Winter 2015: Gifts and Guidance

GOLF FASHION • GOLF YOGA • WINE FOR GOLFERS • GOLF & GRATITUDE

WINTER 2015

GIFTS & GUIDANCE

All of our best advice, tips and tricks

PLUS, your holiday shopping list

GIFTS & GUIDANCE

GOTTAGOGOLF WINTER 2015 Photos, from left: iStockPhoto.com, 123rf.com, 123rf.com

Gifts

Guidance

COVER: 12 great gifts for the golfing woman..........7

Our best rules, etiquette advice and tip articles of 2015 are packaged together in this issue, starting on

19th HOLE: Tips on giving liquid presents ...................15

PAGE 20

EDITOR: Appreciating the gift of golf...............................5 Cover illustration by Andi Bivens

Women's Golf Alliance Directory.........54–55

WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 2

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Susan Fornoff Founder and Editor-in-Chief Andi Bivens Designer Bill Burnett Copy Chief Cheryl Stotler 19th Hole Editor CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Keith DuBay, Gail Rogers, Christina Ricci, Katherine Roberts, Sue Wieger ILLUSTRATION Cathy Bowman

SUBSCRIBE AND WIN PHOTOGRAPHY USGA, Dreamstime, Shutterstock, Getty Images, 123rf.com, iStock For information about ad rates and sponsorships, call or email: feedback@GottaGoGolf.com 510.507.3249 All materialŠGottaGoGolf 2015 unless otherwise noted

Activate your subscription to be eligible for random prizes Sign up here!

One reader won a golf bag from Birdie Babe just for opening her free monthly newslet ter.

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EDITOR'S NOTE With thanks and gratitude On a recent Sunday morning at Sharp Park Golf Course, players chased their hats in gale-force storm winds and endeavored to putt through sloppy mud on temporary greens.

Afterward, we filled our plates with turkey and mashed potatoes, and lifted glasses that were not half empty. We had seen the new greens that would soon replace those temporaries, and we knew that wind is just a fact of life on a golf course snuggled next to the Pacific Ocean. We were grateful for beautiful surroundings and new friends.

Of all of the gifts of golf, those two seem to be the most universal. If you think you’ve seen an ugly golf course, I’d suggest that perhaps you were missing a contact lens that day. If you’ve not made new friends at a golf course, could it be that you’re always playing in the same foursome?

Beyond the scenery and pals, we can be thankful for golf for giving us exercise, teaching us discipline, and reminding us to do our best even while accepting the game’s whimsy when it comes to rewards. After all, our perfect shot might hit the flag and fly 20

Celebrating golf's unexpected gift of love at Colorado's Pole Creek Golf Club.

yards off course. And our ground ball might As always, I appreciate the gift of your finish rolling just as it gets to the bottom of attention. Thank you and happy holidays the cup. from GottaGoGolf.

As you flip through this final 2015 issue of —Susan Fornoff, GottaGoGolf Magazine, I hope you’ll take a

Founder and Editor-in-Chief few minutes to consider the special gifts the game has given you this year.

It’s hard to imagine a greater gift from golf If you’d like a more than the one I have received. An odyssey that traditional gift, please visit began with the “His” and “Her” stories in the this link at GottaGoGolf.com Spring issue of GottaGoGolf has evolved into the great love of my life. and tell us why you’re A year ago we had our first date at grateful for golf. We’ve got Sharp Park. Back then I referred to him as a little something sure to LongDistanceMan; soon I will call him my husband. We’re planning to walk down the improve the game of one fairway of life together, doing our best to lucky commenter. help each other out of the trees and hazards along the way.

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COVER

GOTTA GIFT

The gifts of golf: Our 12 selections for your holiday shopping list

By Susan Fornoff

ILLUSTRATION BY ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

Ladies, have you had your share of kitschy golf gifts? The stuffed Caddyshack gopher that sings “I’m All Right” when squeezed…the “It Takes Balls to Golf the Way I Do” T-shirt— which, by the way, does not even meet dress code on many golf courses…and, oh, the lovely monogrammed golf balls in some

brand that is not meant to ever be struck on any golf course.

Every golfer is different, even every woman golfer, and so the perfect holiday gift requires a bit of thought. Here are a dozen ideas at various prices suitable for everyone from your favorite foursome to your mom.

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GOTTA GIFT Information please!

Is your best friend a techy who frets over every nuance of her game? A control freak who wants to know exactly how far she hits every club? For her, we suggest Game Golf, the digital tracking system that is very easy to use yet delivers a bag full of information about your game. Note: This is not for the Zen golfer or your friend whose favorite phrase is “TMI!” Around $150 online.

Have wine, will golf

Women tend to prefer wine to other adult beverages, and we think it’s such a great gift that this issue’s 19th Hole is full of advice on choosing the perfect bottle.

Another option handy for the golfer who generally rides: the wine purse.

We spotted these insulated, right-size beauties in the shop at the Napa Valley Wine Train station and wanted several colors. MSRP $19.99 but you can find one for less online.

Get her noticed

GottaGoGolf generally stays away from clothing gifts; women like to pick out their own clothes, and usually they like to try them on before they buy. But, the skorts from Loudmouth make friends because they are noticed. They are made of soft, high quality cotton, and they come in so many patterns (even maybe her college team colors) that you might make a very personal choice for the giftee. Note: We think they run true to size, 00–16. Around $80 online.

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GOTTA GIFT Help her putting

Mom is constantly complaining about her putting.

She is 80, so she’s beyond complaining about other parts of her game, but she knows that if she practices she can still salvage this one. For her, we have the Dead Zero, a compact little target she can take anywhere. It’s a disk that’s smaller than a golf hole, so any time she hits it, she’s sunk a putt. Comes in a neat pouch and travels well. MSRP $24.95, or you can get a bubble level insert

included for $29.95.

Make a celebration

Do you have a regular foursome you love to play with? How about giving each player a Birdie Juice flask filled with a different potion, so that you’ll celebrate differently for each birdie? Or with the potion your group agrees is best? We think this flask from Cafepress.com is pretty cute ($24.95), but you could find a different pattern for each player, design your own or make your own.

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE BRANDS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

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GOTTA GIFT Save her wrinkles

A good gift is not something you think the giftee needs, so we’ll caution against giving sun protection to the golfer who revels in those damaging rays even though you know she shouldn’t. But the player who reminds the rest of your group to apply (and reapply) sunscreen during the round might appreciate the gift of sun sleeves. There are plenty of white ones on the market, so choose a pattern from Iconic Sport. In Tattoo, she’ll look fashionable and coordinate with most colors.

Around $30 online.

Keep her warm

If you want to keep your giftee warm in the shoulder seasons, then it's the legs you want to help her cover.

Leggings are great in cold weather, but in California and in the desert golf communities, winter mornings can be quite cold and the afternoons quite warm. Now you want leggings that are easy to remove, such as the single LegSkinz from Lady Skinz. Note: Choose a size smaller than the giftee usually wears, and they'll stay up.

Around $30 online.

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GOTTA GIFT Keep her dry

If your giftee has to brave the rain once in a while, surely you’ll want to protect her with one of the fantastic rainsuits from Sunice. Just pick out a jacket (we like the Elan, shown here in hot pink), and a pair of black pants are bound to coordinate. (Yes, we’ve seen white rain pants, but, how long do they stay white in mud?)

Expect to spend at least $300 for high quality that will last.

Show her waistline

The famous advice Vera Wang gave the LPGA Tour players during a style seminar: Lose the belt. She meant that a little-man polo shirt tucked into pleated shorts and belted around the middle does not flatter most women. But, consider the adjustable, quickfastening and jewelry-like belts being made by companies like Nexbelt, Hipsi and Mission Belt.

Choose well, and your giftee will be wearing hers with jeans when she’s not on course. Hipsi belt shown, $50 at Amazon.

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GOTTA GIFT Save her two strokes

Maybe you know someone who took a two-stroke penalty last summer for hitting a wrong ball. (Guilty!) A company called Tin Cup has given us a fun way to distinguish our ball, as per Rule 12–2. The stainless steel mold fits over your ball, and you just take a colored marker and stencil in the design.

Ladies, you might want to give a “Breakfast Ball” (cup of coffee), martini glass, “Gimme Choo” (high-heeled shoe), heart or wine glass, among other designs. Just $19.95 each, and you can add a colored Sharpie for $2.

Lighten her load

featured bag on the market, it Someone special in your weighs just 2.5 pounds—plenty life loves to have the “latest of space for birdie juice—and greatest” of everything. And, she loves to walk and carry her goes for an MSRP of $219.99.

