Improving Your Golf Game

USGA to Re-Open Museum. Adds new Palmer Center

2008-04-13T15:19:00.000-07:00

If you thought Disney’s feature film “The Greatest Game Ever Played” was all fiction, then you may be surprised to know that you can see Francis Ouimet’s golf clubs, golf ball, and scorecard used in his stunning victory at the 1913 U.S. Open June 3 when the USGA unveils the new Palmer Center in the totally renovated and expanded USGA museum on the grounds of USGA Headquarters in Far Hills, New Jersey.
Under construction for nearly 3 years the new center updates what was the first museum in the U.S. dedicated entirely to a sport-- a venue older than even the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
The new museum houses over 40,000 artifacts and memorabilia, 500,000 photographic images, plus thousands of hours of historic film, video, and audio recordings. Together, the museum's collections present a comprehensive history of the game's development in the United States over the course of nearly 250 years.
Oimet’s treasures are among more than 2,000 golf artifacts that will be on public display, many for the first time. The centerpiece of the expanded museum is a gallery that celebrates the life and career of Arnold Palmer. The Palmer Room showcases more than 100 items from Palmer’s personal collection arranged as an exploration of his career both on and off the golf course.
At the center of the Palmer Room is a remarkable portrait created by James David Chase, and composed of more than 22,000 words to create an image of Palmer An interactive kiosk enables visitors to explore the portrait in detail.
For more information about the USGA and Opening Day events, click here.
(Ivan this links to USGA site. See MGL Homepage)

Tiger and Lorena Keep Rolling

2008-04-13T15:07:00.000-07:00

Just a month or two into the 2008 golf season and already Tiger Woods and Lorena Ochoa have demonstrated that their extraordinary performances from 2007 may have been nothing more than previews of coming attractions.

From his dramatic winning putt on the 72nd hole of the Arnold Palmer Invitational to Ochoa’s 11 shot runaway victory in Singapore and 7 shot win in Arizona in her first two Spring 2008 outings, these two phenomenon have created an excitement and heightened interest in the game of gold that has not been seen for two generations. For those of you who are not enough, that’s since Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer dueled what seemed every week over thirty years ago.

Perhaps the most unusual aspect of how Tiger and Lorena perform so well week to week is their resilience in the face of the level of ‘noise’ around such athletes today. There is more media coverage and outlets, driven by more technology, plus longer tougher courses, and more tournaments, period.

Maintaining the level of play required to win so many times in any season, never mind in back-to-back seasons, makes their accomplishments all the more special. Add to this their personal schedules and endorsement commitments and the dominance factor becomes astounding. As enthusiasts for the sport, we get to watch, be entertained and enjoy. And, that’s special to.

USGA issues new Rules of Golf changes

2008-01-11T12:28:00.000-08:00

The USGA has published the first comprehensive changes to the Rules of Golf in 4 years. The changes to the Rules generally fall into two broad categories: “(1) those that improve the clarity of the Rules and (2) those that reduce the penalties in certain circumstances to ensure that they are proportionate…”

Most of the rules changes are minor word tweaks, but we found a few of them to be significant and address some common questions that players have while out on a course. Here are some examples:

A ball is deemed “lost’’ if:

“a. It is not found or identified as his by the player within five minutes after the player’s side or his or their caddies have begun to search for it; or

"b. The player has made a stroke at a provisional ball from the place where the original ball is likely to be or from a point nearer the hole than that place; or

"c. The player has put another ball into play under penalty of stroke and distance (see Rule 27-1a); or

"d. The player has put another ball into play because it is known or virtually certain that the ball, which has not been found, has been moved by an outside agency (see
Rule 18-1), is in an obstruction (see Rule 24-3), is in an abnormal ground condition (see Rule 25-1c) or is in a water hazard (see Rule 26-1); or

"e. The player has made a stroke at a substituted ball.”

