Want to play like Tiger?

Patrick Laverty

The next Tiger Woods isn’t likely to be found at the city of Newport

Beach’s recreational golf classes, but then again, there likely isn’t

ever going to be another Tiger Woods.

For most ordinary golfers, simply breaking 100 would be nice and

before that can be done, one must know how to hold the club, how to

stand and where to position the ball.

The teaching of those fundamentals can be found in the golf

classes held at Newport Beach Golf Course Tuesdays, Wednesdays,

Thursdays and Saturdays.

The five-week sessions are already underway this summer, but

another round begins the week of July 28. At $45, less than the cost

of a round at most Orange County courses, those currently enrolled

can vouch for the benefits of a class like Newport Beach offers.

“I think it’s a great value, especially for people just starting

out,” Newport Beach resident Sharon Hartmann said. “You get a good

foundation without really making a big investment.”

Hartmann is in her second go-round, having taken the class three

years ago. But after playing for six months after that initial class,

she felt that she never graduated from the driving range.

That is the goal of almost all the golfers enrolled, though

ability level does vary.

Perla Pergis of Corona del Mar dabbled in golf for the last five

to seven years, before beginning to really play within the last year.

Her skills are beyond beginner, but that doesn’t prevent her from

picking things up during the class, which is limited to a maximum of

12 people.

“[The instructor] told me I should be taking a private lesson,”

Pergis said. “But there’s going to be things I need to work on, like

putting.”

The five-week course begins with the basics, including stance,

grip, ball position and posture. In week two, there is a review of

those fundamentals and players work with their irons. Wood play is

added in week three. The class is then closed out with chipping and

pitching in week four and putting in week five.

“It’s real generalized,” said Kevin Wilhelm, the instructor for

Wednesday’s meetings. “It’s for the beginning golfer, someone with

little experience and little know-how.”

For more advanced golfers, like Pergis, Wilhelm recommends private

lessons, where a professional can work with a student one-on-one, but

even experienced golfers can learn from the group environment.

“If you want to come out here and learn how to play, it’s good to

give you fundamentals and basics because everybody’s going to get the

same thing,” Wilhelm said. “One thing that’s common in golf is

fundamentals. You can have a different type of swing, but the basics

are all the same.”

Most classes tend to lean toward the female side. On Wednesday,

with more than a few students missing because of the approaching

Fourth of July holiday, three women and one man comprised Wilhelm’s

class.

“Guys want to hit the ball really hard, really far, really

straight like Tiger Woods. I had a guy come up to me one time and

say, ‘I want to play like you do.’ I asked him, ‘Well, do you have 23

years?’ Women are a little more apt to ask for help.”

Help is exactly what the recreational golf classes provide.

They help beginning players get off the driving range and on to

the course, even if they don’t hit the ball like Tiger Woods.