local pros forbidden to give lessons at municipal course

blugold said:

There's got to be another side of this story. Because none of this makes sense.

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It certainly did not make sense to me.
I can not see a reason why the golf pro would lie about it. And i can't figure out where something different would be going on. He either can give lessons or he can't. He says he is not allowed to give lessons and I heard from a different source that they even cancelled the kids free lessons. The reasoning behind it, being that it would take away from the pro's managerial duties, makes no sense what so ever either. As others said. Why would they bother with a golf pro if they don't want some one capable of giving good lessons. The system could use any number of different types of managers.


My thought on the subject is, also others have said this, government often seems senseless.

Maybe the big boss of the course has a relative ( brother-in-law), or someone that is/was a pro, and is looking for work.

He can bring this person in to give lessons, or send any customers requesting lessons to his buddy.

Jack

Jackal said:

Maybe the big boss of the course has a relative ( brother-in-law), or someone that is/was a pro, and is looking for work.

He can bring this person in to give lessons, or send any customers requesting lessons to his buddy.

Jack

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I don't think that can be it. I just found out that courses have very strict rules about who can give lessons at their range. I really wanted a lesson from this specific pro so i tried to find a course that would allow it. No dice.

even one course that did not have a pro or a qualified instructor of any kind would not allow me to get lessons on their range.

So my next move is going to be asking the instructor if he would be willing to work with me using a back drop to drive into. Not certain if it would be just as useful but I am going to give it a try. I have an area on a friends property that is secluded and next to a preserve so even if a ball gets by the net it will just go into wilderness. The other advantage of this area and its preserve land is that I can also drive a few into a clearing in the woods every so often to see actual progress during instruction.

If I had enough poor quality balls I wouldn't really need the net but I don't want to litter a nature preserve with 100's of golf balls. a few here and there won't bother me but I have my limits. Doubt golf balls are very intrusive to nature an way.

hifly said:

I don't think that can be it. I just found out that courses have very strict rules about who can give lessons at their range. I really wanted a lesson from this specific pro so i tried to find a course that would allow it. No dice.

even one course that did not have a pro or a qualified instructor of any kind would not allow me to get lessons on their range.

So my next move is going to be asking the instructor if he would be willing to work with me using a back drop to drive into. Not certain if it would be just as useful but I am going to give it a try. I have an area on a friends property that is secluded and next to a preserve so even if a ball gets by the net it will just go into wilderness. The other advantage of this area and its preserve land is that I can also drive a few into a clearing in the woods every so often to see actual progress during instruction.

If I had enough poor quality balls I wouldn't really need the net but I don't want to litter a nature preserve with 100's of golf balls. a few here and there won't bother me but I have my limits. Doubt golf balls are very intrusive to nature an way.

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hifly said:

I don't think that can be it. I just found out that courses have very strict rules about who can give lessons at their range. I really wanted a lesson from this specific pro so i tried to find a course that would allow it. No dice.

even one course that did not have a pro or a qualified instructor of any kind would not allow me to get lessons on their range.

So my next move is going to be asking the instructor if he would be willing to work with me using a back drop to drive into. Not certain if it would be just as useful but I am going to give it a try. I have an area on a friends property that is secluded and next to a preserve so even if a ball gets by the net it will just go into wilderness. The other advantage of this area and its preserve land is that I can also drive a few into a clearing in the woods every so often to see actual progress during instruction.

If I had enough poor quality balls I wouldn't really need the net but I don't want to litter a nature preserve with 100's of golf balls. a few here and there won't bother me but I have my limits. Doubt golf balls are very intrusive to nature an way.

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Where does the pro normally give instruction?

Tadashi70 said:

It is not normal. It is part of the golf pros duties to give lessons. If they can't give lesdond then they should higher kids to run the place.

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Two of the four courses that are part of our group have driving ranges. At both of those, they hired a teaching pro for lessons. The pro who runs the place though, rarely, if ever, gives lessons. At our other two courses, including the one my wife runs, we don't have a pro, since there is no range.

mski said:

Typical city politics.

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My thought exactly. The main problems at the 2 munis I am a member is politicians making decisions about running a golf course and having no idea what it really takes to be successful.

One of my sons friends is in the PGM program and they are gearing more toward specific duties it seems, Teaching pro, Clubhouse pro, GM and such. The days of a head pro doing it all are going by the wayside because with all the admin duties now they just can't do it anymore. I think it kind of sucks TBH but everything is evolving in the game now except the rate of pay for PGA members lol. They are so antiquated it's not funny.

My former home course employs three professionals who share the duties of managing the facility and giving lessons. They have a separate lesson tee a few yards off from one end of the public range, with it's own putting green. The Foothills facility offers both group and private lessons for golfers of all ages. There are also a couple of instructors who are contracted to give lessons there who are not employees of the district. The facility runs a junior clinic and golf camp every summer (it should be in progress now, or very soon). The camp closes the par 3 course for most the day for two weeks. The kids always have a great time at these camps.

All of this for a golf facility which, while not technically a municipal course, is still operated and overseen as part of a tax supported recreational district. There are two golf course facilities in the Foothills Recreation District, and Foothills Golf Course, the one I worked at for 5 years and played at for 35 years was a cash cow for the district. With an 18 hole par 72, a 9 hole par 31 executive course, and a 9 hole par 3 course, a 50 station grass practice range, chipping and short game area, they have most everything a golfer could want. We turned a good profit that went into the district coffers to subsidize other activities that weren't able to be self supporting. Because the entity that oversees the golf is recreation based, such things as lessons (golf, tennis, swimming, etc.) are not only available but a necessary part of the the district's function.