And though women tend to golf bag. What gift could be prefer to push, not carry, Sun kinder and more loving than the Sun Mountains 2Five stand/ Mountain has us covered with 11 color choices. carry bag? The lightest full-

And for the best golf gift of them all, turn the page...

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GOTTA GIFT

Give your friend the gift of time spent together…

PHOTO BY 123RF.COM

Consider an experience. The world constantly reminds us that life is precious and our time is priceless. You could give a friend the gift of an hour at the range followed by lunch, or nine holes together, or 18 (including the 19th of course), or a whole golf getaway. We’re putting this one last, only because it’s at the top of our list and so we hope you’ll remember it first.

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COVER 19TH HOLE

By Cheryl Stotler

The White Elephant Wine Gift: How to know good from bad?

It’s that time of year when many givers and receivers favor prettily wrapped liquids. Among golfers, there are always reasons to celebrate, which makes gifts of bubbles and birdie juice welcome and appropriate.

At GottaGoGolf, we’ve played with enough industry folks to know that you probably can’t go wrong with bottled gratitude for your favorite golf professional, teacher or club captain.

Oops, we take that back, you can go wrong. So follow these three tips for giving imbibable holiday gifts, and then let us help you with your shopping.

PHOTO BY 123RF.COM

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19TH HOLE

PHOTO BY 123RF.COM

GIFTS TO POUR OVER 1.

Find out what your recipient collects or likes to drink (wine or vodka? red or white? domestic or imported?), or even what he or she likes to eat. Liquor becomes so much more personal with a note on the card that says, “This should be delightful with those barbecued ribs you love to make.”

2.

Make your bottle beautiful with some of the winespecific gift wrappings that become more widely available this time of year. Yes, it’s clearly a bottle, but you get to choose between making your gift boring or making it festive.

3.

Make sure your recipient is not in the middle of a 12-step program, has not taken a vow of abstention and does not have an intervention by friends and family on the 2016 calendar. Tis better to give a badtasting gift than a gift in bad taste, and you do not want to give a bottle of Ernie Els’ Proprietors Blend to someone who should be sticking with Arnold Palmers.

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19TH HOLE

Shopping suggestions First decide how much you want to spend, and then follow these guidelines for finding value in any price range. A good rule of thumb for brands and countries not listed here: Taste it. If you likey, you can givey.

Under $10

Santa Barbara, Paso Robles.

We also look for ugly labels— I don’t sell wines in this sometimes even the best wines category so I don’t drink them. won’t sell under those—and Call me a wine snob, or take the oddly named blends. advice of my friend Susan, who “We do try to avoid vintages likes to shop with her man at older than two years, and if we a store called Grocery Outlet. like something, we go back in a It’s a place where even popular labels have been known to dump hurry and buy a bunch of it for guests and hosts.” inventory at crazy low prices.

“We’ve learned to read $10–$25 labels discriminatingly,” Susan You can buy a copy of Wine says. “We’d buy a $5 anything Spectator and read about the if the label says the grapes latest rising star winemaker and are Napa Valley grown. That’s how to jump on their mailing rare though, so we look for grapes from favorite regions— list for one of 100 coveted cases that will set you back Russian River Valley, Sonoma a paycheck. But how do you Coast, Santa Lucia/Monterey choose an amazing bottle from Pinot Noir or Chardonnay,

The "second label" was created during a recent recession and became a phenomenon.

A few favorite examples: Casaeda Wines (second label for Culler Wines), Faust (second label for Quintessa), Bridesmaid (second label for Pam Starr and Drew Neiman), Decoy Wines (second label for Duckhorn Vineyards). These "second labels" have become so successful that they are now bona fide brands in their own right.

Where and how would you find these? Depending on $25–$50 your location, you’d shop in a In this price range, you could Bev-Mo, a wine shop or online. have fun with fancy brands If that fails, well-known small to that produce a second label.

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the countless selections that are readily available and average about $15 or so?

Go with a solid, well-known brand that will disappoint neither a novice nor the country club connoisseur.

You will see these names on countless wine lists across the country because of their consistency and great prices.

Gift anything by Robert Mondavi, Beringer, FerrariCarano, Hess and Bogle with confidence.

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19TH HOLE medium producers (less than 10,000 cases total production) in this price range also make great gifts. Think Mount Veeder Winery, Whitehall Lane Winery and Hall Wines.

$50–$100

Look for wines that, as we say in the trade, “over-deliver” for the price. Your clue: High scores from critics who happen to mention that what’s in the bottle “drinks like a wine that is double the price.” Some of my favorite producers in this price range include Terra Valentine, Chappellet Winery, Pride Mountain Vineyards and Lail Vineyards.

This is also a good price range for upgrading the recipient’s usual cocktail from house/well vodka, gin, bourbon and whiskey to Bainbridge Legacy Organic Vodka, Williams Chase Gin, Benchmark Old No. 8 Kentucky Straight Bourbon and

Glendronach 15 Year Revival Scotch. The recipient will think you're stylishly hip.

And since ‘tis the season’ is the time for celebrating and a bit of (over)indulging, a spectacular bubbly or decadent dessert wine in this price range is always welcome.

$100–$250

Go back to the $25-$50 category and buy the first labels of the second label recommendations or purchase the personal wines of famous winemakers.

Heidi Barrett, Phillipe Melka, David Ramey, Paul Hobbs and Thomas Rivers Brown all make terrific wines for highend clients. Presenting a bottle with the name of one of these superstars on the label guarantees the wow reaction.

$250+

Most people I sell wines to in this category are collectors or

want to buy a gift for someone Cheryl Stotler is a wine special—a wife shopping for educator who manages the hubby's milestone birthday, an shops in the Napa Valley Wine executive looking for a gift for a Train station.

CEO, or a sales star picking out something for an important client. The more cult-y, the better.

Here, it’s hard not to appreciate bottles from Opus One, Insignia, Shafer Hillside Select or Hundred Acre Cabernet Sauvignon.

A word of warning, however: True cult wines cannot be purchased unless you are on the exclusive customer list or you buy from a broker at an inflated price. At this time, I have only one true cult wine in my shop. That one, the Bryant Family Bettina Napa Valley 2012, retails for $725. Yes, per bottle.

I would try to give wines in this category to someone who likes me enough to share them.

Cheers!

PHOTO BY 123RF.COM

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ADVERTORIAL

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GUIDANCE

By Gail Rogers

Nurturing your friends on the Rules of Golf

Let’s start “each hole out correctly. ”

Q. A friend of mine has taken up golf and she

Gail Rogers has served as a USGA rules official for many USGA championships. She now serves on the Northern California Golf Association Board of Directors and frequently officiates NCGA events.

Her home course is Pasatiempo in Santa Cruz, Calif.

has finally moved from the range to the course.

I've noticed, though, that she seems a bit selfconscious about not observing the rules as I and my more experienced friends try to do.

How can we help her learn the rules as her game progresses? What are the most important points to learning?

A. Before your friend plays her first round with

your group in a tournament you might consider playing a friendly round, including having breakfast and discussing three important areas before you tee off.

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PHOTO/SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE

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GUIDANCE THOUGHT 1: Let’s start each hole out correctly. Explain that many players

like to tee up their ball as close as possible to the front of the teeing ground, which is the front of the tee markers.

She needs to make sure that some of her ball is behind that invisible line that connects the front of the markers. While she can be up to two club lengths behind the markers, and yes that measurement can be with any club in her bag, if all of her ball is in front of the markers she would be making a stroke from outside the teeing ground. It is a two-stroke penalty after her first stroke in stroke play. Not a fun way to start the day. Now she must play another ball from within that magical two club-length area of the teeing ground.

HINT: BE A FRIEND TO ALL IN YOUR GROUP. Stop another player from making this simple error by asking her to, “Please check your ball position,” before she hits the ball. If you want to know more about the teeing ground you can read Rule 11.

THOUGHT 2:

Do not reach down and pick up a ball on the course to see if it is your ball. There is a simple procedure to follow when trying to determine if a ball you see on the course is your ball:

1.

2.

3.

4.

Tell another player in your group that you need to see if this is your ball.

Put a tee in the ground next to the ball to mark its position when you lift it.

Let your fellow golfer watch the procedure if she wishes, and then…

Lift the ball.

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GUIDANCE If it is your golf ball, replace it, remove the tee and play on. If it is not your ball, keep searching.

Tell your friend that even some longtime players have this bad habit of touching the ball without following the procedure for identification. Perhaps in 2015 your club can resolve to stop this incorrect procedure of touching, lifting or rolling a ball lying on the course without following the proper procedure. It is a one-stroke penalty each time a player does this during a round. Read Rule 12–2, Searching for and identifying ball, if you want a review.

