Derek Deminsky is a nationally acclaimed PGA golf instructor and the 2022 Southwest PGA Teacher of the Year. He currently serves as the Director of Instruction at Forty Niner Country Club in Tucson, Arizona, and is the Owner and Director of Instruction at Golf Better Tucson. With a reputation for innovation, dedication, and exceptional results, Derek has become one of the most sought-after golf instructors in the United States and internationally.
Born and raised in Rogers, Minnesota, Derek was introduced to the game early in life as part of a golfing family. He made the Elk River High School varsity golf team as a freshman—a team ranked #1 in Minnesota at the time. He continued his golf career at Central College in Pella, Iowa, where he played for two years and was named team MVP as a sophomore. Pursuing his dream of a career in golf, he enrolled at the Golf Academy of Arizona in Phoenix, where he excelled both on and off the course. Derek led the academy in tournament play with a scoring average of 69.25 and earned an Associate’s Degree in Golf Complex Operations and Management, along with certifications in Teaching, Tournament Operations, Club-Fitting, and Club-Repair.
Following graduation, Derek returned to Minnesota to work as an Assistant Professional at Pheasant Acres Golf Course under respected PGA instructor Steve Fessler. In 2008, he relocated to Tucson and joined Forty Niner Country Club as an Assistant Professional. He was quickly promoted to Head Golf Professional, where he gave countless lessons and clinics with remarkable student success. In 2011, he launched Golf Better Tucson to focus entirely on teaching. During a transition at Forty Niner, he briefly taught at GolfTEC, where he conducted hundreds of lessons and refined his teaching methodology.
Since returning to Forty Niner as Director of Instruction, Derek has taught over 2,500 golfers annually through private lessons, group clinics, online instruction, and camps. He was named the Southern Chapter PGA Teacher of the Year in 2017 and continues to develop his global reputation through social media. With over 135,000 Instagram followers and a weekly reach of more than 1.5 million, Derek’s instructional content has been viewed over 30 million times. He runs a growing online membership platform offering lessons and courses, and due to increasing demand, is launching a new platform to serve even more students.
Derek’s expertise in the short game and backspin has earned him recognition among the best in the industry. He was invited to present at Andrew Rice’s prestigious Coach Camp and is currently working on a spin-focused instructional project with Chris Como. His student roster includes over 30 players from the PGA Tour, LPGA, Korn Ferry Tour, PGA Tour Latinoamérica, European Tour, Asian Tour, and Champions Tour. Despite his teaching commitments, Derek still finds time to play in PGA Section and Chapter events and hosts the “Golf Better Podcast.”
Dedicated, innovative, and passionate about helping golfers of all levels improve, Derek Deminsky has established himself as a true leader in golf instruction, both in person and online. His relentless pursuit of excellence continues to elevate the standards of coaching in the sport.