Playing Golf is a catalyst for change in Veterans Lives.
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!
Each day soldiers go to war to protect the freedom and democracy of the USA.
Every day these brave soldiers risk their lives so we can go about our daily lives without fear. We owe our Veterans a huge debt of gratitude. This story by Joshua Peyton, President of the Veteran Golfers Association, gives us an insight and true perspective of what these people go through once they return home. Golf is an outlet for many, and I think we should support them in any way we can.
There are a group of heroes in our country that need your assistance. These amazing men and women come from all walks of life – poor, wealthy, educated, and not. However, they all share two things in common – courage to defend our country and passion for the game of golf.
These veterans are facing some challenges though. Every 65 minutes, a veteran in our country commits suicide. Out of 2.7 million Vietnam soldiers that returned from war, 150,000 of them took their own lives. Since 9/11, the Department of Veterans Affairs reports 10,000 mental health requests from veterans a month due to PTSD, TBIs, and other combat related causes. How can we as a society help these heroes?
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!
After Tiger Woods shot an 85 in the third round of the 2015 Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village, the naysayers were out in full force!
“Tiger is finished” “Tiger needs to pack it in” Wow, what a lot of bull! Jack himself has been through slumps like this, and what did he do? He went back to his original coach Jack Grout and worked on the basic fundamentals of grip, aim, posture, and ball position. A little work with Phil Rogers on his short game and voila, Jack was back.
He won the US Open a short while later and went on to win another 3 Majors after that! So why am I posting this article? Because I think Tiger needs to put his pride in his pocket and go and see Butch. I think Butch can get him back in about a week. Come on, Tiger, as your sponsor company, Nike, says, “Just Do It!” Thanks to this insightful article by Marc Lancaster writing for Sporting News.
Butch Harmon isn’t going to coach Tiger Woods full-time again, but he is willing to help the fallen star if asked.
Harmon told Golf World he wouldn’t rebuff an approach from Woods, his pupil for a decade at the beginning of the golfer’s pro career, but he isn’t sitting around waiting for a call.
Tiger Woods, Butch Harmon in 2007 (Getty Images)
“If he wanted, I’d be more than happy to spend a couple hours and give him my opinion,” Harmon said. “I don’t think he would ask because it goes against his pride.”
Woods and Harmon parted ways in 2002, and by most accounts, haven’t looked back.
Talk of a reunion tends to bubble up whenever Woods hits a particularly rough patch — the current one certainly qualifies — but that chatter generally has been quashed in a hurry, often by Harmon.
At 71, he’s still out on Tour working with a variety of players, including Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler, so he’s all too familiar with Woods’ woes. Harmon is especially perplexed by Woods’ short-game trouble
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!
I remember back in 2008 when a movement started which involved sending golf equipment to our troops in Afghanistan and elsewhere.
David Feherty and a 60 Minutes TV show highlighted a couple of rough-hewn driving ranges and soldiers hitting balls in Iraq.
Recently, this program has been reinvigorated.
I love that it’s not just ‘regular’ folks donating; it is Callaway, tour Pros, and other star athletes.
I also love that Bunkers in Baghdad is run 100% on donations. They hold fundraisers to pay for the shipping of donated equipment.
Read this story for more terrific info on a very worthy program and how it has affected student donations’ lives, in particular.
Bunkers in Baghdad provided clubs and balls for servicemen and women serving their country overseas.
The Bunkers in Baghdad Board
Joe Hanna – President and Founder
James Marci – Officer
Dr. Jon Beck – Officer
A few words from Joe Hanna, President and Founder of Bunkers in Baghdad, explaining the story of how we got here:
I was watching 60 Minutes one evening and noticed that one of the stories featured our soldiers hitting golf balls in the desert. I said to myself “that is pretty cool” and then forgot about it. Shortly thereafter I read an article by David Feherty in Golf Magazine that detailed his experiences on a USO tour in Iraq and Kuwait and featured the opening of a driving range at Camp Victory in Iraq.
