August 19th, 2009 by Barb Hanson
Barb Hanson
It happened again. I played a new course that boasted “a tee for every game,” but there was no tee for me. This seems to be happening a lot especially with newer courses. There’s a forward tee somewhere between 4800 and 5000 yards. Then the tees lengthen to 5900 or 6000 yards followed by 6200, 6400, 6600 and maybe a championship tee close to 7000 yards.
I’m a 10-handicap who would like more length than 5000 yards. Something between 5400 and 5700 would be nice. But several times this summer I’ve had to “design my own course” in order to play a course that I find enjoyable.
I feel like the golf course architects are skipping a whole segment of golfers when they set up tees as described above. If men get a choice of 4 or 5 different lengths, shouldn’t women get at least 2 choices?
Posted in Course Management | 2 Comments | Add a Comment »
August 6th, 2009 by Barb Hanson
Today I assessed myself a 2-stroke penalty for knocking down a leaf on my practice swing. When I got home I found this in the USGA Decisions book:
13-2/22 Knocking Down Leaves with Practice Swing
Q: A player’s ball lies near a tree or bush. The player takes a practice swing near his ball and knocks down leaves in the area of his intended swing. Is this a breach of Rule 13-2?
(FYI: This is the rule that says you must not improve or allow to be improved the position or lie of the ball the area of your intended stance or swing, your line of play or the area in which you are to drop or place a ball by “moving , bending or breaking anything growing or fixed…”)
A: The answer depends on whether the area of the intended swing is improved. In some cases, the knocking down of a number of leaves would not improve the area of the intended swing as the player still has to swing through a number of remaining leaves when making his stroke. In such circumstances, there would be no breach of the Rules. In other cases, the knocking down of one leaf might improve the area of the intended swing, in which case there would be a breach of Rule 13-2.
In my case, I now believe that I shouldn’t have taken the penalty, because the leaf that fell made absolutely no difference to the area of my intended swing. I’m sure glad to know this for future reference!!
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August 1st, 2009 by Barb Hanson
I have been corrected on the details of the Annika story by my good friend and colleague, Debbie Waitkus. Here’s what she said:
“Barb – great newsletter! Need to correct you on your Annika story as it’s a huge bone of contention with a close friend of mine that was the Solheim Co-Captain for the “other” team (Europeans) when that happened.
“Here’s what went down. Play was called due to inclement weather. The women all marked their balls and came back the next day. Upon their return, they replaced their balls and stood around looking at each other for who should go first. Finally, Annika decided to go first. No one stopped her and said that someone else was away. They’d had all night to make that determination. (This is the source of the bad feelings.) Yep, Annika holed her chip shot. It was then that the Americans asked her to re-hit. She did not hit it in the next time. The Europeans ladies were upset since the Americans could have stepped up and just hit after having had the entire night to figure out who was away or they could have just let her have the shot. In the Europeans’ eyes, it was poor sportsmanship. According to my friend, it was the turning point which fueled the Europeans to win. There are such things as golf gods…”
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July 31st, 2009 by Barb Hanson
I love match play. It promotes a little different mindset and some unique strategies. You never know what’s going to happen, and that’s what makes it exciting.
In match play, you’re playing against one person to win a hole. It doesn’t matter what your score is as long as it’s lower than the other person’s. So you’re always watching their shots and looking for opportunities to play at least one stroke better.
In match play you can legally “give” putts.
In match play the person whose ball is farthest away from the hole must play first. Do you remember that infamous match when Annika was just off the green and chipped in, and her opponent contended that Annika’s ball was closer than hers? In fact it was, and Annika had to replay the shot. She chipped in again!
In match play you must decide on the outcome of a hole before proceeding to the next.
In match play a penalty is often loss of hole rather than two strokes.
If you currently don’t have the opportunity to compete in a match play format, try setting up a season-long match play tournament at your club. Your golfing buddies will love it.
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July 27th, 2009 by Barb Hanson
Breaking 100 is a big deal! It represents a whole new level of play. Once you’ve crossed that barrier, you find yourself
looking for more scores in the 90’s. Once you’ve made 90-something, you know you can do it, and you want to do it again. You set your goals and expectations to a new level.
Breaking any barrier is the result of several things: practice, regular play and a positive attitude. A friend of mine just emailed and shared with me that she shot 96 last week – a personal best for her. She was so excited, and so am I. Another friend shot 85, her personal low. What fun!
