What to look for when deciding on lessons

[grizfan]

OK - after years of on again/off again playing, and generally being a really bad golfer, this summer I've decided to finally put some effort into this game; at least as much as time allows. Between wife, kids and work, not as much time as I'd like, but still....

So, I started with some books (1/2 way through Ben Hogan's 5 Lessons) and some trips to the driving range. I've seen improvements, but I'm still wildly inconsistent. I'll hit 5 or 6 nice shots in a row, followed by several hooks/slices.

So, its time for lessons. I have a nice little executive course / driving range near my house and they offer individual lessons, 3 for $130. Another course further away offers 6 1-hour small group lessons (4-5 people) for $150. They also offer a group of 3 1-hour individual lessons for $200. And these are just the ones I've checked into so far. There are easily a dozen course or driving ranges within a 40 minute drive from my house, so I have a lot of options, but I have no idea how to evaluate things ahead of time.

For me, costs are important, as is convenient times/locations for lessons, but are there any questions I should be asking about how they conduct their lessons? Are there some teaching techniques that are more valuable than others?

As you can see, I'm definitely a hacker, and I'm right now just looking to get on a good path with the fundamentals. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[alf174]

I recommend the group lessons first. Its relatively inexpensive and you'll get an opportunity to check out the pro for when you improve and then want individual lessons.