Golf For Beginners: So You Want To Play Golf

We get it. Golf can seem terribly complicated to the uninitiated. So many rules, so many different kinds of clubs.

That’s where this online beginner’s guide comes in. To those who know nothing about golf, our goal is to shepherd you through this uncertainty. What kind of clubs do you need? How do you practice? When do you know that you’re ready for the golf course? The way we see it, the only dumb questions about getting started in golf are the ones you’re afraid to ask, or worse, the ones for which you can’t find an answer.

No doubt, the right equipment always helps, but it’s not as if you’ll need to empty your savings account to get started. Instead, focus on finding the sort of equipment that will allow you to develop your imperfect skills with minimal expense. There’ll be plenty of time to go after the latest, hot products on the market (and when you do, make sure you start your search with one of our top 100 clubfitters, but at the beginning, make learning — and not buying — your priority.

1. You only need a few clubs: You’re allowed to carry as many as 14 clubs in your bag, but you won’t need nearly that many when you’re first learning. Instead, start with a driver, a putter, a sand wedge (it’s the club that has an “S” on the sole or a loft of 54 to 56 degrees) and supplement those with a 6-iron, an 8-iron, a pitching wedge, and a fairway wood or hybrid with 18-21 degrees of loft. These are the clubs that are the most forgiving and easiest to get airborne. You can find used and new titanium drivers for as little as $75 and putters for much less than online, but most larger golf and general sporting goods stoes also offer racks of discounted and/or used clubs.

2. Don’t guess — try before you buy: If you’re an absolute beginner looking to buy clubs, go to a larger golf shop or driving range and ask to try a 6-iron with a regular-flex and a stiff-flex shaft. (Generally, the faster and more aggressive the swing, the more you will prefer a shaft that is labeled “S” for stiff.) One of the two should feel easier to control. That’s the shaft flex you should start with for all your clubs. Once you get serious about the game and are able to make consistent contact, a clubfitting will enable you to get the most out of your equipment.

3. The more loft, the better: Unless you’re a strong and well-coordinated athlete experienced with stick and ball sports (baseball, softball, hockey, tennis, for example), opt for woods that have more loft. Why? The extra loft generally means it will be easier to get the ball in the air and also can reduce sidespin so shots fly straighter. So go for drivers with at least 10 degrees of loft and fairway woods that start at 17 degrees, not 15 degrees.

4. Take advantage of clubs made for beginners: Some types of clubs are easier to hit than others. For one thing, you’re better off with hybrids instead of 3-, 4-, and 5-irons. And irons with wider soles (the bottom part of an iron) will alleviate the tendency for the club to stick in the ground when you hit too far behind the ball. Also, with more weight concentrated in the sole, the iron’s center of gravity will be lower and this will help shots launch on a higher trajectory. Generally, a more forgiving iron will feature a sole that measures about the width of two fingers (from front edge to back). If an iron’s sole measures less than one finger width, you only should be playing it if you’re paid to do so.

5. Choose the right ball: Buy balls on a sliding scale based on how many you lose in a round. If you’ve never played before or lose two sleeves or more a round, buy balls that cost around $20 a dozen (if you can’t decide between one brand over another, try putting a few to see how they feel coming off the putter face). When you cut the number of lost balls back to maybe three to five balls a round, buy balls that cost less than $30 a dozen. Only if you’re losing less than a sleeve a round should you consider the $40 a dozen balls.

SOURCE:  Golf Digest

20 years after golfer Payne Stewart’s tragic death, son Aaron carries his legacy

Aaron Stewart spent his summers on the road as a PGA Tour kid. The behind-the-scenes visits at the Columbus Zoo during the Memorial Tournament stand out among his favorite memories as well as the “music man” under the big tree on Hilton Head Island.

He grew up on tournament golf.

It’s not surprising that Stewart would want to follow in the footsteps of his father, Payne, a three-time major winner and sporting icon. A humble Aaron calls it more of a blessing than an expectation that he’s now back in golf. The former SMU player (just like dad) was recently named vice president of sports marketing for Diamond Resorts and executive director of the LPGA’s Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions.

Oct. 25 marks the 20th anniversary of the day Payne’s tragic death played out on television screens across the country. Four months after Payne won the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, a private Learjet carrying the golfer and five others crashed near Aberdeen, South Dakota, after flying on autopilot for several hours.

“The fact that this is 20 years is pretty crazy to me,” said Aaron. “To think that amount of time has gone by.”

Aaron said he recently did an interview for PGA Tour radio with his sister Chelsea, who works for AT&T, and they talked about how their dad would’ve gotten along in today’s PC society. Imagine trying to control him on Twitter, Chelsea said.