Expect the best. Accept the worst. Look for new barriers to break!
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July 22nd, 2009 by Barb Hanson
Golf (both on and off the course) has traditionally been a man’s domain. Yet, today, more and more women play vital roles in all areas of the golf industry. As one of those women, wouldn’t it be nice to be in constant contact with other women in the golf industry? That’s exactly what WIGI provides for its members.
From Debbie Waitkus, Golf For Cause, Phoenix, AZ:
“My WIGI membership has been invaluable. Numerous times I’ve reached out to members who proved to be willing and reliable resources. Whether it’s been for brainstorming, publishing articles, speaking opportunities, referrals within the industry, or simply camaraderie at industry events, the relationships I’ve created through WIGI are meaningful. I firmly believe that membership in WIGI is a must for every woman who works in the golf industry!”
For more information and a membership application, go to www.wigi.info.
Please join us as part of a nationwide circle of golf industry friendships/contacts/resources!
Posted in Business Golf | 1 Comment | Add a Comment »
June 23rd, 2009 by Barb Hanson
According to Alice Jacobs, an educational psychologist, and Brian Gain, director of the organization called Brain Gain, golf is a “neurodynamic sport.” When you play golf, you engage muscle memory as well as analytical processes, activities which stem from two different areas of the brain.
Neurogenesis is the process of creating new brain cells and happens when the brain is challenged; this process helps stave off memory loss that comes with aging. “Your brain’s burning a lot of energy playing golf,” says Tom Pernice Jr., a PGA Tour player. During a round of golf, you are judging distances and spatial relationships as well as making club selections.
In order to get the greatest benefit for your brain and your well-being, it’s important to focus on having fun rather than striving for perfection. (David Donatucci, fitness director for The PGA of America.)
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June 21st, 2009 by Barb Hanson
There’s no such thing as a “sand trap.” It’s a bunker.
And there’s no such thing as the “ladies tee” or the “men’s tee.” Women often play from the forward tee, but that’s not a requirement. A golfer may play from any tee which suits his/her ability. Some men should play from the forward tees and some women should play from the tips.
Posted in Golf Jargon, Uncategorized | Add a Comment »
May 27th, 2009 by Barb Hanson
How often do you hear (or use) the words “line of flight?” Would it surprise you to know that there is no such thing? The concept is often called upon (incorrectly) to determine a place to drop a ball that has gone into a water hazard or is unplayable in some other way.
If your ball is in the water and you need to put another ball in play, you must take your drop based on where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard. You have two options if the hazard is a direct hazard and is marked in yellow: 1) replay the shot; or 2) go back as far as you’d like on an imaginary straight line beginning at the hole and going through the point on the margin where your ball last crossed. If the hazard is marked in red, you have two additional options: 1) take two club lengths from the point on the margin where your ball last crossed (not closer to the hole); or 2) find the point equidistant from the hole and not closer to it on the opposite margin of the hazard. All of these options are based on the point at which your ball crossed into the hazard, not the ball’s “line of flight,” and they all require taking a one-stroke penalty.
If you’re in some other kind of awkward situation (i.e. under a large pine tree) and need relief, you have three options: replay the shot; take two club lengths from where the ball lies not closer to the hole; or, keeping the ball between you and the hole, go back as far as you like. These options also come with a one-stroke penalty.
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May 6th, 2009 by Barb Hanson
We’re now playing golf in Minnesota! And with spring golf comes the question of “winter rules,” that nebulous privilege of being able to move your ball in your own fairway if you find it lying on a bare spot.
Harvey Penick, one of the game’s all-time greatest teachers, when asked by his college team players whether they would be playing winter rules that day, replied with this: “Well, are you going to play golf or some other game?”
There are a number of reasons I choose not to play winter rules even if others in my group are doing so. The most important is just what Penick said above. It’s not real golf. Secondly, moving the ball can develop into a very bad habit to the point where you mentally can’t get past a bad lie. If you never practice hitting off a bad lie, you’ll never be comfortable with that shot.
Finally, there are all kinds of things that might keep you from hitting a good shot, including wind, rain, a loud noise, an uphill lie, a sore toe, etc. etc. Don’t make a big deal out of a bad lie. Mind over matter….
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