Playing Out Of A Wet Lie Courtesy of Sycuan Resort
A recent article sent out by Sycuan Resort, one of our favorite partner golf courses in San Diego, offers some great advise on playing in the current wet conditions due to overseeding. The article is as follows:
When fairways are soggy due to heavy rainfall or even early morning dew, the ball usually settles down in the grass. As a result, you’ll tend to hit the ball fat or heavy (a little behind the ball). Your swing will feel sluggish, as if you were swinging through water or hitting out of light rough, and your divots will be thicker. It’s no fun.
You can help yourself by taking more club than usual, say a 6-iron instead of a 7-iron. And because the ball’s not going to roll as far–your distance will be mostly carry–you might want to change up your shots around the greens (a pitch or lob shot versus a bump-and-run, for example). In your setup, play the ball more toward the center of your stance, but no farther back than center (even with your short irons), so it’ll be easier to catch the ball first. With a fairway wood or middle iron, play it in the center rather than left of center.
Even after you make these adjustments, you may still hit the ball heavy. Don’t worry too much about that–nobody plays their best in wet conditions. You just have to accept your fate and be glad you’re playing golf.
Sycuan Resort, which has two 18-hole championship golf courses Oak Glen & Willow Glen, won’t be overseeding until the end of October 2005. Click here to book your tee time now!
Understanding Aerification and Course Maintenance
The season is upon us - many courses are under-going annual course maintenance, more specifically, aeration and overseeding. Below is an article about what purpose it serves and why it is important courtesty of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.
It Might Annoy Golfers for a Few Days, but Without Aerification, Greens Die
It’s a perfect, sunny morning and you’ve just reached the first green in regulation. You feel great and you know you’re within birdie range. Then, you see them, those little holes in the green. Arrggh! They’ve just aerified the course, and it’s going to ruin your round, right?
Well, maybe not. Consider the fact that PGA Tour legend Tom Watson shot a sizzling record 58 at his then-home course, Kansas City Country Club, just days after the greens had been aerified.
Consider also that aerification is merely a short-term disruption that has long-term benefits for the course.
When you see them, remember that without those little holes, the greens would eventually die.
Preventative maintenance is an integral part of successful golf course management. Golfers view aerification as an inconvenience that takes the greens out of play for a day, pulling cores from the greens and leaving holes that can affect putting for many days before healing. To add insult to injury, aerification is best done in many part of the country during mid-summer, at the height of the playing season and when most greens are in prime condition.
But a golfer needs to understand how important aerification is to producing healthy turf.
Aerification achieves three important objectives. It relieves soil compaction, it provides a method to improve the soil mixture around the highest part of a green’s roots and it reduces or prevents the accumulation of excess thatch.
Like so many things, the quality of a good putting green is more than skin deep. In fact, the condition of a green has a lot to do with what goes on below the surface. In order for grass to grow at 3/16-inch, it must have deep, healthy roots. Good roots demand oxygen. In good soil, they get the oxygen from tiny pockets of air trapped between soil and sand particles.
Over time, the traffic from golfers’ feet (as well as mowing equipment) tends to compact the soil under the putting green – particularly when the soil contains a lot of clay. When soil becomes compacted, the air pockets on which the roots depend are crushed, and the roots are essentially left gasping for air. Without oxygen, the grass plants become weaker and will eventually wither and die.
Aerification is a mechanical process that creates more air space in the soil and promotes deeper rooting, thus helping the grass plants stay healthy. In most cases, it’s done by removing ½-inch cores (those plugs you sometimes see near a green or in fairways) from the compacted soil, allowing for an infusion of air and water that brings a resurgence of growth. The spaces are then filled with sand “topdressing” that helps the soil retain air space and makes it easier for roots to grow downward.
Older greens often are constructed of soils with significant amounts of silt, clay and fine organic particles that are prone to compaction. Filling aerification holes with sand improves drainage and resists compaction. The periodic introduction of sand to a green’s top layer can over time, avoid or postpone expensive rebuilding or renovation of greens.
Finally, growing of turf adds to a layer of organic matter on the surface. This layer, called thatch, is an accumulation of dead stems, leaves and roots. A little organic matters makes for a resilient green, but too much invites diseases and insects. Topdressing with sand can prevent thatch buildup, and aerification is one of the best ways to reduce an existing layer and prevent an excess of thatch from becoming established.