HINT: ANOTHER WAY TO BE ABLE TO EASILY IDENTIFY YOUR BALL IS TO PUT A MARK ON IT THAT IS EVEN EASY TO SEE IN THE ROUGH. I have a friend who uses large stars on her ball. You could use a permanent marker and put a colorful line around your ball or draw a flower, heart or symbol that makes you happy.

THOUGHT 3: When your ball is on the putting green, lifting your ball is allowed. Once your ball lies on the putting green, you can use a coin, decorative ball marker, or other small object placed immediately behind your ball to mark its position. You can then lift your ball and clean it if you wish. When it is your turn to play carefully replace the ball on the same spot from which you lifted it.

HINT: REMEMBER, YOU CAN ONLY TOUCH THE BALL WHEN THE MARKER IS IN PLACE. Once you remove the marker, it’s hands off! If you rotate or touch the ball, even if the ball stays in contact with the grass the entire time, you receive a one-stroke penalty just like you did when trying to find out if the ball on the course was your ball.

NOW IT’S TIME TO PLAY Go out and enjoy a round of golf with your friend. Do not discuss the rules unless asked. Let her get to know members of your group in a happy setting. At lunch you might say, “I observed a couple of things you did on the course that do not follow the rules. If you are interested we can discuss them.”

This allows her to be in charge of her learning and lets you see her commitment to the game. If she is eager to talk explain one or two rules breaches, then tell her that on the course it is good etiquette to stop another player from making a mistake and she should expect others to do that for her. You might also talk about the need to have the proper score in each box on the scorecard. Explain that no one wants to get disqualified and that is why we discuss a rules breach so the score is correct.

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GUIDANCE You can purchase a Decisions on the Rules of Golf from the USGA. Go to usga.org and under the rules section you can find a place to purchase or download the book.

AND HERE’S AN IDEA FOR EVERYONE PLAYING GOLF Please purchase a Decisions on the Rules of Golf book and encourage your friends to do that also. Yes, it is the big fat one (over 1 inch thick), but do not let the thickness fool you.

It is really just a collection of very short stories about what happens when your golf ball ends up in strange places on the course. It tells us how the Rules of Golf expects us to handle each situation.

Begin reading the Decisions book anywhere you find

interesting. It is not an Agatha Christie mystery that must be read from the beginning to the end. That approach will make this seem more like a punishment than a fun adventure.

Because most courses have cart paths, benches, stakes, restrooms and other manmade objects you might want to start with Rule 24 Obstructions, and suggest to your friend that she begin there. There are two parts to this rule: movable obstructions and immovable obstructions. Read the “short stories” and learn how to handle those situations. Then skip to another part of the rules where

you have interest or questions.

If you have lots of water hazards on your course and your ball likes to take the occasional swim, you might want to look at Rule 26 Water Hazards, where you will learn the difference between yellow and red stakes as well as where to drop your ball when taking relief from a water or lateral water hazard.

Consider leaving your Decisions book next to the place where you watch TV or normally read. Mute the commercials and read a few Decisions while waiting for the program to return. You will be amazed at how quickly you get a sense of the rules.

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GUIDANCE

By Gail Rogers

How to design a course that fits your game Using both “sets of tees, we can design our own combo course.

”

When playing our familiar home course we rarely think about which tees we might play, or the rating and slope for the round we post. It is all just automatic.

Traveling and playing a new course gives us an opportunity to think of all these elements. Planning ahead can give us the most excitement and enjoyment for our round. Frequently we will notice that the standard scorecard provides one yardage rated for women that seems too long to be fun, but the next yardage seems to take all of the challenge out of the game for our skill set.

The question is, can we create a middle ground?

Using both course sets of tees, we can design our own combination (combo) course.

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Right: At Innisbrook, you might not need combo tees.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SALAMANDER RESORTS

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GUIDANCE

PHOTO BY DREAMSTIME.COM

If you arrive at the course and realize there is not a good yardage for your game, speak with the pro shop staff and ask if they have a combo course. Or if you can, go online before arriving at the course and look at the hole-by-hole yardage book. Consider starting with the par-3 holes, which on paper might seem to be the same yardage requiring the same club. A quick look might show one is uphill and another requires a significant carry over water or native grasses. If other holes seem to require the same shot, consider using another teeing ground for at least one of these holes so that you have the opportunity to use all the clubs in your bag before the round is completed.

On par-4 and par-5 holes, consider how you would play the hole looking from the green back to the tee. Where is the trouble? Where do you have a long carry? Is it from the tee or the second or third shot? What yardage plays best to your skill? Mix and match the two front set of tees to get the proper mix for an interesting, challenging round.

When you create your combo course, there is a procedure in the USGA Handicap Manual for determining your rating and slope for posting. The USGA Handicap Manual Section 5–2g, Posting a Score from an Unrated Set of Tees on a Rated Course shows us how to do this.

The first step is to determine the total yardage you played. Then look at the yardages on the scorecard and select the course with the yardage closest in yardage you played that is rated for women. Determine the yardage difference between these two courses.

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GUIDANCE Using the table from the USGA that we have included at right, find the yardage range that includes the yardage difference for the course you created. The first column to the right is the rating difference and the second is the slope difference. If your perfect course is shorter than that for the rated tees you subtract those numbers from the rating and slope. If you played a longer course you add those numbers.

Let’s do the math.

Looking at the scorecard for the course I am visiting, one yardage is 4,476 and the next one is 5,656. After looking at all 18 holes I played 7 holes from the shorter tees. This will make my combination course play 5,216 yards, which is closer in yardage (440) to the longer course. When looking at the chart from the USGA, my adjustment for 440 yards is 2.4 to the rating and 5 to the slope. Since I am using the rating and slope from the longer course I subtract the adjustment numbers. 74.0–2.4 and 135–5 gives me a rating and slope of 71.6/130 for my perfect course. It is still a challenging course but one I can handle.

Now when I go to the course computer or bring the course to post online, I adjust the rating and slope to the combo course I have created and I have an accurate posting for my round.

It is easy and fun to be the architect of your round. Just print the chart, take it along with you on your outings and enjoy!

Yards

0 to 8 9 to 26 27 to 44 45 to 62 63 to 80 81 to 98 99 to 116 117 to 134 135 to 152 153 to 170 171 to 188 189 to 206 207 to 224 225 to 242 243 to 260 261 to 278 279 to 296 297 to 314 315 to 332 333 to 350 351 to 368 369 to 386 387 to 404 405 to 422 423 to 440 441 to 458 459 to 476 477 to 494 495 to 512 513 to 530 531 to 548 549 to 566 567 to 584 585 to 602 603 to 620

Change in USGA Course Rating

0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4

Change in Slope Rating

0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7

Yards

621 to 638 639 to 656 657 to 674 675 to 692 693 to 710 711 to 728 729 to 746 747 to 764 765 to 782 783 to 800 801 to 818 819 to 836 837 to 854 855 to 872 873 to 890 891 to 908 909 to 926 927 to 944 945 to 962 963 to 980 981 to 998 999 to 1016 1017 to 1034 1035 to 1052 1053 to 1070 1071 to 1088 1089 to 1106 1107 to 1124 1125 to 1142 1143 to 1160 1161 to 1178 1179 to 1196 1197 to 1214 1215 to 1232 1233 to 1250

Change in USGA Course Rating

3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9

Change in Slope Rating

7 8 8 8 8 8 9 9 9 9 10 10 10 10 10 11 11 11 11 11 12 12 12 12 13 13 13 13 13 14 14 14 14 14 15

Courtesy of USGA: Find the range that includes the difference in yardage between rated tees and unrated tees. The first column to the right is the change in USGA Course Rating, and the second column to the right is the change in Slope Rating. If the unrated tees are longer than the rated tees, their ratings are higher; if the unrated tees are shorter, their ratings are lower.

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GUIDANCE

By Gail Rogers

4 great reasons to cultivate a friendship with the Rules of Golf The golf season is in full swing—literally and figuratively. Working with a golf professional at this time helps us refine swing path, bunker techniques and other physical aspects of our game. It is also time to work on the mental side of our game by finding ways to control tension during a critical shot in the round, to learn to let the negatives go and focus on the shot at the moment.

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CARTOON BY CATHY BOWMAN

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GUIDANCE

Clear thinking and decision making involves not just club selection and target, but making the best choice available when the Rules of Golf can rescue a hole and save a par or give us a “good” bogey. Knowing as much as possible about the rules prevents unpleasant surprises during a round that can turn into major distractors and tension builders in a heartbeat.

