I've been playing for over 25 years and have been self taught. I've been consistently in the 90's and would occasionally get into the high 80's. During a big golf trip two years ago, I developed a major shank in my irons and had lost all confidence in my game. I was back to three digit scores and would celebrate if I broke 100. I took a break and finally decided to seriously consider lessons. I found Laurent through TPI (Titleist Performance Institute) as he was one of the highest rated teachers in the area. I went in for an assessment and in that session alone he was able to address some things that had me go from shank to baby draws at the end. I signed up for a lesson package that consisted of 5x two hour lessons. In my first and only lesson, we focused on iron shots and permanently removing the shank. He tried many different approaches to get me to address my problem and we used the entire two hours to find the right fix. After the lesson, he texted me a practice plan with a breakdown of the drills I needed to do every day. His follow-up and willingness to put in the extra effort in communication outside of the lesson shows he cares and see this as a team effort. He holds you accountable for the effort and discipline needed to succeed. This is where the value of his coaching style stands out, you get way more than you pay for. Rather than go back in for a second lesson, I focused on the drills and implementing what we worked on in my game. I did this all summer on a regular basis. I'm now consistently shooting in the 80's and my playing buddies have noticed the difference. This with just one iron lesson. I'm now anxious to go back and work on some of my iron misses and start working on woods. On top of all the great coaching, he also shows a lot of interest in me personally and has helped me connect with other folks in his network. I feel fortunate to have found him and to be a part of Team Laurent! read more

Refused to give me his rates until I came in for an assessment. So I came in and he said he would send me a plan. I had assumed that would be a personalized plan on how we would improve my game. But it was just a list of his rates for different ranges of people. I'm sure the same thing he sends to everyone. If that was all he was going to send, why not just give me that info before the assessment? Also, I understand this is an assessment and not a lesson but I think the assessment is not only for him to assess me but for me to gauge how I like his teaching style. Alas, I didn't get any comment on my swing or what he would be trying to improve. So I asked him over text what his plan for me was but he ignored the question and just responded with something about not competing with youtube or range "pros". edit(Response to his comment): Nothing I said is incorrect. You are right you sent me your rates on Sept 24th 2022 at 12:54pm. That is AFTER the assessment @9am on the same day. I've attached our texts as proof. Perhaps instead of name calling, you could appreciate that my experience was not great and try to improve.... read more

OCPGI Golf Institute - Golf Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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There is not enough praise I can give this man for what he has done for my 14 y/o son. My son started playing hockey when he was 4 and decided he did now want to play anymore once COVID shut it all down. In our family we are adamant about being in a sport to stay fit. So I bought him a golf lesson package from Groupon at a local course which led to him joining a junior pga league. After his first match it was clear he needed some training so I began researching great golf instructors in oc. I came across Laurent here on Yelp and reached out to him by email. Shortly thereafter he emailed me back and said we needed to talk by phone rather than just sending over his rates and taking the take it or leave it approach that so many of my sons hockey coaches take for private lessons. After a lengthy chat to make sure we are doing this for the right reasons and getting to know our situation better we scheduled a first lesson that Saturday. I sent him videos of my sons swing and gave him other related info so Laurent could prepare a lesson. As soon as we walked into the training facility it was game on, not a second wasted on small talk which I was super impressed with. After the lesson he called me to follow up which had never happened before with any of his hockey coaches. The next day I signed up for a 10 lesson package and he has been building upon what he's taught each week. We have now completed 4 lessons, my sons swing is getting better daily it seems, and he has had the lowest score the last 2 weeks! He is actually motivated to the point we don't have to force him to train at home like we did with hockey, he is genuinely loving golf and his confidence is building. Laurent won't take credit for it, but I have to give it to him, he has sparked something inside my son that I haven't seen before. Laurent is a very thoughtful and sincere man, he will take your game to the next level. He genuinely cares about his students. He has the training tools and knowledge from his many years of experience. I super highly recommend him whether you are a beginner like my son or a seasoned golfer needing some slight adjustments. He will help you. Thank you coach for all you have done for us! read more

