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Just wondering who here has ever attended a golf school or golf academy?

 

Where did you go?

 

How long did you stay?

 

How much did you spend?

 

And most importantly...was it worth it? Did your game improve measurably as a result?

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Went to a Hank Haney/ESPN sponsored 1-day school about 4 years ago -- they called it the "3-Club Tour," and focused on the driver, the wedge and the putter. Cost about $500 - at the time they were working with Nike, so the tuition included a Nike Sumo driver, an SV wedge and a putter. It was held at a resort course near Cape Cod that had a separate practice facility just for golf schools, so we didn't get in the way of the regular paying customers. There were about 20 people in the program -- they had 3 instructors and broke us up into 3 groups, and we rotated between the putting green, the chipping/pitching area and the practice tee. ESPN doesn't put these on anymore, which is too bad - it was a great program! (hated the driver and the wedge -- traded those in within 3 months of the class. Kept the putter for a couple of years, then moved on. Buddy that was there too still plays his goodies).

 

Still use a lot of the tips I learned today -- and every once in a while I remember something they taught us when I do something dumb on the course. Did my game improve immeasurably? Not right away -- but within two years of the course my handicap went down to a 9 (it's up to 11 now - have developed new problems :angry: )

 

Would definitely attend another school if timing, price, value was there...

 

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I did a lot of asking around in Myrtle Beach as to whom locals had heard of being the best instructor down there when I lived in that area for 2.5 years.

 

This man's name came up the most often as 'being the best at the beach', Mike Schroder.

He works for a golf school located in Pawleys Island, SC called 'Steve Dresser Golf School' --> http://www.dressergolf.com/

 

Here are a couple additional links, off their website. Click on the various names on the first link to read the staff members bio's, the second link is Mike directly.

http://www.dressergolf.com/the-golf-school/staff/

http://www.dressergolf.com/staff/mike-schroder/

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just wondering who here has ever attended a golf school or golf academy?

 

Where did you go?

 

How long did you stay?

 

How much did you spend?

 

And most importantly...was it worth it? Did your game improve measurably as a result?

 

If you REALLY want a great golf school.....

http://xgolfschool.com/

 

Jacobs is great, and Brian Manzella is a real character. You will learn a great deal.

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  • 5 years later...

I think this thread started just before I became a member, because I don't remember seeing it before.  Maybe I did, and I forgot.  It happens more and more!!

 

I've posted before that I was worse than bogey golfer when I started playing golf.  Had a big slice like most people starting out.  I tried to play it, and read everything I could get about the golf swing back in the early 1990's.  I struggled and decided that if I couldn't fix my swing, I was going to give up golf.  On a business trip to Naples, FL I saw an ad on the hotel channel about the Moe Norman Single Plan Swing, and I booked a couple of lessons with the local instructor.  That helped a lot!!  

 

Shortly after that, Todd and Tim Graves started the Graves Gold Academy (GGA) teaching the Moe Norman swing.  They eventually bought out the rights of the Natural Golf business, and are now the premier instructors for the single plane swing.  I went to my first 3-day school in Orlando in 2007; a typical January... cold, windy, wet just like my last trip there in 2015 (don't go to Orlando in January!!)

 

My game improved immensely, and I told my buddy in Tennessee that if he went to the school, I would go with him.  He finally decided to go in 2010 to the GGA home school in Edmond, OK.  This second school brought my handicap down from 14 to 10.  From 2010 to present I have bounced around between 12 and 8 depending on what aches, pains, and surgeries I have had.  I decided after I retired that I would go to another school, so in September 2015 I went to a GGA school in Las Vegas.  It was almost a year after my total knee replacement.  My handicap for 2016 was mostly around 8 to 9 and got as low as 7.9.  

 

But I'm another year older now, heck I'm another decade older!!  I haven't played all that well, certainly not like last year.  So, I'm wondering if one more golf school will help.  My short game is better and I do pretty well scrambling for pars, but my lack of distance is not giving me enough birdie chances.  This might be my last year where the investment in a golf school will show improvements in my GHIN.  I may still be throwing my money away, but I need a vacation...

 

So, on October 9, 10, and 11 I will be attending another GGA golf school at the Legacy Golf Resort in Phoenix.  This school is limited to only alumni of previous schools, so instruction is more advanced than other schools which spend more time on fundamentals.  I played the Legacy last February and it's a great course with exceptional practice facilities.  It's a Golf Channel Academy location and several LPGA players live by the course.

 

Now my big decision is whether to fly to Phoenix or road trip like I did two years ago when I went to school in Vegas.  

We don’t stop playing the game because we get old; we get old because we stop playing the game.”

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I'm glad that this thread has been resurrected, so to speak.   I have often thought about attending a 2 to 3 day golf school.  Such a school in Ocean City routinely forwards e-mails to me offering what it claims to be discounted tuition.  But I have been hesitant to do so not only regarding this school but others as well.   My personal debate is what will give me the most effective bang for my buck.  Such a school or multiple separate individual lessons from a PGA professional.   My assumption is that at such a school, one is in a class with multiple students.  While I am sure the instructors spend time with each student individually, it is still not totally one on one.   Also, when completed, how long will I retain what I was instructed and need reminding.   Where as, with a private individual lesson, it is one on one, and with multiple opportunities for follow-up and my progress can be continuously examined.   Would be interested to hear the pros and cons of each by others. 