I learned from the article that there are actually numerous makeshift driving ranges throughout Iraq as golf has become a favorite form of stress relief for the soldiers stationed there. I then thought to myself that the least I can do is collect some golf balls and some golf clubs. A short time later – that “some” has turned into over 6,000,000 golf balls and over 350,000 clubs, with more arriving daily.
The purpose of Bunkers in Baghdad is simple!
We collect new and used golf balls and golf clubs and then ship them overseas to soldiers stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have reached out to many national golf corporations, golfers on both the LPGA and PGA tours, national golf associations, golf course from around the country, including many from right here in Western New York, local and national golf retailers, local school districts and individuals, to help further our Bunkers mission. The response has simply been overwhelming.
5 Life Lessons you can learn playing golf – #4 is so important!
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!
Golf is a sport that teaches one not only how to be a good golfer but how to be a decent human being.
I feel golf is the only sport where golf professionals will help each other and are pleased to see their fellow competitors play well. Could you ever imagine Kobie Bryant stepping onto a court and giving LeBron James some tips on how to improve his jump shot? I don’t think so.
And yet, recently, Steve Stricker helped Tiger Woods with his putting just before the first round of a tournament. Tiger went on to win, putting really well. And who did he beat by one shot – you guessed it, Steve Stricker. And yet, when asked whether he was sorry he had helped Tiger, he said, “No, Tiger has helped me many times with my full swing, so it was an honor to help him with his short game!”
Folks, teach your children to play golf, and they will grow up to be ladies and gentlemen! Here Jules Paton writing for golfersjewels.com, talks about learning “Life’s Lessons” on the course.
Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots – but you have to play the ball where it lies. -Bobby Jones
Here are some of the life lessons you can get from playing golf.
1. Don’t dwell on a bad shot
A bad shot or two will not ruin a round of golf. We all make mistakes. So, learn to forgive yourself and move on.
If you beat yourself every time you screw up, you might not find the courage to keep trying later on because you’re too scared that you will fail. Learn to laugh at your bad shots and try again.
2. Focus
Golf requires an amazing amount of concentration. You need to focus if you want to do well in the game. If you are to observe professional golf players, you’ll notice that they are quiet and focus on the smallest detail. You can see in their eyes that they want to win.
Judy Rankin brings class and dignity to the Golf Channel booth.
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 Divine Ms. Judy Rankin.
Judy Rankin is my favorite golf broadcaster. As Beth Ann Nichols for Golfweek.com says, “Rankin brings class and dignity to the Golf Channel booth.”
Not many people have outstanding success in more than one career, but Judy Rankin is exceptional. She won 26 titles on the LPGA Tour and is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Her peers and viewers admired Rankin for the classy way she describes a player’s swing or shot, without ever sounding caustic or harsh. She is also revered for her quiet toughness, playing with severe back pain, and later beating breast cancer.
Judy Rankin in the Golf Channel booth with Terry Gannon. ( Courtesy of Golf Channel )
Judy Rankin remembers the phone call as if it were yesterday.
One week removed from a devastating early loss at the 1961 British Ladies Amateur, a 16-year-old Rankin told her father that she wanted to quit golf. He said he understood, and offered to take her fishing.
Then the kitchen phone rang. Her father, Paul, reached back to grab the phone that was mounted on the wall. An editor from Sports Illustrated was on the other end, wanting to know if Rankin would play in the upcoming U.S. Women’s Open at Baltusrol. They wanted to do a cover story.
It’s difficult to imagine an LPGA without Rankin. Her presence in the Golf Channel booth brings such a wonderful sense of class, dignity and credibility. On the eve of her 70th birthday, with a pancake dinner at church on the night’s agenda, the Hall of Famer talked about the idea of perhaps slowing down.
