What's wrong with this picture???

[Bruin_golf]

How did you learn to play???

In the past, where I 'm from, most golfers get started in the game by a family member or friend. Aspiring golfers later hire instructors to guide them in learning how to play. Well, it doesn't seem like that's a possibility in the Bay area peninsula region.

Yesterday, I picked up a friend's son to take him over to the local driving range to do a little chipping and pitching (since he is attempting to try out for the high school team). After entering the facility, a bitter and arrogant instructor said I wasn't allowed to teach and he has seen us there before. I told him my friend's son has an instructor and in his frustration he told us to practice at that location. Now, I know instructors in the area are territorial, but this is ridiculous. We calmly purchased our sodas and signed up for access to the short game area (you have to pay to practice your short game here).

Now, in his bio, it states he is interested in promoting the game. And for him to say he has seen us before??? Sure, but maybe three times in the last 5 or 6 months!!! We haven't been to that facility since July/August!!!
This Peninsula instructor isn't looking to promote the game. He's only looking to line his wallet. In an area where they charge an extra $3-$4 to hit off grass instead of a mat, THIS IS ABSURD. His excuse is he doesn't want other people coming in to the facility teaching after seeing the two of us together. I understand he is only trying to make a living, but this person truly doesn't understand what the game is about. What happened to self respect & class. I can't see how this person could ever help positively promote the game.

What's it like in your area??? Is this the new norm???

[iteachgolf]

At the ranges here you can chip for free but husbands will get in trouble for teaching their wives. Very strict as far as teaching goes.

[maverickgolfguy]

Guys, this is totall ridiculous. IF it was another instructor I can see being somewhat upset.

 

I am a teacher myself and I like seeing people helping eachother get better. It truely is about promoting the game.

[DRGJR72]

I think that I know what range you are talking about, but don't know the instructor.

 

I know in my experiences as a golf professional, whenever I saw a guy giving his high school kid or daughter, or a husband giving his wife a lesson I would let it slide. Not only would I look foolish berating them about "my turf", they are most likely not going to take lessons from me anyhow if i did yell at them. But I have a slightly different disposition than many in the industry and although I do understand them "guarding" their turf so to speak, I don't condone this particular pro's choice of words or attitude, especially since you did not think you were doing anything wrong, and had no awareness of the rule.

 

There are always ways to handle certain situations without having people feel they had been disrespected. I think he could have simply pulled you to the side away from the junior and stated what the policy is for the public range, without the accusations and such and the reasoning behind the rules.

 

He does appear to be contradicting his statement of promoting the game of golf, or maybe his statement means that he will promote it only when it benefits him.

 

I would call the range and ask for the information for VB GOLF (phone number), the company who operates all of those driving ranges. Call them and speak to a manager there and voice your concerns and issues with what happened.

[rapriebe]

If it's a guy with his son or daughter or wife... just Joe Golfer helping out a friend, then nobody is going to say a thing about it. If someone is trying to run it like a business at our range, then he had better be approved through the pro shop. We do have a few independent part time instructors who use the range and the course (they still have to arrange tee times like anyone else) with the permission and cooperation of the course. Since ours is a public facility, we have to be more liberal in some areas than a privately owned course might be.

[goondawg]

Ah, the good ol' insecure driving range bully.

[jonjones]

if you are "helping" your son, or his friend, ore your friend or your wife, then that instructor can take a hike. it is a public range.

 

if you are "teaching" and individual for money without the consent of the range thats a different story.

[BostonBob]

By way of another view....

 

I asked my (range) instructor once why he sometimes stopped some people from giving "lessons" and other times didn't.

 

His response was basically that he didn't stop the ones that had a clue, but stopped the others because he didn't want to take the chance that an onlooker would (by word of mouth) associate him with an idiot.

 

As to instructor competition for students, his attitude could best be summed up by Versace - Those who buy our product will never be fooled by knockoffs, and those who buy knockoffs will never buy our product; it's two different markets.

