Tiger Woods' escape from deep rough, Zagat Golf Course Guide and Stan Utley's chipping drill

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Tiger Woods may not have had a stellar performance at the Players Championship (his putting let him down once again), but at least he came away with a smile on his face on Sunday after redeeming himself with a five-under-par 67.

Although Tiger might have difficulty putting, rest assured that Woods is one of the best putters around. He is also terrific out of deep rough. We give you a Tiger tip to assist you when the rough is as deep as it was at Winged Foot during the 2006 U.S. Open.

Also on Golf for Beginners, Barry and I look at the new Zagat guide:America's Top Golf Courses. With input from over 6,000 golfers (most were men) and a rating system similar to their popular nightlife and restaurant guides, this Zagat Guide is an interesting addition to their lineup.

Stan Utley is a professional advisor to Golf Digest. In this month's magazine he gives us a very easy-to-learn chipping drill. We pass it along to you.

Finally, congratulations to Phil Mickelson! Lefty is now second only to Tiger Woods in FedEx Cup points. The race for PGA Tour dominance is on!

With Butch Harmon on his team, is Mickelson now feeling confident enough to take on Tiger Woods head-to-head?


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PGA Tour discovers Turning Stone, a great New York weekend getaway plus putting drills and driving range tips

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"Turning Stone leaves no stone unturned!"

That's Barry's quote, plain and simple, after we accompanied a group of golf travel writers to Turning Stone Lodge. Our mission? To let our listeners in on the buzz accompanying this multidimensional casino/resort. The PGA Tour has chosen Atunyote golf course at Turning Stone for the start of its 2007 fall series.

From beginning to end our weekend at the Lodge at Turning Stone offered us the opportunity to relax, unwind and forget about our day-to-day routine.

We boarded the Turning Stone motorcoach in Manhattan. This coach is hired for corporate conferences and "team building". Our "team" got to know one another here and we were offered massages, food, gaming table and all of the amenities necessary to comfortably carry about twenty people the four hour drive to Verona, New York.

Once there we received our itinerary which included a tour of the premises and several opportunities to sample the gastronomic wonders created by Chef Daniel Graban. Our supper at Wildflowers and lunch at Rodizio were memorable events. Wildflowers offered creative cuisine, right down to the "donut soup" at the end of our meal. Rodizio is a Brazilian steakhouse where roasted meats are served tableside. This restaurant is a meat-lovers paradise!

I decided to try my first ever spa treatment at the highly touted Skana Spa. "Lavender Dreams" will not disappoint spa afficionados although there are a wealth of treatments available. You will want to relax here all day (especially if the weather doesn't agree with your golf plans), either lazing by one of the several fireplaces sipping herbal tea or taking a dip in the mineral pool.

But for golf lovers, it's all about the courses, right? Although Atunyote was off-limits, being groomed for its debut on the PGA Tour, Barry played Shenendoah GC, one of three eighteen hole courses operated by the Oneida Nation and rated by Golf Magazine as one of the "Top 100 Courses You Can Play". I decided to take a lesson with PGA Professional Steve Campanaro. His putting drills and golf tips for the driving range were easy to understand so we discuss them in this week's Golf for Beginners podcast.

The golf dome is great for short game practice. Turning Stone is now building a tennis dome connected to the golf dome by a clubhouse for times of inclement weather.

Although there is also a main casino hotel, in my opinion the place to stay is at the Lodge. Be sure to inquire about a fireplace and plasma screen television in your suite as these items add to the ambience of your stay. The robes and slippers in the room as well as the spa bathroom are also a nice, upscale touch.

The main resort is elegant and has a more cosmopolitan feel, making you wonder if you are staying at Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun rather than the adirondack feel of the Lodge. The smell of cigarette smoke emanating from the Casino into the main lobby made me feel as if my healthy spa experience had come to a shrieking halt.

Video slots instead of the "one-armed bandits" and a special card that must be constantly refilled when the money runs out are both positive and negative experiences. We're not big gamblers anyway but I found that I didn't invest as much as I normally do when I travel to Atlantic City.

This is a BYOB establishment but we were told that there are shops that will deliver liquor to your room.

Turning Stone is a luxurious, upscale and restorative resort for a long weekend jaunt. There is plenty to do if you're seeking action and adventure but also gets the "thumbs up" when you're looking to unwind and alleviate stress from the week.


Check out other great New York Hotels.

Continue sending your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes. Nextel/Sprint cell customers type http://www.mymbn.com/podcast/ in your browser and click on "sports casts". Our station number is 1955.

"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

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Sorenstam needs Wie for Ginn Tribute, Big Break's Cindy Miller gives slice advice and Q-Link review

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This week, Golf for Beginners discusses the Ginn Tribute hosted by Annika Sorenstam. Although Michelle Wie has accepted a sponsor's exemption at the end of May, we wonder if Annika Sorenstam's back injury" will prevent her from playing in her own event. Will Michelle Wie's wrist be mended one-hundred percent in time to compete? And, could Sorenstam be depending on Michelle Wie's fame to contribute heavily to the gate? This might be a good time for Annika to shift focus onto her many other projects, allowing the younger ladies to take the reign's over at the LPGA.

