The flagstick

The flagstick can be a bothersome thing. But it’s a very important part of the game to know something about – especially if you’re the one in charge of it.

Obviously, the flagstick marks the location of the hole. It’s our visual target when approaching the green. Sometimes the bunting on the flagstick is color-coded (i.e. red, white or blue) to give you an even better indication of where the hole is located on the green.

“The Rules of Golf,” has one whole rule (Rule 17) about the flagstick. Rule 17-3 says this:

“The player’s ball must not strike:

a. The flagstick when it is being attended, removed or held up;

b. The person attending or holding up the flagstick; or

c. The flagstick in the hole, unattended, when the stroke has been made on the putting green.”

Penalty in stroke play: two strokes   (This is the reason why we have the flagstick attended or removed!!)

If you authorize someone to attend the flagstick for you, you are trusting that they will remove the flagstick promptly and set it out of the way as well as get themselves out of the way of your putt. Many times it’s more comfortable to have the flagstick removed and set aside.

If your ball is off the green, you essentially have four choices  regarding the flagstick: 1) you can leave it in; 2)  you can have it attended, 3) you can have it taken out; or 4) you can have it held up. If your ball hits the flagstick, there is no penalty.

Once your ball is on the green, the choices become only three: 1) have it attended, 2) have it held up;  or 3) have it taken out. If  your ball hits the flagstick in this scenario, you will incur the penalty.

Pace of play can be a real issue on the putting green, especially when there are players in the group who are uncertain about etiquette around the green. In order to keep play moving, take the initiative in regard to the flagstick if your ball is one of the closest to the hole. Mark your ball and ask if anyone would like you to attend the flagstick. If so, grab the bunting, hold it against the pole and stand off to one side with your arm extended. Be sure you’re not standing on someone’s putting line and check to see that your shadow isn’t covering the hole. Stand quietly and then remove the flagstick as soon as the putt has been made. Take the flagstick a safe distance away from the putting action and place it (don’t drop it) on the green or the fringe of the green. Conversely, if you are the first one to finish putting, take the initiative to pick up and replace the flagstick in the hole.

Flagstick “best practices” will become routine with just a little practice and forethought.

Barb Hanson

What is it about keeping score that freaks us out?  Is it the absolute truth of a number?  Is it the fear of taking a lot of strokes and then having to account for them?  Is it the fact that we aren’t as good as we think we are?  Whatever it is, don’t let yourself ignore your golf score too long.

As you are learning how to play golf, keeping score is rather pointless. You’ve already got a lot on your mind in just getting the ball from tee to green.  You’re thinking about swing mechanics, direction, distance, etc. etc.  However, as you begin to play more regularly and settle into a familiarity with the game, you should begin to keep score – ACCURATELY.

Keeping an accurate score presupposes a basic knowledge of the rules, so that you know how to count your strokes – especially in times of trouble.  It also presupposes personal honesty in your accounting.   It means counting whiffs, missed putts, poor drives, & lost balls.  It means that you honestly face that double-figure number and actually write it down.  It also presupposes an understanding that “par” is an excellent score and something special to be achieved; it should not be a regular expectation.

If you don’t keep an accurate score, who are you fooling?  Nobody but yourself, of course.  You aren’t giving yourself enough chance to improve if you start from the wrong place.  You can’t accurately represent your game if you don’t know what you actually shot.

I often hear people say that they don’t want to keep score; they just want to be with friends, engage in an outdoor activity and have fun.   There’s nothing wrong with these reasons for playing golf.  And I have no problem with people who exclusively play recreational golf.  However, there’s also a lot of fun and satisfaction in noting personal improvement from time to time, in engaging in some simple competitions and in working to take your game to the next level.

According to Morgan Pressel, another player on the LPGA tour, “Anytime you have a player like…Yani, it raises the bar for everyone else. We need to step up our games.” So how does anyone else win when Yani is in the field? What beats Yani?

Yani’s swing coach, Gary Gilchrist, answers that question with this statement: “Only Yani can beat Yani.” She obviously has all kinds of talent and determination; it’s only when she lets down within herself that she becomes vulnerable.

You and I aren’t at the level of a Yani or a Morgan or any other LPGA player, but I got to thinking about Gilchrist’s statement. When I’m in competition, lowly as it may be, what beats me? What beats you? It may be that we beat ourselves. And we beat ourselves by what’s going on between our ears.

Let me suggest some things that can be added to our mental toolboxes, things we can draw on the next time we’re in a competitive situation:

• Store up images of successful shots you’ve made in the past
• Keep a positive attitude; turn a bad break into an opportunity
• Have realistic expectations; set goals that fit your ability and experience
• Practice patience; the game lasts for 18 holes and anything can happen at any time
• Stay focused; ignore distractions and focus on the shot at hand
• Control only what you can – that is, YOU!

It’s been said that golf is 90% mental and 10% mental. Not far from the truth. Keep working to improve your skills, but practice mind control as well.

You can read more about Yani Tseng and her remarkable rise to the top in the Ladies Links Fore Golf Magazine.

**Quotes and factual material were taken from USA TODAY – March 29, 2012.

I read an article in “Golf Digest” (March 2012) written by a woman who went undercover to buy golf equipment. She is, in fact, an expert on the subject but wanted to see how she would be treated at a number of different large retail stores. She found her experiences to be frustrating, confusing and generally unacceptable.  “The most striking offense … was their reluctance to even broach the subject of a proper fitting.”