“It never came from a mean-spirited place,” said Aaron of his father’s jokes. “Everybody knew that’s Payne having a good time. He was able to get away with it.”

Aaron, 30, looks a lot like Payne. People tell him that all the time. They also tell stories, and Aaron never tires of hearing them. The Stewart family still keeps in touch with many of the PGA Tour families Aaron and Chelsea grew up with.

After completing the program, Stewart landed a job that had over 400 employees reporting to him.

“He was special,” said Flaskey of Stewart taking on such a hefty role at a young age.He grew up on tournament golf.Aaron Stewart, son of late PGA Tour icon and World Golf Hall of Famer Payne Stewart, has been named Executive Director of the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions. Stewart, who also serves as Vice President of Sports Marketing for Diamond Resorts, will oversee all aspects of the LPGA Tour event to be held January 16-19, 2020, at Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club in Orlando, Florida.

After several years as National OPC Program Manager and Regional Marketing Director, Stewart and his wife, Naiara, took a break from work to travel the world, an adventure that had long been in the making.

They visited 40 countries that year, spending the most time visiting family from their mom, Tracey’s, native Australia.

One of the reasons Flaskey created the Diamond Resorts TOC was to focus on a younger demographic. Millennials account for 12 percent of Diamond’s total membership.

 

“We know millennials want to travel,” said Flaskey. “They want to get out there and go.”

When Aaron and his wife returned to the U.S., they decided to move back to Orlando, Florida. He returned to the company in March as Director of National Partnerships.

The 2020 Diamond Resorts TOC takes place Jan. 16-19 on Tranquilo Golf Course at Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club Orlando. Winners from the last two seasons are invited to play alongside sports stars and celebrities. Eun-Hee Ji won the 2019 edition along with former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz.

The tournament, which averaged 15,000 fans over the weekend in its debut, aims to be the biggest party on tour. To that end, there will be three concerts in 2020. While LPGA pros compete for $1.2 million over 72 holes, the celebrities vie for their own $500,000 purse using a modified Stableford format. The event has raised $3.5 million for children’s healthcare.

With the LPGA adding a second stop in south Florida after the TOC – the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio – the field at Tranquilo might be stronger in 2020. Michelle Wie’s victory at the 2018 HSBC Women’s World Championship makes her eligible for the season-opener should be healthy enough to compete.

Part of what attracted Flaskey to bring back a TOC format to the LPGA was the fact that it’s an earned event. In Stewart, he has found a man who is uniquely qualified to lead it.

“We just think that growing up in a lifetime of golf brings credibility to our event,” said Flaskey of Payne’s only son. “It helps us really take it to the next level.”

SOURCE:  USAtoday

Tiger Woods announces new golf-entertainment business venture

Tiger Woods is getting into the golf-entertainment business with a new business venture that will compete with the likes of TopGolf, Drive Shack and other venues that marry traditional golf with cutting-edge technology.

TGR, Tiger Woods Ventures and PopStroke Entertainment Group Thursday announced they have entered into a strategic partnership.

Founded in 2018, PopStroke is a technology-infused golf-entertainment concept featuring professionally designed putting courses and food and beverage.

PopStroke currently has one facility in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Locations in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Fort Myers, Florida, currently are under development, and several additional sites are planned for 2020 and beyond. TGR Design and Tiger Woods will be responsible for designing the putting courses at all future PopStroke locations.

“This is a natural extension of my golf course design philosophy and my TGR Design business,” Woods said. “Our goal has always been to design courses that bring people together and are fun for golfers of all abilities and ages.”

Infusing the traditional putt-putt experience, which hasn’t changed in years, with a dose of technology is expected to create a more social and entertaining experience.

The PopStroke experience is enhanced with a technology platform consisting of the soon-to-be released electronic scorekeeping golf ball, the “iPutt” ball. The ball transmits scores electronically to the custom PopStroke app, which can be downloaded in the Apple and Android App stores. Players will be able to compete against each other in a tournament environment while earning “Pop Bucks” through the PopStroke loyalty rewards app program.

“Some of my happiest memories are spending time with my pops (Earl) on the golf course having putting contests,” Woods said. “I’m looking forward to others enjoying time with their kids at PopStroke. This is a new way for individuals to experience the game of golf. It’s about bringing people together.”

Food, soft drinks, signature cocktails, a variety of craft beer and wine options are also available on the app for delivery directly to a golf course location or at the onsite full-service restaurant and bar. Woods has previous experience in the restaurant business as owner of The Woods Jupiter, his flagship restaurant in Jupiter, Florida.

