Improving One’s Golf Game While Building Snowmen

The snow will soon be blowing in and it will be time to go sledding, build snowmen and drink hot chocolate. Put another way, the cold is here so now it is time to bundle up and try to stay warm because it is too cold to go outside and play golf. 

Mike Baird tells us how we can keep our game fresh through the cold and silly season.

With the cold weather, there is no way to play golf, improve your swing or your overall game...or is there?


Believe it or not you can improve your game even while it is cold out and while there is snow on the ground. Here are some things to do during the winter months to help you improve your golf game:

Work out

Winter time also brings the Holiday season, which makes it extremely difficult to do anything but eat turkey, cookies, cakes and pies. But working on keeping your cardio up and strengthening your arms and legs can really help you to improve your overall game once the warm weather returns.

  

 Putt in the family room

Putting is an essential part of any golf game. Practicing your putting on the family room carpet will help you to practice and feel more confident in your putting skills for when it counts later on. The carpet is similar to how it feels out on a green and it is convenient because you can find a spot to practice in your house. Use cups as holes and the furniture in the room as obstacles.

Drills/Practice/Repetition

Drilling and or putting your strokes in the garage or a gym will help with your swings. Other golf experts have recommended a putting drill in which you place only one hand on your putter then practice five foot strokes for ten minutes. Research other drills and training aids that will help your swings and your game then practice them over and over again. Practicing those drills and repeating those drills will help with your consistency.

Do some homework

If you want to play like the golf pros you have to watch the pros and learn to do what they do. Do your golf homework by watching the Golf Channel. This will probably be the easiest thing to do this winter. Watch the pros and TV shows like The Golf Fix in order to see others learning and working out problems in their golf game. 

Mike Baird is founder of GolfGator.com and a PGA Pro who teaches golf lessons full time and also likes to write about putting aids.


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photo credit: LifeisGood.com

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Why Magnolia is Hardly a Mickey Mouse Golf Course

As Mickey Mouse stands guard at the par-3 sixth hole of Magnolia Golf Course, some PGA Tour players this week might be lulled into a false sense of security believing that Mickey is their friend. Think again for the trap has quite a snap to it!

 

Magnolia Golf Course 6th Hole

 

The unique Mouse Trap carved of sand with the assistance of ninety-six additional bunkers helps to make Magnolia Golf Course the second most difficult within Walt Disney World. Course length (7,516 from the tips), undulating greens and water introduced into eleven of the holes had Payne Stewart claim the course record of sixty-one one day and a seventy-six the following day. Stewart's take on Mickey? "Avoid Mickey and two side sand bunkers for best result."

 

Five of the golf holes on Magnolia extend to over five hundred yards and even though the fifth hole, a par-4, 492-yard monster, is considered to be Magnolia's toughest hole, Lanny Wadkins claimed the 17th, a 485-yard par-4, as "the most dangerous hole on the course...give me a 4 here and I'll run to 18!"

 

Magnolia was a 2010 Kodak Challenge golf course; natural wetlands, alligators and eagles seemlessly combine with the ability to salvage drives off of wide fairways and plan putts through exceptionally well-maintained greens. As long as you are a solid bunker player, avoid the water and know your distances (Disney says it has the latest GPS technology on their golf carts), playing it safe should yield positive results.

 

Take a virtual tour of Magnolia Golf Course.

 

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Photo credit: Intercot

 

 

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Balancing Competitive and Social on the Golf Course

Many women face a dilemma on the golf course. By its very nature, golf is a social game. You are on the course for up to five hours yet are actually swinging the club only a few minutes of that time. There are a lot of opportunities to chat whether it is in the cart or waiting on the tee. That social aspect is great, but what if you want to be competitive as well? A balance of both is ideal, and the following three tips from golf writer Beth Myers will help achieve a perfect middle ground.

 

Learn from the Pros

 

Golf Phoenix 2009 LPGA event with Michelle Wie

 

If you watch golf on TV, you likely don’t see a lot of chit chat between the players. That is because when the camera is on, they are getting ready for their next shot. If you were to go to an event in person, you would find the players actually talk quite a bit during the round. The key is to separate your time and not let one get in the way of the other. When you get to your ball, you need to switch into ‘golf mode’ and cut out the chatting. Focus on your shot, pay attention to details and do your best. The times when you are walking in the fairway or riding in the cart are best for being social. There is nothing wrong with doing both, just keep them apart.

 

Plan Post Round Activity

Not wanting to be rude, sometimes women feel required to be as social as possible on the golf course. If you have something like dinner or drinks planned for after the round, you won’t feel as pressured because you know there will be time enough to catch up later. That doesn’t mean you don’t talk at all on the course, but it will help keep you focused on the golf.

 

It’s Okay to Win

To our credit, we women are generally more considerate than men. That translates to the golf course when some women have a hard time really wanting to win. They want to golf well but don’t necessarily want to take attention away from others by winning the trophy at the end of the day. My advice is to let that instinct go and try your hardest to play your absolute best each time. Golf is a hard game and it’s a great feeling to have won something – anything – on the golf course.

 

Don’t sell yourself short. You have practiced a lot, improved over your years of playing, and you should be rewarded with a little recognition.

 

One of the best parts of golf is the social aspect. To be sure, that is a major reason that it is such a hugely popular recreation activity. You can entertain clients on the course or just have a great time with friends. There is no reason to take that out of the game. At the same time, you can still play your hardest and compete with yourself and with others. The next time you play, focus on finding a comfortable balance between socializing and playing golf. It is different for everyone but, when you find the right mix for you, your best golf is soon to follow.

 

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Beth Myers is a passionate golfer, mother & wife…not in that order .  She writes for East Coast Golf Sales on all things women’s golf - you could say she is a little obsessed.  Be sure to follow her on twitter @GolfBeth

 

 

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photo credit: Phoenix.about.com

 

 

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