The right equipment is crucial to improvement. The only way to know that the equipment you’re buying is right for you is to be fitted. Even if it costs an extra $50 or $75, it is well worth the money to make sure you get the right product. How many women do you know who are using equipment that somebody else bought for them? Or equipment that has been handed down to them? That’s okay when you’re just getting started, but once you’ve decided that you like golf and want to get better, the only way to buy equipment is to try a number of different products, get several opinions, and be fitted.

Fittings and opportunities to test clubs are available at most reputable golf stores as well as through teaching pros, club pros and independent club makers. Golf clubs are an investment. A good set of clubs that truly fit your game should last for years. Don’t make a hasty decision!

Barb Hanson

If a player hits the ball into the hole from off the green and the ball is lodged next to the flagstick but not touching the bottom of the hole, is it considered to be “holed?”

In this case, we have to look at the definition of “holed” in the Rules of Golf.

A ball is “holed” when it is at rest within the circumference of the hole and all of it is below the level of the lip of the hole.

So, if the ball meets these requirements, it is deemed to be holed.

Now, take a look at Rule 17-4:

17-4. Ball Resting Against Flagstick

“When a player’s ball rests against the flagstick in the hole and the ball is not holed, the player or another person authorized by him may move or remove the flagstick, and if the ball falls into the hole, the player is deemed to have holed out with his last stroke; otherwise, the ball, if moved, must be placed on the lip of the hole, without penalty.”

This may seem like it is in opposition to the previous definition, but if the ball is not “holed,” it apparently hasn’t dropped beneath the level of the lip of the hole. Whoever removes the flagstick will have to do so very carefully to make sure the ball falls into the hole.

Marking your ball

Two people were hitting their second shots from a valley to an elevated green. They both hit great shots but couldn’t see the results. They found one of the balls in the hole. Luckily it had the player’s personal identification mark on it, because it turned out they were both using the exact same ball.

I’ve heard players say that they really don’t want to deface their ball by putting an identification mark on it. Obviously they haven’t yet been in the situation in which they can’t absolutely identify their own ball and the outcome is affected.

This situation also illustrates why it’s a good idea to announce to your playing partners the type of ball you’re using before you tee off.  You might be heading off a potentially costly mistake.

Barb Hanson

The most important skill in golf is…….keeping pace of play. I’ve been asked many times when a new golfer should play golf for the first time. And I always answer, “When (s)he can keep pace of play.”

For a beginning golfer, keeping pace is just one more thing to think about, and it can be very disconcerting to feel like you’re slowing things down.

Here are a few suggestions for keeping up – as a beginner.

1) Announce to your foursome that you are a new golfer, but that you will keep up.

2) Use one or more of these strategies to help you keep pace and announce this to the group as well:

• Shorten up the course by teeing off at the 100-yd. or 150-yd. marker.
• Give yourself a maximum number of fairway strokes, i.e. 5 or 6; then pick up, go to the green and join in on the putting.
• Walk! By walking, you’re only concerned with your own ball, not that of your cart mate. Walk and hit. Walk and hit.
• If you must use a motorized cart, walk as much as you can. Returning to the cart after every shot is very time-consuming.
• Play “ready golf.” Hit when you’re ready (and when it’s safe) even if it isn’t technically your turn.
• Use continuous putting; once you begin putting, continue to putt until you’ve holed out unless you’re interfering with someone else’s putt.

By utilizing one or more of these strategies, a new golfer can eliminate one of the sources of nerves when (s)he hits the links.

Barb Hanson

I just attended the 2012 PGA Show in Orlando, Florida. I have never heard so much talk about getting women into the game of golf. The PGA launched a “grow-the-game” initiative (called Golf 2.0) that has three objectives: “1) to retain and strengthen the core;(i.e. those who already play the game)  2) to engage the ‘lapsed golfer;’ and 3) to drive new players.” Maybe you see yourself in one of these three categories.

So why aren’t more women playing golf?

The PGA of America has retained Donna Orender, former WNBA President, as a consultant to lead the charge for women and girls. She says, “Women want to play the game, but they also want and need an invitation to play. They want to feel welcome.”

I would take that one step further and say that women want a golf experience that provides fun, camaraderie and some measure of personal satisfaction.

According to PGA of America President, Allan Wronowski, “We need to make golf more welcoming and more relevant to all.” Thus, the PGA of America is exploring many ways to “speak female.” Watch for upcoming events and changes at your golf course that will be offered to make women feel welcome.

A Business Golf Event

The woman who plays golf for business is utilizing one of the best business tools there is. She sets herself apart from the competition by capturing quality time with a client or prospective client. This is a true story….

Indoor/outdoor golf lesson

In Minnesota, it’s the “off-season.” I guess there’s an off-season for most of us at some time or another, a time when we put the clubs aside and focus on other activities.  But for some of us, the off-season is way too long.When the restlessness begins to set in, we start planning a golf get-away, or we hunker down in front of the TV to watch a golf tournament, or we bring out the putter and start practicing on the carpet.

This is all well and good, but there are some other ways you can keep your spirits up and actually prepare yourself for the upcoming season.

• Engage in a golf-specific fitness program. Strengthening your core is one of the best things you can do for your swing. Balance and endurance exercises are also very good.
• Clean and renew your equipment. Maybe this is a good time to find that specific club you’ve been looking for. Maybe you need new grips or a new bag or new spikes in your shoes.
• Take a lesson or two. There are indoor facilities everywhere and pros who will be happy to help you. The off-season is a great time to make a swing change.
• Set some goals for yourself. Make them realistic and achievable. Then use them as motivation for exercising.

Have a great off-season!