[birdieblair]

That's pretty crazy. I guess some instructors are very territorial, but I believe that as long as it isn't given in any official capacity, i.e. the kid is paying you, then I don't see why he'd care.

 

Not that it is similar but I went to a local course, being new to the area and asked the guy in the pro shop about the practice facilities. He told me that his course doesn't have a range. So I asked where the closet range was, because I wanted to work on some things before starting my season. He told me that no ranges in the area were really open because of the season, and the closest was about a half hour away. So I go out to the putting green start working on some puts and little chips for about 15 minutes when I am approached by another guy. He tells me he was in the pro shop when he heard me ask about a range. The guy tells me that there is an open range approximately 10 minutes down the road, but it's with another golf course so the pro shop guy wouldn't tell me about it. The guy also said he was a member of the club and if the pro shop guy heard him tell me about the range he could lose his membership. I thanked him continued to putt for a while then packed up and moved to the range to work on my swing. I just sort of shook my head, I know times are tough and the pro shop wanted a greens fee, but all I wanted was some help.

[shuttle1]

I'm reading this and just shaking my head.

 

I help friends and Family all the time at the local course where I play quite often. I do it for fun and because someone has asked me too and, would never take money.

 

If I was approached and treated like that I would have to follow the guy back to the Pro Shop so I could get mt 4 iron back that was stuck in his a**.

 

Sorry

[JakeBarnes]

I find this just sad, to be honest. Since when did golf professionals corner the market on golf knowledge simply because of location? I understand the beef if someone came in and was doing paid lessons, however, this was not the case. It's like saying to a father that he cannot help his son figure out how to ice skate because you can only learn to skate by paying the skating teacher, even though you paid to use the facility.

 

What a croc of bull. You had more class than I would have in such a situation.

[bradski]

rediculous. the guy is insecure about his abilities or his business. Not trying to take over his territory. I would understand if another pro was in your area but this is horrible. the guy is probably an unhappy person.

[tigerphan]

I was hitting on the range one day ( I'm a junior btw) and an adult beside me is trying to hit the range picker, the ranger picker proceeds to come up and almost hit me, he gets out and yells "if you aim at me again I'll drive this over you!", just wish juniors golf, got more respect more respect

 

edit- spelling

[freddiec]

WOW! I've never heard of such a thing. Don't we live in America where we are free. That's ridiculous.

[evensorodds]

This is silly. If you pay to use the facility, and are not getting paid to help someone out the instructor should have no beef. That said I have seen plenty of strange territorial behavior at ranges.

 

I was at a practice facility with a small putting and chipping green (talking 2 holes on the green). I hit a few putts at one of the holes where an elderly man was chipping at it from the other direction. After a couple of putts he goes "!@#$ing a" and I thought it was a strange reaction to a bad chip or whatever, so I hit another putt at the hole and he comes storming over lifts his club up like he's gonna take a swing at me and starts yelling at me how he's just trying to stay to himself and he was gonna crack me over the head for getting in his way. I was stunned, because I was just minding my own business and didn't even get in his way. I mean it was a public place and its not strange to have 2 or 3 people going at the same hole. I went back to the other one where I had been sharing the space with this other guy and we just looked at each other in disbelief. Shocking what people do sometimes.

[evensorodds]

This is silly. If you pay to use the facility, and are not getting paid to help someone out the instructor should have no beef. That said I have seen plenty of strange territorial behavior at ranges.

 

I was at a practice facility with a small putting and chipping green (talking 2 holes on the green). I hit a few putts at one of the holes where an elderly man was chipping at it from the other direction. After a couple of putts he goes "!@#$ing a" and I thought it was a strange reaction to a bad chip or whatever, so I hit another putt at the hole and he comes storming over lifts his club up like he's gonna take a swing at me and starts yelling at me how he's just trying to stay to himself and he was gonna crack me over the head for getting in his way. I was stunned, because I was just minding my own business and didn't even get in his way. I mean it was a public place and its not strange to have 2 or 3 people going at the same hole. I went back to the other one where I had been sharing the space with this other guy and we just looked at each other in disbelief. Shocking what people do sometimes.

