Wie flops again: new excuses needed for British Open, links golf tips and correct grip pressure

July 2007
Golf for Beginners logo


Click here to listen.


A lower back injury two months ago forced Natalie Gulbis to reassess her golf swing. She had to take a month off and change her posture to compensate for the strain. Michelle Wie's wrist accident has forced her into a rehabilitative state which has, unfortunately, cost her more than a few cuts at inopportune times. This trauma has also changed the public's perception of the girl once considered to be the LPGA's answer to Tiger Woods.

Natalie Gulbis stepped up and was ressurrected at the Evian Masters this weekend, becoming a first-time Rolex winner. Michelle Wie is still struggling to compete aptly although finally making a cut after a year's worth of trials and tribulations. Two injuries with two separate and distinct outcomes. One golfer became a winner due to her injury, the other becomes more frustrated over time.

This week Golf for Beginners discusses Michelle Wie's uneasy level of comfort. How can she play well for two days with an injured wrist and then falter during the final two days? We don't believe her problems are totally related to her injury anymore but rather becoming a psychological issue, the battle to win rather than just compete.

Next stop for the LPGA (and Michelle Wie) is St. Andrews G.C. for the Ricoh Women's British Open. The Old Course is considered by some to be the "home of golf" and a links-style course, completely different than the parklike grounds of the Evian Masters Golf Club in France. This challenge will certainly prove the mettle of all the women on tour.

As Tiger Woods has stated before, "To win at St. Andrews is the ultimate."

We also give you a golf tip on how to keep your grip comfortable on the club during a trying round of golf. Grip is probably the one aspect of "G.A.S.P" that can save, or ruin, a round of golf!

Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes. Nextel/Sprint cell customers type http://www.mymbn.com/podcast/ in your browser and click on "sports casts". Our station number is 1955.

"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by Scotland Golf Tours and Florida Golf Travel.

Harbour Town Golf Links

July 2007

Thus far on my quest, I have found Pete Dye designed golf courses have been a mixed bag. I don't like The TPC at Sawgrass, although I like Whistling Straits and The Ocean Course at Kiawah. Casa de Campo has nine really good holes and nine average holes.

This summer I traveled down to the South Carolina Low country for some R & R and golf. I scheduled an early morning tee time at Harbour Town Golf Links (ranked #67 in the world).

In general, I have found it a good rule to be suspicious any time words are spelled out in old English like, "Harbour" or "Olde". Normally this is a red-flag that screams 'tourist rip-off'. Generally, it means a place is set up well for the silver-haired set and can be a great place to go if you are looking to over-pay for cute little Christmas tree ornaments and lots of other useless drivel.

Did I go to Harbour Town with pre-conceived notions? Yep, but it's hard not to, having seen the course on TV so many times, and I have several friends that have played it and complained that it was so tightly packed with condos that it was difficult to appreciate the course. In addition, Harbour Town is like a golf factory with group after group going off at regular intervals and pushed along the course. Plus, you have to ride in a cart here, which I'm not a big fan of.



Low country live oak with Spanish moss



Harbour Town is located in the Sea Pines resort on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, which, for such a small state, is golf rich. South Carolina features three of the top ranked courses in the world: Harbour Town, Yeamans Hall in Charleston and The Ocean Course on Kiawah Island. Hilton Head is one of the most successful real estate development ventures in U.S. history. There are over 20 courses in Hilton Head and the density of the housing is in fact alarming and omnipresent throughout the golf course.

Harbour Town has many public roads running through it. The most common sighting on the golf course when I played were scores of families riding bikes around and amongst the condominiums. I found that Harbour Town had a certain kitschy quality and sense of real Americana to it, that, in the end, I found hard to dislike. Like watching a Jerry Lewis movie, it is so bad, it's good. No matter how much you try, you can't stop watching and you end up enjoying it. Such was my experience at Harbour Town. I came to appreciate the uniqueness and subtlety of the golf course despite the intensive housing development.

The Golf Course

To summarize Harbour Town: narrow fairways and small greens. The design, layout and routing are imaginative and good, even though the course is completely flat. You can't just get up and hit driver on every hole. It is designed to really make you think about the type and shape of the shot before hitting each one. The narrowness of the fairways and the over-hanging trees force you to have to hit a certain side of the fairway in order to have a decent shot at the small greens. In this regard, Harbour Town reminded me of Merion.

The picture below shows both the narrowness of the fairway and the omni-present housing lurking behind the trees.



2nd hole narrow fairway and houses


Although the fairways in reality are not that narrow, they give the appearance of being so. This is because so many of the holes have overhanging trees that encroach over the fairways, making it a visually difficult golf course to drive the ball. Harbour Town represents the type of short, shot-makers course that seems to be out of vogue. It's nice to have world-class courses like this that are not all about length and brute force.

The other thing I appreciate about Harbour Town as a student of golf history is that this is one of Pete Dye's earliest designs and one of the first he used railroad ties on. As essentially the first course of its genre built in the modern era, this makes it a historically important course. Jack Nicklaus was a co-designer, and it was the first course he was involved with from a design standpoint. Also, I like the Low country setting with all the live oak trees with their hanging Spanish moss. The course also has a very interesting combination of palmetto trees, pine trees, elm trees, pampas grasses and other native plants.



Railroad ties on par three 4th


My two favorite holes on the course were the 13th and the 16th, which showcase Dye's bunkering abilities. The 13th has a narrow landing area off the tee (seen below). It is critical to hit your drive to the right-hand side of the fairway to have a reasonable shot at this unique green. The green itself is 'Y' shaped, with an imposing railroad-tied bunker half-way around it.



13th hole from the tee



13th green



13th green


The 16th hole is a sharp dogleg-left and has a long bunker down the entire left side and is a good risk/reward hole. The bunker is a magnet for balls. Even those of us in my group that avoided the bunker off the tee, ended up in it eventually.

