What is a Golf Lesson really worth anyway??

What are Golf Lessons Worth anyway?

Ok…It’s true, you do get what you pay for…but only to a point.

Why am I writing about the cost of golf lessons?…Because they range from “free” to “ridiculous” and everywhere in-between. I remember as a newly minted (small p) “golf pro” I would listen to other Pros, read some books, study magazine articles, and try and make sense out of what I was hearing before regurgitating it to an unsuspecting client, who trusted me with his $40 bucks, and his golf game. This was in the early 90s and for the life of me I didn’t understand how I warranted $40.00/hour. Yes…I went to golf school, graduated on time, acquired my Class “A” status and became a Head Professional in the shortest amount of time you could do it, (in the present system). So why did I feel this way as an apprentice / assistant pro?

I remember honing my communication skills on Jr.s and beginners, I had written out a basic lesson plan, based on every other basic lesson plan I ever saw, (Grip / Stance / posture, blah blah) and while the lesson plans were similar, I made it up from there…I had to. Now I’m not knocking the educational system for Professional Golf Instructors (or maybe I am) we did learn how to run a Pro-Shop, buy from the merchandise show and suppliers, run a golf tournament, tee sheet, do books, keep track of inventory, fix and sell equipment, and most everything else required to run a golf shop for an owner or a board, or a committee…including food and beverage, but there was (is) one glaring omission.

Nobody EVER taught me (us) how to teach, what to teach first, in what sequence we should teach it for optimum retention, what words we should use and why, and what is the fastest way to create a level of competency in a new (or seasoned) golfer. After graduation, I was hired to teach in the program I just graduated from, so I got an inside view of the process. Now after you graduate your 3 year course, you can take a teaching and coaching certification course, of which I became a facilitator. OK here we go, let’s go learn how to do this! 

Disappointing is the word I use to describe the process; not that it was wrong, or made false statements, but it was more about the psychology of teaching than the act of teaching itself. We discussed how we would talk to a Lawyer as compared to a Plumber, which approach would work best with an endomorph, vs. an ectomorph, (body styles and shapes). We discussed coaching of elite athletes, nutrition, cross training exercises etc…but nothing on why we grip the club the way we do, or anything else actually. We did have a guest lecturer or 2 on teaching, I remember one Pro said (and I never forgot this) “never do anything at the expense of balance”. Excellent advice, but nothing on how to maintain balance, or what things throw it off…

At the conclusion of the course, I left the new instructors with the only piece of advice I could (that was not in the curriculum) “When you say anything to a client, be prepared to have an immediate, solid, and common sense answer when the student asks…why?”  something I’ve prided myself on as a teacher of the game. 

I think we should have our own Hippocratic Oath…”First, do no harm” , but I believe that ship has sailed. A golf instructor (like any professional instructor) should be able to back up what is said, in easy to understand terms that make sense to the client, without contradicting or convoluting the message. 

Anyone who wears the PGA logo is “allowed” to teach and charge (what the market will bear) for golf lessons, but only about 10% are classified as Teaching Professionals, who make it their business to know their craft well enough to to warrant the designation “Teaching Professional”. 

Just because you’re getting paid, does not make you a Professional in all cases. Then there are the federations of “Golf Teachers”, who take a course, shoot a score, and are then certified to charge (what the market will bear) to pass the knowledge along. Now I have met, and am friends with a few these teachers, and I have to say some of them are great teachers, who hone their craft, design templates and follow specific teaching guidelines to get from A to B…and stick to their guns…but they are very much in the minority. It has been my experience, most are after the quick $50 bucks and really don’t know why they say what they say. (just an observation)

So how does this translate to price? The FREE teacher, the low (and sometimes medium) handicap players who read an article and is now an expert I feel do the most harm in our industry. If I help my buddy out by changing the brakes on his car, he’d better be careful cause there will always be parts left over, and adding insult to injury, the message is second or third hand and most likely inaccurate. (the nicest way I can say that). If you want / need golf lessons, at least ask for referrals, try and understand the teacher's process…if there is one, and ask a lot of WHY questions, especially if you don’t fully understand... and the You-Tube crowd, trying to differentiate themselves with all kinds of contradictions, confusing the issue even further.

Then there is the Elite Teacher…who charges anywhere from $500.00 / hour, to $30,000.00 / day…really?! What super secret, magic, potion are they doling out for 30 grand a day…But; they get it, and more power to them. 

So how much is a Golf Lesson worth? It seems whatever you will pay...will the lessons work for you?...maybe, if you stick to the message and don’t continue the search for the silver bullet. What’s a fair price to pay for a lesson?...again, consider the source, but is should be consistent, and make sense.

It is my opinion, that we start injecting some common sense and consistency into the quagmire of golf instruction available to us today. Mainstream golf media shows and tells us all about the best players in the world, how they do what they do, and why we all should try and emulate them…I can’t and don’t want to try to swing like any player on any tour...why? I’m not them...muscle structure, flexibility, strength,...all variables. Learn the fundamentals...there are 3, learn the swing sequence...there are 3 pieces, craft a scoring plan for ALL shots based on a repeatable series of moves that does not contradict anything you learned prior, and stick to your guns.

