Your Florida golf coach for the winter season
You've got a few months of great golf weather. Let's make it the season your game finally changes, with a plan built around your time here.
Request a call with John Reach out by 5 p.m. Eastern and he'll call you the same day.
Most winter golfers waste the season
Here's what usually happens. You arrive, play a lot of golf, fight the same miss you brought from home, and head north in April with the same handicap.
It's not that you didn't play enough. It's that nobody gave you a plan. A season in Florida is the best chance you'll get all year to actually improve. Three or four months of golf weather, back to back. Let's use it.
How Florida golf is different
If you play most of your golf up north, Florida courses will surprise you. Here's what to expect.
- Bermuda grass grabs the club
- Florida fairways and rough are mostly Bermuda, which is wiry and sticky. Out of the rough, grip a little firmer and expect the ball to come out lower with less spin. Around the greens, a firm bump-and-run usually beats a delicate flop.
- The greens have grain
- Bermuda greens grow in a direction, and the ball follows it. Putts into the grain play slower and break less. Putts down-grain run out and break more. A shiny look usually means you're putting with the grain, a dull look means into it. Check the edge of the hole too: the ragged side shows which way the grain runs.
- Wind is part of the game
- Many Florida courses are open and flat, so the breeze moves the ball more than you're used to. Take more club, swing smoother, and keep the ball lower when it's blowing.
- Lies can be firm and sandy
- Thin grass over sand means the club can bounce. Ball-first contact matters more here than on soft northern turf.
A season in three parts
- 1
Arrive and assess
In your first few weeks we look at your swing, your numbers and your goal for the season, and get you comfortable with Florida conditions.
- 2
Build in the middle months
This is where the real change happens. Regular sessions, playing lessons and practice between them, with your numbers tracked as you go.
- 3
Leave with a plan
Before you head home, we lock in the changes and write down exactly what to practice until next season.
Keep improving after you head home
The hardest part of seasonal coaching is the months you're away. So I don't leave you on your own. Virtual follow-up is built into every John Hughes Golf coaching program. You'll go home with a written practice plan, send me swing video from wherever you play, and get my feedback and your next drills back. When you're back next winter, we pick up right where we left off.
Ways to work with us this season
- Coaching membership
- Blocks of 10 hours or more with me, spread across your season. This is the best fit for golfers here for a few months who want to work with me personally.
- Private one-to-one golf school
- In town for a week or two? One golfer, one coach, with on-course coaching every day. It's the fastest way to make real progress on a short stay.
- Custom coaching program
- A season-long plan led by one of my PGA staff coaches, with me overseeing your progress.
Whichever you choose, virtual follow-up is built in, so your coaching doesn't stop when your season does.
Meet your coach
I'm John Hughes, a PGA Master Professional of Instruction, one of fewer than 500 PGA of America Master Professionals. In other words, one of the top 1.5% of golf professionals in America. I've been coaching for more than 30 years. I've been named a GOLF Magazine Teacher to Watch, a Golf Digest Best in State instructor and a Golf Tips Magazine Top 25 Instructor, and I was inducted into the North Florida PGA Hall of Fame in 2026. I'm Director of Instruction at Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate.
Every coach on my team is a certified PGA of America member, trained in the same system I use.
Questions seasonal golfers ask
When should I reach out?
Before you arrive, if you can. Winter is our busiest time, and the best coaching times fill up first.
I'm only here for a couple of weeks. Is it worth it?
Yes. A private one-to-one golf school is built for exactly that, with on-course coaching every day.
Can you coach me after I go home?
Yes, through virtual coaching. Every John Hughes Golf coaching program includes virtual follow-up, so you can send swing video from home and get feedback and drills between seasons. You'll also leave Florida with a written practice plan.
Where is coaching held?
At Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate, about 30 minutes from most Orlando-area attractions and from Orlando International Airport.
How much does it cost?
Every program is customized to your unique improvement needs, so pricing is built around your goals and your time here. I'll walk you through the options on our call.
Make this your best season yet
Tell me when you're arriving and what you want to work on, and I'll call you to put a plan together. Reach out by 5 p.m. Eastern and you'll hear from me the same day. Let's find you the right Florida golf coach for your season.
Prefer to call? 407-852-8547
Thanks. Your request is in.
I'll call you personally at the number you gave me. If you reached out before 5 p.m. Eastern, you'll hear from me today. Otherwise, expect my call tomorrow.
While you wait, jot down your goal, your typical miss and how often you play. We'll put them to work on our call.