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I'm interested as well!

 

 

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I'm glad that this thread has been resurrected, so to speak.   I have often thought about attending a 2 to 3 day golf school.  Such a school in Ocean City routinely forwards e-mails to me offering what it claims to be discounted tuition.  But I have been hesitant to do so not only regarding this school but others as well.   My personal debate is what will give me the most effective bang for my buck.  Such a school or multiple separate individual lessons from a PGA professional.   My assumption is that at such a school, one is in a class with multiple students.  While I am sure the instructors spend time with each student individually, it is still not totally one on one.   Also, when completed, how long will I retain what I was instructed and need reminding.   Where as, with a private individual lesson, it is one on one, and with multiple opportunities for follow-up and my progress can be continuously examined.   Would be interested to hear the pros and cons of each by others. 

I made my decision based on a complete swing change to a specific method that was not taught locally.  If I had wanted to just work with the swing I had, I would probably have done it locally like Rev does at his club.  I consider the schools I've attended as vacations to be enjoyed.  I got away from work and immersed in golf for a few days.  

 

Schools are a good way to learn quickly, but don't expect to go to a school for a few days and magically your handicap will drop dramatically.  You actually get worse for awhile before you get better.  The trick is not to give up before the changes you make start to take affect.  To replace the habits you have requires you to make new habits.  You have to commit to the change, otherwise the old habits come back very quickly.

We don’t stop playing the game because we get old; we get old because we stop playing the game.”

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First - Let me say how excited I am to see this thread revived. 

 

Why? I have my reasons - they're for me to know and you to find out...hopefully soon.

 

So with that in mind - for anybody reading this:

 

Have you ever given serious thought to attending a golf school?

 

If you have, what did you take away from it?

 

If you haven't taken the plunge, what's been holding you back?

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I did a lot of asking around in Myrtle Beach as to whom locals had heard of being the best instructor down there when I lived in that area for 2.5 years.

 

This man's name came up the most often as 'being the best at the beach', Mike Schroder.

He works for a golf school located in Pawleys Island, SC called 'Steve Dresser Golf School' --> http://www.dressergolf.com/

 

Here are a couple additional links, off their website. Click on the various names on the first link to read the staff members bio's, the second link is Mike directly.

http://www.dressergolf.com/the-golf-school/staff/

http://www.dressergolf.com/staff/mike-schroder/

I used to watch a half-hour regional golf show based in Myrtle Beach in the late '80's and early '90's hosted by a man with the surname "Schroeder" if memory serves.  I wonder if he is the father of Mike mentioned above?  

 

The show was quite good.  It featured a different regional course every week and offered "stay-and-play" packages along with weekly promotional discounts.  Obviously, this was prior to the Golf Channel and rise in popularity of the internet.  It may not be as successful today.

 

I believe it was on Home Team Sports.

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Have you ever given serious thought to attending a golf school?

 

If you have, what did you take away from it?

 

If you haven't taken the plunge, what's been holding you back?

I took a couple of specialty schools for shot game and green reading. The schools were a single day and covered various aspects of the topic with instruction, practice time, an supervised practice.

 

Some were better than others and I largely depends on the instructor and student mix. Two experiences I had with the short game schools were and instructor that was more into talking about himself and what he does than teaching. The other swing based classes depended on the student mix. If you were struggling with the concept you seemed to get more attention than the person that maybe had less issues meaning a low handicap golfer seems to get left out if there are higher handicappers in the same group. When everyone is on a more even playing field then the attention is spread out.

 

I believe that classes that focus on a particular skill like green reading or how wedges work, or intro to how to play golf are good in a class situation.

 

Group classes for fixing swing issues probably aren't as useful since each player has specialized needs. I think this is better in individual lessons and/or supervised group practice sessions that follow a lesson.

 

Again, I think the players ability plays a huge factor in how successful a golf school will be for the individual.

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First - Let me say how excited I am to see this thread revived.

 

Why? I have my reasons - they're for me to know and you to find out...hopefully soon.

 

So with that in mind - for anybody reading this:

 

Have you ever given serious thought to attending a golf school?

 

If you have, what did you take away from it?

 

If you haven't taken the plunge, what's been holding you back?

I have given serious thought to golf schools, particularly in the off-season. I have held off be cause the really well known ones seem very expensive and because I have had a few hit or miss experiences on my own working with highly rated instructors. I'm not a great golfer, but am a 0 or 1 hdcp throughout the year with fairly solid fundamentals. That seems to pose kind of a problem for most instructors. They don't really know what to do with decent players, and I can't afford to go to Butch Harmon!

 

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I have thought of going to one in the off season just to get out of the cold. But what holds me back is I really don't know which one I should go to. I've never taken a lesson before so I'm not sure what I would be up against. So I remain mildly conflicted as to whether or not I should just bite the bullet and go just for the experience.

