As your host, I invite you to discuss this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Today’s subject is posture.
I see hundreds of different postures, not only amongst amateurs but also among the pros. Not so much now, as the gyms and fitness coaches have put most PGA professionals in great shape. But not so many of the older amateur golfers who were businessmen and now have become golf enthusiasts and are looking for ideas (and miracles) to improve their golf game.
Because we all have different physiques, arm lengths, and leg lengths, there had to be a better way of always getting into the correct posture for each golfer – and there is!
Mike Adams:
Mike is one of the leading teachers in the US and is in the Teachers Hall of Fame because of his work with biomechanics. This is his way of getting the correct posture for each individual golfer.
Bend forward with slightly bent knees and place your palms flat on your thighs.
Put the index finger of each hand on the top of the kneecap.
Now, relax your arms (keeping the posture) and let them hang loosely. They should hang at 90 degrees to your shoulders.
Place your hands together without moving the arms forward or back. (no matter how weird it may feel in the beginning)
Place a club in your hands (again without moving the arms towards or away from your body)
This is the correct posture for you. Practice this at home until it starts feeling comfortable.
Another factor that can influence posture is Club length.
Make sure you go to a certified clubfitter and check that your club length and lie angles are correct for you in your new posture.
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
With the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am currently in full swing and all the celebrities out in full force, it is interesting to see how many musicians are playing. Proving that golf and music have always gone together!. Swing by Swing has put an interesting list together. Check it out!
Golf and music have always had a unique relationship. Both are forms of art and both, if done right, can be beautiful. However, golf is an escape for those who don’t play it professionally, and some musicians take full advantage, especially when they’re out on tour. For them, it’s a reprieve from the grind. As multiple Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and actor Justin Timberlake stated, “you have a lot of time on these tours. As Alice Cooper said, you can either drink all day or golf.” In honor of the Grammy Awards, we take a look at 10 of the finest musician golfers.
Snoop Dogg
Handicap: 18
Snoop Dogg may not be the best golfer in the world, but there’s no doubt he enjoys the game. The 15-time Grammy nominee rapper and actor says he shoots “about 90,” which by all standards, isn’t that bad. Also, he’s a big fan of Tiger Woods. In fact, he went on record saying that golf is “garbage” without the 14-time major winner playing.
Willie Nelson
Handicap: 16
The ageless Willie Nelson loves to get out to the course whenever he’s got free time. In fact, he’s been on record saying “All I do is play music and golf.” The 14-time Grammy winner owns a course in Texas. “Par is whatever Willie shoots,” says the pro.
Bob Seger
Handicap: 16
Grammy winner and Rock and Roll and Songwriters Hall of Famer Bob Seger enjoys his time on the course whenever he’s not performing. Back in 2009, he played the Buick Open pro-am with Tiger Woods which made for a great show.
Adam Levine
Handicap: 15
The lead singer of the 3-time Grammy-winning band Maroon 5 plays to a modest 15 handicap but is always looking to improve his game. Back in 2012, he was celebrity student on Golf Channel’s The Haney Project and came out a better golfer. He’s been known to play a pro-am or two as well.
Roger Waters
Handicap: 12
73-year-old Rock-and-Roll Hall of Famer and Grammy winner Roger Waters of the legendary band Pink Floyd loves to golf his ball when he’s not playing music. He belongs to the exclusive National Golf Links of America located out on Long Island, New York.
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
This week is the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. A tournament we all look forward to, like this week, all the golfing celebrities come out and mingle with the pros and the crowd. A fun time is had by all in the midst of a 72 hole stroke play event that has been won by every great golfer that has ever set foot on a golf course. Here are some great golfing moments presented by Swing by Swing
Pebble Beach Golf Links has seen its fair share of great golf over the years. From unbelievable performances to incredible hole-outs, to of course the celebrity pro-am, there’s been no shortage of excitement on the Monterey Peninsula. Here is a look at 10 of the best moments in Pebble Beach history.
Tiger Woods at the 2000 U.S. Open put on one of the greatest golfing displays of all time. Shattering multiple records en route to lapping the field by 15 shots, he went on to claim his second major title. In fact, he was the only player under par the entire week.
Jack Nicklaus hit one of the most famous shots of all time on the 71st hole of the 1972 U.S. Open. His one-iron hit the flag stick nearly dropping for an ace on the famed par-3 17th. He had to settle for a tap-in but it gave the Golden Bear the spark he needed to go on and win his third U.S. Open title.
