Arguments on the Course

photo credit: Johan Lange   Golf is a stressful game which can turn into an emotional roller-coaster.  Whenever feelings run this high, the possibility for confrontation is always lurking.  Sometimes, for the smallest of reasons, an argument can disrupt and ruin what was, a fun round of golf.

Golf is known as a ”gentle-men’s game” but sometimes even a gentle person can get caught up in a vocal broo-ha-ha.  If ever an argument occurs, keep your opinions to yourself and stay out of the conversation.  Remaining quiet provides a way for any argument to lose steam.  In almost every case, expressing an opinion adds fuel to the fire.  If things get too heated, simply call it quits and head for the clubhouse.  It may be time to look for some new playing partners.

The Short Knock-down

photo credit: SimonDoggett   If you find yourself faced with a lie that requires a low shot with plenty of roll, play a knock-down shot. 

In order to keep the the flight of the ball low, choose a long iron such as a 4-iron.  Step into the address position and play the ball back in your stance (closer to your back foot).  The height of the shot depends on how far back in your stance the ball is played (the loft of the club is also a determining factor).  Grip down on the club.

On the takeaway, keep the clubhead low to the ground.  If your backswing is too upright, loft will be added to the shot.  There is no need for a full follow-through on short knock-downs.

The Harbor Club

photo credit: J Anand   The Harbor Club G.C. is located in Northeastern Ohio 55 miles east of Cleveland, Ohio.  Designed by Bertie Way, the course opened in 1923.  From the blue tees the layout is 6035 yards, playing to a par 71.  Don’t be deceived by the course’s length, the Harbor Club presents a true test of golfing skills.

The Harbor Club offers many surprises because of it’s spectacular scenic terrain.  There are several par-3s that require extreme uphill shots with just the top of the pin in sight.  Although the course is not heavily trapped, accurate approach shots are a must to it’s “postage stamp” greens.

The Harbor Club is one of those “hidden gems” that should be on your list of “must play” courses.  To learn more go to:  www.harborgolfclubashtabula.com/

The Mulligan

photo credit: Shannon Phantom   Traditionally, the mulligan is a shot that is re-taken only on the first tee.  Although there are no USGA rules governing the mulligan, it’s use continues among amateurs all over the world.  If a mulligan is taken and is worst than the first, the second shot is called a “Finnegan.”  Many golfers feel that giving a mulligan is good etiquette and in many cases, mulligans are sold to raise money for charity events.

The term “Mulligan,” was derived from the name of a Canadian golfer named David Mulligan in the 1920s.  During a round of golf at the Country Club of Montreal in Saint Lambert, Canada, Mulligan hit a poor tee shot, re-teed and shot again.  He called it a “correction shot.”  As time evolved, it became a “mulligan.”

Courses and Tournaments

photo credit: vic.bergmann   The oldest bridge in golf, is nearly 1000 years old.  The stone bridge over the Swilken Burn at St. Andrews in England (where Jack Nicklaus’ farewell photo was snapped), dates back to about A.D. 1000.  There was no golf course there at that time. . . mainly because golf had yet to be invented.

Through 2001, the following states have hosted the most championships:  Georgia, 67;  New York, 24;  Pennsylvania, 23;  Illinois, 19;  Ohio 18;  California, 13;  Michigan, 11;  Massachusetts, 10;  New Jersey, 9;  Minnesota, 7 and Oklahoma, 7.

Here is an unusual and  interesting oddity about St. Andrews course in Scotland:  The par ratings of the individual holes for an 18-hole palindrome.  They read the same way backward and forward: 444-454-434-434-454-444.

Be Conservative

photo credit: Tom Purves   As a golf round progresses, adrenalin begins to flow whether a good, or bad round is being played.  If you are in the process of shooting a good round, your desire to finish strong increases and the “rush” begins.  If you are in the midst of a bad round, anger can develop which also increases the flow of adrenalin.

The surest way to play good golf is to try to maintain a steady, consistent attitude.  In almost every case, this can be accomplished by playing conservatively.  Approach each shot from a conservative point of view.  Instead of trying to “bomb” a 3-metal 270 yards, swing easier and be happy with 230 yards.  Maintaining a conservative attitude can and will work wonders for your game.

Historical Information

photo credit: Rob Ireton   In the early 1900s, a British golfer played a hole in one over par.  Referring to the “Colonel Bogey March,” which was popular at the time, the golfer told his playing partner. “Even Colonel Bogey could have done better than that!”  From that moment on, a score of one-over was called a bogey.

In 1922, the federal director of Prohibition enforcement for Minnesota gave these four reasons why golf was bad for family men: “First, golf is not intended for anybody under 55 years of age.  Second, it encourages idleness and shiftlessness.  Third, men neglect their families and their business duties to play the game.  And fourth, young men are tempted to take on expenses they cannot meet and so frequently are led to commit crimes.”

The Real Home of Golf

photo credit: Loz Flowers   Was Italy, rather than Scotland, the real home of golf?  Did the Italians invent golf?  The oldest known activity resembling golf was a Roman game called paginica, played in an open field with a bent stick and a leather ball stuffed with wool.  The theory is that the Romans brought the game with them when Julius Caesar led the invasion of Britain in 55 B.C.

The expression “O.B.,” which stands for “out of bounds,” is believed to have been coined in Ireland in the 1930s at Ballybunion.  There was a graveyard to the right of the 1st hole and Finbar O’Brien’s farm beyond it.  Many a tee shot was either “in the graveyard” or “O.B.”  The words “out of bounds” stood the test of time.

Strange Golf Balls

photo credit: Aloud..   Astronaut Alan Shepard never revealed what type of golf balls he struck on the moon even though Jack Harden (Shepard’s Pro at the Houston River Oaks C.C.) knew.  They were local range balls.  Harden’s son, Jack Harden Jr., said his father knew the balls would be subjected to extreme temperature changes and wanted something durable.  The balls were two piece Surlyn-covered Spaldings with blue stripes and PROPERTY OF JACK HARDEN stamped on them.

Wayne Levi was the very first tour player on the PGA Tour to win a tournament using a disco-era orange golf ball.  It was the 1982 Hawaiian Open.  Fourteen years later Levi was presented with a memento of the event at the 14th anniversary of his win.

Tee Shot

photo credit: SimonDoggett   On a par four or par five hole, your tee shot placement is critical because it sets up your approach to the green, that’s why driving the ball straight is so important.

Placing your tee shot in a fairway location that allows an approach to the widest part of the fairway (on par 5s) or the widest part of the green (on par 4s, should be your goal.  Sand traps are a threat because they are usually placed to block an area of the fairway that allows a good approach shot.  Sand traps near the green protect the pin so that if your shot isn’t long enough, the trap will catch your ball.

Make sure you use good course management and plan your tee shots accordingly.

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