“With beginners, I do concentrate on getting motion into the swing,” says Dougherty, “but I also place emphasis on learning to chip, pitch and putt.” Dougherty adds that his intermediate level players are taught to get the club on plane by practicing from 100 yards out with wedges. For advanced golfers, it’s short game, short game, short game, according to Dougherty.

“I practice my own game about 40 minutes every day with all clubs,” says Dougherty, “but prior to playing a round of golf, I’ll hit 25-30 wedge shots, 10 7-irons to get the rhythm and 15 tee shots. Then I’ll putt for 20 minutes before teeing off.” Dougherty’s favorite shot to make is a wedge to a foot from 100 yards, but he doesn’t mind sinking 20-foot birdie putts, either.

One of the most challenging shots Dougherty has faced in his 40-year career was from thick trees during the Western Open qualifier. He had to hit a 150-yard “rope hook,” which landed three feet from the flag. Dougherty holed the putt to qualify. Having played golf for St. Joseph’s College and teed it up in numerous PGA events, Dougherty knows the pressures of competitive golf better than most. Though he admits bunker shots in the 40-yard range sometimes make him nervous, you can bet Dougherty has a shot for just about any situation, and he is able to relay this experience to his students with grace and clarity.

“I give my students and hour of fun, plus an understanding of what they are doing and what they need to be working on,” says Dougherty, who was selected as Carolina PGA Section Teacher of the Year in 1999. That same summer, a Special Olympics athlete Dougherty was working with won three of the four gold medals in golf at the 1999 World Games. “I love to see people improve,” adds Dougherty, “to see the look on a beginner’s face when they get the ball in the air. To see a Tour Professional look at you with an expression of understanding at what you were trying to convey.”

Dougherty’s typical students come looking for consistency. What he gives them is his undivided attention and a frank explanation of why they hit a good shot and why they hit a bad shot. Dougherty doesn’t cater to luck or superstitions in golf. “I got over that 20 years ago,” he says. He gives it to his students straight and is driven to help them improve and achieve their golf goals.