Rankin, who turned 70 on Feb. 18, will work 14 LPGA events for Golf Channel this season and serve as an on-course reporter at the Open Championship in St. Andrews. She has missed only three Open Championships since 1989.
With so much young talent on the fairways, it’s nice to have someone with 60-plus years in the game passing on such a rich perspective.
“If you’re coming down the stretch on Sunday and she’s in the booth,” said fellow Golf Channel broadcaster Tom Abbott, “she always says the right things at the right time.”
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!
Patrick Reed is outspoken, brash, and likes to silence opposition crowds.
He is a breath of fresh air compared to all the “politically correct” pros on the PGA Tour. Phil Mickelson is a close second. Do you think we need more golfers like this, or do you think this is overstepping the line?
Award-winning journalist John Feinstein gives us his views on golfchannel.com.
Patrick silences the pro-Europe Ryder Cup crowd.
Ten months ago, after winning the World Golf Championship event at Doral, Patrick Reed told the media that he believed he was one of the top five players in the world. Reed based that comment on the fact that he had won three PGA Tour events in seven months.
He wasn’t ranked anywhere near the top five in the Official World Golf Ranking, but Reed knew – as does everyone else in golf – that the OWGR is often inaccurate since it is stretched over a two-year period. Reed hadn’t even been an exempt player at the start of 2013.
The reaction to Reed in the locker room and the media room was almost identical: How dare he! One might have thought Reed had told a group of kindergartners there is no Santa Claus, or had said the Ryder Cup was just an exhibition.
For the next few months, every time Reed missed a cut or had a bad day, someone would inevitably comment: “Top-five player, huh?”
Of course, Reed went on to be one of the few bright spots for the U.S. Ryder Cup team last September and then won for a fourth time at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions two weeks ago. He is now the No. 15 player in the world, according to the OWGR. According to many others, he’s got the potential, at age 24, to be a no-doubt top-five player sometime in the near future.
But seriously, folks – who cares? What matters is that Reed said something interesting, something worthy of discussion, something that got the attention of a lot of people. Golf is full of players who tell us when they win that they hit the ball well, made a few putts and are thankful to all the sponsors and their “team.” (Everyone has a “team” nowadays, right?)
What the sport needs is more Patrick Reeds. For that matter, it needs more of Phil Mickelson stunning everyone in the room with the comments he made post-Ryder Cup. Oh sure, you can argue that Mickelson had the time and place wrong and you can also argue that he attacked Tom Watson because he was upset about being benched on Saturday. Even so, it was a lot more interesting than hearing, “Well, they just made a few more putts than we did.”
And, for better or worse, depending on your point of view, Mickelson’s comments led to an intense argument about what’s wrong with Ryder Cup golf in the U.S. Maybe the much-ballyhooed task force will come back and report that “the U.S. needs to make more putts.” Or maybe it will suggest a grass-roots effort to help young American golfers care about the Ryder Cup as much as European golfers do. The point is to have the dialogue.
Dialogue is always better than a monologue. Or monotone.
Twenty-one years ago, the PGA Tour, in its infinite wisdom, decided to bring in a “media consultant,” to coach those who had just made it through Q-School for the first time on how to deal with the media. The consultant’s message was pretty much the same as Crash Davis’ famous speech to Nuke Laloosh in “Bull Durham”: Never criticize the Tour or anyone on the Tour. Always thank sponsors and volunteers. Talk about your family and be thankful to everyone around you.
David Feherty was in the room that day, having gone through Q-School that fall because he wanted to play the U.S. tour fulltime. Fortunately, Feherty was sound asleep in the back of the room while the consultant droned on. Imagine if he had been awake and had somehow taken her advice to heart. The world would have been a very different place.
I was also in the room that day, at the invitation of John Morris, who had just come on-board as the Tour’s director of communication. He was pretty horrified by what he was hearing from the consultant. He asked me if I would be willing to, in effect, give the opposition response. Happily, I told him.
