2013 Pantagraph Golf Guide

CENTRAL ILLINOIS

Golf Guide Pros help get your game

6READY Complete golf directory for all the area courses

+ Golf etiquette

Tips on college recruitment Advice for young golfers Plan your getaway

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CENTRAL ILLINOIS GOLF GUIDE

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CENTRAL ILLINOIS GOLF GUIDE

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Lee News Service/STEVE SMEDLEY

Above: Christian Crabill of Mount Zion blasts out of a sandtrap on the ninth hole during opening play of the IHSA Class 2A State Final Golf Tournament at Illinois State University's D.A.Weibring Golf Course in Normal in 2012. On the cover: Eisenhower High School senior Savannah Myers hits a shot

onto the third fairway during the state championship in 2012 in Decatur. Photo by Lee News Service/Mark Roberts.

INSIDE Golf etiquette 101 ..........................................Page 4 Golf courses weather drought ........................Page 6 Pro tips on fairway woods and long irons ........Page 9 College recruitment ....................................Page 10 Pro tips to improve your short game ..............Page 12 Getaway with a golf vacation ........................Page 13 Pro tips on club selection ............................Page 14 Signature Cup preview ..................................Page 15 Pro tips to fix your swing ..............................Page 17 Pro tips on handling stress ..........................Page 18 Advice for young golfers ..............................Page 19 Pro tips on bunker shots ..............................Page 21 Golf directory ........................................Page 22-25 Pro watch ....................................................Page 26 20510360

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CENTRAL ILLINOIS GOLF GUIDE

Etiquette should be par for the course

By Jim Benson

Be ready when it’s your turn: One of the most common faults is someone hitting a shot and Golfers know (or should the next golfer waiting about a know) what birdie, par or bogey minute before hitting. mean. They also are familiar “If you’re in a foursome, you with tees, greens and bunkers. don’t want three people watchYet mention the word “etiing one person hit,” said Ironquette” and many think you’re wood Golf Course professional speaking French.

Craig Onsrud. “People who In its most basic form, “etiplay the fastest are almost, in a quette”” means being considway, out there playing by themerate of those on the course and selves but are staying out of the understanding the basic rules of way of the people in their the game. group.”

Often, the best golfers are the Weibring Golf Club at Illinois worst culprits. They think they State professional Laura can do whatever they want Provost said “the old chip and without regard to other golfers. chat” won’t win you many That won’t make you any friends. friends, and will give you plenty “You stand there chat, chat, of enemies. chat and you’re not ready when Lee News Service/LORI ANN COOK-NEISLER Here are some basic tips, sort it’s your turn,” she said. “As long Mike Cushing, right, talks to Will Cullen about his shot out of the bunker of a “Rules on the Road” for as you’re not in danger in moving during the Bloomington-Normal Match Play Championship at Illinois drivers that are easy to follow forward to your ball, walk forState University's D.A.Weibring Golf Course. You can’t hit the sand with a and should make your round ward, go and don’t wait.” stress-free and more enjoyable.

SEE ETIQUETTE / PAGE 5 practice swing in a bunker. If you do, it’s a one-stroke penalty. jbenson@pantagraph.com

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pick you up,” said Provost.

Play at a reasonable pace: Jason Wingate, golf superintendent for the city of Bloomington, said trade magazines say time and money keep people off the course.

“You can control how much time you take out there,” said Wingate. “There’s no excuse for a round of golf taking very long.”

Identify your ball: Guess what? Someone else on the course might also use a Nike 3 golf ball. Put an identifying mark on your ball, such as your initials, a couple dots, etc. That way, you know your ball; when someone else thinks you’re hitting their ball, you can show them your mark. Hitting someone else’s ball is an instant way to be the most unpopular person on the course.

One practice swing: There should be a penalty for anyone who takes more than one practice swing. First of all, it slows the pace for everyone. Taking three or four practice swings probably freezes a golfer, not to mention making you the most disliked person in your group. How many times do you see a golfer take a divot with a practice swing and not replace it? Always replace your divot.

Protect the course: There are are other ways to keep the course in the same shape you found it. Make sure you rake the

ETIQUETTE FROM PAGE 4

Use the correct tees: Most courses have at least three sets of tees available that correspond with a golfer’s ability. If you can’t break 100, playing from the back tees isn’t a good idea.

Find out what set of tees you should use, based on your average score.

Let faster groups play through: There is nothing wrong with admitting you might not play as quickly as those behind you. If there is no group in front of you, the polite thing is to wave the next group to play through.

“If you’re just starting or are not that good, it will help you enjoy the game,” said Onsrud. “The faster players behind them have to understand not to get on them too hard. It’s an understanding of who is in front of you and who is behind you.”

Get out of the cart: Most golfers ride in a cart, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

However, it’s wrong to sit in the cart waiting for your playing partner to hit.

“Proper cart etiquette is, if I’m the driver and you play with me, I should drop you off at your ball, go back to my ball, hit my shot and you’re playing when I’m coming to

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bunker after hitting your shot. Fix your ball mark (or indentation) on the green. Make sure the flag is properly put back in the hole and is secure.

Lost ball: There is a five-minute rule when looking for a lost ball. But take only a minute or two when you don’t know where your ball landed in the high grass or if it trickled into the water. If you think you might have hit the ball out of bounds (beyond the white stakes), hit a provisional ball from that spot IMMEDIATELY. If your first ball is lost, you can play your provisional ball and not slow down the group behind you.

No practicing in bunker: You can’t hit the sand with a practice swing in a bunker. If you do, it’s a one-stroke penalty. If one of your playing partners does it, you should politely tell him it’s not legal. You also can’t ground or touch your club in a hazard (those red and yellow stakes again) before hitting the ball. That’s a penalty, too.

Get off the green quickly: When your group is finished with the hole, leave the green immediately. You will see golfers who stand with the scorecard on the green after putting out, writing down all the scores.

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Area golf courses weathering drought mark.tupper@lee.net

It was a mid-week day in February when Jason Wingate looked out his window and watched the approaching winter storm clouds.

“We’re supposed to get snow,” said the director of golf for Bloomington Parks and Recreation.“And we’d gladly take every drop of moisture we can get.”

Those in charge of maintaining golf courses in Central Illinois have spent an inordinate amount of time monitoring the weather after consecutive summers of extreme heat and little rain depleted water sources and caused course operators to re-think the usual strategies.

In Decatur, severe water restrictions during back-to-back droughts will cause the public Scovill Golf Course and the private Country Club of Decatur to

convert to the tough, easier-tomaintain zoysia grass.

In Bloomington, Wingate is concerned that more restrictive water usage at the Highland Park course could put bent grass fairways in peril.

“Every golf magazine I get talks about water,” he said.“It’s the hot topic in our industry and not just around here. It’s everywhere.”

As director of golf for the Decatur Park District, Rick Anderson has nervously navigated the past two summers when the city watched its Lake Decatur reservoir become dangerously low.

The city instituted strict restrictions last summer that directly impacted the care and feeding of the Red Tail Run and Scovill golf courses. A third course, Hickory Point, was mostLee News Service/MARK ROBERTS ly unaffected because it uses waRed Tail Run director of golf Rick Anderson, right, and golf course superinter from nearby Forsyth.

Thanks to the drilling of tendent Tom Mooney check out the water level at one of the course's two SEE DROUGHT / PAGE 7 lakes in 2012.

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DROUGHT FROM 6

successful wells at Red Tail Run, holding ponds were replenished without using city water.

But at Scovill, wells turned up dry. Watering was curtailed as restrictions went into place. What might have been green, lush fairways began to turn various shades of brown.

