How to Find a Golf Pro
By Steve Silverman
There is an abundance of teaching pros to help you with your game if you decide you want lessons. The hard part is deciding which pro you are going to pay to shape and mold your game. A number of factors---including your personality and the pro's teaching methods must be taken into consideration.
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderate
Take stock of your game. Are you a beginner who wants to learn the basics? Are you an intermediate player who wants to build on strengths and improve weaknesses. Do you work best with a teacher who is tough and demanding, or do you want constant stroking and reinforcement. Decide what you are looking for before you hire the first pro you talk to.
Check in with the local golf specialty store. Tell them you are looking for a teaching pro and tell them the kind of teacher you are looking for. They may have a list of teaching pros in the area, and they should be able to make specific recommendations based on the type of coach you are looking for.
Go to your local high school or college golf coach. These instructors are often well connected with teaching pros and know which ones are available for lessons. They can give you phone numbers and email addresses.
Go to one of the local golf courses in your area and talk to the head teaching pro. That individual may be a perfect match for you, or he may know someone you can work with.
Go to the PGA website, and you can get the names of several teaching pros in your area. The PGA asks you to fill out a form based on where you live, what areas of your game you need help with and what times you are available to take lessons. They will respond with a list of pros who teach in your area.
Tips & Warnings
Word of mouth is also effective. If any of your friends, neighbors, coworkers or playing partners have taken lessons, ask them to share the names and phone numbers of the professional who have worked with them.
About The Author
Steve Silverman is an award-winning writer, covering sports since 1980. Silverman authored The Minnesota Vikings: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and Who's Better, Who's Best in Football -- The Top 60 Players of All-Time, among others, and placed in the Pro Football Writers of America awards three times. Silverman holds a Master of Science in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism.
