Before the season began, Kevin and I sat down to talk about his year ahead as a teaching professional. I laid out my plan for the season:
- Junior drop-in practices and ladies’ drop-in practices at an affordable price
- Kevin would help run the clinics and get paid for his time
- The real goal wasn’t just money — it was marketing
I told him, “Treat these clinics as a way to introduce yourself to our golfers. Earn their trust, show your skills, and your reputation will grow. The money will follow.”
To help him succeed, I set him up with an online booking system so he wouldn’t waste time texting back and forth to schedule lessons. I also created a dedicated page for him on our website to make finding and booking him easy.
Then we talked business strategy — the kind that turns a passion for teaching into a sustainable career. My advice was simple:
- Set junior and ladies’ lesson rates slightly lower than your premium hourly adult rate
- Encourage weekly lessons for juniors and ladies to fill the calendar with consistent, recurring clients
- Use premium adult lessons to “fill in the gaps” and boost revenue
By doing this, you build a stable base of committed students, then sprinkle in higher-rate lessons for balance.
The results? Kevin came to me last week with a smile. His lesson book looked exactly the way I described months ago — steady juniors, loyal ladies, and premium adult lessons rounding out his schedule.
It’s also been a win for the club. With Kevin teaching on our range, our range business is up 20% compared to last year — a significant improvement. It’s truly a win-win. Like “good-good” in golf, everybody walks away happy.
I taught him how to chip.
I also show him how to build a business.