Here is another rule we've had a lot of discussion about on the course:

“If a ball lying in or on an obstruction or in an abnormal ground condition is accidentally moved during search, there is no penalty…”

“If a player has reason to believe a ball at rest is his and it is necessary to lift the ball in order to identify it, he may lift it. If the ball is the player’s ball and he lifts his ball in order to identify it when not necessary to do so, he incurs a penalty
of one stroke…”

And the many changes that have been made to equipment in the last 4 years are also dealt with in some of the Rule changes, including what a player may carry in his bag during tournament play, and identification requirements for new drivers. For example, a Tournament Committee “may require, in the conditions of a competition (Rule 33-1), that any driver the player carries must have a clubhead, identified by model and loft, that is named on
the current List of Conforming Driver Heads issued by the USGA.”

The USGA, in conjunction with the R&A in St. Andrews, Scotland, writes, interprets and maintains the Rules of Golf to guard the tradition and integrity of the game. The two organizations are joint authors and owners of The Rules of Golf and Decisions on the Rules of Golf. Through an agreement with the R&A, the Rules jurisdiction of the USGA includes only the United States, its possessions and Mexico. The latest version went into effect Jan. 1, 2004, with the next revision taking effect Jan. 1, 2008.

For a complete look at the Rules changes, or to purchase a copy of the Rules, visit the USGA web site at:

http://www.usga.org/playing/rules/pdf/2008Principal_Changes.pdf

When & How To Use a 3-Wood

2007-12-29T08:37:00.000-08:00

There was a short, but interesting article in this month's Golf Digest that may have gone unnoticed because of all the chatter around it (like the interview with Jack Nicholson). The article is a step-by-step instruction from Annika Sorenstam on how to use the 3-wood off the tee. The simplicity of her tips are great.

First, she says the reason you use a 3-wood off the tee is to keep the ball in the fairway when sand or water narrows the drive zone. The 3-wood is about control which, she says, you lose the moment you swing too hard thinking that you need to compensate for not using a driver.

Second, tee the ball like you do a driver, but play the ball an inch farther back than your drive stance. We all know football isn't the only game of inches.

Third, stay in balance by swinging at one speed...about a 6 out of 10 on the effort scale.

Thanks Annika.

Do You Know The Rules For Using The New Adjustable Clubs?

2007-11-02T08:39:00.001-07:00

If you are like me, you already have at least two adjustable clubs in your bag…anything to improve your game, right? Well, believe it or not, the USGA has rules on how to use them in a stipulated round of golf such as local tournaments.

First, you can only use adjustable clubs that require a specific hand tool like an Allen wrench to make an adjustment. So, if you are looking to buy a club and see one advertised that uses a hand adjustment control that ‘makes it easier,’ don’t buy it…you can’t use it legally.

Second, the adjustable parts must be fixed and not loose. But, if they come loose during your round you can re-tighten (not readjust them during the round) using the appropriate tool.

Third, you can’t change the playing characteristics of any club, so that it does something outside the manufacturer’s specifications. I haven’t seen any after-market appendages for a club lately, but they must be out there because the USGA has taken the time to include these restrictions in Rule 4-2A of its ‘Club and Ball Rules.’

The penalty for misusing an adjustable club is disqualification. So, be careful about how much you want to impress your friends with a new club during a tournament.

A Little Etiquette Helps Everyone Play Better

2007-10-23T07:05:00.000-07:00

Now that golf has become a mass market sport (thanks to the popularity of Tiger Woods) people who are really not familiar with the game, or new to the game, are trying to rewrite the rules of etiquette. For example, how annoying is it to be watching a tournament live or televised and as Tiger or anyone hits a drive some yahoo in the gallery thinking that he is being cool, yells “Get in the hole!” Like that’s going to happen from 500 yards out, right.

Then you are playing on what you think is your home course, because you love playing it, and all of a sudden no one knows about allowing players to play through. I have had this experience three times this season. Most recently, I was playing a fine course and came across a “sixsome.” Is there such a thing? Broken rule number one. There were three adults and three kids. None of them were particularly good. They average 6 shots each on every hole. That meant my “twosome” had to wait for 36 shots for every hole. They never even pretended to let us play through. Broken rule number two. Finally, we gave up and walked across the fairway we were on and went to the next hole to tee off. This gentlemen’s’ sport that we have enjoyed for more than a century is getting dumbed down, fast.

How do you prevent that from happening? Well, first, course managers need to be much more diligent with players before and after they start play. There should be starters at every course who explain not just the local rules and conditions, but reinforce the speed of play requirements and not let “sixsomes” on the course in the first place. Most of these ‘new’ golfers never read scorecards closely enough to know how long they have to play each hole, or that they cannot not take an infinite number of shots each hole. They just don’t know the rules, or in some cases just don’t care.

