Golf Course 101

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So, I want to switch gears a little bit and talk about college golf scholarships.  I was extremely fortunate to have parents who pushed me throughout high school to become the best golfer that I could be.  They knew the importance of a college education and also how expensive that could be!  They put two and two together and realized that I was talented at this game and that I had a good chance of getting a college golf scholarship.  I can’t even tell you how many hours my Mom probably spent researching the process of applying to colleges, making golf resumes, creating swing videos and cooperating with compliance.  So, I want to put down what I have learned throughout the process.  I’ll also incorporate some professionals into the mix during this series of blogs to offer some insight. 

The first step:  start playing in tournaments!

                Just because you play high school golf doesn’t mean that recruiters are going to know about you.  You need to get out there and start playing regional or national tournaments at a higher level.  Here are a few examples:  AJGA (American Junior Golf Association), TJGT (Texas Junior Golf Tour), TO (Texas Oklahoma Golf Tournament), Starburst Junior Golf Classic.  These are just a few examples of national and regional tournaments that you will want to get signed up for.  Obviously my experience in Texas has led me to some of the Texas regional tournaments but there are events like these in your region too.  I would start with your PGA section office to find out where the junior tournaments are near you.  Ask specifically for tournaments that are on a highly competitive level.  You don’t want to spend all your time and money playing in club tournaments that recruiters don’t even know about. 

Once you get signed up for these events, the next step is to know the rules of college recruiting.  Find out more in my next blog!

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I don’t know how many of you watched the Master’s yesterday but I was on the edge of my seat.  Angel Cabrera pulled it out with mental strength, determination, and a little bit of luck from the golf gods.  This is the kind of action that makes me want to get on the course as soon as possible and start swinging the club.  Many news stations were commenting on the weather at the Master’s and how it was finally a good weather day on Sunday, the final round of the tournament, and many players took advantage of that!

I hope you have been able to make it out to the course some since we last talked.  I was able to play a few times in the last two weeks and unfortunately my weather conditions were not as good as the Master’s. 

I’ve been reading up on some of my golf books that I have around the house and one caught my eye recently.  It’s called, The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Golf by Joshua Piven, David Borgenicht, and James Grace.  Have you ever heard of this series of books?  Well believe it or not, there are some good tips and tricks in this book about how to survive certain situations on the golf course.  One of my favorites is “how to survive a bird attack” and “how to get a cart out of sand trap.”  Here’s a link if you’d like to check out their site and for a few excerpts from the book:  http://www.worstcasescenarios.com/mainpage.htm   I highly recommend this book as a good gift for your favorite golfer or for yourself…you never know what you’re going to encounter on the course!

I’ve added some of my picks for good golf books here on the website.  You’ll have to check them out.  I’ll probably end up talking about all of them at some point and they would all be good to have in your collection.

Keep getting inspired by great golf!

*photo courtesy of news.yahoo.com

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Just as a follow up to my previous blog, I wanted to mention the importance of retaining what you learn during your lesson.  Sometimes lessons can be an overload of information, especially at the beginning.  My advice:  write it down! 

It took me a while but I eventually got smart.  I started writing down key things I learned from each lesson.  I tried to keep it between 3-5 things that I took away from the hour to hour and a half lesson. 

It is extremely important to retain the information you receive in your lessons and to build on it.  There isn’t anything more frustrating for a teaching professional or student, for that matter, to have to revisit a concept learned in previous lessons because you forgot about that technique or move. 

Also keep in mind that when you are struggling later in your game with some more advanced techniques, it can be really important to get back to the basics.  I always enjoy going over my notes on lessons.  It helps me get back on track and may have saved me a little money too by not having to revisit my coach so often! 

This is a good life lesson as well - by revisiting past experiences in life we remember what went wrong and what went right and how to act or deal with something next time!  Maybe that’s why so many people keep journals!  Something to think about…

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With anything that is brand new, your teacher needs to know what experience you might have.  If I was taking ice fishing lessons I would have no relatable experience.  First of all I wouldn’t be anywhere near ice so thick that you could stand on it.  However, if I was taking tennis lessons, I would have relatable experience because some aspects of the golf swing and the tennis swing are very similar and could help me with technique.  So, think outside the box when your teacher asks what kind of skills you have.  Also, don’t forget to mention any limitations you might have such as injuries that may affect your ability to swing or play. 

The next thing a good golf teacher will ask you about is how much time are you willing to dedicate to this sport?  As you may have picked up just by watching the sport on television, it’s not the easiest thing in the world to get a golf ball into a cup from 500 yards away.  It’s going to take some practice if you want to see results. 

