Kelley has spent the last 40 years in the golf industry as both a top notched player, a golf professional and a business woman. Her career has included the teaching of 40,000 golf lessons, television appearances, ownership of golf venues, ownership of entertainment venues, ownership of restaurants/catering venues and more.

 

 

Thanks to family friends and mentors Butch Harmon, Craig Bunker (Jacobs School of Golf) and Scott Bunker Kelley found a passion and love for golf. Due to their instruction and support, Kelley turned professional in 1991 and has given over 40,000 golf lessons since then.

 

Among her junior career highlights, Kelley won the Iowa High School State Championship, the Iowa State Junior Championship, competed successfully on the national junior tours, (including the USGA and AJGA) and qualified twice for the LPGA Rail Charity Classic, making her the only high school student in the field of professionals. 

 

After high school, Kelley received a full scholarship to University of Iowa. While at U of I, Kelley was selected to both the All-Big 10 Team and the University World Cup Team, which competed against the world in Sardinia, Italy.

 

After leaving University of Iowa, Kelley turned professional and competed on The Future’s Tour and the Player’s West Tour. After a year of competition, Kelley moved to New Jersey. In 1992, she began teaching at Port Imperial Driving Range in Weehawken, NJ.

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In 1993, Kelley began teaching at the Staten Island Golf Practice Center on Staten Island. She quickly built her business into a highly successful career. In the past 22 years, Kelley has done many things to change the face of golf and recreation in NYC.

 

Recognizing that there was a void in women’s golf, she created the Kelley Brooke Women’s Golf Clinics, The Winter Strength Training Program (held at the South Shore Jewish Community Center), The Kelley Brooke Winter Golf School for Women and created a private lesson program for more than 1000 women per year. She also created a Psychology of Golf Program for men and women to follow.

 

One of her proudest accomplishments is the formation of the not-for-profit NYC Junior Golf Club, Inc. Recognizing that youth golf in New York City wasn’t as strong as it could be, Kelley created the not-for-profit entity. The club services economically disadvantaged youth along with the average junior golfer. Besides providing instruction, the club provides an eight-week golf league, Pee Wee Tournaments (ages 6-8), a club championship and an awards dinner. Recently, a scholarship program (The Shawn Hicks Memorial Scholarship Program) was started awarding four deserving members of the club with $500 savings bonds each. Currently the organization has 150 members.

 

Following her passion for junior golf, Kelley created the Police Athletic League Golf Program, writing an instructional booklet and educating volunteers on how to teach kids golf. The P.A.L. is a city-wide program that services over 4,000 NYC youth. The Metropolitan New York Park and Recreation Society, Inc. gave Kelley the Community Volunteer Award for her work with junior golf and her involvement with the Police Athletic League. Each year Kelley donates her golf ranges to the Police Athletic League for their golf activities.

 

In 2000 Kelley created the Kelley Brooke Junior Golf Camp. During it’s first two years the camp was sponsored by Coca-Cola. During the next two years Mc Donald’s held the sponsorship title.

 

During the winter months, Kelley conducted The Kelley Brooke Winter Golf School at Sportsfest on Staten Island. Over 100 kids attended each year.

 

The MET PGA Golf in Schools Program partnered with Kelley in 2004, asking her to become the borough Director. As a result, over 6 high school teams were given weekly clinics and practice time in the Spring of 2005.  In the same year, Kelley began working with the City Parks Foundation.

 

The NYC Board of Education asked Kelley to help them develop a “Fit for Life” Program for children with disabilities in 2000. Kelley donated her time to educate teachers on how to modify the golf swing to accommodate their student population. As a result, over 1,000 children with disabilities throughout the five boroughs have had an opportunity to play a game that would never have been presented to them.

 

Through her work with the “Fit for Life” program, Kelley created the District 75 Summer Golf Program. Unbelievably, children in wheelchairs, children with Autism, children with Down’s Syndrome and children with Cerebral Palsy now play golf weekly throughout the summer. The program has grown to include more than 45 schools, city wide. Now 1500 children meet each week at Randall’s Island Golf Center for organized clinics.

 

In 1998, Kelley wrote a monthly instructional article for the national golf magazine, Junior Golf Magazine. Kelley has also been dubbed “The Apostle of Junior Golf” by one local sportswriter for her tireless devotion to the junior golf cause.

 

In 1997, Kelley was published in Golf Digest. Her instructional tip appeared in the March 1998 issue. She also created, produced and hosted an instructional golf television program called On the Tee with Kelley Brooke. The 26- week season originally aired on Staten Island Cable, but was also viewed in Brooklyn, New Jersey and Kelley’s home state of Iowa.

 

In 2002, Kelley created an after-work golf league for adult golfers. The NYC Golf League ran for ten weeks on South Shore Golf Course on Staten Island.

