If you’re a parent or a high school
student who wants golf lessons from a professional player to help improve your
game, trying to find a professional golf instructor can be challenging. Maybe
you’re someone who wants to have professional instruction to play college golf,
or you’re just learning how to play. Wherever you are, it’s important to
remember that there is a golf instructor out there for any skill stage.
However, improving yourself and learning never stops.
It’s also important to know that not all golf instructors are equal in their
skill levels, and the goal of this article is to help you locate a highly
skilled coach in your area. People in more urban areas will usually have better
luck finding a PGA-level coach, but they’re spread out around the United
States.
Table of Contents
Where to Find a PGA-Level Golf Instructor
There are dozens of places to find information on golf instructors right at your fingertips. One of the best and easiest places to start is using the PGA Golf Professional finder tool. When you use it, you can narrow down your search by zip code. It’ll display a list of different golf instructors in your local area that is currently offering golf lessons. Some may have limited time, while others are for specific skill levels. Cycle through the list to see if you can find a good match.
How to Find the Best Golf Instructor When Price Isn’t an Issue
These golf lessons can get
expensive, especially when you start looking at PGA-level professionals. If you
want elite-level instruction and you’re not worried about price, you can try
looking at Golf Digest’s Best Teachers by State ranking system.
Depending on how much you’re willing to pay and how much you’re willing to
drive will determine how interested you are in these instructors. Other than
Golf Digest, you can look in the local PGA section. They highlight and award
the best golf professionals and teachers in your local area. This allows you to
find award-winning coaches and book a lesson or two.
How to Decide if a Golf Instructor is a Good Match for You
Unfortunately, there currently isn’t
a good website that allows you to search for various PGA-level golf instructors
and read reviews by current or former clients. If there was, this would make
your search much easier. However, it’s essential that any golf instructor you
pick out has LPGA or PGA certifications by their name.
These certifications are extremely important, and they show that the golf
instructor has gone through the formal training the PGA or LPGA requires to be
considered a golf professional. You should only take lessons from instructors
with these certifications if you can help it. Also, ask your local golf course
professional if they have a PGA or LPGA certification.
Figuring Out Which Types of Instruction is Best
What type of golf lessons do you
want? This will determine which type of golf instructor you should seek out. If
you’re a beginner, it’s a good idea to consider group instruction. If you’re
someone who already knows how to play but wants to improve their game and shave
a couple of shots off each round, you could benefit from having private lessons
every couple of weeks.
Maybe you’re a high school student who wants to play division 1 college golf.
If so, finding a golf instructor who will work with you on your game and push
you while working on your mental and physical preparedness for this level of
playing the game is what you will need.
How Much Does PGA-Level Instructor Cost?
Although this is a great question,
there isn’t a hard and fast answer. The price of your lessons will vary
depending on the experience level of the PGA or LPGA golf professional and your
location. The goals you want to hit will also play into the price, as will your
own starting point. Are you brand new and need intensive lessons, or do you
know how to play and just want to refine your game?
For example, say you are a 20-handicap player, and you want to drop that down
to a 10 handicap. This goal could take several lessons a week over the course
of two years to reach. It could cost thousands of dollars too. If you’re
someone who wants to make the cut for the high school team, you could get away
with a few private lessons at $50.00 each to help reach your goal.
Online Golf School
If you’re looking to work in the golf industry, then you may want to look at something more substantial. There are a variety of colleges that have golf teams but only a handful that offer golf-related degrees. The good news is there are online golf schools that make it more convenient now to further your education in a field you love.