Testimonials

Golf with Rita

Testimonials

Hi Rita
I just returned from my annual three-day tournament in Michigan that I organize. I have done this with friends for 33 years. We play high quality courses in northern Michigan. This year, I shot an 85, 80, and 79. One of my best tournaments ever. I was especially proud of the 79. It came on a course with a USGA rating of 70 and a slope rating of 128. I had never played it before. I have just posted my scores. My USGA index is down to an 8.2, a new all-time low for me. In late 2008, before I ever took a lesson from you, I was an 11.2. So I have come down three full strokes with my two lessons from you. And not a lot of practice. Thanks again. Hope the testimonial was helpful.
Bill

June 2010
"This is our fourth year. We have grown to expect the finest teaching and a relaxed atmosphere. I would go so far as to say that arriving at Cacapon and seeing Rita, Charlie and Emil feels like coming home to family. Once again our game has improved as well as our enjoyment of the game of golf.
Thank you all very much. We look forward to learning from you again next year."
Lee & Joann Stevens
Columbia, MD

Breaking 80
“I have taken just two lessons from Rita--on 1-1-09 and 1-1-10. Before I saw her, despite 25 years' worth of lessons, my USGA handicap index was an 11.2. Now, a year and one-half later, I am down to an 8.3. I attribute 90% of that drop to Rita. Two weeks ago, for the first in in my life, I broke 80 in two consecutive rounds. In the second of those two rounds, I shot a 78 on a private, Donald Ross course with a 135 slope rating. It was one of the five best rounds of my life. I have now broken 80 four times in the last 12 months. In the past, I might break 80 once every year or two.
I highly recommend Rita. She has helped every part of my game, including alignment, the mental approach, on-course strategy, and tournament preparation. I have taken lessons from at least five other pros, and Rita has been the most effective of all of them.”
Bill R.
Detroit, Michigan

April 2010
After spending 15 minutes with Rita, I knew that the lesson was going to be relaxed. I could tell I was going to learn from her terms and methods of showing me things that I could improve my golf game. She did not try to break down my whole swing, just tried to show me small ways to improve it. She asked me to do homework in writing down what I had learned and I did this immediately after I got home. I still refer to the notes and use many of her tweaks when I practice and play. After my lesson with her, my handicap has come down 4 strokes and is still trending down. I just won a big tournament. I believe that Rita has sent me on the right path to play better golf both through skill improvement and confidence.
Leslie G.
Hilton Head Island

An instructor who can evaluate what teaching method should be used with different students is exceptional and Rita is that kind of instructor. At my age I just don't have the time or ability to completely break down my swing and start from scratch. I don't have the work ethic to start over and spend hours per day on the practice range. I look for an instructor that can pick up on something that has gone astray in my swing, be it setup, grip, take away, or lack of power in the swing and explain in simple English how to go about fixing it. Rita is a natural teacher and has the ability to do this for me and others that go to her for help. Her enthusiasm for teaching shows the minute you meet her. She makes you feel comfortable, yet can be a hard task master. She won't give up until you understand what she wants you to do. You always come away from a lesson with a feeling of satisfaction and the knowledge of what to practice on.
Linda H.
Hilton Head Island, SC

Encounter RITA
EAGLE EYE
ASTUTE ANALYZER
TACTICAL TECHNICIAN
GIFTED GURU
Thanks for the opportunity to tell you that you are damn good.
Frannie

Rita's confidence that you can do it convinces you that you can do it. Oh, and then there's that seemingly tireless energy, patience, and persistence that Rita has. Rita has a special gift for not just perceiving your problem but explaining it to you so that you understand it. If it is necessary to rephrase it four different ways before you understand, she can do that. Rita seems to have at least four different plans to help you correct your problem. Plan A might not work so she gives you a back-up plan or two or three.

Some other golf teachers have asked me to stop everything I had been doing and start all over again in their style. Rita knows horrible habits when she sees those and tries to help you eliminate those. However, Rita recognizes that there are several different successful variations of golf swing style and she helps you improve within your personal style.

The problems my husband has with his golf game and his style are completely different than the ones I have. Rita has no problem instructing us and helping each of us improve in spite of large differences in size, strength, natural style, and very different bad habits.
Sally A
Silver Spring, MD

When I attended my first Golf Academy at Cacapon in June of 2007 I was surprised by how many of my fellow students were there for a second or third time. It turned out there was a wide range of golfing ability and each felt he or she had learned tremendously from the previous experience and, more importantly, had thoroughly enjoyed it and was looking forward to another three days with Rita.

The Golf Academy works for a number of reasons but foremost is Rita’s passion for what she does. She loves golf and she loves to teach. She is not one who will radically try to alter a swing to fit some idealized stereotype; rather she works with each student, fine tuning what each has and then providing numerous chances to practice either on the range or on the course. She has a good eye; Rita is not one to waste time with loads of words between each swing; rather she focuses on one or two critical elements and when the student grasps and demonstrates it she invariably says “Thank you” and moves to the next student. But don’t relax, because even then she has a wary eye and may well call out from afar when she sees old habits reappearing.

Rita is not only a skilled group facilitator who makes the course enjoyable, she also has a great support team in Emil and Dale who nominally prepare the areas for instruction and check your clubs respectively, but both are experienced golfers who can add a vital new element to one’s game. They just need to be asked.

Next year I expect joyfully to drive the 120 miles for a private tune up lesson with Rita sandwiched between 18 holes on the beautiful Cacapon Golf Course.
Jeremy

When people do ask me to describe you as an instructor I always respond with the following: Rita LOVES teaching the game golf. Rita can break down the mechanics of the golf swing (whether it is full swing, chipping, putting, bunkers) and communicate it in a way that I can understand. That way I can understand and then (try and try and try!!) to execute it. Rita runs a great golf business, but teaching golf is so much more than a business to Rita.
Carolyn