As far as the basics go, your golf professional will teach you about three major components of the golf swing:  grip, stance, and swing plane. 

The grip is how you hold the club.  There are typically three ways to hold the golf club:  ten-finger, overlap, or interlock. 

• Ten-finger is how you hold a baseball bat – where you can see all ten of your fingers and your hands touch each other.  I wouldn’t recommend this grip because in the golf swing, both of your hands need to be working as one – and this grip doesn’t physically connect your hands like the other two grips. 
• There’s the overlapping grip where one pinkie finger overlaps the other hand’s index finger (depending on whether you’re left handed or right handed decides which pinkie and which index finger). 
• And finally, the interlocking grip is where pinkie finger from one hand and your index finger from the other hand interlock with each other. 

I personally use the overlapping grip.  It just seems easier for me to hang on to the club this way and I feel like I have more control.  Between the interlock and overlap grip, just use your personal taste.  Whichever feels most comfortable to you will be the right choice for you. 

Stance is how your body is situated over the golf ball.  You’ve probably heard of an athletic stance before in other sports like baseball and volleyball.  The golf stance is similar.  You want to be able to swing the golf club easily without feeling like you will fall over or will have trouble moving easily.  You want your stance to be firm and planted.  You want your feet to be about shoulder width apart.  You also want your feet to be parallel to the club face, your hips, and your shoulders.  Just imagine a bunch of train tracks extending from all of these places – you want them all to be parallel.  In other words, whichever way all of these railroad tracks are headed, is the direction your golf ball will be headed. 

Swing plane is an angle at which the club is swung on.  Imagine drawing a square on a piece of paper and then drawing a diagonal line through the square from the top left corner to the bottom right corner.  This would be an example of a plane.  The same thing happens when we swing a golf club – the club cuts through the air at an angle.  Check out this youtube video to see the swing plane of a golfer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWi78Io3WsU  Think about your square with the diagonal line in it again…you should be able to draw that diagonal line on top of her club both at the beginning, middle, and end of her swing– that’s the swing plane!  If you’re having trouble with this concept, be sure to ask your teaching professional to explain it in person. 

As you can tell, this game can be very technical.  Don’t worry about all of the technicalities right at first – just get the basics down.  Your teacher should be able to walk you through these basics and possibly a few more during your first lesson.  I hope you enjoy the beginnings of your golf life – the basics are the foundation for the future!

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This is my cat, Tom Sawyer, but he just goes by Sawyer.  He likes to play fetch with whatever is laying on the ground and this week, Master’s Week, it was golf tees!

The Master’s - one of the most coveted PGA golf tournaments of the year.  One of the “majors” as it is referred to began on March 22, 1934, in Augusta, Georgia.  It was started by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts as an annual tournament at Mr. Jones’ esteemed Augusta National Golf Club.  Since its beginning, the Master’s has been steeped in tradition from Amen Corner to the green jackets. It’s every golfer’s dream to play on the course where not a single blade of grass is out of place.

There’s a certain hype that happens with Master’s Week.  It has become such a special tournament for the pros and for everyone who watches golf and even for those who don’t.  It only happens once a year and believe me…it’s a big deal.  Every player wants to win this tournament, and only few have the opportunity.

This kind of hype tends to happen with many things that only come around once in a while but the attention to detail that is paid to not only the course but to the players and the viewers is unrivaled.    

Here are a few fast facts about the Master’s courtesy of www.masters.org:

• The Masters is known as the most beautiful golf course in the world. Did you know that the color of the drink napkins for patrons perfectly matches the grass - so if you drop your napkin it will not show on TV? (Staff)
• Horton Smith won the first tournament in 1934.
• Jack Nicklaus became the oldest player to win a Masters Tournament, at 46 years, 2 months and 23 days - in 1986.
• Tiger Woods was the youngest player to win a Masters Tournament, at 21 years, 3 months and 14 days - in 1997.
• The tradition of members wearing green jackets began in 1937, when jackets were purchased from New York’s Brooks Uniform Co. The idea was that Masters patrons easily could see members who would have accurate information.
• In 1949, the first Green Jacket was awarded to that year’s Masters champion, Sam Snead.
• Amen Corner refers to holes No. 11, 12 and 13. In 1958, a Sports Illustrated writer, Herbert Warren Wind, named the second half of hole No. 11, hole No. 12 and the first half of hole No. 13 Amen Corner. This is where the critical action took place that year. He borrowed the name from an old jazz recording called “Shouting at Amen Corner.”
• The pine tree is the most abundant tree at Augusta. Several species grow along the course, including: Loblolly Pines, Shortleaf Pines, Slash Pines, Longleaf Pines, Eastern White Pines.
• Magnolia Lane extends from the entrance gate to the clubhouse. The 61 large magnolia trees that line both sides of the 330-yard road date to the late 1850s.
• There are three dedicated bridges at Augusta National: the Sarazen Bridge at hole No. 15 — to honor Gene Sarazen’s double eagle there during the 1935 Masters, the Hogan Bridge at the No. 12 green — to honor Ben Hogan’s then record score of 274 in 1953, and the Nelson Bridge at the No. 13 tee — to honor Byron Nelson’s performance on holes No. 12 and 13 when he won the 1937 Masters.
• No amateur has ever won the Masters.
• The tournament was not played during the years 1943, 1944 and 1945 because of World War II. To help with the war effort, turkey and cattle were raised on the Augusta National Grounds.
• You cannot apply for membership. You can only be invited.
• Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and former amateur standout and now Senior PGA Tour player John Harris are the only pro golfers who are members.
• The club is open from mid-October to late May.

