Worth a Closer Look >> Island Golf School offers a new Short Game School, conducted daily, that includes two hours of instruction covering chipping, pitching, putting and bunker play. The Half-Day School includes instruction with video analysis and a take-home CD, while the Full-Day School adds lunch and 18 holes of golf, nine of which are played with a teaching professional.

TOUR ACADEMY HILTON HEAD
@ Palmetto Hall  843-342-9205, PalmettoHallGolf.com
One of only six facilities of its kind in the country, the TOUR Academy Hilton Head offers a state-of-the-art game improvement facility and one of the area’s most diverse portfolio of teaching programs. The Academy is headquartered within the gated community of Palmetto Hall, which offers a pair of outstanding 18-hole courses (Arthur Hills and Robert Cupp designs) that are owned and operated by Heritage Golf Group.

Instructional opportunities range from one-hour private lessons to its award-winning two-, three- and five-day golf schools. Through comparative video analysis, TOUR Academy instructors compare and contrast a student’s swing mechanics on a split screen with the world’s best golfers to more clearly define specific areas of improvement. Videoed sessions are recorded with instructional voice-overs to act as an ongoing source for guidance and inspiration long after students have returned home.

In addition to its daily and multi-day programs, the TOUR Academy has introduced two new junior-oriented programs. A Half-Day Junior Camp is designed for newcomers who may not be ready for a full day camp, and a Five-Day Advanced Junior Golf School utilizes the Academy’s full range of technology and training in a comprehensive week-long program.

Worth a Closer Look >> The TOUR Academy’s Link-Up-2-Golf Program, designed by industry experts to remove traditional barriers and insure a positive experience, provides an easy and affordable way for new and infrequent players to connect to the game. This fun and innovative lesson program teaches the necessary fundamentals in a supportive and relaxed learning environment.

GRAYGOLF  843-298-0907, GrayGolfSchools.com
Jim Gray’s revolutionary approach to the golf swing has resulted in remarkable transformations for both novices and accomplished players. The late Mark Brown, founder of LINKS Magazine, called GRAYGOLF “brilliant, innovative and effective. From beginners to tournament players, GRAYGOLF produces dramatic results.”

GRAYGOLF is based on the premise that the goals of the swing—and the laws of movement which affect the achievement of those goals—must be understood by the brain before the body can be trained to perform them. Thus, GRAYGOLF trains muscle movement sequences utilizing a controlled studio environment and a methodology called “Movement Association Proficiency” to develop each students “indelible swing memory” from the ground up: body movement first, then arms, hands and the club. After the initial training process, Gray prescribes a transition practice routine at the local practice facility. The final process is the transition from the practice center to the golf course also utilizing a strictly prescribed method.

The remarkable growth of GRAYGOLF has prompted the opening of a new 1,600-square-foot teaching facility in Bluffton, located just across the bridge from Hilton Head Island. Gray’s instructional offerings range from a 90-minute overview of GRAYGOLF and Movement Association Proficiency to an extensive 30-day full training program. All of the GRAYGOLF programs include videotaping and computer analysis, an illustrated practice guide, and DVD of the movement training drills utilized in the methodology.

Worth a Closer Look >> Lowcountry residents can immerse themselves in the full-blown 30-day program, but visitors can get a feel for GRAYGOLF with the half- or full-day “Experiences” including full studio training, practice center transition and practice, and nine holes of “on-course transition.”