SOU’s Horstman makes Golf Digest list

Noah Horstman, head coach for the SOU men’s and women’s golf teams, has been included in Golf Digest’s listing of “Best Teachers in Every State for 2026-27,” as voted by golf-instructing peers.

Horstman, who operates the Golf Garage in Phoenix in addition to his SOU coaching duties, is one of eight instructors included in Golf Digest’s list for Oregon. He was picked in 2022 to build the SOU men’s and women’s teams as the programs’ first head coach.

He graduated from South Medford High School and Pacific University – where he was an All-Northwest Conference golfer – and has earned a variety of awards for golf instruction. He is a recipient of the Pacific Northwest PGA Youth Player Development Award, and has been named a Top 50 US Kids Coach and a Top 50 Growth of the Game Teaching Professional by the Golf Range Association of America.

Horstman was head coach for the men’s and women’s programs at Willamette University from 2009-13, taking them from last place in their conference to top-25 teams at the NCAA Division III level.

He then served as the director of instruction and player development at Beechmont Country Club in Cleveland, Ohio, for six years – four times being listed as Golf Digest’s Best Teacher in the State and twice being named Northern Ohio Section PGA Teacher of the Year. He returned in 2019 to the Rogue Valley, where he chose Phoenix as the location for his Golf Garage – a membership instruction and fitness facility. It offers 24-hour key-card access, fitness coaching, Pilates, Oregon’s largest indoor putting green and golfing resources such as swing coaches and mental training programs.

Horstman is one of just two golf instructors from outside of the Portland area who were named to this year’s “Best Teachers” list for Oregon by Golf Digest.