The mental image I had of Harbour Town, based on the pictures I have seen of it, is that it plays along the water, which it doesn't. It is an inland course. The iconic picture of the lighthouse is a bit misleading. You expect the course to be mostly along the water. In fact, you don't see the water until you reach the 16th green. I found the 18th to be an interesting hole but not really as good as all the hype surrounding it. It has O.B. all the way down the right side and the Calibogue Sound on the left the entire way. Comparisons to the 18th at Pebble Beach are not in order.

I played a good paced round at Harbour Town, with a cart and a fore-caddy to move us along. We played in 4 1/4 hours and as much as I don't like riding in a golf cart, in scorching heat and high humidity, it makes sense that they use them. Overall, I enjoyed Harbour Town.

The Carolina Low Country

As I've said, I am a fan of the Carolina Low country. It is hot, humid and sultry and has a lot of charm. I enjoy having grits with breakfast and the other distinctive regional cuisine: She crab soup, crawfish, cornbread and the local seafood. I like the distinctive Southern drawl they speak with and the slow pace of life here is a nice change. Plus, how can you not like a place that sells "worms and shrimps" in gas stations and convenience stores.

After I finished playing Harbour Town I drove up to Charleston to play Yeamans Hall. Those of you that have been to Hilton Head will appreciate that I made the classic driving mistake on my way out. I turned into the wrong housing development, which actually isn't hard to do, because many look alike and with the low hanging trees it is always somewhat dark. I got lost and drove in circles for 30 minutes around the various neighborhoods that you need a satellite navigation system to get out of.

As you will see in my coming post on Yeamans Hall, the two places are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Harbour Town was the easiest course for me to play thus far. I went on-line prior to my trip and had the round completely booked within five minutes. The very private Yeamans Hall has almost no houses around it, gets little play, is the picture of proper Southern gentility and was very difficult for me to get on to play. Rather than just driving up to the bag drop like you do at Harbour Town, at Yeamans you have to get through the guarded entrance, seen below.





The entrance gate to Yeamans Hall


On my drive up to Charleston I took the back roads to soak up the atmosphere. It is an eclectic mix of tidal salt marshes, rivers, swamps, plantations, antique shops and fireworks stores. There is good reason they call this the Low country. Hopefully, the pictures below can give you a good feel for what it is like. It has a Fellini-like mix of high and low.


Plantation entrance with a beautiful allée of trees

Low country antiquing


Low country entertainment


Oh yea, I almost forgot, I have to put in the obligatory picture of the signature lighthouse hole.


P.S. I did manage to get excellent prices on a couple of new Christmas ornaments while at Hilton Head and spent well less than the $270 that the greens fees cost me.

Natalie Gulbis Wins At The 2007 Evian Masters!

July 2007
Natalie Gulbis fired a two under par final round of 70 to put herself in a sudden death playoff with Jeong Jang at the 2007 Evian Masters LPGA Golf Tournament in France. Natalie Gulbis proceeded to birdie 4 the first playoff hole to defeat Jang and win her first LPGA Event ever.



Gulbis opened the day 4 back of the 3 day leader Julie Inkster by shooting rounds of 72, 73, and 69 to put her in contention on the final day. An unfortunate bogey on 14 prevented Natalie from winning the tournament outright, but she called on her will to win and birdied the first playoff hole to remove the "hasn't won" stigma forever.



ItsAlreadySigned4U.com congratulates Natalie Gulbis on her great accomplishment of winning the 2007 Evian Masters Golf Tournament. Stay tuned for new Natalie Gulbis autogaphed memorabilia in the weeks to come!!

Golf putting instructions

July 2007
Many golf players would do with some more golf putting instructions since this is probably one of the most difficult parts of the game. Trainers who give golf putting instructions advise their students to keep their head and body still during the move. Trust me; a simple “keep still” doesn’t work. The main secret is to keep the eyes still during the stroke, and then the chances are a lot higher that the rest of the body should remain still. Golf putting instructions mainly refer to eye-following the ball until it is moving towards the hole at which you aimed.

If you follow the golf putting instructions you actually solve half of the score problem. If you don’t take putting lessons, at least try to practice alignment, strokes and grip changes. From grip to posture, stance and stroke, there are lots of golf putting instructions you need to actively apply in order to develop harmonious golfing skills. Keep in mind that if you’re using a square-to-square shot, golf putting instructions say that you should stroke the back of the ball and not the centre. Thus you make sure that you take all new information step by step applying it thoroughly.

Most golf putting instructions are quite simple so that anyone could apply them with a minimal amount of practice. Keep in mind that there are just of few principles that truly guide the golf putting instructions. You have to sight the line of the putt from the rear, then place your eyes just a little behind the ball but over the putt line. The shot you take has to be in a line as straight as possible. Then the stroke should be performed in one move so that the putter may be just like an arm extension. Follow these golf putting instructions and be a real player.

The first question that rises for these golf putting questions is how to get a more accurate sight from the rear. The answer to this dilemma is to constantly practice since the trial – error kind of learning is the more useful for someone who really wants to feel what it’s like to play golf. Most people don’t make a living out of golf, so they can train only when they have enough time; hence, they use the golf putting instructions more than someone who trains every day. There is nothing to lose in trying, just a few strokes!

Lucky charms for Padraig Harrington at British Open, find your tempo and sand trap to a tight pin

July 2007
Golf for Beginners logo


Click here to listen.


Padraig Harrington, victor at the British Open, won the battle of the nerves yesterday against Sergio Garcia. Neither showed that they were impervious to the dreaded "choke", with Harrington losing two strokes at the final hole and Garcia missing putts on Sunday that had been easier to sink during the first three rounds of competition.

Andres Romero was most affected by the pressure and, at the seventeenth hole, threw away the lead choosing the wrong club from a difficult lie. The mental errors continued at the eighteenth with a weak chip shot to the green and Romero settled for third place.

Colin Montgomerie's wish for a European British Open winner came true, but it wasn't him! Careful what you wish for...

Even professional golfers who practice and play daily cannot seem to calm their nerves during these pressure-cooker situations and they are confident of their trajectory and ball flight! What about the average golfer who rarely gets to the range, has time only to stretch and take a few swings before teeing up? What should he/she expect?

Barry and I discuss how old habits die hard, especially when a golfer has no time to practice and said "no" to lessons from a qualified golf instructor from the time he first picked up the sticks.

We also give a great vision of tempo with the help of the 2006 PGA Teacher of the Year Bill Forrest who claims that tempo is a part of your personality so you shouldn't fight it!

Finally, we offer up a greenside bunker tip we read in Golf Magazine. How do you efficiently get out of the sand and close to the pin when the flag is tight to the bunker?


Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes. Nextel/Sprint cell customers type http://www.mymbn.com/podcast/ in your browser and click on "sports casts". Our station number is 1955.

"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by Pioneer Golf and Florida Golf Travel.

Vote for my Podcast Alley feed!

Golf putting tips

July 2007
The putter is probably the most used club on the green and many golf players are after professional golf putting tips to get the best scores they can. It takes quite a long way to get to the green, but once there, you’d better handle it right. Here are some golf putting tips for amateur players who are trying to improve their special swings. The first question that rises refers to the ideal distance for the putt backswing. Golf putting tips recommend that you take your right toe as a standard point. Then accelerate the club-head and hit the ball.

Golf putting tips also revolve around the artificial mats and cups you can order for your backyard to be able to practice. And, this is by far a very good idea, particularly if you have a friend to join you and increase the competitive feeling. Remember that part of the golf putting tip here is to recreate a slightly pressing atmosphere as if you were in a regular game. Many of the golf putting tips beginners use are available in instructional books and videos, not to mention the richness of Internet sources that can assist you in the attempt to improve your golf performance.

A very informational site can be visited at www.ultimategolftips.com, don’t hesitate to have a look around and see what’s new. You may ask for golf putting tips from your friends or some professional players. If they watch you play it would be really educational and useful for you if they analyzed your style and suggested golf putting tips for an increased game level. Don’t be too proud or too shy to ask or listen, after all, you turn to someone who could set you with a clear example of a well-controlled game and provide some great golf putting tips.

On all golf sites, the request for golf putting tips is often lower than that for distance shots instructions for instance. Up to a point, this preoccupation is normal, since it gets more time to improve the golf swing than to apply some golf putting tips. However, though involving different levels of difficulty and mastery, the golf putting tips and the basic beginner knowledge are equally important for various groups of players. For an obvious increased game quality it is good to put into practice any golf putting tips learnt from regardless what source.

The Evolved Golfing Experience

July 2007

The Evolved Golfing Experience

by Lulie Swanepoel


There are over 32 000 golf courses around the world and the number is growing every day.
We all know that golf is the business world's unofficial sport and that a golf courses' outline is pretty much designed with luscious green fields, putting greens, bunkers and then of course the 19th hole. The 19th hole is where golfers gather and also lovingly nicknamed the watering hole. It is where the day's game is discussed in earnest whilst enjoying a drink or two.
The GolferSouth Africa has generated a new type of golf player: the sophisticated golfer. And where better to play a game of golf than in the Cape Winelands. In recent years the game of golf has had an interesting effect upon this district. Less than an hour's drive from Cape Town you'll be met by lush green valleys, vineyards and dramatic mountains that surround this area. A long leisurely drive through the green countryside, basking in the sun while enjoying a relaxing game of golf proves to be better than an apple a day when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle.
The Cape Winelands truly is the golfer's paradise. Here you can play 18 holes of golf and then at the 19th turn into a wine connoisseur while discussing the day's game. The 19th hole will never be the same. The exquisite wines of Cape Winelands truly make this golfing experience something to remember.
Combining Golf with WineForming part of this refined golf experience is the Alluvia wine estate. Surrounded by several world class golf courses within easy driving distance, Alluvia wine estate is the perfect base for any golf lover. A holiday combining the world of golf with the wine culture of the Cape Winelands is sure to make anyone envious.
Alluvia has gone the extra mile for their golf enthusiasts by constructing a PGA golf green and bunker on the estate. If you need a bit of help to perfect your backswing, the professional service of Sydney van Rensburg is available at your beck and call. Now you can improve your game whilst overlooking onto the Banhoek Valley and sipping on a top class Cabernet Sauvignon.
If you are planning on enjoying a stay at the Alluvia wine estate, be sure to book ahead to avoid disappointment.
There are many other golf courses within a 30 minute drive from Alluvia. Some are designed by famous players like Gary Player and Peter Matkovich, these golf courses are sure to give even the best players a run for their money. One of the better courses is Erinvale Golf and Country Club, a beautifully crafted course with challenging holes, set against the foothills of the Hottentots Holland Mountains with panoramic views of False Bay. Gary Player was once quoted as saying that he thought this would be one of the best golf courses in South Africa. He was proved to be right.
Day TrippingMore than just a vineyard lifestyle, Alluvia is a luxury wine estate with five star accommodations to give you that head start. Situated in the Stellenbosch Winelands, you would be close to many other tourist attractions. You can spend a day or two in Cape Town, going to Robben Island or up Table Mountain's cable car.
Enjoy a day trip to Stellenbosch where you can learn about the South African heritage at the many museums found in Stellenbosch. Or if you want to learn more about the nightlife, be sure to join in at one of Cape Town's many clubs, pubs or discos. No matter your taste, there is something for everyone in this area and all well within easy drive of Alluvia. Alluvia is truly a golfer's paradise. Surrounded with natural beauty, some of the best golf courses and superb food and wine, the Western Cape introduces a new way of enjoying a game of golf.
About the Author
Author Bio
Alluvia Boutique Wine Estate is just outside of Stellenbosch. Surrounded by several golf courses, the winelands golf also offers private lessons on the newly constructed PGA golf green and bunker available on the Alluvia estate.

Mickelson implodes despite Harmon's instruction, Leadbetter helps create wedge spin and dealing with overly chatty golfers

July 2007
Golf for Beginners logo


Click here to listen.


Butch Harmon has really helped Phil Mickelson achieve a better golf game. Because of his tutelage, Mickelson has rallied to victory and earned several top ten's on the PGA Tour. Even Lefty's driving accuracy has improved. Well, up until the Scottish Open.

Was it the driver that let Phil down once again or was it the mental pressure of playing head-to-head against little known European Tour pro golfer Havret, the Frenchman who had nothing to lose and everything to gain?

This week we discuss Golf Digest Magazine's ranking of the top fifty instructors and give you a an easy golf tip on the driver from number-one teacher Butch Harmon. Harmon's golf tips have helped Mickelson and they can help you too!

Number-two ranked golf instructor, David Leadbetter, helps us with another important part of the golf game, namely wedge play. We found a simple tip from Leadbetter which can help you put spin on the ball when you need it.

Did you know, Mickelson's average clubhead speed for pitch shots is 87 miles per hour?

Finally we offer possible solutions to an overly chatty golfer who joins your group without ruining your own concentration!


Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes. Nextel/Sprint cell customers type http://www.mymbn.com/podcast/ in your browser and click on "sports casts". Our station number is 1955.

"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by Pioneer Golf and Florida Golf Travel.

Vote for my Podcast Alley feed!

Oakmont

July 2007


Oakmont and the Pittsburgh area have come a long way since playing host to their first major championship in 1919, the U.S. Amateur. American Golfer magazine, which covered the championship extensively wrote at the time about, "The Smoky City" and said, "Golf balls last a far less time in Pittsburgh than elsewhere, for the grass is covered with soot and the ball, as it rolls along the ground eats it up. Then when the clubhead smashes against the ball, the soot is driven into the cover and the ball soon becomes black."

Sometimes I come back from a course immediately inspired to write about it. I got no such inspiration after playing Oakmont (ranked #15 in the world) because I was so worn down. I played Oakmont about three years ago, before I owned my digital camera, so I have no brilliant shots to show. The recent US Open provided my needed inspiration to write up my Oakmont post.

I also find it difficult to write about courses that people know so much about and that get so much TV exposure. The thing I took away from Oakmont is that it is a very difficult golf course. As you saw during the US Open, it is extremely difficult. The thing is, the course is pretty much always like you saw it on TV. Some courses need a lot of preparation to host a major championship. Oakmont could really host a major at a moment's notice. A lot of top courses boast that they could host a major at any time without a lot of preparation. At Oakmont, it is not a boast, but a legitimate claim. I have found it to be the most difficult of all the courses I have played - harder than other arduous courses such as Bethpage Black, Pine Valley, Winged Foot, Olympic Club or Carnoustie. It no doubt has the fastest greens of the top 100. It's debilitating.

Pittsburgh

I had never been to Pittsburgh before going to play at Oakmont. Pittsburgh is one of those cities that has a rust-belt image and has a reputation as being rough and gritty. The reality of visiting Pittsburgh was quite different. It is a very nice city situated around three rivers. There are a series of narrow valleys all around the city going in all directions with rivers at the bottom of each. It is hard to get a clear vista in any direction because of all the hills and valleys, but it has a certain uniqueness to its topography that makes it an attractive city in its own way. There are about a dozen vintage (not surprisingly, mostly steel) bridges that cross the rivers at various points around the city. Collectively, I found they are architecturally very interesting. Not only is Pittsburgh also a big college town, it sort of has a retro-feel to it that I like. Pittsburgh is an under-appreciated city.





Getting to Oakmont

When you drive east out of the city to get to Oakmont you drive along various narrow river-valleys with vestiges of old Pittsburgh visible. One of the defining features of the area as you get out of the city proper are the narrow valleys with railroad tracks running parallel to the river, and old steel factories squeezed between the roadway and the mountains. When you get to the Oakmont exit you then cross back over the Allegheny River and drive through a not-so-great neighborhood and up a long hill. At the top of the hill turn left, and you are at one of golf's historic masterpieces. You know the place is special as soon as you turn in, with the old tudor style original clubhouse. The locker room is original and very impressive, so steeped in history with pictures of past champions all around. I just liked the ambiance and feel of the place. There is a sign as you walk past the clubhouse that states that you have to walk the course unless you have a note from a doctor. It is one of those places like Winged Foot or Merion where you really can feel the history as you walk around the course.

The Golf Course

It you can define a course by the quality of the champions that have won there, then Oakmont is unquestionably great: Tommy Armour, Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazan, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller, Ernie Els.

Both Johnny Miller and Ernie Els call the first hole the hardest opening hole in championship golf and it's hard to disagree. Along the right-hand side is O.B. the entire length of the hole. If you don't hit the ball far enough on your tee shot, you have a blind downhill shot to the green. The green slopes right to left and back to front and is lightning quick. Many golf course architects believe in a moderately easy hole to open with and then the course gets progressively more difficult. The father and son designers of the course, the Fownes', did not share this philosophy. Their design philosophy of, "A shot poorly played should be a shot irrevocably lost", was executed with precision when they designed Oakmont.

After playing the first hole you cross over the Pennsylvania Turnpike on a foot bridge and get to the second tee. Holes 2-8 are cut off from the rest of the course by the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The third hole is the one with the famous "Church Pew" bunkers on the left side. They are, by far, not the most difficult part of the hole. I found the green to be very tough. It is an elevated green, ala Pinehurst #2, is inverted, and quite difficult to hold, and like all the greens is lightning quick. After finishing the par three 8th hole, you walk back over the busy Turnpike and play the 9th hole, which has a beautiful vista of the clubhouse in front of you as you walk up the hill.


I am making a big leap of faith here that most of my readers don't suffer from a certain dementia characterized by a joy of repetitiveness and thus I will spare you an analysis of the remaining holes because they are all hard and the greens are all lightning fast.






History

As hard as Oakmont is today, it used to be even harder. They used to use deep-toothed rakes in the bunkers to create furrows, making it quite difficult to get out of. Golf Illustrated in 1919 wrote about Oakmont, "...one of the most difficult courses in America. It is one of the most closely and scientifically trapped courses in the world and woe betide the erratic player".

Bobby Jones was worn down by the Amateur held at Oakmont in 1919. Over six days he played 36 holes a day and lost eighteen pounds. Jones rarely criticized things, but in a 1926 article he criticized the furrowing of bunkers as being unfair. He wrote, "I was afraid, after Oakmont, that any criticism I might make of the sand hazards there would be interpreted as an ill-natured grumbling against the course, because I had made such a miserable showing in the tournament." Below is a picture of Bobby hitting out a furrowed bunker at Oakmont. Thankfully, they no longer furrow the bunkers.




Trying to play the top 100 courses in the world, it is inevitable to run into weather troubles along the way. The first time I went to Oakmont, I was only able to play nine holes due to a severe thunderstorm that came through in the afternoon. We had to retire to the men's grill and had a grand time amicably talking golf until dinner-time. If you have to be stuck in a clubhouse, there are worse places in the world to get rained out. My host was gracious enough to invite me back to play a full eighteen holes two months later.

I have no real criticism of the golf course itself. The routing is world-class, varied and there is enough elevation change to make it interesting. There is good reason why Oakmont is on the National Register of Historic Places. The issue I have with Oakmont is that for the average player it's too long, the rough is too high and the greens are too fast. As Johnny Miller says, "Oakmont's mean". I am glad I made the pilgrimage to see this shrine of golf, but I am in no hurry to go back.

After seeing Oakmont, I would have to agree that Johnny Miller's 63 in the final round of the 1973 US Open to win, has to be the best single round of golf ever played.

The golf swing lesson

July 2007
For anyone who wants to play golf, swing lessons are usually a must; it’s like you can’t do without, since the correct movement is the very basis of this game. Before you start a golf swing lesson as such you need to ask and answer a fundamental question. What do you intend to do in the golf swing or what is the achievement you’re after? There should be square impact in the line of flight and along the one you intended in the first place. The golf swing lessons will teach you how to control the body moves so that the ball follows a well planned trajectory.

The best definition of the swing is found in professional books that provide golf swing lessons. It is explained as the movement that makes the head of the club swing along and into the intended line of flight throughout impact. You will thus learn how to propel the ball in a straight way between two points. The golf swing lesson tackles with the starting point, the targeted area and the movement that is meant to unite the two. Make sure the club-face remains square to that line. Follow your trainer’s example during the golf swing lesson, imitation engenders good learning.

The most important part of a golf swing lesson is to actually understand and apply the theoretical knowledge. If you keep the club-head square to the line of impact and drive the ball forward for as long a time as possible you actually meet the main principles and goals of a practical golf swing lesson. If the shot is accurate, the ball will be able to maintain its correct direction in the wind, which will definitely lead to low scores. If you manage to correctly use these golf swing lesson tips you can move on to finding out new stuff.

The most frequent mistake players make during golf swing lessons is to start the downswing by moving the shoulders first while keeping their feet motionless. The correct move - as the trainer will insist during the golf swing lesson – starts from the feet upwards. This means that the shoulders will be the last to move. If you manage to control this aspect, you may acquire great results, so do your best to get everything out of any golf swing lesson, since this is the ABC of golf playing as such!

Online golf schools

July 2007
There are lots of people who don’t have any golf facilities in their city and they would really like to learn some more about golf. For such cases online golf schools are simply rewarding, you can learn all sorts of tricks and then get to put them into practice. Online golf schools make use of all sorts of video materials to explain the correct golf moves that can help you develop the skills you need. Thus besides the theoretical explanation, there are also illustrative examples of how you should handle every step. Have a look on the Internet for the best online golf schools offers.

Like all distance courses, online golf schools provide you with the theoretical background, it is up to you to actually fill the gaps and work things out the practical way. It means that every time you learn something new, simply go and put it into practice, otherwise you’re wasting your time. Online golf schools can assist you in case you have any questions or if there is something going wrong. You can always record yourself and then load the material in the special section of the online golf school and have your trainer analyze your performance.

Take this as some sort of exam, to show you the level reached after several lessons with an online golf school. This interactive option is not available with all online golf schools so in case you want to take advantage of such an option it would be good to learn everything you can on the site’s offer. At a specific moment, you will have to take the knowledge accumulated with the online golf school out of your backyard to a larger space where you can cherish the real golf experience. A little crowded park is actually a great place for the matter.

Last but not least, it is an even greater experience if you take the classes of an online golf school together with a friend. Thus you can practice together and compare results as well as progress, and an ounce of competition doesn’t do any harm, on the contrary. The period of time for the classes of an online golf school very much depends on your choice, on how often you want to learn new stuff weekly. Usually, the frequency is settled in advance, so that you can have the online golf school class twice, thrice or even four times a week. Enjoy it!

Golf fitness training

July 2007
For any golf player, whether professional or amateur, all year round golf fitness training will keep away the joint rustiness and the muscle rigidity. Therefore, in order to start every golf season with the best scores; don’t ignore the golf fitness training in the winter months. The off-season is simply an immense opportunity to improve the chances of greater future performance, therefore stick to a preset golf fitness training program and see the results for yourself. You’ll preserve and even improve the strength of your swings. Let’s see how it’s done.

There are several available options for someone who wants to start golf fitness training. First, you may pursue a local professional program devoted to golfers; thus you make sure you work with someone who understands the mechanics behind the golf swing. Then you may get a video guide or a book for golf fitness training and start exercises at home on a regular basis. The golf fitness training meant to keep you in the perfect shape should not require more than two or three thirty-minute sessions per week. This will really improve your game while also bringing a sense of accomplishment.

Lots of golf fitness training programs include “functional training”, which means they deal with all the muscles in the body. One of the favorite exercises meant to train the golf muscles is the rotational lunge with the medicine ball. For this golf fitness training technique you need a medicine ball that weighs between three and six pounds. Lift the ball at the chest level while keeping your elbows bent. Elevate the left leg and put the foot upfront as for a lunge. Continue this golf fitness training exercise by placing the leg with the toes upwards and the torso upright.

