Guide for Beginning Golfers

This past Saturday I played golf with my significant other at Brentwood Country Club in Brentwood, Long Island. The golf course is not as pristine, well manicured, or aesthetically as beautiful or pleasing as the name may suggest but it is a golf course, whose rates are reasonable and the course is walkable, which is preferable and a plus for us. The golf course is an excellent course for a beginning golfer because it is relatively short ( about 6200 yards from the back tees ), open and not tricked up with water hazards, lengthy carry distance requirements and OB ( out of bounds) areas or huge greenside sand traps and /or fairway bunker locations that are intrinsic to many of the more modern golf course designs. It is a perfect course for a walk in the park on a beautiful day and we enjoyed it thoroughly. My play and scoring was not what I would normally expect at this course but what is the saying ” A Bad Day on the Golf Course is Better Than a Good Day at Work” so I enjoyed myself just the same. I shot 85 which isn’t terrible but the course difficulty rating is not high and my normal round there is about 75 to 80, which is much closer to what I would expect at my ability level. Cathi shot a 96 which wasn’t too bad either considering she plays about once a month and no practice time to speak of. In another writing I spoke about the collateral benefits of golf and this was one of those days where we could appreciate those benefits all the more. We enjoyed some good exercise by walking the course, we unwound from the hectic schedule of the work week, no trains to catch, no bid date to meet, none of the everyday stresses and pressures inherent with many job responsibilities and we had a little competitive fun while taking our stroll in the park. 

When I first started writing about golf I wanted to help eliminate or reduce any potential pitfalls a new golfer may encounter when first preparing or learning to play this incredible game. In retrospect and to clarify that statement there are NO real pitfalls to speak of with golf. The pitfalls I was referring to is over spending on your first set of golf clubs, not taking lessons when you may have had the opportunity or giving up on golf before you ever gave the game a real chance. Our nice leisurely round walking the course this past Saturday helped reinforce my belief in the many more benefits to be derived by playing this exhilirating sport. The good exercise, especially if you walk, the banter and comraderie with your friends or significant other, meeting some new and often very nice people who join in your foursome, taking a client out to play, maybe letting them win and signing a huge deal after the round, the wagering and competitive spirit of golf, the exhilaration of hitting a career shot to a tight pin or flag placement, sinking a 40 to 60 foot putt on a double breaking tiered green, winning a $5 Nassau from your best friend or another competitor, coming close to or getting a hole in one, scoring your first par, birdie or eagle, or maybe the enjoyment of lunch or dinner and a few beers with your friends at the 19th hole after you just won the match, now that’s what golf is really all about. So enjoy the collateral benefits of golf and take “A Walk in the Park” every once in awhile, you won’t be disappointed. Have fun and Happy Golfing to all!

For more valuable tips and golf info visit http://www.guideforbeginninggolfers.com

I must admit I’ve been disappointed watching the Major Tournaments all season because the two best golfers in the world have not been able to capitalize when in the hunt on Sunday. Tiger Woods is recovering from ACL surgery on his knee after last year’s U.S. Open when Rocco Mediate played out of his socks to give Tiger a run for the money and force a playoff on the Monday after a tie for 72 holes in regulation – Good for you Rocco. As far as I’m concerned Rocco still had no business being there as Tiger Woods was well ahead of the field of many players much more statistically better than Rocco and on any given day could beat him handily, but Rocco was there and he gave Tiger some stiff competition. He knew in the back of his mind that this may be the only chance he would ever have for an opportunity like this and he did well to make the best of  it. We all know how it turned out but Tiger is back and Rocco deserves some credit for his tenacity in battle!

In this year’s Tour Championship and Fed Ex Cup, a number of great players also had a shot at either title. Because of the new reset format it gives players who are close in the standings an even better opportunity to win the Cup. But finally the cream rose to the top. I’ve been waiting patiently all season as Major after Major have slipped out of the grasp of the world’s two best players, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. I’ve been rooting for these guys since the Masters, when Phil made a charge reminiscent of Jack Nicklaus in the 86 Masters and Tiger stayed right in the hunt with him but neither of them could seize the moment.  Phil Mickelson also had a good shot at the U.S. Open when he was playing his heart out for wife Amy, who had been recently diagnosed with breast cancer as was his mother shortly thereafter, but the distraction proved too much for him and understandably so as he dropped out of contention on the final nine on Sunday.