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First - Let me say how excited I am to see this thread revived. 

 

Why? I have my reasons - they're for me to know and you to find out...hopefully soon.

 

So with that in mind - for anybody reading this:

 

Have you ever given serious thought to attending a golf school?

 

If you have, what did you take away from it?

 

If you haven't taken the plunge, what's been holding you back?

Going to a golf school, are we?  Hopefully, write about your experiences.  It's a write-off... it's tax deductible!

 

I am not sure I would recommend a golf school for someone unless they really want to make some major change in their swing, or learn golf skills like bunker play, chipping or putting.  A good local golf instructor is probably a better choice to tweak your game, plus the instructor is available for follow-up.  

 

I was looking for a major change in my swing.  To do this you have to be willing to accept bad shots when making these changes.  Don't focus on immediate results.  If you do, you will likely revert back to old habits, and the school will be a waste.  The schools I attended have follow-up video analysis for a year.  The instructors basically coach me for a year, review videos I send in, and make recommendations for drills.  It's a way to make sure that the changes I made at the school are sticking.  If a school doesn't do this, the value of a school is decreased IMHO.  

 

I treated the schools I attended as vacation.  I could afford it because I had a boatload of Delta miles and Marriott points, so the cost was just the school, food and rental car.  One guy here locally went to a school in Mesa AZ one year, spent $2000 but that included the school, transportation to/from the airport to the condo at the school location, condo, and breakfast and lunch each day for a week.  He went there as a 12 HCP and returned as a 6 HCP.  

We don’t stop playing the game because we get old; we get old because we stop playing the game.”

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First - Let me say how excited I am to see this thread revived.

 

Why? I have my reasons - they're for me to know and you to find out...hopefully soon.

 

So with that in mind - for anybody reading this:

 

Have you ever given serious thought to attending a golf school?

 

If you have, what did you take away from it?

 

If you haven't taken the plunge, what's been holding you back?

I have looked into them, but as Kenny mentioned, I'm not looking to make a big swing change. I have made a swing that gives me a good amount of power, while being repeatable and not overly taxing on the body. Would consider doing a short game only camp but living where I do, I'd have to travel a ways for a day or two isn't worth it IMO.

 

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I have looked into them, but as Kenny mentioned, I'm not looking to make a big swing change. I have made a swing that gives me a good amount of power, while being repeatable and not overly taxing on the body. Would consider doing a short game only camp but living where I do, I'd have to travel a ways for a day or two isn't worth it IMO.

 

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A couple of years ago I was in Phoenix, so just for grins and giggles I decided to go to a 4-hour short game school at a course I can't remember now.  I was not a great short game player at the time, but I really didn't learn all that much.  The instructor was nice enough, but not a great short game player either.  He knew drills to teach, but was just mediocre in showing how to conduct them.  So you have to be careful where you go.  I'm much better now, but that's from spending hours at my own course and help from my long distance swing coach.

We don’t stop playing the game because we get old; we get old because we stop playing the game.”

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A couple of years ago I was in Phoenix, so just for grins and giggles I decided to go to a 4-hour short game school at a course I can't remember now. I was not a great short game player at the time, but I really didn't learn all that much. The instructor was nice enough, but not a great short game player either. He knew drills to teach, but was just mediocre in showing how to conduct them. So you have to be careful where you go. I'm much better now, but that's from spending hours at my own course and help from my long distance swing coach.

That's the other reason I would likely not do it, is if he and I were to not get along. The pro at my course and I work really well together. Everything he explains to me is just technical enough, that I understand what I need to do to fix it. I'm not asking him questions, and he doesn't overwhelm me

 

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First - Let me say how excited I am to see this thread revived.

 

Why? I have my reasons - they're for me to know and you to find out...hopefully soon.

 

So with that in mind - for anybody reading this:

 

1. Have you ever given serious thought to attending a golf school?

 

2. If you have, what did you take away from it?

 

3. If you haven't taken the plunge, what's been holding you back?

 

1. I have but I also have many reservations about it as well. My application is from my experience as a pitching instructor. I used to give pitching lessons for a living and would supplement that work with clinics. I rarely ran the clinics but was always a big part of the pitching aspect. I always found that the real work was accomplished through individual lessons as the clinics or "schools" forced a one-size-fits-all curriculum due to the size of the classes and the time allotted. I can only assume that golf schools are a variation of this and thus, haven't yet sprung for the experience.

 

2. N/a

 

3. See 1 for the main reason. But the time and money expense is another big part. Now that my youngest is almost 2, I have a little more flexibility on time than before but these camps are never cheap, especially if you consider travel costs.

 

 

Sorry to sound skeptical. Even still, attending a golf school is on my golf bucket list because it would be a neat experience to spend multiple days playing golf in a cool location with tons of other golfers.

 

 

 

 

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[quote name="STUDque" post="329255" it would be a neat experience to spend multiple days playing golf in a cool location with tons of other golfers.

 

Isn't that a buddy trip with a bunch of guys?

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