The Golfing Blog

The Best Golfer To Never..........

The 2011 United States Open is now in the books with a sparkling performance by Champion, Rory McIllroy. As usual during every championship week the media speculates as to who is the best player to never win a major. Many names are offered up, all of them are valid but it is only current players who are mentioned.

Here is a question I would like to ask (it has two parts), "Who is the best golfer in history to never win a major and why would you select them?".

Investing Smartly In Your Golf Game

For investors and companies one of the keys to success is for them to spend their money where they will see their greatest "Return On Investment"(ROI). It is a difficult process which takes a great deal of time and study. When it comes to choosing your golf equipment I think it is a much easier selection process but unfortunately many golfers use their heart instead of their head when making decisions for their golf game..

When deciding how to choose your golf equipment it should be very objective, all you need is a pen and a piece of paper (feel free to use your IPAD or a calculator).

Let's say you normally shoot 100. On average you use your driver 14 times a round and you average mostly 2 putts per hole but a couple of 3 putts per round, that would give an average putts per round of 38.

This means:
The Driver accounts for 14% of your game.
The Putter accounts for 38% of your game.

The numbers should speak for themselves but players are willing to spend $300-$500 on a driver, with customization up to $800+. But many of these same players are unwilling to spend $150-$350 for a putter which fits them and will use almost 3 times as often as their driver. Actually with a well fitting putter and proper instruction a golfer can quickly lower their number of putts per round and ultimately their score. So when you are evaluating your game and next equipment purchase do some basic math to find your best "Return On Investment".

Looking for advice on your next putter or lowering your scores by improving your putting? Contact Scott by clicking here.

Swinging the club or playing golf

I wanted to relate a story to you that I heard from a friend of mine who manages a very busy golf course in Chicago.

Last year he had 4 golfers come to his course. The players paid their green fees and proceeded to the first tee to begin their round of golf. After the 4 players finally hit their first shots 12 players scheduled to follow them rushed into they golf shop and requested a refund for their green fees. My friend was curious and after talking to his Starter he decided to follow the group while they played.

By the end of the third hole my friend had seen enough, approached the group to ask the obvious question.

Q:"Is this the first time you have played a round of golf?" The response he received stunned him.

A:"Actually, this is the first time we ever hit a ball".

Q:"Why did you come out to play without practicing?".

A:"Well we are really good at Wii Golf so we figured this would be a piece of cake".

He decided that the best thing to do was escort the players from the course, give them a refund and politely offered them some advice, "If you truly wish to play golf the first thing you need to do is go see Scott at the Diversey Golf Range".

This is an extreme but true example. But beginners make a similar mistake when they prepare to play golf, it is important to distinguish there is a difference between swinging a golf club and playing the game of golf. There is a lot that you can learn about playing the game of golf from your PGA Golf Professional and learning what shot to hit is just as important as how to hit the shot. An on course session can help you gain a better understanding of the game and how to play a better game of golf.

To learn more about managing the golf course and your golf game you can contact Scott by clicking here.

Getting Young Junior Golfers On The Course

You have decided that your young junior golfer(age 10 and under) is ready to play a round of golf on the course. It is important to choose a path which makes the game fun for your junior and still be considerate to the other golfers on the course. There are two simple options I recommend.

The first option to consider starting your junior golfer at a Par 3 golf course where they will be able to play from designated tee markers to the putting green. But if your only option is a regulation golf course then here is a plan I believe will make it fun for your junior and keep other golfers on the course happy.

You can give your junior to the chance play Par 3, 4, and 5 holes just as you do but with a twist, it will be their own "Wee Links". On Par 3 holes have your junior tee off from 40 to 100 yards of the hole. On Par 4 holes the tee will be between 100 and 200 yards of the hole and Par 5 holes from between 200 and 250 yards in length. Theses distances are purely guidelines depending on how far your junior can hit the ball and the layout of the holes.

By playing from realistic distances your junior golfer will have a fun and realistic sense of how the game of golf is played while maintaining a good pace of play for other golfers. It would probably be a good idea to let the course, starter, and players in the group following you know your plan to put their minds at ease. This way everyone can enjoy their round of golf from the beginning.