Does golf need more bad guys like Patrick Reed?
The first thing I said was, “I would urge you to ignore almost everything you heard in the last hour.”
I had no problem with thanking people, but I suggested that honesty was usually a good idea. Listening to questions before answering was a good idea. Lying was a bad idea – which would mean often not listening to your agent.
A lot of the players in that room became friends of mine, Feherty included – although he slept through my part of the program, too. Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker were there that day and, although they’ve always said the right things, they are also capable of expressing opinions worth hearing in the right setting.
The Tour, ever image conscious, would much prefer the media consultant’s way of doing things. Actually, that’s bad for golf because what the sport needs desperately are fresh personalities. As electric as Tiger Woods was on the golf course during his dominant period, he was a Crash Davis-devotee off it. Mickelson is unpredictable, which is good, and Rory McIlroy can light up a room.
To some degree, stars don’t need to be interesting – their golf speaks for itself, and people will want to talk about them and write about them, regardless.
It’s better for any sport to have stars who are accessible and interesting – tennis was a lot more popular when John McEnroe was the world’s best player wasn’t it? – but not a necessity.
What golf needs is more guys like Reed, who may not yet be stars, but who say things that get people’s attention. That means when Reed gets to the Masters having said that the majors are the place where he most needs to improve, people will want to track his performance – and his post-round comments.
Humor isn’t a bad thing, either, although it seems to be frowned upon in the media consultant’s handbook. Ten years ago, Jay Haas was given an award by the Golf Writers Association of America for being cooperative and helpful with the media. (An award also won by Stricker and Furyk, no doubt thanks to my coaching all those years ago). In accepting, Haas said, “I guess this should be called the, ‘Curtis blew us off so we’ll go talk to Jay,’ award.”
Haas was referencing his close friend, Curtis Strange, who did, on occasion, stalk away from the media after a bad round. The next morning Strange called Haas: “I heard you killed me last night,” he said, trying to suppress a laugh.
Does golf need more bad guys like Patrick Reed?
“Only because I love you,” Haas said.
Strange understood. So did everyone in the room. Haas was using humor and exaggeration to make a point. Reed might have exaggerated at Doral last year. But he was making a point – one worth hearing. The more of that in golf, the merrier. For all of us.
Calling all Recreational Golfers – Have I got something for you!
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!
How would you like to play golf where you can move your ball out of a divot, unraked sand in a bunker?
Any commercially available equipment, and you can carry more than 14 clubs? Out of bounds is only a 1 shot penalty?
Well, now you can. Join the U.S. Recreational Golf Association, a non-profit organization working to grow the game and make it FUN! FREE Membership and only 13 simple Rules of Golf.
The Recreational Golfer Association is going after the weekend golfer!
The Game of Golf is an ancient sport with rich history and traditions. Golf should be fun! Unlike most sports, the player is ultimately responsible for his or her own behavior, following the Rules and showing consideration for other players. Deviating from these traditions is discouraged. The Rules of Golf were originally created in 1744 in Scotland by the Honorable Company of Edinburgh Golfers.
Over the years, the original 13 Rules have been amended continuously, and today, the USGA has 34 sometimes confusing Rules of Golf.
These are appropriate for organized competitions for skilled players. The United States Recreational Golf Association has created 13 simple Rules of Golf designed to make the game more fun and less intimidating for recreational golfers. These rules directly reflect how the majority of golfers play the game in the United States.
A round of golf should finish in approximately four hours. Players should be aware of their position on the course at all times and should attempt to keep up with the group in front of them. Letting faster players play through is a recommended courtesy. Players are should encourag others to use the most forward tees and to tee the ball up in the fairway to speed up play.
Whoever is ready to hit should hit. Putt out; don’t mark once you’ve started putting.