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When I decided to get professional help Mr L is always there to help me improve my game and he Is my extra club in my bag. If You want quality well He's got generations of knowledge and instructions to get any level of player to be more competitive or just play better. I personally have learned so much with so few lessons. But I put in the work to improve my game whe I don't see him. We'll He has noticed now is teaching me new golf skills not just full swing but chipping,putting and even course management. I wanted to learn from the best. I drive 1 hr just to get my lesson from him. Not easy for me to do but definitely worth it. read more

Laurent, your response is as delusional as you are. I have some minor injuries, I have text messages showing that I asked for lessons 3 different times in which you didn't accommodate me. My 6 iron did not go further and you never got a chance to teach me what I paid for because you told me to keep practicing and sending you videos vs working with me in person. I am not emotional but the words you used were not cool when you are addressing someone who is trying to learn. Your response and your practice is not what you sold me. I hope that others that come to you and get an assessment think twice about paying for 10 or 20 lessons or better yet...... why don't you just charge people by the lesson so they can assess their progress with you and have a way out if you are unavailable to teach???? read more

Coach Laurent has helped me play drastically improved golf very quickly. He isn't trying to stretch things out unnecessarily. My experience so far - I've been "playing golf" for nearly two decades, however have taken on the challenge to really focus and improve since turning 40. For the last 3 plus years I've been watching various YouTube (and other social media) tutorials, purchased a range mat, MLM and nets to have a practice area, and spent countless hours at the range to really struggle to break 100. After an assessment and two lessons, Coach Laurent helped me improve my grip, full swing and iron play drastically. The first round I played since receiving the couple of lessons, I had a six hole stretch at Dos Lagos in Corona with 4 pars and 2 birdies. I've continued to have much more consistent ball striking and the tools to understand how to adjust based on the shot results. I highly recommend taking the instruction. I wish I'd done this earlier. I'm excited to continue the next lessons, particularly around the greens. read more

We have been training with OCPGI since September of 2021. We had been looking for a certified instructor for my 12 year old son and we found OCPGI through the US Kids Golf website. Laurent is a great instructor. He is patient, fun and works really hard to make sure his instructions are clear and relevant to the lesson. We have seen major improvement, comprehension, and all around love for golf, in our now 13 year old son. We are extremely pleased with what we have seen this far. I would definitely recommend OCPGI for any adult or youth looking to improve their golf game at any and all levels. read more

OCPGI Golf Institute - Putting lesson. - Golf Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Laurent is a real golf coach. He cares about the progress of his students, but best of all, he gets results. He understands the key mechanisms in the golf swing and how changing them creates maximum impact. I am 50 years and have golfed most my life. I constantly work hard to improve my game. I have studied about golf and the swing more than most. In one lesson and one practice session, Laurent increased my driver distance from 200 to 240 yards - and I believe more is coming. He sees things I cannot, and he helps me challenge old thinking that maintains old problems. Lessons with Laurent are worth every penny. He gives you his undivided attention and his facility is first-rate. If you are looking for real improvement to your golf game, Laurent is the coach for you. read more

Laurent is like a golf Yoda. I am significantly better in just a few sessions. It's so crazy that a few tweaks and my golf game has improved so drastically. It's night and day different. I am more excited to play and also pumped as I am not losing 3 sleeves of balls every round. My whole goal when starting was to consistently shoot under 100.. well good news is that is already in the bag! Next goal is consistent 80's. I feel really confident with continued coaching, practice and playing I will be able to hit that goal much sooner than later. If anyone out there is contemplating getting started or if you currently are playing and want to level up I would for sure get in contact with Laurent. It's straight up legit coaching and worth the time and money investment. Last, the facility is top notch. It's really nice to be able to get instruction and feedback inside and not on the range. I can focus on all the things I'm working on with out 30 other people hitting balls next to me on the range. I can then take those lessons and practice them at the range or on the course. Next update when I break 90! read more