“Tiger Woods has had the most significant impact in growing the game of golf around the world and his investment and partnership in PopStroke will undoubtedly introduce the game to a new and wider audience of participants,” said PopStroke founder Greg Bartoli.

Pete Bevacqua, former CEO of the PGA of America and president of NBC Sports, has agreed to be a member of the board of directors.

SOURCE:  USAToday

 

Five things Brooks Koepka can realistically improve for 2020

How can Brooks Koepka improve? On the surface, this is a demanding, heedless ask. The man became the first player to be a repeat PGA Championship and the U.S. Open winner in a career, and became just the fourth player to finish top four or better at every major in a calendar year. It is like telling John Mulaney to be funnier or the Rock to hit the gym before beach season.

And yet, there is room for Koepka to grow. Heck, he didn’t even win Player of the Year honors. (Too soon? Too soon.) So we analyzed Koepka’s performance from last year, and the ones before it, to identify five things Koepka can refine for 2020.

To preface, there are trade-offs to consider. Someone who blasts the ball distances that give roll-back proponents nightmares is not likely to be accurate off the tee, and telling Koepka to hit more fairways will syphon the power that serves as such an advantage. These suggestions also have to be pragmatic; you can’t expect one who consistently ranks outside the top 100 in a certain area to suddenly become an elite performer in that skill. Besides, even at the height of their powers, Tiger, Nicklaus and Hogan all had flaws in their games. (Dodging lightning) OK, not flaws, but they weren’t the best at everything. That’s golf.

Keeping those parameters in mind, here is how Koepka’s trajectory can continue to rise next season.

Par 3s

Koepka’s par-3 performance cost him the green jacket. He was three over on Augusta National’s par 3s, seven shots worse than Tiger Woods on said holes. For those that spent April in a coma, Koepka finished the tournament one stroke back of Tiger.

The Masters wasn’t an aberration. Koepka lost the Honda Classic by one to Keith Mitchell. Koepka was four over on the par 3s to Mitchell’s four-under mark. Essentially, he was three to four swings away from a two-major, five-win campaign. For a guy who desperately seeks chips to place on those broad shoulders, this would be a start.

On the year, Koepka finished 52nd in par-3 scoring, and 44th the season prior. The disparity in his par-3 scoring against high finishes on par 4s (first in ’19, 15th in ’18) and par 5s (10th in ’19, third in ’18) can be correlated to his driving prowess. Where the equation becomes curious is against a smorgasbord of strong iron numbers: 11th in greens in regulation, fifth in fairway proximity, first in shots from 175-to-200 yards, 10th in approaches under 200 yards, and 11th in sg/approach.

Thing is, he racks up his share of red on par 3s, in the top 20 in this category heading into the final two weeks of the year and ultimately finishing 29th. But when he misses, he misses big. Continuing his momentum will be dependent on Koepka keeping the bogeys at bay on par 3s.

The Masters - Final Round
Andrew Redington

Long Range Putting

Koepka owned one of the better strokes on tour in his fledgling years, ranking in the top 20 in strokes gained/putting from 2015 to 2017 (with a career-best standing of fifth in 2017). But his figures with the flat stick have dropped over the past two seasons, coming in 48th last season and 69th in 2018.

There are two culprits for this plummet, the first output—or lack thereof—from deep. Koepka ranked 108th in conversion from 15 to 20 feet, 114th in 20 to 25 feet and 72nd in putts over 25 feet. When his putting was at its peak in 2017, Koepka ranked 33rd, fifth and first, respectively, from those distances. Bringing those ranks to the middle of pack would make Koepka more formidable around the hole.

Also helping …

Three-Putt Avoidance

Aside from 2017, this is an arena where Koepka has consistently struggled. His ranks since joining the tour in three-jacks:

2019: 123rd
2018: 156th
2017: 60th
2016: 167th
2015: 95th
2014: 76th

Part of this can be explained by a high birdie-putt conversion rank (17th in 2019, 10th the season before), an aggressive mindset conferring longer-than-desired comebackers. Pulling the reins back on that opportunistic approach could lead to fewer bogeys … but also to fewer birds, so that blanket answer does not suffice. Most likely, to improve in this area, Koepka would need to shore up those areas where meat is left on the bone: three (95th), five (94th) and seven (116th) feet.

0 Yards and In

Stated above, it’s unfair, unrealistic to ask a player to be great in every category. What’s interesting is that Koepka has risen to such heights without a semblance of a short game.

He’s ranked 83rd or worse in every season but one on tour in sg/around-the-green, and has been particularly brutal inside 10 yards (98th in 2019, 97th in 2018, 132nd in 2017). Between this and the aforementioned putting troubles, it’s mind-boggling that Koepka ranked 11th in bogey avoidance.