 

I just re-read my post and had to give a "that's what she said" for that one. :lol:

[tigerphan]

This is silly. If you pay to use the facility, and are not getting paid to help someone out the instructor should have no beef. That said I have seen plenty of strange territorial behavior at ranges.

 

I was at a practice facility with a small putting and chipping green (talking 2 holes on the green). I hit a few putts at one of the holes where an elderly man was chipping at it from the other direction. After a couple of putts he goes "!@#$ing a" and I thought it was a strange reaction to a bad chip or whatever, so I hit another putt at the hole and he comes storming over lifts his club up like he's gonna take a swing at me and starts yelling at me how he's just trying to stay to himself and he was gonna crack me over the head for getting in his way. I was stunned, because I was just minding my own business and didn't even get in his way. I mean it was a public place and its not strange to have 2 or 3 people going at the same hole. I went back to the other one where I had been sharing the space with this other guy and we just looked at each other in disbelief. Shocking what people do sometimes.

 

I just re-read my post and had to give a "that's what she said" for that one. :lol:

 

lmfao

 

as vagas, whatever happens on the range stays on the range(including my good shots :black eye: )

[slim16er]

Yikes to all of these stories. Teaching for money is one thing, but just helping? I guess I consider myself lucky. The 6 or 7 courses I play (Chicago Burbs) all have really nice PGA Pros who would never jump at someone like that. From what I have seen they treat everyone very well. Business is tough and the last thing you want to do is piss a potential client off.

 

I have always remembered that you never know who you will meet so make a good first impression - and DON'T BE A JAG. This is especially true on the golf course. You might get paired up with someone who can really help you someday later in life.

[bulls9999]

I may be totally clueless here, but I've never heard of such nonsense. Are you trying to say that someone can not 'instruct' someone else at a driving range? (even if the other person is an un-affiliated instructor?). Is this in the USA? In my opinion, you pay your fee and you should be able hit your balls and without anyone saying anything, regardless if someone is there giving you pointers. That is ridiculous to me, it does seem like 'turf protection' like I've never heard of.

[tigerphan]

I may be totally clueless here, but I've never heard of such nonsense. Are you trying to say that someone can not 'instruct' someone else at a driving range? (even if the other person is an un-affiliated instructor?). Is this in the USA? In my opinion, you pay your fee and you should be able hit your balls and without anyone saying anything, regardless if someone is there giving you pointers. That is ridiculous to me, it does seem like 'turf protection' like I've never heard of.

 

 

the gang wars of golf :russian_roulette:

[ballshagger]

I'ld have to pull the guy off to the side, without anyone else around and have a one on one talk. Let him know how you feel. Ask him if a friend or family member ever helped him when he was starting.

Its obvious he wanted to intimidate you. See how he reacts when the shoe's on the other foot.

My guess is he'll leave you along after that.

[S70B]

I may be totally clueless here, but I've never heard of such nonsense. Are you trying to say that someone can not 'instruct' someone else at a driving range? (even if the other person is an un-affiliated instructor?). Is this in the USA? In my opinion, you pay your fee and you should be able hit your balls and without anyone saying anything, regardless if someone is there giving you pointers. That is ridiculous to me, it does seem like 'turf protection' like I've never heard of.

 

Not only in the US, its the same in Singapore Driving Ranges as well.

[Jaylasvegas]

Devils Advocate here for the sake of conversation.

 

Is this instructor also the Owner? Ever consider that the pro makes his living giving lessons and that was the final straw, perhaps it happens on a daily basis.

Many places will not allow instruction unless its thru the pro staff of the facility, lets remember its not a public park, its a business.

 

furthermore for the bit of his Bio Promoting the game of golf, it is for him to Promote it thru instruction, not for him to sit on his a** and watch others give bad advice.

