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 course etiquette is something every golfer should know, but most don’t! My number one rule on the golf course is consideration! Consideration for the players behind you (play faster), the players in front of you (don’t crowd) and all the players on the course (take care of divots, rake bunkers and don’t throw trash on the course.) Joel Beall of Golf Digest gives you his list of Golf Course Etiquette.
Good golf course etiquette is not hard to follow!
Years ago during a high school rules clinic, one of my fellow juniors asked an instructor what constitutes proper golf courtesy. “If I have to define it, you don’t get it,” the official replied. It’s that type of systemic vagueness that makes golf decorum so maddening.
Until now, that is. Below we tackle the most frequent questions we receive about common courtesy on the course, and how to conduct yourself in such situations.
I’m a beginning golfer paired with a good player. How do I survive the round?
Don’t get overwhelmed. It can be intimidating to be paired with a better player, and possibly amplify insecurities regarding your game. Use this opportunity as a learning experience. Take note of the player’s swing, his technique around the green, pre-shot routine, even something as simple as his demeanor and etiquette. And don’t be afraid to ask questions. Most golfers are happy to pass knowledge to beginners. You do have a responsibility, however, to keep things moving. It’s OK to struggle, but “struggle” and “slow play” don’t have to correlate. Four over par should be the max score on any hole; once you reach the limit, pick up. Moreover, don’t let your labors drain your attitude or outlook. Golfers can deal with newbies. They have no tolerance for ********.
I’m paired with a beginning golfer who is really struggling. How do I survive the round?
Compassion is key. That slow, flailing greenhorn was once you. Without belittling, let them know it’s OK to be liberal with the rules by improving lies, placing their penalty shots on the other side of the hazard and conceding less-than-automatic putts. Unless they ask, avoid giving tips and advice; they’re already overwhelmed, and don’t need more thoughts running through their head (more on this in a moment). Do feel free to pass on general etiquette or rules, however, and try to keep things light so they enjoy themselves. And if it’s really bad? Perhaps call it a day at the turn and hit the range instead.
How do I tell someone to pick up the pace?
When informing a partner to get their butt moving, avoid a singular accusation. Instead, use “we” as in, “Looks like we better get going, think we’re holding groups up.” If it’s a family member or friend, feel free to be more direct. Even in this circumstance, don’t deliver the “speed it up” edict in emotional or confrontational terms. It will only exacerbate the situation.
When am I supposed to let groups play through?
For whatever reason, most golfers view letting others ahead as a shot to their manhood. Which is absurd: If you’re in a foursome, it stands to reason that you’ll play slower than the single or twosome behind you. If there are no groups immediately in front of you and you’re holding up individuals or a pairing, give them the greenlight with a wave, then proceed to move to the side of the hole. If this happens more than once in a round — especially if the groups behind are multiple players — take it as a hint that you need to pick up the pace.
The most iconic and hallowed places in golf to visit in your lifetime!
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!
According to this list of iconic landmarks, I still have 3 places to visit to complete my golfing life. I have never been to Oakmont, Beth Page Black, or visited Merion. I hope to complete these in the future. But Joel Beall of Golf Digest has put together a “who’s who of golf landmarks” and strongly encourages us to make it our quest to see all 13. Does anybody want to invite me to Oakmont? Anyway, it would just be fun to be in all these wonderful places. I would like to point out that the famous “Cypress Tree” in Pebble Beach is an Australian Pine. Sorry, America.
The Barclays visits Bethpage Black this week, a course so brutal that a first-tee marquee infamously warns players on the impending difficulty. The sign has become as popular as the course itself, with many a golfer stopping to snap a photo of the post. Which got us thinking: What are the most famous landmarks in golf?
1. Amen Corner, Augusta National Golf Club.
12th at Augusta.
An area so sacred that it has multiple landmarks — Rae’s Creek, the Hogan and Nelson Bridges — within its confines.
2. Swilcan Bridge, Old Course at St. Andrews.
The Swilcan Bridge.
Astonishing not only because the game’s greats pass over the stones at St. Andrews’ 18th, but the links’ public nature gives the common man a chance to walk through history as well.
