He's Back On Course


He's Back On Course Golf teacher Sackett recovering from disc surgery Russ Christ Special for the Scottsdale Republic Newspaper Oct. 31, 2006 12:00 AM SCOTTSDALE - Golf instructor Scott Sackett is used to being in the public eye. Over the course of his 21-year career in golf, the Scottsdale resident has been on the cover of Golf Magazine and a Wheaties cereal box. Only Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus can match that. Sackett, who teaches out of McCormick Ranch Golf Club in Scottsdale, also is director of instruction for the PGA Tour Golf Academy at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Fla. His successful career seemed to be on autopilot. Then, unexpectedly, it ran into turbulence in late July. While teaching at Black Butte Ranch in Sisters, Ore., he was putting up a tent when a strange sensation stopped him cold. "I thought I pinched a nerve in my shoulder," he said. It turns out his condition was much more serious. Delicate surgery needed A couple of days later, Sackett, 44, lost sensation in his fingertips, then in all 10 fingers. After being evaluated at a clinic in Bend, Ore., a magnetic resonance imaging revealed that he had three bulged discs in his neck. Sackett sent the results to a couple of clients who are doctors in Jacksonville, Fla. They confirmed the cervical problem. "It was scary," he said. "As time passed, I began to drop everything I picked up because I had no feeling in my fingers." Sackett met with Dr. Barry D. Birch, a neurosurgeon affiliated with the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale. On Sept. 15, Birch opted to perform a cervical laminoplasty, surgery that involves reconstruction of the lamina, the bony plate that covers the posterior arch of a vertebra, to increase the amount of space available for the neural tissue. The operation was complicated but successful, Sackett said. "They made a seven-inch incision in the back of my neck, rebroke the bone, inserted a cadaver bone and put in five screws," he said. "Now there's more space so the bulged discs are not touching the spinal cord." A slow recovery Sackett suffered a compound fracture in his femur after a motorcycle accident in 1972. It wasn't as traumatic or painful as the laminoplasty, he said. "This was a touchy surgery," he said, "but you want to make sure you have the best care, and I believe the Mayo doctors are the Rolls Royces (of doctors). I also had more support than I could have ever imagined. I had hundreds of e-mails from my students in Florida and Phoenix." It could take Sackett six months to a year to get the feeling back in his fingers again. But the instructor, known for his energy, enthusiasm and "on the go" work ethic, anticipates teaching again in the coming weeks "I don't want to rush things, and I committed to taking time off," he said, "but I'll be back soon." Sackett, meanwhile, spends his time fine-tuning his Web site (scottsackett.com). Sackett has been a Golf Magazine "Top 100 Teacher" since 1997. Always the teacher Before taking the position at the PGA Tour Golf Academy, Sackett, along with some partners, started Resort Golf Group in 1997. One of their first locations was at Legend Trail Golf Club in Scottsdale. He also taught at Dobson Ranch Golf Club in Mesa (1985-1992), Fiddlesticks in Tempe (1992-1994), and Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Miami (1994-1996). In July 2005, Sackett sold his interest in Resort Golf Group, which gives him the freedom to work independently. Many people in the local golf business thought he had left Scottsdale to live in Florida, but that never was the case. "I really want to build back my business in Phoenix and Scottsdale," Sackett said. Individual lessons and four-day golf schools are the crux of his programs. He uses the latest technology, including launch monitors from Scottsdale-based Zelocity, and Dartfish, a software program that lets clients stay in touch long distance by downloading video. "Using Dartfish, clients can send me a couple videos," Sackett said. "I'll look at it, suggest a few drills and send it back. It's unbelievable technology." One of Sackett's specialties is writing golf instructional pieces. More than 200 of his articles have appeared in golf magazines or online, which makes him one of the most prolific instructional scribes in the world. "The tough thing with getting articles published is coming up with new ideas where people are going to look at it, read it, and learn something." In The News He's Back On Course Scott Sackett On XM Scott Sackett Now Teaching At The Rim! Meet Scott At The PLCCA Golf Classic! Bump & Run: Lose That Banana Ball (New!)