JAT

[parabol420]

wow, thats absolutely ridiculous, especially because you were trying to help a kid out that was just starting to play. Its not like you were helping out a fellow 30+ year old golfer who could actually use lessons.

 

On a further note, I cant imagine that guy has to many students if this is how he treats guests at his course.

 

An experiance like that would make me reconsider playing the game, at least at that range and course.

[tec333]

wow...thats is pretty sad.

 

playing devil's advocate though - you must have come across looking like a professional instructor. Might have overheard you before giving good instruction. He probably thought you were giving paid lessons, regardless he did not come off right. He could have approached you and asked if you were giving paid lessons and that if you were - it is not allowed there.

 

I'm really sad to hear that even a husband giving tips to his wife or a father to his son is not allowed at some places. That is ridiculous. Heck - I've had people I dont know give me tips at the range - good and bad. I never heard of this anywhere here in my area.

[sanderslongdrive]

It's getting to be a universal restriction where there is a pro in situ. Indeed that is why I have stopped my free weekly coaching session for junior players in the U.K.

 

Other problems I have experienced are:-

 

Mats not wide enough to accommodate someone using a full size competition driver and falling off the edge of the mat. (Particularly when standing for a draw and attempting to hit the left side of the ball). Then, a range official insisting that a mat extension is prohibited.

 

Being told off for picking up a range ball which had rolled 6" beyond the hitting area.

 

Practice facilities are either non-existant or negligible at virtually all U.K. golf clubs.

 

How one is supposed to source practice and coaching facilities beggars belief.

 

It is a pleasure to occasionally visit the USA / Canada and hit on full size golf ranges, and often off turf!

 

Ever wonder why most of the top U.K. players live abroad?

[Cameron Carter]

Not that it is similar but I went to a local course, being new to the area and asked the guy in the pro shop about the practice facilities. He told me that his course doesn't have a range. So I asked where the closet range was, because I wanted to work on some things before starting my season. He told me that no ranges in the area were really open because of the season, and the closest was about a half hour away. So I go out to the putting green start working on some puts and little chips for about 15 minutes when I am approached by another guy. He tells me he was in the pro shop when he heard me ask about a range. The guy tells me that there is an open range approximately 10 minutes down the road, but it's with another golf course so the pro shop guy wouldn't tell me about it. The guy also said he was a member of the club and if the pro shop guy heard him tell me about the range he could lose his membership. I thanked him continued to putt for a while then packed up and moved to the range to work on my swing. I just sort of shook my head, I know times are tough and the pro shop wanted a greens fee, but all I wanted was some help.

 

That is truly pathetic

 

Il be the one to give a good story

Couple comes into our club and asks if this course has a lake view, our pro says no but tells them two near courses that do and personally calls up the courses and asks for tee times.

[blade_man]

This is silly. If you pay to use the facility, and are not getting paid to help someone out the instructor should have no beef. That said I have seen plenty of strange territorial behavior at ranges.

 

I was at a practice facility with a small putting and chipping green (talking 2 holes on the green). I hit a few putts at one of the holes where an elderly man was chipping at it from the other direction. After a couple of putts he goes "!@#$ing a" and I thought it was a strange reaction to a bad chip or whatever, so I hit another putt at the hole and he comes storming over lifts his club up like he's gonna take a swing at me and starts yelling at me how he's just trying to stay to himself and he was gonna crack me over the head for getting in his way. I was stunned, because I was just minding my own business and didn't even get in his way. I mean it was a public place and its not strange to have 2 or 3 people going at the same hole. I went back to the other one where I had been sharing the space with this other guy and we just looked at each other in disbelief. Shocking what people do sometimes.

 

Didn't you see the sign on his forehead? It said "PUNCH ME, I'M STUPID!"