The Tour Championship finally yielded the One Two Punch from the world’s two best golfers, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. With many of the world’s top players in contention for both the Tour Championship and the Fed Ex Cup, such as Jim Furyk, Kenny Perry, Padraig Harrington, Steve Stricker and Sean O’Hair, the lead exchanged hands a number of times between these players but Phil and Tiger showed them why they were considered one and two ranked in the world. Phil shot a final round 65, which was 4 strokes better than the rest of the field and good enough for a three stroke victory over the worlds best player Tiger Woods. Tiger’s statistical standings in all the important categories remain intact. He is # 1 in the world ranking, # 1 on the Money List, six victories under his belt this season on tour solidify his rank as # 1 in virtually any category that matters and now the Fed Ex Cup title and $10,000,000 dollars more in his bank account. What more can you ask for? Tiger is back and with a vengeance. As much as any normal human being would be satisfied with his accomplishments for this year I’m sure he has already strategized with his golf coach, Hank Haney, on how to ensure a few more notches in his Majors Belt for next year. Tiger is still young but impatient to reach the goal he had cemented in his mindset at an early age, tie and then beat Jack Nicklaus’s record 18 majors. He is well on his way with 14 but he may have a few more years ahead to reach his goal. There are many good players on the Tour who also want to win and who will provide Tiger with some stiff competition along the way but make no mistake about it he will be victorious in the end.

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The 91st PGA Championship was played this year at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. Tiger Woods has been victorious in 14 out of 14 attempts in the major championships when leading or sharing the lead after 54 holes. Tiger game has been sharp over the last few weeks, including back to back victories in the 51st and final playing of the Buick Open, which he has dominated so brilliantly over the years and also the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club in Akron Ohio. He beat the field handily by three and four strokes respectively thus dispelling any doubts about his return to true Tiger form. Yang also made some noise and came in alone in 5th place at the Buick, tied for 19th at Firestone and has played well as of late and stood at 110 in the World Rankings until his PGA win, which should put him well ahead of that number.

 I must take a moment to ask, ”What happened to Padraig Harrington?” Having started the day at -6 and in excellent position to make a run at the title, he dropped off the leader board and shot 78 to put himself out of the running for back to back titles and another Wanamaker Trophy. It makes me seriously wonder whether Padraig would have been victorious in last year’s two final majors, the British Open and the PGA, since he has faltered in both the Buick Open and the 2009 PGA when Tiger Woods was in the field. It may be the intimidation factor that exudes with Woods mere presence, which could affect Padraig Harrington’s performance when going head to head with Tiger. There are many players so affected but it did not seem to bother P.E. Yang on the back nine on Sunday, or for that matter at any time in the final round. He play well  thru out the round and his only hiccup came on 17 when he three putted for bogie and left the door open for Tiger. Tiger pulled his approach shot left and in the rough just off the green. His attempt to chip out left him short and he could not convert the par putt to return to -7 and a tie with Yang going into the final hole. I guess you could say he did not  Wan-a-maker, a little play on words there. Yang’s second shot on 18, a hybrid to approximately 8 feet, all but sewed up the title for him. Tiger needed to hit his approach shot stiff if he were to have any chance but instead he over shot the green and again left himself with a difficult shot from the rough to birdie or even par the hole, which he ultimately failed to do. Tiger had to settle for bogie to Yang’s birdie leaving him an unprecedented three shots back at -5. Yang finished at -8, where Tiger had started for the day. When Tiger was ahead by two shots at the turn, I said to myself, “This PGA is over”, but Yang had other ideas. P.E. Yang played well, no two ways about it. It seemed that Tiger uncharacteristically changed his strategy mid-round to a more conservative approach which is atypical for him. He appeared to be protecting his two stroke lead instead of his normal aggressive style and using his unequivocal ability to expand that lead to three, four or even five strokes. He did not appear to trust his game as he laid up on a number of holes and left himself much longer approach shots than Yang and this tactic may have ultimately lent itself to Tiger’s demise and loss of the championship.

