SLO County Golf, Wine & Real EstateGolf, Wine & Real Estate News and Events Blog
Golfwrx - Our Golf Forum of ChoiceWednesday, November 30, 2005Here at GolfSLO, we've jumped around recently from golf forum to golf forum looking for the best quality discussion forum. We've finally settled in at golfwrx.com. Golfwrx is the place to go for keeping up on the latest equipment and technology, getting and sharing golf and fitness tips, sharing golf stories, and just shooting the breeze with golfers from all over the world. This site was launched with the intent to become the ultimate web destination/resource to those who eat, drink and sleep golf. This success - now 8,000 members and growing - is contingent upon their ability to provide an environment that is informative, respectful and non-biased. This is a place to come together and share your experience, knowledge, insight, opinions, and passion for the game with others that have a common interest in the best sport in the world. Everyone is Welcome. Touring professionals or high handicappers, it makes no difference. All are treated equally without exception. ALL members’ opinions are important. Expert or novice, the only requirement for membership is respect for your fellow members. Visit www.golfwrx.com. Dec 8 - Winemaker's Dinner with Chuck OrtmanTuesday, November 29, 2005The Cypress Ridge Pavilion presents "A Winemaker's Dinner with Chuck Ortman" on December 8, 2005 at 6:30pm, featuring the elegant wines from The Ortman Family Vineyards. Chef Mike Foley will offer a delicious five course meal while Chuck Ortman pours four different wine varietals; chardonnay from the Edna Valley, Pinot Noir from the Santa Rita Hills, a Paso Robles Syrah and a special Cabernet Savignon from Napa Valley. To make reservations, please contact Alicia Collins at (805) 474-8329 or aliciacollins@cypressridge.com by Tuesday, December 6th. Cost is $65 per person (limited to 60 people). We look forward to seeing you! The Ortman Familiy Vineyards The Ortman style is a focus on fruit and structure. His handcrafted approach to winemaking remains a hallmark at the many places where has consulted. Chuck Ortman was one of the first California winemakers to explore the benefits of barrel fermentation of Chardonnay, a technique that eventually swept the California wine industry. By 1979, Chuck's wines had become synonymous with quality. His career took a turn toward California's Central Coast after he visited San Luis Obispo's Edna Valley that year. Impressed by the caliber of the fruit being grown in this emerging appellation, he and his wife Sue launched their own Charles Ortman label with a 1979 Chardonnay from Edna Valley. In 1984, the Charles Ortman label was renamed Meridian-a word that Sue identified both for Chuck's love of sailing and the larger meaning of “achievement of an ideal.” Four years later, Napa Valley's famed Beringer Vineyards made the Ortmans an irresistible offer-to acquire Meridian, base it on the Central Coast and retain Chuck as winemaker. Today, the Ortman Family Vineyards are owned and operated by his family. The annual production is 3,500 barrels which is guided by hand harvesting, integrity and a gentle handling of their grapes. Edna Valley Chardonnay Firepeak Vineyard in the marine-cooled climes of Edna Valley yields Chardonnay with an abundance of flavor and crisp acidity-both of which are essential to our vision for the varietal. A small contribution of fruit from Cat Canyon Vineyard in Santa Barbara County's Los Alamos Valley accentuates our Chardonnay with nuances of citrus and flint. Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir Fiddlestix Vineyard offers classic Santa Rita Hills character, with intense fruit, firm acidity and exquisite structure. Rancho Santa Rosa Vineyard lies several miles northeast of Fiddlestix Vineyard, where it occupies a south-facing hillside that yields concentrated varietal flavors. Both sites offer the exceptional quality for which Santa Rita Hills is renowned, and ultimately bring synergistic elements to the wine. San Luis Obispo County Syrah Brave Oak Vineyard produces Syrah with mature black fruit flavors and silky tannins, both signatures of the vineyard's warm growing conditions in Paso Robles. Edna Ranch Vineyard, in the cooler environs of Edna Valley, brings a firm mid-palate structure with peppery accents. Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Robert Craig and White Cottage vineyards are high-elevation, hillside sites that yield signature cassis and chocolate flavors, as well smooth, supple tannins. Sacrashe Vineyard, another hillside site in nearby Rutherford, brings accents of cedar, coffee and spice. For more information, visit: www.ortmanvineyards.com www.cypressridgepavilion.com Golf Blogs - Visit our new Golf BlogrollMonday, November 28, 2005 I've created what I'm pretty sure is the internet's largest golf blogroll! With the use of bloglines.com, we've added links to nearly 100 golf blogs, and the list keeps growing. Please contact us to send us a link to your golf blog if we've missed yours. Golf Blogs: GolfSLO's Golf Blogroll RSS Feeds: Golf Blog RSS Feeds at Bloglines Bought the Nike Sasquatch at Nike DemoSunday, November 27, 2005I headed over to Sea Pines Golf Resort yesterday to test the new 460cc Nike Sasquatch driver. The Nike Demo featured a "Swing Machine", consisting of a box with bright strobe lights and several high-speed cameras. A reflector is positioned behind and inside the teed ball, and when the clubhead breaks the laser beam, the machine takes several pictures, calculates ball speed, launch angle, backspin, attack angle, and more. The data is then reported using computer generated voice. The entire process takes about half a second.  I tested both the Tour and Max head versions of the club in 8.5, 9.5 and 10.5 degree loft angles with regular and stiff flex shafts. I found all of these variations easy to hit straight and far. I especially enjoyed getting feedback on ball speed after each swing. I gradually increased my ball speed from about 55mpg to 62mpg. With that speed and the club's straight trajectory, I got to enjoy watching some of my best drives ever! The club provides great sound at impact and great feel. The aerodynamic design is a huge plus for a 460cc club. The Sasquatch's lower center of gravity will help the average golfer get it up in the air with a higher launch angle and hopefully lower spin. The stock Diamana shaft made for Nike is probably the best stock shaft on the market today. This club is super stable and easy to hit straight and long. The Tour version is more visually appealing but won't benefit the average golfer as much as the MAX head. I also hit some Nike irons and hybrids. I didn't hit anything I didn't like! I ended up purchasing the Sasquatch 460cc 9.5 Tour with NV stiff flex shaft and a 22-degree hybrid with stiff shaft. Those irons may be next on my list. I can't wait to pick them up next week and see how they perform for me on the course! Learn more at: Nike Golf Sasquatch Animation by Trollback Hotel Planned for Blacklake Golf ResortSaturday, November 26, 2005A 125-unit hotel is being planned at Blacklake Golf Resort in Nipomo. Course owner Rob Rossi is in the initial planning stages for the hotel that would feature golf villas, traditional rooms, and banquet and wedding facilities. Renderings of the hotel show a multi-story building constructed in a Tuscan-village style. Rossi said he wants to submit a formal application to San Luis Obispo County planners by the end of the year. He hopes, "with a little good fortune," that the project could be approved by 2007 and the hotel could open in 2008 or 2009. The proposed hotel at Black Lake Golf Course in Nipomo would be located where the clubhouse facility is today. If the plan for the hotel and golf villas is approved, Rossi said the current clubhouse would be torn down and replaced. The 41 golf villas would start at the entrance off Willow Road, Rossi said, and continue up to the hotel. The entrance at Willow Road exists but would require considerable improvement, Rossi said. About 200 residents of Blacklake saw a formal presentation of the project about two months ago, Rossi said. The hotel is the result of several factors, Rossi said. Mainly, construction of a hotel will ensure the course stays economically viable. Without such lodging, it's more difficult to attract the golf tourist -- a necessity for making the course profitable. Blacklake originally included condos for tourists when it was built more than 20 years ago. But over the years they were sold off as homes. About 90,000 rounds of golf per year are played on the 27-hole golf course, Rossi said. The course earns between $3 million and $4 million a year. Since he bought Blacklake for about $10 million in 2001, Rossi said he has "easily" put in more than $500,000 worth of capital toward improving the course. The hotel could benefit county coffers too, Rossi said. Many of the courses' tourists -- who come from across the state and as far away as Canada -- now stay in Santa Maria, meaning Santa Barbara County keeps the transient occupancy tax. "If we had those rooms," Rossi said, "there's no doubt we would accommodate many of them. They're already there playing golf." Other county businesses could also profit from the hotel, Rossi said. The resort would attract families, tournaments and couples. While one family member may golf, the others would explore the Central Coast, he explained. Biz Buzz [More] The Tribune, Larissa Van Beurden-Doust Golf Tip - Visualize your way to