Tom Watson vs. Jack Nicklaus

photo credit: mihirvaze   Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus were fierce adversaries in some of golf’s greatest matches.  Both men, being fierce competitors, battled weekly against each other throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s. 

In 1977 Watson beat Nicklaus for The Masters title and just a few short months later went on to beat him at Turnberry in the Britsh Open.  The dual continued when in 1982, on the 17th hole at Pebble Beach, he sunk a chip from the deep rough to top Nicklaus once more for the US. Open Championship.

On the Golden Bear’s last British Open appearance Watson was his playing partner for the round.  As they walked down the 18th fairway tears were flowing down Watson’s face as the two embraced.  Their great friendship continues but can the PGA Tour ever be the same?

Golf Bets

photo credit: SarahMcD ॐ   There is something thrilling about making a bet, even if its a simple three dollar Nassau.  Its not just a matter of beating your opponent/s, its knowing that you played well enough to do so.

What gripes me is when someone says, “I’ll pay you next time.”  They have the money, it’s just that by paying, they are admitting to defeat and they don’t want to give you that satisfaction.  They defeat you, even though they have just been defeated!

Solve the problem (if there is one) by collecting all bets prior to the round. . . no pay, no play!

A good friend of mine still owes me a dozen Dunlop golf balls from a bet we made in 1972!  Are Dunlop balls still being made?

Walk Don’t Ride

photo credit: haileybussey   During a friendly round with my good friend Dr. Bernie Charms, chief of Cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic, I asked him the following question: “what is the single best way to keep your heart healthy?”  His answer surprised me, “walk” he said, “you don’t have to walk fast, just make sure you walk far!”

If you play golf two or three times per week, try walking instead of riding.  Other than swinging the club and walking to and from your ball, there is no real exercise benefit derived while riding.  Walking, however, can improve health in many ways.  It can strengthen the heart, improve circulation, speed digestion and increase muscle strength.

Start off by walking several nine hole rounds, then graduate to eighteen.  After a few weeks you’ll be glad you made the change.

Super Bowl vs. The Masters

photo credit: scart   The Super Bowl this year has the venerable Pittsburgh Steelers against the Phoenix Cardinals.  It proves to be an exciting contest that will be watched by billions of people around the world.  There is no question that football is the number one spectator sport in America.  Baseball, known as ”the great American pastime” is also highly popular with America’s sports fans.  Where does golf fit in?

Other than the Super Bowl and the World Series, Professional Golf maintains it’s high degree of popularity with the viewing public.  The Masters Golf Tournament is a ”one of a kind” event and second only to the Super Bowl in popularity.  Most Americans usually don’t go out and play football but golf, that’s a different story.  That says it all.

Playing in Hot Weather

photo credit: C.S. – Now Version [2.0]   Summer golf in the Southwestern desert regions can be dangerous if precautions are not taken.  Green fees in the summer months are “dirt cheap.”  Some rates are up to 75% below what they would be in the peak winter months.  The reason for the super low rates is simple, the heat.  Not many golfers want to go out in sunlight that can cook an egg on the hood of their car.

Playing in extremely hot weather isn’t really that bad if you are prepared.  Simply put on plenty of sun screen, drink a lot of water, wear protective clothing and bring a couple of towels to keep wet while you are playing.  An umbrella is also very useful to shade you from harsh sunlight.

Golf Schools are not for Everyone

photo credit: danperry.com   I don’t think the cost of attending a golf school, justifies the means.  On the other hand, I believe that golf schools are extremely helpful for the low handicappers or scratch golfers.

An amateur golfer (high handicapper) simply cannot execute well enough to be able to comprehend what “swing planes” or “attack angles” are all about.  I’m not criticizing amateurs, I just mean that their money would be put to better use by taking private, ongoing lessons.

Taking private lessons is a smart idea because of their continuity.  Better still, you’ll get even more bang for your buck with a good Internet teaching program.  A very highly rated Internet program can be found at  www.PurePointGolf.com.   Bobby Eldridge (above photo) is the program director and one of the most recognized golf instructors in the Nation.

Keep Your Head Still

photo credit: jlastras   Keeping your head still at all times is a prerequisite to being a good putter.  As everyone should know, the tendency is to look up just after the ball is struck.  If you have this habit, the sooner you break it the better.

Using the proper address position is all well and good but other than setting up properly, keeping the head still is imperative.  Here’s a simple tip:  When practicing, instead of looking up at the ball after it’s struck, try listening for the ball to drop.  This will get you in the habit of keeping your head motionless.  

Whenever you start missing a lot of putts, your first thought should be “is my head moving at impact?”

We’re Not Here to Party !

photo credit: Slo White   I go nuts when the course starter decides to include a stranger in our threesome.  For what golf courses charge, I ought to be able to play with whoever I want.  Why should I be forced to play with a complete stranger with an unknown skill level?  Now don’t get me wrong, I genuinely like people, I just take my golf very seriously that’s all.

For four or five hours now,  we’re stuck with a party animal and chronic talker.  Half the time is spent looking for his lost balls.  Have I really just paid $150. in green fees for this ?

Golf courses should cease this policy and just let us play with who we want to play with!  Amen.

“THE MATCH”

photo credit: danperry.com   Eddie Lowery was the famous 10 yr. old caddie for Francis Ouimet who was  the youngest US. Open Champion.  Now a wealthy car dealer, Lowery made a bet with fellow millionaire George Coleman, that two of his (Lowery’s) car salesman, Harvey Ward and Ken Venturi, could beat any two golfers in the world.  Coleman took the challenge and the match was set to begin at 10:00 a.m. the following morning at Cypress Point, CA. to settle the issue.

Coleman accepts the challenge and shows up with Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson, the game’s two greatest living players with 14 Major Championships to their credit.

THE MATCH is a thrilling and wonderfully written account of one of the most famous, yet little known matches of all time.  This is a must read for all golf enthusiasts!

Hands Ahead

photo credit: mandj98   If you are looking for a way to improve your scores, try working harder on your short game.  It’s the part of your game were you can save the most strokes.

You can regulate the height of an approach shot by the position of your hands when the ball is struck.  Typically for approaches between 5 and 40 yards, the hands should be ahead of the ball at impact,  moving the hands back during impact will create a higher shot trajectory for a softer landing.

Think about it this way:  Low trajectory hands ahead, high trajectory hands behind.  The farther your hands are ahead at impact the lower the ball flight will be.  The opposite is true for a high shot.  The use of this method may eliminate the need for carrying extra Wedges.  The positive result is that you learn to become a better shot-maker.

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