That formula will guarantee success and your lessons (whatever you paid) will be more than worth the time and dollar investments.

Rob Bernard

Center of Gravity Golf

Is the current Golf Academy Business model broken?

Is the Golf Academy Business Model broken?

The more I observe the business of golfs player recruitment and education system; (that is the overwhelming majority of golf academy’s I have come across), the more I feel the anatomy of the golf academy model is detrimental to the future of steady, sustainable growth of the industry.

I am not saying the instructors are incompetent, or the message is wrong, but it certainly is confusing, diverse, and overly technical for the person with a desire to try and get into the game. 

Does that mean the new “science” of the Tour golf swing is irrelevant?…absolutely not, there will always be “players” who will gravitate toward perfection and these Instructors offer the in depth knowledge these 5% ers feel they need to advance to another level of play. 

However; to the 95% of avid golfers, new to the game golfers, and potential golfers looking in from the outside, it all seems too much. To the new and existing golfer who plays the game for fun and relaxation, the education programs seem like a PHD course with way too many options to sift through. In order to find a program that resonates with the golfers personal reasons for learning to play the game with some competency, will require a hit and miss process. 

As a career instructor of 20+ years, I can totally identify with these current and potential golfers in the (rest of us) category. I was always a firm believer in the saying “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything”, and that couldn’t be more true for the current golf education climate. 

It is my opinion, that the PGA’s of the world missed the boat on golfer education by not establishing a baseline fundamental process to bring new golfers to a point of competency quickly, and instilling confidence in the client with a consistent message, allowing them to reach a point of enjoyment and clarity before choosing to study the intricacies of the science of perceived golf perfection. There are currently unlimited opinions on every part of the game, and advice, (good or bad), is available for “free” on any electronic device you have. This diversity (in my opinion) matches it’s perceived value…free. 

The modern Golf Academy model makes little sense in the fact that lesson prices are commensurate with the instructors experience, and not on the message and guarantee to the golfer. 

Any given academy will have a pricing board that will show the lesson costs for any number of instructors. Director of Instruction = $$$$.00,  Associate Professional = $$$.00,  & support instructors = $$.00…As a beginning golfer looking to join a league, or to simply join my friends who golf, who should I choose?…Is the information from the support instructors that much inferior to the Associate, or Director of Instruction?…why the disparity? 

Experience! is the cry when confronted with this logic. 

Should not the Director of Instruction have very clear guidelines for all of the staff to follow? Should there not be tight controls on what information gets presented, in what order, and consistent language used in order to track the effectiveness of all instructors, as well as the program being taught? How else can you track a clients progress and commitment to staying with the game?…and why have a “Director of Instruction” if he/she is not directing the instructional staff on a consistent delivery of the message based on the most experience and consistency?

Here is a conversation overheard in a prominent Golf Academy in Canada recently

Desk Clerk: Good morning, welcome to XXX Golf Academy, how can I help you?

Client:  I think this is my year to try golf…all my buddies golf and I’d like to join in without feeling foolish, so I think I’ll take some lessons…how much to get me started?

Desk Clerk: Well…we sell both single lessons as well as packages of lessons, which would you prefer?

Client: Can you learn to get along out there with only 1 lesson?

Desk Clerk: Not really, but it will give you an idea if you like it.

Client: Well I know I want to learn so how much is a lesson package worth?

Desk Clerk:  Well that depends on who you choose as an instructor…Instructor “A”s package is $$.00, Instructor “B”s package is $$$.00 and the Director of Instruction’s package is $$$$.00 

Client: Why the disparity in pricing…isn’t the information all the same?

Desk Clerk: Some of it is…but for the most part, they all teach differently, and the price is based on experience. 

Client: So it really IS a gamble who I choose…are the more expensive lessons better?

Desk Clerk: Can’t say for sure, I guess it depends on the client, and how much you want to spend…if you’re not sure, go with the middle price, then you’ll have a good idea. 

Client: A good idea of what?

Desk Clerk: …if you like the way they teach;  don’t worry, they’ll get you going…which package would you like?

Client: Thanks but that’s too much of a gamble for me right now, I’ll get back to you.

The problem with this model is the perception that the cheap option is inferior information, and the top guy charges too much, is never available, or uses technology that is way over the clients head; adding to the myriad of confusion now plaguing the instructional industry.  

I’m not suggesting all golf academy’s are run this way,..there are a few method systems out there that have a singular message and stick to their guns, this gives the client a sense of comfort in learning a process that every instructor in the stable agrees on and enforces until a level of competency is achieved. 

With the current climate of declining retention of golfers, courses closing at a record pace, and according to surveys, only (1 in16) golfers would even consider taking a lesson and only (1 in 15)  that start the game, actually become a regular golfer speaks volumes to the state of the instructional industry today. 

The industry has a need to adopt an Instructional shift that is at once fun, accessible, consistent, easy, complete, and affordable. Such a system needs to be accountable to the client, as well as the venue in which it operates. Recruitment, tracking, and  accountability is (in my opinion) the way forward. This shift will affect the bottom line of every aspect of the golf industry. As a dedicated instructor of the game, it is my opinion that we now take the lead in recruitment, retention, and growth going forward…the time is now.

Rob Bernard, 

Center of Gravity Golf