by Marilyn Miller & Jennifer Thomas
Blake Thomas, a native of Minden, PGA member and the current Director of Instruction at Monterey Peninsula Country Club in Pebble Beach, CA, is coming back to Minden and bringing a new event with him. He will be offering golf lessons at the 50th Anniversary of the Minden St. Jude Auction on Feb. 6-9, 2025.
“Blake shared this idea with me out of his desire to come back and give back in some way to the community he grew up in and where his love for golf began,” said his mother, Jennifer Thomas.
It didn’t take long for all of the plans for “Swing for a Cure” to start coming together. The Minden Foundation quickly came on board and will co-sponsor the event. Sign-ups will be available through their website: mindenfoundation.org
Minden Foundation board member, Andy Pendergrass, said, “I am thrilled that Blake has chosen to give his time and expertise so generously to help the Minden St. Jude Auction’s fundraising efforts. In the PGA world, Blake has been recognized as a top instructor, so I’m also thrilled for people in our area to have the opportunity to receive a caliber of golf instruction that they could not get unless they were willing to travel a long way. I hope kids and adults will take advantage of this great opportunity to experience elite level golf instruction and help the MSJ Auction at the same time.”
Things to know:
- Lessons will take place at the Minden Presbyterian Church gymnasium on Broadway and are open to anyone ages 8 & up
- All lessons will be indoors using video analysis and Trackman 4 launch monitor. Students will receive a video review and Trackman report detailing their plan for improvement.
- Dates and times will be:
Friday, Feb. 7 from 8-noon and 1-6 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 8 from 8-noon and 1-6 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 9 from 1-6 p.m.;
- Minimum donations will be $75 for a half-hour lesson and $150 for an hour lesson with ALL proceeds going to St. Jude
Blake grew up playing golf with his parents, Tim & Jennifer Thomas, and on occasion his grandfather, Ronnie Shuler. Starting when he was 12 years old, he and his friends would play golf at Pine Hills Country Club any chance they could. “I would drop him off and he would stay all day,” said his mother, Jennifer Thomas.
The young golf enthusiast developed into a talented player for the Minden High School Golf Team and also played on the Centenary College Golf Team. He worked in the pro shops at Shreveport Country Club and Southern Trace Country Club. While at Southern Trace, he began his pursuit of his Professional Golf Association (PGA) certification, which he obtained in 2012. Since then, he has worked at Dominion Valley Country Club in Haymarket, VA; Belfair Country Club in Bluffton, SC (where he discovered his love for teaching); University Club in Baton Rouge, LA, where he was the Director of instruction; and Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD.
While at the University Club in Baton Rouge, Blake was awarded the 2020 Gulf States Section “Teacher of the Year” and “Player Development” awards. While at Congressional Country Club, he was recognized as one the 2023 “Best Teachers in Maryland” and was recognized by Golf Digest as one of the best young teachers in America, 2023-24. He was recently recognized again by Golf Digest as one of the best young teachers in America for 2025-26.
Blake said this about coming back to Minden, “I am looking forward to coming back home and helping support St. Jude with this new event. Get signed up, bring your clubs and join me as we “Swing for a Cure.”
If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Jennifer Thomas at 318-470-9507.