So enjoy the Master’s this week and appreciate the founding fathers of this game and the current champions who keep us motivated to be better!

Keep up with all the action on ESPN, CBS, www.masters.org, or www.augusta.com  

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Just like your mom or dad taught you to ride a bike, or do anything in this world, a professional can teach you how to play golf.  You need someone who can teach you the right techniques.  Even if you already have someone in your life who can show you the ropes, it’s a good idea to have a lesson with a pro who can cure you of any bad habits and lead you down the path to a more successful and enjoyable golf game. 

Once you find a golf professional in your area, your golf life will become a lot simpler.  They can take you from the very beginning to becoming club champion.  It is extremely important to find a professional who is accredited through the PGA of America (Professional Golfers’ Association of America). Here is a link to find a PGA Pro in your area: http://www.pga.com/profinder/ 

This will give you a listing of all accredited facilities in your area and each facility should have multiple teaching professionals.  Contact the club/facility that is closest to you and ask for rates by the hour.  I recommend having at least 1 hour lessons, anything less is too short to squeeze in all the information. 

If you’re having trouble locating a PGA professional, then use your resources – call your local PGA section office and ask them for recommendations.  You can find your section using: http://www.pga.com/pgaofamerica/sections/

Ladies: If you feel more comfortable getting lessons from a woman, there are also LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) professionals in your area.  If you would like to contact an LPGA professional directly look them up here: http://lpga.nemexinc.com/directory.cfm  You can also go to: http://lpga.com/teaching_club_index.aspx to gain more information about the LPGA and the 50 best LPGA teachers for the current year which might also be a good resource – look to pay a little more for these lessons though.

Many of these clubs don’t require you to be a member in order to use their teaching services.  In fact, they have group clinics that you can join for a monthly or weekly rate.  These are especially popular for children during the summers.  But keep in mind they have clinics for all age groups.  These clinics are also categorized by skill level so if you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro you can learn more about the game and become a better player.

P.S. You may not need clubs to take your first lesson.  In fact, your teaching professional can help you get fitted into the right set.  Just ask if you need to bring your own set when you call to set up a lesson – they probably have a set you can borrow to learn the basics during your lesson times. 

Check back in my next blog for what to expect from your first lesson!

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I believe that finding your passion means that you’ve found something you don’t want to give up on.  Maybe it’s something that drives you crazy like consistently burning the toast in the toaster – you become passionate about making a decent piece of toast. 

At the beginning of my golf career, I wasn’t passionate about the sport.  It was something that that I just did.  I was in high school still figuring out who I was and what I was interested in.  Golf was just my spring sport.  Certain things happened to me in life which I’ll discuss later that made me open my eyes and realize I had a talent for this game and it was something I didn’t want to give up on – my passion.

I’m not saying that everyone who reads this blog is instantly going to have a passion for golf but I can tell you how to get better at it.  I can share my experiences on the course and how they have gotten me to where I am today – nearly debt free with an education from a private university and still enjoying the game and using my skills. 

A lot of people start out the way I did.  It’s something that they just do.  Maybe you started playing because your boss does and he takes off early every Friday to play with clients.  Or, maybe it’s something that your significant other does and you just want to join them.

I was very lucky when I started to play because I had a great teacher – my Dad.  He taught himself how to play and didn’t start playing until his 20s.  He used magazines, books, and watched others carefully.  If you don’t already have someone in your life who knows enough about the game to get you started, I would recommend finding a professional teacher.  In my next blog, I will tell you where to go to find a good and accredited teaching professional. 

It’s a great place to start!  Stay tuned!

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