Amanda Beeler’s profession is teaching -- but she has found out her job involves some learning, too.
Beeler, an LPGA member and teaching pro at Healdsburg’s , has been offering a variety of classes for men and women. She said she has been pleasantly surprised by the reaction.
“I just started these programs last fall, and I had no idea how much need or interest there might be,” said Beeler, who has been at Tayman Park for five years. “But I was inundated with emails and calls, and it became clear there was a real desire by our golfers to improve their games.”
Beeler offers two specialized classes for women and two for men.
“Ladies Night Out,“ for what she calls Teaching Level I, is a six-week program on Fridays, 4-5 p.m.; the cost is $95. It's proven so popular, she opened a second class.
“Our ladies’ class filled up quickly and we had a waiting list of 12-15 players,” said Beeler, who opened a second class for an additional 10 golfers.
“We work on a skill and at the end of class, head to the pro shop for a glass of wine,” said Beeler, who was born in Memphis, Tenn., and went to Arkansas State on a golf scholarship.
Because of the success of “Ladies Night Out” and the request by some players to take the learning to the next level, Beeler started “Mulligans and Margaritas,” a six-week Level 2 course limited to eight students on Saturdays, 3:30-5 p.m. at a cost of $125.
“Mulligans and Margaritas” offers skill work the first 45 minutes, then on-course instruction for 45 minutes.
“As the players improve, we may consider another class (Level 3) if there is the interest from enough people,” said Beeler, who worked with the local First Tee program for three years before coming to Tayman Park.
Encouraged by the women’s programs, Beeler started “Old Guys Rule.” Limited to 10 golfers, it is a Thursday afternoon class that costs $95. "Old Guys Rule" filled up quickly. Instead of wine, however, the men’s class ends up with a beer.
Again, in an effort to work with players who advance past Level I, Beeler came up with “The Players Club” for Level 2 male golfers. That class costs $125 for the six-week program.
She explained that Level 3 would include much more specific instruction, including trick shots, working the ball left to right, how to get your score down and course management.
“We will offer classes that address whatever we feel needs to be taught,” said Beeler. “It’s an ongoing thing.”
She said Level I is a great way for golfers to get started, or if they have been away from the game for a while, to get back into it. Level 2 may still include new golfers who are getting comfortable with their game.
“Players will tell me ‘I didn’t realize I needed to know that,’ and things like that,” explained Beeler. “Because players at Level 2 get to actually get out on the course, they can apply the things they’ve learned because I think practical experience is the key.”
She thinks one significant result of her programs is an increase in play at Tayman Park for both men and women, with some players opting to sign up for an annual playing card, which runs $785 for single golfers.
Healdsburg golfer Vern Losh said he took the class “because I found Amanda to be a well-qualified instructor,” adding that “she is very good at getting the point across about what she is teaching you.”
Losh continued that Beeler “will tell you in a clear fashion, show you and then have you do it correctly.”
Losh, 55, said he has had other instructors in the past that know how to golf “but just can’t teach it to a student,” he said.
He added that the classes at Tayman have “increased my ability and the amount of golf I play with these lessons; I will be back again working with Amanda.”
For additional information about these programs as well as other instruction offered by Beeler for men, women and kids at Tayman Park, go to