REASON 1: RULE 6-3 At the 8 a.m. starting time, Player X thought she was on time when she arrived at the tee ready to play just prior to her name being announced. She, however, was listed as the third player in the group, and all the players listed at the same starting time need to be at the tee ready to play at the tee time listed for the group.

Because this was a stroke play event, she began her day with a two-stroke penalty that the starter explained just after she played her tee shot. Understanding Rule 6-3 could have saved her two strokes and started the day on a happier note.

REASON 2: RULE 26-1 Yellow-staked water hazards give us simple options if we cannot play the ball as it lies. I have watched players line up the hole location with the spot on the hazard margin where the ball last crossed and drop the ball on that line.

While this is one of the two options a player may select as

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PHOTO BY BLESSINGTONLAKESGOLFCLUB.COM

Follow along for four reasons the Rules of Golf should be your friend.

WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 28

GUIDANCE she incurs a one-stroke penalty under Rule 26-1, the spot for the drop is frequently selected without much thought. Dropping on a down slope or in high rough certainly does not showcase the strength in most of our games.

Because the rule allows us to go as far back on that line as we wish (as long as we stay within the bounds of the course), let’s think about dropping where we have a level lie, good grass and/or a yardage that we prefer for the next shot. This careful execution of the Rules can give us the confidence to make our next stroke a good one.

REASON 3: RULE 20-2C At a recent tournament a player worked with her caddie taking proper relief from a cart path. Because the ground sloped back to the path, her two drop rolled back onto the path. Now she had to place the ball. I heard her say to the caddie, “Now I can place the ball on the spot I like best within the club-length.”

Unfortunately the answer to that is, “No.” The time for thinking about the perfect spot where you want to place the ball is before you drop. Analyze the contour of the ground, and when you think you will likely be dropping twice and then placing, identify the best lie possible within the dropping area allowed and aim for that spot when you let go of the ball. If you are lucky the ball will strike that spot when you drop the second time and it now is THE SPOT where you will place the ball. Rule 20-2c gives us examples of the times when we must drop, re-drop and then place.

REASON 4: RULE 24-1 At a Northern California women’s tournament, players waved me over as one player had her ball held in position on the steep slope of a bunker by the bunker rake. “She just moves the rake and if the ball moves plays it from the new position,” one player stated emphatically.

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You control “ everything until

the ball leaves the clubface.

Then you control nothing but your reaction.

”

—Maverick McNealy

WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 29

GUIDANCE “We might get there eventually, but we have a procedure to follow first,” I responded.

Because she could mark the ball with a tee before entering the bunker, I had her do that and then carefully remove the rake. The ball did roll down the slope.

Then I asked her to think before walking into the bunker as she was going to need to try to replace the ball on the original spot without pressing it into the sand. If it did not stay after a second attempt, she would be trying to place it down the slope, not nearer the hole until we finally found a spot where it would come to rest. We did not want that spot to be one of her footprints.

After a number of tries, the ball finally came to rest on a gently up slope. The player made a terrific up and down. The Rules are her friend!

Remember a rake is a movable obstruction. That means something man made on the course that can be moved without unreasonable effort, without causing undue delay to play, and without causing damage to the course. Rule 24-1 tells us how to remove a movable obstruction when our ball lies next to or against it.

Look carefully at Rule 24-1: There are no EXCEPT words of caution.

That means everywhere on the course we can remove movable manmade objects. Cigar butts (ugh), pop cans, directional signs for cart traffic, abandoned golf balls, even WATER HAZARD STAKES whether your ball is lying inside or outside the water or lateral water hazard. Yes, put that last thought on movable water hazard stakes in your thinking.

You will be amazed how few people understand that and how often it can help you.

THE LAST WORD A recent tweet from Maverick McNealy, Stanford golfer, said, “You control everything until the ball leaves the clubface. Then you control nothing but your reaction. Act accordingly.” Employing the Rules to your advantage as you act on this next shot is your best reaction.

It’s not always good to be

‘thin’

We should all eat healthy and exercise, but ‘thin’ requires an entirely different plan on the golf course.

Here we’re talking about the thin lie.

You’ll find different ground conditions all over the world. It’s important to be able to recognize these conditions first, then have a plan how to hit them. A thin lie looks like the ball is lying on the ground, with no grass cushion in between.

Golf professionals love thin lies because they have a plan how to hit them.

Here’s yours: First, expect the ball to not fly as far or as high but to roll farther. Set up with the ball a few inches back from your front heel, and drop your rear shoulder slightly lower than your front shoulder. Feel like you are tilting with a bit more weight on the back foot. Keep your

chin up and maintain your height as you swing back and through to the target.

If your head goes down or up, you’ll find yourself hitting too much ground behind the ball, more fat than thin.

We want to take a very thin divot. You’ll feel like your feet are more grounded through the ball.

The idea is that we’re creating a slight descending blow that will propel the ball into the air.

I like to feel like I am taking a threequarter swing. You’ll find the result is usually a crisp flying shot that you can control.

Practice, and you might even start to like being thin on the golf course.

—Mary Hafeman,

PGA & LPGA, Mary Hafeman Golf Experience, Jacksonville, Fla., and Mequon, Wis. www.maryhafemangolf.com

PHOTO BYDREAMSTIME.COM

WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 30

DISCOVER POWER TIPS

EXPERT ADVICE: How women can drive for distance According to the measuring system TrackMan, her swing speed with the driver is 94 mph. Her attack angle is 3 degrees, her launch angle 13.2 degrees and her spin rate is 2611 rpm. Her ball speed is 140, her maximum height is 25 yards and the drive travels 218 yards on the fly.

And then there’s Yani Tseng (shown at right), who led the LPGA Tour in the early going of 2015 with an average drive of 280 yards.

Ah, so you have a ways to go? The equipment companies would recommend you get fitted for a new driver. The teachers, however, have some other ideas that cost much less and can help you much more.

See if you can find one good tip on these pages and give it a go. Who knows, maybe then you’ll be watching your golf ball go, go and go.

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2014 PHOTO BY CHUNG SUNG-JIN/GETTY IMAGES

How does your drive compare to that of the typical LPGA Tour player?

Yani Tseng credits trainer David Donatucci for her booming drives this year.

WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 31

TIPS

“Did you know that after 35 we lose one degree of flexibility each year? Did you know that the loss of flexibility negatively impacts balance?

One of the best bits of advice I have given to my students with GREAT results has been for them to take one fewer lesson from me each week and seek out practitioner-assisted stretching. My students have seen such a tremendous impact on their lives that I became a certified practitioner with Stretch Zone, and I myself get stretched twice a week.”

—Jane Broderick, Director of Golf (PGA Master Professional, LPGA Master Professional), PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

“

This tip is for all level of players, but especially those who have lost distance or are just stuck at where they are: Get the clubhead moving. First, find out if you are hitting in the center of the face by spraying it with some Dr. Scholls foot spray. You will see exactly where the ball strikes the face. Second, swing the club head faster! Too many women become protective with the driver and try to steer the ball down the fairway. The best drivers of the ball are free and flowing, having a specific target but swinging like they are swinging out to the ocean. The swing must have energy and the clubhead must get "thrown." The right wrist flexes and extends. To get the feeling take a long head cover, hold on the sock part and throw or fling it around you in the finish. Overhand serve in tennis is the same motion.

Take a golf ball in your right hand and feel like your hand is going to brush your left hip as you throw it around you, palm up. ” —Krista Dunton, Senior Instructor Berkeley Hall Club (PGA, LPGA) , Bluffton, S.C.

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WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 32

TIPS

“ Make sure that your grips fit you

properly so that you can hold the club in the fingers. Grips that are too large eliminate this ability and if you hold the club in the palm, you have to hold so tightly to keep the club from slipping that speed is sacrificed.”

—Kellie Stenzel, Director of Instruction (LPGA Professional, PGA Master Professional), Palm Beach (Fla.) Par 3, Boca Raton Resort & Club

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WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 33

TIPS

“

PHOTO BY ETSYSTATIC.COM

Not many women can beat a man in arm wrestling. I feel that if a woman can build strength in her wrists and forearms (the small muscles), that newfound energy will feed the big muscles and result in a confident, powerful swing. Develop forearm strength with this drill: Attach a rope with a weight at the end to the middle of a broomstick.

Extend your arms parallel to the ground and, using your wrists, roll the weight up and then slowly back down. Start with a pound or two and challenge yourself with a weight that makes it difficult to hold your arms parallel to the ground from the start.”

—Jim Wysocki, “San Francisco’s Favorite Pro,” www.theswingfixer.com

“If you do this three times a week, you will find your golf swing will have more speed along with more balance.”

