Can You Still Enjoy #Golf at a Snail's Pace?

A recent article on the Golfplan blog intrigued me into writing a response. 

The blog, "Has Golf Lost Its Enjoyment Factor As It Has Gotten Slower", says that the result of golfers taking longer to play a course is sapping the enjoyment out of the game. So true, I thought as I began thinking back to rounds that seemed to last forever.

As I can only speak about my amateur golf experience, I would like to comment solely on my participation in the game and leave professional opinions to the pros.

I am personally not a slow player but I'm not Speedy Gonzalez either. 

I try to take a few moments before stepping up to my ball at the tee box to assess each hole. 

I do my pre-shot routine and then I'm off to locate my ball. Lucky for me I'm a pretty boring golfer...as my husband puts it ..."fairways and greens" ...but speed of play, in my opinion can be a double-edged sword.

If my golf ball is in the woods (rarely, ahem), I take a few moments to search for it (as per the Rules of Golf). 

If I find my little smiley-faced ball, great. If not, I take a drop, penalize myself and move on. 

Do I always go back to the tee box to take another swing? 

Well... if I'm not in competition and there are players right behind me, then no...I will simply drop a ball and assess the appropriate penalty after alerting my playing partners that, in the interest of time, I will take a drop. 

Is that legal? No, but it sure is the right thing to do when there is a crowd of golfers approaching you from behind! I want to make sure that everyone on the golf course moves along at a fair pace. 

Unfortunately, a backlog creates a lot of angry golfers and yes, slow play impinges upon the enjoyment of the game...if you allow it.

I believe (and hope) that this is how many amateur golfers handle their shots during a round. Most folks don't realize that they have slowed down nor do they believe that they are slowing down the course pace which, in my opinion, is due to a few factors:

* lack of experience
* on vacation
* ingrained bad habits
* just don't care

The vacation problem happened to Barry and me on an executive golf course at Tupelo Bay in Myrtle Beach. Two golfers(?) directly in front of us decided to stop and feed the squirrels! We decided it was best to simply move to the next hole and wound up not playing eighteen.  My sanity was preserved and, although we did not play the full round, we did not allow the slow players to interfere with our positive experience. We could have easily driven our cart back to the hole later in the game. 

Much slower players beyond what is acceptable also creates the better golfer to be out of his (or her) rhythm. Bad shots can be hit while getting cold not to mention that, if you hit a bad shot due to this circumstance, you spend even more time searching for lost balls slowing the pace. Or, when out with your buddies playing competitively (Nassau anyone?), it is very difficult not to be upset with the group one or two holes away upsetting the pace of play thus messing with your wager and your mind!

Slow play is certainly not going to make me stop playing the game, so I am finding ways to deal with it.

What did we do while we were waiting for the group ahead to play their tee shot? 

On occasion, we noticed that the group behind us lagged a bit as well so we took a few more putts on our green and practiced! Practicing your short game is the key to scoring low.

It is true that, on most days, a four-and-a half hour round of golf is entirely too long to be out on a golf course. By the time you drive to the course, play the round and, of course, visit the 19th hole, you have spent the entire day away from your family and responsibilities. 

I agree that the time-sapping event of slow play does take the enjoyment out of a very enjoyable sport. But, the opposite can also be true. We don't want to have rangers rush us around the course without being able to take the time needed to look at a putt line or stand at the tee box to visualize our shot to set up the hole in our minds eye. In my opinion, there has to be a compromise.

One good saying that everyone should pay attention to before and during their rounds? Notice the notes posted on every golf cart window - keep pace with the group in front of you, not with the group behind you!

Do you play golf at a snail's pace? Have you had to play behind a snail? Seems that everyone has-what did you do to deal with it?

Voice your opinion on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and on this Golf for Beginners blog!



Photo credit: worth1000.com, http://twistedcartoonist.blogspot.com/2010_12_01_archive.html

How to Get Your Spouse and Kids On Par With #Golf

The answer to our title query is simple - get your spouse and family to have fun practicing golf with you without ever leaving your property.

If the scenario at home is one where, when you mention the word golf everyone groans, let me explain how you can turn those frowns upside down.

The first obstacle to overcome is that those who don't identify with the sport can't understand what makes you enjoy it so much!

Conquer a lack of exposure with education. We all know that elements of the game can be taught more easily when they're fun to learn.

With golf being so time consuming away from the home, it's much more difficult to create this learning experience. One great way to initiate a love of golf is with a home putting green. Think about it...no more having to take the family out to play mini-golf; you could have your very own green right at home!

In association with short game instructor extraordinaire Dave Pelz, SYNLawn Golf has masterfully created everything from portable greens to backyard putting greens with short game areas that rival the finest golf course practice areas so the enjoyment factor begins the minute you pull out your putter. Next, it's time to bring the family into the equation (after you have tested the greens of course!)