The 2010 Ryder Cup: Oh Captain, My Captain

It is Sunday night at Celtic Manor in Wales and with one day to go Team Europe has a comfotable lead over Team USA. There has been some outstanding shot making from both sides but the person who I feel has been most valuable in putting Team Europe in the lead is their captain, Colin Montgomerie.

Montgomerie has brilliantly used his rights as the captain of the home team to play to his players' strengths and exploit the weaknesses of Team USA.

One of the rights of the host captain is to chose home the course is to be set up and that is exactly what he did. Team USA is much longer off the tee than Team Europe but Team Europe is more accurate so Montgomerie had the fairways narrowed and the rough grown long. Jim Furyk was quoted as saying that the rough is the longest he has played in his entire career, advantage Team Europe.

On the PGA Tour players normally play on greens that are very fast, faster than in Europe. Montgomerie's next move was to slow down the speed of the greens. The result of Monty slowing down the greens has been the members of Team USA leaving many crucial and normally makeable putts, on line but just short of the hole. Once again advantage Team Europe.

As Team USA started to rally on Sunday Montgomerie made his third move, a psychological one. Dottie Pepper of NBC reported on TV that while Team Europe was leading their matches the large TV screens around the course showed scores and very little live action. But as the Team Europe lead shrank in matches the live action took over the boards and less match scoring was shown. Next, when Team Europe won a hole in a match the change in score was posted immediately but if Team USA won a hole there was a long delay before the score was changed. The Captain wanted to keep the positive news flowing to his team for as long as possible.

Colin Montgomerie knows his rights as Captain and has been masterful in his gamesmanship during the 2010 Ryder Cup. If Team Europe holds on in the individual play and wins the Ryder Cup it would not suprise me to see Montgomerie being asked to repeat as Captain.

In my opinion, the great crowds, great play and gamesmanship is what makes the Ryder Cup so much fun to watch.

When it comes to golf, advice is everywhere; both good and bad

I was recently having work done on my car at a local dealer. While sitting in the waiting room I picked up a back issue of a very popular golf publication and came across an advice column on how to golf on the cheap. There were several pieces of advice but there was one piece of advice that caught my eye and raised my ire.

The columnist recommended that the next time you are at the range you can improve your game on the cheap by finding a professional giving a lesson then sit or practice next to the lesson and listen to what the professional is telling their student. How can I put this kindly? THIS IS ONE OF THE DUMBEST PIECES OF ADVICE I HAVE EVER HEARD!

Is the treatment for the Flu the same as the treatment for a tooth ache? Of course not and the golf swing works the same way, the treatment is based on the individual. When I am working with my students my only thought is helping them develop a swing that best fits them and no one else. There are no shortcuts or ways to improve your game on the cheap. If you want to enjoy the game of golf more approach it in the right way, The Personal Approach.

I think the best piece of advice I can give you is be careful from where you get your advice.

To improve your game you can contact Scott by clicking here.

The Open Championship: A Viewing Pleasure

It is Thursday and the wind is blowing so hard that the Sea Gulls have given up flying and are walking across St. Andrews Golf Links. Welcome to The Open Championship!

In my opinion The Open Championship is where you will see the most creative shot making in golf which makes it so much fun to watch. Normally when watching a PGA Tour event in the U.S. you will see a player hit a towering drive and a little flip wedge into a green where the ball stops on a dime.

In just 5 minutes today I watched Camillo Villegas hit the perfect drive off the first tee, it never got higher than 15 feet off the ground. Next came Lee Westwood who was next to the infamous Road Hole Bunker on 17 where instead of pulling out a lob wedge to flop the ball over the bunker took out his putter and putted the ball up the slope and along the edge of the bunker to within 3 feet of the hole. Then came Phil Mickelson on the 18th hole where he had hit his drive just past the green and 50 yards left. We all know he is probably the best wedge player in the game but he chose to putt.

When you add in all the tall grass, greens that are a roller coaster ride, bunkers that were originally created by sheep, and weather that changes in a heart beat you have a recipe for watching some of the most entertaining golf you will ever see and some truly humbled players.

So do yourself a favor and give it a viewing, it is well worth your time.

