Instruction
The 50 Best Teachers in America
Golf Digest's 50 Best Teachers and Best Teachers in Your State is the game's only ranking of instructors done entirely by peer voting. We asked more than 2,000 teachers across the United States to weigh in on their colleagues both locally and nationwide to provide the backbone for the ranking of the 50 Best Teachers—paced once again by legendary coach Butch Harmon—and each individual state's instructor population.
Here, you can find the coaches who work with the best players on the professional tours and an instructor near you who can help you with your game.
For 2022-2023, we welcome five new teachers to the 50 Best: Rick Sessinghaus (who coaches two-time major champion Collin Morikawa), Erika Larkin, Shaun Webb, Kevin Kirk and Terry Rowles.
2020-'21 Ranking in parentheses
▶ New To The Ranking
1.) BUTCH HARMON (1)
VOTES: 3,130 LESSON RATE: $1,500/hour
FACILITY: Butch Harmon School of Golf (Rio Secco G.C.), Henderson, Nev.
2.) CHRIS COMO (9)
VOTES: 2,106
LESSON RATE: $1,500/hour
FACILITY: Dallas National Golf Club, Dallas
3.) MIKE ADAMS (2)
VOTES: 2,030
LESSON RATE: $350/hour
FACILITY: Fiddler's Elbow C.C., Bedminster Twp., N.J.
4.) MIKE BENDER (3)
VOTES: 1,824
LESSON RATE: $400/hour
FACILITY: Mike Bender Golf Academy at Magnolia Plantation, Lake Mary, Fla.
5.) SEAN FOLEY (8)
VOTES: 1,787
LESSON RATE: $500/hour
FACILITY: Sean Foley Performance at EaglesDream (Timacuan G.C.), Lake Mary, Fla.
6.) JIM MCLEAN (7)
VOTES: 1,681
LESSON RATE: $750/hour
FACILITY: Jim McLean Golf School at The Biltmore Miami, Coral Gables, Fla.
7.) MARK BLACKBURN (17)
VOTES: 1,609
LESSON RATE: $500/hour
FACILITY: Blackburn Golf Academy at Greystone G. & C.C., Birmingham, Ala.
8.) DAVID LEADBETTER (4)
VOTES: 1,403
LESSON RATE: $3,500/half-day
FACILITY: David Leadbetter Golf Academy at ChampionsGate, Orlando
9.) CHUCK COOK (5)
VOTES: 1,389
LESSON RATE: $500/hour
FACILITY: University of Texas G.C. in Austin
10.) CAMERON MCCORMICK (10)
VOTES: 1,101
LESSON RATE: $500/hour
FACILITY: Altus Performance at Trinity Forest G.C., Dallas
11.) GEORGE GANKAS
VOTES: 1,096
LESSON RATE: $600/hour
FACILITY: Westlake G. Cse., Westlake Village, Calif.
12.) CLAUDE HARMON III (6)
VOTES: 1,038
LESSON RATE: $450/hour
FACILITY: Butch Harmon Floridian, Palm City, Fla.
13.) JAMES SIECKMANN (12)
VOTES: 952
LESSON RATE: $250/hour
FACILITY: Golf Academy at Shadow Ridge C.C., Omaha
14.) MARTIN HALL (13)
VOTES: 938
LESSON RATE: $250/hour
FACILITY: The Club at Ibis, West Palm Beach
15.) JIM HARDY (14)
VOTES: 912
LESSON RATE: $500/hour
FACILITY: Plane Truth Golf at BlackHorse G.C., Cypress, Texas
16.) MICHAEL BREED (16)
VOTES: 886
LESSON RATE: $500/hour
FACILITY: Michael Breed Golf Academy (Trump G. Links at Ferry Point), New York City
17.) PIA NILSSON (18)
VOTES: 821
LESSON RATE: $400/hour
FACILITY: Vision54 (Talking Stick G.C.), Scottsdale
18.) TODD ANDERSON (15)
VOTES: 820
LESSON RATE: $495/hour
FACILITY: PGA Tour’s Performance Center at TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach
19.) MIKE MALASKA (19)
VOTES: 813
LESSON RATE: $450/hour
FACILITY: Malaska Golf at Superstition Mountain G. & C.C., Gold Canyon, Ariz.
20.) STAN UTLEY (20)
VOTES: 782
LESSON RATE: $500/hour
FACILITY: Grayhawk Learning Center, Scottsdale
21.) DAVID ORR (T-33)
VOTES: 769
LESSON RATE: $250/hour
FACILITY: Pine Needles Lodge & G.C., Southern Pines, N.C.
22.) NICK CLEARWATER (T-33)
VOTES: 764
LESSON RATE: $1,000/hour
FACILITY: GolfTEC Headquarters, Englewood, Colo.
23.) ANDY PLUMMER (22)
VOTES: 750
LESSON RATE: $350/hour
FACILITY: Stack & Tilt Miami at Turnberry Isle, Aventura, Fla.
