Named the PGA of America's 2007 Teacher of the Year, Golf Professional and Best Selling Author Jim Hardy brings a breadth and depth of knowledge and experience that few can match. He was named a Top 10 Golf Instructor by Golf Digest 2007. His students have included Peter Jacobsen, Tom Pernice Jr., Scott McCarron, Brad Faxon, Duffy Waldorf, Bob Tway, Oline Browne, many other PGA Tour professionals and nationally recognized golf instructors. Besides being a past PGA Tour professional and a television color analyst, Jim was twice named Harvey Penick Teacher of the Year (PGA).

Often a member of Golf Digest's "America's 50 Greatest Teachers" and Golf Magazine's "Top 100 Teachers in America" lists, Hardy has been a featured speaker at the PGA's Teaching and Coaching Summit three times (in 1990, 1996 and 2004) and has addressed over 25 PGA sectional gatherings. He was the featured speaker at the European PGA Teaching & Coaching Summit in 1997.

Jim presents golf instruction in a format that has never been done before. He explains, "...all golf swings are either one-plane or two-plane swings. The fundamentals that govern the two swing types are so different as to be nearly opposite in nature. This leads us to the fact that there is not one set of fundamentals that all swings should pursue, but rather there are two sets that govern all swings. Since the two sets are so divergent, if you mix ingredients of one with the other, a failure occurs. This is the very reason why golf has been so difficult to teach and learn. With an understanding that there are two, not one governing set of fundamentals, improvement is possible, probable and fairly immediate."

Jim Hardy's four decades in professional golf began soon after he earned All-American honors in 1966 while a student at Oklahoma State University. Jim passed the PGA Tour Q-School in 1968 and played the Tour full time until March 1974. From then through 1976 he served as head professional at Exmoor Country Club in Highland Park, Illinois.

In 1975, while instructing in Golf Digest Schools, Jim taught with England's John Jacobs and established an association with Jacobs that lead to Golf Magazine. Jim became a feature instructor with the Golf Magazine Schools and an instructional contributor for the magazine. Subsequently he co-founded and directed the John Jacobs Golf Schools and the Carol Mann Golf Schools.

In 1979 he left the golf schools and established his own instructional programs in Palm Springs, California and Houston, Texas. Although he taught golfers of every level, he developed a strong clientèle of professional golfers, top collegiate players and teachers. In 1982 Jim limited his teaching to seminars, teaching professionals and tour players while he expanded his career to include golf course design, golf course and club development, marketing and operations. To date he has either designed, developed or operated over 60 facilities.

Jim has also been a color analyst for golf network telecasts for NBC, ESPN and MISLOU. He provided the golf tips for NBC telecasts. In 1986 and 1987 he wrote a monthly golf industry column for The Golf Club, a national publication. He was the featured instructor at the 1990 Teaching and Coaching Summit. His taped presentation from that Summit is still one of the PGA's best selling instructional tapes. In addition, he was a featured instructor at the 1994 & 2004 PGA International Teaching and Coaching Summit and in 2000 was the featured head instructor at the European Teaching and Coaching Summit. He has also taught at numerous local and sectional PGA seminars throughout the United States. In 1996 & 2004 he was named to Golf Magazine's Top 100 teachers. In 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007 he was ranked (currently #7) in the top 50 by Golf Digest. Jim received a nomination in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007 to the World Golf Hall of Fame Teacher's Division. In 2002 and in 2005 he was named the Harvey Penick Teacher of the Year by his PGA section.

His students have included Frank Beard, Dave Stockton, Carol Mann, Donna Caponi, Hollis Stacy, Brad Faxon and Mark O'Meara. He currently teaches PGA Tour professionals Peter Jacobsen, Scott McCarron, Tom Pernice, Bob Tway, Olin Browne, Duffy Waldorf, Jay Delsing, Stan Utley, Don Pooley and Graham Marsh. Among the nationally recognized golf instructors who have studied under Jim are Hank Haney, Mike and Sandy LaBauve, Jim Murphy, Laird Small, Martin Hall, Roger Gunn, Paul Gorman, Chris O'Connell, Krista Dunton, Marty Fleckman, EJ Pfister, Carol Mann and Rick Sellers.

Jim's first book, The Plane Truth for Golfers, was published in 2005 and was the best selling golf book in the world for that year. In it he presents the science that there are two sets of fundamentals that govern all golf swings rather than just one set. A DVD series of The Plane Truth for Golfers has been produced and was released in July 2006. His second book, The Plane Truth for Golfers, Master Class, was published in April 2007 and is among the top 10 selling golf book in the United States.

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