Golf Course 101

Thank you for returning to Golf Course 101! A new way to learn about golf and life.

I’m sorry it has been so long since I’ve written.  I’ve been caught up with work and graduate school etc. etc.  And not to mention it’s been SO hot down here that I haven’t been playing as much golf as I’ve wanted. 

So, I want to start addressing the idea of preparing for the life of a college golfer.  What does it take to become a college golfer?  How do you get there?  What steps do you take?  I have recently become aware through a good friend of mine and local head teaching professional of a growing number of high school (and younger) girl beginning golfers.  As you can imagine, I have a lot in common with this group of individuals and I would like to offer some advice and some of my experiences.

I started playing golf the summer before my freshman year of high school.  My Dad asked me if I wanted to go out to the driving range with him one day and I gladly obliged - I was always looking for opportunities to spend one-on-one time with either of my parents.  I remember my first goals in golf were to hit it past the 100 yard marker.  And then to actually hit the 100 yard market itself.  Seems meaningless now - but that’s how I started.  You set miniature goals for yourself throughout your golf career.  Once you achieve those, you make another.  Eventually if your goals become harder and you are always pushing yourself, you become a better golfer. 

One thing I realized in college that I think everyone can apply to their game is to practice harder and longer than everyone else.  If you’re on a team with four other players and each one of those players has already left practice for the day and  you’re the last one standing - still hitting balls, still making putts, still hitting sand shots - then you’re already that much better than your four teammates who already left for the day. 

It’s something to think about – if you stay later, practice harder then you’re going to be better than everyone else. 

Another thing I wish I would have started to practice earlier in my golf career was the mental game.  I have really enjoyed working on that aspect of my game.  Think of it as another club in your bag.  It’s something else to work on and perfect just like a pitch shot or lag putts.  I highly recommend the book Zen Golf: Mastering the Mental Game by Joseph Parent.  I have it on my Amazon carousel on the right side of this page if you would like to reference it there.

Take a look at it – let me know what you think!

Until next time…

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There aren’t just rules in golf, there’s etiquette too.  I’ll start with driving range etiquette since that’s where our ladies golf group will begin.

The driving range is divided into sections or “slots” may be a good word here.  In other words, each golfer needs adequate space to practice while on the range.  Normally, when you bring your golf bag to the range you would set your bag down behind your “slot” about 8-10 feet so that you have plenty of room to swing the club without anything or anyone getting in the way. 

After purchasing range balls from the pro shop, you would set your golf balls down in your slot.  It is easiest if the golf balls rest in front of you.  So if you’re right handed they would be on the right side of your slot and if you’re left handed they would be on the left side of your slot.  You don’t have to pour the entire bucket of balls out in your slot either.  You can just start with about a dozen or so, especially if you don’t have a lot of room to begin with.

It is important to be conscious of your surroundings when on the driving range.  You never want to walk behind someone when they’re swinging – golf clubs hurt…really.  You also never want to walk in front of anyone who is hitting a golf ball or swinging a golf club.  This sounds simple but you would be amazed at the people who walk out onto the driving range to grab a tee or pick up just one more golf ball to hit.  This is extremely dangerous!  The golf ball travels the fastest out of any ball in another sport – you don’t want to get in front of it!  Even if you’re on the other end of the range as someone, you still don’t want to walk in front of them – a lot of golfers have errant shots sometime and you don’t want to come between that golf ball and where it lands. 

One more thing, being quiet is important on the course but not as critical on the range.  The range is a place to practice first and foremost.  It’s good to discuss swing technique etc. on the range and be able to work on things but at the same time be respectful of others who are trying to concentrate. 

So here is a recap of the basics: 

1)       Make sure you have plenty of room between you and the people next to you (your swing can be bigger than you think and clubs can be longer than you think).

2)      Be conscious of your surroundings.  Just because you know the etiquette doesn’t mean other people do – be aware of what’s around you or swinging around you.

3)      An inside voice is good for the course, but not necessary for the range (though, it’s not a rock concert either J). 