Laurent is a life savor! He took me from a full beginner golfer to having a swing that works for me. He takes the time out of his day to send videos of your session and drills to work on at home and in the range. If you're looking for a golf coach in OC I highly recommend giving him a call. read more

My fiancé and I came to get a couple of lessons from Laurent as referred by my dad and we can truly say we have no regrets. He is very professional and takes his classes seriously... we appreciated that any questions did not go unanswered and that he took the time to make sure we understood the concepts before moving forward. We have been practicing what he taught us little by little but we're looking forward to our next lessons with him. Thank you OCPGI and Laurent! read more

Laurent is knowledgeable, patient, and genuinely interested in seeing his clients succeed. He went above and beyond in helping me with my swing, and he offered me great practical advice on how to shave strokes off each round. I have seen major improvement in my game, from the tee to the green. And he helped me find clubs that fit my swing (and my budget). Highly recommend Laurent for golfers at any level. read more

Laurent is the best of the best. He takes a very conceptual and thorough approach on explaining swing mechanics where you are not only learning what you need to work on as a player (everyones swing and mechanics are different and personal) but also able to start to put together on how to identify things by yourself that you need to correct. The fundamentals and foundation that i have learnt from Laurent in just a few months of knowing him are unmatched and I am grateful to have met him and now have him as a lifelong coach and friend. If you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced player - Laurent will be able to help you. Whether mechanical or mindset. Thank you for what you do read more

My job requires me to work alongside Division I college coaches everyday, so I get to see some of the highest level instruction available to athletes- and Laurent's instruction and knowledge is masterful, often above what I see at the college level. Time with Laurent is way beyond a general swing lesson- he is a dedicated educator that is focused on overall student development. He entrenches himself in the learning process with his students, taking the time to talk the "How and Why," always trying to find the way each student learns best. He also takes my investment in lessons very seriously, so he is relentless is finding ways to help me understand swing adjustments to get the most out of our time. While I am a late 20s adult looking to take my game to another level, I've seen his lessons with junior golfers, and those impress me more than my own sessions. It is very obvious that he takes a holistic approach with the juniors, not just putting a golf club in their hand right away, but challenges their other abilities and mind through non-specific golf drills... they have fun and learn the golf swing! I'm not a parent but see a lot of youth sports through work, and I can tell that his care through teaching juniors is the method I'd prefer my kids to be receiving as well. Laurent is a great teacher no matter age or skill level- he is helping me learn so much more about the game, and my own swing than I thought possible. If you want to work with someone who genuinely enjoys making sure that his clients are learning, this is the coach for you. read more

Laurent Denis started coaching my 15-year-old son 4 months ago. Granted, my son's father was a state champ and his grandfather was a coach. He had one golf camp under his belt at age 11 and that was it. In our first conversation, Laurent was very clear as to mitigate my expectations. I certainly was not expecting him to make the varsity MD team anytime soon. 4 months later and my son is making the Mater Dei JV team with the possibility of varsity. More importantly, Laurent has found a passion for golf in my child and a newfound confidence that we are forever grateful for. He is tough but it is only because he cares. My son respects and listens to him, even when it isn't what he wants to hear. Coaching is an art, especially with teenagers, and Laurant has far exceeded our expectations. read more

I must say, Laurent instantly saw why I was pushing the ball right and chunking several of my shots. He showed me exactly how I should be gripping the club (which no one else was able to show me), along with a much more proper setup, and how to transfer my weight. I Instantly gained about 30 yards on all my irons, not to mention I gained a nice draw which has never been attainable before Laurent. I highly recommend Laurent as he explains things so eloquently and easy to grasp. read more

Laurent has been coaching my grandson for 2 1/2 years. His coaching exceeds expectation and we are very satisfied with his system. My grandson is golfing and has a very good understanding of the game. 10 years old and hitting a ball 200 yards !!!! Thank you so much for your diligence and patience. read more

Laurent is the best golf instructor I've ever been to. He is extremely knowledgeable and goes out of his way to help improve your game. My golf game has substantially gotten better after a few lessons and I can't wait to continue going to Laurent to see where my game goes next. Highly recommend Laurent for any golfers in the Orange County area! THANK YOU, LAURENT! read more

