Does your game need a tune-up? 10 golf schools to consider visiting this winter

Cold weather has been sweeping much of the U.S. For many golfers, that means putting their clubs in the basement or garage, where they'll gather dust for the next few months.

It doesn't have to be that way, however. Why not get out of the cold this winter and work on your golf game at the same time?

Golf schools in warm winter locales across the country give you the opportunity to enjoy a vacation and establish the foundation for making 2015 your best year ever on the links.

Whether you need a complete overhaul of your swing, a simple tune-up, dedicated focus on one aspect of your game, or just to shake off the rust, a golf school could be your answer.

Here are 10 excellent options that you can utilize to give your game some much-needed attention this winter.

Grayhawk Learning Center is a playground for many touring professionals who call the club home, but it's also a top instruction destination. Originally founded by CBS golf announcers Gary McCord and Peter Kostis, who's also a top-100 instructor, the Grayhawk Learning Center prides itself on being "highly personalized" and providing instruction that will enable golfers to not only play better but also have more fun on the course. One-, two-, and three-day schools are available and feature on-course instruction, an extensive use of video analysis and the development of personalized lesson plans to help maximize a player's potential. Click here for more information.

Jim McLean has long been considered one of the top golf instructors in the world. He now offers golf schools in multiple locations, but his school at Trump National Doral is the original and has been in existence since 1991. Two- and three-day schools with McLean's staff are among the program offerings, as are four- and six-day schools with McLean himself, the latter of which is regarded as a "boot camp experience" for serious golfers. Each school, regardless of length, is designed to incorporate proven fundamentals into the unique swing of each student using the most modern technology. Click here for more information.

A trip to the Pinehurst area should be on the bucket list of any golfer. Wonderful courses abound in the Sandhills, as do equally impressive instruction options. That elite instruction is a focus at Pine Needles should hardly come as a surprise. After all, longtime owner Peggy Kirk Bell is widely considered the greatest female instructor of all-time. The Pine Needles Golf Academy offers four-day programs that begin in March and feature personalized instruction on and off the course, as well as opportunities to play Donald Ross' Pine Needles layout, which is consistently ranked among the best in the state. Meals and lodging are also included. Click here for more information.

Led by top-100 instructors Todd Anderson and Jack Lumpkin, who have worked with multiple PGA Tour players, the Sea Island Golf Performance Center has garnered a tremendous reputation in recent years. With a philosophy that no two players are alike and that a multidisciplinary approach to learning is the best path to improvement, the Sea Island Golf Performance Center has achieved excellent results with players of all levels. Students can participate in instructional programs ranging from one to three days and expect attention to be focused on the long game, short game, mental game, fitness and club-fitting. Click here for more information.

Located at the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, the Aviara Golf Academy has been in existence longer than any other golf school in the western United States. Schools ranging from one to three days are held throughout the year, as well as special programs dedicated to the short game and on-course performance. The Aviara Golf Academy staff, which has been led by Kip Puterbaugh since 1991, has developed a curriculum that is designed to help students understand and own their swings through the utilization of the latest state-of-the-art technology available in golf instruction. Click here for more information.

Mike Bender's ascension to top-10 teacher in the world has been rapid, and the Mike Bender Golf Academy offers golfers of all ability levels a unique experience, as golf schools are completely customized. You create your own curriculum and focus on the aspects of your game that you feel need the most work, be it long game, short game or putting. The number of days, the hours of instruction each day, and the number of holes you'd like to play during your visit are also your choice, and all fees are included in each customized pricing quote. Click here for more information.

At the Barton Creek Golf Academy, the goal of the staff is to combine a hands-on approach with the latest in instruction technology to help golfers improve every aspect of their games. Schools are offered ranging from one to three days, and special programs are also available solely for women and juniors, as well as a two-day short game and scoring school. Additionally, for the most serious golfers, a "Total Golf" school is available that includes a psychological test and also assess a player's equipment, fitness level, mental game and course management skills. Click here for more information.

If you ask instructors how students can most quickly shave strokes off their scores, many will point to an improved short game as the answer. When it comes to the short game, Dave Pelz might be golf's most highly regarded teacher. If your short game is in need of work, Pelz and his staff offer clinics and schools ranging from one to three days at locations around the country, including warm-weather destinations in Florida, California and Arizona. The mission of the programs offered is to provide a scientific approach to teaching that instills confidence in students and allows them to better execute scoring shots. Click here for more information.

If your golf game needs help, why wouldn't you want to seek out the best instructor in the world? That's the lofty perch that Butch Harmon has risen to, and while you might not be able to afford instruction from Harmon personally, you can attend one of his popular golf schools. Two- and three-day schools are available, with small class sizes being a staple of each session. The staff's goal with students is to help them understand their swings, and the personalized curriculum includes traditional instruction each morning and nine-hole playing lessons in the afternoon. Click here for more information.

As the saying goes, variety is the spice of life. When it comes to variety and golf school offerings, it's tough to match the Grand Cypress Academy of Golf. Golf schools are offered ranging from one to three days, and additional schools are available for low-handicappers, women, juniors and golfers who solely want to focus on putting or the mental game. Headlined by top-100 instructor Fred Griffin, the staff members at the Grand Cypress Academy of Golf have made it their mission to use the latest technology to help golfers improve their game and have more fun on the course. Click here for more information.