To say that no grass grows under the feet of teaching golf professional Chad Hopkins would be an understatement.

Officially, Hopkins is the head pro at Prospect Hill in Auburn, where he is more of a teaching pro/instructor. He also serves as the teaching pro at Apple Valley in Lewiston, Cobbossee Colony in Manchester and The Meadows in Litchfield. All of this is done through his Hopkins Golf School.

At this time of year, it is an every-day job, which he averages five daily instructional sessions. Some days are more active than others.A busy one is like last Tuesday when he had 8, 9 and 10 a.m. lessons at The Meadows. Then he went to Cobbossee Colony for lessons at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. From there he gave 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. lessons at Prospect Hill. He returned to The Meadows for 3:15 and 4:30 p.m. lessons and finished the day with a 6 p.m. lesson at Cobbossee Colony.

That is a lot of movement and car mileage for one day, but Hopkins is in his element.

“Yes, it is a lot of travel between the four courses, but I do love teaching golf,” he said.

With the summer coming to an end, the Hopkins Golf School has completed its junior camp season at Apple Valley, but will continue three days a week at the other three courses for a few more weeks during after-school hours. And Hopkins already has begun to work with the fall golf teams at Oak Hill High School in Wales and at Gardiner High, both of which use The Meadows as their home course. The schedule may become heavier on weekend days as the school golf season dominates week days.

Hopkins knows that lessons will fall off in October, so his plan is to promote indoor lessons, plus a clinic and leagues on the indoor simulator at Prospect Hill. He also will try to organize junior lessons one night a week.

“It will keep the business flowing,” he said. “And it will help me to continue what I like best. I want to focus on the juniors.”

Hopkins got into golf in 2003 while he was working at night as a bartender. With the daytime off, he took up golf and joined Fox Ridge, where he won a flight championship.

“I did that for about three years and found myself helping and teaching some golf,” he said. “So I decided to become certified as an instructor.”

He then enrolled at the Golf Academy of America in Florida, just north of Orlando. He was graduated with a teaching certificate, a player certificate, an associate degree and a 3.79 GPA. From there he worked on season in Florida before returning to Maine as assistant and head pro at Freeport (2009-10), head pro at Penobscot Valley (2010-11) and assistant pro at Purpoodock in 2012. Early this year, he launched the Hopkins Golf School.

“I thought it was time to go out on my own,” he said.

Hopkins is not all work and no play. Last Monday he squeezed in some competition, participating in the third event of the Exotic Pro-Am Series at Sunday River, where his team of Denis Webber (Poland Spring), Ryan Moore (Apple Valley) and Colin Ray (Cobbossee Colony) combined for a 16-under-par 56 to win the tournament low net.

On his own ball, he finished 11th among pros, one position out of the money.

Noteworthy

The Exotics Pro-Am Series moves to Old Marsh on Thursday, where it will hold event No. 4 of the five scheduled. If you are looking for a favorite, it is an easy selection.Shawn Warren of Nonesuch River has shared first place in one Exotics tournament and outright won the other two, plus he won the New England PGA championship. There is no hotter golfer in Maine than Warren.

” We think we will get a half dozen or more pros from New Hampshire and Massachusetts in this tournament,” said Johnny Johnston, the Exotics Pro-Am Series founder and tournament chairman. The event is co-sponsored by Harris Golf, which has supplied all five courses in the Series, and Tour Edge, which uses the Exotics brand for an exclusive line of clubs.

After last Monday’s event No. 3 at Sunday River, the Exotics money standings are as follows:

1. Shawn Warren, Nonesuch River $5,503

2. John Hickson, Dick’s Topsham $2,670

3. Jason Harris, Bath $2,508

4. Ryan Gay, Augusta $2,023

5. Chad Hopkins, Hopkins Golf School $800

6. Dave Grygiel, $781

7. Leon Oliver, Bath $550

8. Tim Desmarais, Tee “n Tee Range, Westbrook $478

9. Dave Limauro, Old Marsh $477

10. Dave Simard, Falmouth $400

The Fairlawn Golf & Country Club held its 50-year anniversary member-guest tournament a week ago. During the pre-tournament program, 94-year-old Frank Bartasuis, Maine’s oldest head pro and club owner, hit three ceremonial tee shots — straight down the first hole fairway.

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