Very bad customer service! I called Laurant and texted her several times but no reply. When you call there main line you are sent with an auto text reply. Im very skeptical why they have such high ratings. read more

My wife had never played a round or hit a golf ball in her life but always wanted to try. So we got an hour lesson with Laurent and had a blast. He was so patient, friendly and efficient with our time that my wife was smacking the ball down the freeway by the 45 min. mark. He recorded her swing through the lesson so she could see how well she was improving. He even helped me brush up on my tehnique while he was at it. I couldn't recommend Laurent enough! read more

OCPGI Golf Institute - Golf Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Working with Laurent has been a game changer! I had been playing golf regularly for about a decade before finally convincing myself to shell out for some lessons. I was referred to Laurent by a friend that had spoken with him a few times but ultimately chose a different instructor based on location. I called Laurent and after a couple minutes my takeaways were that his passion for his students is electric, he is absolutely up to date with the newest tech and the fact that he caddied on the European Tour sealed the deal. Lesson 1 he took a look at my swing and quickly made some adjustments based on what I already did well. He just simplified the entire approach with easy to repeat steps. I really appreciated that he quickly diagnosed what I was doing and how to fix it without wasting all of the lessons time. We worked on a few other quick adjustments that resulted in an immediate improvement. Lesson 2 he asked what I wanted to work on and I let him know I am inconsistent at finding the fairway off the tee. After 45 min I was crushing the ball and it carried over to the course. Its a very foreign feeling now standing on the tee box with the only question on your mind being which side of the fairway do I want to put the ball on as opposed to just hoping it ends up somewhere in the short rough. My drives are straight and 270 now. Lesson 3 We worked on irons and it made all the difference. My ball flight is now consistently long and high. Long par 3s has been a major hiccup in my game, now when Im on the tee box im looking at every pin location as a hole in one opportunity vs. trying to get it close to the green and figure out a way to get up & down. I played last weekend with the friend that recommended Laurent but chose a different instructor. We played Nassau and I won both sides. He accused me of cheating on my handicap multiple times! I think he was genuinely shocked at how well I played and probably a little scared his wallet will be getting lighter for the foreseeable future. I signed up for 10 lessons as there was some discount pricing. I have 7 left and already shaved a consistent 10 - 15 strokes off my game. I cannot stress enough how quickly Laurent is able to make meaningful changes to your game. read more

I have taken two lessons with Laurent thus far and I am astonished with his attention to detail. Even after just one lesson my swing improved tremendously. He is the best instructor in OC. One thing I noticed about his is he cares about the individual and the joy of golf. He cares about everyone on the range as well. He always hands spectators chairs or gives unsolicited advice to golfers having trouble on the range. Even after my lesson he stands by and gives me feedback when I hit the remaining of my bucket. If you want to love the game of golf, then Laurent is the right coach for you! Excited for my remaining lessons with him! read more

My golf swing was broken and my confidence shattered. It was time for a lesson. Laurent was very confident that he could help me. I really appreciated how patient he was when I was having some difficulty understanding something. Laurent is also very positive and all about building confidence as well. I really enjoyed my time with him and feel alot better about my golf moving forward. read more

Laurent is fantastic. He is a true professional with an uncanny knack for identifying what is going on with your swing and designing drills and exercises to help you improve. He will push you to improve, so be ready! Highly recommended. read more

Laurent is the man! He has been working with my wife and I for the past several weeks and we cannot recommend his expertise enough! Not only is he very personable and friendly, but he has a way of making swing corrections easy to fix and feel. We have done individual and a "duo-lesson" lesson which have both worked out terrifically. One of the best things about Laurent is that he really cares; he often checks back in with us to see how the new changes went. Highly recommended! read more

