Jackie Cannizzo is currently the Director of Instruction at the Country Club of Roswell in Roswell, GA. Originally from Syracuse, NY, Jackie has been at Country Club of Roswell for over 13 years. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a degree in Communications, where she played golf on a scholarship. Jackie played competitive golf for many years and has been teaching the game of golf for almost 25 years.

Playing History
Jackie is still an active, very skilled player. Her accomplished playing career included playing in college, the Future’s golf tour, the European golf tour, PGA and Georgia section events and the Women’s US Open. She was the first PGA member to qualify for the US Women’s Open in 1997 at Pumpkin Ridge.

Currently, Jackie is sought after to play in celebrity fund raising tournaments, to play with business professionals while providing instruction and even manages a round at Augusta each year!

Teaching History
Jackie has always been drawn to the coaching aspect of the game. Her teaching career began in 1988 in Syracuse and included successful positions in Orlando, West Chester, NY, Central New York and Munich, Germany. Jackie has taught at private clubs, resorts and golf schools and includes coaching for beginners to professionals.

At most facilities, Jackie was responsible for establishing and growing the Teaching Program, most notably for juniors (her specialty). Her instruction spans private lessons, clinics, tournament play and organized teams. Jackie believes in a holistic style of coaching and has a history of working with students continuously for many years. Her students are her biggest advocates and often a referral is needed to participate in her private instruction program.

Jackie continues to evolve her teaching philosophy and skills by attending professional seminars and collaborating with other experienced golf-teaching professionals each year.

Teaching Accolades / Accomplishments (2001 – 2010)
Jackie is currently on the list of Top Ten teachers in the state of Georgia (according to Golf Digest) and the Top 50 teachers for Juniors according to US Kids Golf. She has been honored as the PGA North Chapter Assistant of the Year, the PGA North Chapter Junior Golf Leader, the PGA Section Junior Golf Leader and was given the PGA Education Achievement Award. She has been nominated for the National PGA Junior Golf Leader, Golf Magazine Top 100 and Golf for Women Top Teacher.

The Country Club of Roswell Junior Program has grown from 30 kids to 160 under her tenure (including an elite Junior Player Program that has sent several kids to play college golf) and the teaching program has grown from needing one instructor to three full time instructors.

Professional Affiliations / Community Service
Jackie has played a leadership role in many Golf Associations over the years, including the Georgia Junior Golf Foundation (Board Member from 2003-2008, President from 2006-2007) and the Georgia State Golf Association (Junior Girls Committee from 2007-2010) and Georgia PGA Junior Golf Committee (2009 – 2010) . She has partnered with and continues to foster a positive working relationship with the First Tee organization in many parts of the country.

She has been a Class A member of Professional Golf Association (PGA) since 1989, is a Taylor Made Golf Staff member, a member of the AMF Golf Management group and was on the UST Advisory Board.

In addition to her golf relationships, she played a critical role in fund raising while serving as a Board Member for the Susan G. Komen Foundation from 2000-2003. In 2009 Jackie founded and is the President of the Esther Cannizzo Junior Golf Foundation, established to help junior golfers in need of funding to accomplish their goals in golf. Jackie established the Foundation in honor of her mother whose life was cut short by cancer in 2008.

Publications
Jackie currently writes a monthly column about Women’s Golf in “FORE GEORGIA Magazine”, has published articles with Dr. Rick Jensen (“Practicing like the Pro’s”, “Practice like the Pro’s to Build Confidence”) and writes for other publications on request.