Parmasters Serves Up Custom Lessons

By Shane Sharp,
Contributor

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Imagine if you could stop into a franchise of golf schools almost anywhere in the country and order up some lessons like you would the No. 3 Value Meal at McDonalds.

Parmasters co-founder and chief golf professional Scott Hazledine (pictured) and partner Tom Matzen are working double-time to make this concept a reality. Hazledine carefully developed his scientifically based golf instruction methodology over the past fifteen years, and he is guaranteeing those who pull in for a pit stop at his golf centers up to a 25 percent handicap reduction.

"Fifteen percent would be the minimum," he says. "Students at our golf schools typically realize a 40 percent reduction, so it is conceivable that 20 or 25 percent could become the norm."

Matzen, the master-franchiser, is utilizing his expertise to market and expand Hazledine's teachings into a 720-franchise operation by the year 2010.

If you are having trouble relating McNuggets to McGolf game, here's how it works: Fellow "A", the entrepreneur, decides he wants to open one of Hazeldine/Matzen's golf centers. He purchases the franchise for "X" amount of money, and gets a 10,000 square foot instructional facility replete with virtual golf stations, a short game area, and some other technologically advanced floor space.

Fellow "B" decides to buy into Hazledine's "non-traditional" golf swing philosophy, and opts for a package of either 24 or 48 sets of 45-minute lessons, conducted at Fellow A's golf center. A few months down the road, Fellow B is feeling a-okay because he just shaved a bunch of strokes off his handicap.

November 29, 2001

Shane Sharp is vice president of Buffalo Communications, a golf and lifestyle media agency. He was a writer, senior writer and managing editor of TravelGolf.com from 1997 to 2003.