Etiquette Review Part I

photo credit: iBjorn   Do you  use proper golf etiquette, if not, here are some pointers:  Repair The Course > Be sure to replace all divots on the fairways, rough and greens.  Don’t throw the flagstick on the green, rest it there.  Repair spike marks after you hole out.  Wait For Players Ahead > Never hit into players ahead of you, always wait until they’ve hit and are on their way before you hit.  Sand Play > Enter the bunker as close as you can to your ball and always at a level spot.  Don’t climb down the sides of the trap.  When finished, rake every mark you’ve made in the sand.  On The Green > Be motionless and quite when others are putting.  Walk off green immediately when play is complete.

Etiquette Review Part II

photo credit: Dru Bloomfield – At Home in Scottsdale   How do you conduct yourself on the golf course?  Let’s review the basics of good etiquette:  If Someone is Hitting > Do not move or talk or stand to close (especially behind) to the golfer who’s preparing to take their shot.  This is especially so on the putting green.  Don’t allow your shadow to flow across the putting line of the person who’s putting.  Don’t Be Slow > With a foursome, a typical 18 hole round should last no more than 4 hours.  Prepare for each hole beforehand, not when you reach the ball.  The rules allow 5  minutes for a lost ball.  Let Others Play Through > Although foursomes have the right-of-way, allow faster players to play through especially if you are looking for a lost ball.

The Master’s Menu

photo credit: notfrancois   In 1997, Tiger Woods won The Masters at Augusta National.  As is customary, the winner is allowed to choose the menu for the “champions meal” which is held annually.  Woods ordered cheeseburgers, grilled chicken sandwiches, french fries, and vanilla and strawberry milkshakes.  It was the first time anyone ever ate french fries at Augusta National Golf Course since it was founded.  Club co-founder Clifford Roberts had deemed them unhealthy and forbade their presence on the club’s standard menu.

Jerry Pate won the 1978 Tournament Players Championship at the TPC at Sawgrass in Ponte Verde, Florida.  To celebrate the victory, Pate threw PGA Tour Commissioner Deane Beman and the course architect, Pete Dye into a green-side pond and then jumped in himself.

Free Golf Lessons

photo credit: _rockinfree   Watching televised PGA Tournaments is an excellent way to gather free information about the game of golf.  From strategy to technique, to course management, it’s all there at no charge but you have to know what to watch for. 

Tempo > watch for the pace of play, it’s relatively easy to notice when a professional gets out of his/her normal tempo.  Their shots will be hurried and even their walking pace will be quicker.  Temper > most Pros don’t allow poor shots to bother them, or good shots for that  matter, their goal is to remain emotionally stable.  Tee Box > note where they tee their ball up for an advantage drive.  Pre-shot Routine – every Pro has a pre-shot routine that you can learn from.

Chart Your Game

photo credit: danperry.com   Maintaining charts can be boring and tedious but they can be very helpful to your game.  Tips:  After every shot, make a note of the club used, how far you hit it and where the ball landed.  On the green, count the number of putts and whether they were long or short.  Before long you will see a pattern emerge by examining the chart.  Consequently, you will instantly know what part of your game needs work.

Chart your club yardages;  for carry and for roll.  Knowing how far you can hit each club is essential.  Most amateurs use instinct when choosing a club.  Knowing how far you hit each club can also instill great confidence.  With proper record-keeping watch your scores improve dramatically.

Changing Your Set

photo credit: PburghStever   How many clubs do you own besides the 14 that are in your golf bag?  Changing your set to meet the needs of the course you are playing can make a difference in your score.  You should have a total of at least 20 to rely on for changing course conditions.

If playing on a wide open course, it may be best to use a driver with less loft which delivers lower trajectory and greater roll for more distance.  For tight fairways, try a more lofted driver with a shorter shaft for more control and less roll. 

Most tour pros carry at least 3 wedges in their bag: the sand wedge, pitching wedge and lob wedge.  Each club will deliver different results, especially for short shots around the green.

Play for the Full Shot

photo credit: SearchNetMedia   All too often, more time is spent considering ball position and not enough time is used to contemplate distance.  Knowing which club you would like to use for your approach shot is the key.  Any type of shot that is less than a full shot is risky.  The shots that scare Tour Pros the most is the “half shot,” no matter which club it is. 

The safe bet is to plan the golf hole so that your approach shot leaves you with a full shot to the green.  This cannot be accomplished unless you know the exact yardage that you hit every club.  All too often, players ignore this very important aspect of the game and leave their shots, and yardages, to chance.

Playing the Par 3’s

photo credit: SimonDoggett   What are thought to be the easiest holes on the course, are usually the most difficult.  Although always reachable in one, course designers have made par 3’s much more difficult.  A well designed par 3 hole is replete with hazards.  Try these tips for Par 3’s:

1)  Know the exact yardage to the front or the center of the green.  2)  Always use a tee, it’s an advantage the rules give you.  3)  Aim away from trouble.  If the green is surrounded by bunkers, aim for the location which will give you the best advantage for a sand shot.  3)  Play your natural shot, don’t try to “create” a shot.  4)  Allow for the wind (check the flag for wind direction and velocity).

Soft Sand

photo credit: foxypar4   Not all sand found in sand traps is the same because not all sand is created equally, for instance:  The sand found at Augusta National Golf Course (home of The Masters Championship) is made from crushed marble.  Sand can be coarse or soft or fluffy.  If you find yourself in soft sand try the following:

1)  use a sand wedge with extra bounce (bounce is when the sole of the club protrudes well below the leading edge of the blade).  2)  Make contact about 1 inch  behind the ball, if you strike the sand too far back, your club will bounce up and strike the ball in the center and “skull” the shot.  3)  maintain an open clubface and bring the club in a much more upright fashion.  4)  maintain a quiet lower body.

Escaping Hard Sand

photo credit: Zach Dischner   There are several requirements to be successful getting out of a bunker that contains hard sand.  The first requirement is to use a sand wedge with less bounce so that the sole is relatively flat.  With little or no bounce, the leading edge of the blade contacts the sand first, digging in and under the ball.  If your sand wedge has too much bounce, try using your pitching wedge instead.

Square the clubface at address and contact the sand a little closer to the ball than an ordinary explosion shot.  Keep in mind, this type of shot will fly lower and run farther once it lands on the green.  If the sand is super hard, use a pitching wedge and pitch the ball out as you would on hardpan.

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