SACRAMENTO, Calif. – On the eve of Father’s Day, St. Francis golf coach Bert Jones remembers a piece of advice his father once told him “that you should always leave the game a little bit better than you found it”.

He lives daily by those words and they are a major reason why has been selected one of the Top 100 Instructors for 2019-20 by the World Teachers Golf Federation. The list will be published in the upcoming June 2018 issue of Teaching Pro Magazine. 

“Given the ups and downs of my health I have great gratitude for this new honor,” said Jones, who will enter his third season with St. Francis this fall. “For me this about is the recognition of all my efforts, and finding a place with top World Golf Teacher Federation instructors.”

Jones has played the game of golf for 54 years and taught more than 10,000 lessons over his career. He is a contributing writer for Teaching Pro Magazine, an Examiner for the United States Golf Teachers Federation (USGTF) and the Northwest Director and has accumulated 15+ teaching certifications.

“The game of golf never ceases to amaze me about what I don’t know,” said Jones. “It is the hardest game on the planet and the most perplexing. I sometimes feel overwhelmed!”

Jones has led the Troubadours to back-to-back Delta League Championships and has been named the League Coach of the Year after each season. The team has advanced to Sac-Joaquin Section Masters each season and reached the CIF Northern California Regionals in 2016.

“Coach Jones is always well prepared to excel in his endeavors,” said St. Francis Athletics Director Mark McGreevy. “His love of the game and desire to serve others through golf is evident in his continuing education to instruct his golfers while preparing them for both competition and life.”

Jones takes the responsibility of improving the game to heart and makes extensive plans and goals. Among his immediate objectives is to expand and strengthen the St. Francis Golf program, write a book on putting and improve the content of the USGTF Certification program. He will continue as a contributing writer for Teaching Pro Magazine and hope to launch putting and short game certification programs with the USGTF.

“As a teacher I have a responsibility to adhere my father’s advice,” said Jones. “That should keep me busy for a while …… and maybe someday someone will say Bert left the game better than he found it.”

He already has. Jones’ next task at St. Francis is golf team tryouts starting with a Meet and Greet on August 13 at Haggin Oaks.