fall back on. That’s my driving force for helping the juniors now; to give them the solid foundations upon which they can build and develop good practices.”

Vannet helped set in motion the Carnoustie junior programme which is now flourishing. He had a successful stint in the Caribbean as the national coach of Trinidad & Tobago too while he also worked as a development and performance coach with Scottish Golf.

“Everybody is different, there’s no one-size-fits-all model,” he said of his coaching philosophy. “You have to understand the person and build the relationship, get inside their head and see how you can help them in a way that suits them.

"It's about putting the players first and letting them discover things rather than telling them what to do. People often learn best when they figure it out themselves. So I try to create the environment that allows them to do that.

"When they get it themselves, it’s 100 per cent more powerful that somebody telling them what to do. Then again, some people like to be told! In that sense, you have to be flexible.”

Vannet’s new position at Newmachar has given him a new lease of life. “We’ re just starting and there’s plenty of work to do,” he said with boundless enthusiasm. “Anything to do with golf is my passion. Whether it’s helping a five-year-old or a 95-year-old, the more you can do the better.”

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