great, but it ruined my game (Central London Golf Centre)

Member Name: the_grinder

Product:	Central London Golf Centre
Date:	04/07/01 (883 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: fun

Disadvantages: quite expensive

Central London Golf Centre is not located in the centre at all: it is close to Wandsworth common (five minutes walk from the train station).

The course itself is pretty awful: a scrubby nine hole with appalling golfers, but at least it's pay and play.The tuition, however, is really good.

I signed up with five friends for a course of six lessons, at around £55 per person. If you want to go on your own, you will have lessons with strangers, or individual tuition is offered for a larger fee. If you can get a few friends together (of whatever standard), then I reckon it's a good way to do it, and certainly provides ample banter.

My course was taken by the genial professional John, who had the knack of finding the positive in every slice, scuff or hook. He will watch you whack a few, then come up with an instant diagnosis (mine was an interesting case: according to John, most people suffer one of two faults, but I had both). In the first lesson, he films you from the back and side, and runs through your swing onscreen. This is both very useful and excrutiatingly embarrasssing. He will draw a ring around your head to show how much it moves, or a line along which your club should travel on the backswing, and you can see how bad you really are. At the end of the six weeks, he then films you again and puts the two films on a split screen, and you won't believe the difference. You really feel as if your game has been transformed.

The only problem is, six weeks is not a long time in which to dismantle a game and then rebuild it. And in most of my friend's experience, he does very well at the dismantling but doesn't have time to put it back together. I now can't play for toffee.

On the whole, though, I would recommend this course. It is very relaxed and friendly; they cater for beginners and intermediate; and it may improve your golf. Or ruin it.

Summary: