Since my 12 month package is over, I guess I can finally update my review. I started at a 24hcp and…read moreended at a 12.6hcp. I would have continued with Tom but due to my new schedule, it made it tough to continue with the 1 hr drive each way. Thanks again NCGA and I will miss seeing everyone on a regular basis.

I'm very pleased with NorCal Golf Academy in Walnut Creek. A few months ago, I started golfing…read moreagain with friends. It's such a difficult game but can be so rewarding. I tried a couple of places for lessons. Then, I tried NorCal. In a short 3 months, my game is improving!! Lulu Huang is my instructor and she's top-notch! She's an expert, patient and professional which I appreciate. I highly recommend NorCal Golf Academy whether it be for extensive coaching or to improve your game. Thank you!

Love that the place is nearby but I recently soured on them for a simple reason: I couldn't find…read moresomeone who knew how to operate Trackman. I visited to get my distances dialed in, and got assistance after with an email of the report. Turns out it was a single video of someone else. After several days of waiting, I finally got a report with some data. But Carry and Total Distance were not available - whether via browser or the Trackman app. Then I was told I had to have signed into the their bay when I was onsite. But when I arrived onsite with a buddy, we both said we need help getting set up and thus we thought we were - turns out that wasn't the case. Seems to me that if you know Trackman this place may be worth a try. If you don't, you should learn before you go or risk the chance of not having key data available after the session. Unfortunately, with all the back and forth and the fact I never got the 2 most important data points I wanted (the reason I signed up was to dial in iron and wedge distances) I would reconsider going here. When I suggested that all employees become proficient in Trackman and asked what they thought I heard nothing back. Probably worth a try, but, buyer beware. If I were the shop owner, I would have offered a return session on the house. This never crossed their minds. Too bad.

Kevin is a great instructor. He helped me improve immediately. I am very new to golf, and was…read moreswinging on top of the ball quite a bit. I was frustrated with hitting little dribbler shots. I don't seem to have that problem too much since training with Kevin. He helped me pick out new irons, my old set I bought off Craigslist and was missing clubs. The drills, the set-up, the swing are all improving my game. Looking forward to learning as much as I can through his instruction.

Long time overdo. Russell is different, but in the most positive way. Although Russell has the…read moretechnical knowledge to break down your golf swing from start to finish, he specializes in explaining the golf swing in the easiest way possible. Russell has the ability to teach using ideas rather than terms, thus eliminately multiple swing thoughts at the moment of impact. Russell emphasizes swing thoughts, as "the driver head must beat the hands at the finish line" and "once your thumbs are up, start the downswing." Russell's words of wisdom have helped lower my scores but more importantly, made golf more enjoyable, as I have to think much less lol. Aside from his golf knowledge, Russell has always been professional, well dressed (G/Fore), prompt, and always knows how to make people laugh when needed. Best of all is his pup, Crisco!

I waited to write this review until I finish my lessons with Russell A.K.A Master Shifu (inside…read morejoke). Definitely won't be the last for sure. I had ZERO experience in golf. But I'm very grateful that I met Russell as my instructor. He made my experience so much enjoyable. Now that I'm getting into golfing and learning it. It's so fun! The outcome is always different every single swing, the movement. Literally everything. I looked forward to coming and learning more for my best potential. Russell always brings out the best during my lesson. *Always remember, PGA! (POSTURE, GRIP, ALIGNMENT)*. Every sports have its own fundamental skills and without knowing the basics, it's impossible to learn a new sports. He's definitely aware of this so he won't BS nothing! He starts off teaching the fundamental skills of golf, moves onto the next and so on and on. He has a book by John Jacob and he showed me how things are supposed to look like and that helped a lot for someone like me who's a tactile-visual learner. By the second lesson, I started to see the difference of my posture/swings right away. I never expected to learn this fast. He's super interactive and will point out the "mistakes" that I'm doing right away. My weakness was not be able to have my club DOWN or it was late. I GOTTA GO DOWN!! (you'll understand this once you start learning from him). I always have that in back of my mind to keep it down. I stopped thinking or focusing too much on the wrist, head, feet, backswings, things surrounding you because it makes it really difficult to have your own swing so now I just focus my eyes on the ball and do what he told me to do! Very happy with the results and where I'm at now. I'll definitely get more lessons from master shifu in his dojo! Thank you for making it so fun!!

