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!
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.
10 Golf Courses that have attained architectural absoluteness!
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 are literally hundreds of immaculate golf courses throughout the world that would make your heart race when you stood on the first tee. But Geoff Shackelford of Golf Digest has come up with the creme de la creme of golf courses that have attained architectural absoluteness! I have had the esteemed privilege of playing four of these top 10, but I can always hope that there is a round of golf on one of the others sometime in my future! My heart will once again beat in anticipation of an exquisite round!
Given golfers and their propensity to disagree on the merits of even the most revered masterpieces, proclaiming design perfection can be dangerous. However, these ten golf courses in their current form come as close to achieving architectural absoluteness thanks to a melding of strategic complexity, walk-in-the-park beauty, experiential purity and an overall sense of design permanence.
Pine Valley, George Crump & H.S. Colt (1918) 7,057 yards, Par 70
As with so many masterpieces, Pine Valley was not perfect when it opened. The course struggled with maintenance issues and some of Crump and Colt’s more outlandish ideas were massaged after his passing. The overall vision was always supreme, but it took a decade to refine Pine Valley into what is widely considered the planet’s most complete, varied and dramatic set of 18 holes. Recent restoration work suggests that more tree removal and the exposure of even more pine barrens could actually further refine the already impeccable Pine Valley.
Pine Valley 5th
Cypress Point Club, Alister Mackenzie and Robert Hunter (1928) 6,524 yards, Par 72
The evolution of this long-heralded design has been less straightforward than most would expect. There were changes during planning and construction suggested by developers Marion Hollins and Samuel Morse, then more tweaks and even a few compromises by MacKenzie’s on-site partner, Robert Hunter. In the decades following its 1928 unveiling, weather and maintenance decisions led to many original elements disappearing.
But with the recent restoration of nearly all MacKenzie elements, combined with epic scenery and gently graced by George Washington Smith’s clubhouse, Cypress Point comes as close to the most idyllic combination of a strategic golf course melding into eighteen artfully composed series of landscapes.
Cypress Pont 16th.
Oakmont CC, Henry & William Fownes (1903) 7,255 yards, Par 71
Even before the much-ballyhooed restoration of this historic property, Fownes’ course is considered the Penal School of Design’s most complete examination of skill. However, Oakmont’s permanence as a textbook piece of architecture in spite of its relentless difficulty stems from its many strategic design elements.
With an unmatched tournament legacy that pervades the senses from the moment you spot the iconic clubhouse and change your shoes in the unchanged locker room, the golfer is transported into a time warp unlike any other in America, Yet you never sense this masterpiece is anything but the most relevant test of skill on the planet.
The eighth hole of Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa. on Thursday, July 23, 2015. (Copyright USGA/John Mummert)
Shinnecock Hills GC, William Flynn (1931) 7,041 yards, Par 70
The Hamptons’ sandy soil and fescue grasses provide the setting, but its Flynn’s ingenious use of leftover elements from early versions of the course and his bold re-routing that leads to an operatic experience transporting the golfer through highs, lows and genuine thrills unlike any links-like course.
Shinnecock Hills starts and ends at Mead, McKim and White’s epic clubhouse. It serves as a locating beacon while Flynn designs takes you up, over and through a rolling, rocking setting. Never does a hole feel forced or fake, and never is Shinnecock Hills anything but thrilling to play or study.
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 best thing about articles highlighting great courses in the pictures. Just looking at them makes your mouth drool at the thought of putting a tee in the ground on the first hole, getting ready to play an enjoyable round. Sometimes these golf courses are outside our budget, so Travelling Joe Passov of Golf.com has given you the Top 10 most affordable of the Top 100 courses you can play. So take a late fall trip or start planning for a spring buddy’s trip, so you have something to look forward to over the dreary winter!
Our latest ranking of America’s Top 100 Courses You Can Play has something for everybody. We’re well aware, however, that while every course is accessible, not all are affordable. To shine the spotlight on the top value courses, here are our picks for the 10 best bargains among the Top 100, based on where they rank overall and the price they charge for the market they’re in.
A little pricier, perhaps, than some on this list, it justifies its value status by being a fairly-priced layout that dishes out TPC-quality service, amenities and conditioning, together with a distinctive layout that was lavishly praised by 2003 John Deere winner Vijay Singh. No doubt past champions Jordan Spieth, Steve Stricker and Zach Johnson feel the same. Twilight play starts at $69.
9. Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club [No. 34], Sandia Park, N.M.; $62-$117.paakoridge. com
Photo: YouTube
Situated between 6,500 and 7,000 breathtaking feet on the eastern side of the Sandia Mountains, 25 minutes from Albuquerque, Paa-ko dishes out a series of option-laden desert jewels that tumble through junipers, cedars and pines, forming a surprisingly green backdrop to many holes. In prime time of April to October, rates will save you some green — $92 weekdays, $62 after 2 pm.
8. The Golf Courses of Lawsonia (Links) [No. 87], Green Lake, Wis.; $35-$95. lawsonia.com
Photo: GolfWisconsin
It seems as if Wisconsin is vying for national supremacy as the state with the greatest public golf, but while many of the state’s top tracks are expense-account only, along comes sleepy old-timer Lawsonia Links, which blends prairie-style aesthetics with a Golden Age design that harkens back to Donald Ross and Seth Raynor, all at a Golden Age price. Find a nice day after October 3 and it’s $35 to walk.
Situated 45 minutes east of Columbus, the course formerly known as Longaberger is a 1999 Arthur Hills design that mixes open and wooded holes, all flawlessly groomed. The downhill plunge at the par-5 5th and the long par-4 8th that’s backdropped by a lake are two of the Midwest’s best. For $129 during the week, you can play all day long.
6. The Quarry at Giants Ridge [No. 54], Biwabik, Minn; $62-$89. giantsridge.com
Photo Giants Ridge
Some question whether the Quarry is even the best value on property, given the popularity of its younger sibling, the Legend, but slight edge to the elder statesman, a Jeff Brauer creation hewn from the remnants of a rock and sand quarry in an old iron ore mine. Highlights include giant boulders, massive sand waste areas and a price tag that’s been chopped to bits by a sharp pickaxe. Through late spring (May 26 in 2016), 36 holes would set you back $100.
Courses you have not heard of but are fun to play in Scotland or Ireland!
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!
A trip “over the pond” to the fantastic courses of Scotland or Ireland is an absolute must if you really love golf. The experiences create a lifetime of memories for you. I have been fortunate enough to play both country’s golf courses on several hosted trips. If you ever want to join me on a fabulous golfing vacation, just visit my golf trips page here. I would like to put a trip together in the not-too-distant future that includes these intriguing golf courses listed here by Graham Hesketh of GolfWrx to really whet your appetite! I’m sure we’ll have a blast!
Courses you have not heard of but are fun to play in Scotland or Ireland!
Everyone wants to play golf in Scotland and Ireland. Fact. Maybe this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, or perhaps an annual pilgrimage. The bucket lists will be overflowing with your old courses, whether that’s at Portmarnock or St. Andrews! The Open Championship courses will roll off your tongue, including Portrush, back on the rota, and rightly so. There will even be the must-plays that very few can play, unless well connected, financially sound, or both.
I can understand why the usual suspects are always on the golf itinerary. And, by writing this, I don’t want to question their appeal, or their quality. But my argument lies in that in this day and age of travel and tourism, it is all about going off the beaten track, exploring, living a little, and not conforming. Some may argue my selections aren’t off the beaten track enough, but they’re there to debate!
It is with a great deal of smugness that I present to you 10 golf courses (11 if you include two at Moray) I have experienced — five in each country — where you can be assured of as Scottish and Irish golf experience as you richly deserve.
Courses you have not heard of but are fun to play in Scotland or Ireland!
Carne Golf Links was the last links course designed by architect Eddie Hackett.
Protruding deep into the Atlantic on the west of Ireland is Carne Golf Links. The village of Belmullet lies almost exactly 3,000 miles from New York City, and Carne idly inhabits an area that is low on population, but highly populated with dunes. Sand dunes of the highest order! Now offering 27 holes, you will think you are driving to New York, but just before tipping off the edge of Europe, the dunes come into view. They are something to behold.
There is the possibility that Castlegregory will be expanded one day, but for now it remains a 9-hole gem.
Traveling farther down the West Coast and driving beyond the practice greens of Ballybunion, Lahinch and Tralee is Castlegregory on the Dingle Peninsula. Surely I am not recommending a 9-holer? I will grant you access to one of the usual suspects in the morning, but following a couple pints of Guinness while watching the boats bob up and down off the Inch Peninsula, it seems appealing to play nine more, doesn’t it? Castlegregory gifts dramatic views across to Tralee, the steep-sided Mount Brandon as a backdrop and a challenge that simply not enough people know about. But, that’s its charm.
Courses you have not heard of but are fun to play in Scotland or Ireland!