Good ShotsFriday, November 25, 2005Do you employ a pre-shot routine before you hit a golf shot? A consistent pre-shot routine is an absolute must to be able to hit consistent golf shots. It seems, one of easiest things in golf can also be one of the hardest to ingrain as an effective habit.Visualization is the key to giving your body a positive image to emulate. Standing behind the ball and experiencing a "virtual movie" of the shot you want to hit, then trusting and executing what you see and feel is the big secret. After you have calculated the distance and chosen the appropriate club for the shot, it is time to visualize. Stand behind the ball on a direct line to the target, take a deep breath, then try to imagine the shot that you will execute. Imagine the ball flying through the air and landing on the target. Try to see the ball's flight in real time, don't cut the shot off short, but let your mind see the ball land and then roll towards the final target. Sometimes you may have to visualize the shot a couple of times to trust it. Take your time, but don't step up to the ball until you have seen a positive picture of that shot. Different shots take different times to visualize. A three-foot putt will take less time to visualize than a shot down the fairway, so be patient and let your mind see the shot to its conclusion. Just because you can visualize doesn't mean the ball will always do what you envisioned. In fact, many of your shots won't do what you actually visualized. But your shots will tend to be closer and that'll be good for your game. Spend an extra five seconds in your pre-shot routine and I'll lay odds that you'll play more consistently. Thankful for my round of Extraordinary GolfThursday, November 24, 2005 Yesterday - one day after reading Extraordinary Golf by Fred Shoemaker and four days after learning how to putt from Cypress Ridge PGA Director of Instruction, Jim DeLaby - I played my first round of extraordinary golf ever by shooting a 76 at Cypress Ridge Golf Course! Also extraordinary is that this 4-over par follows my most recent rounds of 88, 85 and 88. Although I have logged occasional rounds in the low 80's this year and even broke 80 once at an easier course, a 76 is a true breakthrough! This breakthrough certainly involved some extraordinary shots and putts, but resulted mostly from a change in mental attitude and perspective - learned this week from both Jim DeLaby and Fred Shoemaker. I maintained my energy level during the round using Jim's "sip and nibble" technique after every shot. I followed Jim's advice and let my thoughts and judgments about each shot go immediately after making them. I never got discouraged after a bad shot. I never let myself think about results during the round. I stopped all the "what if" thoughts and played the round one shot at a time. I stuck with my pre-shot routine, focused on the target during each shot, and visualized my shots and putts. I stilled myself before each shot, visualized the ball on its way to the target, and let her rip. I kept thinking about the subtitle of Fred's book... "the art of the possible"... I really beleived it was possible to make this shot, sink this putt, or shoot a good round, but also remained detached about the results. I simply managed my mental game better than ever before and for the first time, had confidence in my putting. Although I tallied 34 putts for the round and 3-putted 1 green, I hit 12 greens in regulation - a personal record - and saved a lot of pars and bogies with good putts. I only hit 5 fairways, but didn't have a single double bogie! On both nines, I shot 3 bogies, 5 pars and 1 birdie. The highlights of the round were the two birdies. I cut the dogleg on 7 landing my drive just left of the fringe and then 2-putted. I finished the round by hitting the green on 18 on my second shot with a beautiful 5-wood over the lake from 215 yards out, then left my eagle putt 1/2 inch from the cup! I also made some great recovery shots. After duffing my second shot from the rough on 9, I then clobbered a 3-wood, leaving the ball just short of the par-5 green from 240 yards out. I then chipped and putted for par. On 12, I pushed my drive slightly right into some clumpy grass next to a tree, but nailed an 8-iron and landed the green. I also hit an errant drive on 16, leaving the ball by the cart path left of the trees lining the fairway, but hit my best 7-iron ever through some trees, landing the green directly behind the pin. So, what made this possible? Actually, several factors contributed - very effective lessons by Jim DeLaby at Cypress Ridge Golf Academy; several books including Extraordinary Golf by Fred Shoemaker, and a little dose of practice. After taking up golf several times over the last three decades and hitting a