I know the missed cut at the British Open did not sit well with Tiger and I’m sure he worked even harder with his coach, Hank Haney, to correct any swing faults in preparation for the PGA Championship. Second place is not a bad spot to be in but unacceptable by Tiger’s standards. I’m sure he would have much rather have today’s headline read “ Tiger’s Wins Wire to Wire Victory in PGA Championship” or “Tiger wins 15th Major” or “Tiger Edges Closer to Jack Nicklaus’s Record 18 Majors and Sam Snead’s all time 82 Victory Record” but it was not to be this time. It just goes to show that even the infallible TIger Woods is human and can lose when the chips do not fall in his direction. This is the fourth straight major with an unlikely victor accepting the trophy. In The Masters, Angel Cabrera held off late charges by Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, who blew opportunities on the final nine on Sunday and Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry, who had it sewed up at the 16th until he bogied both finishing holes to force a playoff in which he lost to Angel. At the U.S. Open, Phil Mickelson was once again in contention on Sunday and playing his heart out for wife Amy who requested him to win, along with David Duval and Ricky Barnes who could not hold on to a 6 stroke lead and who both allowed Lucas Glover to snatch victory right out from under them. Then, an unprecedented performance in The British Open by Tom Watson, who should have and could have won but Stewart Cink tied him on the 18th and handily beat him in the playoff that ensued. Finally, in the PGA, what can I say, Tiger Woods beaten by P.E. Yang on the back nine on Sunday.  Who could have imagined a more implausible ending to the last major of the season, given Tiger’s two stroke lead at the turn. This is the time when Tiger usually makes his move and can catch an opponent with a four stroke lead or more when he turns it on. A Tiger Woods Major victory was not in the cards this year and his continuing quest toward Jack Nicklaus’s record will have to wait until 2010. Please note that Tiger’s season has been very successful, as he is the leading money winner, the leader in the Fed Ex and Presidents Cup standings, not to mention his long standing status as # 1 in the World Ranking which remains intact. His next opportunity will come in the Fed Ex Cup where he can add another victory and move closer to Sam Snead’s all time victory total of 82. Not too shabby from a player who is still somewhat recovering from his ACL knee surgery of last year.

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I have been travelling to Myrtle Beach since 1990 for great golf vacations and for the last four years with my golf buddies, Ferd, Fred, Tim, Dennis, Richard, Peter, and Mike F. on our annual golf trip. Since this was to be our 5th year we decided to try a new venue. After careful review of a number of alternate locations we arrived at Scottsdale, Arizona as this year’s golf destination. It turned out to be an excellent choice and we reserved our time there from March 18th to the 22nd. We were hoping for reasonable weather as the week before our scheduled arrival the temperatures were in the high 70’s, which is perfect for golf. When we arrived the temperature rose into the high 80’s and low 90’s, which is hot but still playable. It is a drier climate so the heat was not as formidable as in the north or southeast where the humidity will make it feel much warmer than it is.

The courses we played were TPC of Scottsdale, Las Sendas, Gold Canyon – Dinosaur, Whirlwind - Devil’s Claw and and We-Ko-Pa – Cholla, my personal favorite. The rates at that time of the year were a little pricey but well worth the cost in retrospect. The last three golf resorts had 36 holes each and we were able to replay another 18 holes on their alternate course, which was most enjoyable and convenient. I have played desert golf previously in Las Vegas in 2002, as I vacationed there with my significant other that year to celebrate my 50th birthday, but this was different. The red rock mountains and varied rock and cactus formations and shapes, respectively, were incredible. The green fairway grass against the colorful mountain backdrops, were breathtaking and I enjoyed every minute of the trip. We stayed at the Xona Resort Suites, which was centrally located and had excellent accommodations for a reasonable price. The elevation changes on Gold Canyon’s Dinosaur course were most incredible and the views from some of the higher altitudes were magnificent. After golf each day the restaurant and night life scene was hopping. We enjoyed Maggio’s family style restaurant, which offered so many pasta, fish and meat specialties that it was hard to choose and at all you can eat prices. We also enjoyed Capital Grill, another one of my favorites there. The only downside to this trip was the time of the flight from Newark, N.J. which was over five hours and I was seated against the fuselage with no window. I always request a window seat when I travel because I enjoy taking pictures of the aerial views of the mountains, lakes, canyons, rivers, the beautiful sunrise, sunsets and sometimes even the cloud formations so this seating arrangement was claustrophobic to say the least.