Who can forget Tom Watson’s chip-in on the 17th hole during the 1982 U.S. Open? After leaving himself with an impossible shot in the deep rough, Watson managed to knock it in for the unlikeliest of twos. He went on to win his only U.S. Open title.
Tiger Woods was seven shots off the lead with seven holes to play during the 2000 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, when lightning struck on the par-4 15th hole. Tiger jarred his approach from 97-yards for eagle fueling a comeback win for the ages.
Johnny Miller’s win at the 1994 AT&T was remarkable considering he took a break from his broadcasting post on the 18th tower to compete in an event he won 7 years prior. “I play young at Pebble,” the 46-year-old said and did he ever.
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Here are 10 Par 3 courses worth playing! They are fun and not as time-consuming as a regular course, particularly if you don’t have a lot of time on your hands. You can get in 18 holes in about 2.5 hours on most Par 3 courses. I teach at Tupelo Bay Golf Center, and their par 3 is another gem in this category. Come and visit sometime!
Golf courses don’t necessarily need to be long to be difficult. While some par-3 courses pride themselves on toughness, all of them offer a chance for people to have fun. Whether they are scaled-down versions of famous par-3s around the world, or a totally original design, some of these tracks are the real deal. Here are 10 awesome par-3 courses around the U.S.
Par-3 Course – Augusta National Golf Club
Par 3 Course #8. Augusta national.
via Pinterest
The “Par-3 Course” at Augusta National doesn’t need a fancy name. Every year the pros gather here for another traditional unlike any other on the Wednesday before the competition. It’s beautiful and pristene just like its much longer counterpart. In fact, Paul Azinger once called it “the best golf course in the world.” Check it out.
Treetops – Treetops Sylvan Resort
Jones Course.
via treetops.com
Threetops, located in Gaylord, Michigan, is one of the best known par-3 courses in the world because of it’s dramatic elevation changes and beautiful mountain views. In fact, the 7th hole plays three (!) clubs less due to elevation. Back in the day, it was the home to the ESPN Par 3 Shootout. See it here.
Palm Beach Par 3 Golf Course
Palm Beach Par 3 Golf Course
via Mike May.
The Palm Beach Par 3 Golf Course gorgeous little gem located right between the ocean and the Intracostal Waterway on some of the most expensive real estate on the southeast coast of Florida. It was redesigned by Raymond Floyd and is always in great shape. Check it out.
Challenge Course – Monarch Dunes
Challenge Course.
via ncga.org
This “links-style” 12-hole course located at Monarch Dunes in Nipomo, California is designed Damian Pascuzzo and Steve Pate. Multiple tees provide an opportunity to play a different course each time you go out. Some of the unique links features include dunes and fescue that line the holes. See it here.
Cloud Nine Short Course – Angel Park Golf Club
Angel Park Cloud 9 Course.
via golfvegas.com
Located at the Angel Park Golf Club in Las Vegas, the Cloud Nine Short Course is a tidy little 12-hole track inspired by some of the most iconic par-3s in the world, including TPC Sawgrass’ 17th island green. The best part is 9 of the 12 holes are lighted so you can play well into the evening. Don’t worry, whatever you shoot in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Check it out.
Who has played the top 10 longest courses in the world?
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
The longest golf course I have personally played was just north of Myrtle Beach, at Eagles Nest Golf Club in Little River, SC. At 7900 from the back tees, it is a monster even for local hero Dustin Johnson. A close second is the Grande Dunes Resort Course, in Myrtle Beach, at 7617 from the tips. But these pale compared to the top 10 longest golf courses in the world presented by Swing by Swing.
Comment below if you have had the privilege of playing any of these monsters!
10. The Prairie Club, Dunes Course – Valentine, Nebraska
Looks a lot like a links course to me. It just needs the ocean!
Length: 8,058 yards
The par-72 Dunes Course at The Prairie Club, designed by Tom Lehman and Chris Brands, is laid out along the Sand Hills of Nebraska. It makes for a most picturesque setting with elevated tees, undulating fairways, and a rolling landscape of prairies grasses. It’s also the shortest course on this list. Strap in.
9. The Shoals Golf Club, Fighting Joe Course – Shoals, Alabama
Looks very serene!
