For over 15 years, Claude Harmon III has been a leading figure in golf coaching, combining his rich family legacy with an innovative approach to player development. The American remains a world-renowned coach with a global reputation, with an influence that extends far beyond the driving range.
As a regular visitor to the UAE, he’s watched the impressive transformation of Dubai Sports City unfold. At its heart lies the Els Club, a world-class facility that has become integral to his coaching philosophy. Will Kent recently sat down with Harmon to discuss the exciting developments at the Els Club, the growth of his academy, and his vision for the future of golf in the region.
WWG: Great to see you again, Claude. You’ve now been coming here for a number of years. What are you first memories of the surrounding area, specifically near the Els Club in Sports City?
Claude Harmon III: I can still remember coming here in 2007 and there was nothing here. I think because I’m now only able to come back once a year I still continue to be amazed at the growth. One of the things I love about the Els Club is – because it’s part of a community – it seems like there’s a family vibe to it. They’ve done a great job at the Els Club to create a club environment. It’s a place I’m really proud to be a part of.
WWG: Your academy at the club is thriving more than ever. Are there plans to take the CH3 Academy even more international into new markets?
Claude Harmon III: We’ve just opened another academy just outside of Bangkok in Thailand, so I’ve now got two. It’s a really good mix. Dubai and Thailand aren’t the biggest golf markets in the world, but they are very important golf markets. We can do something very similar in Thailand, certainly from a junior golf perspective, I think we can try and do same thing out at our new academy there. It’s a project I’m really excited about, and for Joe Marshall who used to work at our academy in Dubai who’s moved there. He was and still is an incredibly valuable member of our team.
WWG: Just how important are the coaches you have at your academy in installing your teaching philosophy?
Claude Harmon III: I’m incredibly lucky that I’m in the position that I’m in, but I’m only as good as the instructors I have working for me. Culture and our team is something I talk to my guys about a lot. It’s everything. It’s one of the reasons why we’ve had such a successful run that is going on close to 15 years now. There are a lot of other famous instructors that have opened academies all over the world and last for a very shot period of time. I’m incredibly proud for what we have achieved. I never say it’s my academy, it’s us, it’s we. That’s why we’ve been successful.
WWG: How does your academy approach player development for junior golfers?
Claude Harmon III: Anybody can give golf lessons, but what we’re trying to do is develop players. We’ve been at the forefront of player development now for 15 years if you look at what we’ve done. I think our junior programme is second to none. When I look at how many kids we’ve sent to play Division One College Golf, Jamie Camero, for example, was in our junior programme and she’s going on to Division One College Golf. Rayhan Thomas started in our junior programme. He was the first of our kids who came into our programme when we started in 2009. Ray was nine years old, and now he’s just graduated from University. He started with us when young, couldn’t touch his toes, a short little kid that really didn’t know anything. He’s now finishing top 10 in Asia, he’s probably going to get a card somewhere and play professional golf. I look at Ray as the blueprint.
WWG: What role does having a local role model like Rayhan Thomas play in your junior development program?
Claude Harmon III: Every junior golfer wants to be Tiger Woods, or Rory McIlroy. But, if you live in Dubai, or from a country where these superstar players aren’t from, it’s hard to identify with them. I think the great thing for our golfers in our junior programme we can say ‘Listen, Rayhan is from Dubai. He’s Indian, but he grew up here, he’s now professional’. That is what we are doing. We are able to say to people that Ray is your example working hard and do the right things, and you can go and do that, too. He helps us tell the story. Junior development is incredibly important to me, and to us as an academy.
WWG: How does your experience working with top players influence your approach to junior development?
Claude Harmon III: I don’t say this in an arrogant way, but we’re not guessing when it comes to player development. We are 100 percent not guessing when it comes from a junior development standpoint, and I’m really proud that I can say that. I say that by looking back at all the data points that we have, and I’ve been lucky enough to work with some of the best players in the world. I’ve been a part of eight Major championships, Ernie Els won the Open, Brooks won five Majors and DJ won two. Brooks and DJ have been number one in the world combined for almost four years in the time that I was working with them, so we’re not guessing. We know what it takes to be the best. I know what the best players in the world do because I’ve been so lucky to be involved in professional tournament golf at the highest level for the last 25 years of my life. So, when we get juniors to do something, we’re not guessing.
WWG: What is left for you to achieve in the sport?
Claude Harmon III: Everything. I’m 55 years old, I’ve been involved in golf for my entire life. My father is the greatest golf coach, in my opinion, of all time. I will never get to that level. My Dad’s 81 years old. I will never each the heights and knowledge that he has. So, for me, he is the benchmark. When I look at my life and career, I still have so far to go and so much to learn. That quest for learning, to get better, that will never stop. There is no finish line for me because my Dad is the greatest of all time. He is the GOAT of golf instruction, and I will never get there. I just have to keep learning and working hard. Maybe someday I’ll get within some distance of where he is, but I’ll never get there.
WWG: Would you like to see a professional tour event held at the Els Club in the near future?
Claude Harmon III: I think it would be great. Listen, the golf course is spectacular. I think Ernie Els has done an amazing job with the design. It’s a very challenging golf course. Also, with the Lion’s Den tournament, on any given Friday, you’re going to have people playing at the Els Club that have status on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LIV, Asia or trying to play development golf. I saw Ernie a couple of weeks ago at the airport, I hadn’t seen him for six months, and the first thing he said to me was ‘hey, how the Els Club?’. We spoke for 15 minutes about the club. It would be easy for everybody to think we just throw our names on these things and don’t really have any involvement, but we do. It means something to us.