24.) DANA DAHLQUIST (27)
VOTES: 730
LESSON RATE: $400/hour
FACILITY: El Dorado Park G. Cse., Long Beach, Calif.
25.) BRIAN MANZELLA (28)
VOTES: 687
LESSON RATE: $250/hour
FACILITY: Brian Manzella Golf Academy at English Turn G. & C.C., New Orleans
26.) MARTIN CHUCK (36)
VOTES: 660
LESSON RATE: $300/hour
FACILITY: Tour Striker Golf Academy at Raven G.C., Phoenix
27.) SCOTT HAMILTON (26)
VOTES: 651
LESSON RATE: $300/hour
FACILITY: Scott Hamilton Golf Academy at Cartersville (Ga.) C.C.
28.) LYNN MARRIOTT (23)
VOTES: 639
LESSON RATE: $400/hour
FACILITY: Vision54 (Talking Stick G.C.), Scottsdale
29.) BOYD SUMMERHAYS (T-45)
VOTES: 618
LESSON RATE: $600/hour
FACILITY: McDowell Mountain G.C., Scottsdale
30.) MICHAEL JACOBS (32)
VOTES: 612
LESSON RATE: $300/hour
FACILITY: Jacobs 3D Golf at Rock Hill G. & C.C., Manorville, N.Y.
31.) MICHAEL HEBRON (24)
VOTES: 610
LESSON RATE: $145/hour
FACILITY: Smithtown (N.Y.) Landing G. Cse.
32.) ANDREW RICE (25)
VOTES: 594
LESSON RATE: $200/hour
FACILITY: The Club at Savannah Harbor, Savannah, Ga.
33.) BILL HARMON (30)
VOTES: 593
LESSON RATE: $250/hour
FACILITY: Bill Harmon Performance Center at Toscana C.C., Indian Wells, Calif.
34.) HANK HANEY (21)
VOTES: 584
LESSON RATE: $300/hour
FACILITY: Hank Haney University, Paradise Valley, Ariz.
35.) BOB TOSKI (29)
VOTES: 565
LESSON RATE: $250/hour
FACILITY: Toski Golf, Lake Worth, Fla.
36.) MIKE BENNETT (T-39)
VOTES: 564
LESSON RATE: $300/hour
FACILITY: Stack & Tilt Miami at Turnberry Isle, Aventura, Fla.
▶ 37.) RICK SESSINGHAUS (NR)
VOTES: 487
LESSON RATE: $300/hour
FACILITY: Sessinghaus Performance Systems, Glendale, Calif.
T-38.) DAVE PHILLIPS (31)
VOTES: 479
LESSON RATE: $400/hour
FACILITY: TPI, Oceanside, Calif.
T-38.) RANDY SMITH (37)
VOTES: 479
LESSON RATE: $200/hour
FACILITY: Royal Oaks G.C., Dallas
40.) CHERYL ANDERSON (47)
VOTES: 477
LESSON RATE: $250/hour
FACILITY: Mike Bender Golf Academy (Magnolia Plantation G.C.), Lake Mary, Fla.
41.) TONY RUGGIERO (43)
VOTES: 475
LESSON RATE: $300/hour
FACILITY: Dewsweepers Golf, Mobile, Ala.
42.) BERNIE NAJAR (42)
VOTES: 432
LESSON RATE: $250/hour
FACILITY: Caves Valley G.C., Owings Mills, Md.
43.) TRILLIUM ROSE (T-50)
VOTES: 428
LESSON RATE: $235/hour
FACILITY: Woodmont C.C., Rockville, Md.
44.) JIM SUTTIE (35)
VOTES: 424
LESSON RATE: $250/hour
FACILITY: The Golf Academy at TwinEagles, Naples, Fla.
45.) KEVIN WEEKS (48)
VOTES: 423
LESSON RATE: $230/hour
FACILITY: Cog Hill G. & C.C., Lemont, Ill.
▶ T-46.) ERIKA LARKIN (NR)
VOTES: 420
LESSON RATE: $225/hour
FACILITY: The Club at Creighton Farms, Aldie, Va.
▶ T-46.) SHAUN WEBB (NR)
VOTES: 420
LESSON RATE: $500/hour
FACILITY: Athletic Motion Golf, Cartersville, Ga.
48.) DAVE PELZ (38)
VOTES: 406
LESSON RATE: $20,000/day
FACILITY: Dave Pelz Scoring Game Schools, Austin
▶ 49.) KEVIN KIRK (NR)
VOTES: 391
LESSON RATE: $300/hour
FACILITY: Trump National Doral, Miami
▶ T-50.) TERRY ROWLES (NR)
VOTES: 389
LESSON RATE: $300/hour
FACILITY: Mountain Ridge C.C., West Caldwell, N.J.
T-50.) SUZY WHALEY (NR)
VOTES: 389
LESSON RATE: $240/hour
FACILITY: The C.C. at Mirasol, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.