Length: 8,092 yards
The first of two Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail courses to make the list is the Fighting Joe at The Shoals. This par-72 super-long links-style course looks out over the Tennessee River and Lake Jackson and makes some spectacular scenery. It offers generous fairways and holes that follow natural topography along the river, making a pleasurable experience the whole way through.
8. Promontory Club, Painted Valley – Park City, Utah
Certainly looks like a painted valley.
Length: 8,098 yards
The Jack Nicklaus-designed par 72 is arguably one of the toughest in the state of Utah. Located smack dab in the middle of 3 major ski resorts, this lengthy course offers spectacular views while demanding your full attention. The front nine plays down and up a valley and starts with an eye-popping 718-yard par five, the longest hole on the course. The back is laid out more along meadows and features plenty more long holes, including the par-5 12th, which clocks in at 673 yards.
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
You just have to see a product with an umbrella on it, and you know immediately Arnold Palmer has put his stamp of approval on that item! Branding has become a big business worldwide, and an outstanding logo will definitely set you apart from your competition. My Favorite? Gary Player’s “Knights Head” logo. Simple but says it all about the man. Which is your favorite logo on the PGA Tour? Comments, please.
If you’re not building your brand in today’s world, what are you really doing? Well, as it turns out, golfers are their own brands and some of the most iconic names in the sport are synonymous with bears, umbrellas, or in Phil’s case, themselves. Here’s a look at the 10 of the best Tour pro logos over the years.
Air Phil
Representing Phil’s masters Win!
Phil threw his hat into the logo game ring at the start of his 2017 season by introducing us to “Air Phil.” By far one of the most hilarious on this list, it’s of course, a tribute to his 2004 Masters win. Thumbs up, Phil!
The man, the myth, the legend John Daly uses this lion as his logo. It screams business in the front and party in the back, kind of like Long John himself. Grip it and rip it!
The Shark has been a longtime favorite in the logo world. Its sleek design and unique colors always stood out, especially when Greg Norman wore that phenomenal straw hat.
The Golden Bear
A Lasting Image.
via walczy.com
The Golden Bear is a timeless classic. Jack Nicklaus was truly the man to carry that name. With his golden flowing locks and ferociousness on the course, it just was perfect.
Jordan Spieth
A Very New Image
via golfdigest.com
Jordan Speith unveiled this logo not too long ago, but you already see grown men wearing the initials of 23-year-old’s initials on their caps. What a world! It is pretty sweet looking though.
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
This list put together by Golf Digest shows just how uneven the playing field is for men and women golfers! When a golfer like Jason Dufner (who is no slouch on the golf course) is ahead of World #1 Lydia Ko in earnings, that is just wrong! Folks, start watching the LPGA Tour on TV, and you will find these women can really play! Just as exciting and competitive as the men.
For the first 12 years of the Golf Digest 50 all-encompassing money list, Tiger Woods was No. 1, usually by a wide margin. But reduced play because of injuries and the loss of more than half a dozen A-list endorsement partners after the 2009 scandal caught up to him in 2016, when he fell to No. 3 behind Jordan Spieth and Mickelson. This year, Woods is No. 4 behind Rory McIlroy, Arnold Palmer and Mickelson.
10.) GARY PLAYER
Certainly surprised me!
PREVIOUS RANK: 10
ON COURSE: — $0.00
OFF COURSE: $15,000,000
TOTAL: $15,000,000
9.) ADAM SCOTT
Money does not seem important to him!
PREVIOUS RANK: 18
ON COURSE: $8,160,920
OFF COURSE: $6,900,000
TOTAL: $15,060,920
8.) JASON DAY
Has never quite fulfilled his potential!
PREVIOUS RANK: 7
ON COURSE: $8,845,112
OFF COURSE: $10,750,000
TOTAL: $19,595,112
7.) DUSTIN JOHNSON
Thought he would have been much higher.
PREVIOUS RANK: 13
ON COURSE: $12,664,185
OFF COURSE: $7,100,000
TOTAL: $19,764,185
6.) JACK NICKLAUS
Did not build an empire like Arnie!
PREVIOUS RANK: 6
ON COURSE: $42,000
OFF COURSE: $20,000,000
TOTAL: $20,042,000
Have you made your Golf New Years Resolutions Yet?
