The staccato cluck of an iron hitting a golf ball is a tell-tale sign that summer is in full swing. And as local golf instructors can attest, summer is the time many people – young and old, novice and seasoned – spruce up their skills before hitting the greens for an afternoon of leisure. But what exactly is it that golf instructors do to make experienced players even better and those who have never touched a club learn the game?
One trick, at least when teaching beginners, is to relate the game of golf to an activity the player is more familiar with, said Don DeLorenzo, PGA professional and head golf instructor at Gilroy Golf Course for 20 years.
“I use a lot of analogies when I teach,” he said. “I try to find something common that the player has done – whether it’s baseball, bowling, riding a horse or swimming – and try to compare those activities to playing golf.”
Using analogies can help players understand, for example, how to transfer their weight when swinging a club, as throwing a baseball or passing a football involves similar weight-shifting techniques.
While lessons for beginners focus more on the basics of the game and fundamental body positioning, more advanced players usually take lessons to target a particular problem with their technique.
“For someone who plays often and has a specific problem, you want to try and sort out the problem for the player and see if you can’t get them up and running, so to speak,” said Pat Larkin, PGA professional and head golf instructor at Hollister’s San Juan Oaks Golf Club. “Sometimes it works just perfect and sometimes it’s a temporary fix, depending on how much they play and practice. It’s not rocket science, but sometimes a golfer wants to improve their play simply so they can better enjoy a round of golf.”
Improving play is one goal for Doug Wagner, a 33-year-old Morgan Hill resident who has been playing golf off-and-on for about 10 years. When Wagner first started playing, he said, his friends encouraged him to pursue the game more seriously. Once he started learning more about golf, the game became more and more appealing.
As a Christmas present last year, Wagner’s father gave him a six-lesson package with DeLorenzo. When he completed those lessons, Wagner bought himself another six, and he’s amazed how much skill he has gained.
“Don has improved my game about 200 percent,” he said, while warming up for a lesson earlier this week. “Everything I thought I was doing right, I was doing wrong.”
Seeing players such as Wagner improve is one of DeLorenzo’s favorite parts of the job. He also enjoys watching someone who’s never picked up a club gradually progress and develop skill over the course of a few lessons.
“I think I get the most satisfaction out of watching people go from zero to something while taking lessons,” DeLorenzo said. “That makes my job really satisfying.”
Like many golf instructors, DeLorenzo and Larkin offer private, semi-private and group lessons. Private lessons are one-on-one sessions with the instructor, semi-private lessons include about two or three students and group lessons can have up to four or five. Prices range, but a single, private lesson is between $45 and $60, while a six-lesson series – recommended especially for beginners – is about $225 to $300. Students span a wide range of ages: DeLorenzo has taught students as young as four, and he’s also taught golfers in their 80s.
When they’re not on the course teaching, instructors are in their golf shops making phone calls, ordering supplies and otherwise tending to the logistics of managing a business. Another major part of being a golf instructor is providing hospitality to guests of the club.
“From the time they get here to the time they leave, you have to make sure they’re having a good time,” said Larkin, who has been instructing golf for 45 years. “And when you’re running tournaments, you’re making sure that the players’ experience is a good experience.”
Although some people just don’t understand the appeal of golf, for those who do, the reason is simple: It brings them peace.
“Serenity,” Wagner said. “It’s you, the club, the ball and Mother Nature.”
