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Just last week a good buddy of mine from my high school golf team gave me a call. He hasn’t played much golf over the last 10 years, but he is starting to play more because of his job. Occasionally he will have to play with customers and company golf tournaments. He asked me if I could recommend any good golf professionals for him to work with on his game. I told him that I could help him during the winter months, but during the year I am traveling a bunch so it would be tough to meet with him on a consistent basis. I recommended two teachers that I have worked with and that I feel comfortable with referring a student. I also told him about 10th green.
After I got off the phone with him I thought about how difficult it is to find quality instruction. Most golfers will take lessons from the teacher at his or her home course, but how would they know if this person is good, bad or terrible. I have been around golf for fifteen years and I would only refer students to maybe 5 or 6 teachers in my area. A lot of times it is the luck of the draw on weather you find a quality teacher. Unfortunately, I have had a few substandard golf lessons in my life and I would like to share one in particular that is sure to make you laugh.
About three years ago I was between teachers and I had heard some players at a southern California mini tour event talk about a teacher that they had been working with. He was a well known instructor in the area so I decided to give him a call and set up a time to work with him. So I show up two weeks later to meet with this teacher. He was booked for two weeks solid. Anyway, we introduce ourselves and begin the lesson. Ten minutes into the lesson he calls me Josh instead of Jason. I figured it was an honest mistake so I politely corrected him and he apologized. Later during the lesson he called me Josh again. This started to upset me because I was paying a lot of money for this lesson and the teacher couldn’t even remember my name. Earlier in the lesson I thought that I smelled a hint of alcohol on his breath, but I wasn’t sure. He had a few things to say about my golf swing and I was willing to let the scent of alcohol and name calling slide. Then he cut my hour long lesson short because he had to answer his cell phone during our lesson. At this point I was no longer in any mood to keep working with this clown. I reluctantly paid the clown for the lesson and never went back.
I would like to think that this experience is rare, but I think it happens more than we think. Many instructors are so booked that their students don’t receive the necessary attention that is deserved. Golf instruction is not cheap and students should receive quality instruction for their money. I was just wondering if I am the only one who has had a terrible experience with a golf instructor. Let me know if you can top the Jack Daniels golf pro who can’t remember your name and thinks an hour is 45 minutes.
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