Starting this spring, the park district will begin converting most of the fairways at Scovill to the hearty zoysia grass, which requires less water, less mowing and fewer chemicals. Although the course will mostly remain open this summer, it’s sure to be a challenge for golfers.

A similar conversion will begin in June at the Country Club of Decatur.

The hope, Anderson said, is Lee News Service/MARK ROBERTS Ten-year-old Olivia Marshall, of Mount Zion, gets set to swing in 2012 while that Scovill will be able to withstand harsh summers while sipracticing at the Red Tail Run driving range in Decatur.The golf course has multaneously giving golfers a shut down its sprinklers wherever possible, causing much of the course new playing surface. outside fairways and greens to turn brown.

“I think the players are going to

love it,” Anderson said. “If you operate a golf course nowadays, you have to be cost-conscious, which we are. Decatur is not what it used to be as a golfing community. Our population is down.

Now, we’re trying to survive.

“If you can get off city water, lower chemical bills, change mowing patterns to where you don’t mow as much because you don’t need to, and have a grass where the ball sits up high and divots fill in faster, that’s win, win, win, win, win.”

The conversion to zoysia grass will be closely watched, Wingate said.

“I’m sure every operator in Central Illinois is grateful that Rick is doing it first,” Wingate said. “It’s a great grass. When I was in Central Missouri near the Lake of the Ozarks, it’s a fantastic grass to play off of. If they pull it off, it would be a great win.”

Anderson and Country Club of Decatur head professional Steve Orrick became intrigued by zoysia thanks to Rod Maxwell, SEE DROUGHT / PAGE 8

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DROUGHT FROM 7

owner of the Angus Links course in Windsor, southeast of Decatur.

Maxwell built that course in 1998 and he switched to zoysia in 2006 when bluegrass couldn’t sustain some of the weather conditions.

“It’s an unbelievable grass,” said Maxwell, who will be an adviser on the two Decatur projects.

“We don’t have to start mowing fairways until late into April.

With bluegrass we’d start mowing in March.

“You’re cutting back on fuel, man hours, equipment hours.

Water consumption is far less, a fraction of what it was.

“In the heat of last summer – and that was extreme – we watered the fairways once and still had color. It’s a much heartier root structure that reaches further down and can draw water from deeper.”

In Bloomington, Prairie Vista and The Den at Fox Creek are not as problematic as Highland Park.

“Highland Park is the only course that uses city water to irrigate,” Wingate said.“But because of the last two summers, they have dramatically increased how quickly we will get into drought restrictions.

“It’s conceivable if we had another summer like the last two, we’d be mandated at Highland Park and could only water the greens. That would be tough because we have bent grass fairways and that grass doesn’t go dormant. It’s either alive or it’s dead.”

Anderson said the “sustainability” of golf courses is no longer taken for granted.

“Everyone is looking at water

Lee News Service/JIM BOWLING

Neoga’s Luke Baker hits toward the fourth green during the IHSA Class A golf regional at Angus Links golf course near Windsor.Angus Links switched to zoysia in 2006 when bluegrass couldn’t sustain some of the weather conditions in Central Illinois. usage,” he said. “People are trying to cut back on over-watering. They’re looking at using effluent water or gray water from sanitary districts – water that’s not good enough for drinking but good enough to use for watering if it doesn’t have a high salt content.

“If you can use less chemicals and still have a good playing surface, that’s good. The more you can get away from some of the fertilizers and nitrates, the better.”

Wingate said the golf industry as a whole has tried to lend its support.

“The USGA (United States Golf Association) has pushed the idea that brown is the new green. That sounds good, but what choice do you have if the golfer isn’t ready to accept that?

“Golfers watch the Masters and they want it to look like that,”

Wingate said. “They call it the Augusta Syndrome.”

When water is plentiful, vibrant, green fairways are no problem.

But when the heat arrives and

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A few tips on fairway woods and long irons e have all been faced with approach shots on the course that call for you to pull out the fairway wood or long iron in hopes of hitting the green — or ending up somewhere close — to give you an easy chance at an up and down.

Our mental picture sees the shot that climbs into the air and lands softly on or near the green.

Despite not having much success in the past, we hope this is that one time, so we give it another chance. The odds are in your favor to hit one good approach with one of these clubs.

Here are a few tips to help increase the odds of finding that shot a little more often when you’re out on the course: Two important swing factors that could improve your chances of a successful shot are squaring the clubface at

W

Craig Onsrud impact and having a descending club head at impact.

Clubface: Fairway woods and long irons are a few of the lower lofted clubs in the bag.

It’s harder for the ball to reach the trajectory we need to land soft enough to hold a green and easier for the ball to get more off line. The better we become at squaring the clubface to the target — poor clubface angle is one of the biggest causes of bad shots — the better the chance of the ball reaching our target.

The club being square at impact and the ball hit near the center of the face will create the needed backspin for the ball to climb to its peak trajectory. The clubface angle is the determining factor on the direction the ball goes. Too many people make swing and body adjustments to compensate for a poor clubface angle at impact.

Angle of attack: The club head needs to move in a descending direction at impact for the ball to achieve the maximum trajectory. Since the ball is on the ground, we want the club head traveling in a downward motion through impact to make ball contact higher on the clubface, producing greater spin and launch. The thought of helping the ball up with the club head will lead to shots that are hit too low on the clubface and the leading edge of the club

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hitting too high on the golf ball. That results in low line drives and no control on how far the ball will carry or roll.

New golf balls are now designed to spin less than golf balls from a few generations back.

Club manufacturers now design clubs, such as hybrids or long irons with wider soles, with a lower center of gravity to help produce a higher launch and greater spin.

Even newer fairway woods are designed with a strategically placed center of gravity and higher lofts, all to help achieve the higher launch and spin.

If your equipment is a little outdated, you might want to demo a few different hybrids or fairway woods to find one to your liking.

Onsrud is PGA professional, Ironwood Golf Course, Normal.

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CENTRAL ILLINOIS GOLF GUIDE

Colleges broaden recruitment efforts

By Jim Benson

Illinois State’s Laura Harris, left, and Marisa Milligan, center, watch as teammate Stacey Miller putts at Weibring Golf Club at Illinois State in Normal. ISU golf coaches say they are looking for more than just a good golf player.

jbenson@pantagraph.com

So you want your child to be a Division I golfer?

Don’t think “just golf, golf, golf” during their high school years, say Illinois State golf coaches Ray Kralis and Darby Sligh.

“I want the state free throw champion, the person that was freshman of the year on the soccer team,” said Sligh, who is in her fifth season as the Redbird women’s coach. “We’re looking for someone who brings everything to the table from leadership to talent to athleticism.”

Kralis, who has led the men’s program for eight years, said specializing just in golf during high school is probably the wrong way to do it.

“Even though it (golf) is an individual sport, it’s a huge team sport (in college),” he said. “We want someone who has the idea of accountability and getting after it and pushing each other and holding each other to a standard.”

That said, high school golfers need to show college coaches what they can do on the course and be what Sligh describes as “a game changer” who merits a Division I scholarship.

The days of playing in local or regional golf tournaments during the summer, posting a good score and getting a possible scholarship are long gone, according to Sligh and Kralis.

College coaches look to see how recruits stack up in state and national competitions. It’s important to compare what golfers shot against better fields.

Just because someone can shoot par or under-par in the summer doesn’t mean that will translate to college golf, where the courses are set up longer with more difficult pin locations. Many college tournaments are played in nasty conditions with rain, wind and

Lee News Service file photo/CARLOS T. MIRANDA

sometimes sleet and snow to battle instead of 90-degree sunshine.

Kralis said playing in events such as the American Junior Golf Association or Optimist International is much more accessible than it used to be.

While a regional tournament such as the Country Youth Classic in Bloomington-Normal is great, said Kralis, it doesn’t provide the exposure to college coaches that a national event brings.