Once at this level of the golf fitness training exercise, bend your knees to get the hips lower to the floor, once you get in this position make a rotation move with the shoulders from left to right and vice versa. Then, you apply the same golf fitness training tips for the right part of the body. An alternation of the lunge is necessary in at least fifteen repetitions organized in one up to three sets. Perform this type of golf fitness training two or three times a week and the new season should find you in perfect shape and an enviable health condition. Good luck and good scores!

Golf lessons for beginners

July 2007
For anyone who wants to learn the secrets of golf there are lots of lessons for beginners. Special golf schools organize golf lessons for beginners all year round for groups of fifteen to twenty people. Recently it has become a business practice to send members of the staff to golf lessons for beginners in order to achieve some team building goals. Or you may simply take advantage of golf lessons for beginners while on vacation and the hotel where you’re staying offers this facility. This could be a truly unique opportunity for you and there’d be lots of fun.

Who can take advantage of golf lessons for beginners? There are no restrictions for age or gender; on the contrary children are highly encouraged to take up a sport that creates great focus skills. The internet is the most rapid way to learn on the possible offers golf schools provide. You may choose to have golf lessons for beginners with an individual trainer, or you may attend regular classes designed for groups. It is important to mention that it comes much more difficult to start learning golf on your own, whereas golf lessons for beginners provide the basic knowledge necessary for further practice.

Keep in mind that if you want to take golf lessons for beginners as a hobby, you have to take it as some sort of leisure activity. By this I mean that you should make all the efforts necessary without losing the fun part of it, after all this is a sport and a great relaxation opportunity. Golf lessons for beginners vary in price from one school to another; usually classes are more expensive at clubs that target mainly executives for instance. At regular sports centres, the costs are pretty accessible when it comes to golf lessons for beginners.

A site such as www.ultimategolftips.com will give some insight on this sport and will teach you what to expect from golf lessons for beginners. Moving to the next step on your own should not be too difficult afterwards. You may consider the golf lessons for beginners as the first step of individual practice too, as when you master the basics it is a lot easier to move to some more difficult exercises. There are plenty of tips online for those who want to aim at the professional level; yet, it takes patience and a lot of practice. Good luck!

Golf driving tips

July 2007
How to set the correct the trajectory for the ball and how to follow it thoroughly are the main questions that golf driving tips need to deal with. The most frequent error golf players make is to hit the ball as hard as they can when performing long distance shots. Golf driving tips are completely against such practices, since it is not in the force of the movement that the success of a hit lies. This comes with the proper body balance and the force gathered in a masterful swing. What golf driving tips could set this mental error straight?

The design of the golf club is a special golf driving tip variable that needs to be taken into consideration as you cannot execute a long shot with no matter what club. Every club is meant to cover a specific distance, and send the ball as far as it is supposed to. The best golf driving tip here is to learn how to coordinate body and club in a common combination in which the club is the arm extension. Thus you really maximize the length the club was designed for. Then, another golf driving tip advises to develop a natural body swing.

In case of a too strong a hit, it is possible to completely blow success off as the swing is tense and inefficient from a physical point of view. This golf driving tip should be remembered every time you practice your swing: the move of the body and arms coordinated creates the perfect shot. Another piece of advice here is to keep yourself in the best health condition possible. Very often golf driving tips don’t work because your muscles are too flabby or weak to support controlled effort; on the other hand, failure is no better for your ego either.

Don’t look only for the golf driving tips meant to improve your swing and hit. Sometimes, as practice proves, the best golf driving tips are those that can correct golfing mistakes. Therefore, try to pay equal attention to the dos and don’ts of golf driving tips in order to really see progress in your evolution. You may even record yourself in various learning stages and compare your present-day game to your last month’s performance to check what kind of progress has been made. Thus you get the real picture of how the golf driving tips work for you and your style.

Think like a professional golfer, 14 putters in your bag and tips for escaping the rough

July 2007
Golf for Beginners logo


Click here to listen.


The rough can be very rough! That's not just a play on words either! Just ask professional golfers at a tournament like the U.S. Open and they will probably just shake their heads while remembering a shot that buried deep into the thick stuff and the feeble attempts made at dislodging that ball in a single stroke.

This week Golf for Beginners gives tips for saving strokes from the rough with the help of a 2003 Golf Magazine and golf instructor Mike Lopuszynski.

We also discuss using different golf clubs in lieu of your putter. Remember, you have fourteen clubs in your bag, each with varying amounts of loft. We'll help you decide which iron (or wood) is better for situations you may encounter. Try being creative!

Finally, do you think like a professional golfer or are you stuck with an amateur outlook? Dr. Richard Coop's advice will have you thinking about your target and not sweating over that little white ball in front of you.


Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes. Nextel/Sprint cell customers type http://www.mymbn.com/podcast/ in your browser and click on "sports casts". Our station number is 1955.

"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by Pioneer Golf and Florida Golf Travel.

Vote for my Podcast Alley feed!

Getting the correct golf club

July 2007
Depending on the kind of move you want to make at a specific moment in a game you have to always consider getting the correct golf club for the situation. Very experienced golf players usually don’t have any difficulty in getting the correct golf club without a blink of an eye, but for beginners, conditions are different. You need to be sure that you’re getting the correct golf club since this could mean better results from you. After all, this is part of the golf playing tricks beginners and professionals recognize alike.

Getting the correct golf club means choosing from the woods, the irons or the putters as the main club categories are known. Let’s see when you should use each, and why it is so important you do so. When you play for the long distance shots the wood-headed is the right one. Getting the correct gulf club under the circumstances is essential since this usually works as the driver; the woods are the longest clubs and with the biggest of heads. If you’re hitting from turf – which requires high golfing skills – if you choose the woods, you’d be getting the correct golf club for the situation.

