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Jane Rosenberg uses technology in her time on the range at the Colbert-Ballard Golf Academy in Yorba Linda but never lets her students lose sight of the basics.
Jane Rosenberg uses technology in her time on the range at the Colbert-Ballard Golf Academy in Yorba Linda but never lets her students lose sight of the basics.
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Despite the infusion of new technology, teaching professional Jane Rosenberg believes in the adage that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

“We have golf simulators, Trackman and wearable devices that measure key metrics of the golf swing,“ said Rosenberg, director of the Colbert-Ballard Golf Academy at Black Gold Golf Club in Yorba Linda. “But the fact remains that the average golf score hasn’t changed significantly in the last 30 years. Although the ball goes much farther and golf clubs are more forgiving, I still see the same swing faults I was seeing when I began teaching in 1987.”

Rosenberg has been a fixture in Southern California golf circles since her playing days at San Diego State in the late 1970s, followed by a career on the Women’s Professional Golf Tour in the 1980s. Today, in addition to teaching at Black Gold, Rosenberg is head coach of the Canyon High girl’s golf team.

“Teaching golf to kids is much more than learning how to swing a club,” she said. “Golf is a microcosm of life. It’s the only game that doesn’t have a referee. You have to have integrity. As in life, golf has its ups and downs. You have to learn how to handle those highs and lows. It’s a very social game and you learn how to conduct yourself around adults. You learn the traditions and etiquette of the game. These lessons stay with you for a lifetime.”

Rosenberg’s golf career is a testament to weathering the birdies and bogeys of life. After three years on the WPGT, Rosenberg won her first title, in 1986, at the Dry Creek Classic, which had a top prize of $1,125. She tried to qualify for the LPGA twice but never made it out of regionals. Even though she learned valuable lessons, such as dealing with travel and not letting a bad hole ruin the next one, she knew a future playing the game for money wasn’t in the cards.

“There comes a time when you realize you don’t have the talent to compete at that level,” she said. “That’s when you say, ‘OK, what do I do now?’”

A defining moment regarding her future came at the 1980 Bob Hope Desert Classic where she met Jim Colbert, who’d go on to win 35 PGA Tour and Champions Tour events.

“In 1987, Colbert told me if I wanted a career teaching golf I should go work for the best in the business, Jimmy Ballard in Florida,” Rosenberg said.

At the time, Ballard was Golf Digest’s Teacher of the Decade, having instructed top players such as Colbert, Curtis Strange, Hal Sutton and Sandy Lyle.

“I went to Florida and I shadowed Ballard every minute I could,” Rosenberg said. “I listened to every word and how he taught people. Ballard was revolutionary. He dispelled the myth of keeping your head still and that you had to have a straight left arm in the swing. He teaches that the golf swing is an athletic move, just like hitting a baseball or tennis ball.”

As Colbert transitioned to owning and managing golf course, he contracted with the Irvine Company in 1989 to build and manage Tustin Ranch Golf Course.

“Colbert wanted to have a Ballard School on the West Coast, so I partnered with another Ballard instructor, Andy Gaither, and we both moved to Orange County,” Rosenberg said.

The Colbert-Ballard Academy at Black Gold incorporates new technology, but Rosenberg still prefers a hands-on approach.

“Technology gives us more information,” she said. “But the core of instruction remains the fundamentals of the swing, grip, posture, alignment, take away and follow through.”