Simon Holmes Facts: 15 Things To Know About The Golf Coach And Sky Sports Presenter

Holmes working alongside Darren Clarke at the Smurfit European Open in 1995

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 21 November 2024

Regular live golf viewers will be familiar with Simon Holmes and his coaching tips and advice. He’s often on television on a Sunday evening in the UK, when Sky Sports golf shows live coverage of the PGA Tour.

During these stints, Holmes takes his place in the studio to analyse the players’ swings to give viewers more of an insight as to how the best players in the world execute certain shots.

Holmes is also a busy man away from the camera. Get to know him a little better with these facts…

1. Holmes has worked with a long list of professional golfers over the years (over 80), including Sir Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, Retief Goosen, Robert Karlsson, Ernie Els, Barry Lane, Darren Clarke, Lee Westwood, Thomas Bjorn, Ian Woosnam, Soren Hansen, Jasper Parnevik, Joakim Haeggman, Bernhard Langer, and Suzann Pettersen.

2. He has previously said that he learnt the most about coaching from Faldo, the “most focused and best prepared player of his era.”

3. He's a disciple of David Leadbetter, the man behind much of Faldo's success.

4. Holmes spent most of his youth playing at Helensburgh Golf Club, before he went to study in America.

5. He attended Wake Forest University in North Carolina, which is where the late, great Arnold Palmer also studied.

6. In 1986, he broke both wrists after hitting a tree stump in the British Amateur Championship.

7. In 1988, he left college and went to Leadbetter's academy at Lake Nona near Orlando in Florida.

Simon Holmes coaches Seve Ballesteros — Holmes on the range with Seve Ballesteros at the 1993 Open Championship

8. Holmes once reached the last 16 of the Scottish Amateur Championship.

9. He founded Simon Holmes Golf Academy in 1992, and he teaches golfers of all abilities, from beginners to tour professionals.

10. He has also taught at The Wisley, a private club south of London, England.

11. Holmes is the Chief Tuition Officer for Your Golf Travel.

12. He was coaching Langer at the time the German won The Masters in 1993.

13. Holmes was also coaching Faldo when the Englishman reeled in arch rival Greg Norman to win the 1996 Masters.

14. He’s a big fan of links golf, and says Turnberry would be up there with his favorite tracks.

15. He says his favorite golf destination to go to with his wife and two sons is Verdura Golf Resort in Sicily.

Michael has been with Golf Monthly since 2008. As a multimedia journalist, he has also worked for The Football Association, where he created content to support the men's European Championships, The FA Cup, London 2012, and FA Women's Super League. As content editor at Foremost Golf, Michael worked closely with golf's biggest equipment manufacturers, and has developed an in-depth knowledge of this side of the industry. He's now a regular contributor, covering instruction, equipment and feature content. Michael has interviewed many of the game's biggest stars, including six world number ones, and has attended and reported on many Major Championships and Ryder Cups. He's a member of Formby Golf Club.

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