Second, rangers need to work harder and be on the course consistently. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen a ranger all this season. And, either the check-in staff or the ranger should ask each group what their level of play is, so that they know what they have out on the course to gauge their management of the speed of play. The irony is that the Rules of Golf (you can get a copy at www.usga.org) are unique among all sports because they are really set up to facilitate play and make it more enjoyable for everyone.

Finally, players should not be afraid to speak up, and let people know when they are violating the Rules, or it is obvious that they have no clue about traditional golf etiquette. If you don’t then the sport will change a lot…for the worse, and so will your game.

Michelle vs. Jennifer and adolescence lost

2007-08-16T08:32:00.000-07:00

Reading a recent article in Golf Digest about the obvious coming of age problems facing Michelle Wie reminded me of one August afternoon back in 1989 when I was sitting at my desk in a Los Angeles advertising agency and got a cold call from a talent agency pitch man who, knowing that we handled a good portion of the Nintendo business, launched into how Jennifer Capriati would be the perfect spokesperson for the tween gaming company.

At the time Capriati was the hottest thing to hit the women's tennis circuit. A phenom. The next Navratilova (who was still beating the bejesus out of everyone). The pitch guy was arrogant, rude and pushy, but trying to do his job I guess. Nevertheless, I ran the idea by the client when she got back from vacation (in the meantime this guy called me every day implying I was not doing my job because he hadn't heard back from me). Nintendo passed on the 'opportunity' because Jennifer had not won The Big One. We agreed that we wanted to see what her staying power was. Everyone including me thought they knew what Jennifer was, and should be. Except Jennifer.

That experience gave me a good dose of what the people are like who create the hype and 'handle' these kids and how they affect our perceptions and expectations. Not much later, Jennifer had a number of highly publicized problems that now seem to have been no more than her trying to prove her adolescence--an adolescence she may have still lost in order to overcome what she had done to live out her point. I remember that, once portraited as a human tennis action figure, all of the news photographs suddenly became as unflattering as they could be.

I think she just wanted to be a kid when everyone around her wanted her to be something different. She made it through, and has been a stalwart on the pro tour for more than a decade even if she may not have played to the expectations others set for her. I'd like to know more about that part of the story.

By all accounts the same thing is happening or about to happen with Michelle Wie. She attends Stanford University now. Yep, Tiger did, too. Must be the water. But, according to the Golf Digest story I read, this is a year Wie, her parents and handlers would probably like to forget. Her former coach Gary Gilchrist is quoted in the article, saying "She hasn't backed up the hype, and everything she does now produces negative commentary and negative energy."

So, what's her problem? Gilchrist thinks her parents may be a lot of it, "B.J. is the strategist and Bo is the perfectionist," Gilchrist is quoted as saying. "...They're arrogant, they stick to themselves, and they don't have many friends out there. A lot of people give them good advice, but they don't seem to listen."

Here is the kicker. What does Michelle really like to do? "I like to call back home, talk to my friends, and just listen to their troubles for once and just talk about silly stuff, be stupid and just be goofy and just not think about anything, just not have a care in the world...", she says in the article.

You only have to look at Michelle, Jennifer, Lindsey Lohan, Britney Spears, and Paris Hilton to wonder if the real problem here is just bad parenting. So, why critique and criticize everything an 18-year old does when all they'd rather do is talk to their friends on their cell phone, have fun and be adolescent?

I hope Michelle has the courage to assert and be herself. Her talent will take care of the rest. And, I wish Jennifer would talk to her.

Why we should all play golf on September 1

2007-08-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

One of the all-time best public service programs will take place on Saturday, September 1 when public golf courses across the U.S. participate in Patriot Golf Day, sponsored by the PGA, USGA , Wounded Warriors, Inc. and the Fallen Heroes Foundation. Each golf course will donate $1.00 of your greens fees to the program.

So, if you are planning to play golf Labor Day weekend, make it count. It seems to me that $1.00 is a small sacrifice next to what our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and their families give everyday.

