Why We Cap Our Golf Schools at 8 Students And Why That's the Best Decision We Ever Made

There's a reason Hermès doesn't sell Birkin bags to everyone who walks through the door. It's not cruelty. It's not even arrogance. It's a deep, almost counter-intuitive understanding of what makes something truly valuable: access that means something.

We think about this a lot at Signature Golf Experiences. Because when we sat down and built our golf schools with Eric Cogorno, we made a choice that, on paper, probably looked like we were leaving money on the table. We capped enrollment at 8 students per school.

Eight.

Not 20. Not 30. Not "as many as we can fit on the range."

Eight.

And after running these schools and watching golfers actually transform their swings – students who flew in from Mexico, Norway, Canada, and across the country just to be in that room – I can tell you without hesitation: eight is the magic number. Here's why.

Our Goal Was Never Volume. It Was Real Transformation.

In my 25 years of professional experience, I learned something that translates perfectly to what we do now in golf instruction: the most meaningful moments happen in intimate settings.

Our goal for Signature Golf Experiences has never been volume. It's always been real improvement, real fun, and a real transformation in your golf game –the kind where you actually understand your own swing, where you leave a different golfer than when you arrived – that is simply not possible to deliver in a large-crowd setting. The format is not incidental to the outcome… it is the outcome.

When you know that going in, eight students isn't a limitation. It's the entire product.

What We Actually Deliver (And Why It Starts Before You Even Sign Up)

With 8 students and 5 coaches, our ratio is near 1:1. That alone is extraordinary in the golf instruction world, where most multi-day schools run 3:1 or 4:1 ratios and that's considered good.

But what people don't always realize is that our systems and structures start even before someone signs up. Our first job is making sure you understand exactly what we're going to deliver. Clarity. Certainty. From the moment you engage with us, everything is spelled out — what to expect each day, travel and hotel recommendations, an introduction to the coaching team, course rules, gear preparation, access to your personal online coaching space, and lifetime access to Eric Cogorno's Master Class library.

If you have questions about your experience? We'll get on the phone with you. That's highly unusual in this day and age, but it's a non-negotiable for us.

And then there are what I'd call the intangibles — the things our students like Paolo keep referencing in their reviews. It's not just the coaching. It's that we care about the person. How are they getting there? Where are they staying? What does this particular golfer need to improve? We've created systems to make all of that effortless for the student and non-negotiable for us. That's the product we want to deliver, and it's just not possible to deliver it in a large group.

What Happens in a Group of Eight That Can't Happen in a Group of Twenty-Five

Here's something I've watched happen over and over at our schools. When students know they're one of eight, they show up to participate. They're supportive of the whole group. It becomes something more synergistic – it's not just about your own improvement, you're genuinely energized by the improvement of everyone around you. Because nobody disappears. Nobody is invisible.

When Eric goes around the group at the start and has everyone talk about why they're there, in a group of eight, people are very inclined to open up. Someone will say, "I've been struggling with my golf game for this many years and I just want to be more consistent." And there's this instant camaraderie, this understanding, because eight makes it a safe space. They know they have this group of coaches and this small community around them, and nobody's going to get lost in the shuffle.

If someone's having a problem, we address it right away. That's the promise of keeping our schools small, and it's one we're able to keep every single time.

What Luxury Actually Looks Like (And Why It's Not About Bells and Whistles)

I've spent time at some genuinely extraordinary places. Woodloch Resort in Pennsylvania, for example... I pulled up to the security gate and before I had barely gotten out of my car, someone greeted me by name. Miss Lengle, so great to see you. They were preemptively ready for me. They even had a pillow menu so I could choose my exact level of comfort. A pillow menu. Who thinks of that? I never knew I cared about my pillow until I had the option.

That's the question at the heart of every luxury experience: Am I just part of the crowd, or am I being seen as an individual?

I've also been to high-end charity golf events that, despite the price tag, felt like a cattle chute. Once you paid, you were processed. Nothing was personalized. Nothing felt special. The bells and whistles were there, but the feeling wasn't. And the feeling is the whole point.

We want every student at Signature Golf Experiences to feel what I felt at Woodloch. To feel what I felt when a luxury car dealer replaced my key fob battery without me even getting out of the car – no friction, no justification required, just you have a problem, we're going to solve it, right then and there.

That is the level of service we bring to golf. We don't want you to be "the guy with the slice." We want to know your name, your passions, and exactly what your golf game needs to reach the next level.

What Building Eric's Brand Taught Me About Scarcity

I watched this play out in real time building Eric's brand. Early on, he was charging $60–$80 an hour for individual lessons, filling his schedule. As demand grew and his time became genuinely more scarce, something remarkable happened: the perceived value of access to him went up dramatically. He now does very few private lessons. And what that's done is make our schools one of the best ways people can get extended, immersive time with one of the country's top-ranked golf coaches.

I saw the same dynamic in my earlier career from a completely different angle. When a new diet book by a well-known doctor would come out in January (right when everyone is thinking about their health) and every major media outlet wanted to cover it at the same time, the demand for that story was enormous. It wasn't just that the book was good. It was the timing, the audience, and the fact that only a few people could get access to it first. That's the piece people miss about scarcity: it only works when what's behind it actually delivers. When it does, access itself becomes valuable.

Our schools typically sell out in two to six weeks. We have a waitlist of over 150 people. We have turned people away because we refuse to sacrifice the quality of the experience for the sake of revenue.

And we include sold-out dates right on our landing page as we don't want anyone to miss their window by assuming they have more time than they do.

The scarcity is real. The urgency is real. And what you get when you secure your spot is also very real.

Why Eight Is the Number

Here's the thing I've come to believe after running these schools: it's not just about eight being a small number. It's about what eight enables.

Eight students and five coaches means we can serve golfers at every stage of the game — beginner to advanced — and actually help all of them get better. The more experienced players become an inspiration; the developing players absorb what they're watching. There's a learning ecosystem that happens at eight that you simply can't manufacture.

Eight also means that when someone hits the ball solid for the first time — and I'm telling you, when it happens you can hear it even if you're not looking up — everyone is close enough to witness that moment. The coaches light up. The other students feel it. That's the moment we're building toward for every single person who walks onto that range. And it would disappear in a group of twenty.

We've been exploring nine as we refine our format — because nine divides into three groups of three beautifully, with one coach per group, which creates a perfect foursome dynamic on the course. But whether it's eight or nine, the principle is the same: the ratio of coaches to students is what makes the transformation possible.

This Experience Isn't for Everyone And That's Okay

If you're looking for the cheapest way to get a tip or two and a goodie bag, we're probably not your school. And genuinely, that's okay. There are good options at every price point in golf instruction, and we hope you find what you need.

But if you're done settling for clinics where you wait your turn, hit a few balls, and leave with a generic drill you could've found on YouTube… if you want to actually understand your own swing, work with coaches who know your name and your game, and be part of a small group where your improvement matters to everyone in it then we built this for you.

The people who come to our schools aren't debating the price. They're attending with their spouses, their sons. They're making it a shared experience. Because when you find something that actually works, that actually changes your game, the price isn't the question. The only question is whether there's still a spot.

Ready to Secure Your Spot?

Our 8-person schools fill in as little as two weeks. With 150+ people on our waitlist, spots go fast  and once a date sells out, it sells out.

Don't wait to decide. Decide now, then we both get to enjoy the anticipation.

Check current availability and secure your spot at Signature Golf Experiences today.