3. Putter Boy, Pinehurst No. 2.
Putter Boy
Originally known as “Sundial Boy” until the 1970s, the statue was briefly located in the World Golf Hall of Fame. However, it returned to the Pinehurst clubhouse in 1990, residing once more by the Pinehurst putting green.
Get to know the real Jimmy Walker – 14 interesting facts!
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!
Jimmy Walker is an interesting man, but very few people can tell you much about him other than the fact that he is a 5-time winner on the PGA Tour and has a propensity for playing well from the front! And now he is also a Major Championship winner! But there are many more interesting facts about Jimmy Walker – as Joel Beall of Golf Digest points out. 14 of them!
1. He was a LONG shot to win the 2016 PGA Championship.
As of July 25, the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook had Walker at 125-1 odds. And for a good reason: Walker had missed the cuts at the last two majors, and his last top 10 came in March.
PGA Championship Fist Pump!
2. He played collegiate golf at Baylor.
Walker was an All-Big 12 performer in Waco and never missed a tournament with the Bears. He graduated in 2001.
Baylor Campus.
3. Before Baltusrol, his biggest golf thrill was playing in the 2001 US Open.
That year’s event at Southern Hills was his first tournament as a professional. Although we are guessing winning the Wanamaker has usurped this memory as his favorite moment.
Southern Hills
4. He met his wife at a Nationwide Tour event.
Erin Stiegemeier was a volunteer at a 2004 tournament, and as Walker said, “the rest is history.” They have two children.
The family!
5. He was the 2004 Nationwide Player of the Year.
Walker grabbed this honor, as well as topping the tour’s money list, thanks to wins at the BellSouth Panama Championship and Chitimacha Louisiana Open.
Check out the Best 15 PGA Championship Venues 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!
The PGA Championship does not have a rota of courses where the Championship is played like the British Open or the US Open. But some perennial favorites tend to host this tournament over and over again. Joel Beall of Golf Digest has done a good job of choosing the Top 15 courses used for this prestigious Championship.
No. 15: Trump Bedminster
This ranking is not reflective of its layout, championship merit (set to host the 2017 Women’s Open and the 2022 PGA Championship) or its controversial owner. Rather, it’s correlated to its age or lack thereof. Opened in 2004, Bedminster remains a relative unknown to the scene. However, the early reviews have been positive. Don’t be surprised if it quickly becomes a favorite.
No. 14: Bellerive
You would think a venue hosting the 100th PGA Championship would be a tradition-laden course. Not quite. Although opened in 1897, the Missouri club has seen just two major championships (1965 US Open, 1992 PGA Championship). A Robert Trent Jones design, Bellerive is renowned for its condition, which should make for an aesthetically pleasing watch for the 2018 PGA Championship TV audience.
No. 13: Quail Hollow
A George Cobb creation — who designed the par-3 course at Augusta National — Quail Hollow will host the 2017 PGA Championship and the 2021 Presidents Cup. The course has produced its share of strong winners at its Wells Fargo Championship, including Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Vijay Singh and Rickie Fowler.
No. 12: TPC Harding Park
A scenic piece of land in San Francisco, TPC Harding Park is more known as the stomping grounds for a young Johnny Miller and Ken Venturi rather than its championship pedigree. Harding Park has hosted a Presidents Cup and recently acquired a spot in the WGC-Match Play rotation. It’s not the hardest of tests, but overall, the course gets a thumbs-up from its competitors.
No. 11: Hazeltine National
Two common complaints arose in our sample for the Chaska, Minn., course: 1. A lack of memorable holes 2. The winners. The latter is no fault of the club. Conversely, having Rich Beem and Y.E. Yang as its past two PGA Championship victors is not doing the place any favor
Things you may not know about Henrik “The Ice Man” Stenson.
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!
His nickname is not “The Ice Man” for nothing! On Sunday afternoon, he lived up to that reputation as he methodically took Royal Troon apart and finally brought the course to its knees! After a sly smile at Phil Mickelson early in the round as Phil almost holed out from off the green, he was all business and knew he had a hard task ahead. He became a golfing machine and put on a ball-striking display never before seen in a Major Championship! Thanks to Joel Beall of Golf Digest for bringing us information on Henrik we otherwise would not have known!
