Bill Shriver
Co-Director of Instruction at the Shriver Golf Academy
Bill Shriver has been a PGA member since 1994. He started playing golf as a child with his father, played college golf at West Virginia University, and then became a golf professional. He worked in West Virginia, as an Assistant Golf Professional for 6 years, then as a Head Golf Professional for 8 years. Bill wore many hats at his jobs in West Virginia, doing everything from cart maintenance to shoe shining to merchandising to tournaments. He worked in atmospheres where he was the one responsible for more than the usual professional. Bill later moved to Florida, and worked for the Wally Armstrong Golf Academy, Diamondback Golf Club, the Ken Venturi Golf Academy, and currently is the Director of Instruction at the Shriver Golf Academy, which he owns and operates with his partner, Pat McClanan- Shriver.
Bill has many unique skills that he brings to the table as a Teaching Professional. Bill has worked for many years while maintaining a busy tournament schedule. He played in 5 Nationwide Tour events, 4 PGA tour events, and 4 National Club Professional Championships, all while working as an instructor with these various golf academies. Bill won the North Florida PGA Section Player of the Year in 1999 while teaching at Diamondback Golf Club. He is able to work with his students, preparing them for tournaments, with expertise as a player, that many instructors do not have. Bill has coached Canadien Tour Player Rob Johnson and Dave Rummels. Currently, Bill is coaching junior player, Connor Campbell, with Pat McClanan- Shriver, and has been instrumental in Connor’s success because of his other area of expertise and club fitting.
Golfers come from all over our area and beyond to have Bill club fit them. Shriver has been named PING clubfitter of the Year in 2007, and is recommended by PING. Bill has other PGA professionals in our local area that send their students to him to be fitted and then the students go back to their clubs to make the equipment purchase. When teaching, the first thing that is done is clubfitting. Shriver believes that the most important thing for the student is to start with the proper equipment. Students clubs are routinely adjusted by Bill, while they are on the range during the lesson. Bill had a Loft and Lie Machine that he uses every day and adjusts approximately 20 sets of irons per week during our Florida high season. Bill also does club repair, routinely changes shafts, does re-gripping, and whatever the student may need to have the perfect set of clubs for themselves. Senior players, ladies, and juniors all receive custom fitting. Bill is really good at deciding what loft drivers players need and that makes a big difference in their games. Senior golfers have renewed energy about their golf games when Bill properly fits them with the correctly lofted driver for them. Seniors are always pleasantly surprised when they are able to hit the ball higher and further with the right driver, fit by Shriver.
Connor Campbell, a 10 year old, went to the 2008 U.S. Kids World Championships in both Gullane Scotland and Pinehurst, N.C., has custom fit PING equipment that Bill handmand for him. Bill customized a PING set of G-2 adult clubs, by adjusting the length and lies, gave him the proper putter length to fit him, just the right driver (length, shaft , loft , grip), wedges with specifications to fit him, and Connor has been hugely successful because of his special set of clubs.
Bill currently has a very full schedule between lessons, golf schools, clinics, clubfitting and repair, tournaments, and volunteering. He gives a Junior Clinic and Ladies Clinic every Saturday, 10 a.m. Quick Fix clinics on Tuesdays and Fridays that are adult co-ed. Bill gives 25 lessons a week, fits all golf school, clinic, junior students, and all McClanan Shriver’s students (35-40 private lessons per week), and has golf schools weekly with students from around the world. Bill schedules 1, 2, and 3 day schools while doing private lessons, clinics, and clubfitting/club repair.
He is doing golf schools every week during the busy season, and some in the off season, while competing on tournaments. This June, Bill will compete in his 5th National Club Professional Championship. Bill also volunteers at Belleair Elementary School, in Clearwater, Florida, participating in the Great American Teach-In, National Walk to School Day, and played Santa Clause at Belleair Elementary School’s Holiday Evening event, having families who could not afford to go elsewhere for pictures with Santa, sit on his lap (about 100 families) and have their picture with Santa. Bill spent three years taking a small group of children out to play golf each Wednesday afternoon, with McClanan Shriver’s son, Drew, for free, so that Drew, who is developmentally delayed, could have social interaction with other children and play golf. Drew is now able to play 18 holes, wait his turn, keep score, and enjoy the game because of the time spent with Bill on the course. The 3 other children are all playing tournament golf in the Tampa Bay area, the Premier Tour, Greater Tampa Junior Golf Association, and Suncoast Jr Tour events, because of their time spent with Bill on the course.