Great experience! Beginner friendly! I came to Skylinks after a bad experience at another course…read moreand it was a very different experience. From the moment I walked into the pro shop, I felt welcomed. The folks behind the desk explained how everything worked and even informed me of some specials they were running. They pointed out an entire room of rental clubs for me to take my time deciding what worked for me. There's food, drinks, music, and a number of spots (shaded and unshaded) at the driving range. I will happily drive from Berkeley if Skyline keeps up its great service. Thank you! - A novice golfer

That fact that some a** gave this place a poor review because he was an idiot, is actually…read moreinsulting to this process. I thought I would jump on the review train and let everyone know that this place, despite being a 9-hole course, is one of the most well kept, friendly and welcoming course in the area. Every single thing that people have complimented is absolutely a FACT. But what isn't being said is what this place is doing for the game of golf and the golfing community. I have played golf (not very well) for 40 years. I had taken about a 13-year break and lost interest until Father's Day last year. My son-in-law, who had never swung a club, wanted to go try out a range. We dug my clubs out of the shed, cleaned them up and headed to Skylinks. I had never been, and just remembered how drab the place looked a few years ago. We showed up, walked into the club house, got a bucket of beers, a bucket of balls and headed out. I was blown away by how friendly and customer-oriented the staff was. We both had a great time, hitting the sticks, drinking some beers. The next day, the son in law bought a set of clubs and later that week, we brought our wives with us and they thought the atmosphere was great. That weekend, we played a round at Skylinks. No pressure. So much fun. Since then, we have both taken to golf. We have played multiple times after work. Played a host of courses in the area. We played in a charity tournament. We have even played in Hawaii and Mexico. Thanks to Skylinks, I am officially a golfer. And, I couldn't be happier.

I started the game around July of 2025 with no golf background whatsoever…read more Preface this with I only had ONE lesson with ONE coach before this and it wasn't a good fit. Ian is the real deal - he fits his teaching perfectly between technical analysis and feel. He doesn't overwhelm with things like "oh your face is 2* open at impact" or "7500 rpms is too spinny for a 6 iron lets fix that" I would get from some other coach. I have went from shooting ~130 per round to getting my first handicap at 30.5 to getting my current handicap to 18.7 to signing up for my first tournament in 14 months. I have taken 9 lessons over these 13 months and he has built my swing from nothing to where it is today. I know that my velocity of improvement has everything to do with his teaching. Come in with an open mind and be ready to practice - you will improve with his teaching and analysis.

I started lessons with Ian less than a year ago and he has completely transformed my game. I could…read morebarely swing a driver and had no real foundation -- in under 9 months, I broke 100 for the first time. The progress has been real. Ian has a sharp eye for mechanics and breaks everything down in a way that actually sticks -- starting from the ground up with grip, then building into swing path, ball position, and tempo. He gives you a clear roadmap and builds on it lesson by lesson. I practice a few times a week and take monthly lessons with him, and every session I walk away with something concrete to work on. What sets Ian apart is that he's not just technically excellent -- he's also a great communicator who's genuinely invested in his students' progress. You can tell he loves what he does. Whether you're a complete beginner or an experienced golfer looking to sharpen your game, I can't recommend Ian enough. He's the real deal.

I had my first lesson with Steve today. Such a nice guy! He watched my swing and quickly found some…read morebasic things that could help. He broke down the basics of the golf swing, with a lot of examples that I could easily understand. He showed me a video of my swing so I could see when my head was popping up a bit, etc... He also gave me drills to do at home that would help build muscle memory for the new things I had learned. It's definitely going to take some work, but the times I did put together the things he had me work on today, it felt so smooth, the contact was beautiful, and the ball went perfectly straight. I've been out in the backyard practicing the drills and can feel it getting easier already. I'm so happy I finally went and got a lesson. I'll be back to Steve Donnor Golf again soon for drivers and putting. For now though, I actually feel like I'm heading in the right direction for the first time in a while. Thank you again for today!

