Add: Some spooky morning fog
Add: A scary shot or two
Mix the above with ghoulish blood-looking beverage while watching other groups also dressed up like golfers trying to tackle the 18th at Pebble.
Boo! Have fun!
Monday, October 31, 2011
How to celebrate Halloween on the golf course
Start with the right costume - I recommend dressing up like a professional golfer...
Add: Some spooky morning fog
Add: A scary shot or two
Mix the above with ghoulish blood-looking beverage while watching other groups also dressed up like golfers trying to tackle the 18th at Pebble.
Boo! Have fun!
Add: Some spooky morning fog
Add: A scary shot or two
Mix the above with ghoulish blood-looking beverage while watching other groups also dressed up like golfers trying to tackle the 18th at Pebble.
Boo! Have fun!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Time flies when you're playing Pebble Beach...
7am - Out the door to hit the range before the round... who really needs sunlight to practice, right?
8am - Tee off
Don't let the starter's speech add any pressure to your tee shot. "Welcome to Pebble Beach. We do not take mulligans on the first tee at Pebble Beach."
9am - 4th hole.
Hopefully your nerves are settled by now. You wouldn't notice it from the tee box, but you're about to get your first glances of the ocean on your right... beautiful!
9:30am - 6th hole
Just stand there and take a look at what's ahead of you... that's a heck of a hill you have to climb on your second shot! Oh - and don't forget about the risk of hitting your drive into the ocean!
9:45am - 7th hole
Its only 90 yards down the hill... but it may as well be an island green with all of the bunkers protecting the green! Try not to hit it into the front bunker, then across the green into the back bunker. I hear its hard to make par that way.
Oh - and while you're there - don't forget to have a look out into the bay to see what the kayakers are catching!
10am - 8th hole
Better hit a nice drive... so that you can experience what Jack Nicklaus calls the, "greatest approach shot in all of golf." Just don't get too close to the edge and stress out your playing partner!
Don't forget to look back from the green to fully appreciate the shot you just made!
10:30am - 11th hole
At this point, you've gone far enough along the ocean away from the clubhouse, and you make the turn to start coming back.
11:15am - 13th hole
Check out Bing Crosby's former home on your right - recently sold for a cool $22M
11:30am - 14th hole
Try to keep your putt on the green on this one... Paul Goydos took a 9 on this tough par 5 in competition, and that was it for him! I putt it off the green... woops!
Noon - 17th hole
Email your family and friends to let them know you'll be at the 18th green by 12:30 in case they want to watch you on the live webcam of the 18th!
12:15pm - 18th hole
Grab a second ball in case you put your first drive in the ocean... this is a mulligan-worthy driving hole (and the starter can't catch you for taking one!)
12:30pm
Sink your mulligan par putt and leave the course bewildered about how 4 1/2 hours could possibly fly by so quickly.
8am - Tee off
Don't let the starter's speech add any pressure to your tee shot. "Welcome to Pebble Beach. We do not take mulligans on the first tee at Pebble Beach."
9am - 4th hole.
Hopefully your nerves are settled by now. You wouldn't notice it from the tee box, but you're about to get your first glances of the ocean on your right... beautiful!
9:30am - 6th hole
Just stand there and take a look at what's ahead of you... that's a heck of a hill you have to climb on your second shot! Oh - and don't forget about the risk of hitting your drive into the ocean!
9:45am - 7th hole
Its only 90 yards down the hill... but it may as well be an island green with all of the bunkers protecting the green! Try not to hit it into the front bunker, then across the green into the back bunker. I hear its hard to make par that way.
Oh - and while you're there - don't forget to have a look out into the bay to see what the kayakers are catching!
10am - 8th hole
Better hit a nice drive... so that you can experience what Jack Nicklaus calls the, "greatest approach shot in all of golf." Just don't get too close to the edge and stress out your playing partner!
Don't forget to look back from the green to fully appreciate the shot you just made!
10:30am - 11th hole
At this point, you've gone far enough along the ocean away from the clubhouse, and you make the turn to start coming back.
11:15am - 13th hole
Check out Bing Crosby's former home on your right - recently sold for a cool $22M
11:30am - 14th hole
Try to keep your putt on the green on this one... Paul Goydos took a 9 on this tough par 5 in competition, and that was it for him! I putt it off the green... woops!
Noon - 17th hole
Email your family and friends to let them know you'll be at the 18th green by 12:30 in case they want to watch you on the live webcam of the 18th!