Make Golf A Fair Test and More Fun.

Would like to make golf a fair test of your ability and more fun in 2010?

You can do so at the beginning each round by selecting the appropriate tees from which you play.

In my opinion, most golfers play from the wrong set of tees and end up playing a golf course which is too long and difficult. They do this for several reasons, but the two most common are ego or they want to play from where everyone else does even if it is wrong for their game.

You may ask yourself what is the appropriate length golf course for me to play? Many golf courses now provide recommendations for which tees to play according to handicap. If the course you play does not use this method there is a simple way to select the tees that are best for you. Before going to the 1st tee to begin play study your scorecard paying attention to the average length of the Par 4's on the course you are playing from the different tees. Next, calculate the average distance that you hit a ball off the tee using your driver. Then subtract the distance you hit your driver from the average Par 4 distance from each set of tees to give yourself your average distance to the green for your second shot.

Select the set of tees which on average will give you a Mid-iron shot into the green. This way if you hit a good drive you will have a shorter iron in and if you hit a below average driver you will need to hit a longer club.

By selecting the appropriate tees you will provide yourself with a true test of golf, have more fun, and even play faster!

To have more fun playing golf contact Scott by clicking here.

Getting Kids Started In Golf

I am constantly being asked by parents what is a good age to start their
kids in golf and how to get them started. Let's talk about the best way
to introduce kids to this game of a lifetime.

1. WHAT IS A GOOD AGE TO START?
This usually starts with some parents saying "Tiger started when he
was 18 months old". Don't let Tiger be your guide, let your child.
You can introduce golf to your child but let them determine if they
are interested in the game, they will know when they are ready.
A great way to expose them is to simply start putting around the
house or doing something in the backyard. At young ages kids learn
through imitating others. My son, Jake plays golf left-handed and
I am sure he does because when he first started he would stand
facing me and mirror me swinging, that is what he wanted to do and
I let him.

But I must admit he didn't imitate me exactly because he has a better
swing than I do.

2. WHEN THEY SHOW AN INTEREST HOW DO I GET THEM STARTED?
The best way to learn to learn golf is to start with putting and gradually
progress to the longer clubs. So start with one club and one club only,
the putter. Get a blade putter which is flat on both sides because you
may not know if your child will play right-handed or left-handed. Next
start with short putts. Golf can be a very frustrating so, by starting
short kids experience immediate success and will want to continue. The
formula is simple, success = continued interest.

3. WHAT IS A KEY THING TO REMEMBER?
Please always remember that golf is a game, keep it light and fun for
the kids. Make up different games that you can play with the kids and
it doesn't always need to involve a club. Rolling a ball on a green or
tossing a ball underhand toward the hole can be just as important in
learning as swinging a club. Keep coming up with new games you can
play together, by doing so they will look forward to each time you do
something with golf.

4. ANYTHING ELSE?
Yes. Always find time when your kids ask to do something. Even if you
are tired or don't feel like doing something, DO IT! Even if it is
only 10 or 15 minutes, it will make a world of difference to your kids.

IT'S FUN WATCHING KIDS LEARN THE GAME AND IF YOU DO
IT RIGHT YOU WILL HAVE PLAYING PARTNERS FOR A LONG TIME!

Making Golf More Fun: Preparation vs Expectation

When golfers evaluate their games there are 2 key questions that each one should ask themselves.

The first one is automatic and happens without prompting each time they step onto the first tee,"What are my expectations?". Most golfers approach each round, in fact each shot with very high expectations.

Unfortunately, those same golfers seldom ask the even more important second question, "Did I practice and prepare enough for my game to meet my expectations?" If they honestly answered that question the answer for the vast majority of golfers would be a resounding "NO".

I have had a number of students during my career who thought of their lesson as a supervised practice and never practiced in between the lessons. Then they would ask me "Why hasn't my game improved?". It's like expecting to ace a test without studying.

If you don't have the time or desire to practice just make sure that your expectations match the amount of effort you put forth. But if you have high expectations for your game make sure your level of preparation is equally as high.

Golf is a game that is meant to be fun. To have more fun playing golf make sure that your expectations match your preparations.