Dude knows his stuff. Very informative and patient, I'm definitely getting better! Highly recommendread more

I am an absolute newbie. I've had a couple of lessons now with Rob, they are fun and I can see…read moresome, some improvement. I look forward to many more lessons and learning the basics of this game. Rob is a good instructor. He explains things well makes good examples and corrects what needs to be corrected.

Rob is a character, which is great and fun, but more importantly he is an excellent teacher-coach…read more I'd been a single-digit player for an age, but scores were creeping up and short game was letting me down. Invested in new irons at Keplar's and Audra suggested Rob. One session identified a significant flaw with my hands and added real stopping power on the green with short wedges, something I'd really struggled with for years. I'm back to recording scores in the high 70s/low 80s. Rob didn't know but I have doctoral-level biomechanics training, which allowed me to especially appreciate his ability to blend the technical with the art that is golf. Well played, Rob!

My mom was an LPGA professional and Sports Illustrated Rookie of the Year; she taught for years and…read morestill couldn't figure out why I was slicing so badly. I'd seen three other golf pros in the Bay Area, and no one could pinpoint it either. Then I met Jenny, and in my very first lesson she immediately saw what was wrong. She rebuilt my swing from the ground up, and even with my busy schedule (and not nearly enough practice!) my swing keeps improving because she's helped me understand it on a truly foundational level. Jenny is not only incredibly knowledgeable and experienced; she's just a wonderful human being and such a joy to be around. Five stars, without hesitation.

If you need a golf professional who can teach an old dog new tricks, I highly recommend Jenny…read morePark-Choi as your instructor ! Jenny taught me to go back to the basics from the correct stance, proper grip and to the swing of the club. Bear in mind that it is truly the person who needs to learn the game and Jenny is that pro who can make you a better golfer. Very professional and takes the time to break down your stroke step by step. Highly highly recommendation !!

Kevin is a solid coach, and takes the time to explain the "why" for his method of…read moretraining/coaching. Also appreciate the feedback he provides during the sessions, and he makes himself available offline if you have questions. Go check him out if you want to stop being trash and start making real gains on the course.

Let me start by saying I've been to several golf instructors in the past and never got good…read moreinstruction until now. Most golf instructors offer simple fixes (band-aids) which never correct the root problem. And how frustrating is it to spend money on lessons, and still look like a hack? :) Well that all changed after I met Kevin and started getting REAL golf instruction. Being a newbie, I was skeptical but the results speak for themselves. In the last 6 months, I went from complete beginner to shooting in the 90's. Don't get me wrong you still need to put in the work, but he provides the guidance you need to get you on track and improve. Kevin's a great guy and easy to work with. He's knowledgeable in all aspects of the game and also an influencer to golf brands on Instagram. Highly recommend seeing him if you're serious about improving your game.

So I joined MAC after several "post-COVID" years of relative inactivity, which resulted in excess…read moreweight and loss of strength, and am I glad I did! I joined after reading reviews and receiving local recommendations. While I've only been a member for two months, I can tell this gym will make a difference. After having experienced a gym or two (or ten) in my time, this is a totally different and individualized experience. To ensure i get off to a good start, and to make myself accountable, I engaged Ben (owner) for training, and he is great. Ben "meets you where you are" and doesn't use a one size fits all approach to training. No two sessions are the same, not to say there is repetition so that I can learn, but he is really trying to learn about my and my capabilities. He also takes the extra effort, on days that I go to the gym without scheduling training, to have a routine written out on white board for me to follow - and even those are unique sessions. I can tell that this gym, and Ben's training will make a difference in my longterm health! Still working up the courage to join the "boot camp" classes, but even those have participants of all levels and each exercise is adjustable to your ability.

I really like Martinez Athletic Club. They have all the equipment needed for a complete workout and…read moreBen is a great trainer, if you want one on one training. I've had three personal training sessions so far and feel the difference in my balance and overall fitness. I enjoyed other clubs i have tried: Bay Club WC, YMCA PH, But the classes and personal trainers were not a good fit. MAC/Ben creates workouts to address your specific goals! And he's a good conversationalist!