We normally go with a group of eight golfers, but this trip one of my good friends, Ferd, decided to invite a few acquaintances from San Francisco, Chris, Frank, and Dave. We also asked another associate from Philadelphia area, Richard, to join us and round out the third foursome. There was some interesting golf banter and comraderie between the new invitees and the former two groups of foursomes. Everyone got along great and the golf, good food and good times were par for the course. As terrific a time that was had by all, I will still opt for Myrtle Beach as my first choice of golf venues, but Scottsdale, Arizona is definitely a close second. If you are planning a golf trip or vacation, you cannot go wrong with either destination. The amount of choices for excellent golf and accommodations at either venue is unlimited and include many options for after hours’ entertainment. For more information you can check on line at either myrtlebeachgolf.com or scottsdalegolf.com to find some information to help you start planning your golf trip. Have lots of fun, enjoy your trip, and Happy Golfing to All!

The British Open was the third major of the year that did not end the way I would have scripted it. The Masters had an improbable winner in Angel Cabrera when Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were in the hunt and let it slip away on the last few holes and Kenny Perry, a 48 year old, had it all sewed up until the last two holes, which he bogied and opened the door for Angel to win in a playoff. In the second major of the year, the U.S. Open winner could have easily been Phil Mickelson, who was playing his heart out for his ailing wife Amy but he could not hold on Sunday and lost out to Lucas Glover, and now Tom Watson, one of the greatest golfers who ever lived, loses to Stewart Cink in a playoff that didn’t have to be.

Tom Watson had given the fans so many thrills all week and after the first round, even though tied for the lead, most of the golf authoritarians had already written him off and said he had virtually no chance for victory. Tom Watson had other ideas and I was rooting for him all the way. He kept coming back and even after four bogies in a row during one of the rounds, he bounced back with birdies and pars when he needed to and fought his way back into the lead. His play was reminiscent of the Tom Watson I so fondly remember when in his prime in the 70’s, and where at this very venue in 1977 he faced down Jack Nicklaus, the greatest golfer who ever lived, for the final 36 holes and beat him by a shot.

After a valiant effort for all four rounds, the 18th hole of the final round turned out to be the defining hole of the tournament. Tom Watson was leading by two shots going into the 18th hole and a par would have clinched it for him. But again at the British Open the improbable happened, Stewart Cink birdied the hole and Tom bogied to force a playoff. Tom hit his eight iron approach shot to the 18^th green flush and got a bad break when it hit on the green and instead of checking up it rolled off the back and left him with an uphill shot back to the green. He opted for the putter, which had served him well all week, but he hit it a bit too hard to get thru the fringe and went past the cup by about 8 to10 feet. The putt coming back was makeable but he hit it short and missed to the right. Had he sunk that putt the Open title would have been his and golf history would have been made. He may have lost the Claret Jug but he is a winner in my book.

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The Ace may be a high playing card in a deck of cards but it is also a most coveted prize in the game of golf. The Ace or proverbial hole in one is considered an eagle on a par 3, which is the more common par for an Ace or hole in one to occur. FYI – a birdie is the golf terminology for one under par and an eagle is two strokes below par, either of which is a substantial accomplishment on any golf hole. On extremely rare occasions, a hole in one has also been recorded on par 4’s, which would be considered a double eagle or Albatross ( three under par ), as affectionately called in the United Kingdom ( England, Ireland and Scotland ). In most extremely rare occasions a score of one has been recorded on par fives, and I’m assuming the score would be considered a triple eagle or double albatross. If there is an official name given for a hole in one on a par five I am not privy to it because of the extreme rarity of the occurence. The Guinness Book of World Records notes a number of holes in one on par fives as does Golf Digest archives on occasion.

