Golf at the Broadmoor

INSTRUCTION

On occasion, senior golfers will have limitations as to what they can accomplish with their swing.  These limitations include: obesity, arthritis, back problems, and hip and knee replacements.  All of these limitations can cause lack of flexibility and a reduced range of motion in their golf swing.

A common complaint of senior golfers is their loss of distance due to their inhibited golf swing. Lack of motion in senior golfers, due to their physical limitations, leads to an attempt to muscle the ball or hit at the ball through tighter grip pressure and a dominating upper body swing. 

These problems have occurred due to poor fundamentals in the pre-swing.  Senior golfers generally set up with too much weight on their left side, which puts their head more over the ball, not allowing for the proper weight transfer and turn behind the ball. You can begin to solve this problem by working on their pre-swing thoughts—good set-up position through the stance and posture. Some key aspects of the proper address position are:

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Instruction: Jim Hardy, 2008 PGA National Teacher of the Year

I sometimes push the driver to the right, but it's not a slice. Is this my grip or swing or both?

A push is a solidly hit shot that is straight in its flight but is right of the target. If this is your shot it is caused by the swing path being too far in-to-out and not enough in-to-in.

My wedges and irons are usually a strong point in my game, but since the start of this season I have a funny tendency from time to time. I will have a slice come off my club and not just a little, a hard low line drive straight to the right!! Any suggestions?

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What are the two most common mistakes you make in the sand? Let me guess. Either you smash it right in the teeth, sending your partners diving for cover, or fear strikes on the downswing and you consequently bulldoze the ball about three feet in front of you. Yes, I thought so.

If you're like most amateurs, you put the ball too far back in your stance and "go deep," taking a massive swipe and digging what looks like a bomb crater–something you hardly ever see the Tour pros do. I like to think of it like this. Hitting a bunker shot is rather like scooping out the old litterbox: If you take too aggressive a scoop, the whole thing falls apart, rendering it necessary to make at least one more attempt.

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Driving

There are a few things you always need to remember when you are on the tee.  One is grip pressure.  This is very, very important.  Most people grip the driver too tightly.  Make sure you’ve got the club nice and light in your hands, with no more tension than is needed to hold the club.

Secondly, you want to hit something that you can get off the tee and in play.  Do not be concerned with that extra ten yards you may get if you hit the driver perfectly.  It you can hit a 3-wood on the sweet spot more consistently, go ahead and hit that in situations where you may have a dogleg or a narrow fairway. 

Another thing is, when you have the driver in your hands, the object is to get a nice, full shoulder turn.  So when you take the club away, the butt end and your belt buckle need to go in unison.

And finally, you need to pose on your right toe at the finish.  That will ensure that you hit the ball with all your weight.

Pitching

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Imagine finding a magic lamp that would contain three golf wishes.  These wishes could only be used for your emotional control.  You could say anything from “I wish I could just stay positive for an entire 9 holes” or “I wish that when I start playing really well, that I wouldn’t get nervous and screw up”. 

Whatever you wished you would have to write down on a piece of paper.  Then your wish would be granted in the form of a “replacement thought”.  If you decided to employ the new thought, it would be guaranteed to work.  If this were reality, how would you use your three wishes?

Let’s say you are a person who likes to be “hands on” and can get streaky when you are playing well.  When things are going well, you don’t think too much you just see the target and feel the swing. 

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FITNESS

We’ve all had them, the little nagging aches and pains that keep us from playing our best. And we’ve got a lot of company.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that more than 109,000 golf-related injuries were treated in doctors’ offices, clinics and emergency rooms in 2003, at a total cost of more than 2-BILLION dollars (you could buy nearly 40-million dozen Pro-V1’s with that).

It’s not just “old-age” either. Nearly a quarter of the golf-related injuries treated were to kids under the age of 19. And here’s the kicker.

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons says most of those injuries can be prevented with some very simple and inexpensive warm-up, stretch-out and maintenance exercises throughout the year.

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EQUIPMENT

Some Basics about Putter Length: Conventional, Belly and Long

There are hundreds of variations of putters out there, but there are three basic types when it comes to putter length: the conventional, belly and long putters.

What putter length is best for you? The easiest answer is that it's completely a matter of personal preference. If you're thinking of going away from a conventional putter to a belly or long putter, you simply need to get on a putting green and see which putter length feels best and produces the best results.

Each type does have qualities, however, that might narrow the choices. And we'll take a look at those now:

Conventional Putter

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Sooner or later you will break one of your shafts, and I'm sure it will be purely accidental! When this happens you have two choices. The first is to take your broken club to a clubmaker for repairs. The second is to replace the shaft yourself. Either way, there are a few things you should know about choosing a new shaft.

The first thing to decide is whether you require a steel or a graphite shaft. Then you need to decide on shaft flex and what bend point (or kickpoint) is required. You'll need to choose the right torque rating for the shaft, and finally, determine what length the club should be when it is finished.

All these things are important and must be decided before you order and install a shaft. I will discuss each point individually, which should help you decide what shaft to buy or to make sure the shaft someone else recommends is the right one for you.

Shaft Type

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There is a greater variety of putters on the market than any other piece of golf equipment. So choosing the right one can be difficult.

There's only one foolproof way to do it: Try as many different putters as you can get your hands on. It's all about feel. But there are some things to consider about different putter features that can help narrow the field.

Price and Quality

Are price and quality directly related in putters? In many cases, very much so. You can spend $400 on a putter, just as you can on a driver. And you'll probably be getting a heck of a putter.