[Curran90]

While there are a number of fine PGA instructors, for the most part, the idea that they are there to help grow the game is a joke. If they were really interested in growing the game, when they saw a hacker swing up on the ball and try to help or lift it into the air they would politely walk over and offer the suggestion that he try to drive the ball into the ground rather than trying to get it into the air. This little piece of advise can easily help a hacker take 5-10 strokes off his game and thus make him want to play more golf. In stead they will watch the hacker hack away and then wonder why he gave up the game. If a PGA instructor really wanted to help grow the game when a golfer came to them for a lesson once again the first piece of advice they would give the golfer would be to hit down on the ball. But they don't do this, instead they spend the first lesson on the grip and the second on the stance and set up and so forth. They claim the only way to truly learn the game is to get the basics fundamentals downs, but the first basic is to learn how to hit the ball (down) and make it go into the air and most instructors never get around to giving out this info because they are too interested in having the students sign up for a series of lessons on the "golf swing" rather than how to hit the ball.

 

When I took up the game I took a series of lessons and went to two golf schools in Fla and after two years I still couldn't break 100. One day I was at the range and an old timer came up to me and ask me when I was going to start hitting the ball? I told him I had just hit a half a bucket and he said no, he had been watching me and I never hit one ball solidly. Instead I was hitting the ground behind the ball or I was topping the ball. He said I was doing this because I was trying to help or lift the ball into the air and that I should try to drive the ball into the ground in order to make it get into the air. He worked with me for about ten minutes and my ball striking improved greatly. The next time out on the course I shot in the low 90's and within a month I was shooting in the 80's. I had spent well over $4000 on golf lessons and not once did an instructor tell me how to hit down on the golf ball so while I had a great grip, set up and swing I still couldn't hit the ball with a damn. Thanks to the old timer I became a decent golfer. He helped to grow the game. The PGA pros who took my money before that didn't.

[iteachgolf]

While there are a number of fine PGA instructors, for the most part, the idea that they are there to help grow the game is a joke. If they were really interested in growing the game, when they saw a hacker swing up on the ball and try to help or lift it into the air they would politely walk over and offer the suggestion that he try to drive the ball into the ground rather than trying to get it into the air. This little piece of advise can easily help a hacker take 5-10 strokes off his game and thus make him want to play more golf. In stead they will watch the hacker hack away and then wonder why he gave up the game. If a PGA instructor really wanted to help grow the game when a golfer came to them for a lesson once again the first piece of advice they would give the golfer would be to hit down on the ball. But they don't do this, instead they spend the first lesson on the grip and the second on the stance and set up and so forth. They claim the only way to truly learn the game is to get the basics fundamentals downs, but the first basic is to learn how to hit the ball (down) and make it go into the air and most instructors never get around to giving out this info because they are too interested in having the students sign up for a series of lessons on the "golf swing" rather than how to hit the ball.

 

When I took up the game I took a series of lessons and went to two golf schools in Fla and after two years I still couldn't break 100. One day I was at the range and an old timer came up to me and ask me when I was going to start hitting the ball? I told him I had just hit a half a bucket and he said no, he had been watching me and I never hit one ball solidly. Instead I was hitting the ground behind the ball or I was topping the ball. He said I was doing this because I was trying to help or lift the ball into the air and that I should try to drive the ball into the ground in order to make it get into the air. He worked with me for about ten minutes and my ball striking improved greatly. The next time out on the course I shot in the low 90's and within a month I was shooting in the 80's. I had spent well over $4000 on golf lessons and not once did an instructor tell me how to hit down on the golf ball so while I had a great grip, set up and swing I still couldn't hit the ball with a damn. Thanks to the old timer I became a decent golfer. He helped to grow the game. The PGA pros who took my money before that didn't.

It depends on what the student is doing but MOST people are too steep and too much down on the ball. I teach a shallow swing with forward shaft lean. I can't speak for everybody but if the pros on this site aren't here to grow the game idk who is. We give out a ton of free information for no personal gain other than to help people out. Just because you got some bad instruction doesn't mean you should disrespect the 26,000+ PGA members out there.