The picture below is the notable par 3 12th hole At Augusta National Golf Course where the Masters is played every year. A great time for an Ace and it has been done but these occurences are few and far between.

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The U.S. Open returned to the Bethpage Black Course this past weekend on Long Island, New York where it last decimated the field leaving Tiger Woods as the only player standing and below par in 2002. It’s fearful reputation was softened a bit by the steady rainfall during this years tournament, but make no mistake about it many players were still well over par and missed the cut by making the error of missing the fairway on critical holes.

As with the Masters I have to admit I am disappointed in the outcome of this years Open. With wife Amy awaiting surgery, and her request for a win, I thought sure Phil would pull this one out of the hat. He is as capable as any and more so than most when it comes to golf skills, but the majors still seem to elude him when he is in contention on Sunday. When he made his move and went to - 4, he appeared psyched and I thought this would surely be the one, a real Cinderella Story in the making but it was not destined to be. He missed a three footer on 15th hole and a makeable par putt on the 17th that ended his chances for his and Amy’s dream finish. Bethpage Black reared it’s ugly head and clutched victory away from not only Phil Mickelson, but Ricky Barnes and another Cinderella Story contender in David Duval. They all finished tied at -2 and a share of the second place prize. Duval, looking a bit heartier since his stellar play around the turn of the century, when he was ranked 2nd in the world behind none other than Tiger Woods had played well during this Open. Second behind Tiger was not a bad place to be at that time but he has struggled over the past four or five years and has missed quite a few cuts. He finally recaptured some of the form at Bethpage Black that made him one of the top players in the world at that time in his career. The U.S. Amateur Champion in 2002, Ricky Barnes, dropped 6 shots in his last round and just missed birdie at 18. A birdie would have put a little pressure on Lucas Glover but the putt slid by on the left side which ended any chance for a tie and a playoff. Lucas two putted easily for par and victory. Lucas Glover, a real good player with all the skills needed to win, remained the most cool, calm and collected out of the final pairings on Monday and Bethpage Black could not take the prize away from him. He did drop three shots in the final round but the Rain Man, Glover, played intelligently enough to outlast the competition. 

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One of the important but often overlooked aspects of golf is the terminology used in playing the game. Par, Ace, Bogie, Double Bogie, Eagle, Sandie, Greenie, Nassau, etc. are all golf terms to be acquired when learning to play and will be addressed in a future post. But what is “The Nassau” you say. Well I’m glad you asked.  Nassau is not only a popular vacation destination in the Bahamas but in terms of golf it is a friendly wager amongst friends to make the golf round a little more interesting. The term Nassau, if I’m not mistaken, was derived from its creation at a country club in Nassau County, New York, in fact I believe it was The Nassau Country Club.  

Who Is The Golfer in The Photo Below ? Anyone venture a guess ? Sign up and let me know who you think it is and where he’s playing ?

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The “Putt” is the stroke or shot in golf once your ball has landed on the green. This shot calls for rolling the ball toward the flagstick or cup if the flag has already been removed and is normally made using the putter. The putter is the club which has the least loft and a relatively flat face. If you have followed parts one thru eight in “Playing Your First Golf Round” then you have progressed from making your first tee time reservation, arriving at the golf course, the first tee jitters, hitting your clubs and progressing down the fairway and finally reaching the green. Congratulations !

There are two key ingredients to making a good putt, Speed and Direction. Because the green usually slopes in different directions it is key to learn how to read the slope of the green. The five main different types of putts normally encountered are Uphill, Downhill, Left To Right, Right To Left and Straight. For an uphill putt the ball must be struck harder in order to make it up the incline slope. The opposite holds true for a downhill putt because the ball will have a tendency to accelerate down the slope depending on the severity of the decline of that slope. A left to right putt will do exactly what it says – go from left to right. This means that you will aim your ball toward a target or line left of the cup and the opposite holds true for a right to left putt. The amount of distance left or right again depends on the severity of the slope of the green. There are also double breaking putts and even triple, which are usually associated with longer putts on very undulating greens, but that is a discussion for another time. When first starting to putt I would advise to aim directly at the cup or flagstick and experiment to get a feel for both speed and direction. These two ingredients of putting are critical to ultimately scoring well at golf. More than half of the total strokes of a persons score are usually made on the putting green.