1. His Sunday round at Troon tied major championship records
Stenson carded 10 birdies and two bogeys for an eight-under 63, becoming the 27th player to post that figure in a major, and just the second to shoot 63 on the final day to win a major. His four-day 20-under total tied Jason Day’s 2015 mark at Whistling Straits for the lowest major score.
2. He lost $7 million in a Ponzi scheme
The scam’s mastermind, Allen Stanford, was later convicted of fraud and sentenced to 110 years in prison.
3. His wife, Emma, was a college golfer
Emma Lofgren was a member of the University of South Carolina’s women’s team. Stenson worked out with the USC men’s golf team thanks to his relationship with coach Puggy Blackmon, and the two became close. Like Henrik, Emma hails from Sweden.
4. He didn’t start playing golf until age 12
He became hooked when a friend took him to the driving range. His love for hitting balls earned him the nickname “En Till Hink” (One More Bucket). By 18 years old, he was a scratch golfer.
5. He will represent Sweden in the 2016 Olympics
Better yet, in response to many of golf’s top stars dropping out of the Rio games due to Zika, Stenson remarked, “I’m not afraid of mosquitoes. I’m more afraid of bears.”
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!
Nothing worries me more on a trip than my golf clubs not arriving at my final destination.
As a professional golfer, these clubs are made specifically for me, and I feel totally comfortable with them in my hands, particularly my putter. So when I bid farewell to my clubs at the ticket counter when I check-in, I hope this is not the last time I will see them. This did happen to me twice. Once coming home (which is not as bad), I once went over to Ireland and had to rent clubs at every course. What a bummer! Joel Beall of Golf Digest gives us 12 more things golfers fear most before they head out onto the links!
Nothing in life is to be feared,” said physicist Marie Curie. “It is only to be understood.” Far be it from me to argue with a two-time Nobel Prize winner, but clearly Curie never played golf.
Because there’s nothing to be “understood” about standing on a tee box, overlooking a scenic fusion of nature and thinking, “Crap, I hope I don’t put this in the drink.” Or having your knees shake over a 20-foot birdie putt, not that you’re worried about making it but that, deep down, you’re afraid it will end in a three-jack. (Spoiler: You’ll three-jack.)
Golf is filled with these agitations, likely one of the reasons why “Golf is a good walk spoiled” is less of a remark and more of a truth. And many of the game’s terro rs are universal. Here are a golfer’s 13 worst fears:
1. Throwing your back out on the eve of an annual golf trip
On the bright side, nothing is better for a bad back than sitting in a plane or car seat for multiple hours, dragging a set of luggage behind you and playing 90 holes over a three-day period.
2. Playing behind the community center’s 65-and-over league
Or worse, on the day they decide to hold their annual “Left-handed Club Wiffle Ball” tournament.
3. The Shanks
Forget the heart-rending sight of your ball violently rocketing from its resting place at a 45-degree angle. The shanks are terrifying because of the aftershock: After you’ve had one lateral run-in, an inescapable anxiety sets in that said shank will return, turning every iron and wedge shot into a panic attack. Good times!
4. The airlines losing your sticks
Imagine a babysitter losing a kid. Now multiply that by 14, and that’s the despair that sets in when your clubs fail to emerge from baggage claim. (Note: I do not have kids.)
5. All those Shingo Katayama hats you bought will never come back in style.
Take the test to find out if you are a Golf Junkie or not!
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 is the ultimate test to find out if you are a golf junkie! Joel Beall of Golf Digest presents you with 35 easy-to-answer questions. Get more than a 50% grade, and you are standing on the precipice. Get more than 75%, and you are a golf enthusiast. But get 100%, and you are a certified, card-carrying golf junkie. Welcome to the club!
