The One Where Indiana Jones Teaches Me To Golf

No, not that Indiana Jones – Sugarloaf Golf Club’s own Indiana “Indy” Jones, Assistant Golf Professional. We met at the Pro Shop for our 9:30am private lesson last Thursday morning; after a short ride to the tee, we were soon stepping out onto the range. Once I was equipped with a club (an 8-iron), Indy emptied a bucket of golf balls on the glorious green grass and we got to work.

I arrived with little (read: no) experience but a willingness to learn and a strong threshold for embarrassment, so for our first lesson, we began with the basics: grip (mind the V’s!), stance, and swing. Lessons like these are essential for beginners like me; guidance from a Golf Pro makes the intricacies of golf a little more accessible—and let me tell you, there are a lot of moving parts!—without being overwhelming.

And, to her credit, Indy was not only incredibly gracious, she was also consistently encouraging despite the laughable amount of times I flat-out missed the ball completely (and hey, as I always say, never pass up an opportunity to laugh at yourself). When asked what her biggest piece of advice to new golfers would be, she said, “Don’t get discouraged. Don’t get frustrated.”

Working on this blog has been, among many other things, a wonderful reminder that you can still thoroughly enjoy thing, even when you aren’t exactly excelling at them. Was I great at mountain biking my first time? No. Was it probably difficult to watch? I’m almost certain of it. But did I have an amazing time? Was it a morning well-spent? Absolutely, and so was my golf lesson with Indy!

Truth be told, nearly no one is good at anything right when they start (I say ‘nearly’ because you will run across those astounding people who are inherently talented at everything they do). You’re going to feel awkward: almost nothing about your positioning will feel natural at first. But hey, it’s a beautiful day, and you’re spending it trying something new, somewhere scenic, with someone willing to teach you and provide real-time feedback. Shake it off and make the most of it! Learn what you can, improve where you can, and have fun while feeling a little foolish.

You will begin to see more steadfast improvements when you’re just starting out because there’s ample room for progress; however, lessons are also suited for well-seasoned sportsmen who want to take their game to the next level. Whether you have a specific problem you’d like to solve or are looking to lower your score, a private golf lesson with a Sugarloaf Golf Club Pro is the way to go.

Private lessons are available all summer, offering customized instruction from one of the Club’s phenomenal Golf Pros; a 30-minute lesson is priced at $50 with an hour of one-on-one instruction available for $75. Reservations are required, please call (207) 237-6812 to book today!