12:15pm - 18th hole
Grab a second ball in case you put your first drive in the ocean... this is a mulligan-worthy driving hole (and the starter can't catch you for taking one!)
12:30pm
Sink your mulligan par putt and leave the course bewildered about how 4 1/2 hours could possibly fly by so quickly.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
The West Coast Swing Begins... at Spyglass
Well, its our 7th Wedding Anniversary - so where better to spend it than Pebble Beach?!? I can't think of anywhere else I would rather be! We arrived today and hit the links at Spyglass this afternoon. Spyglass Hill Golf Course is rated one of the toughest courses in the world and it lives up to its reputation! We were paired with Bill, who is here celebrating his 60th birthday, and Justin from Dallas who is playing here for the first time (and ended up shooting an 80 which totally contradicts my earlier comment that Spyglass lives up to its reputation as tough)! But hey - it was tough for me!
I really thought my entire game would come together today... my driver is finally working and my irons have been good all season, so it was about time! I stepped up to the first tee and smoked a drive down the middle of the fairway. My second shot was a smoked 3 wood down the middle of the fairway. My confidence was high; it was finally my time... WRONG! My irons and my short game left me. I duffed my next shot into the bunker; duffed my bunker shot into the next bunker, and then skulled my second bunker shot over the green. To make a long story short - I ended up taking an 8 on the first hole... and it didn't get much better after that! The next 15 holes were all about trying to find my iron swing, and trying to stay out of bunkers (because my bunker shots were disastrous!!)
So how do you get through a round of golf when your swing is off without getting too frustrated? Well - its difficult that's for sure. What made it easier today though was our caddy, Michael Jordan (yeah - that's really his name!), and the other players in our foursome. Every time Bill hit a good shot - every time - he celebrated with a vocal, "Woohoo". Justin scrambled from behind trees and tee boxes and somehow pulled pars out of thin air. Long putts by anyone in our foursome resulted in full-on rounds of applause by everyone else. And of course "Wedding Anniversary gimmes" got longer and longer as the round wore on. Everyone in our group had a great attitude, loved the game, and felt lucky to be out playing at Spyglass today.
On the 17th hole, I hit a great drive, and then finally hit a crisp 8 iron to about 8ft from the pin. I gave my birdie putt a chance but missed it and tapped in for my par. It the only par I had all day... but I had found my iron swing!! I made a bogey on the 18th after another decent drive and then a really good iron shot. It took 16 holes... 16 holes to find my iron swing today... talk about painful... but here are the lessons I took away from today:
1. There's not point getting upset over a bad drive!
My driver was finally working, but my short game wasn't so I was making triple and quadruple bogeys after driving the ball 200+ yards. Conversely - there have been plenty of rounds where I drove the ball terribly and walked away with pars and bogeys. So there really isn't any point stressing out about a bad drive
2. At some point keeping score is pointless - so just stop if you want!
I was scoring so badly that by about the 13th hole - I wasn't paying any attention to my scorecard because it really just didn't matter. Instead, I focused my energy on trying to find my swing. Who does your score really matter to anyway other than yourself?? There's no point wasting your energy beating yourself up over a bad round!
3. Attitude is everything - take time to enjoy the good shots and the good company
I walked away from today's round honestly not even knowing what my final score was. I enjoyed myself though, and I really enjoyed the company of our foursome. Their positive attitudes and enjoyment of the game was infectious... so remember the next time you're playing that your attitude and behavior could be making a big difference in someone else's round!
Below: Justin, Bill, Lisa, Scott
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Practice breeds confidence: Getting the most from the driving range
I’ve mentioned already that before you hit the links for the first time as a beginner, you should spend a lot of time at the driving range to gain confidence in your swing. Your goal should be at minimum to make sure you can hit one club consistently about 100 yards before you hit the links. I stand by this advice, but it occurred to me the other day when I was at the driving range that it too can be a bit of an intimidating place to go for the first time, so here are some tips for hitting the range with confidence…
1. Choose a stall at one end of the range or the other
This may sound silly, but seriously – if you’re not confident, go to a place on the range where fewer people can see your swing!! Be assured – you will duff a few balls… and there’s a chance you might even hit a ball or two off the metal divider that separates the stalls. You will not be the first to do this, nor will you be the last!! (That being said though – people do notice when they hear the “clang”)
2. Start with your pitching wedge NOT your driver!
This is the biggest mistake people make at the range… the first thing they do is pull their driver out of the bag and start rifling through balls. It’s the most difficult club in your bag to hit, and your body is still stiff and your swing isn’t ready for it. Trust me – as tempting as your driver is - start with your wedge to get warmed up.