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The winner of the Masters this past Sunday, Angel Cabrera, ultimately deserved the title of Masters Champion. Having been in contention with his stellar play the first three rounds and playing steadily on the earlier holes on Sunday, he was all but out of the running a few holes later when he dropped from -12 to -9 with bogies but he never conceded to the competition. He rallied back to -12 under and seized every opportunity to stay in the game by making birdies when he needed to. It only goes to enforce the old adage that “Slow and Steady Wins the Race”. Even after he tied with Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry for a playoff he all but stymied himself when he hit behind a tree on the first playoff hole, #18. Chad and Kenny Perry were in the fairway in great shape but Masters Sunday nerves got the better of them. They both pushed what would normally be routine iron shots into the green to the left and right respectively leaving the door open for Angel. He seized the moment by first making a lucky punch draw shot that hit a tree and caromed into the fairway leaving him a clear shot to the green. He again seized another opportunity by executing an excellent lob wedge shot in an extreme pressure situation which put him on the green in three with an approximate 12′ putt, which he converted, to tie Kenny Perry’s par save and go on to the next playoff hole. Chad was not as lucky and unable to salvage par so it left Kenny Perry and his playing partner all day, Angel Cabrera, to duke it out once again only this time on the 10th hole which turned out to be the deciding hole of the Masters. Kenny hit his tee shot into the left trap while Angel hit safely down the middle of the fairway, he wasn’t going to make the same mistake as he made previously on #18 again. His second shot was safely on the green while Kenny had yanked his left out of the fairway trap, leaving himself with a very tough approach shot to get close enough to save par, which he needed to keep his Masters hopes alive. He left himself about a 25 footer and missed just short on the right while Angel easily converted his two putt for par and victory. Congratulations to Angel on his amazing victory but I must admit I was disappointed by the way things played out.

Had I scripted this Masters it would have gone something like this.

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson had teed off earlier and both started at -4. Phil’s rally on the front nine was reminiscent of the Nicklaus charge in the 86′ Masters and my favorite Masters to date of all time. This years Masters was a close second but anti-climactic because Phil, Tiger or Kenny were not victorious in the end. When Phil turned the front in 30 or minus 10 I thought to myself that this was far from over and could be one of the greatest Masters ever. Since I had tuned in, when Phil and Tiger first teed off, to the finale, I could not take my eyes off the TV screen. The steady and stellar play by Angel, Kenny, Tiger and Phil was riveting. The two best players in the world were going head to head and catching the the leaders after having been 7 shots back when they first teed off on Sunday morning. After Phil’s 30 on the front I knew Tiger had to make his move if he wanted to catch Phil who was now at -10. He accomplished this by eagling the 13th hole subsequent to Phil’s double bogie of 12 when he had made a mental error by not using enough club to  carry Rae’s creek and land on a safe part of the green. Tiger and Phil still both had an opportunity but they also both missed possible eagles on 15 which left them with more work ahead if they were to taste victory. Phil and Tiger had at one point reached -11 and -10 respectively and were both standing at victories door when they faltered at the end. Tiger bogied the last two holes in unTiger like fashion and Phil did not do much better. When they both came up short at 18, I was hoping that Kenny Perry, who has been playing some of the best golf of his life for the past two years or more, could become the oldest player at 48 years plus to win a major let alone the Masters. His -14 standing at the end of the 16th hole had all but sewed it up. A par on one of the last two holes would have clinched victory for him. He had not gotten a bogie for the previous 22 holes so why start now. But start now he did with two consecutive bogies to finish at -12 tied with Cabrera and Campbell and the playoff loomed. Kenny’s steady play had come to an end and the pressure of Masters Sunday finally took its toll on him. He all but handed the victory to Angel, who seemed more calm than the rest and just happy to be there in contention without succumbing as much to the pressures of the day.

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