If a player hits a ball that may hit another player it is customary to shout “fore” in the direction of the player. Players are should encourag others to show respect for their fellow players and not cause distractions (talking, rattling clubs, etc.) that will disturb them. On the putting green players should not step or stand on another player’s line to the hole.
Players should encourage others to fix ball marks on the putting green; their own as well as those of other players. Replace divots in the fairway or fill with sand. After hitting a shot from a bunker the player should carefully rake the sand and smooth it for other players. Players may enlist the aid of a caddie to help them with their equipment or raking bunkers.
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 PGA Tour features some interesting personalities.
In the January 2015 edition of Golf Digest magazine, Rickie Fowler said, “… if you’re going to make me say who my best friend is out here, I gotta go with Bubba.” Wow! They are two very different people. I can’t resist the comparisons or rather lack thereof.
BUBBA WATSON
Boasts no golf teacher, ever. (He does see his college coach once in a while.)
Emotional when playing – demonstrates great joy on the course and impatience & anger, at times – even easy tears, with wins – also hyper-active, to which he admits.
Married, 2 kids, share home life with media.
A big man physically & grew up on east coast of USA.
RICKIE FOWLER
One coach his entire life, Barry McDonnell, until McDonnell died in 2011 – Rickie tried to go it alone after-wards, without success – hooked up with Butch Harmon sometime in 2013 with fantastic results – Four Top 5’s in Majors in 2014 – He so values his first coach that he sports a tattoo of McDonnell’s autograph inside his left wrist.
Displays resilience, confidence, and patience, on-course – no complaining and no big highs or lows – as Mike McGraw, Rickie’s Oklahoma State golf coach, says, “Rickie does a really nice job of forgetting the bad shots.
Single, and keeps private life very private.
A slight build, and grew up on western USA coast.
However…. both of these current PGA Tour players are:
Winners.
Popular with fans.
Fashion-conscious.
Loyal friends.
Personally, I think it’s great for golf that these two players are best buds.
Let me know who your favorite players are and why.
Also, do you feel that your personality and playing style mirrors a certain Tour Player?
The Top 10 European Tour Moments to Thrill you in 2014!
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!
There is no doubt Rory McIlroy was the dominant player on the European Tour and throughout world golf.
Here are the top 10 Highlights.
1. THIS ONE’S FOR YOU, MUM:
Rory McIlroy’s Open Championship victory at Hoylake was the highlight of the European season. He was simply peerless at Royal Liverpool. Even though he grew up in Northern Ireland, McIlroy isn’t really a big fan of links golf. This win proved beyond doubt, if there even was any, that he’s the complete player. Oh, and that he’s also a mummy’s boy.
2. HO HUM, EUROPE WINS ANOTHER RYDER CUP:
Europe winning the Ryder Cup is becoming as routine as when the United States had a stranglehold on Samuel Ryder’s prized chalice. This time there was no miracle needed. The Europeans had this one in the bag thanks to the domination of the foursomes.
3. McGINLEY’S MASTER CLASS:
Quite simply, Paul McGinley is the best captain ever to lead a European side. His attention to detail was outstanding, and he fully deserved all the accolades thrown at him. He’s going to be a tough act to follow.
4. KAYMER’S DEMOLITION JOB:
The German probably doesn’t get the credit he deserves because golf is still a relatively minor sport in his homeland. He’d garner major headlines if he were British or American. He deserved plenty of column inches for the way he took the field apart at the U.S. Open to win his second major.
5. RORY WINS PGA CHAMPIONSHIP:
McIlroy punctuated his season with his second PGA Championship victory. Just when we thought he’d stumble short of the finish line after leading for each of the first three rounds, he goes 5 under for the final 12 holes to prove why he’s the world’s best. Oh, and that 284-yard 3-wood to the 10th hole that set up an eagle wasn’t bad either.
A few words from Joe Hanna, President and Founder of Bunkers in Baghdad, explaining the story of how we got here:
Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots – but you have to play the ball where it lies. -Bobby Jones