However, it is not as if Koepka lacks touch. (Save for when his girlfriend comes in for a kiss.) He was 12th in scrambling in 2018 and ranked a serviceable 42nd last year (aided by a 58.43 sand save percentage, 22nd on tour). Additionally, some of these woes could be attributed to Koepka’s wrist injury and restricted practice schedule the past two years. Now given time and health, don’t be surprised if Koepka’s able to tighten these screws up.

Fan Engagement

Just kidding, wanted to make sure you are still paying attention.

Rough Work

Koepka is a machine with his irons from the fairways. In the rough, not so much. His production from last year:

Approaches from 125-150 yards: 139th
Approaches from 150-175 yards: 169th
Approaches from > 200 yards: 116th
Approaches from 200-225 yards: 153rd

He’s not a total disaster, ranking fifth in shots from 50 to 125 yards, but the disconnect from the short to thick stuff is clear.

Without making excuses for Koepka, this is another facet that likely parallels with his wrist ailment. Conversely, he ranked 102nd in driving accuracy. Though the strokes gained metrics have shown getting the ball closer to the hole is more paramount than keeping it straight, it does put the onus on getting it done with the second shot, fairway or rough be damned.

And should Koepka improve this skill set, or any mentioned above, well … that sound you just heard were the sighs from Koepka’s competition.

Unlucky golfer’s ball was so deeply embedded even the rules official couldn’t believe it

It might be the most annoying thing in golf. It’s in the top five, at the very least. You hit a shot that, by all accounts, wasn’t that bad, only to find it embedded deep in the ground.

That happened to one unlucky golfer this week, and even the official giving the ruling couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

It came during the first round of the Molly Murphy Crowley Collegiate Invitational in Portland, Oregon. A golfer from University of California—Davis’ women’s golf team hit an approach shot that embedded itself so deeply in an area near the bunker that it was almost underground entirely.

The rules official, after pointing out where the ball was, took a picture because of how rare a sight it was.

Lots of golf fans were asking what the ruling would be in this situation, and while I’m no rules expert, under rule 25-2, it would appear that because this ball did not embed in a “closely-mown area through the green…fairway height or less,” it’s good old fashioned play it as it lies.

Presumably, she would’ve had to take an unplayable, though. Either that or opt for a shovel.

25-2Embedded Ball Rule

If a player’s ball is embedded in any closely-mown area through the green, it may be lifted, cleaned and dropped, without penalty, as near as possible to the spot where it lay but not nearer the hole. The ball when dropped must first strike a part of the course through the green.

SOURCE:  Golf.com

 

START YOUR DAY WITH A GREAT MEAL & GREAT GOLF

Join us this Monday, October 14th at 8 am for breakfast at the club

Sponsored by Heritage of Hudson Health & Rehabilitation Center.

Complimentary Breakfast for the first 100 customers!

What a great way to start your day!

BOOK YOUR GOLF ROUND and JOIN US FOR BREAKFAST!

Ellsworth Meadows was the host site for the Northeast District Girls Golf Tournament on October 8th, 2019

FINAL RESULTS: Girls High School Golf
2019 OHSAA Division I Girls District Tournament

Ellsworth Meadows Golf Club, Hudson, Ohio
Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Qualifiers*: Top 4 teams and 4 individuals not on a qualifying team.

SEE ALL RESULTS HERE

The 2nd Annual Club Championship was held over the weekend – October 5th & 6th

Club Championship Results

_____

A Flight Champion · Tom Barnish*

*(back-to-back years as Champion)

B Flight Champion · Steve Kalb

C Flight Champion · Michael Tucker

Congratulations to Tom Jalbert

for his HOLE IN ONE on #14

Temporary golf course to open inside Busch Stadium next month

Busch Stadium has hosted baseball, soccer and football games, and it looks like golf is next.

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) – How would you like to play a round of golf inside Busch Stadium? Well, that will be possible next month.

Stadiumlinks is transforming baseball heaven into a 9-hole golf experience Nov. 1-3. You’ll take your shots from tee boxes placed all around the stadium concourse and aim for holes on the baseball field.


Each shot is somewhere between 60-150 yards and scoring is based on where your ball lands. You can play in groups of two, four, six, or eight and will need to book a tee time in advance. Make sure you join the waiting list, here, so you can set up a tee time.

Each player within your group will be provided with 18 complimentary golf balls to use on the Stadiumlinks course.

Here’s an example of what the course looked like in other stadiums, such as Citi Field in New York, Minute Maid Park in Houston and the LA Memorial Coliseum.

WATCH MORE HERE

SOURCE:  KMOXradio