William Van Haute, Contract and Commercial Manager of Contract & Commercial Management Services Ltd

In 2003, during my stay in Thailand, I took beginners lessons with a so called “professional teacher” and was convinced that after 10 hours of struggling, I would be able to play golf.

Reality however was proof of the opposite and arriving in Singapore middle 2007 gave me the opportunity to (besides working) also review my position on where I would like to see myself among other amateur golfers.

The conclusion was fast drawn that I needed help and this time I was determined that a real professional should take me by the hand. That is why beginning of November 2007, Serene came into the spotlight. A little shocked and surprised that a “woman” was going to coach me, I started off with the lessons but quickly after I had to admit that my judgment regarding a “woman” coaching me was

completely wrong.

I am now nearly 8 months further and do not recognize myself anymore. I even obtained my handicap. It is amazing what Serene did during these 8 months.

She turned bad habits into a new acceptable style, suitable for me and my age. Unfortunately, one can not forget that one is getting older and is not as flexible anymore as 30 years ago.

What I appreciate most in Serene (beside so many other qualities) is her patience she is having … she is having the ability to adapt her way of working and to present it “tailor made” and never gets tired to repeat and repeat over and over again.

The relationship “student – teacher” is not really existing anymore which makes “getting coached” by Serene every session an interacting of people having the same target i.e., enjoying the game of

golf and teaching how to enjoy the game of golf. Of course Serene (as all human beings) definitely has her weaknesses but this I leave for all other individual who will be coached by her to explore. I also did.

There’s not many golfing coach that make an effort to engage with kids. Dalston is one of the few, that’s has shown professionalism & patience towards my kid. Under his coaching, I have witnessed the improvement and interest of the game in my kid. My kid enjoys your informal and fun approach teaching which has given him all the confidence to play golf.

Emma is very detailed in helping me correct my mistakes. I actually struggled with just the 7-iron for a week, taking 3 lessons under another instructor, but during my first lesson with Emma she was able to teach me how to use all the shorter irons from 7-iron down!

I think the important thing was that Emma made it very fun for me. I think it's essential that a good golf instructor is able to impart not only the skills and knowledge, but also transfer passion and enthusiasm for the game itself. Cos golf isn't just a manual skill you pick up from going for lessons, it's about having the motivation and continued interest to carry on practicing on our own and playing the game with friends that we can really experience the game properly.

Her gentle spirit puts you at ease, knowing that as long as you respect the game and put in effort, she won't make you feel belittled if you don't "get it" right away. I think this is important for beginners like myself because we're bound to face a lot of difficulties and problems when first picking up golf, so a good instructor must be able to keep the student thinking positively and not make them lose confidence. I paid about $800 for 10 lessons quite some time ago and it was worth it.

I have highly recommend friends to Emma. In fact, 6 of my friends have already been through their beginners' course with her!

Before starting my golf lessons at Queens, my golfing performance had been inconsistent and advices from avid golfer friends did not improve my swing techniques despite regular practices. Considering the close proximity of Queens and my friend's recommendation, I signed up for the 4 session refresher programme with Eng Wah.

Thanks to Eng Wah's systematic and patient guidance, I learnt more about the mechanics of the swing. His ability to clearly explain the required corrections during the lessons enabled me to get the correct  feel of the swing very quickly. I find Eng Wah's explanation on the action and reaction of the swing in relation to the ball flight most valuable, I've learnt how to watch the ball flight of each stroke and correct my swings thereafter.

I recently participated in the Pro-Student Friendly Game organised by the academy, it was very encouraging to have the pros on the course with us and definitely a great opportunity to break the ice between fellow students of Queens.

The tremendous improvement I made after taking the lessons was clearly evident in this game which surpassed my expectations. I am glad I took up the lessons from Eng Wah, it is important to get proper guidance from the pro to enjoy the game more and improve one's swing with less frustration.