Private Playing Lessons
Scoring, Not Swinging.
You don't need a better swing. You need a scoring system. Here's where you're leaking strokes.
Ball above your feet. Below. Bare. Buried. Uphill. Downhill. Wet. Each changes everything. Most members guess. I'll show you the rule for every lie — and how to adjust club, stance, and target instantly.
A knockdown 6-iron that lands and rolls vs. a high 7-iron that stops — same yardage, different outcome depending on wind, firmness, pin. Scoring is knowing which one to hit, and when.
Fast greens. Wet fairways. 20 mph wind. Most guys play the same shots anyway. I'll teach you to adjust in real time so conditions work for you, not against you.
Chipping, pitching, bunkers, putting — it's all feel until you install a repeatable decision tree. High spin vs low. Landing spot vs rollout. When to open the face. When to lag. Your short game should be your strength, not your roulette wheel.
MJ Pineault. I spent 3 years as a PGA Assistant Pro (Level 1, PAT) — teaching, fitting, running the shop. That's where I learned most members don't need a better swing. They need a scoring system.
As a player, I captained Ridgewood to its first-ever #1 State Ranking, earned North Jersey All-Quarter Century (2000-2025) and All-Decade Team (2000-2009) recognition — the only Ridgewood golfer on both — plus 4× All-State, 2× First Team All-County, 3× First Team All-NNJIL. Competed in State TOC all four years — the only Ridgewood golfer to do it. I didn't get there on range balls. I got there learning how to think around a golf course.
Now I teach that at your club. One-on-one. No range. No band-aids.
On the course, not the range. Every situation you'll face in a real round.
Fairway, rough, bare, buried, wet, uphill, downhill, sidehill. Each has a rule. See the lie, know the play.
Sitting up vs sitting down. Thin lie vs cushion underneath. Where to keep your weight. Why one produces a thin miss and the other grabs the hosel.
Why the ball comes out right, left, high, low — and how to control it. Attack vs lay up. High trajectory vs low runner.
You have a natural shot shape and reliable distances — use them. Build a game plan around what you do well instead of always fixing what you don't.
How wind changes carry, rollout, club selection. Controlling trajectory. Predicting how the ball behaves when it lands.
When greens are 11+ and fairways are rock-hard, landing zones shrink. How to land it soft, use slopes, miss in the right spot.
Mud, wet grips, no rollout, plugged lies, shorter carry. Adjusting distance, club, and expectations in real time.
Full to partial swings. Trajectory and spin control. Which wedge for which situation. Building a reliable scoring zone.
Hard pan vs fluffy. Green-side vs fairway. Uphill/downhill lies. A repeatable system that gets you close every time.
Reading from both sides. Matching speed to green type. Lag vs aggressive. Building a 3-foot circle you don't miss.
Hole-by-hole game plan. Identifying birdie holes. Knowing where to take par. Pre-round prep that saves 3 shots.
When nothing feels right — how to still post a number. The 3 things to fall back on. Where to aim, what to swing, when your A game didn't show.
Playing for money changes everything. Nerves affect tempo, focus, decisions. How to stay in control when the round matters.
No range. No facility fee. Real golf at your home club.
Pick your package. I come to your club in Northern NJ, Westchester, or Long Island.
We walk 9 or 18. Every shot is a coaching moment — club selection, lie reading, conditions, decisions.
You leave with a repeatable scoring system. Not a tip. Not a drill. A decision framework that works every round.
One-on-one. At your course. Real results.
Not that this should matter — but here's the background that lets me charge what I do.
Real rounds, real shit-talking, real results.
"Played 18 with MJ. He called every bad decision before I made it. By the back nine I was actually thinking through shots instead of just hitting. Lowest round of the season. Worth it."
Tuxedo Club
"MJ showed me I've been making the same mistake for years without realizing it. Fixed it in one session. Now I'm scoring lower and he won't shut up about it."
Silverado
"Went in expecting swing tips. Walked out with a complete course management system. Dropped 5 strokes my next round. Hard to argue with that."
Ridgewood Country Club
Send your info and I'll reach out within 24 hours to get you on the schedule.
1-on-1 playing lessons at your club. I come to you.
Northern NJ • Westchester • Long Island
18 Holes — $650
9 Holes — $400
Short Game — $300
Strategy Session — $200
Scoring Audit — $150/mo
Cash / Venmo / Zelle