Technology also has changed the way coaches recruit.

Sligh said seeing a golfer’s swing on YouTube can immediately draw the interest of a college coach and have them investigate whether they want to see a golfer on the course.

“Sometimes it’s one swing,” said Sligh. “For me, personally, it could be one swing or one move and that’s something we want to see more of or they have to show me more.”

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COLLEGES FROM 10

their own Web pages to show coaches, along with video clips.

“Unless you have scores where we come to you, if you’re trying to sell yourself, you better have a good package put together,” he said. “But a blanket recruiting service is no substitute for a resume.”

What also is important is for high school golfers and their parents to be realistic in accessing what and where they can end up playing golf in college.

Anyone in Central Illinois who wants to attend a premier Division I program in the South better play a full summer of national tournaments to even be considered.

“They have to do their

PAGE 11

research and know where to target themselves,” said Kralis.

Even those who want to stay in the Midwest need to start playing in regional or state level competitions as early as possible. Thinking a good showing at the high school state tournament is going to earn them a college scholarship likely will not happen, according to the ISU coaches.

While colleges may try to develop a player and use their first year to get them acclimated, coaches are more apt to try to find golfers who can compete for playing time immediately.

“I’m looking for someone who can change my program now,” said Sligh.

“If I need that kid, I needed that kid yesterThe Pantagraph file photo/LORI ANN COOK day. You want someone who can really shake your Illinois State University senior Matt Ryba chips onto a practice green from a mat in team up.”

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CENTRAL ILLINOIS GOLF GUIDE

Work on short game to improve your score ne of the easiest ways to quickly lower your score is to focus on your short game. This is an area where most amateurs can pick up a lot of strokes.

One of my favorite shots is a little chip shot that stays really low to the ground and rolls very much like a putt — some people refer to it as a “bump and run.” I try to teach all of my students this shot because it is easy to duplicate and very reliable. By keeping the ball low, you eliminate the worry about how much carry you need and are able to focus on distance and direction.

And, if you watch your shot roll out, you can also learn what you might expect from your putt.

A “bump and run” chip shot is one that will carry the ball just over the fringe, landing on the green about three feet from the edge and rolling the rest of the way to the hole. Allowing

O

Laura Provost the ball to roll to the hole — and not fly all the way — is the primary consideration. A good rule of thumb for this shot is “minimum air time, maximum ground time.”

Proper club selection depends on how much green is between your landing area and the hole, and whether you are playing uphill or downhill.

Typically, this shot works best with a pitching wedge or sand wedge for shorter distances and a 7- or 8-iron when the hole is a little further away.

After selecting a club, determine a target line and set your clubface square to this line.

Sometimes the target line is directly toward the hole, other times you must accommodate a left or right break in the green.

Be sure to consider break when planning how far the ball will roll.

Keeping your clubface square to the target line, address the ball with your feet, knees, hips, and shoulders all slightly open to the target line. This open stance gets your lower body out of the way of the shot. Next, position the ball about two inches inside your front foot and place slightly more than half of your weight forward and grip the club with your forward wrist flat.

With my right-handed players, I sometimes refer to this set up as the “Triple Left” — the ball is left, your weight is left

and you strike the ball with your left hand.

Lastly, make a short, smooth stroke back and through on the target line, keeping the back of your front hand and wrist flat — almost like a putting stroke.

The ball should fly very low to the ground, land about three feet onto the green and roll to the hole.

Remember that backswing equals distance and follow through equals direction. A good habit to get into is to hold your finish position, with the club head pointing along the target line and your front wrist flat, until the ball has stopped moving.

With a little practice you will soon be chipping closer to the hole and saving more pars with this simple, easy-to-learn shot!

Provost is PGA professional, Weibring Golf Club, Illinois State University.

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PAGE 13

Vacation no time to give up golfing

By Brian Nielsen brian.nielsen@lee.net

Just as scores and handicaps vary, so do rules for a guys-only golf vacation.

“In the early days, we used to have a consent slip for wives of things we can do,” Mike Metzger, a Charleston certified public accountant, said. “I called it ‘Application for Trip for the Boys.’ A girlfriend or wife would have to sign a slip saying what they could and couldn’t do.”

Steve Matheny’s wife has a different standard. “She’s just glad to get rid of me,” the Mattoon Realtor said with a laugh.

Metzger is part of a group that’s played 67 courses in Florida and South Carolina over 20 years. Almost 30 people have made up the groups ranging from four to 12; Metzger records everyone’s best round and money winnings.

“You don’t want anyone who is really good to go on the trip and you don’t want anyone who is really bad either,” Metzger said.

Mattoon chiropractor Don Freesmeier has played with his son Michael at Pinehurst, with its PGA tradition, and son Andrew at Kohler, Wis., site of Blackwolf and Whistling Straits.

On his list for a future trip is Greenbrier, W.Va., where a fabulous hotel is among the attractions. “I’m planning on losing a few golf balls there,” Freesmeier said.

Indianapolis and St. Louis also offer plenty of courses. “Chicago has a lot of good courses but it’s crowded,” Freesmeier said.

“There’s a lot of golfers.”

Myrtle Beach Heritage and Barefoot Resort are among favorites for Metzger’s golfing group.

“In Florida, we like the Brooksville, Fla., area, about an hour and a half north of Tampa,” Metzger said. “It’s in kind of a remote area so not a lot of traffic.”

Shine Doughty, pastor at Mattoon Apostolic Center, has three golf trips each year — one in the first week of January near Saraso-

For Lee News Service

Mattoon’s Michael Freesmeier, his caddy required and provided by the golf course, and Michael’s father, Don Freesmeier, pose at the famous Pinehurst No. 2 during one of the Freesmeiers’favorite vacations. ent temperatures. ta, Fla., before rates jump Jan. 15; a good time. ◗ Weather usually is better in ◗ Bring your own golf balls. one in the second week of May SEE GETAWAY / PAGE 14 with a group of 28 in Tennessee; April but bring clothes for differand one the first week of October with a smaller family group in Phoenix.

“When I go on these trips, I usually take nonstop flights,” Doughty said. “If you don’t, a flight can be late and you miss connections and your tee time, or they lose your golf clubs. I do nonstop from now on. You might pay a little more, but you will pay a lot if you miss your tee time or you have to use rented clubs.”

Matheny has enjoyed trips south to Hot Springs, Ark.; north to Michigan; or to the St. Louis 18 Hole Course area and Rend Lake. The idea is to 9 Hole Par 3 Course find somewhere where several courses are available.

Golf Outings “I like to go one place and find courses about 30 miles from there,” Matheny said.“I don’t like packing up and moving somewhere else.”

Some other hints: ◗ Have someone in charge of finding the best plane fares or hotel rates. ◗ A decent hotel works, because you usually aren’t in the room (217) 586-2183 that long. ◗ Down South, rates are usually www.golfthelake.com good toward the end of a hurriMahomet, IL (Exit 174 off I-74) 20205220511641 cane season. November is usually 05 05

PAGE 14

GETAWAY FROM 13

◗ Bring pain reliever

or muscle balm. Watch what you eat. ◗ A cellphone can only be a distraction.

“I’ll take it for emergencies but it’s not in my bag,” Freesmeier said. “My wife knows that.”

Estimated cost is $100-$200 per day, maybe cheaper if you shop for deals. “I figure I’ve worked all year,” Matheny said.

“I’m going to spend money.”

Then there is the question of how much golf is too much.

“I usually play 36 a day, unless it’s a day we’re leaving, so then we play 18 so we can shower and clean up and not be totally exhausted,” Doughty said.

“When I was younger, it was 36,” Freesmeier said. “Now we’ve learned to play 18 and enjoy the clubhouse.”