3. Create a routine that works for you
My normal routine is to hit my pitting wedge until I feel comfortable, then I move to my 7, then my 4 iron hybrid, and then my driver to warm up. Once I’m warmed up, I have two different routines. Some days I want to simulate a round, so I hit driver, then 4 iron, then wedge (to simulate the clubs I might hit on the course in that order on a given hole). Other days, I work through every club in my bag and I tell myself that I’m not allowed to move on to the next club until I hit 3 pure shots with the club I’m holding. If I fail with any club I have to start over. (I stole this one from Phil Mickelson who forces himself to hit 100 putts in a row during his practice sessions and has to start at 0 if he misses any – it simulates the pressure of putting during a round) This routine forces me to really focus on what I’m trying to work on
4. Shhhh….
Yeah, much like the course, people don’t want to hear people talking in their backswings… even at the range, so keep it quiet (even when you hit a few pure shots and want to celebrate)
5. Take breaks and practice swings
It is so tempting when you’re at the range to just hit ball after ball after ball after ball… without breaking and without even practicing your swing… but guess what – that isn’t anything like what it will be like on the course! Use your time on the range to practice for being on the course. This is your time to nail down what feels comfortable in terms of a pre-shot routine, and to really focus on practicing your swing… so just take your time and enjoy yourself!
1. Choose a stall at one end of the range or the other
This may sound silly, but seriously – if you’re not confident, go to a place on the range where fewer people can see your swing!! Be assured – you will duff a few balls… and there’s a chance you might even hit a ball or two off the metal divider that separates the stalls. You will not be the first to do this, nor will you be the last!! (That being said though – people do notice when they hear the “clang”)
2. Start with your pitching wedge NOT your driver!
This is the biggest mistake people make at the range… the first thing they do is pull their driver out of the bag and start rifling through balls. It’s the most difficult club in your bag to hit, and your body is still stiff and your swing isn’t ready for it. Trust me – as tempting as your driver is - start with your wedge to get warmed up.
3. Create a routine that works for you
My normal routine is to hit my pitting wedge until I feel comfortable, then I move to my 7, then my 4 iron hybrid, and then my driver to warm up. Once I’m warmed up, I have two different routines. Some days I want to simulate a round, so I hit driver, then 4 iron, then wedge (to simulate the clubs I might hit on the course in that order on a given hole). Other days, I work through every club in my bag and I tell myself that I’m not allowed to move on to the next club until I hit 3 pure shots with the club I’m holding. If I fail with any club I have to start over. (I stole this one from Phil Mickelson who forces himself to hit 100 putts in a row during his practice sessions and has to start at 0 if he misses any – it simulates the pressure of putting during a round) This routine forces me to really focus on what I’m trying to work on
4. Shhhh….
Yeah, much like the course, people don’t want to hear people talking in their backswings… even at the range, so keep it quiet (even when you hit a few pure shots and want to celebrate)
5. Take breaks and practice swings
It is so tempting when you’re at the range to just hit ball after ball after ball after ball… without breaking and without even practicing your swing… but guess what – that isn’t anything like what it will be like on the course! Use your time on the range to practice for being on the course. This is your time to nail down what feels comfortable in terms of a pre-shot routine, and to really focus on practicing your swing… so just take your time and enjoy yourself!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Eat your heart out NKOTB
My 14 year old self would have loved this... it just has to be shared: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM2NocuEihw
Whoever said golfers are too serious??
Whoever said golfers are too serious??
Friday, September 30, 2011
The power of grey goose
I was reminded this past weekend of just how stressful the game of golf can be. We were playing a nice club and my swing was off. We were paired with another twosome that clearly had some serious game. I had zero confidence in my swing, and to make matters worse – I had switched golf bags and so I only had 4 balls in my bag!! Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t worry about having only 4 balls in my bag, but between that and my overall lack of confidence in my swing, it was a recipe for disaster! Stepping up to every single shot was nerve-racking! And sure enough – the disaster started to unfold on the second hole…
My drive landed in the middle of the fairway…. The fairway of the third hole that is!!! Walking to the fairway next to yours to hit a ball is like the walk of shame in golf. The only thing worse might be when you hit a putt so badly that you’re still further away from the hole than everyone else and you hear the two worst words in golf – “still away.” At any rate, I made my walk of shame to my ball, and after waiting for the group on the third hole to make their tee shots, I finally got the chance to hit my ball and proceeded to shank it into fescue. I was down to 3 balls in my bag.