Other aerification techniques use machines with “tines” or knives that simply poke holes through the soil profile. A new technique even uses ultra high-pressure water that’s injected through the soil profile to create small holes that relieve some compaction but heal quickly.
There are many types of aerifying machines with different attachments that address different problems in the various stages of the life of a green. So the next time you’re ready to scream when the aerifiers are brought on the course, remember that a little preventative maintenance produces the best greens over the long haul.
The bottom line is that aerification is a necessary practice. But before you curse the superintendent for ruining your day, just think of Tom Watson.
How A Golf Workout Routine Can Crush Your Competitor
A golf workout routine can be as simple as using a pair of hand weights (dumbbells), and doing 5-6 golf-specific exercises in less than 15 minutes. Now I know you have 15 minutes to dramatically improve your game and crush your playing partners and competitors.
So many times golfers think that a golf workout routine is in the gym, takes 2 hours to do, and will wipe out all the energy they have and ultimately hurt their golf game.
How wrong they are!
Yes…I can design a very comprehensive golf workout routine that has up to 20 golf exercises and will take 90 minutes to complete. And I have done that for hundreds of golfers. But what I want to talk about today is getting that belief and thought out of your head.
The equipment required to complete a simple golf workout routine in your home are; a stability ball, exercise tubing, and a pair of hand weights.
That’s it!
You can do dozens of golf-specific exercises with the above equipment. But whatever you do, make sure you seek out a qualified golf fitness trainer, who knows golf. That is critical.
There are many “so-called” golf trainers out there, and all they are doing is the same “general” exercises…on machines that the average person looking to improve their fitness is doing.
That is not a golf workout routine. You can spot a person doing something for golf in less than 5 seconds, and it’s not on machines. It’s on their feet or on a stability ball, incorporating balance, stabilization and strength specific to the golf swing.
I want you to realize, if you do the wrong exercises it may hurt your game not help it. I’ve heard this scenario many times. A golfer starts weight training and doesn’t know what he/she is doing and the result is shorter drives and higher scores. Not the result you want.
So seek out a golf fitness trainer and find out right away if they know golf. Ask a few golf questions. What causes a hook? What could be one of the reasons for coming out of your posture? What is a lateral slide?
You’ll find out real quick if they know golf.
The end result is playing better golf…and of course taking all the money from your foursome!
So you see…it’s not intimidating or time-consuming to start a golf workout routine.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Check out his new golf fitness - workout products site at Perform Better Golf.
Golf Q&A
I NEED A RULING:
Sue C. asks:
How does a golf course decide the difficulty of a hole?
1. Is it by the number of pars scored on the holes compared the other holes or
2. The holes that have the highest number of strokes over par.
We have a hole at our course that is almost impossible to par, because water comes into play and all our members must lay up. Most people play it very conservatively so that they don’t get a high score on the hole..
We have two other holes that are easy to par, but the scores tend to be very high on them because water comes into play and there is some trouble especially for those who fear water and those who don’t hit the ball very far. These two holes are designated as the most difficult at our club. Is that the way it should be?
DOUG writes:
Thanks for this great question! While this does not deal directly with the Rules of Golf, I feel this is an important, and often misunderstood, concept.
The assigning of the “stroke allocation” - or handicap - for each hole is the responsibility of the Committee, or administration of the course.
However, under the USGA Handicap Committee guidelines, there is a specific procedure they should follow.
The first thing you must understand is the concept of “Handicap” rating for each hole. Contrary to popular belief, it DOES NOT reflect the difficulty of the hole. That is, the #1 handicap hole may not be the most difficult hole on the course as some would like to believe.
The next thing in understanding this is to know that this is done by collecting individual hole scores from two different groups of players - Scratch and Bogey golfers. By comparing the average scores for each group, the course can now determine which holes have the greatest difference in average scores. The hole with the greatest difference is the #1 handicap hole. And, as you would expect, the hole with the smallest difference will be the #18 handicap hole. This allows two persons of different skill levels to play and the higher handicap player to receive strokes where he/she is most likely to need them.