Then the irons fall in their turn into three categories according to their length, with the shortest being known as wedges. They are usually used for shorter shots particularly when approaching the green. We should mention that getting the correct golf club may get the most experienced player out to rely on very versatile shots, and the irons are usually the choice. However, many golfers now prefer the combined types – wood and iron – when it comes to getting the correct golf club. Then come the hybrid woods that serve the purpose of getting the correct golf club when on very rough terrain.

Last but not least, there are the putters, the clubs that you’ll need most when getting on the green. Though many say that getting the correct golf club on the green is not so important, it is advisable to stick to the clubs that where precisely designed for the matter. Getting the correct golf club is sometimes a matter of personal choice and many professionals choose to follow their instinct, nevertheless. You may also have a look at a professional site such as www.ultimategolftips.com to learn some more on clubs and specific golf items for all sorts of players.

Free golf lessons online

July 2007
Many golf fans are constantly interested in improving their performances, therefore, the free golf lessons online are a great opportunity to lean some great tips. Sometimes the simplest advice is also the best. There are many free golf lessons online who will tell you to keep it simple and elegant, as these are the two coordinates to understand and practice this noble sport. The following tips are part of free golf lessons online that will simply teach you to develop good habits. First, you need to be able to create a mental breakthrough. Play only from the trees forward so that you don’t alter your comfort zone.

If you manage to apply the tips of free golf lessons online you will dramatically reduce your scores. What about the short course? If you see that you can’t score very well with it, then, this is a clear message you need to practice some more on the short game. Frequent training is another suggestion found with the free golf lessons online, since the outcome of a game is the direct result of your efforts to improve it. Do you find that it takes too much time to put into practice the things you learn from free golf lessons online? It should only be a matter of fifteen minutes to take a club and swing in the backyard.

It is true that you may turn to free golf lessons online to simply improve a hobby, but if you play golf you should really focus on every shot. Of course this doesn’t exclude having a great time. Part of the professionalism of the game also lies in the kind of equipment you use. Free golf lessons online won’t recommend you to spend thousands of dollars on it, but for instance if you pay attention to buy clubs with larger head volumes, you will definitely notice a difference in the distance and the precision of the shots. Many free golf lessons online will teach you how to choose your equipment.

Don’t be surprised to see that most of free golf lessons online devote lots of time and resources to insist on the short game practice. Remember that the main achievement is to get in the end zone and without proper moves, that is not possible. Use the free golf lessons online as a starting point, and then you may also require some professional advice too. One of the most comprehensive sites on the matter is www.ultimategolftips.com, opening the door for more golf tips.

Golf Tournament Planning: A Mini Guide To A Successful Golf Event

July 2007

Golf Tournament Planning: A Mini Guide To A Successful Golf Event

by Mara Mark


The secret to plan a successful golf tournament is organization. Here's a mini step-by-step planner/guide for a successful Golf Event. The key to success is sticking to schedule, following your timeline and assigning responsibilities to the right people. Planning a golf tournament is much like organizing any other public event.
9 months prior to eventIt's time to sit down and start thinking about the project's objectives. You also have to recruit a team of people to help you with certain tasks. Who will they be? Who will be your director/chairperson? Choose wisely, then talk to that person about the project. Let him/her help you. This period is critical because you will start building the project's main base/foundation.
6 months prior to eventAfter setting the main goals and deciding on the people who will take part in the project is time to create a timeline and set the main date event. Your timeline will be the most important part of your project plan. It is also the time to decide on several issues like the tournament's budget, any potential sponsors, your guest stars/celebrities, whether you will create a website for your golf tournament etc.
Now it's the right time to assign some responsibilities. Who will calculate the exact budget? Who will mail the potential sponsors? who will get in touch with the guest stars? who will create and manage the website?
You also have to decide on the place where the event will take place. This is also important. Talk to your team of professionals. Decide on the place. Then it's your responsibility to perform frequent site inspections to make sure everything is going according to schedule.
3 months prior to eventThings are warming up now. It's time to boost your engines. Here is when you have to work on the player's contracts. You also have to inform the players about the methods of payment. What you need a good lawyer to take care of the contracts and all that stuff. Sign the contracts and have your team prepare the invitation list and mail the invitations. Double check everyone's got their invitation. Take some time to look at your website and update it with the breaking news.
Time to advertise too. Start with press releases. Check with your sponsors for any deals. Inform all media about the golf tournament. Maybe you should create some video about the event and post it on web or create a TV or radio spot for more exposure. Also newspapers and magazines related to golf. Look for some deals with them. Remember to consult your team before closing any deal.
Select the type of your awards. This is one of the good parts of golf tournament planning. After ordering the awards, meet with your accountant to finalize your budget.
45 days prior to eventBy now you should know who will take part in the golf tournament and the members of the guest list. You have already published your invitations so it's time to make a plan on how to welcome your players and your guests. Talk with your team about the golf tournament rules. Decide on the final agenda. Maybe it's time to hire a photographer and order a significant amount of T-shirts, shoes, gloves and the rest of the equipment needed.
Don't forget to take the safety of the people seriously, especially that of the players. That's why it's a good idea to plan a couple of aid stations across the area to ensure safety of the people. Also discuss about the tournament security staff.
Do you have any serious sponsors by your side? If you haven't discussed yet, it's time to think of a deal that will benefit you both.
7 days prior to event until the day of the eventAs I said this is only a mini-guide offering just a plain overview of planning a golf tournament. The main purpose of this article is motivational. I would need 100 articles like this one to go into details so I don't have to say a lot about the week prior to the event or the day of the event. By now, you should have finalize all critical matters. If you reach this level and everything is working fine then you have nothing to worry about. Don't overdo it during the last week, save your powers/energy for the day of the event.


About the Author
If you need more information on golf tournament planning then you can trust this Golf Tournament toolkit for either beginners or experts. That is, if you want to make profit out of this gold mine business and be able to organize and support great golf events like a professional.

