Moon-shot

photo credit: Waifer X   On February 6, 1971 Alan B. Shepard, America’s first man in space, was preparing to hit a 6-iron on the moon’s surface.  Shepard brought a 6-iron clubhead and two golf balls, on the quarter-million mile journey to the surface of the moon.  Shepard attached the clubhead to a moon-rock soil sampler.

Shepard was able to swing the club with only his right hand because of the bulky space-suit.  On the first swing, Shepard topped and buried the ball in the moon’s thin dusty surface.  His second shot pushes the ball approximately two feet.  On the third shot he connected and the ball sailed away to an estimated distance of 400 yards.  Before concluding the spacewalk, Shepard referred to his escapades as the “Lunar Olympics.”

The 17th at Sawgrass

photo credit: nsaplayer   Vijay Singh – “Standing there, it’s all different.  The green just shrinks in the tournament.  It’s got a lot to do with the mind.”  Bob Tway – “You’re playing great in the tournament and all of a sudden, in one hole, you might as well be finishing last.”  Fred Funk – “It’s such an easy shot, a nine-iron, eight-iron, big green.  It’s easy to walk on a one0foot plank one foot above the ground, but 100 feet above the ground it’s tough to do.”  Steve Elkington – “It builds all the way and finishes you off with the hardest part of the course.”  Padraig Harrington – “In practice it’s fun, it’s no problem.  Then you get in a tournament and there are all sorts of things happening before and after.  It’s a strange hole.”

Long, Longer, Longest

photo credit: Felipe Skroski   The lengthiest non-tournament golf course for years been the Pines at the International in Bolton, Massachusetts, which plays to a length of 8,325 yards. 

A recent contender for the longest  course in the world is the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf Club in the Chinese province of Yunnan.  The course is 8,548 from the Record tees.  It has four par fours in excess of 500 yards each, no par three shorter than 236 yards and unlike the International, it calls its 700-yard-er a mere par five. 

The location of Jade Dragon is in the Himalayas, at an elevation of over 10,000 feet.  Golf shots travel approximately 20% farther through the thinner air.

St. Andrews Hill G.C. in Rayong, Thailand has a par five that is an awesome 878 yards.

Golf and the War of 1812

photo credit: Gronberg   During the War of 1812, American forces tried unsuccessfully to regain Mackinac Island from the British.  In 1898, Chicago Cottagers built a nine-hole course on the battlefield.  Chippawa Chief Eagle Eye observed a group of golfers out on the course and remarked that they “wa-wash-kamo,” or “walk a crooked path.”  Golf Digest, in 1966 designated Wawashkamo an American Historic Landmark of Golf.

Battle of Chippawa – First battle of the Niagara campaign, was fought on farmland near the banks of the Niagara River.  The fierce battle ultimately cost the lives of two hundred men.  The Americans prevailed, but lost a decisive battle on July 25 that marked the end of the war.  A memorial cairn (monument) on the Battlefield course reminds the golfers that a genuine war was waged there, not just a golf course war !

Forced Landing

photo credit: nz_willowherb   Laddie Lucas, a pilot in the Royal Air Force and one of Britain’s best amateur golfers, returning to his base during World Was II was forced to ditch his plane.  The Prince’s golf course on England’s southwest coast loomed ahead, but Lucas missed his target by a mile, made an emergency landing in a field and later said, “I could never hit that first fairway with a driver, I don’t know why I thought I could hit it with an airplane.”

During World Wars I and II, Turnberry’s courses on the southwest coast of Scotland were used as military training bases.  The fairways became concrete runways, portions of which are still evident today.  Turnberry is a world famous course where many British Opens have been played.

Bingo, Bango, Bongo or Vegas

photo credit: Lisa Sanderson   Bingo, Bango, Bongo:  On each hole, there are three points available.  One point goes to the player who hits the green first.  Another point goes to the player who is closest to the hole after all players are on the green.  The third point goes to the person who holes out first, playing strictly by who was away.  Bets are paid off on a certain amount per point.

Vegas:  A  team game, pair against pair.  Each team’s scores  on every hole are combined to create a two digit number, the lower score first:  A four and a six becomes a 46 and would be worth eleven points against a team scoring five and a seven for 57.  Stakes are set in a unit per point.  A great game for the solid player, with an erratic partner.

Open the Clubface

photo credit: rileyroxx   Phil Mickelson is a master of the short game.  As a boy of 6, he would spend the day in his backyard pitching golf balls in a water bucket.  You may not be Phil Mickelson but you can learn to pitch well enough to make a big difference in your scores.

Forget about the lob wedges, just practice with the pitching wedge.  Why only one club?  Because by opening the face to various degrees you can turn in into a 60 degree lob wedge. 

Technique:  Hit 10 balls with your normal set-up position.  Now, in your address position, open your clubface slightly and hit another 10 shots.  Notice the higher trajectory as you open the face.  Do not forget to swing harder as you gradually increase the loft of the club.

Wet, Sloppy Conditions

photo credit: Paul Garland   A  towel and an umbrella are two necessities in rainy weather, a rain suit wouldn’t hurt.  Unless playing in desert regions, inclement weather can occur at any time, so its wise to carry extra golf gloves, socks, a sweater and towels in your bag.

There are many different aspects to playing in wet, sloppy conditions.  With the wet turf and heavier air (rain), expect to lose about 5 to 10 yards per shot, use at least one “extra” club.  You will have to hit your putts harder in wet conditions, play less break.

Tip:  Don’t try to kill the ball.  Use an extra club and swing smoothly and with good tempo.  Strive to make solid contact !

What’s the Difference?

photo credit: mihirvaze   Many people don’t understand the difference between a Links Course and a typical golf course.

Hundreds of years ago, there were good reasons to build a golf courses next to large bodies of water.  The soil was sandy and softer because of the close proximity to the water.  Sandy soil drains well, this allows the topsoil to dry quicker after a rain. 

Back then, there were no large earth moving machines, the courses were laid out on the natural terrain with no alterations made.  They used plows and horses to grade the greens.

Bottom Line:  Links courses are built along the sea (re: Pebble Beach) with pot bunkers in the fairways, undulations and mounds.  There are very few trees.  During play, golfers must use a different approach to the game.

Rules of Putting

photo credit: nsaplayer   In the game of golf, there are certain rules that govern the set-up and swing.  Breaking any of these rules results in flaws that can have detrimental effects on the golfer’s ability to play the game well.  When it comes to putting, an entirely separate segment of the game, there are no governing rules, you might say “anything goes.”

Throughout golf’s history, there has never been one putting style that dominated the game.  From Arnold Palmer’s pigeon toed stance to Fuzzy Zoeller’s wide open set-up.  Sam Snead started the side-step style (eventually banned), which resembled paddling a canoe.  As of late, the belly putter has become popular along with the ”long John,” sternum putters.

When putting,  what matters is to get the ball in the hole in as few strokes as possible.

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