The Story
Richard McDonald discovered his passion for golf as an adult in 2003. Born in Dallas and raised in Forney, TX, he played baseball, basketball, and football as a kid, everything except golf. He played baseball at Forney High School and at the University of Dallas, and joined the UD golf team for the 2004-2005 season, his senior year.
After graduating, Richard spent nine years in the corporate world. He was working a job for money, and he knew it. The final straw came when he was set to receive a promotion, one that came with a desk overlooking a beautifully manicured golf course in Florida. It felt like a cruel joke: he'd be spending his days staring at the course instead of playing it. That was the moment he knew what he actually wanted.
Train like an athlete, not a hobbyist
Fundamentals that hold up under pressure
Richard builds mechanics that survive contact with a scorecard, a bet, or a tournament round.
Be coached, not just instructed
There's a difference between someone who corrects your form and being coached by someone who competes alongside you.
Every athlete has already built the stuff that actually wins at golf: discipline, repetition, performing under pressure, coachability. Richard's job isn't to start from scratch. It's to translate what you already have into a golf swing.
01
Individual, not generic
There's no one-size-fits-all method here. Every student brings different skills to the game, and those skills have value.
02
Practice with a purpose
Hitting balls without a plan isn't practice, it's just motion. Every session builds toward something specific.
03
Fundamentals first, always
Skip the fundamentals and you're just patching problems. Build them right, and the rest of the game gets easier to learn.
04
You deserve competitive coaching
If you came from sports where effort and results were connected, you'll feel that same standard here.
The Logo
The Pin High Golf Academy Logo is inspired by a teaching concept that applies to most golfers. Inspired by years of teaching experience and meant to succinctly encapsulate a primary swing technique that needs to be understood by any aspiring golfer.
The image deliberately depicts the moment after impact where the clubhead has to have rotated enough for a desirable outcome. My intent is for my arms to swing through enough to cover the glove on my left hand. If executed, the shot outcomes will be safe at the very least, and at most, potentially in the hole covering the glove signifies the golfers intent for intentional rotation in the appropriate amount. Deliberately moving the club with intentional rotation is the plan for every shot in golf. While the execution rate will always be less than 100. The goal to capture the highest percentage possible will always remain.
The résumé behind the coaching
2015
Highlands Performance Golf Center
Joined the team in Carrollton, TX.
2017
Full-Time PGA Instructor
Made the leap official, coaching full-time at The Highlands.
2021
PGA of America Member
Earned full PGA membership in September 2021.
2022
Mizuno Brand Ambassador
Named a Mizuno ambassador, March 2022.
ongoing
North Texas PGA Competitor
Regularly competes in North Texas PGA Section and Chapter events, still playing the game he teaches.
Mentored by Billy Beverley, Mark Maness, Eldridge Miles, and Suti Siewsurut.