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Here are a few New Years Resolutions from the staff of Hole19Golf.com to help you make your decisions. I really like #4.
It’s that time of year, a time to reflect and look back over the last year and plan (with unwavering dedication) to do things a little differently in the coming year.
Here at the Hole19 offices, we’re no different.
We’ve been asking ourselves how we’re going to level-up our games in the new year – here’s what we came up with:
1) “Spend less on golf balls.”
This is actually kind of a summary for the numerous “spend more time inbounds” and “avoid water like the wicked witch of the west” type resolutions we all seemed to have. For the most part, this is about knowing the course and playing percentage golf; looking at the shot, weighing up the risks and avoiding any kind of agony.
2) “Shake things up a bit.”
We’ve got some great courses nearby. It’s not that we’re bored, far from it. But we’re looking to 2017 as a year to broaden our horizons and play on pastures new. Thankfully, we’ve got our 40,000 strong, course database to help us pick from golf courses near and far.
3) “Dial it in within 120 yards.”
One from our CEO, Anthony. That’s not the only reason it made the list. It’s a darn good resolution.
It can be tempting (and fun!) to get to the practice range and just smash balls into the distance. Not all that productive though.
Spending a few hours a week honing that approach play on varying range targets will see you reap serious benefits on-course.
Here’s one drill from Peter Finch we’ll be trying out:
Thanks for watching – Have you made your Golf New Years Resolutions Yet? Make sure you don’t do the same old, same old in the coming year. Change it up!
Who do you think has the best golf swing on Tour – Here are the Top 10! As chosen by Swing by Swing.
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Here are the Golfers with the Silky Smooth Swings!
A smooth, consistent, and powerful golf swing is poetry in motion. While most pros are world-class athletes born with near flawless swings, the majority have spent years grinding to make them as perfect as possible. Here are 10 of the prettiest swings currently on tour.
10. Louis Oosthuizen
Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion, has honed his swing to near perfect. With flawless tempo and effortless power, his swing is one of the nicest in the game today. On plane and smooth as silk – good luck trying to copy this one!
9. Tiger Woods (2016)
Tiger’s been through it all with his golf swing, but nothing will top his form in 2000. Unfortunately, father time hasn’t been too kind and plagued the 14-time major winner with well-documented injuries over the last decade. Obviously, another overhaul was necessary. Still, in our humble opinion, it’s one of the prettiest out there. (We’ll blame the club drop on rust.)
8. Sergio Garcia
The current number 13 ranked golfer in the world has exceptional posture at address. His takeaway is smooth and he really fires his hips through the ball at impact. Check out that angle of attack! Hopefully, El Niño can put it all together to bring home a major championship before his career comes to a close.
7. Jordan Spieth
Jordan Spieth employs a rather compact, simple swing that has allowed him continued success off the tee and finding the greens. What we’d like to focus on are the shoulders and hips which are in perfect synchronization for the entire swing. Add in the slightly bent left arm and hopefully, we’ll be watching this beauty for the next 20-30 years.
For the 31 we lost in 2016 – Thanks for the Memories!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
As each year passes, we mourn the loss of loved ones. People we knew, or people we did not know personally but knew through the magic of television. Many became heroes, some became legends! To all of those who touched our lives in more ways than they will ever know, thank you so much! RIP, 2016! Thanks also go to Cliff Schrock of Golf Digest, who reminds us that all things must pass.
For the 31 we lost in 2016 – Thanks for the Memories!
Arnold Palmer.
Thanks for the memories, Arnie!
A King, a General, and a Bull died in 2016. But he was one and the same with a distinctly singular name, Arnie. Known by those titles (yes, Bull was early and lesser known), when golf immortal Arnold Palmer passed away on Sept. 25 at age 87 from heart issues, it was more than just the death of the year. It was the end of the game’s focal point for the last 60. If golf history ages well from this point on, Arnie will certainly remain as vibrant. And as much of a measuring stick of how a pro golfer interacts with the public as he ever did. Yet it is a real dilemma we are just now starting to comprehend: How will golf go forward without the Golfer of the People and what his presence meant to the game?
Arnold Palmer was the common man’s pro!
A seven-time major champion, Palmer was the reason golf exploded out of the elitist realm it lived in to be a populist sport. He did it by a combination of a bold, spirited performance on the course with a touchy-feely hold on the fans. He made the game feel fun because you could sense he felt it permeate his spirit right down to the blood rush he’d get on both great and poor shots.
