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Tee up for your best golf season yet

From the basics to advanced skills, lessons can be your game-changer
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A lesson or two can help you get your golf season off to a great start.

How’s your golf game?

Come spring’s arrival this week, it’s a question we’ll be asking more and more.

But if your game isn’t quite up to par – or you want to take up the centuries-old sport for the first time – the time is right.

“Coming off the off-season, lessons can be a good way to sort out the bad habits and start fresh,” says Ardmore Golf Course general manager and PGA of Canada Professional Axle Riley, joined at the North Saanich course by teaching professional Terrance Drader. “It can save you a lot of frustration down the road.”

A good foundation: As an activity people can enjoy well into their senior years, many people come to golf as adults, and a few lessons can provide a solid foundation for the basics. Youth also make up a large portion of students. “They just have a raw enthusiasm that allows them to progress quickly.”

Don’t feed the frustration: While an individual sport, certain challenges are almost universal, says Riley, who has taught some 3,000 lessons over his eight years as a golf professional.

In fact, he estimates slicing – when the ball pulls to the right – accounts for about 75 per cent of questions he receives.

The good news? “We’ve had pretty good success in helping that,” he says.

And rather than letting a friend diagnose the problem, or trying to solve it via the Golf Channel, a lesson or two will drive success much faster!

“Golf can be a difficult game, so it’s extremely rewarding to help someone master a skill or rediscover a love for the game they’ve almost given up on,” Riley says.

Take your game up a notch: For more advanced players, the Ardmore team also offers on-course lessons pinpointing skills like reading the putt and club selection – also a great way to explore the picturesque, nine-hole North Saanich course.

Summer Camps: Whether trying golf for the first time or building existing skills, youth will enjoy Ardmore’s four-day summer camps in July and August. Welcoming seven- to 12-years-old golfers, camps run from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday and include all the basics, including etiquette and an introduction to the rules.

Keep new skills sharp at one of the region’s most playable courses: While membership isn’t required to golf Ardmore, it has advantages – 10-day-advance tee time booking, the opportunity to accompany up to three guests per day at special guest rates, practice facilities, including a putting green, driving net and chipping area, pro-shop discount and more. From junior memberships at $200 to full seven-day-a-week golf privileges for $1,155, Ardmore offers opportunities for everyone

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A public nine-hole course in North Saanich, Ardmore Golf Course has been owned by the same family since its founding in 1936 and offers memberships, lessons, rentals and a variety of event opportunities. Learn more at ardmoregolfcourse.com, on Facebook, or call 250-656-4621.

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Axle Riley, Ardmore Golf Course general manager and PGA of Canada Professional, estimates that slicing – when the ball pulls to the right – accounts for about 75 per cent of questions he receives when teaching.