If you’re reading GolfDigest.com, you likely have some interest in the sport. But to many of us, golf is more than a game. It’s our religion, a theology that requires utmost attention. Our leisure periods are devoted to hitting the links; when we’re on the clock, we’re rehashing our rounds or counting the hours until we return. We occasionally curse its name, but will defend it to the death to any that besmirch it. In short, golf is our addiction.
Not sure if you fall under this umbrella? Here are 35 signs that you’re obsessed with golf:
Businessman using an umbrella as a golf club
1. You use an umbrella to work on your takeaway
Be sure not to click the automatic button when bringing it back.
2. When buying a carpet, you don’t care about color or material, only “Can I putt on it?”
Smiling woman customer holding colorful rug before buying in a carpet shop
If the dealer gives you an odd look for bring a Stimpmeter into the store, then clearly they don’t deserve your business.
3. You can’t remember all your fiancé’s friends but can roll-call every Masters champion.
In your defense, “Charles Coody” is an unforgettable name.
4. You have a firm opinion on white belts (or the interlocking grip)
The Golf Digest rule: If your age plus handicap is under 35, you’re in the clear to rock whatever you please.
5. The first week of April is your favorite holiday
If we have to tell you why, then you’re reading the wrong list.
6. You can’t explain Einstein’s theory of relativity but do know the Stableford equation
You might sound like John Nash from “A Beautiful Mind,” but it makes sense to you.
7. Deem only one word an expletive: “Shank.”
Even writing said word makes me shiver.
8. Think Will Smith was robbed of an Oscar in “The Legend of Bagger Vance.”
He at least deserved a nomination!
9. You constantly find yourself thinking, “This would make a great par 3.”
True story: I once found myself contemplating this at a cemetery during a funeral.
10. You have some serious year-round tan lines
You don’t get that type of burn from playing softball, my friend.
Are you a betting man – Here are tempting odds for the US Open.
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!
Joel Beall of Golf Digest has put together an interesting list of sleeper picks and the Under/Over for possible bets for the US Open. I think it will be fun to get a group of buddies together and take a shot at predicting these outcomes. Something to talk about on Monday morning!
OAKMONT, Pa. — We’ve produced our U.S. Open favorites and sleeper picks, but how about a list of side bets and wagers for the degenerate gambler in us all? Using odds from Top Bet Sportsbook, here are the 10 best props, wagers and odds for the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club:
What will the winner make on the first hole on Sunday? Par or better (-105), Bogey or worse (-130)
The 482-yard par 4 is one of the most challenging opening holes in the game. At the 2007 U.S. Open, the field averaged a 4.515 score on Oakmont’s first, the third-highest mark on the course behind the 18th and 10th holes. Figures like that would seem to indicate bogey is the prefered route.
However, there were more pars and birdies (230) than bogeys and higher (207) in 2007. Moreover, Angel Cabrera, the winner that year, recorded a par in his victory march, which is why we are going par or better for this bet.
Winning Nationality: American (-115), European (+220), Rest of the World (+275)
For those scoring at home, that “rest of the world” umbrella covers tournament favorite Jason Day (7-1), as well as Adam Scott (30-1), Hideki Matsuyama (30-1, and a guy a lot of people like this week) and Louis Oosthuizen (50-1). If you’re booking with Day or the aforementioned trio, include this prop as a parlay.
Will Jordan Spieth finish in the top 5? Yes (+125), No (-200)
Well, here are his last five finishes in majors: 1st, 1st, T-4th, 2nd, T-2nd. It’s an absurd streak, one that doesn’t seem sustainable…but I’m sure as hell not going against the Golden Child.
Will there be a hole-in-one? Yes (+240), No (-320)
There’s a 300-yard par 3, basically rendering the field to just three opportunities, and the last par 3 is a 231-yard bear. Wet weather on Thursday and Friday will give players a fighter’s chance, but Oakmont and the USGA have too much pride in this layout to bestow an ace. Circle “no.”
Winning margin: 1 stroke (+250), 2 strokes (+375), 3 strokes (+475), 4 strokes or more (+300), Playoff (+260)
Jason Day said Oakmont’s set-up could lead to a runaway victor. Far be it from me to question 1) The world’s best player and 2) An Aussie. Four strokes or more is our pick.
