About me: I started playing golf about 3 years ago as a complete beginner. Being relatively athletic, I was able to piece together a little bit of a game – enough to enjoy playing – but realized that I could really benefit from some professional intervention. I rarely keep score, but if I had to guess, I’d say I play in the 110-115 range.

Day 1

As the group of about 12 people, with ages ranging from mid 20′s to mid 70′s, all sat down in the Golf classroom, none of us knew how it was all going to work. Jay Morelli, the founder and director of the Original Golf School (Founded in 1978), soon let us know that we’d be sorted into our groups based on our relative abilities. I was matched with Barry Reynolds, a pro who has a great reputation around the resort for helping good players get much better. I had a few people tell me that he’s the guy they go to, so I felt as though I was in good hands. I was with 3 other men who all played at about the same ability as myself, though somewhat better.

We started out day 1 at the driving range, warming up hitting a wedge, 7 iron and eventually hitting our drivers.

Straight off the bat, Barry noticed that I have a distinctive sway backwards in my backswing, which really limits my ability to power through the ball. I use too much arms and shoulder in my swing, something I have had a really hard time trying to correct. Baby steps!

We learned all about our pre-shot routine. Grip / Alignment / Posture / Ball Position.

Our instructor Barry going through the pre-shot routine.

The rest of the morning we spent on the putting green where we learned how to read the green from behind the ball, pick a line and stick to it even when it seems ‘off’ when you’re standing over the ball.

After a lunch break, we spent some time learning to chip. I had never learned a chipping stroke, so had never developed any bad habits. This stroke (feet together, hands forward, choked up putting grip, weight forward, almost a putting stroke, hold the finish!) I picked up really quickly (for once) and feel like I will certainly shave a couple of strokes off my game with this.

The guys learning to chip from off the edge of the green.

We ended Day 1 in the bunker. I rarely end up in the sand when I play (usually it’s the woods – am I right guys?) so this was relatively new to me. Learning to hit 2″ behind the ball to lift it out was tough to pick up, but eventually I was popping the ball out, which is all you can ask for.

Barry showing us how to hit out of the sand.

Day 2 – OUCH.

I knew I was going to be sore, but wow. Having never hit that many golf balls in my life, I was hurting in places that I didn’t know existed. It took me a long time to warm up, and it didn’t help that it was cool and wet outside.

We started the day at the upper driving range to take some video of our swings. Of course I shanked EVERYTHING once the camera was rolling, but when we did our video review, it was great (and somewhat horrifying) to see our swings in slow motion. I have a lot to work on!

Reviewing Henry’s swing on video. Golf School students get the video via email for reference and practice!

After lunch we went back out to review some putting, chipping and lobs. I was able to pick right back up with my chipping, which was a good sign.

The rest of the afternoon was spent on the course, where we practiced some different lies (uphill, downhill, ball below, ball above) which on our mountain course you certainly encounter a lot of. The entire group played pretty well, but most of us were spent (ok, maybe it was just me) so we called it a day after 5 holes or so.

My biggest takeaways from the Dress Rehearsal? Golf is not easy. But man is it fun! I am looking forward to getting out on the course to practice and try to develop my game even further.

I would *highly* recommend taking Original Golf School courses if you’re struggling with any aspect of your game. Not only will you leave with a list of great recommendations to improve your swing, but you’ll also score a sweet diploma!

This was harder than college.

Want to elevate your game? Click here to book your Original Golf School lessons today.

I’ve been itching to to take up golf for several years now. It looked like a great way to have fun, enjoy the beautiful outdoors and exercise all at once. Sounds great right? As a beginner, the multitude of things to consider was a bit overwhelming: What’s the appropriate attire? What’s the proper etiquette? What clubs do I need? How should I go about learning? So – I went to the Pro Shop, picked out a hot pink outfit, rented a set of clubs and signed up for a 2-day lesson with The Original Golf School.

I was placed in a class with three awesome ladies, Ruth, Gail and Kerry – who were all first-timers like myself. We were taught by the Pro, Jay Morelli, and I couldn’t have asked for a better instructor. Jay is the founder of the Original Golf School and is amazing at working with beginners.

Jay Morelli – Original Golf School Founder

We began with some insight to the equipment we’d be using. In no time, we were on the green learning some putting techniques. On day 1, we went from putting to chipping, all the way up to the driving range. The sun was shining, all of my questions were answered and we had a blast!

Learning to chip. Rocking the hot pink outfit.

On day 2 we hopped in our carts and played a few holes in a scramble format. I even got a few leading drives in, which totally made my day! To go from having no experience with the game – to playing a few holes in just 24 hours felt like a huge achievement. I owe it to Jay, who did such a great job of breaking down the key components of the game and making it both accessible and fun. The three priceless skills I learned at The Original Golf School were: the precise grip, the right stance and the correct swing. If you can master these three basics, then you’re in business. Believe me, it looks a lot easier on TV.

After having tried The Original Golf School, I can tell you with confidence that it is a GREAT way to learn the game. In fact, I’d go as far as saying that it is the ONLY place to begin. What you will learn is invaluable. Now of course, there are many intricacies within the game of golf, and that I’ll learn with time. But for now, I’m just going to have fun with it.

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To book your Original Golf School Lessons Click Here!

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