Scioto Country Club

July 2007




Scioto (pronounced like Toyota, "sigh-OH-tuh"), Country Club is ranked in the top 100 in the world for several reasons: It is a Donald Ross design built in 1916; It has hosted five U.S.G.A. championships; It is the course that Jack Nicklaus played golf on as a young man and Bobby Jones won his first U.S. Open at Scioto. Scioto (ranked #71 in the world) was founded in 1916. One of the co-founders was Samuel P. Bush, great-grandfather of our current "decider", although I will try not to let this fact negatively influence my impression of the course.

Jones won the U.S. Open in 1926 at Scioto only fifteen days after he won the British Open at Lytham & St. Annes. Remember that this is before the era of jet airplanes, when golfers crossed the Atlantic by boat. At both Lytham and Scioto, Jones came from behind to win. At Scioto he gained the lead on the 17th hole in a final day of 36 hole play.

The Buckeye State has an abundant amount of good golf courses. Columbus alone has three world ranked courses - Muirfield Village, The Golf Club and Scioto. The state has two other courses in the world's top 100 - Inverness in Toledo and Camargo in Cincinnati. It also has three other highly-regarded courses - Firestone, Canterbury and Double Eagle.


Second green at Scioto

Like its Donald Ross designed neighbor, Inverness, Scioto has small greens. During my round I putted or chipped a lot off the collar of the greens, as did everyone in my foursome. Even if you hit the green, often times the ball bounces off or ends up on the fringe or in the rough. This is in part because they are small greens and in part because the edges are slightly crowned - not like an overturned bowl or a traditional Pinehurst #2 green, a lot more subtle. The net effect of the green designs is that the ball rolls off a lot. The approach shot to most greens is a narrow fairway area, taking away any possibility of a bump and run shot. The elevated greens are so well bunkered that the correct shot to hit into each green is a high shot that spins or lands softly. The picture above of the second green is typical of most greens on the course.


Bunker on the 2nd fairway


Scioto has been modified from its original 1916 design. All that really remains of the original Donald Ross design is his routing. The greens were redone by Dick Wilson in 1963. Although they are not Ross's originals, I found them to be challenging and interesting. As a classic Ross routing, Scioto represents the archetypal tree-lined, American-style target golf course. It is one of the most perfectly manicured and conditioned courses I have ever played.






3rd green

My favorite hole on the course was the par five eighth. Like Peachtree in Atlanta, Scioto has a creek that meanders through the rolling hills and provides an effective hazard on many holes, including the eighth. The eighth is a dog-leg through the rolling terrain that plays over water to a slightly elevated, well-bunkered green.

Approach to the 8th green


Although the course doesn't really have any similarities to a links course, the stone walls that ring a couple of holes on the back nine brought back memories of the stone walls at Muirfield and North Berwick. Below is the stone wall along the 12th fairway.

Stone wall on 12th hole

The majority of the golf courses in the world's top 100 are all about golf. Take, for example Shinnecock, Pine Valley, The National Golf Links, Chicago Golf, San Francisco Golf, Muirfield, Cruden Bay, Dornoch, Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, etc. They are not country clubs, but are focused on golf only. Scioto is the quintessential Country Club, offering a full array of activities. It has a swimming pool for families, tennis courts, an exercise room and is setup to accommodate both men and ladies. It has a series of patios, a grill room, restaurants, and even a barber shop that is still in use. You can see that Scioto is located in a nice neighborhood of Columbus by the stone houses, seen in the pictures, surrounding many of the holes, although the course doesn't have a feel of being hemmed in by houses. Jack grew up in the neighborhood behind the course.


16th green

We took caddies at Scioto, as I always do if caddies are available. I was surprised to see most members riding in carts, especially well-fed ones. One gentleman riding up and down the fairways had an unseemly resemblance to Rush Limbaugh. My advice to you porkers is lose the carts; you might actually avoid that future operation to have your stomach stapled if you get some exercise. Hello people, golf is a walking game!

Part of the Scioto clubhouse is dedicated to the history of the championships played there and to its famous prodigy, Jack Nicklaus, and his teacher, Jack Grout. Visiting Scioto is a required part of a golfer's education to see the course where a pudgy kid from Columbus developed into one of the greatest golfers of all time. It is a rewarding experience to stand on the expansive driving range and imagine all the balls Jack used to hit.

I look forward to returning to Ohio in the not-to-distant future to complete my golfing education.


Scioto's Web Site

Golf swing tips to regain flexibility, improve balance and posture with a foam roller and does the helicopter training aid f

July 2007
Golf for Beginners logo


Click here to listen.


I'm told, as we get older we lose some of our flexibility. It's usually because a golfer denies the inevitable, making excuses for a sore back, aching legs or inability to make a good shoulder turn. Barry's meniscus surgery served as his excuse as to why he hasn't been as limber for several months.

I found (and we discuss) a few golf tips in the latest Golf for Women magazine which helps the amateur player take a solid swing and overcome the stiffness and lack of elasticity due to age or lack of exercise.

Not that you have to be able to stretch like a rubber band but sometimes you don't even realize that you are not as bendable as in the past!

We also review the Helicopter training aid from sdfgolf.com. The plastic yellow and red blades of the Helicopter serve as an extension of the golf club. The claim is that, with the help of the Helicopter and enclosed DVD (and lots of practice), you will see both the position of your body and the clubface through the golf swing and gain muscle memory. We'll let you know if this device flies with us!

When I'm working out at the gym, I usually plan a schedule strong on core improvement and balance exercises. One of my favorite training aids is the foam roller, which Golf for Women Magazine maintains is great for posture as well. We discuss uses for this simple piece of foam maintaining that the best training devices don't have to cost a fortune and are sometimes in plain sight!


Click here to see Stacy's golf swing video.


Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes. Nextel/Sprint cell customers type http://www.mymbn.com/podcast/ in your browser and click on "sports casts". Our station number is 1955.

"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by Pioneer Golf and Florida Golf Travel.

My Podcast Alley feed!
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...