Golf Blog

This past Saturday was the second part of my Women’s Welcome to Golf clinic and like the first week, focused on the mechanics of the game.  I have to admit that between the two clinics, I had not been able to play that much golf.  Ideally, I would have gone out one or two more times to practice what I had learned from the clinic before, but alas, the weather kept me off of the green and at my desk for most of the week (sigh). With that said, the pieces of advice were still there, and by my third or fourth stroke of the afternoon, I was right back into last week’s lesson groove.

“Almost all golfers head to the driving range before a round,” said Sunday River Pro, Peter Flint. “The problem with that is you use your driver only once during each hole (most of the time) whereas you use your putter however many times it takes you to get the ball into the hole.” So needless to say, we headed for the practice green.

This makes complete sense and I smirk a little at hearing this because I too am guilty of the very same mistake.  The problem is – I LOVE the driving range.  I could honestly go through bag after bag of golf balls, and gladly will, if given the chance.  However, I am committed to becoming a better golfer, and truth be told, while I have a good drive – it’s the short game that always gets me!  Luckily for me, midway through the putting and chipping lesson, good behavior and better results have earned us time on the range.

If you’re new to golf, driving can be intimidating.  Let’s face it, when Joe Shmoe next to you smacks one well out of sight, you can’t help but pray to yourself to “just make contact with the ball!” But,

if you’re lucky to have the knowledge of a Pro on your side, as I have with Pete, you don’t need silent prayers you just need to listen.

We worked from one end of the club spectrum through to the other end, only moving on after hitting a ball well.  I practiced stance, grip and position and when I had finally gone from sand wedge to driver successfully, I have to admit – I was exhausted!  However, I was also really excited to walk away with pieces of advice that I had never heard not to mention a comment from Pete that I will now take with me to every game.

“Keep hitting it like that and you’ll end up on the tour.”

One can only hope. And if nothing else, flattery will get you everywhere. 

Happy golfing!

Darcy

I have participated in a number of women’s specific golf clinics in my time - partly to learn, partly for the comradeship, and of course a big part for the essential after-lesson glass of wine with the girls.  Women’s Clinics take the edge off of having to learn from someone you know, and let’s be frank – the idea has probably saved more then one relationship from the certain doom associated with having to accept “critique” from your said-partner.

I signed up for Saturday’s Women’s Welcome to Golf at the Sunday River Golf Club with an open mind and right off the bat was pleasantly surprised.  Not only is this one of the most affordable clinics I have ever come across, but its benefits continue long after the clinic ends three weeks later.  Sure, you walk away with a better understanding for the game and areas on which to improve upon, but more than just that, you walk away with the opportunity to keep learning through the Club’s daily clinics.  Ranging from sand play to course management – even some more ladies’ specific lessons – these hour-long clinics allow golfers at every level to keep improving for just $15 a lesson.  The new golf school programming is both ingenious and well priced, and really does speak to the Club’s commitment to furthering the sport of golf.  Needless to say, I was sold from the very start!

Day one of this three-part clinic focuses on putting and chipping.  Sounds simple in concept, but if you think about it, most of the games either won or lost come down to the short game. During an average round of golf, you might expect to spend upwards of three to four strokes on the green trying to get the ball into the cup.  And while buying a bag of golf balls for the range is fun, noticeable improvement to one’s golf game really comes down to putting.  Think about it – you only take out your driver 16 times during a round of 18 holes but how many times to you take out your putter and use it? 18 plus, plus, plus, plus?!

By the end of the lesson, I learned a lot about my grip (Tiger Woods has the same one) and how to lead more with my hands.  The best part was that the advice was spot on and I saw noticeable improvements within two hours.  And perhaps, when it was all said and done, the biggest lesson learned was said within the first two minutes of the lesson: “golf is a game and you’re meant to have fun.” I am happy to report that I had a lot of fun – lesson learned!

Stay tuned for next week’s recap of Ladies Welcome to Golf Day Two.
Happy golfing!

Darcy

Even if you have not yet joined the Twitter revolution, you would have to be hiding under a rock to not have heard about it - or the number of people and businesses using it. Sunday River has a Twitter account (sundayriver), as does Chris DiMarco (ChrisDiMarco), John Daly (PGA_John Daly), Davis Love III (Love 3D), Parker McLachlin (ParkerMcLachlin), Ian Poulter (IanJamesPoulter), Stuart Appleby (StuartAppleby), Tadd Fujikawa (Tadd_Fujikawa), Boo Weekley (BooWeekley), Pat Perez (PatPerezGolf), J.J. Henry (JJHenryGolf), Peter Jacobsen (JakeTrout) and Spencer Levin (Spencer_Levin) (source www.golfdigest.com).  

Are all of these fellow "Tweeters" talking to just their fellow golfing friends? Maybe. However, more and more people are "tweaching" out to people they'd like to be friends with and businesses they'd like to be associated with. Thus, it's become not so much who you know as who you'd like to know. Speaking on behalf of Sunday River, we use Twitter to post press releases, new vacation and lodging deals, event information and sometimes just fun nonsense we've come across that we want to share with the masses.  For the Sunday River Golf Club, we post course news, clinics offered and sometimes just fun facts like, "hey - there is a new Golf Blog posted by Darcy up!" (Shameless plug, but hey don't blame me, blame the little birdie who told me to do it.)

In a recent article posted by Thomas Bonk on Golf Digest Digital, "Sore Thumbs," Bonk illustrates that the use of Twitter amidst the golfing world is only going to grow.

"There is no telling just where this is all going to end up, but you can probably assume there are going to be some sore thumbs if it continues to take off. And all signs indicate that it's just getting bigger," writes Bonk. "Want to know how we know? Dan Jenkins, the venerable writer-at-large for Golf Digest, is going to tweet at the U.S. Open. For many who know Jenkins, this is startling news, if only for the fact that Jenkins sometimes needs help turning his computer on."

So for those of us golfers concentrating on birdies, it might also benefit us to concentrate on "tweets" as well.

Happy golfing!

Darcy