Garry Lester brings decorated resume
HOLLISTER — San Juan Bautista resident Garry Lester was named Director of Instruction at the San Juan Oaks Golf Club last week, and joins Director of Golf Manny Freitas and Head Golf Professional Alfonso Castillo as a coach at the Fred Couples signature course, according to a statement.
Lester is the co-owner, program designer, coach and trainer of Extraordinary Golf, which is ranked in the top 25 of America’s best golf schools, according to Golf Magazine. Along with creator Fred Shoemaker, Lester has been involved with Extraordinary Golf since 1992, a program which is said to teach students to be their own coaches through awareness.
Lester recently taught the program at San Juan Oaks in November.
“We are very excited to have Garry join our team at San Juan Oaks,” said Freitas, who is currently learning the distinctions of Extraordinary Golf through Lester. “Garry’s experience in coaching will help foster a new way of learning for all of our guests.”
Since 1974, Lester has engaged with more than 150,000 people from many different cultures and countries, exploring the nature of being human, including how we learn, and what gives access to our innate ability and capacity to perform, according to the statement.
Lester has led golf programs in the United States, Canada, Japan and Europe.
Lester has worked with people from The First Tee, the Canadian PGA, Japanese golf professionals and both the American PGA and LPGA, among others.
“With having Garry as our Director of Instruction, we feel like we not only have the best facility in the South Bay, but also one of the best coaching programs you will find anywhere,” Freitas said.
Lester is a Northern California native and has lived in San Juan Bautista since 1999 with his wife, Donna.
