How Much Are Golf Lessons? (What To Look Out For)
Meet Jake
Jake was a competitive golfer for over a decade dating back to the days of being the Captain of his high school golf team. He has played more than 200 courses across 32 different states in the US. Now semi-retired, Jake continues to golf 3-4 days a week with a current 2 handicap, gives golf lessons to his friends and family, and provides a wealth of knowledge to Golf Circuit from his competitive playing days. Jake combines practical expertise with technical knowledge to create golfing strategies and training techniques for both beginners and scratch golfers.
Quality golf lessons can help beginners learn the sport’s rules and techniques and improve their swings.
The cost of golf lessons varies based on the coach’s experience, the lesson’s type, duration, and the facility used. So, how much are golf lessons? Here’s the information you need.
How Much Do Golf Lessons Cost?
The typical charges of a PGA-certified instructor are
- One-hour Group lesson: $20-$25
- One-hour Private lesson: $60-$125
- Two hours Playing lesson: $120-$250
Famous golf instructors that we see on television, appear on Best of lists, or the ones who work with pros, will charge a lot more for lessons, often $300 or more per hour.
What to Expect Out of Golf Lessons?
Golf lessons for beginners will be less intense, focusing on the game’s basics. However, the lessons will be more in-depth if you’re an advanced player and want to improve your game.
Most golf lessons include the following:
- A certified or professional golf instructor
- Combination of lectures (the game’s techniques and strategies) and practice
- Different techniques for various swings (chopping, putting, fairway swings, etc.)
- Tips on how to be mentally and physically prepared for tournaments
- Customizable lessons based on your skill level and requirements (beginner, intermediate, and advanced)
Factors That Impact the Cost of Golf Lessons
For an estimate of how much golf lessons cost, here are some of the things you must look out for:
The Experience and Status of the Golf Instructor
While you should take lessons only from PGA-certified instructors, a non-certified instructor (like the friendly club pro working at your local municipal course) will charge much less.
The more experience the instructor has, the more the cost of golf lessons. Often, golf instructors become pros with spare time, looking to share their love of the game.
With more experience, the professionals become senior instructors and eventually professional Masters, increasing their lesson costs accordingly.
A one-hour lesson with the superstar coaches – David Leadbetter and Butch Harmon, could easily cost you $1,500, but it tends to be well worth the price.
Read our guide on how to break 100 in golf to learn more.
Type of Lesson
Golf lessons can be playing, private, or group lessons. Group and private lessons are taken on the practice fairway or driving range of a golf course.
Group Lessons
While group lessons can include 12-15 people, these are also the cheapest type, suitable for beginners to learn the game’s basics.
However, the more people in the group, the more time spent on general information than on individual techniques. Here’s a handy video for beginner golfers.
Despite being one of the cheapest options, group lessons are scheduled at fixed times and run over several weeks. Also, a minimal number of players might be required before they go ahead.
Group lessons can often be bought in blocks of 4 or 5. Usually, all lessons must be taken within a fixed time period (like six months).
Private Lessons
If you start with group lessons, you can switch to private (one-on-one) lessons once you improve and want to tackle any specific faults with your game.
Although more expensive than group lessons, private lessons offer the flexibility of scheduling at your convenience.
Some private instructors also include video analysis to help analyze your techniques, forms, etc. Trackman technology is popularly used by professionals and is very expensive.
It helps measure the different metrics of your swing, like ball flight, clubhead speed, launch angle, etc.
Playing Lessons
A playing lesson, often the most expensive involves the instructor playing some holes with you on the course to assess your game as you play.
- Average cost for a 30-45 minute private lesson: $50-$60
- Average cost for an hour-long private session: $75-$90
- Average cost of a group lesson: $20-$25
The Duration of the Lesson
Standard golf lessons are 30 minutes to an hour long. The golf lesson costs vary depending on the duration of the lessons.
Playing lessons last longer, for about two hours, and at an increased cost.
Generally, a one-hour lesson will cost more than a 30-minute lesson. However, an hour-long lesson could be cheaper with a less-expensive pro than a 30-minute lesson from a professional instructor.
If you’ll be taking golf lessons occasionally, consider the one-hour time slot, whereas if you’ll be taking multiple lessons frequently, the 30-minute option is more suitable.
- Average cost of a 30-minute lesson: $20-$60
- Average cost of an hour-long session: $50-$100
A beginner or high-handicap golfer will need many lessons to see good results.
The Facility
Most golf instructors are associated with a golf course, resort, club, or practice facility. The more luxurious or expensive the facility, the more expensive the lessons.
Hitting range balls or taking individual lessons on the course can impact your golf lesson’s charges.
A 30-minute lesson by a golf coach that works at a private country club like ClubCorp will be much higher than when you’re at a driving range-only facility.
The costs also vary based on the city or state. A golf lesson is bound to cost more in a place with a higher cost of living, like California, than at a Michigan golf course.
Tips to Save Money on Golf Lessons
There are a few ways you can save money on golf lessons:
- Buy golf lessons in bulk or packages
- Get lessons in a group setting
- Get lessons from a public golf course with a lesser-known professional
- Practice at home with residential simulators
Final Thoughts
Many golfers might select a golf lesson based on the cost, which is entirely understandable. However, when you take golf lessons, it’s essential to consider other factors to choose the best option.
The teaching style of more experienced instructors will be more effective, and you’ll learn much more in a single lesson than with other golf instructors of less experience.
Also, practicing at a well-designed golf course with easy to read greens will provide a better understanding of the playing techniques.