WATCH NOW

—Robert Penner, Level 2 Certified K-Vest Instructor, Ted & Dave Custom Golf , Calgary, Canada.

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WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 34

TIPS

WATCH NOW

“Here’s the tip I give ladies who want more distance.”

—Nancy Quarcelino. Founder, Nancy Quarcelino School of Golf (PGA/LPGA, LPGA T&CP Hall of Fame), www.QSOG.com

“Most of us could use more hand and forearm strength. These work better than squeezing a tennis ball.”

—Dede Braun-Moriarty, LPGA and PGA, Presidio Golf Course, San Francisco, Calif.

PHOTO BY CHOKESPORTS.COM

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WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 35

TIPS “ An important element for the beginning

to intermediate player searching for those few extra yards is the first move on your takeaway. The width of a player's swing arc will assist with those needed extra yards.

The first move the club needs to make on your take away is to extend the club head low, close to the grass for about 3 to 5 inches behind the ball. Then allow the club to proceed up the swing plane. Always remember to extend your club head and swing that extra 3 to 5 inches as you swing back through to the ball on your follow through. Try to match the width of your arc on your take away with the width on your follow through.”

—Beth Blevins, Director of Instruction (PGA), Summergrove Golf Academy, Newman, Georgia. www.summergrovegolf.com

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WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 36

TIPS

“ Some ladies have been taught to

slow down their swing in order to hit the ball. Perhaps it's a fear of losing balance or losing control and wanting to guide the ball, but whatever the reason, ditch that idea. Don't be afraid to move fast. Start training today! Try the seven-ball speed drill.

First, tee up seven balls in a row. Set up to the first shot and as soon as you are set you hit the ball. You then go on to the next shot and hit all seven balls as quickly as you can. This eliminates the time it takes to get set up to the ball. It helps you shut down your intellect and access your inner athlete (motor cortex) so that you stop thinking and let it go. You will be surprised at how many good shots you can hit when you are not really trying to focus, over-think and take a lot of time. ”

—Wendi Wiese, Texas Team Junior Golf and Director of Golf Instruction (PGA), Pebble Creek Country Club, College Station, Texas, TexasTeam.org

The power of the 'Linda Ronstadt' You’ve just belted your best drive of the day, and as your companions watch your ball come to rest several yards farther down the fairway than theirs, one of them says, “Wow. Linda Ronstadt.”

What do you say? Try, “Thank you.”

It’s a great compliment— and not just because Linda Ronstadt could really belt out a song. (And if you need a refresher on that, please visit YouTube and watch young Linda’s “Love Has No Pride.”)

No, the Linda Ronstadt golf expression (at first

more popular with baseball pitchers) actually originated with one of her hit songs, “Blue Bayou.” A golfer who hammered her drive could turn to her opponent and say, “Blue Bayou,” meaning “I just blew by you.”

Eventually, the rather rude-sounding “Blue Bayou” evolved into the sweet sound of “Linda Ronstadt.” As with most golf compliments, it’s best offered to others than boasted of one’s self.

— Susan Fornoff

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WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 37

TIPS

In a study done by Dr. Angelo Scarpati in New “ Jersey, using the members at his club he found

that the best way to increase club head speed and ball speed (measured using the TrackMan) was to incorporate the Titleist Performance Institute golf fitness program with SPEED circuit training.

Try this lower body speed and strength exercise I call “Skaters” Bend slightly forward at the hips and jump from side to side building up speed similar to a speed skater. Do that for 30 seconds, rest for 30 seconds and repeat 4 times.”

— Helen Kurtin, Co-founder of Golf Body Performance Center in St. Louis, Missouri (LPGA-PGA), www.golfbodypc.com

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WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 38

TIPS

“ Try teeing the ball higher. Most

amateurs tee the ball too low and try to "help" the ball get into the air. Let the loft of the driver/club do the work for you! Keep your takeaway low to the ground, and this will help you swing up and through the ball at contact. And it's a must to make sure you have the proper equipment, it will make a world of difference.”

—Nikki Gatch, Co-Owner/Operator (PGA), Emerald Isle Golf Course, Oceanside, Calif. (www.emeraldislegc.com)

WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 39

TRAVEL TIPS TO GO

By The GottaGoGolf Game Experts

Dear Dr. Kay,

Dear Sleepless,

I

W

alk in like you OWN the place. But first, do your homework. Find out if the course is private and if there is a dress code. If private, find out if there are time restrictions for women guests to play. Your colleague who invited you may or may not be aware of those restrictions or may have forgotten to ask.

You might call the club or ask your colleague about that information. Getting to the course and being told you are not dressed properly or that you cannot play can be quite disconcerting. Whether right or wrong in today’s age, and whether public or private, dress code is always a consideration.

Just to let you know that you are not alone: Once, that actually happened to me.

Another female golf professional and I drove two hours to play this very prestigious club on a very cold and windy day.

love playing golf and I am an OK golfer—not great, but not a beginner. I will be playing a golf course that I have never been to and I am a bit nervous about going there for the first time. I have had some frustrating and embarrassing moments at a couple of other courses. I have been invited by another colleague and will be playing with two other people I don’t know.

Might you have any advice for this Nervous Nellie?

Sincerely, Sleepless Susie

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PHOTO BY 123RF.COM

WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 40

TIPS TO GO

We were dressed in very smart golf attire...warm wool slacks, argyle cashmere sweaters, jackets...only to be told we had to have skirts on to be able to play. They did lend us thin wrap-around skirts for the day. We not only froze, but we were quite embarrassed.

Gather as much information as you can before you arrive, which should ensure few surprises. Where’s the bag drop? Where do you park? How do you find the golf shop? Is there a driving range? Knowing the answers to these questions will keep your blood pressure down.

Most course websites have a description of the layout—how much water, out-of-bounds, wooded areas.

This information will suggest how many golf balls you should bring. Also, be prepared for all kinds of weather conditions.

Know beforehand if you are to pay or if your colleague is inviting you as her guest. If you like to walk, find out in advance if walking is allowed (or, in rare cases, required), and, if yes, if you may or must have a caddy.

Now you are ready to walk in like you OWN the place.

Introduce yourself to the staff person and identify your tee time and with whom you are playing. Allow ample time so you can stay relaxed. Rushing will do you no good at all.

One thing to keep in mind is that everyone is a little nervous, especially on the first tee. Just don’t appear that way and you will be just fine.

As I always say...Keep Your Head UP! It’s all in the attitude.

Dr. Kay Kay McMahon, LPGA, eduKaytionGolf.com FOR MORE EXPERT TIPS AND ADVICE FOR YOUR NEXT GOLF GETAWAY, COME ALONG WITH US ...

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PHOTO BY DREAMSTIME.COM

WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 41

TIPS TO GO

WHERE ARE YOU???

How does the grass grow?

Are you putting on bentgrass or Bermuda?

If you’re in Arizona, Hawaii, Florida or other warm-weather states, that’s probably Bermuda, which means you have to pay attention to the grain—the direction the grass grows—to figure out how hard to hit your putt.

Where does the sun set? The grass will grow toward the west. Is the green shiny or dull? Shiny is with the grain; dull is against it. Which side of the cup has the greenest, healthiest grass? Greener is with the grain, browner against.

NOW: Stroke the ball 20 percent harder into the grain and 20 percent softer downgrain. Make an aggressive stroke to hold the intended line. Pick your line and commit to it.

—Elena King, LPGA Class A, Aurora, Colo. www.experiencegolf.biz and

Unfamiliar greens?

Realize this… Behind the ball is where you will get the most accurate view of the putt. Once you are over the ball, the read may not look the same or even correct.

This is because your eyes are now aside the ball and your head is tilted, a position that distorts your vision. Remember to set up to the view from behind the ball and trust that. Once over the ball do not make adjustments, even if it does not look correct.

—Rebecca Dengler, LPGA Master/PGA Professional, Ed Oliver Golf Club, Wilmington, Del. www.rebeccadengler.com

www.commongroundgc.com PHOTO COURTESY OF KIAWAH ISLAND GOLF RESORT

Feel your feet

The saying goes all putts break to the water. On the Hawaiian Islands there is water 360 degrees around, so learn to use your feet to read green surfaces.

As you step off the distance for your putt feel the slope by the imbalance in your feet. Right foot high/left foot low is a right-to-left breaker. Left foot high/ right foot low is a left-to-right breaker.

The weight in toes is downhill and heels is uphill.

Your feet know all so listen to your walk.

—Cathy Schmidt, LPGA Class A, Palmetto, Fla. www.thegolfbootcamp.com

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Pete Dye used Paspalum grass on the greens and fairways of Kiawah Island's Ocean course .

WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 42

TIPS TO GO

HOW'S THE WEATHER? Do what Judy does Best rain tip: Get a short-sleeve rain jacket. Helps so much to not feel encumbered!

correctly the ball will fly in low, bounce once or twice and then quickly put on the brakes.

The amount of spin you will get Downwind: Trying to hit little shots downwind is difficult. In this case take the depends on your technique (how clean shorter club if you cannot decide. Hit it full. you hit the ball and the amount of speed you can create), the equipment you use Into wind: Few people take enough (high-spinning ball and lofted club with club into the wind. It is hard to knock it good grooves) and the course situations over a green with wind hurting. If there are 8 to 10 yards between your clubs, into (a clean lie and a green that slopes back towards you will add more spin). a significant wind that shrinks to 5 to 7 —Maria Palozola, LPGA, St. Louis, Mo. yards. Or less. www.stlouisgolflessons.com and online at —Judy Rankin, NBC/Golf Channel broadcaster www.mygolfinstructor.com and 26-time LPGA Tour champion

Grin and bear it When you play links style courses like When it is either cold or windy, you tend St. Andrews, prairie courses in the Midwest to swing too hard, maybe because likely or oceanside courses around the world, you are wearing more clothes. Concentrate you’ll want to know this shot. If pulled off on making good contact with the ball, be sure to not swing too hard, just get through the day.

—John Abendroth, PGA,

WATCH NOW

www.hookedongolf.com

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PHOTO BYNBCSPORTS.COM—FEB. 23, 2014

Beat the wind

WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 43

TIPS TO GO When you're on vacation or playing a golf course for the first time, that intimidating scorecard can get in the way of your fun and even your game. Here are a couple of ways to make use of your own personal par, wherever you are…

Score: If you want to break a score of 60 for nine holes, then you should plan to score a six on each hole. Two of your strokes are going to be on the putting green, which means you have four strokes to hit the ball from tee to green. Example: Playing a 400-yard hole, you would have to hit the ball 100 yards four times to get it on the green.

Course Management: If you are not at the level to keep score, then consider a goal focusing on hitting six out of nine fairways off the tee or two-putting six out of nine greens.

You can track your fairways by putting an F on each successful hole.

—Jamie Taylor, LPGA, Seneca Golf Course (Cleveland, Ohio), www.jamiegolf.com

WHAT'S YOUR HEAD GAME?

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PHOTO BY WAPL.COM

WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 44

TIPS TO GO

GET YOUR BALANCE Too many ups and downs?

Uphill, match your shoulders to the angle of the slope. Weight will be more on the back leg for balance. Play the ball forward of center and stay in that pre-set posture until the finish.

Downhill, match your shoulders to the angle of the slope. Weight will be more on front leg for balance. Play the ball back in stance and stay in the pre-set posture until the finish.

Know that the shoulder angle will feel quite severe for any golfer that is not used to pre-setting the posture. Hold a club across your chest to confirm that the angle matches the ground.

—Sandi Hamm, LPGA Lifetime Professional, Hawaii Prince Golf Club/Brian Mogg Academy, www.moggacademy.com

When right isn’t right

When we’re playing an unfamiliar course, we’ve suddenly lost our usual targets and our eyes can play tricks on us. Remember, how you line up a golf shot pretty much determines where it will go.

If you feel as if you are really left of your target, you will be aligned correctly. Do not align your body to the target…align your body left of the target.

Then, with confidence, trust your aim and alignment and make your best effort to create the shot.

Even if you do not hit it perfectly, it will likely be on line, heading toward the intended target—a great miss!

Remember…left is in fact right!

Take time to work on a quality preshot routine because if you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.

—Deb Vangellow, LPGA Master Professional, Riverbend Country Club (Houston, Texas) www.debvangellowgolf.com PHOTO BY 123RF.COM

WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 45

COVER LESSON

By Sue Wieger

Hit it farther without changing your swing: Learn PRESSURE Sue Wieger, an 18-year LPGA Class "A" golf professional who operates the Sue Wieger Golf Academy in Arizona, has a master's in psychology and bachelor's degree in education. Check her schedule at suewiegergolf.com.

Women tend to lose distance by releasing the club’s energy too early, causing lower clubhead speeds and errant golf shots.

We all know lower clubhead speed will reduce the distance on shots. So how can we increase clubhead speed? The key is to pressurize your body to the club and build pressure through the golf swing until your finish.

Think of martial arts training, for example—breaking a board with your bare hands. This motion and outcome result from storing energy in the body and then releasing it to strike with energy into the board.

We do the same in the golf swing: We build energy and then strike a golf ball. If you lose pressure and have a “perfect position” golf swing, you still will not hit the ball very far.

Remember, pressure is not the same as tension. Tension (bad) causes slower clubhead speed because the body is tight and cannot move freely or with ease and with power and strength.

Pressure (good) is a great component of building strength in your golf swing.

Another great distance factor is balance, and you gain balance by learning pressure. Stay pressurized and the body will stay balanced. If you lose balance you will lose clubhead speed because you body will want to recover or move or compensate so it does not fall over, causing errant shots and lost distance.

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WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 46

1

2

3

4

Teach yourself the following simple steps to start learning pressure.

1 Hold your fist out in front of you while standing with elbows at 45-degree angles. Squeeze your fists at a pressure of 2 on a scale of 1-10 (feeling like they are just barely squeezing your fingers into your hands).

Next, start counting up to 9, and as you count start squeezing your fist to match the number.

Count slowly at first. Start by squeezing at 2, squeeze at 3, etc.

Then practice counting faster. Practice building pressure from a 2 up to a 9.

Then count slower between numbers and squeeze, then count faster between numbers so you can start to feeling the difference in pressure.

Change up the sequence of the speed of the count. Count slowly up to 4 then speed count up to 9 then change it up again. Learn to feel the difference between speeds and pressure feel.

2 Take your address golf position without a club and interlock your fingers and do the same exercise. Start at 2 and count to 9, building pressure in your hands and forearms and upper arms.

Practice the same routine count at different speeds without moving your arms. You are going to feel the arms feel lengthened naturally.

3 Act like you have a club in your hand and practice building pressure in your golf swing. Start at 2 and build up into 9 as you take your golf swing.

Practice building up the pressure as you swing.

You start your backswing at 2-3 and as you swing keep building the pressure so that you finish with a 9.

Allow all that energy to be released at the end of your swing, not during.

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WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 47

LESSON “If you lose pressure and have a ‘perfect position’ golf swing, you still will not hit the ball very far.”

4 Take a volleyball or lightweight basketball and hold onto it within your golf setup posture. Practice building pressure while holding the ball. Take half swings while building pressure.

As you feel pressure building in your backswing, I guarantee you will want to toss the ball underhand with some force. Practice tossing the ball into a wall with both hands together to feel the release of the swing.

We use this drill and love tossing the ball into walls to practice building pressure and swing sequence. It’s fun, and a very functional exercise for the golf swing.

You will be amazed how much harder the ball flies into the wall when the body is properly pressurized and you build the pressure as you swing.

NOW TRENDING AT GOTTAGOGOLF.COM The 5 stupidest rules in golf (and how we’d fix them) How to win matches and lose friends: 7 dirty tricks that aren’t against the rules of golf The most popular article in the history of GottaGoGolf: Golf dress codes

VISIT

GOTTAGOGOLF.COM ANY TIME.

And, psssst, keep an eye out for our contests and giveaways.

WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 48

LESSON

By Christina Ricci

Transform your game with distance

NOW!

We all want more distance. Especially when we see our pals blowing it by us or getting that beautiful high launch that is elusive to our clubs. Understanding the power principles, we’ll get you striping it, sooner rather than later.

Tips & techniques by golf author CHRISTINA RICCI | GolfSurvivalguide.com

™

WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 49

LESSON

Get solid at set-up!

First things first: We need to ensure that your set-up is rock solid, and this includes your thought process on the tee box.

Chin up, not pinned Arms hang down without tension with shoulders over toes Shaft pointing to belt buckle ensuring I am the correct distance from ball The right bend from hip joints, not waist, creating good angles in my hip crease and knees Pressure points in feet

• • • •

The takeaway!

All together now

Keep your arms and hands close to your body as you take the club away with your shoulders.

YES As you take the club away, your back elbow will begin to fold. Let it.

CONNECTED!

•

WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 50

LESSON

Backswing key points LOAD WITH A PURPOSE TO RIP IT!

• •

Left arm is still connected to my chest Chest facing opposite of fairway, confirming I have made a full shoulder turn Hip and knee crease still intact, confirming that I have stayed in my posture. Many players lose this at the top of their swing

stretch through my • Big back. I feel tightly coiled.