As a senior adult, I was looking for an outdoor activity and became interested in learning the golf swing for the driving range. I decided to take lessons with Laurent Denis because of his positive Yelp reviews. During our initial conversation he was very courteous, and I booked a lesson. I have been taking lessons once a week for 5 months. Laurent is passionate about providing quality golf instruction. He is a patient, gentle teacher and has a willingness to do whatever he can to help me understand that day's lesson. It's very helpful when I go to practice and he will offer guidance between our scheduled lessons. It has been frustrating and disappointing at times learning a new athletic skill as an older person, and so thank you Laurent for your continuous support and generous encouragement. read more

I am and always have been a very thorough researcher when it comes to buying products and/or services. I googled and yelped a bunch of different golf instructors in Irvine/Lake Forest as well as watching the instructors teach other people. I finally decided to go with Laurent Denis as my golf instructor and I could not be happier. I immediately knew he was not trying to teach me "his" golf swing, rather show me the proper mechanics to adapt to my natural golf swing. Since he was an experienced caddy on the European Tour, I quickly got a lot of insight into the game of golf. Laurent pointed out my main flaws in regards to stance, body movement, club-face movement, and follow-through right away and it did not take long for my swing to be transformed to what it is today. I still have a lot of work to do and I have taken four lessons so far, but the improvement is extremely substantial. I would highly recommend Laurent for all age groups as he is very professional, knowledgable, and friendly. He is always going above and beyond during his lessons and even when you are just hitting balls on the range.... read more

I am a beginner golfer. This is my first year playing. I was averaging 130-140 a round. I'd go to the range day after day. I've read golf blogs, and watched youtube videos to try and improve my swing. Although there were points I took from that. It still didn't change much on the course. I finally decided to look for lessons. I did plenty of research as I want to make sure I'm getting my money's worth for training sessions. I eventually chose, after reviewing these yelp ratings, OCPGI. Laurent is the instructor who asked me to come down so he could review my swing. After about 20-30 strokes, we sat down and he discussed his techniques, options, and what to begin focusing on. I have only taken two lessons from Laurent. I have broken 100 my last two rounds. 97, 95. I will definitely take more lessons from Laurent as he is courteous, generous, and committed to improve your game. He stays in contact with you even after lesson's to follow up and make sure you're happy with your latest round. BIG THANKS LAURENT! Looking to break 90 now! read more

Simply amazing. Over a year ago, I took my first lesson with Laurent, who I found on yelp. His reviews were exceptional. There's a reason someone gets exceptional reviews - people don't take the time to write a review for average. They're either really good or really bad. Laurent is REALLY GOOD. I went to him because demons had invaded my swing and after three frustrating years of trying to fix things myself (you tubes, friends' advice, look in the mirror, etc - all making things worse), after ONE LESSON, he saw the problem and I was on my way back to respectability! (My grip, which I thought was strong, was actually weak - basic setup.) He saw it. Respectful, personable, funny. His analysis of your situation is spot on - completely personalized. He listens. He watches. He understands. Then he quietly says "please try this." Boom! He gets it! He has a neatly organized storage hut with all kinds of tools to help. Not training aids like you see on tv, but little things that helps SHOW you what you need to do or not do. It works. He also has more sophisticated electronics assists which are good but the real magic of Laurent is his listening, analysis, and simply understood solutions. I bought a series of five lessons, took three, then didn't come back til a year later, when I wanted to continue and get more consistency and distance. Again, BOOM. One lesson, one observation (swaying on takeaway), and 20 more yards were presented to me! Obviously, I highly recommend Laurent and want to share the sheer joy of real improvement in your golf game! read more

I've been training under Laurent for the past two years now and have seen substantial results. When I first came to him I knew very little about golf in general. I was motivated to beat my friends and become a great player. Laurent has gone above and beyond to help me with my swing and choosing the right equipment. Laurent has the true spirit of a teacher who is willing to do whatever it takes to see one succeed. If you are looking for a quick fix to get over a slump, this is not for you. Laurent is very passionate and is highly invested in his players. If you are willing to put in the work, Laurent will surely take your game to the next level. Thank you for all you've done for me Laurent. read more

