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New Youth Instructor UNLV News
REFLECTION BAY GOLF CLUB JOELS MAKES IT BACK-TO-BACK
WOMEN’S NEVADA STATE TITLES
eflection Bay Golf Club at Lake Las Vegas Resort has appoint-
ed golf professional Nicole Dutt-Roberts as its new youth in- ising UNLV sophomore Veronica Joels has displayed her epic
Rstructor. Dutt-Roberts, joins an elite team of coaches at the golf talents many years at the junior and high school levels
club’s High Performance Golf Institute (HPGI), including PGA pros Rand after winning the Nevada State Women’s Amateur for the
Craig Barlow and Jeff Gallagher. second-straight year, it is clear she is the state’s top female amateur. Joels
“Nicole is an important addition to what is becoming a great base for shot 72-73—145 to defeat Jill Beglin by nine strokes this summer at Toi-
young golfers here in Southern Nevada,” said Eric Dutt, Reflection Bay yabe Golf Club in Washoe. Also winning state titles were Darla Smyth
Golf Club’s manager of operations and Dutt-Roberts’ brother. “She offers (Silver State Gross) and Robin Rakusin (Silver State Net).
an extensive background in college-level and professional golf and will “Everything was going really well,” says Joels, who played high school
help continue what has already been a very successful first year for the golf at Meadows in Las Vegas. “I was really consistent. It was just a lot
golf academy.” of fun. I’m chipping really well right now. Every time I would miss the
“I’m excited about this opportunity to be out here and getting these green, I’d chip it up, make the putt and move on.”
kids excited about a sport that has brought me so much joy,” Dutt-Rob- Her UNLV family was thrilled with the victory and celebrated it as
erts said. “I love working with the youngsters. The smiles on their faces only the younger generation can. “They are posting about it on Insta-
when they get the ball airborne for the first time or make their first putt gram,” Joels says. “Coach (Amy Bush-Herzer) was really hyping it up,
is priceless. It makes me really love what I do every day.” that’s for sure.”
Dutt-Roberts started competing on the golf course when she was 12
years old and went on to play at the collegiate level for Weber State Uni- Veronica Joels
versity in the early 1980s. She played in a variety of local amateur tour-
naments, including the 1986 Nevada State Amateur where she claimed
the title. She turned pro in 1990 and earned her PGA status eight years
later while working for her mentor and PGA pro, Jerry Roberts, as a golf
instructor at Spanish Trail Country Club.
She now coaches at Red Rock Arroyo Golf Club and for Southern
Nevada Junior Golf Association’s “First on Course” developmental pro-
gram in addition to her work with Reflection Bay.
Dutt-Roberts said she expanded her coaching services to Reflection
Bay’s new golf academy to help the club further its mission to improve
the game for young golfers and aspiring professionals. She is the leading
coach for the academy’s youngest athletes who are learning the basics
of golfing.
In conjunction with her professional coaching career, Dutt-Roberts
volunteers with SNJGA, co-captaining their top two teenage girls’ trav-
eling teams each summer. Dutt-Roberts supports the athletes on and off
the golf course and offers swing and course management advice when
needed.

www.highperformancegolf.net, www.reflectionbaygolf.com

Reflection Bay Golf Club Nicole Dutt-Roberts Darla Smyth Robin Rakusin

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