Will Rickie Fowler finish in the top 10? Yes (+220), No (-300)
Fowler’s 2014 campaign, one in which he finished in the top five in every major, seems long ago. Fowler’s best performance last season was a T-12 at Augusta. Worse, Fowler is not bringing his “A” game into Oakmont, missing the cut at the Masters, Players Championship and Memorial.
Fowler thrives on longer courses, but Oakmont is one of the few major venues that doesn’t cater to bombers. Add it up and the answer is “no” for Fowler this week.
What is “Strokes Gained” and how can it help your game!
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!
“Strokes Gained” is a fairly new way of looking at stats for your golf game. If you want to understand more (as I did), read Mark Brodie’s book Every Shot Counts. A good read if you like stats. Joel Beall of Golf Digest Stix does a great job of explaining the intricacies of this method. If you use an app to keep stats, they will usually do it the old-fashioned way Fairways hit, Greens in regulation and putts. If you want to use Strokes Gained in your game to see where your real weaknesses lie, use something like Game Golf to track your stats. Game Golf helps you know exactly how far you hit each club in your bag, gives you GPS data while playing, and gives you real-time data on all parts of your game.
Mark Brodie, author of Every Shot Counts!
Why the PGA Tour’s New Stats Matter
When it came to statistics, golf has been a historically simple study. You had a player’s scoring average, his earnings, maybe driving distance . . . and that was about it. However, the past 20 years have ushered a more analytical, diagnostic view to athletics. And though golf might have been slower to this revolution than baseball or basketball, it now ranks as one of the most number-driven entities in sports.
The PGA Tour is continuing its data-friendly approach with Wednesday’s announcement that one of the game’s most important statistics is expanding its reach. “Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green” measures a player’s non-putting performance to the rest of the field. The number is based off the ground-breaking “Strokes Gained: Putting” category, which accounts for proficiency from various distances and computes the difference between a player’s performance on every green against his competition.
Now, the Tee-to-Green number will be broken up into three separate elements: Off-the-Tee, Approach-the-Green and Around-the-Green. “This completes our holistic view of play under the Strokes Gained umbrella,” said Steve Evans, PGA Tour senior vice president, information systems. This is how the tour will define each component.
Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee
Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee includes all tee shots on par 4s and par 5s. For event and season-level statistics, a player gains or loses strokes off the tee. Add these together and divide by the number of rounds played to determine his average strokes gained per round versus the field.
How good are you on golf course etiquette – Find out here!
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 nothing more annoying on a golf course for me than someone not knowing basic golf course etiquette. Arriving late for a tee time, not being ready to play when it is your turn, not being aware of where you are standing when someone else is trying to play their shot, and taking too long to look for your ball. These are just 4, but Joel Beall of Golf Digest has a total of 14 that you need to know before you head to the first tee. Be a pleasure to play with. Know the rules!
Golf prides itself as a “gentleman’s game.” En the masse, golfers take this mantra to heart, adhering not only to the rules, but towards standard etiquette on the golf course and to their fellow hackers. Unfortunately, due to bad habits or general ignorance, there remains a multitude of breaches of etiquette. We’re all guilty of some fallacy; it’s simply a matter of understanding proper procedures. Here are the 14 manners of golf etiquette that are commonly violated.
1. Showing up less than 15 minutes before your tee time.
Working at a golf course for years, I know this drives the starter and those in the shop nuts. It potentially puts the rest of the tee sheet in danger of delay. The 15-minute period is actually generous; most courses would prefer golfers be on the course 30 minutes before balls are in the air.
2. Putting with too many balls on the practice green.
If you’re by yourself, feel free to go nuts. If the area is crowded, no more than two practice balls, or else you’re hogging real estate.
3. Failing to pick up the flagstick.
Ever have that awkward moment where you’re the last to finish, and as you head to the next tee box, you realize the pin remains on the ground, forcing a walk of shame back to the green? Luckily, it wasn’t your fault. If you’re the first to finish out, you should immediately grab the pin.
Cart-path only? Carry more than one club to your shot.
Having to run back to find the right stick will slow things up.