The Wild Atlantic Way, the world’s longest defined coastal route, should send you in the direction of the Ring of Kerry. A beautiful stretch of road and home to Waterville and Dooks, but perhaps controversially we will head cross-country to County Wicklow on the Irish Sea.
The European Club is one of the longest links at 7,377-yards from the tips.
Pat Ruddy designed The European Club. In fact, he is still designing the European Club. Heading out with his spray can, he will mark where bunkers need to be tweaked and changed before heading in again to talk to his golfers about Tiger’s course-record 67, how Padraig Harrington has his three majors thanks to the European and how Rory thinks it’s the best links he’s ever played. Oh yes, I forgot, you get 20 holes for your money and the world’s longest green.
Druids Glen hosted the Irish Open from 1996 to 1999.
Not too far away and inland is Druids Glen. Sometimes referred to by the over-used phrase of the “Augusta of Europe,” they may be right. This is as close as I have come to what I imagine Augusta to be like. Spectacularly manicured, fascinatingly interesting, wonderfully unexpected and a lot of fun. Monty has won twice at Druids, while Sergio won his first tour event here. It goes to show it’s not just about how pretty the golf course looks; it’s tricky, too.
At the end of the 19th century, golf was steadily becoming more popular with the elite of the day. The Island Golf Club north of Dublin was originally a spur of land opposite Malahide. One fine day, a Syndicate of gents jumped in a boat and acquired the slice of land for their golf course. You could still get a boat to the course until 1973, with the clubhouse putting up colored disks to draw the attention of the boatman. Once on dry land, the dunes loom. It’s hard to tell just how big they are when you’re in Malahide, but after 18 holes and a couple pints of Guinness, trust me, they’re massive.
Hidden gems is a phrase too often used. Because a lot of the time, how you feel about a course is dependent on how you play and what type of courses you prefer to play. My challenge in Scotland is to demonstrate that no matter how low or high your handicap, or how close to it you play, you will still walk away appreciating what has just happened. This must be the reason we play? Personally, if I play poorly then I appreciate the view. If I play well I appreciate the scorecard, not forgetting the view. In Scotland, we will start by sauntering down the Edinburgh coast.
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 have always loved Scottish and Irish golf. Why? Because it is completely different from anything, I have experienced before. The look, feel, and ambiance makes you feel like you truly are on vacation. Far away from “normality.” Tim Gavrich of GolfVacationInsider.com brings us 4 golf courses in the USA that will give you that unique feeling. Not the “same old, same old.” Pack your bags and head off for a different kind of golf vacation!
It’s human nature to travel somewhere, experience a place, and come away with certain generalizations in mind. Oftentimes, those generalizations have at least a good amount of truth underpinning them.
But in the end, generalizations are there to be broken. So it is with golf courses. The world’s major golf destinations tend to have certain stereotypes that their respective golf courses tend to adhere to. But sometimes, the most exciting courses are the ones that break the mold. And when you encounter these courses, they can turn your latest golf vacation from merely enjoyable to utterly memorable.
Florida – Streamsong!
Streamsong
The golf stereotype: Modern, flat courses, lots of water hazards and ever-present out-of-bounds stakes with houses and condos everywhere Stereotype-breaking courses: It’s well-documented by now, but the most un-Florida spot for golf in Florida is Streamsong, with its Red and Blue (and Black coming next year) layouts. No housing as far as the eye can see (just the distinctive clubhouse and hotel), and wide hole corridors that bob and weave between massive sand dunes left by parent company Mosaic’s past mining activities.
Another un-Florida Florida golf spot is Lake Jovita, about 45 minutes northeast of Tampa. It is home to a hole – the par-5 11th on the South Course – that drops 90 feet from tee to green, more than any other hole in the Sunshine State. There are houses on the property, but they do not crowd play on Lake Jovita’s two lovely courses (stay tuned for more on this lesser-known spot in the coming weeks). Water comes into play a little bit, but it’s not everywhere.
Along similar lines as Lake Jovita is Mission Inn, whose two courses traverse the hills northwest of Orlando. Mission Inn’s first course was built almost a century ago, and provides a nice classic look for golfers who note that the vast majority of Florida’s public and resort golf is on the newer side.
Washington – Gamble Sands.
Gamble Sands.
The golf stereotype: Tight, soft courses whose holes are walled in by massive trees. Stereotype-breaking courses: Chambers Bay, the first course in Washington State to host the U.S. Open, is the ultimate stereotype-buster, especially relative to claustrophobic, tree-lined Sahalee, the former most famous course in the state before Chambers, by Robert Trent Jones II and Jay Blasi, came along.