Matheny and his friends have found that a regular round is good in the morning and a less-demanding scramble works in the afternoon.

“It’s usually pretty clean fun,” Matheny said. “Anymore, (at) our age, it’s pretty clean fun, darn it.”

CENTRAL ILLINOIS GOLF GUIDE

Focus on club to get good shots I n writing this article, I ended up touching not on one particular part of the game. Instead, the following instruction is geared toward all the clubs in your bag.

I am blessed to have been instructed by PGA Hall of Fame member, Manuel de la Torre. The first clinic I attended, de la Torre was 86 years young and was demonstrating a variety of bunker shots with a 52-degree wedge from various lies. The class consisted of about 60 instructors, including former international tour player, Anne Marie Palli.

Standing next to de la Torre’s golf bag, Palli looked through the assortment of clubs, and asked in her charming French accent why he did not have a 56or 60-degree wedge. He replied, “There are many wedges in that bag. Please hand me the seven iron.” He then proceeded to hit fantastic greenside bunker shots out of a 5-foot deep bunker with his seven iron. I knew then that I had found my mentor who would change my understanding of the game and my philosophy of teaching others. His point and mine as well, is that the motion of the club in relation to the target should be the focus of your golf swing.

I instruct my students to focus on the club and its motion and to forget about telling your body how to move to create the shot you want to hit. By shifting focus, it provides an approach to a game that is often made too complicated and more frustrating. This shift in focus will allow you to simplify your game and truly

Mark Lee start enjoying your day on the links.

As humans, we are wonderfully adept at moving objects with coordinated movement of our bodies; yet we are much less competent at describing how we move the object. Think of it in the context of this example. While writing this article, I am drinking my morning cup of java. As I move the coffee cup from the table to my mouth, I am not shouting instructions to my body on how to complete that motion. I simply move the cup toward my mouth and my body coordinates all of the motion required to complete the task.

Granted, I had my share of spills as a toddler before I successfully mastered the task, but the focus was simply on moving the object, not trying to figure out the mechanics required to move it. This change in focus facilitates learning of any motor skill, including the swinging of a golf club — any club!

More than likely, you have had some golf instruction or contemplated taking some lessons. I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure there are very few, if any, tour players reading my article. It is my belief that, regardless of

your level of skill — beginner, or middle-to-high handicap player — you should not be looking to tour players for instruction of your game.

They are the best of the best athletes in the sport, and they have spent a lifetime honing their skills.

They are able to move their bodies and club in any manner and make it work out to produce the desired golf shot.

They do not work 40 to 60 hours in an office and dash to the range for an hour to figure out their game.

They do not show up on a Saturday morning after having not touched their clubs since last Saturday’s game.

Enjoy their level of skill and observe the artistry and perfection in the motion of the club in their swing, but do not compare yourself to them. Too many place their expectations on the same playing level as the tour players, and search for the right club, right stance, grip, etc. Trust me, less is more.

I love the game of golf, and I especially enjoy teaching others how to improve their game. Learn how to swing the club in the direction of your target — any club — and remove the clutter and chatter of trying to tell your body how to move to hit the shot. It really is that simple, though it is not easy. Contact me to learn what I have from a master of the game — today, de la Torre is 91 years young and is still teaching. I can only hope that I can follow in his footsteps.

Lee is a Mattoon-based golf pro.

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Signature Cup lines up best in Central Ill. mark.tupper@lee.net

In six years, the annual Signature Cup competition between the best golfers in Bloomington-Normal and the best in Decatur has been everything organizers hoped it would be – a Ryder Cup-style match play team event unlike any other in Central Illinois.

Decatur won the inaugural event in 2007, and Bloomington-Normal followed with five straight, so fans have been left wanting a bit more competitive balance.

That said, Cup players say it has become known for more than who wins and loses. The seventh annual Cup will be June 29-30 at Red Tail Run in Decatur.

“When I think about what the Signature Cup means, my pulse quickens a little bit,” said Kurtis Rogers, head pro at Red Tail Run and a participant in the pro division for six years.

He is captain of the Decatur Signature Cup team.

“I think the best thing is that it’s a team event. That energizes people to play for a common cause and that cause is your team and your town. It creates emotions you don’t have in a typical golf tournament.”

Elston Mitchell, who will captain the BloomingtonNormal team for the third time, agrees the event reaches beyond who wins and loses.

“I think there’s a misunderstanding among people who don’t play in it,” he said. “They see that the outcomes have been a little lop-sided and they think that’s what it’s about, but it’s more than that.

“It has become a really friendly competition between two communities. We’ve gotten to know each other pretty well. It’s something we both

look forward to. And even though one of our major city tournaments is match play, this Ryder Cup-style format is pretty neat.”

Each captain must choose a team of at least eight amateur men, two amateur women, two senior men and two local pros.

On Saturday, two-player teams compete in alternate shot and four-ball play.

On Sunday, golfers face off in a string of singles matches.

The two-day point totals determine the championship.

“There have been very few controversies,” Rogers said. “I think it brings out the best in us and in the game. A lot of that credit goes to the tone set Lee News Service/LORI ANN COOK-NEISLER by the first two captains – Richie Hammel and Frank Lon Lugten tees off for Decatur in 2012 during the Signature Cup golf Niepagen. After that, Darryl tournament at The Den at Fox Creek in Bloomington.

Stock and Harland Kilborn continued to insist on that kind of sportsmanship and I think it has become a part of 2013 the event.”

In 2010, while on the course, news reached The Den at Fox Creek in Bloomington that the mother of Decatur pro Nick Taute had died unexpectedly in Decatur. om ph.c tagra Taute continued to compete pan d r but the death stung the Delf ca .com o jg-tc g catur team.

In May 2011, Hammel, the Decatur captain for three years, died after a brief battle with cancer. Bloomington was well represented at Hammel’s visitation.

Last summer, at the kickoff banquet at The Den, Kurtis Rogers and his brother, Signature Cup teammate Kraig Rogers, received word of their father’s passing.

“That Sunday I was playing (Bloomington pro) Craig Onsrud and he played great, he per card only was really on,” Kurtis Rogers Order by phone 217.421.7905 recalled. “He knew I was still Order online and view restriction s and participating courses hurting because of my dad and at www.herald-review.com/teefortwo after our match Craig and his one time use per cou rse

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SIGNATURE FROM 15

wife gave me a card.

“But during the match, Craig was giving me 4-footers.

He just said, ‘You aren’t going to putt those today.’ It was pretty cool but that’s what you find in this event. People want to win badly, but they’re more than gracious.”

Rick Anderson, the Decatur Park District’s director of golf, is a founder of the event and helped Decatur win the 2007 event with a much-needed singles point on Sunday.

“We’ve become good friends with a lot of their players and I hope there’s a mutual respect,” he said. “I think match play cultivates a different kind of intensity. If you keep the competition in that perspective, it’s good. Even if you’re losing.”

Lee News Service/LORI ANN COOK-NEISLER Then Anderson added two Todd Mitchell hits out of the bunker for Bloomington onto the fourth green last year during the Signature Cup more words.

“Kind of.” golf tournament at The Den at Fox Creek in Bloomington.

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Simplify your swing to get more accurate results

By Steve Orrick olf can be as complicated as you want to make it. If you want to drive the ball straighter and further, keep it simple.

We always look for ways to hit longer while keeping the ball in the fairway, so we often forget the starting point: Don’t overlook alignment and grip pressure.

People typically step to the tee without picking and focusing on a specific target. Make sure you align feet, shoulders and hips toward that target.

Often, golfers look in the general area of the fairway.

Unfortunately, in our sport, we need to be more precise.

Once you’ve picked a target, think about ball position.