It's time to create backyard family fun with your spouse and kids!

Here are a few Putting Tips for Beginners of any Age from Dave Pelz:
1. Before you actually take your first putt, together, learn a proper putting grip - Use Your Lifeline to hold the grip, not your wrists!

2. Learn "touch". Pelz says that, "As soon as you start to putt, you see results and begin filing them away. Whether you realize it or not, you have recorded the results of every putt you have ever made."

3. Good putts start with tempo - think "pendulum". Vary the length of your backswing to control the speed of your putts. Watch this Youtube.com video to see how the Master does it:

Now, Let the Games Begin!
No putting green experience is complete without games for all skill levels. Mr. Pelz designed Elements of Practice to maximize the use of SYNLawn greens so golfers can create the ultimate experience right at home, from short putts on the GreenMaker™ Putting Green System, a DIY putting green kit designed and engineered by Dave Pelz, to wedge and bunker shots on custom landscapes.

One of my favorite games taught to me by members of the EWGA (actually a putting drill) is called the Circle of Trust, a circle of three feet which surrounds the hole. You should make every putt from within three feet. Vary the distances you stand to make each putt from 20-foot, 10-foot and in and see who can get the most balls within the circle.

3-foot circle game

Here are a few additional putting games to try, from modified match-play and stroke to horseshoes and Bango/Bongo.



PS...You can even let the family dog roll a few - SYNLawn was created with dogs in mind.  Safe for pets, but watch for chewy golf balls!


Get Competitive!
There is competition on the golf course so why not a family "wager" with your spouse and the kids? Here are a few interesting Prize Ideas:
Who cooks dinner for the husband-wife competition
Spa day for the wife (when she wins)
For Dad, that new putter he's been eyeing...
For the kids - what they'll have for dinner (take-out, Mc D's)
These contests can be short or even last for an entire month to decide the big winner - like who gets to pick the vacation spot that year!

It's probably easier to get kids involved than your wife but...once your spouse beats you the first time in a putting contest (and she will), she might urge you to take her out to twilight golf (date night) ...you can get even more practice and she might even join a league of her own! So, everybody wins!

Finally, one last golf tip. I once asked Mr. Pelz about distance control on wedges. Read his response on Golf for Beginners blog.

Are you trying to get your spouse into golf? Let us know on Twitter @Golf4Beginners. Ask about DIY and Custom Greens @SYNLawn_golf.

Photo credits: SYNLawngolf.com, calligraphybyjeanne.com
Disclosure: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Ping Karsten Irons - Hybrids #Golf Club Review

Forgive me but I am not perfect! Founder Karsten Solheim must have been watching a bit of my golf game from above when Ping released the irons - hybrids that bear it's founders name.

Rated Gold on many a golf hotlist, and rightfully so, the newest release from Ping offers unbelievable forgiveness which should make it a top golf club on any beginners' "must-try" list...male and female!

This may sound like an advertisement but trust me, it is not. With a honed down choice of three different golf club manufacturers - Titleist, Callaway and Ping - while being custom fit by PGA Tour Superstore, I swung away, watching the flight of the ball on the screen basing my decision on several different factors:

1. Weight of the club in my hands
2. Look of the club (it's got to be something you want to swing)
3. Trajectory and flight of the golf ball (not so much the path of the ball as that could very well be fault in my swing)

Naturally not all clubs are designed for all swings. I currently own a Titleist 905T driver and Titleist 904F fairway woods so I wanted to test their comparable irons...fair enough...although I did have a set of 804's in my distant past. As deciding upon a new set of irons is also a very personal decision, Titleist just did not suit my swing and I didn't feel comfortable with the Callaway irons either.

It has been several weeks since I received my Ping Karsten irons and hybrids.

I have been playing on an executive golf course once per week, trying to pull each club out of my bag several times during each round. Here is my current assessment of the Karsten irons/hybrids performance.

My ball distance and consistency has definitely improved...by about ten yards per iron! The arc of each golf ball hit is high and I don't get many "rollers".

Ping lingo for why this happens is, "Longer distance comes from precision-engineered loft and club length progressions paired with wide soles and a deep center of gravity. The Custom Tuning Port reinforces the thinner face to increase ball velocity for greater distance and higher ball flights for stopping power."

My club fitter decided that my Karsten Irons should be custom built with the KS 401 Regular Shaft - 64 grams of weight with a mid-high launch angle...perfect for my game. He also measured the lie of the club to make sure the club head was flat at address. The grips were also changed to fit my smaller female grasp.

Measurements by computer and by human hands are just some of the reasons why you need to get custom fit for your clubs.

I may sound like a broken record but, again, I will never buy another golf club without being custom fit...the results are making a world of difference in my game.

