Metro Creative Photo – Golf lessons can be a great gift for fathers who want to step up their game. Or they could also work for a dad who wants to step into the game for the first time.
Families who want to send Dad on a new adventure — or just give him a new outlet to enjoy himself — this Father’s Day can give him a gift of some lessons on the links.
Golf lessons can be a great gift for the fathers who want to step up their game. Or, Wheeling Country Club General Manager and Head Golf Professional Rich Conwell said, it works for a dad who wants to step into the game for the first time.
Golf is a lifetime sport and Conwell said it doesn’t matter if Dad gets into it later in life.
“It’s not hard at all,” he said. “As long as you have reasonable expectations, meaning you’re not going to be playing on the PGA Tour, if you want to have fun with your friends, go out and do it.”
There are plenty of bright spots to getting into golf, Conwell said. It’s a chance to spend some time in fresh air and nice weather. It’s good exercise, but nothing extremely strenuous. It helps develop better hand-eye coordination, which is beneficial in all parts of life, not just in sports.
For the older newcomer, Conwell said he teaches the sport to them much like he would a youngster just getting into golf. Golf is supposed to be fun, and he tries to keep lessons as fun as possible.
“Keep it simple,” he said. “Set up and go.”
Conwell also drills down on what body parts one needs to effectively swing a golf club.
“They need hands, they need arms and they need balance,” he said. “They do not need strength. They do not need feet. They do not need legs.
“It’s not about muscle,” he added. “It’s about speed. Just swing. It’s motion.”
And when Dad gets a good swing down, Conwell said it’s awesome to see the lessons put to good use, to hear the sound of a club head making solid contact, to see the ball rocket through the air and the smile on the face of the student.
“The look on their face is unbelievable,” he said. “It makes a 45-year-old look like it’s Christmas again for him as a 10-year-old. They’re like, ‘I never knew I could do that.’
“We’re looking for that ‘oh wow’ moment,” Conwell continued. “And it’s really easy to get it because, if your expectations aren’t that big, it’s pretty simple. You can get that ‘oh wow’ moment pretty quickly.”
Conwell said Wheeling Country Club offers single lessons and packages of five lessons. For more information, call 304-232-2000 or email Conwell at rconwell@wheelingcountryclub.com.