The Coach

Iowa's most honored golf teacher.

Iowa Golf Hall of Fame inductee. 2024 PGA of America Deacon Palmer Award winner. Seven-time Iowa PGA Teacher of the Year. A competitive champion who still teaches every day at the Des Moines Driving Range.

Coach Mark Egly, PGA
Mark Egly
PGA Member · Iowa Section · Since 1983
  • Lead instructor, Des Moines Golf & Country Club (1979)
  • Lead instructor, Willow Creek Golf Course, West Des Moines (1980–1984)
  • Head professional, Des Moines Driving Range (1994–present); owner since 2002
  • Michigan State men's golf (1976–1977)

About Mark Egly

Mark Egly has spent more than forty years introducing golfers to the game and building players at every level, from first-time beginners to national champions. As head professional and owner of the Des Moines Driving Range, he has made elite instruction accessible to the entire Des Moines community.

What sets Mark apart is his academic foundation. He earned an education degree from Michigan State University with coursework in kinesiology, physics, and human anatomy. That sports-science lens informs every lesson and became the basis for the Egly Method.

Mark's philosophy is straightforward: there is no single right way to swing, but there are motions and methods that produce reliable, repeatable results. His job is to find the approach that works best for you, whether that means deep technical detail or a simple cue that gets you playing better, faster.

Technology is available when it is useful. Video analysis and launch monitors are tools, not the lesson itself. The goal is skill acquisition and lower scores, not perfect positions on a screen.

Explore the Egly Method
Playing Career

Competitive achievements & PGA TOUR experience

  • 1988 Iowa PGA Match Play Champion
    Iowa PGA major
  • 1990 Iowa Open Champion
    Iowa PGA major
  • Winner of numerous additional Iowa PGA events
    Throughout his competitive career
  • PGA TOUR competitor
    Qualified for and competed in PGA TOUR events in six different years, including the 1995 John Deere Classic following a successful comeback from injury
  • PGA TOUR Qualifying School
    Reached the final stage in 1979
Honors

Teaching & industry recognition

Teaching & Section Honors

  • Iowa PGA Teacher of the Year
    Seven times: 2002, 2006, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2021
  • Iowa PGA Player Development Award
    Four times: 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020
  • 2017 Iowa PGA Professional Development Award
    Formerly the Horton Smith Award
  • 2021 Iowa Golf Association PGA Professional of the Year

National Recognition

  • 2024 PGA of America Deacon Palmer Award
    National honor for integrity, character, and leadership in overcoming life's obstacles
  • Iowa Golf Hall of Fame
    Inducted 2022 · Golf Professional / Teacher
  • Golf Digest #1 instructor living in Iowa
    Eight consecutive years (2002 through 2008)
  • Golf Digest Best Teachers in State
    Multiple years, including 2017/2018
  • U.S. Kids Golf Top 50 Teacher

Facility & Industry

  • GRAA Growth of the Game Teaching Professional
    Elite member status
  • 2023 GRAA Top 50 Stand Alone Facility
    Des Moines Driving Range
  • PGA of America member since 1983
Growth of the Game

A facility built for the whole community

Mark's commitment to growing the game extends far beyond private lessons. The Des Moines Driving Range hosts programs that put clubs in young hands at no cost and give Iowa high school teams a place to practice and learn.

  • Host facility for The First Tee of Central Iowa since 1996
  • Free instruction and range access for 20+ high schools and 40+ teams each season
  • Youth programs with Polk County Sheriff's deputies, refugees, and community partners at no cost to participants
  • TopTracer technology available free to every range visitor
  • Any Iowa Section PGA member welcome to teach at the facility
Notable Students

Champions Mark has helped develop

Jack Newman

2008 U.S. Amateur Public Links Champion · Michigan State

Mike McCoy

2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur Champion

Sean McCarty

PGA Professional · Iowa PGA Match Play Champion

Character & Resilience

The 2024 Deacon Palmer Award

In 2024, the PGA of America honored Mark with the national Deacon Palmer Award, recognizing a professional who displays outstanding integrity, character, and leadership while overcoming major obstacles in life. After a serious injury in 1990, Mark rebuilt his competitive game and qualified for the PGA TOUR's 1995 John Deere Classic at age 40. His comeback story reflects the same resilience he brings to every student on the lesson tee.