Branson Golf Guide

I certainly hope that after the beautiful weekend we just had here in the Ozarks that many of you were able to get out and play golf…. Assuming you did, how did you play?  Often the first shot of the day can tell us much about how our round is going to unfold.  There is nothing better than hitting your driver 315 yards right down the middle of the fairway on the first hole, and at the same time there is nothing more devistating that hitting a big “banana ball” out of bounds because you were trying to hit it 315.  By no means would I ever try to convince someone to put their driver away, because with practice it can be one of your most important clubs.  Problem is we all watch too much golf on tv and see how far some of those players hit it, right?  But what we need to be watching is how SOLID they hit it.  That is what creates distance.  It is very important that we “swing within ourselves” in other words don’t try to hit a shot that we are not comfortable with.  If that means hitting 3-wood off the tee for a couple of rounds, so be it. I know if I had to choose I would rather hit it 250 yards into the fairway than 325 into the rough or the woods.  Try it and see how your scores improve.

Although currently pouring rain outside, I beleive golf season has arrived to the Ozarks.  I would like to ask all of you to pay special attention to this short comment.  It will make your pro, superintendant, and everyone who plays your course very happy… In spring a golf course can be a fragile as our “rusty” swings.  Wet conditions and new grass growth require us to pay special attention to our divots and ballmarks.  These practices are important all year, but a lack of care (or respect) at this time of the year can leave your golf course scarred for months to come despite the efforts of all who work there to make it better.  Work on this and you will feel better about yourself as a “golfer” while we work on yourself as a “player”.

Thank you so much from all of us who try to give you a golf course you can be proud of!

Rule 13:  Ball Played as It Lies.  Easily the simpliest rule to keep from breaking, but unfortunatley also the most broken one.  This rule is to me the true foundation of the game.  Quite simply you place your ball on your tee prior to hitting your tee shot, and then do not touch it again until you mark your ball for your first putt on the green.  Seems simple enough, but I challenge you to take note of how many times a ball is moved out of a divot or “rolled over” in the rough during any given round at your local club.  “Winter Rules” as they are called by most are not rules at all, they are simply a set of provisions to allow you to break the rules.  Sure, ensuring yourself a ”perfect lie” before every shot it tempting, but why not try to play the ball “down?”  Yes, there will be bad breaks, but look at all of the opportunities you will have to learn to hit new or different shots that are dictated by a lie you may have just moved it out of before.  If you convince everyone in your forusome to do the same then the best player will still win, and each of you will be winners for honoring the traditions of the game. 

Whether teaching or practicing myself, I like to keep it simple on the range.  I like to have my students practice with the mid-iron they are most comfortable with.  By selecting a club like a seven or eight iron, a club you generally hit well, you start off with confidence and can much more prepare for your round of golf or get into a good practice routine.  There are so many variables in the golf swing that we should at least give ourselves the advantage of starting off comfortable.  Try it the next time you go to the range, you will be pleasantly surprised at how much better your session goes when you have confidence in yourself.

Before we can make this decision we must first make sure we understand the difference.  All too often these two words are used by most golfers to describe the same shot and do not clearly understand the difference.  Very simply put, a CHIP is a shot that rolls farther than it flies, and conversely a PITCH is a shot that flies farther than it rolls.  With that said here is a short checklist to help you determine which shot to hit when…

1. Determine what kind of a lie you have.  The better the lie the easier it will be to execute a good pitch.  If the lie is bad or laying down a chip will probably work best.
2. Look at your intended target.  How much green is between your ball and the hole?  The more green the more likely a chip will produce a better result.  After all it is easier to make a ball that is rolling than one that is flying through the air.
3. Finally, and most importantly, which shot are you more comfortable with?  We will always hit a better shot if we are confident we can produce an effective result.

Try to master both of these shots as they will help lower your scores.  The more options we have on the golf course the better player we can become.

Spring appears to have sprung and with it naturally our thoughts return to the links… Let’s pause for a minute and consider a trip to your local pro shop for a little “tune up.”  No not lessons, we will get to that later.  How long has it been since you have had your clubs regripped?  Have you ever?  Often we are cought up in the “latest and greatest” to come down the line and all too often forget about the clubs already in our bag.  Consider it, some of you may not think twice about a new $500 driver.  That is one club that you may hit ten times a round.  How about the other thiretten in your bag?  There are many grip options on the market today from rubber to leather and all sorts of combinations in between.  For around $7-$10 per club you can make them feel like “new” or at least like they did the day you removed that $500 price tag!  Try it I promise you will like it.