In my opinion, Ping Karsten Irons deliver on their claims - distance, forgiveness and consistency and are a perfect fit for me!

Have Questions About Being Custom fit for Your Golf Clubs? Ask @PGATSS with hashtag #PGATSSCustomFit

Do you have a set of Ping Golf Clubs? My husband still has his Ping Eye2's (black dot)! Tell us about it on Twitter @Golf4Beginners or write a comment on this Golf for Beginners blog.

Who is YOUR Favorite #Golf Buddy? #PhotoContest

Who is your favorite golf buddy? Sounds like a silly question but we all have our weekly foursomes, EWGA groupings or the guy we call when we just don't want to go out as a single, right? It's summertime, the golf season is in full swing and the courses are packed with scrambles and cameraderie!

Barry and Stacy - Black Mesa Golf Course

It's fun to see my Facebook timeline filled with golfers taking pictures at outings, at the 19th hole and winning trophies because it shows that golf is alive, thriving and fun!

My twilight golf bud is my husband Barry...who's yours?

Why not share that photo of you and your favorite friend...the one who ham-and-eggs it with you at the weekly scramble or the guy/gal you have traveled with to St. Andrews or to Pebble Beach ...and have the chance to win a prize! Groups, teams, Juniors and Seniors are all encouraged to participate!

Crown Awards, America's leading supplier of sports and corporate awards loves handing out trophies and is calling all golfers to participate in the My Very Best Golf Buddy Contest on Facebook. You can even win an exclusive, beautiful crystal award without having to hole out at eighteen!

Just Like Crown.Awards on Facebook to Enter the Contest to win $100 in Crown Awards (great for your Club Championships) and then, if you want to show off you and your buddies, add a photo. The most votes wins the trophy!

Here are all the details to the My Very Best Golf Buddy Contest. 

Look for my picture...I uploaded it yesterday via Twitter @Golf4Beginners :-) Oh yes, if you want to upload your photo to Twitter just add the hashtag #GolfBuddyContest.

What do you think of this contest? Let us know on our Golf for Beginners blog and on Twitter!

Tips for Creating a Custom #Golf Club Fitting Experience #PGATSSCustomFit

Recently I was invited to participate in a PGA Tour Superstore custom fitting promotion. In essence, I received golf clubs in exchange for telling my readers about the experience.

Naturally, I accepted - a few of my golf clubs are almost ten years old and, although they have served me well, they show signs of age - also, changes in technology have made some of my clubs a bit outdated.

That being said, after being overwhelmed with joy at the prospect, I jumped into my car and met with PGA Tour Superstore reps Todd and Stanton who placed me into a hitting booth complete with video software designed to tell me everything from my swing speed to spin rates, in order to help place me together with the best set of clubs for my game.

We used my original Driver, 7-iron and sand wedge as test subjects; my current set includes a Titleist 905T Driver with a 9.5% loft, Square-Two irons and a Vokey Spin Milled Wedge.

We began testing with the Driver - according to the custom club fitter, on the longest stick in our golf bags we needed to learn my initial club head speed, if I hit it high, spin rate etc. Todd was telling me that a higher kickpoint shaft makes the ball go lower, which is what I needed to achieve. I nodded as he kept educating me.

For the irons, swing as many as necessary until you find one that feels comfortable in your hands.

In my case, I only needed three different brands before I chose my new Ping Karsten Irons - Hybrid set (spoiler alert). Then, the club fitter began to address the proper shaft for the club. Finally, I stood at address while Todd placed a board underneath my club to check the lie angle - that the club was flat at address.

As for the wedge, it's all about the comfort!

I love my Vokey Spin Milled Wedge but ten years has taken its toll on the grooves. Would I have been happy with a simple grind-out? Probably but, according to my custom club fitter, my original wedge had too much of a bounce so he selected a Vokey Spin Milled Wedge with less bounce which placed the leading edge closer to the ground and allowed the club to cut through the sand better (yes, I have already taken my new wedge to the golf course!)

Here are a few tips to help you with Your next Custom Fit Golf Experience:

1. Never buy a golf club without it being fit to your swing. PGA Tour Superstores have custom fitters and custom fitting booths for you to take full advantage of their services...and they are happy to help fit you so ask questions and don't be shy!

2. My custom fitter mentioned that a properly matched shaft is most important in increasing your clubhead speed. Grip size and the lie of the club are other important ingredients in creating a golf club specifically for your swing.

3. The most common complaint in the simulator is that people claim they hit their clubs farther than what is shown however increased clubhead speed and accuracy of your shots are more important than the distances shown at the booth.

