I was practicing my chipping at Baylands late one Sunday afternoon and struggling. Dan walked by…read moreon his way out from what was probably a long day teaching in 90+ degree heat and noticed. He came over without prompting and spent 15 minutes giving me some really valuable tips, he asked nothing in return. He made a lasting impression of someone who love the game and loves helping others improve.

I have been playing golf for close to 40 years. For the last 5-10 years my playing was very…read moresporadic (think 3 times a year) so I lost any sort of comfortability with my swing. I could still putt and chip well, but felt like my swing was out of whack and golf was no longer fun. So, I decided to take a lesson from Dan. I asked a number of people I knew from the Baylands Golf Links (where Dan teaches!) and they all said that Dan was the instructor they had selected. That was good enough for me. i have only had one lesson with Dan, and I already have my love for the game back! What I appreciate about Dan is that he likes to keep it simple and help you focus on one thing. That allowed me to get out of my head and focus on my set-up and swing. There will be more to learn, and I plan to take more lessons, but for now I am working on practicing the swing he set me up to have. With Dan you will not get a ton of input on mechanics. He is looking at you and your swing, then helping that swing to improve. His philosophy of everyone having their own swing and learning to embrace that swing within their own body makes a ton of sense to me and is far more motivating and enjoyable when I practice. I cannot recommend Dan more highly.

I came in with a simple objective and walked away with a completely different swing…read more So far, I hit 300 balls with this new swing and probably hit another 500 before playing a round with it this coming weekend. The temptation to reverted back to my old swing was irresistible but I managed. The initial outlook is positive but the final outcome is remained to be seen. My final question to Josh was, "What would it take for me to consistently play in the 80s?". His reply was simply pointing me toward the practice range. While I expected a more comprehensive answer, I took the answer positively. Hit the practice range and practice my new swing! =)

Josh Zander is an awesome swing coach. He promotes a very modern on-plane swing. I would recommend…read morehim for anyone who wants to become a serious golfer. The only downside is that he's a bit on the expensive side as well as cash/check only so I wasn't able to continue taking lessons with him. He basically revamped my swing and i'm playing the best golf i've ever played and i'm only getting better.

Bill is a fantastic teacher! He can spot where your swing has gone wrong and provide exercises and…read moretips which will help you correct it. If you like the techie side, he can go into explaining the mechanics and what makes a good swing. He personally demos of how to do it correctly and how not to. He also uses all sorts of "training aides" to help you get the feel of what he is talking about. Besides all of this, Bill is really nice and sincerely wants to help make you a better golfer. He is very generous with his time and input, plus he tells good stories. I have taken his short game, putting class and Winter Club and my game has definitely improved.

Bill has vastly improved my golf game. He's great at observing your swing and pinpointing things…read morethat need improvement. He's got a wide array of drills and tips to help you improve. I've really enjoyed having him as an instructor. Be patient with his drills cause they do pay off in the end. Also be patient because it seems like everyone walking by the golf range knows and loves Bill, and may stop to talk to him for a minute, right in the middle of your lesson :) But Bill genuinely wants to help make you a better golfer. I've been a part of his drop-in class and group lessons for about three years now. Absolute beginner when I started. Still have a long way to go but Bill has helped me come a long way too.

Terrible communication/availability. You will pay and not get appointment for weeks. Save your…read moremoney.