On the third hole (which you could argue I should play better since I had already had a sneak preview of the fairway), my drive was decent. My second shot was another story though… this time I hit a duff… right into the fescue again! 2 balls down, 2 left in my bag.
On the fourth hole I stepped up to the tee and thought to myself, “oh boy, where is this drive going to go??” On the far right of this hole were train tracks and all I could think was that I was going to lose my 3rd ball on train tracks. “Why on earth do I play this game,” I was thinking! This is supposed to be a fun way to spend your day!!
On the fifth hole – everything started to turn around for the better. The beer cart arrived, complete with grey goose and Arnold Palmer mix. Let’s be clear – I am not going to say that alcohol solves all problems on the golf course… but sometimes I think you just need some way to step back for a second and realize you’re out there for fun…. You’re spending time with people you love (or at least like a lot usually!) The sun is shining, and you’re just lucky to be out in the fresh air living your life.
The rest of the round was entirely different. I hit some bad shots; I hit some good shots… and I even managed to keep my cool when I lost my third ball. I finished the round with the last ball in my bag, and a smile on my face.
My drive landed in the middle of the fairway…. The fairway of the third hole that is!!! Walking to the fairway next to yours to hit a ball is like the walk of shame in golf. The only thing worse might be when you hit a putt so badly that you’re still further away from the hole than everyone else and you hear the two worst words in golf – “still away.” At any rate, I made my walk of shame to my ball, and after waiting for the group on the third hole to make their tee shots, I finally got the chance to hit my ball and proceeded to shank it into fescue. I was down to 3 balls in my bag.
On the third hole (which you could argue I should play better since I had already had a sneak preview of the fairway), my drive was decent. My second shot was another story though… this time I hit a duff… right into the fescue again! 2 balls down, 2 left in my bag.
On the fourth hole I stepped up to the tee and thought to myself, “oh boy, where is this drive going to go??” On the far right of this hole were train tracks and all I could think was that I was going to lose my 3rd ball on train tracks. “Why on earth do I play this game,” I was thinking! This is supposed to be a fun way to spend your day!!
On the fifth hole – everything started to turn around for the better. The beer cart arrived, complete with grey goose and Arnold Palmer mix. Let’s be clear – I am not going to say that alcohol solves all problems on the golf course… but sometimes I think you just need some way to step back for a second and realize you’re out there for fun…. You’re spending time with people you love (or at least like a lot usually!) The sun is shining, and you’re just lucky to be out in the fresh air living your life.
The rest of the round was entirely different. I hit some bad shots; I hit some good shots… and I even managed to keep my cool when I lost my third ball. I finished the round with the last ball in my bag, and a smile on my face.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Beating the first tee jitters
Playing golf in Scotland over the past few weeks took me back to the days when I was starting out with the game. Every first tee felt to me like the first tee at St. Andrews did last week. I had forgotten how nerve-racking an experience it can be when you’re starting out. It’s particularly difficult if you’re playing with complete strangers. I still get nervous still sometimes and I’ve been playing for 15 years now. So here are my tips for getting through it:
1. Look good! I thought of this one after we bought our argyle sweaters at St. Andrews; our thinking was, “hey, at least if we don’t play well we’ll look good!” Plus of course the more confident you are the better!
2. Use the club that you are most comfortable with. If your 7 iron is the club you always hit well, and you’re nervous – hit your 7 iron!! It doesn’t matter how long the hole is – you just want to get a nice shot into the fairway right?
3. Keep your head down. There’s an expression that says, “Never rush to look at a bad shot” and its so very true. When you lift your head in golf to turn and look at your shot… its never going to be good! Plus, if you’re nervous you’re more likely to have multiple swing shots in your head, and that’s not going to help anyone. So while you’re taking your shot – keep an eye on that ball the entire time; you’ll be amazed by the results!
1. Look good! I thought of this one after we bought our argyle sweaters at St. Andrews; our thinking was, “hey, at least if we don’t play well we’ll look good!” Plus of course the more confident you are the better!
2. Use the club that you are most comfortable with. If your 7 iron is the club you always hit well, and you’re nervous – hit your 7 iron!! It doesn’t matter how long the hole is – you just want to get a nice shot into the fairway right?
3. Keep your head down. There’s an expression that says, “Never rush to look at a bad shot” and its so very true. When you lift your head in golf to turn and look at your shot… its never going to be good! Plus, if you’re nervous you’re more likely to have multiple swing shots in your head, and that’s not going to help anyone. So while you’re taking your shot – keep an eye on that ball the entire time; you’ll be amazed by the results!
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