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.

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.

When I started with Matt only 7 months ago, I was a brand new beginner. I had had a few lessons…read morefrom another outfit that were not very helpful for me. I called that other company's teaching approach Painting by Numbers because it wasn't cohesive and intuitive for me. Also, Matt gives full hour-long lessons versus the other company that only did half hour lessons which I found to be way too short so I ended up having a fractured and incomplete understanding of the golf swing. I'm over 60 years old and a slender woman. So I don't have bulk muscle for strength. Learning how to strike the ball correctly gives me the distance. Matt teaches with intuitive, cohesive instruction and shows (sometimes with props) as well as explains why certain aspects of the swing are important so that logically it all makes sense. He is such a gifted teacher to help all the details gel without my feeling its overly analytical. Proof of his teaching is I started out hitting my 7 iron 42 yards on the Trackman and am now hitting 122 yards dead straight. Also when I started out I didn't have the ball striking skills to play18 hole courses, only 9 hole courses. I recently scored 110, 112, and 114 on a par 72 course. When people learn I've only golfed for 10 months total, they can't believe it. When they ask who is my coach, I happily share about Matt being the best ever and why. Matt is confident that I will soon be breaking 100. I can't wait!

Mike is a great coach and was more than happy to accommodate my availability. I could tell by the…read moreway he carried himself and communicated that he was the coach for me. I'm new to golf been playing for two weeks and he was able to help me with getting better contact, my form and a few swing thoughts. I was able to put on 20 yards on each of my clubs from one lesson and get consistent hits. Highly recommend this place and Mike!

My bunker play was getting so bad to the point I lost all confidence in my bunker shot and was…read moreprobably either blading it over the green or leaving it short in the bunker again. Finally decided to pony up $150 to go see Phil for an hour. You can reach him via email - PhilMarronePGA@gmail.com As of writing, he takes cash, check, Venmo. He'll probably take a day to get back to you via email and will send a calendar invite for the lesson once confirmed. Phil was my instructor for one of the many group lessons I took at Stanford campus. He still instructs there but also offers private lessons. On his website, he claims to specialize in short game which was the other reason besides the familiarity for why I chose to go with him. Phil is super friendly and talkative, mixing different analogies with personal stories, yet not so much as to make you feel like you're wasting time listening to things that may not help your game. Within a few minutes of in the bunker, I already was able to hit it out with enough height and sand. That was an immense confidence booster. I went on the next day to shoot 86 at Poppy Hills, making it the first time I broke 90. Granted, I only had 1 bunker shot, the concepts he introduced in the bunker carried over to when we spent the last portion of class working on 40 yard chip/pitch shots by request. These short game elements really helped me to make a few key up and downs that kept my score low. Now, it's just more practice to make shooting in the 80s a consistent theme! Thanks, Phil!

Don significantly improved my swing in just one lesson!…read more I am a self-taught golfer with about a year of experience. I have adjusted my grip and swing multiple times to decrease my slice or hook. Finally, I listened to a good friend and took a lesson with Don. He watched my swing and showed me what I was doing wrong. After he adjusted my grip, my slice disappeared. He then taught me a drill to improve my overall swing. By the end of the lesson, I was in awe. Not only did he immediately fix my swing, but he gave me the tools I needed to continue to improve on my own. I will be going to Don for all my training needs from now on. I would highly recommend Don to anyone looking to improve their golf game.

I had a fantastic experience working with Don Allio, who significantly impacted my golf swing…read more After a long hiatus, I developed several bad swing habits, particularly early extension on the downswing. Don skillfully helped me pinpoint and address this issue, resulting in increased accuracy without sacrificing swing speed. Don's ability to quickly assess my swing and tailor his messages to my style of understanding, whether technical or feel, sets him apart. His wealth of knowledge is evident, yet he knows when to deploy it, ensuring I wasn't overwhelmed with too much information. We worked on several drills (including the glove under the arm shown here) that were easy to take to my own practice outside of our sessions. I highly recommend Don for golfers of any age and skill level; he truly understands how to work with each player's unique characteristics.

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.

Mark Dorcak has been an incredible golf coach for my kids, especially for competitive junior golf…read more He introduced them to AimPoint, and we saw immediate results--fewer strokes, smarter decision-making on the greens, and a big boost in confidence, to the point where my daughter started winning tournaments. Mark is very practical and has an excellent eye for quickly identifying what actually needs fixing versus what can wait. He tailors instruction based on where the student is mentally and technically, which is huge for tournament players. I highly recommend him for competitive juniors, as well as adults and golfers of any level looking for clear, effective instruction.

I just completed a 4 week short game course with Mark and his trusty assistant Sean, offered via…read moreLos Altos parks & rec. The program far exceeded my expectations in a number of ways. I'm not exactly an avid golfer. I dabbled throughout the years, finally picking it up for real during the pandemic -- but then didn't touch a golf club in almost 2 years while I produced a little human. I was finally ready to get back into the *swing* of things, but I definitely went into class with a good amount of dread and anxiety. To my relief, the small group format was perfect for me, Mark and Sean were patient and kind, and the 1.5 hour classes flew by! They even offered everyone a make-up class since one class landed on Mother's Day. It was evident that Mark is passionate about teaching and committed to helping everyone succeed. I was glad to hear that they are now offering full swing lessons, so I have one booked for next week!

Mark Diamond, Director of Instruction, recently came to Shoreline GL and did a putting clinic with…read moremy high school boys varsity golf team. We had been struggling with our putting. The very next day, we shot our best score of the entire season and the boys couldn't stop talking about how the clinic gave them the confidence to play/ putt better. Bruce Jaffe Varsity Golf Coach Mountain View High School