wall at 80 each time, I decided last month that it was time for my first lesson. I've resisted taking lessons all these years since I honestly thought I could figure it all out on my own, I didn't want to start thinking about technique and figured if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Well, it wasn't broke, but it needed a tune-up. With a little investigation, I quickly found several golfers who highly recommended Jim DeLaby, PGA Director of Golf Instruction at Cypress Ridge Golf Academy and Two-time Teacher and Club Fitter of the Year for the PGA of Southern California Northern Chapter. These golfers convinced me that Jim wouldn't change every aspect of my swing, but help me instead to identify and improve problem areas. That's what I was looking for. In my first lesson, Jim started by finding my natural "grip print". Instead of teaching the standard grip where you're told you should see two knuckles on your upper hand and that the lines formed by your thumbs and index finger should point to your armpits, Jim teaches that we each have a unique natural "grip print", easily determined by letting your arms hang naturally to your side. Finding my correct grip helped correctly position my hands in front of the ball and immediately improved my ball striking in both distance and accuracy! The next step was finding my "foot print". Again, Jim helps you find your natural stance instead of forcing your toes to be square or slightly open. This natural stance is much like that used when fielding a grounder in baseball or defending a player in basketball. Finding your own unique "foot print" not only helps improve your swing, but helps prevent back injury. Once my stance and grip were fixed to fit my body, Jim then spent the next lesson teaching me an effective pre-shot routine including a grip test and alignment and mental preparation. This also had immediate results, improving both consistency and shot accuracy. I then attended two of Jim's Saturday Clinics with other golfers. Since Cypress Ridge Golf Course is among the hilliest, Jim provided tips on balance and ball position for hitting from hilly lies in the first clinic I attended. Now, instead of aiming right on uphill lies or left on downhill lies, I can aim right at the target with confidence. In the second clinic, Jim fixed my most glaring problem - my putting. He immediately discovered that I'd never been "fitted" for my putter and took me right over to his workbench to bend the putter to get the correct lie. He then showed me how to let my arms to hang naturally while putting, resulting in putts that actually started going in the direction I intended them too! This took all of 5 minutes. Putting was without doubt, the weakest part of my game. I was constantly changing my stance, grip, and stroke. But nothing worked. I had no confidence over the ball when putting. After spending only 30 minutes practicing my new putting stroke, I got the hang of it and quickly gained much more confidence putting. To my amazement, in only two short lessons and clinics, Jim helped me improve my grip, stance, hand and ball position, pre-shot routine, and putting stroke - all without once mentioning or changing my existing swing! My swing improved automatically, just by finding my natural grip print and foot print! I then had the privilege of playing a round of golf with Jim after the last clinic. I can't stress enough how effective Jim's on-course instruction is. Not once did he point out a technical problem in my swing, but instead focused on the mental game, the importance of proper nutrition and exercise, and adherence to a strict pre-shot routine. Jim stated simply that when your energy level is high, you make good shots and when its low, you make bad shots. He suggested I "sip and nibble" after every shot. By taking a sip of water and nibble from an energy bar of bag of nuts after every single shot, he indicated that your energy would stay more consistent throughout the round, resulting in more consistent shots. Another key to maintaining energy is not to waste it. Reacting to shots - good or bad - wastes energy. Taking extra practice swings - before or after the shot - wastes energy. He showed us how to simply take a shot or make a putt, and immediately let go of any judgments and instead start preparing for the next shot - and breathe. Jim stessed the importance of visualization and imagery. Before each shot or putt, visualize the desired flight of the ball or the roll of a putt. If a poor shot or putt was made, he suggested we immediately reload our brain (neurons) with the image of our best shot ever. Don't dwell on the bad shot. Lastly, Jim watched to make sure I stuck to our pre-shot routine, which includes gripping the club, testing the grip, taking a practice