But you can also spend $15 and get a heck of a putter - if that's the one the feels right, builds confidence, and helps you get the ball into the hole. Don't think that you must spend lavishly on a putter.

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on the tour

Torrey Pines picked for '08 U.S. Open

For only second time in history the United States Golf Association will stage its national championship on a public golf course when the 2008 U.S. Open is conducted at Torrey Pines' South Course outside San Diego, Calif.

In joining New York's Bethpage State Park's Black Course on the exclusive public course list, Torrey Pines also marks the first time the season's second major will be held in southern California since 1948.

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Mighty Oakmont lived up to its billing as the toughest test in golf in a U.S. Open that saw Paul Casey post a round for the ages, Tiger Woods keep the heat on until the bitter end and, ultimately, Angel Cabrera emerge as an unlikely champion.

OAKMONT, Pa. -- The unlikely ending capped off a grueling week for the world's best players on what many considered the most difficult course in the world. The weather -- perfect all week with temperatures in the 80s aside from a thunderstorm that dropped down a half-inch of rain late on Wednesday -- certainly didn't help the already wicked conditions at Oakmont. The course got firmer and faster with each passing day.

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PRO-FILE

Boo Weekley wins the 2008 Verizon Heritage Classic to add to his 2007 victory.

In doing this he was number 1 in only one statistical category and that was scoring! He was sound in all categories. His weakest tour ranking is in the putting category.

This week's ranking improved to 23rd all the way from the season ranking of 144th. He had total putts of 31,26,24,26, for and average of 26.8 down from his season's average of 29.8.

Why did he have 3 less putts per round on the small green Harbour Town?

1. Small greens averaging at 3700 square feet per green. No other course but Pebble Beach can compare to this tiny size. This is a ball strikers dream course and why many Senior Tour players return to play here.

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TOURNAMENT

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The Exchange Club of Colorado Springs will hold their major fundraiser,

The Pikes Peak Celebrity Golf Tournament & Shootout.

Plus, adding this year “The Grand Auction Banquet & Celebrity Shootout, June 19 through June 21, 2008.

This year’s events will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and “the Prevention of Child Abuse” as well as other Colorado Springs community service projects and future events.

The Exchange Club is a national service club with the goals of the prevention of child abuse and the promotion of patriotism. The Exchange Club of Colorado Springs will also be celebrating their 60th anniversary this month.

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COURSE REVIEW

Editor’s Note: Dan plays a lot of golf with his wife, Terri, therefore, each of them will be contributing to the following as well as upcoming reviews. In this way, you’ll be able to benefit from both gender perspectives.

One of the many beauties of the sport of golf, as opposed to other recreational activities, is that all golf courses are different.  You can’t say as much about a basketball court or a football field, and while the same statement might be true of, say, skiing, it’s not as if you can ski uphill on some slopes; to that end, golf is unique among sports.

There is just as clearly a difference between a layout that create a unique sort of charm in some courses, and a layout that creates a certain degree of difficulty. 

For those courses generally thought to be harder than others, tee boxes are usually the great equalizer. 

Tee boxes, which in a sexist world were formerly referred to as men’s and women’s tees,  have since evolved into differential color designations, with courses attempting to be politically correct by correlating color to the anticipated length of your drive (even though men still know that it is muy macho to be “hitting off of the blues”).

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The newest of the seven golf courses run by the city of Aurora is Murphy Creek.  This facility opened in 2000, and is the first Colorado design by Ken Kavanaugh. 

Saying the course lies in Aurora might be a bit of a stretch, as it is just east of the E470 toll highway and southeast of the Buckley Air Base. 

Murphy Creek is a prairie links style course cut into what was once farmland.  In fact, some old farm equipment is scattered about the course, which gives the place some additional charm.

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From a duffer’s prospective, if you don’t have a sense of humor, stop here.

So there I was in my favorite little watering hole, peacefully enjoying a nice cold beverage, when suddenly my cell phone brings all my tranquility crashing down.

“Tom,” says the voice on the other end, it’s Steve, my editor,  “hey, they are opening a new Nicholas Design course in Trinidad called Cougar Canyon Golf Resort, and we’ve been invited to play a round prior to their opening. Wanna go?” he asks.

Well, I’m not the smoothest ball mark on the putting surface, but I’ve seen “new” courses before and have not been impressed.

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Editor’s Note: Golf Views Magazine, www.golfviews.com, is a Colorado golf magazine that’s found on line as well as at golf courses and pro shops throughout the State. Also, subscriptions are available.

Setting the Standard for Golf Courses in Northern Colorado

At the time this article was written, Free Club Initiaion Fee for New Home Buyers Through March 31st, 2007, was being featured. It might still be in effect.

Pelican Lakes Golf and Country Club is located in the heart of beautiful Water Valley in Windsor, Northern Colorado’s only 27 hole golf course resort community. Pelican Lakes promises a splashing good time and a formidable challenge, in a scenic environment that is certain to inspire even the most discriminating golfer.

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RULES

Here's the sitation: You're playing a golf course where large electrical towers or utility poles are posted, and electric wires are strung across one or more fairways. You tee the ball up, take a whack, and your beautiful shot flies straight into the overhead cables, deflecting away. Do you get to replay the stroke without penalty, or is it rub of the green and play the ball as it lies?

This situation falls broadly under Rule 33-8a; it's specifically addressed in Decision 33-8/13.

Rule 33-8a states:

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