Many times, people get the ball too far back in their stance. That’s fine with an iron, because you want to hit down. But with a driver, you need a more sweeping swing.

The ball should be closer to the inside of the front foot.

Grip pressure is a common problem, too. We grab that big driver and want to hit the ball a mile.

As a result, we tend to grip the club too tightly and tensely, causing you to lose club head speed and power.

Think about using a lighter grip pressure. Just grip the club, pick it off the ground and feel the head of the club. If it feels light, you’ve probably gripped too tightly.

You want to feel the weight of the club head but hold the club firmly enough so the club face isn’t moving all over.

In general, try to focus on balance, which means swinging within yourself. Because we want to hit the ball as far as possible, we tend to overswing and lose our balance.

Watch the PGA Tour golfers on television. They’re all driving the ball 300 yards, but they rarely teeter off-balance.

G

For the average golfer, the best advice is to slow your tempo so you have a better chance to hit the ball in the middle of the club face. Hitting the ball in the center of the club face will allow you to hit it harder and straighter than swinging hard and hitting the ball on the toe of the club.

If you can swing hard, and consistently hit the ball in the middle of the club face, great.

But the average golfer can’t do that. The results are better when you don’t swing outside your limits.

Watch your practice habits, too. It is possible to practice too much, especially if you’re not practicing right.

People say that practice makes perfect. In reality, practice makes permanent. If you are not practicing the right thing, you could make a bad habit permanent.

It’s a good idea to check with a teaching pro. In just five minutes, they can generally tell you if you’re on the right track or if you need a quick adjustment. It helps to have another set of eyes.

A common misconception is that you need to be a big person to hit the ball big distances. That’s not true: It boils down to mechanics and fundamentals.

I’m a relatively small guy but I can play competitively because most of my power comes from the ground, from my legs.

So work on your fundamentals, slow your tempo, pick a specific target and lighten your grip pressure.

Make those simple tips part of your good golf habits and you’ll drive the ball farther and straighter. If you don’t have a good foundation, you won’t build a very good house.

Orrick is head golf professional, Country Club of Decatur. The Bloomington native is former assistant pro at Bloomington Country Club.

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CENTRAL ILLINOIS GOLF GUIDE

Pre-shot routine will help on the big putts ome with me for a second, please. You’re standing over a 4-footer for par. It’s an important putt. Maybe it’s to win that $2 Nassau in your group, maybe it’s for the club championship or maybe it’s for your personal best 9-hole score.

Regardless, you’re feeling the pressure to make it. If you’re the typical golfer, you’re thinking something like “Don’t miss this” or “Just go in, please.”

I hope to give you some ways to better handle this situation.

First of all, nothing ruins a putting stroke more than anxiety. It’s a big putt, sure, but is it really going to define your worth as a person? Of course not. It’s just a putt. The more pressure you put on yourself to make it, the worse your chances become of making it.

Embrace the opportunity.

It’s moments like this that

C

Jason Wingate make the game fun to play. So what if you miss? You’re fortunate to be able to put yourself in this situation and can learn from it.

Focus on the process, not the outcome. The absolute No. 1 thing you can do to improve your pressure putting is to develop a dependable pre-shot routine. By focusing on going through your regular putting routine, your mind should become so involved in the process that the “pressure” of the moment has no opportunity to gain mental space. Com-

mit yourself to a routine, and I promise that your pressure putting will improve.

Think roll, not hit. Great putters roll the ball, bad putters hit it. What are the benefits of trying to roll the ball instead of hitting it? Rhythm and consistency are the answers. A putting stroke that is attempting to roll the ball will be much smoother with little discernable difference between the tempo of the backswing and the forward swing.

Keep your grip pressure light and constant. This goes perfectly with the thought of rolling the ball. Keeping your grip pressure light and constant should allow you to maintain a consistent, smooth rhythm throughout the entire stroke.

It’s very common to abruptly increase the grip pressure right as the club begins to make the stroke, at the beginning of the

forward swing and at impact.

These changes in grip pressure will lead to a poorly timed stroke. Abruptly increasing the grip pressure at (or near) impact will lead to the dreaded deceleration of the clubhead that will tend to leave putts short and on the low side of the hole.

You’ve probably noticed that we’ve talked very little about the mechanics of the putting motion.

That’s on purpose. I believe most golfers have already missed the putt in their mind before the club ever moves.

Follow these simple tips and I think you’ll find yourself looking forward to that next opportunity to sink that “pressure” putt.

And remember, it’s just a game.

Wingate is PGA professional, city of Bloomington.

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CENTRAL ILLINOIS GOLF GUIDE

PAGE 19

Teens should keep sharp year-round

By Jim Benson jbenson@pantagraph.com

The days of breaking out the golf clubs on the first day of summer and expecting to play well in tournaments are getting more difficult for junior golfers.

Those who want to use the summer as a primer for the high school season in the fall — and possibly enhance their chances to play in college — need to do some things in the months beforehand.

Craig Onsrud, the professional at Ironwood Golf Course in Normal, instructs several high school golfers. He encourages his students to do flexibility training in the winter months and likes them to use available indoor facilities to hit balls occasionally. He also wants them to take advantage of breaks in the weather to find an open course.

“The kids who want to play will continue to play,” said Onsrud.

“They’ll continue to strive and get better. The more experience and more reps you’re doing, the better you’ll become at it.”

Laura Provost, the professional at Weibring Golf Club at Illinois State University and an assistant coach for the Redbird women’s team, believes being physically fit is important for high school golfers, especially those who want to play at the next level.

Plus, seeing an instructor is helpful.

“We’re looking for kids who are strong,” said Provost. “Get a lesson and find a teacher you like and can communicate with. We don’t care who you go to, just go to somebody.”

Jason Wingate, the golf superintendent for the city of BloomLee News Service/STEVE SMEDLEY ington, believes it is important Normal Community High School golfer Aaron Armstrong blasts out of a even in the winter months to get a sand trap on number 11, at Ironwood Golf Course in Normal in 2012.Area club in your hands.

Wingate follows famous golf pros suggest younger golfers continue to work on their game in the SEE TEENS / PAGE 20 off season.

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CENTRAL ILLINOIS GOLF GUIDE

TEENS FROM 19

instructor Hank Haney on Twitter. Haney promotes taking 100 swings a day to groove your golf swing, 365 days a year, regardless where you live.

“He’s trying to encourage people, even somewhere in their house, to do 100 swings a day. He said you need to own your golf swing once the season starts,” said Wingate. “I’ve tried to do it.

It takes 10 to 15 minutes to take 100 swings. Anytime you can do that (is productive) or even get yourself in front of a mirror to make sure you’re doing the basic things right.”

Onsrud likes to see his serious students set up some kind of putting drills in their homes during the colder months, even if it is just for five minutes per day.

“You would be surprised how effective that will be,” he said.

Once the weather breaks, those gearing up to play in tournaments shouldn’t just bash balls with their driver at the practice range.

Provost said younger golfers should use chipping areas available at many courses and practice facilities, even if it’s just for 15 minutes a day.

“You’ll pick up so many strokes being prepared with the short game,” she said.

Practicing is fine, yet Onsrud doesn’t like to see someone for a lesson who hasn’t been on the course since they last met.

“I tell them if we want you to be a great basketball player and we shot 1,000 shots a day and you were a great shooter but never played in a pickup game, you would never be a great player in a game. It’s the exact same thing

Lee News Service/LISA MORRISON

Maddy Burgett of Charleston tees off on the first hole during the IHSA Girls Class 1A state golf tournament. (with golf),” he said. “You might hit great shots on the driving range, but you’re in total different situation when you’re on the golf course.”

