Meet the Team

Our Staff is great

Golf Channel Academy at Cottonwood is situated along the picturesque Bow River, this beautifully designed and well-maintained golf course with state of the art practice facilities including a fantastic short game area on the “Island” is located 15 minutes southeast of Calgary. Golf Channel Academy is proud to provide one of the most extensive golf lesson and coaching programs available in Canada with some of the most decorated and well-known instructors in the business, Paul Horton and Bob McArthur. Golf Channel Academy at Cottonwood is proud to announce Chris Horton as the newest PGA of Canada member of the professional staff. The Academy is also very proud to have a partnership with Lisa “Longball” Vlooswyk. Lisa is an 8-Time Canadian Long Drive Champion, an icon in the golf industry and an influencer in women’s golf

PAUL HORTON

Lead Coach

Paul is widely recognized as one of golf’s top teachers and coaches. Paul is the owner of Paul Horton Golf and is Co-Lead Coach at Golf Channel Academy at Heritage Pointe. Through Paul’s lengthy 40 plus year career he has received a plethora of accolades, including the PGA of Canada’s highest award for “National Teacher of the Year” and more recently, “National Coach of the Year” for Canada. Paul has also received 2 PGA of Alberta “Teacher of the Year” awards and a 14 time finalist for the same award. In 2016, The PGA of Alberta introduced a new category for “Coach of the Year” and Paul has been a two time recipient of this award. One of Paul’s focal groups is coaching competitive juniors ages 12-18 years. Many of these juniors have received college scholarships throughout the US and Canada and almost half of these players have turned professional. Paul is also Canada’s highest ranking AimPoint Certified Instructor as well as TPI Coach 2, BIO Swing Dynamics and Blast Motion certified.

Paul Horton

Lead Coach

In 2016, Paul was awarded Top 50 Elite Junior Golf Coaches in America. Paul has also been recognized by the National Post as Top 50 Teachers in Canada and nominated for Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Teachers in America. Paul is also Canada’s highest ranking AimPoint Certified Instructor as well as TPI and Blast Motion certified. Although Paul coaches many elite players that have won at all levels including Junior, Collegiate and the PGA Tour as well as National and World Long Driving Champions, Paul also enjoys working with other players at any skill level that show commitment to improving their game.

Bob McArthur

Coach

BOB McArthuR

Bob has been a class ‘A’ member of the PGA of Canada for well over 30 years and was the Head Teaching Professional at Heritage Pointe for over 20 years. Bob is Co-Lead Coach at Golf Channel Academy at Cottonwood. He has received many accolades through his career, including the PGA of Canada’s highest award for “National Teacher of the Year”, along with 2 PGA of Alberta “Teacher of the Year” awards and a 12 time finalist for the same award.

Bob has also been recognized by the National Post as Top 50 Teachers in Canada and nominated for Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Teachers in America. As a past winner of multiple professional tournaments the PGA of Alberta honoured Bob with the provincial “Player of the Year” award. Bob has a long list of loyal students covering a wide range of skill levels from new players right through to competitive amateurs and seasoned professionals. He also enjoys conducting a variety of custom corporate golf outings. Throughout Bob’s career he has always given back and has helped support many different Charity’s along the way.

Chris Horton

Club Fitter / Coach

Chris Horton

Teaching Professional / Club Fitter

Chris has played many sports through the years with hockey and golf being his main sports. Chris has been around and played golf his whole life’s as he started at a very early age. He had a successful junior career representing Alberta and Canada at various events in other parts of the world including Canada, United States, Mexico and Scotland. Chris played for the UBC Thunderbirds Men’s Golf Team and graduated with a degree in economics in the spring of 2021. His passion for the game of golf, along with equipment and club fitting as well as helping players develop their skills and their own passion for golf will no doubt be infectious.

Lisa “Longball” Vlooswyk

“Celebrity/Entertainer/Keynote Speaker”

Lisa “Longball” Vlooswyk

“Celebrity/Entertainer/Keynote Speaker”

Lisa is an 8-Time Canadian Long Drive Champion, and has finished as high as 2nd in the World. Lisa currently competes on the Golf Channel’s World Long Drive Association Tour. She is an LDA Tour Champion and Callaway Golf sponsored athlete. Lisa was the first woman to ever hit it the length of 3 ½ NFL football fields in competition and currently holds the Canadian Women’s Long Drive record at 350 yards 2 feet 2 inches. Lisa recently won Golfweek Magazine’s Golf Fest Entertainer of the Year award. In addition to her competitive career, Lisa is a Golf Journalist for several publications including Inside Golf Magazine and has had her own column in Golf Digest Canada. Lisa uses her vast experience as a World Class athlete to be a successful keynote Peak Performance Speaker at Conferences and Conventions, is a Golf Entertainer for many Corporate/Charity Golf Tournaments across North America including PGA Tour and Champions Tour events and runs her own Golf School for Women both in Canada and the United States. Lisa’s entrepreneurial success was recognized when she was awarded the Bank of Montreal Celebrating Women award for Expansion and Growth in Small Business.