Pete Leinenweber’s career in golf has come full circle. Leinenweber, the Junior Elite Program Director at The Golf Practice, grew up blocks from the Canal Shores Golf Course where, as a child, he learned to play the game he now loves.
“That course is very close to me and very close to my heart,” said Leinenweber, who now runs TGP’s summer camps at the newly renovated course, steps from his childhood home and elementary school.
During summer breaks while he attended Loras College in Iowa, Leinenweber worked for TGP’s founder Peter Donahue. In 2020, he became a full-time coach at The Golf Practice.
Leinenweber is now the head of TGP’s new junior elite program. The program, which began in November, is for fifth to eighth graders who are hoping to play in high school, college or beyond. He also teaches private lessons throughout the year.
His coaching philosophy is based on intention.
“I like to find the athlete in the golfer, give them a task, change their intention, shift the way that they think about a certain thing and see if they’re able to do it before ever telling them how to do it,” he said.
Leinenweber has honed his philosophy and approach over the last five years, crediting Donahue, TGP owner and Dean of Instruction Chris Oehlerking and Hall of Fame Coach Hank Haney with helping him develop as a coach.
Early on, Leinenweber used a lot of words and descriptions with his students. That was ineffective, he said, as each player is unique in how they feel the club and golf swing.
“Describing a feel in a golf swing is next to impossible. As I’ve learned more about the mechanics of the golf swing and how the body moves, I’ve tried to give more intentions or tasks to the students to see if they’re able to accomplish it without me telling them how to do it,” he said.
Leinenweber said working at The Golf Practice has been a huge benefit to his growth and the growth of his students.
“It embodies everything that I love about golf, the culture, the people. I wish I had it as a kid,” he said.
It was during a staff trip in 2020 when Leinenweber knew that TGP was a special place. The staff was playing a round of night golf, without glow-in-the-dark golf balls.
“We just kind of walked down the fairway looking for balls, flashlights out. It was great,” he said. “That was the moment I knew these are the people I want to work with.”
For his own golf game, Leinenweber’s favorite club is a 2-iron, likes to hit a draw and prefers walking instead of riding in a cart while playing. His favorite golfer is Tiger Woods and does not eat snacks on the golf course.
Leinenweber’s best golf advice: “You got to practice like it’s the most important thing in the world. You got to play like you couldn’t care less of the outcome.”