In the particular case you described at your course, the harder hole is likely the hardest hole on the course for all players. Thus, even the scratch players make more bogeys than pars, so the difference in average scores might not be as great. However, on the other two holes, you described them as being more challenging for those players who don’t hit the ball as far. Generally, the better players also are capable of hitting the ball longer, so the water that bothers and befuddles the higher handicap player is less likely to affect the better player, resulting in a greater difference in average scores between the two groups.
I must add there are some other general guidelines to assigning handicap ratings to holes. One such guideline it is preferred that the odd numbered holes be the first (front) nine and the even holes be the second (back) nine. Another is that the #1 and #2 handicap holes should not be the 9th or 18th holes.
If you are interested in learning more about the handicapping process, I would encourage you to speak to the Handicap Chairperson, Manager, or PGA Professional at your course.
DOUG HOFFMANN
Doug Hoffmann, Tournament Director for the Minnesota Golf Association, is a USGA Certified Rules Official and a member of the Minnesota Section of the PGA of America. He has been conducting and officiating golf tournaments since 1989, including PGA TOUR and USGA qualifying events and PGA Section championships.
This Q & A is from TeeMaster TeeMail, brought to you by TeeMaster.com, the free e-mail bulletin that keeps you posted on great golf deals, PGA Tour news, and other links info.
Improving Your Golf Balance
The need for balance for golf just sounds so simple and easy. As a golfer, you know that maintaining proper golf balance is a key to a good golf game. And it’s more than just having the correct stance.
Optimum golf balance depends on three aspects: your visual perception, the signals from the inner ear, and signals from your muscles and joints. Sometimes these aspects get out of sync, causing a balance disorder. Most of which can be easily fixed with some simple ideas.
A lack of balance usually occurs when your head position changes, which is a good reason to keep your head still during your swing! How many times have you been told or noticed yourself that you looked up during your swing? Everybody wants to see where their ball is going and when you move your head and throw off your balance, the ball doesn’t usually go anywhere. At least not where you wanted it to go. So, keep your head down and still and let your playing partners watch for your ball.
Also, don’t go spending a fortune on new golf equipment hoping for better play before you check your medicine cabinet to see if any drugs you’re taking affect your balance. The condition “ear poisoning” seriously affects your balance. Ear poisoning is usually caused by side effects of some medications. Always be aware of the possible side effects of any prescription drugs you may be taking. This is just good advice all the way around, let alone it having an effect on your golf game.
Diuretics can pose a problem as well. So if you’re taking any of these and you start feeling dizzy, get medical help! Sometimes the dizziness can literally become a lifelong problem, so don’t delay in seeking help.
If your golf balance is a little off in your game, you may want to do some simple exercises to improve it. Just kicking a ball around your backyard can help. You can also set up a little obstacle course and weave in and out of it to improve your balance. If you have kids, they will have fun with the course, too! Actually, they may even set up one for you!
You can also buy a balance board to help you with your center of gravity. You can easily make one yourself out of some scrap wood or you could find a nice one online or at a local fitness equipment store. These boards are challenging and fun to use. Once you can balance for an extended period on one, pick up a golf club. Then practice your backswing while balancing yourself. This will dramatically improve you golf balance.
In addition, working with flexibility exercises helps increase your golf balance by releasing muscle tension. Try some simple yoga stretches to help with loosening up tight muscles. Yoga or pilates can be a real benefit for the golfer. These types of exercises tend to create long lean muscles and promote flexibility. Just what the golfer needs for the right golf balance and a fluid swing.
Another useful item is a yoga ball or exercise ball. Even just sitting on one of these balls requires balance - so try using one for part of the day. Work up gradually until you can sit on the ball for 30 minutes at a time. These ball exercises can help you develop proper posture, increase the mobility of your lower back, and develop overall control of your body core. Improving your core strength and flexibility will help you develop the correct golf balance.
Since balance is fundamental to every aspect of your golf game, spend some time each day working on developing it. Who knows? You could find your swing and your score improving significantly, and who couldn’t use that!
About the Author: Jason Griffin is a regular golfer who loves playing golf and trying to help other typical golfers, hackers and weekend players get more enjoyment out of the game. He is the guide behind the Guide to Golf Equipment - Your Information Source for Equipment Used for Golf. Get a little help finding the right golf equipment at http://www.guidetogolfequipment.com