W
e have all known
golfers – perhaps even
ourselves – who take
lessons regularly and spend
countless hours at the driving
range. Yet once they head out to
first tee, don't see the improve-
ment in their game relative to the
time they put into it. One option
to really take your skills to the
next level may be to test them in
a teaching setting on the golf
course – and Classic Club offers
four-hole playing lessons for just
that reason.
Jason Smith, a PGA Teaching
Professional at Classic Club,
began offering playing lessons
four years ago, and the three
other teaching professionals on
staff are available as well. The
sessions typically are scheduled
in the afternoon so they don't in-
terfere with pace of play, and in-
structors take golfers through all
the practical elements of playing
different golf holes and situa-
tions that will arise on the
course.
"I think the biggest thing a stu-
dent will get out of a playing les-
son is how to navigate around
the golf course and coming up
with plans on how to strategize
against the course's defenses,"
Smith said. "Also, playing les-
sons give students a better idea
how to play from different lies
(ball above the feet, downhill lie,
etc.) and gives them a better un-
derstanding of their own
strengths and weaknesses."
Most of his playing lessons are
with students he has already
worked with on the range, and
Smith said he asks his pupils to
first go through their warm-up
routine – focusing on getting
loose for the round rather than
on swing mechanics. They then
spend a few minutes at the put-
ting green to get a feel for the
speed of the greens, and they're
off to the first tee.
Smith says that time at the
driving range is best spent work-
ing on technique and focusing on
swing thoughts, while playing
lessons offer the perfect opportu-
nity to put that all to the test of
real playing conditions. He cov-
ers the mental game (pre-shot
routine, post-shot routine, etc.),
developing a plan and route to
get to the pin, how to play differ-
ent lies and club selection,
among other things.
"I believe players at any level
can benefit from a playing les-
son," Smith said, "because it puts
them in real situations that you
can't create on the practice tee."
TAKE IT TO ThE cOursE
Playing lessons can make a big difference in your golf game
Playing lessons can help golfers
with their course management.
By JAsOn sMITh
PGA Teaching
Professional
InsTrucTIOn
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