Many golf schools include instruction on the golf course with your professional. Many students feel the emphasis of on course playing lessons is to improve course management, in reality thats only half of the objective. Equally important is learning how to take your “new swing” to the golf course, learning how to try new shots in an on course situation lets you (and your instructor) see if you have learned enough to take that new swing to the course. For your instructor the on course lesson lets him see if your swing is different on the course from what he is seeing on the practice tee (it usually is!) and then lets him or her make adjustments when you go back to the practice tee.
One other note, many instructors don’t play much when they go with you to the course, they are mainly watching and instructing you, they may play some shots so that you can see the proper way to execute certain shots, but you shouldn’t feel they are there to play every shot and shoot a score.
In summary, your goal in a playing lesson should be
- Learn to take new swing changes and adjustments to the golf course, to understand how to execute these new swings and shots in a “real” situation
- How to manage your game, when to lay up, when to hit three wood, how to plan your shot strategy for each holel
- To have your professional demonstrate to you how to play certain shots in an actual golf course situation