swing, choosing and focusing on the target, taking your stance over the ball, visualizing the target and ball flight, and letting it rip. He then suggests you retest your grip after the follow through to make sure it didn't slip. Several books I've read recently, including Extraordinary Golf, significantly changed my mental game and approach to golf in general. Fred Shoemaker really helped me quit having expectations and focusing on results, but to instead enjoy the experience and natural surroundings. Fred points out the importance of using the time spent between shots (95% of the time spent on the course) constructively, and on the importance of concentration and visualization during setup and the actual swing (the other 5% of the time). I'm learning from Fred, the "art of the possible" and to truly enjoy the experience, regardless of results. Interestingly, this approach results in better scores. Another book I found very helpful is Dr. Bob Rotella's "Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect." This book helped me learn to focus on the target instead of the bunker, the lake, the tree, etc., and how to control and improve my thoughts during the round. Bob stressed the importance of letting go of expectations, being decisive, focusing on the target, envisioning your shot, and shooting the best score possible with the swing you bring to the course each round. Bob instructs you to decide how you're going to think before a round, and to do it on every shot. I also found Deepak Chopra's "Golf for Enlightenment" helpful in learning to still the mind, being mindful during each shot, being detached about results (and winning), letting go of all need to control, and that there is an unbroken connection between what you desire and its outcome. So, this Thanksgiving, I'd like to thank Jim DeLaby and these authors, who have helped me perform beyond my expectations! Happy Thanksgiving. Pro Golfers Enjoy the SLO-Life at the Straight DownWednesday, November 23, 2005In an article yesterday in the San Diego Union-Tribune, the writer referred to San Luis Obispo's Straight Down Fall Classic as "the best little golf tournament nobody's heard of." Tom Lehman had just hammered his drive down the right-center of the fairway on the ninth hole at San Luis Obispo Country Club, and as he approached his golf ball he wanted to be certain of his yardage before he pulled a club from his bag. Over his shoulder, Lehman asked, "Is it 136 on that sprinkler head?" He wasn't talking to his caddie, but the small herd of spectators who had paused only a few yards behind him in the fairway. Eager to assist the current U.S. Ryder Cup captain, a couple of them offered a nod. It was a humorous, surreal scene for those accustomed to seeing fans kept in check by yellow twine. But this is the Straight Down Fall Classic, and it is nothing if not unique, a get-together in the second weekend in November that may be the best little tournament nobody's heard of. "It's like golf was in the '40s and '50s," said Mike Rowley, the clothing company owner who started the tournament eight years ago. "It's got that old Crosby Clambake feel." Think of the buddy movie "Sideways," with golf as the centerpiece rather than a humorous vignette, and you get the picture. At night, the food is sumptuous and the Central Coast wine flows as freely as the banter. Friends who haven't seen each other for months or years play catch-up. Then they shake off the hangovers in the morning and go out in teams of one pro and one amateur. They needle and they cajole, all the while trying to pound each other at best-ball in front of a few hundred fans who pay nothing to watch. The first prize at the end of 36 holes: $20,000 to the pro. PGA Tour pocket change. "I've never played in another tournament like it," said Encinitas' Dennis Paulson. "It's kind of unbelievable. How many times are you going to get a PGA Tour player to pay to play in a golf tournament? We play for $6 million in purses and don't pay an entry fee. But we'll pay $1,000 to come up here, just to have a good time and support the community. It's pretty cool." The Straight Down has been an unqualified, word-of-mouth success. It is Rowley's goal to get about 12 touring professionals into the field each year, and with past participants such as John Daly and Fred Couples, the competition for a spot can be fierce. "It's a lot of pressure. I don't have room for everybody," Rowley said. "I've had to say a lot of 'nos,' and that's been very difficult." Lehman, playing with his brother, Jim, who's a good friend of Rowley's, was the big draw this year. You would think after a grinding season and with his Ryder Cup responsibilities, he'd want to go home to Scottsdale or Del Mar and crash. But Lehman's wife, Melissa, is a Cal Poly San Luis