Club not even to parallel, but my shoulders have turned significantly.

I feel like I sit into my back hip, almost as if it heads back toward the target.

I feel pressure on the inside of my back thigh.

• •

LOADED!

•

• My feet are gripping the turf. This is your power source.

Use the ground as leverage. Grip it to rip it!

WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 51

LESSON

The L of my right elbow is still intact. My legs are driving the downswing with my hands and arms following.

Pressure point moves toward front toe

•

My shoulder plane is still intact. Once I reach hip height, I release the L hard through impact.

Using the ground as leverage, I am driving into the ground with my front leg

•

Once I hit hip height, I EXPLODE through the ball as hard and fast as humanly possible.

WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 52

LESSON

Release!

Let it go!

My right arm crosses over my left. My left palm is facing toward the sky and my left arm is STILL connected to my upper chest.

YES A good release is a result of doing everything else right!

•

Finish for POWER! Aggressively getting to your finish is the secret to power, assuming you have loaded in the backswing. right shoulder has • My completely rotated

through the shot!

Belt facing left of target!

Pressure point on the outside of my front heel!

• •

EXPLODE!

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The Arizona WGA (AWGA) is the voice of women’s golf in Arizona. We offer programs for members and the golf community that encourage and provide opportunities for women to learn, play, compete and administer the game for themselves and their clubs. Programs include information and outreach, player programs, USGA programs, and volunteer development.

MEET THE MEMBERS OF THE WOMEN’S GOLF ALLIANCE

The Colorado Women’s Golf Association (CWGA) is a nonprofit amateur golf organization established in 1916. We promote women's golf in the state and preserve the integrity of the game.

We represent 17,000 individuals and 250 clubs and we serve as a regional operating partner of the United States Golf Association.

The Kansas Women’s Golf Association promotes the game among women and girls by maintaining strong relationships with member clubs and individual members; conducting annual championships and other events; and offering a range of programs that develop and enhance the golfing experience for all.

The Missouri Women's Golf Association promotes women's golf by holding annual competitions for female juniors, amateurs, mid -amateurs and seniors.

Scholarships are awarded each year to graduating high school golfers through the MWGA.

Founded in 1952, the Delaware Women’s Golf Association shares a mission to promote interest in golf for women and junior girls in the State of Delaware and surrounding areas. The DWGA reaches golfers of all abilities through tournaments, travel, social events and education.

The Maryland State Golf Association-Women’s Division was formed in 1995 to promote amateur golf for women of all ages and abilities. The MSGAWD is dedicated to providing a full range of services for more than 9,000 members including competitions, handicapping, course rating and rules seminars.

The Montana State Women’s Golf Association is devoted to promoting educational, social and recreational advantages for women and girls in golf.

They do this by encouraging sportsmanship, amateurism, skill and respect embodied by the honorable traditions in the game of golf.

The Desert WGA was formed in 2000 as a regional association for Southern California desert clubs and their approximately 700 members. It issues course and slope ratings as well as handicap indexes to its members. DWGA also sponsors golf tournaments, team play competition and other events for members.

The Michigan Women’s Golf Association was established in 1986 to help promote the game and provide competitive play and education for female amateur players of all ages and skill levels. An on-going MWGA goal is to give back to the community through our successful LPGA-USGA supported junior program.

The Nebraska Women’s Amateur Golf Association is an organization of golf clubs and individuals governed by amateur women golfers and formed in 1973 for the purpose of promoting and conserving the best interests and true spirit of the game of golf for all women in Nebraska.

The Women's Golf Alliance encompasses 20 state and regional associations across the U.S., from California on the Pacific Coast to the Atlantic Coast and South Carolina, home of the Kiawah Island Golf Resort shown here.

WomensGolfAlliance.org

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Founded in 1916, the Women’s Texas Golf Association encourages and promotes women's golf in Texas.

We also raise funds for college scholarships and educate others about USGA rules.

The New Hampshire Women’s Golf Association (NHWGA), founded in 1923, is a nonprofit organization governed by a volunteer 15-member board. We offer our 750 members more than 40 golf events: weekly tournaments, mixed events, specialties, juniors and championships. We conduct rules clinics and annually award college scholarships.

The WGA of Northern California promotes and serves the interest of women's amateur golf in Northern California. We provide services for more than 100 member clubs' women's organizations from Tulare County north to the Oregon border, with a membership of more than 11,000.

The TRANS Amateur Championship began in 1927 and in 1992, the TRANS Senior FourBall Championship for women was added.

Among past TRANS Amateur champions and/or competitors are Brittany Lang, Paige MacKenzie, Nancy Lopez, Lorena Ochoa, Grace Park, Judy Bell, Carol Semple Thompson, Babe Didrikson Zaharias and Patty Berg.

Pacific WGA was founded in 1947 to promote the best interest of amateur golf for women.

PWGA supports women golfers playing at public and semi-private courses in Northern California. In addition to funding several benevolent projects, we provide educational, competitive and social opportunities for our members.

Founded in 1899, the Women’s Metropolitan Golf Association is the second oldest women’s golf association in the U.S. and has a membership of 201 clubs and more than 2,300 individuals In Connecticut, New Jersey and New York. The WMGA annually conducts spring team matches and more than 30 competitions, including a USGA Championship qualifier.

The Women’s South Carolina Golf Association was founded in 1949. The WSCGA membership consists of women’s golf associations throughout the state: 140 member associations with more than 12,000 women golfers receiving USGA handicaps.

The WSCGA is licensed by the USGA to provide handicapping and course rating services.

Founded in 1934, San Diego County WGA is a nonprofit organization, chartered to promote, supervise and conduct competitive golf for SDCWGA members in accordance with the Rules of Golf of the USGA as modified by Local Rules determined by the Board of Directors.

The Women’s Oklahoma Golf Association began in 1915 at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club with the goal of crowning a Women’s Oklahoma State Amateur. Its mission is to support, promote and grow the game of golf for women and junior girls in Oklahoma.

The Women's Southern California Golf Association, established in 1922, is the largest regional women’s golf association in the U.S. Its goal is to promote and foster interest in women's amateur golf through friendly organized competition.

WomensGolfAlliance.org

WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 55

COVER FITNESS

By Katherine Roberts

Power your swing with just 3 moves Say the word “yoga” and most people immediately assume you are referring to flexibility. But yoga provides your body and mind with much more than just flexibility.

Physically, the practice of yoga will give a body more strength, balance and core stability. With the integral use of breathing as part of every pose, yoga practitioners also learn how to quiet the mind, relieve physical tension and cultivate mindfulness both on and off the golf course.

And all of this can help you hit the golf ball farther.

As a golf conditioning coach for two decades, I have trained thousands of golfers of all fitness levels. One common issue I see in women is hyper-mobility: too much flexibility in the joints, which causes muscular weakness and joint instability. In the golf swing, hyper-mobility often presents as the dreaded sway-and-slide, lifting up out of your spine angle and a loss of potential power.

PHOTO BY AVEDAINSTITUTEMADISON.COM

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These simple yoga poses will help women create more power in their bodies— specifically by strengthening the lower body and producing a more powerful turn.

Chair pose Begin with your feet hip width apart. Inhale as you lower your hips down as if sitting into a chair or sitting onto a ball.

Once in the chair pose, “drag” your feet apart until you feel the muscles on the outside of the legs activate. Hold for five breaths, return to the starting position and repeat five times.

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FITNESS

Revolving side angle pose par level: Begin with your left knee forward to a lunge position

until your knee is at a 90 degree angle. Draw your navel toward your spine and lift your ribcage off your waist. Keep your posture in an upright position. Inhale and press your hips forward, exhale as you return to the starting position. Repeat these hip drives 10 times.

birdie level: Place your right hand on your left knee. Inhale deeply

and on your exhale turn from the base of your torso.

Press your hand into your knee and your knee back into your hand. Repeat 5 times. Switch sides. eagle level: Place your right elbow on the outside of the left

knee. Bring your hands together and pull your right shoulder away from your right ear. Pull your navel towards your spine, engaging your core. Press your elbow into your knee and focus on a deep, powerful torso twist. Hold for seven deep breaths. Switch sides.Â

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FITNESS Warrior III pose Place club over head or at waist. Balance on left leg with a slight bend in left knee. Pull your navel towards your spine to activate your core. As you lift the right leg, your body lowers.

Focus on activating the glutes on the standing leg. Imagine your body moves in one piece and does not bend at the waist. Hold for five breaths, repeat three times. Switch sides.

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GARB MAKE MORE ROOM IN YOUR SUITCASE by packing these pieces 5

By Susan Fornoff

Your daily round of golf might provide the highlight of your long weekend at a resort, but if you’re like most women, you’re doing so much more.