Provost sees many students “go overboard” during the summers with tournaments. She believes playing at least two tournaments in the summer is enough.

“You have to count your score for real and not be out with your buddies,” she said. “It’s a different mindset.”

Wingate said there is no substitute for putting yourself in pressure situations and learning how to grind.

“That’s something I don’t see kids do a lot. They pack it in really early,” he said.

“On the (PGA) tour, sometimes guys don’t have their ‘A’ game, but they grind and get it in.I don’t think people want to grind in

their regular groups. You have to learn how you cope with those pressure situations.”

Onsrud said that comes with getting out and playing.

“You have to give them the opportunity, whether it’s a junior pass, but they have to get on the golf course,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing I preach.”

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PAGE 21

Plan your bunker shots depending on the bunker ost golfers understand that greens will vary from course to course.

Some are fast; others slow. Some have big undulations while others are relatively flat. Fairway conditions will be lush and deep on one course and spotty and uneven on another.

But when the ball lands in the sand, golfers expect consistency from one bunker to the next.

The truth is, consistency of bunkers and the sand in them will change greatly from course to course. So should your approach.

I hear golfers complain all the time that “there’s just not enough sand in the bunker!” or “There’s way too much sand in the bunker!”

A bunker is a hazard. You’re not supposed to have hit the ball there in the first place, so there’s a penalty for being off course.

The skill it takes to successfully hit from a bunker can be enhanced by your equipment and your ability to read the sand conditions you’re playing. It helps to know the course you’re playing.

At Red Tail Run in Decatur, for instance, I would call the sand fluffier and drier because of the wind exposure. That requires a club with more bounce to displace the sand, and you need to swing a little harder.

Bounce is the difference between the leading edge of the club and the trailing edge of the club.

Hold the base of your club face across the top of a coffee cup and study the angle. I pulled out two wedges and one had a bounce angle of about 12 degrees. That’s a typical sand wedge. Another wedge had a bounce angle of 8 degrees.

M

ington) get their sand from the of the steeper angle of your same place. Like Red Tail Run, swing, a bunker shot is like trying courses like Prairie Vista and The to hit the ball out of a coffee cup.

Den at Fox Creek are exposed to A pitch shot is like trying to hit the wind and have drier sand. the ball out of a cereal bowl.

If you’re traveling to other If the bunker is not next to the parts of the country, the sand green and you are faced with a conditions can change greatly. Be longer shot, choose a club with prepared to hit from deeper less loft. Don’t be afraid to use an bunkers, perhaps larger bunkers, 8-iron or 9-iron. This is a shot Rick Anderson with a different consistency. that none of us practices often Golfers are not going to carry You cannot ground your club in enough. two sand wedges. But a golfer the bunker. Sand shots should be If your course has a “demo might carry a 58- or 60-degree played further up in your stance. day” at which golfers can try new lob wedge and a 56-degree sand Get a firm foothold and keep your products, consider experimentwedge. hands behind the ball at set-up. ing with different wedges. Ideally, Match the wedge to your conPick the club up — the club will a professional can help fit your ditions. In a firmer condition, less come up and away from the ball wedges to the course and condibounce is better. at a steeper-than-normal angle. tions you typically play. Wedges I like to play bunker shots with You want to hit as close to the ball are lofted clubs with the versatilimore bounce on the club and as you can (maybe an inch or ty to be used in many areas of the pitch shots with less bounce. So inch-and-a-half behind the ball) course. And that includes in those my lob wedge will have the without having the club dig into sand-filled bunkers we all wish bounce that will help me get out the sand. You want it to skim (or we could avoid. of the bunker. My sand wedge will bounce).

Anderson is director of golf, Decatur Park Dishave less bounce and I’m more Imagine taking a dollar billtrict, and a PGA teaching professional. His likely to play it from different sized divot from under the ball. places on the course.

You’re trying to throw the ball out daughter, Hilary, played at Illinois State University.

Another tip to improved with a cushion of sand. Because bunker play is quite obvious: Practice the shot!

We spend countless hours on the putting green and on the practice range hitting drives, irons and studying the breaks of our putts.

But we spend very little time getting a firm stance in the sand and working on bunker shots from various distances.

Remember: Even very good golfers are likely to hit from the sand a couple times a round. Less accomplished golfers will be in there more. So the ability to deftly extricate the ball from the sand can be a real stroke-saver.

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PAGE 22

CENTRAL ILLINOIS GOLF GUIDE GolfDirectory

Lee News Service/STEVE SMEDLEY

Father-son team of Bob and Mike Lee end a round of golf at Highland Park Golf Course in Bloomington.

BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL AREA The Den at Fox Creek Bloomington 309-434-2300 Par: 72 Yardage: 6,422 Greens fees: M-Th $31; FSun $41 (Frequent player card: M-Th $24; F-Sun $31) Practice range: Yes Website: www.thedengc.com Highland Park G.C. Bloomington 309-434-2200 Par: 70 Yardage: 5,539 Greens fees: M-Th $16; FSun $18 (Frequent player card: M-Th $13; F-Sun $15) Practice range: No Webssite: www.highland parkgc.com Ironwood G.C.

Normal 309-454-9620 Par: 72 Yardage: 6,456 Greens fees: M-F $19, weekends $24; seniors (60-older) and juniors (17-under) $15 after 2 p.m. on weekends Practice range: Yes Website: www.golfiron wood.org

The Links at Ireland Grove Bloomington 309-661-8040 Par: 29 Yardage: 1,590 Greens fees: $10, $5 under age 6 Practice range: Yes Web site: www.the linksatirelandgrove.com Prairie Vista G.C. Bloomington 309-434-2217 Par: 72 Yardage: 6,427

Greens fees: M-Th $31; FSun $33 (Frequent player card: M-Th $24; F-Sun $26) Practice range: Yes Website: www.prairievistagc.com

18 holes: $17 (resident), $20 (non-resident) Practice range: No Website: www.ci.streator.il.us/ anderson-fields.php

Weibring Golf Club at ISU Normal 309-438-8065 Par: 71 Yardage: 6,160 Greens fees: M-F $32, weekends $35; seniors: M-F $23, weekends $26; juniors: M-F $20, weekends $23 Practice range: Short game area Website: www.isugolf.com/golf

Bluegrass Creek G.C. Minier 309-392-2094 Par: 36 Yardage: 3,044 Greens fees: $13 (all day); juniors $8 (15-under) Practice range: No

Anderson Fields G.C. Streator 815-672-3702 Par: 35 Yardage: 2,682 Greens fees: 9 holes: $10 (resident), $12 (non-resident);

Dwight Country Club Dwight 815-584-1399 Par: 71 Yardage: 6,306 Greens fees: M-F $17, weekends $21 Practice range: Yes Website: www.dwight countryclub.com SEE DIRECTORY / PAGE 23

CENTRAL ILLINOIS GOLF GUIDE GolfDirectory

DIRECTORY FROM 22

El Paso Golf Club Kappa 309-527-5225 Par: 71 Yardage: 6,111 Greens fees: $27 for 18 holes, $13.50 for 9 holes, closed to the public Sunday and holidays Practice range: Short game area Website: www.elpaso golfclub.com Fairlakes Golf Course Secor 309-744-2222 Par: 67 Yardage: 5,052 Greens fees: M-F: $9 (9 holes), $16 (18 holes); weekends: $11 (9 holes), $18 (weekends) Practice range: No Website: www.fairlakesgc.com Four Willows G.C. Mason City 217-482-3349 Par: 35 Yardage: 3,000 Greens fees: $9 for 9 holes, $6 for replay Practice range: No Hazy Hills G.C. Hudson 309-726-9200 Par: 35 Yardage: 2,900 Greens fees: $9 Practice range: No Indian Creek G.C. Fairbury 815-692-2655 Par: 72 Yardage: 5,840 Greens fees: 9 holes: $10, MF, $12 weekends; 18 holes: $16 M-F, $18 weekends Practice range: Yes Website: www.indian creekcc.net Indian Springs G.C. Saybrook 309-475-4111