Obispo alum, and they enjoy soaking up the laid-back country atmosphere with their four kids. "It's nice to have a little bit of down time," Lehman said. "This is a lot of fun. The competition is a team thing. It's not meant to be too serious. You're not going to read on my bio that I won the Straight Down." It's a big deal for the teaching pros and amateurs who don't usually play for big stakes. On the first morning of play this year, one poor guy could barely tee the ball up his hand was shaking so bad. That's the beauty of the event, which Rowley uses to reward the proprietors of pro shops and clubs around the country who sell his clothing line. Most of the 60 teams have no shot at winning - although Rowley's won twice with Roger Tambellini - but that doesn't damper their fun. Rowley makes sure it's a blast. A Santa Barbara native and Cal Poly grad, he made only volleyball T-shirts when he started Straight Down in 1987. A few years later, there was a demand from golfers, and the sport is now his primary focus. He started the Fall Classic when another Cal Poly guy, Loren Roberts, agreed to play. "It really is kind of amazing what it's become," Rowley said. "These guys don't come out for the money," Cuff said. "They do it for Mike and the wine country and because the dinners are great." Read entire article at: The annual Straight Down Fall Classic provides a relaxed, fun atmosphere for big-name pros and amateurs San Diego Union-Tribune, Tod Leonard Greens Fees to increase at SLO County Golf CoursesTuesday, November 22, 2005Green fees at county golf courses - Chalk Mountain Golf Course in Atascadero, Morro Bay Golf Course in Morro Bay, and Dairy Creek Golf Course in San Luis Obispo - are set to increase by $1 starting January 1, 2006. Green fees, which are market driven, also increased by $1 in 2005. The green fees are set based on a survey of other golf courses within the county.County fees for everything from golf to parking a car at the airport are expected to rise when the County Board of Supervisors meets this morning. These yearly increases in county fees, or user charges, helps offset the cost of services provided by the many different county departments. Apr 4-5 - Central Coast Invitational at Cypress Ridge Golf CourseMonday, November 21, 2005 The Central Coast Invitational (CCI) is moving to April 4-5, 2006, in light of the announcement from the PGA Tour that the Nationwide Tour has secured a new 2006 site in Livermore, CA next March. The CCI was scheduled to launch last October, but will now move to the spring to attract players from the Nationwide Tour.Cypress Ridge Golf Course expects to attract a much stronger player field by hosting the 2-day tournament in April, better aligning it with the Nationwide Tour, during what would be a three week break after the Livermore golf tournament. This Peter Jacobsen/Jim Hardy Signature design golf course will be in great condition in April, during a time that awareness of golf is heightened by the media coverage of The Masters at Augusta. The Central Coast Invitational committee's goal has always been to bring the best available golfers to the Central Coast while raising awareness of golf within the San Luis Obispo County and our surrounding cities. By attracting more top names and a stronger player field, they can accomplish that goal and bring a first-class golf event to the area. The CCI has secured a fine charity, the YMCA of San Luis Obispo County, and over 12 regional sponsors who are eager to take the tournament to the next level. The tournament committee is working with all its sponsors to put together a big event for the community in April with attractive "stay and play" packages designed to bring golfers to the Central Coast. Should you have any questions or interest in the Central Coast Invitational, please contact Joe Kolina, Director of Special Events at Cypress Ridge Golf Course in Arroyo Grande, CA, at (805) 489-2781 ext 1. You can also visit their website at www.cypressridge.com. A Scorcher at Dairy Creek Golf CourseSunday, November 20, 2005 I made this birdie putt on par-3 18 today at Dairy Creek Golf Course in San Luis Obispo to finish a very poor round just under 90. I shot an 88 today - on a day where I'm pretty sure the temperature also reached 88, and with little to no breeze for relief. It was a very hot "summer-like" day for walking this very hilly course. Today ended what for me was a record 5 days in a row of golf. I played well early in the week, shotting an 83 at Cypress Ridge Golf Course and 80 at Avila Beach Golf Resort, but finished the last three rounds with an 88 and 85 at Cypress Ridge Golf Course and 88 today at Dairy Creek Golf Course. Part of my recent struggle is a direct result of still working with my new grip and putting stroke from