This is a response to Leigh's reply:…read more In short, I have documentation that proves what I wrote in my initial review. I received only 4 of the 35 lessons (and never got the 2 on-course ones). Texts that prove I had to reschedule only 1 of those 4 lessons within 24 hrs because I was sick (all other reschedule requests were by Leigh, who initiated 3 in total - including 1 within 24 hrs of the scheduled lesson). The texts also prove Leigh was unresponsive for several days at a time on more than one occasion about rescheduling even when he was the initiator to ask for the change. At one point, he had to ask me to remind him when our next lesson was scheduled because he didn't know! There is clear proof I offered 2X the value of those 4 lessons ($40 each vs. $20 each) - which I still believe was a more than fair offer. I never asked for a full refund - ever. I initiated that offer as a compromise to Leigh and only asked for the balance of my payment. In addition to the compromise I described above, I also offered to pay Leigh on a pay-as-we-go schedule AND at a higher rate than the original packaged rate. When it was clear that no compromise could be reached, I initiated a charge-back with my CC company - again, consistent with the offer I described above (whereas I could have easily asked for a higher chargeback considering the actual package rate of those 4 lessons). Leigh has tried to fall back on the assertion that his standard lesson rate is $75/hr, that I am "severely undervaluing" his time / worth - yet he was the one who initially offered and pressed me to sign up for a 10-lesson package for $200 during my first ever Groupon lesson with him (lesson 1 of 3 from the Groupon deals he regularly runs). In retrospect, I made a grave mistake by assuming the quality of that first Groupon lesson would carry over to future lessons - and Leigh and I settled on a 1-year package w/ 35, 1-hr lessons + 2 on-course lessons. Again, I received only 4 of those 1-hr lessons in a 2-month period. At that rate, I knew I would never get the remainder of the lessons in a reasonable period. And I would lose any claim at a refund from my CC company after a certain period of time - not to mention that money would be better used to take lessons somewhere else. I have proof of all of this and Leigh's defensiveness and unwillingness to compromise. Out of respect for Leigh's privacy, I'm not going to post the texts or other documentation that clearly support my case - but I have already shared this with my CC company who have since already ruled in favor of my recount of this experience. They shared Leigh's written rebuttal to the chargeback - which, just like Leigh's reply on this review, lacked any substantial evidence whatsoever. Leigh reply only further highlights his defensive nature and inability to admit there are clear problems with his business. This is unfortunate, because I even tried to help him by sharing technology solutions (e.g., auto-syncing lesson videos to Google Drive so he doesn't have to do this manually - an issue you can find in other reviews - as well as scheduling tool options). As a final word: The prices of the Groupon packages are incredibly enticing. You will not find a cheaper rate for golf lessons in the Bay Area. But please consider this review carefully - especially if you are considering a longer-term lesson package.

I've taken three lessons with Ron so far and my swing has already improved a lot under his…read moreguidance. A lot of coaches out there can identify your swing flaws, but it takes a good coach like Ron to instill the new feels and ideas needed to fix them. In each lesson, Ron quickly identified my issues with various clubs and imparted solutions in a clear and encouraging way. I am much more confident on the course now than I was before I started lessons with him. Added benefits are that he is flexible on scheduling (from early morning to evening), and his simulator setup has all the information you could possibly need to analyze your swing.

Ron has magically improved my game. He is calm, precise,…read moreand most importantly patient. I strongly recommend Ron for golf lessons. All sorts of handicappers acceptable and guaranteed improvement.

I've been seeing Mark for about 2 years now and he has dramatically improved my game. Through the…read moreups and down of learning how to play golf, Mark has always been great at helping me get over the wall when I get stuck. He has also improved my putting tremendously thanks to his Aimpoint training. I would highly recommend Mark to anyone looking for golf lessons.

Mark is a real teacher. He explains things so you can understand what you need to do. He differs…read morefrom a coach or instructor in that you really learn what to do , not put your hand over this way. It makes the learning a lot more fun and your lessons are successful.

I've been taking golf lessons with Terry for over a year now and I'd highly recommend him to anyone…read morewho thrives to have the perfect skills in golf. Terry has great attention to details, he has helped me make adjustments to every small aspects of my swing, grip, posture etc. He is also very patient and encouraging - he breaks down complex techniques into simple instructions and tries different ways to explain (until it sticks). Terry can be the perfect instructor for anyone from beginners to experienced golfers - I'd highly recommend him to anyone who's serious about improving their golf game!

I started taking lessons with Finigan as a complete beginner, and after just 5 classes I'm honestly…read moreamazed at how much progress I've made. I went from having zero experience to actually enjoying being on the course and feeling confident in my game. Finigan is incredibly patient, knowledgeable, and easy to work with. He explains things in a way that just clicks, and he really takes the time to adapt to your level. He's also always on time and very easy to communicate with, which makes the whole experience smooth and stress-free. If you're new to golf (or even looking to improve), I can't recommend him enough. Amazing coach.