PAGE 23

Par: 36 Yardage: 3,255 Greens fees: $16 M-F, $19 weekends (18 holes) Practice range: Yes

Green fees: weekday $45, weekends $55 Practice range: Yes Website: www.metamora fields.com

Kaufman Park G.C. Eureka 309-467-2523 Par: 34 Yardage: 2,767 Greens fees: 9 holes: $10; 18 holes: $16 Practice range: No

North Greens G.C. Atlanta 217-648-5500 Par: 36 Yardage: 3,290 Greens fees: 9 holes $10, 18 holes $16; seniors: 9 holes $8, 18 holes $13 (M-F) Practice range: Yes

Lake of the Woods G.C. Mahomet 217-586-2183 Par: 72 Yardage: 6,044 Greens fees: M-F $24 (resident), $26 (non-resident); weekends $25 (resident), $27 (non-resident) Practice range: Yes Website: www.golfthe lake.com LeRoy Country Club LeRoy 309-962-3421 Par: 71 Yardage: 5,681 Greens fees: 9 holes $7, 18 holes $14 Practice range: Chipping area Lick Creek G.C. Pekin 309-346-0077 Par: 72 Yardage: 6,308 Green fees: weekdays $21.25, weekends $24 Practice range: Yes Website:www.pekinpark district.org/lickcreek.html Lincoln Elks C.C. Lincoln 217-732-4010 Par: 71 Yardage: 6,100 Greens fees: 9 holes $15, 18 holes $26 Practice range: Yes Metamora Fields Metamora 309-367-4000 Par: 71 Yardage: 6,209

Pontiac Elks C.C. Pontiac 815-842-1249 Par: 72 Yardage: 6,579 Fees: M-F $20, weekends $24 Practice range: Yes Website: www.pontiac elks.com Railside Golf Club Gibson City

217-784-5000 Par: 72 Yardage: 6,755 Fees: M-F $18; weekends $20 Practice range: Yes Website: www.railside.com

Twin Creeks G.C. Streator 815-672-4220 Par: 72 Yardage: 6,133 Greens fees: 9 holes: M-F $12, weekends $15.50; 18 holes: M-F $17, weekends $22.50 Practice range: Yes WeaverRidge Golf Club Peoria 309-691-3344 Par: 72 Yardage: 6,013 Green fees: $45-$93 (includes cart) Practice range: Yes Website: www.weaver ridge.com SEE DIRECTORY / PAGE 24

PUBLIC 18 Hole Course located on Lake Taylorville • NEW management with professional, friendly staff • Renovated greens, tees and fairways & clubhouse.

• Beautiful rolling terrain and picturesque scenery.

• Driving Range/Snack Shop/Liquor License • Full Service Pro Shop • Club Rentals • Tee times recommended.

Lakeshore Golf Course Taylorville (217) 824-5521 lakeshoregolf@consolidated.net www.golflakeshore.com 20511739

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CENTRAL ILLINOIS GOLF GUIDE GolfDirectory

Lee News Service/LISA MORRISON

A golfer hits a ball on to the eighth green Red Tail Run Golf Course in Decatur.

DIRECTORY FROM 23

Wolf Creek Golf Club Cayuga 815-842-9008 Par: 72 Yardage: 6,637 Greens fees: 9 holes: M-F $10, weekends $13; 18 holes: M-F $18, weekends $21 Practice range: Yes Website: www.golfatwolf creek.com Woodlawn C.C. Farmer City 309-928-3215 Par: 72 Yardage: 6,234 Greens fees: 9 holes: M-Sat $10, Sunday $12; 18 holes: M-Sat $18, Sunday $20 Practice range: Yes Website: www.woodlawn countryclubfc.com

DECATUR AREA Hickory Point 727 Weaver Road, Decatur

217-421-7444 Par: 72 Yardage: 6,848 Greens fees: $24 weekdays Driving range: Yes Website: www.decaturparks.org/golf

Red Tail Run 520 W. Grove Road, Decatur 217-422-2211 Par: 72 Yardage: 7,351 Greens fees: $24 weekdays Driving range: Yes Website: www.decaturparks.org/golf Scovill 3909 W. Main St., Decatur 217-429-6243 Par: 71 Yardage: 5,925 Greens fees: $24 weekdays Driving range: Yes Website: www.decaturparks.org/golf Cardinal 15737 N. Beach Road, Effingham 217-868-2860 Par: 72

Yardage: 5,899 Website: forewaygolf course.com

Effingham 16041 N. 100th St. 217-858-5418 Par: 36 Yardage: 2,910 Website: forewaygolf course.com The National Golf Course Route 1, Box 230, Findlay 217-756-5555 Par: 72 Yardage: 6,900 Greens fees: $30 weekdays Website: thenationalgc.com Moweaqua Golf Course 2598 E. 1900 North Road, Moweaqua 217-768-3411 Par: 72 Yardage: 6,307 Driving range: Yes Greens fees: $16 weekdays Website: moweaqua golfcourse.com Oak Terrace 1000 Beyers Lake Road, Pana

1-800-577-7598 Par: 72 Yardage: 6,275 Greens fees: $44 weekdays Website: www.oakterrace resort.com

St. Elmo Golf Club One mile northwest of St. Elmo 618-829-3390 Par: 36 Yardage: 3,220 Greens fees: $8 Website: stelmogolfclub.com Deer Trail 1902 E. 1500 North Road, Shelbyville 217-774-3030 Par: 35 Yardage: 2,832 Lake Shore 1460 E. 1000 North Road, Taylorville 217-824-5521 Par: 72 Yardage: 6,778 Greens fees: $30 weekdays Website: www.golflakeshore.com SEE DIRECTORY / PAGE 25

CENTRAL ILLINOIS GOLF GUIDE GolfDirectory

DIRECTORY FROM 24

Lincoln Trail 2021 Lincoln Trail, Taylorville 217-824-5161 Par: 35 Yardage: 2,905 Ironhorse 2000 Ironhorse Drive, Tuscola 217-253-6644 Par: 72 Yardage: 7,046 Greens fees: $24 weekdays Website: www.ironhorse gc.com Angus Links Three miles south of Windsor 217-459-2805 Par: 71 Yardage: 6,705 Greens fees: $27 Website: www.angus links.com Legends 4551 Nicklaus Drive, Champaign 217-863-2145 Par: 29 Yardage: 1,489 Greens fees: $9 Website: www.legends ofchampaign.com Stone Creek Urbana 217-367-3000 Par: 72 Yardage: 7,118 Greens fees: $44 Website: www.stonecreek golfclub.com University of Illinois Blue 800 Hartwell Drive, Savoy 217-359-5613 Par: 72 Yardage: 6,479 Greens fees: $22 weekdays Driving range: Yes Website: www.uofigolf.com University of Illinois Orange 800 Hartwell Drive, Savoy 217-359-5613

PAGE 25

Par: 72 Yardage: 6,866 Greens fees: $22 weekdays Driving range: Yes Website: www.uofigolf.com