Which golf clubs did I take home with me? None! They had to be built to my specs! But fear not, the fitting took less than a week and I am now the proud owner of the following new golf clubs:

Callaway X2Hot Driver - 10.5% loft
Ping Karsten Irons - set from 3-Hybrid through Gap Wedge
Vokey Spin Milled Wedge

One last note...

My PGA Tour Superstore Custom Club Fitter, Todd, is straight out of the military and is currently attending golf school. He left me with one thought that seemed to sum up my whole experience:

"If you can fit a customer and give a tip to improve their game and help them on the golf course in the process, I don't think they could be any happier." Thanks Todd, Stanton and the rest of the gang at PGA Tour Superstore in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for making my golf club fitting experience a special one.

Now, I'm going to try out my new golf clubs! I'm so excited!! I'll report my findings.

Direct your golf club-fitting questions on Twitter to @PGATSS and @Golf4Beginners.


Disclosure: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

What Dads Do to Satisfy Their Love of #Golf and Family

You have probably chuckled as Ray Romano (aka Ray Barone) was caught leaving wife and kids sadly behind as he grabbed his clubs for a round of golf. 

Or, perhaps you heard stories about golf orphaned kids crying out "daddy, please don't go" as father puts his phone on vibrate so he won't be bothered for the next five hours (or talks about the weak signal at the golf course...ahem). These stories are becoming more commonplace as leisure time shrinks.

Even Phil Mickelson caved in wearing a pager at the 1999 U.S. Open while awaiting news of the birth of his child. Okay, so Lefty wanted to be reached that day but the consensus shows that, when they're on the course, don't bother the dads!

With Father's Day being just around the corner, Golf for Beginners wanted to pay a loving homage to dear old dad (for those lucky enough to still have your pop) especially with U.S. Open Sunday falling squarely on the Big Day. 

We also wanted to prove that, even though there are many jokes made about dads and golf, the reality is that fathers love both golf and family and that the choices made are more difficult than you might think!

Fathers who work a 9-5 job rarely have the time to get out and play a round of golf except possibly on weekends which could be the reason why they feel the need to tip-toe out - family time is lost with wife and kids who already get limited moments to spend with dad.

Some dads are lucky enough to have a boy or girl whom he has introduced to the sport. 

Does this ring true with your family?

Scenario: Dad sees a possible sports lover in his son and takes Junior under his wing to teach him the game with the idea that quality time would be gained during twilight golf or on Sundays. Dad is proud as a peacock watching son out-drive him thinking he might be watching the next Bubba Watson - final score, dad, son, love.

This PGA Tour video confirms that dads who introduce their kids to golf gain lasting memories for both. From Keegan Bradley to Graeme McDowell, Tour players remember exactly when, where and how their dads acquainted them to the sport which has become both a sentimental journey and their livelihood. 

McDowell related that all his dad wanted was the U.S. Open trophy. Graeme responded, “I’m not sure I can do that for you dad but I’ll give it a shot.” McDowell went on to win the 110th U.S. Open.

Just listening to these golfers boast about memories with their dads and how and where they were introduced to the game and I believe that this tear-jerker will get you sentimental too ...heck, you're probably picking up the phone right now to say hi to your dad.

Inside the PGA Tour: Father's Day:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6y4w7PFLNg

Unfortunately, golf also comes at a high sentimental cost most of the time to the family as wife and kids lose dad to a Saturday afternoon practice session at the range and then most likely a Sunday round with his regular foursome.

Wouldn't it be nice if dads could combine their love of the game and also be accessible to the family? Although he can’t play a par-72 at home, dads can integrate practice at home and have their cake and eat it too.

Short Game Expert Golf Instructor Dave Pelz is a proponent of such a philosophy. Pelz has mentioned that “Learning the game in a comfortable, convenient setting – like your backyard – can be an incredible gift, your gift, to your kids.”

Not only does backyard golf bring brings the family together to have fun and learn together, it brings dad closer to home to practice so, when he's ready to get out there and play with his mates, his short game is accurate which makes him a hero.

So Dad can be a hero both on and off the course!

Dave Pelz practicing his short game at home on SYNLawn

“There is no better way to learn golf, than by playing games in your own backyard. Every time we see kids playing golf games in their backyard, we see golfers improving their games on the course.”

Dave Pelz, who through extensive research and testing has developed state-of-the-art SYNLawn Products which rival real turf. SYNLawn Golf and Dave Pelz are essentially helping to bring dads back to their own backyards!

Want to have it all…family close by, putting green in your own backyard? From practice putting mats to custom fairway, fringe and bunkers, dad will never want to leave home. There is a double-edge to this coin… Dad’s playing partners will probably come over to your house more often!

Send a Shout-Out to SynLawn_Golf on Twitter and Let's Hear it for Dad on @Golf4Beginners!

photo credits: tbs.com, pcquickutzclub.blogspot.com