Creating Transformative Coach Education Experiences in Golf

Codebreakers RETREAT 2026

with special guest
Dr. Raymond Prior

October 26th - 27th, 2026
Skokie Country Club, Glencoe IL

Codebreakers Golf RETREAT Details

golf instruction, teaching, Dr. Raymond Prior, Dr. Mike Kay, golf lessons, retreat, improve your game, codebreakers, mark grace, rob failes, garrett chaussard, sean kennedy

We invite Dr. Raymond Prior to speak. Raymond is a performance coach like no other. His book - Golf Beneath the Surface - is a speeding comet on Amazon. The clarity in which Raymond communicates is unmistakable. The demand for Prior’s services extends into a multitude of sports as well as the entertainment industry.

I attended the inaugural Codebreakers Retreat in Charlottesville in 2023. It was one of the best experiences I’ve had as a student of the game and as a coach/instructor aiming to improve my craft.
The Codebreakers Team has done an amazing job cultivating some of the best minds in the industry with the intention of growing a community of coaches who share ideas, knowledge of the swing, and experiences in coaching/instruction.
If you are looking to elevate your coaching and want to meet likeminded professionals, I highly recommend joining us this February!
Luke Reilly
Director of Instruction, Chenal Country Club

Know all the theories, master all the techniques, but as you touch a human soul be just another human soul.

Carl Jung

The Codebreakers

Garrett Chaussard Bio

Garrett is recognized by the Illinois PGA as "The 2021 Teacher of the Year" and by GolfDigest as one of the "Best Young Teachers in America 2022-2023" and as one of the top six instructors in Illinois in GolfDigest's list of "Best Teachers in Every State 2024-2025."

Garrett has been teaching since 2009 and enjoys working with individuals at all ability levels on all areas of the game. He strives to provide each student with a simple and unique experience tailored to their individual needs. He has traveled the country attending the best continuing education seminars and obtaining technology certifications. He has networked with some of the best and innovative instructors in teaching and coaching.

Prior to teaching, Garrett played golf at the University of Illinois ('05). In 2005, Garrett was a second-team All-Big Ten selection and led the Illini with a 72.89 stroke average. During his 4-year Illini career, Garrett made Illinois' 5-man traveling roster for every tournament, a streak of 49 consecutive events. Chaussard wrapped up his Illini tenure ranked third on the school's career stroke average list at 73.82.

Garrett competed on the PGA Tour of Canada, and played in USGA events including the 2004 US Amateur at Winged Foot and the 2008 US Open Championship at Torrey Pines, in which Tiger Woods won his 3rd US Open & 14th major title.

Garrett won the 2018 Illinois PGA Match Play Championship at Kemper Lakes.

Garrett won the 2019 Bernardi Illinois PGA Player of the Year Award having won the 2019 Illinois PGA Match Play at Kemper Lakes for the second straight season, becoming just the fourth player to achieve this feat, won the 2019 Illinois PGA Stroke Play #3 at Onwentsia Club and won the 2019 Illinois PGA Stroke Play #4 at Stonewall Orchard Golf Club.

Garrett won the 2021 Bernardi Illinois PGA Player of the Year Award for the second time in three years having tied for 3rd place in the Illinois PGA Professional Championship at Ivanhoe Club, reaching the finals of the Illinois PGA Match Play Championship for an incredible 4th year in a row and taking 2nd place in the 2021 Illinois PGA Match Play Championship being narrowly defeated on the 17th hole of the final match.

Garrett made the final 54 hole-cut and after four grueling days of competition beat more than 75% of the professional golfers participating in the 2022 PGA Championship held on the golf courses of the Omni Barton Creek Resort in Austin, TX April 17-20, 2022.

In his free time, Garrett thinks about having a hobby, but is probably working on his own game as he still competes locally and nationally.

Robert Failes Bio

Rob Failes is the Player Development Leader at Boar’s Head Resort in Charlottesville, VA. He holds a bachelor’s of science degree from Clemson University’s PGA Golf Management Program and is a certified PGA Professional (A6) Instructor.

Rob additionally is a consultant to GameForge, Caddy Ai, Co-Hosts ‘The Golf Intervention’ Podcast and a Co-Founder of Codebreakers Golf.

Golf Digest has named Rob as one of the state’s top instructors (#4) and one of the top instructors under 40 in America. Rob additionally has spoken at numerous teaching and coaching summits including Coach Camp, Carolinas & MAPGA Section Teaching and Coaching Summits as well as Clemson and NC State University’s PGA Golf Management Programs.

Mark Grace Bio

Mark Grace Golf brings over 29 years of teaching experience to the lesson tee. Mark has taught players at Major Championships.

Mark’s Work highlights include:

Director of Instruction at Colonial Country Club
Director of Junior Development at Ridgeway Country Club
Director at Memphis Golf Association,
Lead Teaching professional at Irene Country Club
Mark Grace Golf Academy owner and director.

Mark continues to be an advocate/counselor to players and teachers across the world. He also has an online presence on the Skillest platform. Mark continues to learn, travel, organize seminars with the Codebreakers golf team of Robbie Failes, Sean Kennedy, Garrett Chaussard.

Sean Kennedy Bio

Sean Kennedy
PGA Lead Coach
The Cliffs at Mountain Park

Sean is a continuous learner he went back to Charleston, SC, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics. Sean was also a member of the Men’s golf team at College of Charleston while earning his degrees. After failing at playing professional golf, he sought out guidance from Tommy Cuthbert who was then the Director of Golf at the esteemed Kiawah Island Golf Resort. He gave Sean his first job in the golf business in 1994 and within three years Sean gained his PGA Class A status whilst working in the Philadelphia Section under the Director of Instruction, Eric MacCluen at Hartefeld National Golf Club.

At Hartefeld Sean was immersed in the teaching world. This gave Sean the opportunity to take what he learned at Hartefeld and implement it at the Cherokee Town and Country Club in Atlanta GA. Sean started honing his teaching philosophy that getting players on the golf course was a huge asset in them gaining an appreciation for how variable the game of golf is. As the Junior Golf Program at CTCC went from 43 participants to over 300 in three short seasons Sean was also learning from some of the best teachers and coaches in the world. He was fortunate to work closely with Russ Davis and Kevin Roman as team members CTCC. Having other great award-winning coaches on staff was a major help in developing an acute technical eye and fostered an environment where the team was committed to helping the membership enjoy the game more.

Sean’s teaching journey took a detour when he was named the Director of Golf at the Coundtry Club of the South. At CCOS he assisted with the development of the Mizuno/CCOS joint venture where 2016 Georgia PGA Teacher of the Year, Shawn Koch, was the Director of Instruction and Mizuno houses their United States research and development center. From CCOS Sean was offered the Head Pro position at The Cliffs at Glassy with hopes of becoming the Head Pro at High Carolina. As the economy changed Sean was lucky to walk through the door that was left open when the International Institute of Golf and then the PGA Tour Academy could not make their vision work at The Cliffs.

Codebreakers is the name that naturally came to the surface after many years of helping each other with clients. We set up a peer review system through an app, discussed possible approaches with each other’s clients, which naturally advanced into discussing theory. We were realizing the benefits of open minded discussion and thought to expand this idea by asking respected professors to come to our location and invite the top growth minded professionals to join us. So the Codebreakers brand is the precipitate of curiosity from Breaking Codes.

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