Laurent is awesome! I have been to a few different instructors and Laurent has by far improved my game the most. I've been golfing most of my life and I know a good instructor when I see one. After my first lesson with Laurent, I immediately bought 4 more. He has an eye for finding the smallest mistakes in your entire golf game. If you're in need of instruction, I highly recommend Laurent. You will not be disappointed. read more

I highly reccomend Laurant... he's patient and passionate about helping you reach your goals. I am half way through my 10 week program and already improved my best score by 15 strokes. read more

Great focus on detail oriented around your needs. I have a bulging disk & he tailored my shot around that weakness. Best lesson I've had. Highly recommend. read more

I just finished my first lesson with Laurent and I was extremely satisfied! He was extremely helpful and personable. He was able to communicate things to me in a way that I could understand with ease. I can't wait to utilize what he showed me tomorrow! Thanks Laurent! Looking forward to breaking 90 and our next lesson! read more

Today I had my first lesson with Laurent and I can already tell that my golf game is going to drastically improve. I used a different golf instructor a few years ago but that yielded terrible results. Laurent is the real deal! If you are looking for a golf instructor whether you're new to the game or just looking to take your game to the next level, look no further, Laurent is you guy. Thank you Laurent! You're awesome and I'm excited to continue working with you. read more

I have been playing golf for about 3 years now and I needed a golf instructor who could help me take my game to the next level. After extensive research, I reached out to Laurent and shared with him my goals and timeline. I assured him I was highly motivated and committed to taking lessons, practicing and playing golf on a regular basis. After our first lesson it was clear to me that Laurent was committed to helping me reach my goals. Laurent has endless patience and enthusiasm for teaching golf. He utilizes a variety of techniques and drills to address issues with posture, balance, rotation, etc. In a very short period of time I am striking the ball better and getting more distance off the tee and in the fairway. It's exciting to see my scores dropping and my confidence rising. Thank you, Laurent!! read more

Laurent is absolutely incredible. I am in shock and amazed by how much he has been able to help me in a short time (4 lessons so far). I went to him based on all the reviews and have not been disappointed. I am 32 yrs. old and new to golf. I played with a few friends and enjoyed it so decided to invest and learn how to actually play to keep up on the course. I now have the skills and confidence to be able to go out and play. Laurent does an incredible job of breaking down your swing and teaching great techniques. He not only shows you what to do and how to do it but must importantly WHY! This allowed me to understand the impact of all my movements so I could improved. I am now hooked on golf and will continue taking lessons so I can now not just keep up on the course but crush my friends on the course :). I could not give a better review or rating for Laurent! If you want to get increase your game then Laurent is your man! read more

Laurent is absolutely amazing. I would highly recommend him. As a former college athlete I came to him with a desire to learn a new sport from scratch. Golf is certainly not something easy to start at 27, however, Laurent has made it feel that way. I researched several other instructors prior to starting with him and new after our first phone call he was the one I wanted to have teach me. Even though I had never even played he had me hitting the ball within the first 10 min of our first session. He has a wide array of tools in his arsenal for teaching and adjust each session according to your needs. You can check out his Instagram to see more and get a better understanding for the type of instructor you're going to get. Ending note, with Laurent, you'll get a phenomenal coach who can train newbies like me all the way up to professionals. His knowledge is unmatched!!! read more

Coach Laurent is probably the best coach out there for kids, he is patient and made the game fun for my daughter. She look forward to her weekly class with him. Coach Laurent came from a family of professional golfer, he is passionate about the sport and is 100% dedicated to his profession. read more

OCPGI Golf Institute - Golf Near Me - Santa Ana, California

I started golf with and okay swing, I was okay with everything but definitely not content. I took a couple lessons with Laurent and he completely changed my swing. It was a couple month grind re-teaching myself how to play golf. In the end it paid off. Yes it was stressful not being able to hit the ball like I was able to before, but when he showed me the difference in form I knew I was making a huge impact in my game. With some more practice I was able to connect the way I wanted to and with excellent form. I am now very pleased with my golf game and it is all thanks to OCPGI. I will continue to take lessons with Laurent because my confidence keeps growing every time i hit the links. read more