Palmer was iconic in so many ways: his connection with the Masters, his place among the Big Three and his 1960 U.S. Open charge. He was Ike’s pal, an expert pilot and an advertising giant, a matinee idol, a course designer and a charity leader. Arnie helped revive the Open Championship and made hitching your pants a thing. Proudly called Latrobe his home and Winnie his wife, had a drink named for him and an Army that stood at attention wherever he played.
All of it is familiar because he let it be so, his openness to the world a result of traits he learned from his mother but the toughness and determination from his Pap. Palmer enjoyed it all and wouldn’t have changed his life path to gain a few more majors if it meant losing fans. He will endure in the minds of all golfers present and future as the most beloved golfer in history. A king whose realm wasn’t walked but felt in the heart.
Other deaths of notable golf personalities in 2016 include:
Jules Alexander.
90, Aug. 19: The notable golf photographer whose best known images were of Ben Hogan, beginning with the 1959 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, but whose career also lasted through Tiger Woods.
Phil Cannon.
63, Oct. 27: Volunteered at the Memphis PGA Tour stop at age 14 and stayed involved with the event for much of his life, working as tournament director from 1999-2015.
Dawn Coe-Jones.
56, Nov. 12: An LPGA player from 1984 to 2008, Coe-Jones won three times on tour, had 44 career top-10 finishes and is a member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.
Left us far too early!
Steve Cohen.
76, Aug. 12: Founder of the Shivas Irons Society nearly 25 years ago, created based on the book Golf in the Kingdom.
Bob Cupp.
76, Aug. 19: A former president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects and the 1992 Golf World magazine Golf Architect of the Year, he designed courses for 40 years, including Liberty National, Pumpkin Ridge and Old Waverly.
Jack Davis.
91, July 29: A prolific illustrator who worked for decades at Mad magazine and who did work for magazines such as Time and Golf Digest, where his style was used to illustrate unusual feats.
Manuel de la Torre.
94, April 24: The Spanish-born teaching legend and son of Spain’s first golf professional, Angel de la Torre, Manuel was a constant presence on the Golf Digest list of 50 Best Teachers since the inaugural group in 1999. De la Torre attended Northwestern and settled in as a longtime fixture at Milwaukee Country Club, becoming well known for teaching amateurs and stars alike, notably Carol Mann and Loren Roberts. He is a member of the World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame.
What a legend!
For the 31 we lost in 2016 – Thanks for the Memories!
Dwight Gahm.
96, March 7: The founder of Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, who hired Jack Nicklaus to design the course and has a statue of himself and the Golden Bear at the club.
Rudolph (Hubby) Habjan.
84, July 5: A PGA member since 1955, he was the noted golf pro at the Onwentsia Club in Lake Forest, Ill., and the creator of highly sought custom-made golf clubs.
Thomas Hartman.
69, Feb. 16: The monsignor, who with Rabbi Marc Gellman was part of “The God Squad,” often appeared at golf events, he would be the straight man in their religious dialogue.
Peggy Kirk Bell.
95, Nov. 23: One of the greatest women’s figures in golf history, she starred as an amateur standout before becoming a renowned teacher, owner of the Pine Needles resort and an advocate for women in the game. Among her honors was the USGA’s Bob Jones Award in 1990.
Peggy Kirk Bell became a legendary teacher after a stellar playing career!
Bill Kratzert Jr.
87, Aug. 21: A PGA member since 1960, he was the father of tour players Bill Kratzert III and Cathy Kratzert Gerring and was the longtime head pro at Fort Wayne (Ind.) Country Club.
John Margolies.
76, May 26: A legendary photographer of vernacular architecture, his 1987 book Miniature Golf is a treasure of golf nostalgia.
Hubert Mizell.
76, March 3: Writer and columnist who worked for the St. Petersburg Times for 27 years, and in 1973-1974 was an Associate Editor at Golf Digest; he wrote 23 pieces in all for the magazine.
via Mike May.
Phil threw his hat into the logo game ring at the start of his 2017 season by introducing us to “Air Phil.” By far one of the most hilarious on this list, it’s of course, a tribute to his 2004 Masters win. Thumbs up, Phil!
via walczy.com
via golfdigest.com