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Let’s talk attire.  For the purposes of our driving range adventures, shorts and a t-shirt will be fine.  Typically, when you go to a golf course there are rules of what ladies and men can wear.  For instance, ladies must wear slacks, skorts, shorts (no denim or workout shorts) and a collared shirt.  Sleeveless collared shirts are fine as well.  You want to make sure that you have something with pockets at the beginning – you’ll be carrying a few loose items around like golf tees, ball markers, a glove, and golf balls. 

Men should wear similar attire.  Slacks or shorts (no cargo shorts, denim or workout shorts) and a collared shirt with sleeves. 

As far as shoes go, tennis shoes will be fine for the driving range at the beginning but you may want to look into getting a pair of golf shoes once your endeavor becomes more serious.  Personally, I like Bite golf shoes and Adidas golf shoes.  They don’t stretch too much once you begin wearing them and they are extremely comfortable – just like tennis shoes!  Keep in mind, no flip flops or sandals on the course or driving range.

A hat is another good idea when you’re on the course – it’s always important to protect yourself from the sun.  And of course – don’t forget your sunscreen!

I’ve started a thisnext.com profile (http://www.thisnext.com/by/golfcourse101/) where I’ll recommend items for women and men on the course and you can purchase them directly from the site (which I have done in my previous blog)!  If you know that you want to grab a few new items for the course but don’t want to spend a ton of cash, you can find a lot of these items at discount stores like TJ Maxx (they have great Polo shirts for cheaper). 

Keep looking for my other recommendations for golf course attire! 

P.S. Once our ladies golf group gets going on a 9 hole course, the collared shirt and no denim rules will apply.  Happy swinging!

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For my beginning lady golfers – what to know before we hit the links (ah, hem…driving range)

Golf Clubs:

The rule is that you can only carry 14 clubs in your golf bag (for the purposes of practicing on the driving range, feel free to bring as many as you want).  Clubs are what you use to hit the golf ball with.  Clubs range in length and lie angle.  The lie angle is the angle at which the club lays on the ground.  This variance allows you to choose a specific club to go a specific distance.  For instance, you wouldn’t want to hit a pitching wedge for a 200 yard shot because it is physically impossible (even for Tiger Woods) to hit a pitching wedge that far.  Instead, you would choose perhaps a driver, the longest club in your bag, and therefore able to be hit the furthest. 

Keep in mind, everything in golf is backward.  The higher the number of club, the shorter distance it goes.  Here’s a chart to help explain:

Scoring:

The same rule of thumb holds true in scoring:  the higher the score, the worse you’re doing.  The object of golf is to get the lowest score possible.  A full golf course has 18 holes.  There are three different types of holes:  Par 5, Par 4, and Par 3.  The mixture of these types of holes equals the golf course’s par.  Most of the time a golf course’s par = 72.  Par is the ideal number of strokes (number of times you hit the golf ball) that it takes you to get the ball from the tee(where you begin each hole) to in the hole.  For example, if you’re on a Par 4 hole and it takes you 6 tries to get the ball in the hole, then you are 2 over par.  If you are on a Par 4 and it takes you 3 tries to get the ball in the hole, then you are 1 under par. 

There are also types of scores you can make on each hole:

Double eagle = 3 under par

Eagle = 2 under par

Birdie = 1 under par

Par = even par

Bogey = 1 over par

Double Bogey = 2 over par

Triple Bogey = 3 over par

Etc.

So, when you add up your scores from all of the holes you’re either going to be over par (72 or more), under par (72 or less) or even par (72). 

More on the basics in my next blog!!

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Just to explain…some of the ladies have asked me what’s a green?  Or, what’s a putter?  So – needless to say we will be taking it slow and getting everyone to a point where they feel comfortable going to the range on their own or with their friends.  I used to teach private lessons at a club here in town while I was an assistant pro but this going to be a whole new challenge and I’m really excited about it.

I’ll keep you posted!  Oh! And you can follow me on twitter too!  My name there is golfcourse101. 

P.S. I’m not sure how many of you out there have a crazy kitty – but mine’s getting crazier by the minute.  I’m packing up my apartment to move into a house (SO EXCITED) and Tom Sawyer thinks it’s a fun new game to come and peek inside every box possible…which already has a lid on it.  Here’s a pic of him as a baby – he’s the gray one – the other two are his sisters. J

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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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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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