Roy Khoury

In The Swing

Roy Khoury and studentGolf evokes visions of putting greens and driving ranges, but Roy Khoury ’04 (B.S. kinesiology) is one of the few looking to transform the world of golf by incorporating fitness and exercise into golfers’ training regimens.

Khoury has evolved from a physical therapist’s aide to the president of RFK Training and a Titleist Performance Institute-certified golf trainer since graduating from Cal State Fullerton.

“I always imagined working for myself,” Khoury said. “I realized that working in a typical gym with a bunch of equipment is not where I wanted to be.”

He was able to combine his passion for golf with personal training when he founded his company three years ago. His training strays from the traditional gym experience by assessing the individual’s needs.

“Golf is really the last sport to include fitness,” Khoury noted. “A ‘new school’ crowd was beginning to embrace exercise as being a good thing for golf, and I saw an opportunity to be at the forefront of change.”

Khoury incorporates four key elements into his training: stability, mobility, coordination and strength with a focus on functional movement. “I began to realize that the entire body is a unit,” he said. “Personal training was an alternative that allowed me to help people through movement.”

One professional Khoury works with is Glenn Deck, director of instruction at Pelican Hills Golf Club in Newport Coast. “We have a shared belief about focusing on functional movement and evaluating individuals,” Deck said. “Almost any person can benefit from it and will perform better.”

Khoury works alongside PGA instructors, physical therapists and chiropractors to improve the overall quality of a golfer’s game. He has trained current Titan women’s golfer Felicia Titus, as well as CSUF alumnus Geno Effler ’77 (B.A. communications), who played on the men’s golf team while a student.

“Bottom line is, if there is a movement pattern that needs to be improved upon, I will help it,” Khoury said. “This is what I love to do.” end of story