‘School of Golf’ celebrating 400th episode on Golf Channel

When Martin Hall was hired by Golf Channel in 2011 to run a weekly instruction show, he wasn’t ready to quit his day job.

“I thought I might do eight shows, and that would be it,” Hall said. “I didn’t know if we would do season two.”

That was 12 years ago, and Hall’s show “School of Golf,” is still going strong. He celebrates a milestone Monday when his 400^th show airs on GolfPass, Golf Channel’s digital app. The 400th show was filmed in June at Lake Nona.

That’s a lot of swing thoughts.

“It is hard for me to believe we have done 400,” said Hall, the Director of Golf Instruction at The Club. “It’s staggering … mind-blowing … remarkable, really.”

And unexpected because when Golf Channel approached Hall in 2011, he wasn’t interested because he thought he was too old and the network wouldn’t want him. Hall, now 67, was wrong. Viewers were allowed to vote for their new instructor, and Hall easily won over finalists Wayne Player (Gary’s son) and Karen Palacios-Jansen (wife of speed skater Dan Jansen).

“Martin is a great instructor with a great personality,” said Kevin Schultz, Golf Channel’s senior director of instruction who has worked with Hall’s show from the start. “A lot of great instructors are boring on TV. Martin is entertaining.”

Those eight shows became 100, then 200, 300 and now rarified territory as the longest-running instruction show. Consider: Two of the greatest TV shows of all time — “Cheers” (275) and “Seinfeld” (180) — had less air time than Hall.

“I think a lot more people have watched Seinfeld and Cheers than watched School of Golf, that’s for sure,” Hall said in his usual cheery British accent.

Hall’s career hasn’t been boring. He once counted that he has either played golf with, given lessons to or done TV alongside 47 major champions. Plus, he worked with teaching legends such as Bob Toski, John Jacobs, Peter Kostis and Jim Flick.

That’s a lot of positive swing thoughts.

“The wisdom they have given me is something I can pass on to the next generation,” Hall said. “I feel a responsibility to serve as a bridge between the older teachers and the younger golfers. It’s important we preserve this golf wisdom.”

For more than a quarter century, Hall has been imparting that wisdom with Ibis’ instruction staff, as well as the members, from his office at the back end of the range. Any time he brings in a pro golfer for a clinic, it’s a…