About 4 1/2 hours south and east for Chambers Bay is another course that most golfers would never guess is in Washington: Wine Valley, in Walla Walla. This Dan Hixson design resembles something one would expect to see in the Great Plains, rather than the Pacific Northwest, but this part of the state is much drier and more open than the Seattle area.
Another un-Washington layout is David McLay Kidd’s Gamble Sands, in the town of Brewster, overlooking the Columbia River. Kidd designed Bandon Dunes’ original course, and Gamble Sands is very much in that mode: wide open, firm and fast and a whole lot of fun.
To see the other two courses that completely break the mold, go here!
How do we Speed up Play – Here are 25 different ways!
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!
Slow play is a major problem on golf courses in the USA.
When playing over in Scotland, Ireland, and England, golfers play well within the 4 hours suggested. I played at North Berwick a few years ago, and when I went to pay my green fees at the Caddie Masters Shack, I noticed a sign that read, “A round of golf should be played in 3 hours.” So I said to the Caddie Master, “Do all your members play in 3 hours?” “Oh, no sir, that is for the Americans. If we say 3 hours, they’ll at least play in 4!” Here are a few suggestions from Ron Kaspriske of Golf Digest to help speed up your next round of golf and make it more fun for everyone!
One group on the tee and one group waiting to tee off!
This certainly doesn’t apply to you. You’re the fastest golfer you know, right? Right. Anyway, maybe you can still review this list of helpful tips for how to shave time off a round and, perhaps, pass it on to golfers who could really use it. Just a thought.
Review these tips and pass them on to your committee if you think they’ll do any good!
1) Play like you have only three hours to finish the round before the sun sets.
2) Ditch your headcovers. Taking them on and off all day is a serious time suck.
3) Play it forward at least one tee box.
4) Check the time when you tee off and check again every three holes. For some reason, it helps make you play faster.
5) Mixed foursome? Forward-tee players should ride with other forward-tee players. Back tees with back tees.
6) Agreeing to play “ready golf” is essential for a casual round. But you’ll play even faster if you keep putting until your ball is conceded or holed.
7) Only mark a short putt to clean it.
8) Don’t wait for dawdlers. They’ll start playing faster as a result.
9) First golfer on a par 3 gets the yardage and announces it to everyone.
10) First to hit on a par 3 stands at the ready to fill divot holes.
7 Courses that deserve the USGA’s Consideration for upcoming US Opens.
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 following courses currently not scheduled for use by the USGA for US Open venues read like a who’s who of the Golf Course Elite. Even though some of these have hosted previous US Open Championships, they are still waiting for a re-invite. Something like the younger sister waiting for an invite to the prom. She deserves to go, but no one is asking. So which courses not on this list that you think to deserve mention? I can think of a few. National Golf Club (on Long Island), The Dunes Club (Myrtle Beach) and Secession Golf Club in Beaufort, SC. Please add your choices to the comments section below.
When Oakmont and Shinnecock Hills were awarded the 2025 and 2026 U.S. Opens earlier this month, that left the USGA in solid shape for the foreseeable future. With Erin Hills, Shinnecock, Pebble Beach, Winged Foot, Torrey Pines, The Country Club, Los Angeles Country Club and Pinehurst No. 2 on the upcoming list, we wanted to ponder other courses that should get the chance to host the Open.
18th
1. Olympic Club, San Francisco
Is this the best piece of architecture the U.S. Open has ever seen? No, but it requires shot-shaping from a variety of stances, examining every facet of the game. With the fog and cypress trees, the Lake Course exudes a vibe few venues enjoy. As a West Coast venue in one of America’s most economically vibrant markets, it’s also a cash cow for all involved.
The Red Baskets.
2. Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, Pa.
One of America’s iconic venues successfully held the 2013 U.S. Open and while not the easiest place to host a major, the East Course is unlike any other venue because of the neighborhood party vibe that enveloped the last Open. With a few tweaks to the land plan and the same concessions from neighbors that made 2013 successful, Merion would be even more amazing than last time.
18th
3. Oakland Hills C.C., Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
This Donald Ross epic was modified by Robert Trent Jones for the U.S. Open and last hosted in 1996. The bitter aftertaste of Steve Jones’ bizarre win has worn off, and the combination of an overdue return to Michigan along with the club hosting this summer’s U.S. Amateur should help its cause. As will hiring architect Gil Hanse to develop a restoration plan of a Ross course that looks utterly captivating in old photos.
Thanks for reading – 7 Courses that deserve the USGA’s Consideration for upcoming US Opens. If you can think of more, please post in the comments below!
via Mike May.