You’ll spend travel time on a plane or in the car to get there. You’ll stop in at the spa or fitness center for a massage, a facial, or maybe even a spin on a bike.

You’ll stroll the grounds or nearby beach.

And you’ll look forward to dinner and drinks before you put your head on the pillow.

The golf clothing companies have yet to come up with a design that doubles as both golf attire and nightgown. But the packable pieces on the next page will have you covered for golf and beyond.

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GARB TO GO

1

The Antigua Complex Vest is 2-in-1, literally, because it’s reversible with two different textures in two different colors. Can’t decide between black and white? You can choose both! The face is water resistant jersey, the reverse a jacquard fleece knit. S–XXL, $70.

Wear the sleek but comfy Swirl Dress from Kevan Hall Sport to dinner Friday night, don’t spill any wine, then wear it again for golf Sunday morning, with or without the vest or the jacket. Kevan Hall’s dresses fit beautifully on women who wear sizes 2–14 (XS–L), $140.

This flirty little Diana Skort from Smashing Golf & Tennis sold so well, you may have trouble finding it. Don’t write it off as “too young for me”—the soft, cool fabric (in 61 percent nylon, 30 percent polyester and 9 percent Lycra) comes with a slimming inner compression layer, and you can wear it over your swimsuit to the pool or with a tank or shell to dinner. XS–XL, $89.

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EDITOR’S CHOICE

I didn’t think I’d get much use out of the jacket and pants that Sunice sent along to sample from the Typhoon collection. After all, there’s a drought in California. Then a storm hit. And then I went on the road for spring, to Salt Lake City and Colorado and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Now I will never go anywhere without this jacket. The Zephal fabric is waterproof (completely—trust me), breathable, stretchy and quiet, and the Elan feminine styling just beautiful. I especially love the sparkle in the fabric.

So much for basic black. XS–XL, $200.

2

3

SUNICE Editor's Choice

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE BRANDS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

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GARB TO GO From Bette and Court, we loved the Jackable jacket for its lightweight yet heavy-duty UPF 30 sun protection— but also for the versatility that comes with full zipper rather than pullover.

And then we saw how it folds into its own back pocket to make a perfect little neck pillow for the flight. Sold!

XS–XXL, $98.

4 5

LPGA players have made white pants de riguer on golf courses, and they’ll go anywhere at a resort. We love JoFit’s pull-on Jo Slimmer Golf Pant because it’s full-length with a neat vented hem and has four-way stretch with built-in tummy control. You could wear it for yoga. Tip: No matter how impeccably groomed the fairways look, if you plan to wear this twice on the weekend, don’t make the golf course the first wear. XS–XL, $98

Now you’re garbed to go!

TIP—Stick to

a black and white palette and then add color with a few collared shirts, tanks and tees, add some jewelry, and don’t forget golf shoes and sandals.

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HIS

By Keith DuBay

He's trying to help— should you listen?

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Hey “ girlie,

PHOTO BY 123RF.COM

IN OUR GROUP of guys, if someone starts giving unwanted golf swing instruction mid-round to another, the would-be instructor is ostracized from the group. He will be shunned. No one will play or partner with him in competition.

He’s a black sheep to be avoided and ultimately banned from the group.

Why is that any different for couples or partners? Most commonly it’s us men, who tend to be the know-it-alls, giving our wives advice. That includes the guy who hits a 175-yard slice with his driver to no particular place. Never mind that he can’t make a putt to save his life, or stop from releasing his wrists on chip shots that result in constant skulls. Somehow the guy who can’t play dead transforms into the next Butch Harmon, just because he’s the spouse-in-charge-or-at-leasthe-thinks-so.

have I got a tip for you!

”

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Giving swing advice to a partner or spouse is almost always a bad idea, unless you are a teaching pro and you’re not on the golf course. Your guy is just not qualified.

He doesn’t know what you are doing wrong or how to fix it. His mind isn’t like yours, nor is his language. The entire psychology of the situation is set up for failure, even if he’s the one asking you for advice.

“For wives it’s important to be appreciated,” says Tara Lipanovich, LPGA Professional and head of Silverado Resort’s women’s golf instruction. “Guys are fixers. If you ask a guy for help or advice, be careful what you ask for. You guys are trying to fix and we hear it as criticism and get resentful.”

Silverado offers women’s schools and will even allow husbands in them, but not husbands and wives together.

Lipanovich says: “We would not teach them together. Golf schools for couples can be very difficult. You literally hear women tell men, ‘Would you shut up?’”

Silverado PGA Professional Michelle Busam says men use a language foreign to many women, such as “open the clubface.”

“You can’t generalize, but men tend to be more left

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PHOTO BY MALLORY HUNTSINGER

HIS: ADVICE

Silverado Resort teachers Tara Lipanovich and Michelle Busam.

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HIS: ADVICE

brain,” Busam says. “Women are more right brain and need encouragement and empowerment.”

It doesn’t even work the other way around. When Busam tried to teach her husband—she is qualified, after all—he rejected the help because he wanted to figure it out for himself.

The most common piece of bad advice the pros hear men say to their wives?

“Men say to their wives, ‘Don’t look up.’ The minute women follow that, all you see is nothing but an upper body swing with no lower body motion,” Busam says.

It can be a little tricky telling your man to butt out of your game. A couple of suggestions are to say, “Thanks for the advice but I’m working with my instructor on my game.”

Or, “I don’t want to get too technical today; I’m just enjoying the round and the company.”

If he keeps pressing, a firm “I’ll let you know when I have a question” should suffice.

So forget about the advice. Instruction ruins the golf experience. Stay in the present. Hear the birds, think only of target, ball, swing. Enjoy the company. The best advice is not to give any advice.

ON

ADVICE ADVICE

Three tips you absolutely should share with your spouse 1. Unless your spouse is a golf pro, don’t ask for advice.

2. In some rare cases, if you are asking him or her to watch for something your pro has you working on, feedback is OK. But make it clear all you want is one particular shot, otherwise it will snowball into a roundlong nuisance.

advice

tips

3. Don’t make the experience mechanical. Enjoy.

The best advice is no advice.

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COVER

GOLF SCHOOLS FOR WOMEN

Golf legend Peggy Kirk Bell, teaching at Pine Needles.

Improve your game, and have fun learning PHOTO COURTESY OF PINE NEEDLES RESORT AND GOLF CLUB

Suzy Whaley has the inside track on the presidency of the PGA of America in four years. Actually, unless she resigns or screws up, she’ll ascend from her current steppingstone of secretary in 2018.

Her game qualified her to play in a PGA

Tour event, the 2003 Greater Hartford Open, but it’s her teaching reputation that has put her on all of those golf tip shows we see on sporting channels. So when it comes to shopping for a golf school for women, who better to give us advice?

“I’m a huge advocate of anyone that wants to improve their skills going to a golf school, because I think it’s really intensive and inclusive,” she said from the PGA Championship. “You’re going to get a full range of activities of golf.”

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SCHOOLS Why choose a golf school for women over a golf school in general? That’s partly to do with the left- and right-brain tendencies of the genders, partly to do with Venus and Mars language skills, and, mostly, marketing. Golf school teachers find their women’s schools have more appeal than even couples’ schools.

Tara Lipanovich, LPGA instructor at Silverado Golf Resort, says men tend not to consider golf school; her colleague, PGA teaching professional Michelle Busam, observes, “A lot of women are still trying to learn, and they want it to be more social.

We find it easier to find women who want to go to golf school for women. Women get nervous around men.”

But, which women’s golf school? Of course you have a budget of a certain amount of money and a specific window of time. Here’s more from Suzy Whaley: need to determine what you really • “You want to do outside of the golf school.

Do you want a spa? Do you want to be at a hotel where you don’t need to rent a car and the golf course is right at the

facility? Do you want great restaurants?

Do you want great shopping?”

“Geography: Do you want it to be • really hot? Do you not care about the weather?”

“You want to learn from a PGA • professional or an LPGA professional and one who does quite a few schools, so that you know the school will be seamless.” biggest thing I would look for in • a“The golf school is that you have an oncourse opportunity, every day. That you have a coach with you while you’re on the golf course... someone watching you who has worked with you in long game, short game, putting, strategy on the course, mental game, fitness.”

“Finally, the most important thing is • having fun with your friends, making new friends, being with people who are learning with you, enjoying the experience of getting better together.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF PINE NEEDLES RESORT AND GOLF CLUB.

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RULES I FASHION I TRAVEL I COURSES I EQUIPMENT I ENTERTAINING WINTER 2015 I GottaGoGolf I 68