The Fallen Heroes Foundation offers financial and emotional support to the families of fallen or injured servicemen and women. More importantly, I think, they provide financial aid for educating the children of these patriots.

Wounded Warriors, Inc. owns family-friendly resort condominiums in Orlando, FL and Galveston, TX where "war-torn" families can retreat for solace and restore peace to their lives.

Take a moment on September 1 while you are enjoying the beauty and quiet of your favorite golf course to think about what a soldier is doing, thinking, feeling, experiencing at the same time.

If you are like me, you'll want to do, and give, more. As an avid golfer, and a Vietnam era Army veteran, the trauma our soldiers are experiencing now, matched against the growing unpopularity of the Iraq conflict will soon be, in the words of Yogi Berra, "Deja Vu all over again."

Do something now. Go to http://www.playgolfamerica.com/

How to win arguments on the golf course

2007-08-14T07:39:00.000-07:00

Why is it that golf never seems complicated until you get out on the course? And, how do you fend off a hyper-competitive partner or group when your team is down 1 stroke heading into the final 2 holes and you are in a odd lie?

Do you really know when you can take a free drop, or do 2 or 3 of you think you know? How do you handle a playing partner who is 'certain' that he is right, but you are sure he is wrong? What is the maximum handicap that a player can take?

How do you score and unfinished hole? What is the penalty if your ball lies 3 feet from the pin when another player chips from 40 yards off the green and his ball hits yours?

In any given season, I know that these issues come up at least once. The answer is simple, and this is not an ad for anyone, just the logical choice. Join the USGA. I did earlier this year and am totally surprised at what a great organization it is. While a lot of golfers think the USGA exists for the purpose of regulating golf courses (which it does) it also offers a host of services and information to golfers.

For example, did you know that you and a group of your friends (minimum 10 people) can form your own USGA licensed golf club without owning a golf course? All you need is the opportunity to play together on a regular basis, a set of by-laws and a USGA registered handicap manager, and you are in business.

Visit www.usga.org and you'll learn a lot, like how golf courses and individual holes are rated. The annual dues are so little, I can't remember what they are.

Bazooka Schmazooka

2007-08-09T08:22:00.000-07:00

A lot of weekend golfers seem interested in hybrid golf clubs, but are wary about buying one, because there never seems to be enough information out there about how they work. Well, I was recently asked to make a contribution to a silent auction at a golf tournament and I wanted to offer something unique and at a low-cost.

So, I thought of the TourEdge QL #6 hybrid iron-wood that I purchased last year, and that cost under $50.00. The TourEdge people call it the 'Bazooka,' because, I think, the ball takes off at a high rate of speed at the moment of impact (MOI) and shoots real high (if you hit it right). It was a great addition to my golf bag.

Here is how hybrid iron-woods work:

You swing them like you would any other iron, but you set up for the swing as though you were using a driver (line the ball up with the inside of your left foot). Don't stand too far away from the ball. The hybrids have a great "heavy" feel to them. If you have a tendency to swing too fast, the weight of these clubs slow you down, naturally. Remember to swing through the ball with hybrids. There is no advantage to taking a lot of turf as you might with another iron.

The whole idea of hybrids is to add distance to your irons. As golf courses get longer these days, hybrids help make up the difference on approach shots that can be 20 yards or more from where you may have played a few years ago.

The Bazooka is a great club to try before you invest in a hybrid set. The first time I used mine I hit a 140-yard approach shot that landed 10 feet from the pin. If you knew my golf game, that is nothing short of a miracle. But, you'll love the way the Bazooka explodes from the grass. And, the cobalt blue head gives the club a great look.

Finally, it is hard to practice with hybrids at a driving range. I don't think they are made for that, and I'd guess it's where a lot of folks wonder if they are effective or not.

Interesting articles you may want to read

2007-08-08T11:28:00.000-07:00

The last two issues of Golf Digest magazine contained some of the most interesting reading of the summer. In the July issue, there was an extended article rating the Top 10 Golf Coaches in the Country as rated by peers as well as active professionals. Not surprisingly, the pros picked Butch Harmon. Surprisingly, his fee is only $600 a day while others charge as much as $2,000.
In the August issue, read the story that a lot of us have been waiting for, "What's Wrong With Michelle Wie?"