MATTOON-CHARLESTON AREA Meadowview Golf Course 6489 Meadowview Lane, Mattoon 217-258-7888 Par: 72 Yardage: 6,745 Type: Public Driving range: Yes www.meadowviewgolf.com Norton Knolls Golf Course North Reel Street, P.O. Box 594, Oakland 217-346-3102 Par: 34 Yardage: 2,547 Type: Public Driving range: No Rogala Public Links 1322 State Highway 16, Mattoon 217-235-5518 Par: 36 Yardage: 3,069 Type: Public Driving range: No Eagle Ridge Golf Course Paris 928 Clinton Road 217-463-3434 Par: 72 Yardage: 6,589 Type: Public Bent Tree Golf Course 14618 E. County Road 400 North, Charleston 217-348-1611 Par: 70 Yardage: 6,240 Type: Public Timberlake Golf Course 957 County Road 700 East, Sullivan 217-797-6496 Par: 70 Yardage: 6,054 Type: Public www.timberlake golfcourse.com

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CENTRAL ILLINOIS GOLF GUIDE

ProWatch Area events Decatur-Forsyth Classic Presented by Tate & Lyle and Decatur Park District Date: June 14-16 Place: Hickory Point Golf Course, Decatur Defending champion: Kristie Smith Web site: www.symetratour.com

Encompass Championship Date: June 21-23 Place: North Shore Country Club, Glenview Directions: Take Interstate 55 north to

Interstate 294 north. Merge onto Dempster Street (U.S. 14 east) and turn left onto N. Greenwood Ave. Turn right at W. Golf Road, left onto Waukegan Road and right onto Glenview Road.

Tickets: Daily $20, children under 18 free Defending champion: First year Champions Tour event Information: (888) 302-5446 Web site: www.encompasschampionship.com

John Deere Classic Date: July 8-14 Place: TPC at Deere Run, Silvis Directions: Take Interstate 74 west to

Interstate 80 west. Follow for six miles and then take Illinois 5 west off I-80 toward East Moline. Follow signs to parking.

Tickets: Daily $24 (advance), $28 (gate); oneday clubhouse ticket $34.

Defending champion: Zach Johnson Information: (800) 336-4655 Web site: www.johndeereclassic.com

BMW Championship Date: Sept. 12-15 Place: Conway Farms Golf Club, Lake Forest Directions: Take Interstate 55 north to Tri-

State Tollway north (1-294). Exit east on Town Line Road (Illinois 60). Turn right at the second traffic light (Conway Farms Drive).

Tickets: Single-day ticket, $40; Weekly ticket book, $100; Any day practice round ticket, $10 Defending champion: Rory McIlroy Information: (847) 724-4600.

Web site: www.BMWChampionshipUSA.com

2013 PGA Tour schedule April 1-7: Valero Texas Open, San Antonio April 8-14: Masters, Augusta, Ga. April 15-21: RBC Heritage, Hilton Head Island,

S.C. April 22-28: Zurich Classic, New Orleans April 29-May 5: Wells Fargo Championship,

Charlotte, N.C. May 6-12: The Players Championship, Ponte

Vedra Beach, Fla. May 13-19: HP Byron Nelson Championship,

Irving, Texas

May 20-26: Crowne Plaza Invitational, Fort

Aug. 30-Sept. 1: Portland Classic presented by Safeway, Portland, Ore. May 27-June 2: The Memorial Tournament, Sept. 12-15: The Evian, Evian-les-Bains, Dublin, Ohio France June 3-9: FedEx St. Jude Classic, Memphis Oct. 3-6: Reignwood Pine Valley LPGA Classic, Beijing, China June 10-16: U.S. Open, Ardmore, Pa. Oct. 10-13: Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, Kuala June 17-23: Travelers Championship, Lumpur, Malaysia Cromwell, Conn.

Oct. 17-20: KEB Hana Bank Championship, June 24-30: AT&T National, Bethesda, Md. July 1-7: The Greenbrier Classic, White Sulphur Incheon, Korea Oct. 24-27: Sunrise LPGA Taiwan Springs, W.V. Championship, Taiwan July 8-14: John Deere Classic, Silvis.

July 15-21: Open Championship, East Lothian, Nov. 7-10: Mizuno Classic, Shima-Shi, Japan Nov. 14-17: Lorena Ochoa Invitational, Scotland July 15-21: True South Classic, Madison, Miss. Guadalajara, Mexico Nov. 21-24: CME Group Titleholders, Naples, July 22-28: RBC Canadian Open, Oakville, Fla. Ontario July 29-Aug. 4: WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, Akron, Ohio July 29-Aug. 4: Reno-Tahoe Open, Reno, Nev. March 15-17: Toshiba Classic, Newport Beach, Aug. 5-11: PGA Championship, Rochester, N.Y. Calif.

Aug. 12-18: Wyndham Championship, March 22-24: Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic, Greensboro, N.C. Biloxi.

Aug. 19-25: The Barclays, Jersey City, N.J. April 19-21: Greater Gwinnett Championship, Aug. 26-Sept. 2: Deutsche Bank Duluth, Ga. Championship, Norton, Mass.

April 26-28: Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends Sept. 9-15: BMW Championship, Lake of Golf, Savannah, Ga. Forest.

May 3-5: Insperity Championship, The Sept. 16-22: Tour Championship, Atlanta Woodlands, Texas Sept. 30-Oct. 6: The Presidents Cup, Dublin, May 23-26: Senior PGA Championship, St. Ohio Louis May 31-June 2: Principal Charity Classic, West Des Moines, Iowa June 6-9: Regions Tradition, Shoal Creek, Ala. April 4-7: Kraft Nabisco, Rancho Mirage, Calif.

June 21-23: Encompass Championship, April 17-20: Lotte Championship, Kapolei, Glenview.

Oahu, Hawaii June 27-30: Senior Players Championship, April 25-28: North Texas LPGA Shootout, Pittsburgh Irving, Texas July 11-14: U.S. Senior Open, Omaha, Neb. May 2-5: Kingsmill Championship, July 25-28: Senior Open Championship, Williamsburg, Va. Southport, England May 16-19: Mobile Bay LPGA Classic, Mobile, Aug. 2-4: 3M Championship, Blaine, Minn.

Ala. Aug. 16-18: Dick’s Sporting Goods Open, May 23-26: Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic, Endicott, N.Y. Paradise Island, Bahamas Aug. 22-23: Boeing Classic, Snoquaimie, May 31-June 2: ShopRite LPGA Classic Wash.

Presented by Acer, Galloway, N.J. Aug. 30-Sept. 1: Calgary Golf Classic, Calgary, June 6-9: Wegmans LPGA Championship, Alberta Pittsford, N.Y. Sept. 6-8: Montreal Championship, SainteJune 21-23: Walmart NW Championship Julie, Quebec presented by P&G, Rogers, Ark. Sept. 20-22: Pacific Links Hawaii June 27-30: U.S. Women’s Open, Championship, Kapolei Southampton, N.Y. Sept. 27-29: Nature Valley First Tee Open, July 11-14: Manulife Financial LPGA Classic, Monterey Peninsula, Calif.

Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Oct. 11-13: SAS Championship, Cary, N.C. July 18-21: Marathon Classic presented by Owens Corning & O-I, Sylvania, Ohio Oct. 18-20: Greater Hickory Classic, Conover, N.C. Aug. 1-4: Ricoh Women’s British Open, Fife, Scotland Oct. 25-27: AT&T Championship, San Antonio Aug. 16-18: The Solheim Cup, Parker, Colo.

Oct. 31-Nov. 3: Charles Schwab Cup Aug. 22-25: CN Canadian Women’s Open, Championship, San Francisco Edmonton, Alberta

Worth, Texas

Champions Tour

2013 LPGA Tour schedule

CENTRAL ILLINOIS GOLF GUIDE

PAGE 27

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Feature is optional and subject to terms and conditions. Safe Driving Bonus® won’t apply after an accident. In CA, you could still lose the 20% Good Driver Discount. Northbrook, IL. © 2010 Allstate Insurance Company 20512716

PAGE 28

CENTRAL ILLINOIS GOLF GUIDE

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20511568