 

In May of 2002, Kelley volunteered her time to the Staten Island University Hospital on The National Amputee Golf Association’s First Swing Program. As a result, Kelley now works in the NYC Department of Education’s Adaptive Physical Education Program, advising staff on adaptive techniques for children with physical handicaps.

 

In 2001, Kelley was also honored by The Soroptimist International of Staten Island, as a Woman of Distinction. She was honored at the “Making a Difference for Women Awards” luncheon. The “Boy Scouts of America” presented Kelley the “Woman of Achievement” award, for her work with New York’s youth in 2007.

 

In 2004, Kelley was awarded the Federal concession of managing Brooklyn Golf Center (the only driving range in Brooklyn) and Riis Park Golf Course. This undertaking was a huge accomplishment for Kelley. The contract called for the management of a 76-stall golf range, a food concession, an 18-hole par three golf course, a miniature golf course, around $1 million dollars of capital improvements and the development of youth and adult golf programs.  

 

Her company, Global Golf Services, was facing the task of not only building a new business, complete with clinics, camps, birthday parties, golf outings, etc., but of removing batting cages, tennis courts and old buildings. After demolition, they were to build new putting greens, target greens, heated stalls, a clubhouse, new trees, grass tees, a lesson studio and stadium lighting on the golf course. By year two, 80% of the renovations were completed, all without closing the facilities. While all the capital improvements were taking place, customers continued to play golf at Riis Park Golf Course and practice at the driving range. Additionally, children’s camps, adult and junior clinics, golf outings and birthday parties were hosted without interruption. In the three years that Kelley acted as managing partner, she was able to increase gross sales by almost 45%.

 

In 2005, Kelley was voted one of the Top 50 Golf Instructors in the country by Golf Range Magazine.

 

During the summer of 2006, Kelley formed a new company, North Shore Golf Group, and put a bid in to operate the busiest driving range in the country. She successfully won the contract for Alley Pond Golf Center and started operations June 1, 2007.

 

In 2008, North Shore Golf Group/Randall’s Island Golf Group started its newest endeavor; the renovation and operation of the distressed 25-acre property Randall’s Island Golf Center in Manhattan, NY. Understanding that golf was declining nationwide and that the country was in The Great Recession, Kelley added new, creative revenue streams; a Beer Garden and Grill, a 4,000 Corporate Event Space, a sports camp, live music, entertainment, festivals and an array of activities. After a name change (new name- Randall’s Island Golf & Entertainment) the new facility was ready for business. In just 5 years Kelley and her team were able to increase gross sales significantly from the first year’s sales. The total facility’s gross sales increased 51%. The Beer Garden and Grill increased gross receipts 257% after the first year and the event business grew 574% after the initial year, proving that through superior management and innovation any business can continue to grow even in a recession.

 

In 2018 Kelley was awarded the rights to operate the number 8 Best Public golf Course in the world, Bethpage Golf Course. Kelley and her team will handle golf operations at the five course venue until 2038.

 

In the spring of 2018, the LPGA Teaching and Club Division placed Kelley on the Continuing Education Committee.

 

In the Fall of 2018 Kelley was awarded the honor of LPGA T&CP Professional of the Year.

 

Kelley was awarded A Citation of Honor by Borough President Helen Marshal for her work with the District 75 Work Study Program. Each day students with Special Needs work at both Alley Pond and Randall’s performing various jobs. The program is in place to teach these student’s life skills and job training so that they will be able to find employment after graduation.

 

In 2010, The NYC Mayor’s Office and the Commission on Women’s Issues selected Kelley as a woman who has made a difference during “Women in History Month”.

Kelley guest appeared on The Travel Channel’s “Hotel Impossible”, acting as the golf expert when the show remodeled hotels with golf courses.

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In 2015 Kelley joined the NBC/Golf Channel team as a lead instructor and regularly appears on the NBC/Golf Channel and their digital platforms. Kelley quickly built a successful City-wide golf school which operates in Manhattan, Staten Island and Brooklyn and instructs over 3,000 people per year.

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In 2012 Kelley produced, wrote and hosted two golf television shows called “Golfing NYC Style” and “The 19th Hole”, also on Time Warner Cable. “Golfing NYC Style” was part celebrity interview and part celebrity golf lesson show.

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In addition to contributing instructional content to websites, Kelley is a monthly instructional feature writer for Golfing Magazine.

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In 2018 Kelley was appointed the LPGA Committee Chairperson that oversees the 12,000 member LPGA Amateur Association. Kelley also appears on the LPGA Women’s Network, providing instructional content.

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Currently Kelley is a partner in Premier Golf Partners, LLC. which operates numerous woman centered golf experiences including Legendary Golf Getaways (LegendaryGolfGetaway.com) The Bethpage/LPGA Legends Celebrity Pro Am and Women Of Course Corporate events.

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