Lorena Ochoa and Julieta Granada tied for second place at the Corona Championship (held this past weekend) and continually gain ground in the rankings, honing their skills, waiting patiently for Michelle to emerge from her self-inflicted cocoon. Can Michelle Wie finally prove herself to the many people who believe her to be just a "flash in the pan"? The latest Rolex Rankings place Wie in the twentieth position but she's going to have quite a struggle as she pushes past these women who have been playing regularly on the LPGA Tour.

We also review the Q-Link bracelet. I have been wearing the Q-Link for over a month now, hoping that the claims of both heightened energy and increased focus would work for me. Lorena Ochoa and Charles Howell III are just two of the many tour players who are confident that this technology has assisted them in times of stress and distraction.

Ochoa stated, "Since I started using my Q-Link, I have won three times and I feel calmer in tough situations. It really makes a difference under pressure."

Are these just endorsements or does this bracelet really work? Listen to this week's broadcast and I'll give you my findings.

One of this week's golf tips comes from Cindy Miller. Miller was a contestant on both Big Break III:Ladies Only and again, albeit briefly, on the Reunion show. Her simple tip will help those of you who slice. Try this one at the practice range!

Continue sending your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes. Nextel/Sprint cell customers type http://www.mymbn.com/podcast/ in your browser and click on "sports casts". Our station number is 1955.

"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

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Podcast: Mickelson hires Butch Harmon, 4-in-One Golf Club System review and tempo/balance

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Butch Harmon, a top golf teaching professional and Phil Mickelson's new swing coach, helps us (and our listeners) with the short game this week. Although it is reported that Mickelson hired Harmon to help him with his erratic driver after an unimpressive Masters, I'm betting that Lefty will also receive help with his wedges.

We have discussed pre-season exercise routines to get you stretched and ready for the spring season. We have talked about the mental game and how slowing down your breathing and allowing your heart to guide your head can lower your scores. This week, in honor of our first twilight golf game together, we relate the importance of tempo and balance.

The 4-in-One Golf Club System is reviewed this week, an interesting choice for golfers who travel but don't seem to find the time to practice their short game. Now there is no excuse!

Continue sending your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes. Nextel/Sprint cell customers type http://www.mymbn.com/podcast/ in your browser and click on "sports casts". Our station number is 1955.

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Golf Podcast: Davis Love III needs more Suunto G6 practice, country club golf versus publinks and you've got to have heart!

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Davis Love III is winless so far this year, but still has two top ten's to his credit. Still, could the former five-time winner of the Verizon Heritage use a bit more time on the driving range with his Suunto G6 "Wristop Launch Monitor"?

Love, a spokesman for the Suunto G6, claims this training aid, "quantifies the feeling of a good swing."

Our review of the Suunto G6 confirms Davis' statement although being "tech saavy" helps as it is confusing in both it's initial setup and while reading the manual. Suunto G6 functionality improves as it's used: press it's buttons and learn as you go. We found this golf swing training aid to be a perfect fit for use on the driving range, teaching consistent rhythm and tempo from takeaway through impact so that you can improve your consistency with every session. The "test" feature really interested Barry and he's waiting impatiently to get out and play golf so that he can put the "Game" function to more practical use, downloading the information from the "watch" to the available computer software.

We also talk about the function of the heart in relation to the mental game after reading an article in Golf Digest Magazine. Heart versus head? For the tinman in the Wizard of Oz it was an easy decision!

A listener's email about joining a country club prompts us to discuss the benefits, and deterrents, of joining the "elite" on manicured greens and sumptuous fairways. Could this "Life of Reilly" be calling you too?

Continue sending your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes. Nextel/Sprint cell customers type http://www.mymbn.com/podcast/ in your browser and click on "sports casts". Our station number is 1955.

"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by Pioneer Golf and Florida Golf Travel.

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Former Masters Champion Tiger Woods gives driving lessons, stay warm with Ultimittens and imagine your way to a better game

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Tiger Woods anticipated winning this year's Masters Tournament but didn't bring along his "A-Game", nor did he look relaxed and confident, thus leaving the door open for young Zach Johnson. In this week's episode we talk about Tiger's astonishing ability to drive the ball, his terrific swing as shown in this month's Golf Digest Magazine and his uncanny determination to always be in the hunt on Sunday.

At the same time Barry and I received the Clicgear push cart, we also got Ultimittens, a great gift for the cold weather golfer. Innovative and inexpensive, these Ultimittens provide much needed hand protection for golfers crazy enough to brave the elements year-round.

Finally, in honor of Bobby Jones and the Masters Tournament, we discuss the mental game and how to imagine yourself making more birdies!

Too bad for Phil Mickelson at the Masters but what was even more unfortunate was the way Phil was "shanghaied" after his round to answer a question about if his game this week was affected by his collapse at Winged Foot! It took all of his strength but Mickelson remained calm and composed, answering with aplomb. Good for you Phil!


Continue sending your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes. Nextel/Sprint cell customers type http://www.mymbn.com/podcast/ in your browser and click on "sports casts". Our station number is 1955.

"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by Pioneer Golf and Florida Golf Travel.

My Podcast Alley feed!