recent lessons with Jim DeLaby at Cypress Ridge Golf Academy. Just being hot and tired today didn't help. However I'm very happy with the changes Jim has prescribed and am confident my game is improving, despite some poor scores during the learning process. My drives are working again, my irons are better than ever. I've just got to get out and practice my short game and new improved putting stroke. Yesterday, I had the privilege of playing an entire round of golf with Jim DeLaby right after attending his Saturday Golf Clinic. During the clinic, Jim had my putter bent by 4-degrees to fit my new putter stance, which takes advantage of gravity to produce consistent strokes. I'm already much more confident with my putting! During my round with Jim, he shared some very helpful tips for maintaining energy on the golf course - for instance, using his "sip and nibble" method which involves taking a sip of water and nibble of an energy bar or nuts after every shot. The odds of making good shots simply increases when your energy level remains sufficient. He also stressed the importance of reserving energy by not over-reacting to good or bad shots. These energy saving tips sure helped today, where walking one of the hilliest local courses on a very hot day zapped a lot of energy. View photos taken today at Dairy Creek Golf Course. Golf Tips - How to Cure Your SliceSaturday, November 19, 2005How to get Rid of the Slice, by Jim DeLaby, PGA 1. Play it - when in doubt, aim for it and play it.2. Weak Grip - Your slice may be a result of the way you hold the club. 40% or more of the time, the culprit of a slice is a weak target hand. The permanent solution is to develop your grip print. 3. Improper Club Face Rotation - Most golfer do not understand how the club face rotates around the shaft, often resulting in an open club face at impact. 15% or more of all slices are due to a misunderstanding of the key concept that the toe of the club must pass the heal thru impact. The "Toe-in" drill, "Split hands" drill,"Turn the key off" drill, "Steering wheel" drill, and "Top-spin" drill can help a golfer correct improper club face rotation. 4. Mixed Shafts - Golfers often have graphite shafts for their woods and steel shafts for their irons. 15% or more slices result from golfers having too "whippy" of a driver shaft which affects their ball striking enough to slice the driver. Generally, if you hit your irons straight, but slice with your driver, your driver is probably "whippier" than your irons. 5. Clubs with Spine Issue - If you do not have your clubs checked for this when they come from the factory, a spline issue may be the culprit of your slice. 15% or more of slices result from clubs that have spine issues. This will confuse and frustrate you no matter what swing you put on the ball. Index goes below 11 at Avila Beach Golf ResortFriday, November 18, 2005 I played Avila Beach Golf Resort yesterday and shot my first 80 in quite some time! This put my index below 11 for the first time ever. Today's round consisted of 9 pars and 9 bogies, 30 putts, 6 greens, 8 fairways, and a string of 5 pars in a row. I've now shot 2 rounds in a row with NO double bogies! I shot an 83 the day before at Cypress Ridge Golf Course with 7 pars and 11 bogies. I joined a threesome on the back nine today from Vancouver, BC. Today was there last day of a month vacation - all spent here in San Luis Obispo County. They rented a condo at Blacklake Golf Resort for the entire month and played every weekday during the month at Blacklake - very affordably! They took full advantage of the Infinite Golf Discount Program, but only made it over to Avila Beach for their last round. They thoroughly enjoyed their stay here! Great people and good golfers ;). Dec 29 - Winter Golf Classic at Cypress Ridge Golf CourseThursday, November 17, 2005Cypress Ridge Golf Course is hosting the 3rd Annual Winter Golf Classic on December 29, 2005 with a 10:00 am start. Fees are $30.00 for San Luis Obispo County Junior Golf Association (SLOCJGA) members, $35.00 for non-members.Register now or learn more about this event at www.slojrgolf.com Golf Photos by Vince ShayWednesday, November 16, 2005   Vince Shay has posted photos of last weekend's Straight Down Fall Classic Photos at San Luis Obispo Country Club. Vince Shay of Point & Shoot Productions, is a freelance photographer/videographer based in Shell Beach, California. He became interested in photography at 17 years old where he started shooting with his first camera, a Nikon FA. First shooting models and producing images for clients modeling portfolios, then, through his love of the outdoors he started to produce scenic photos. In 1995, he entered his first photo contest and won. And much to his surprise, he kept doing well in other photographic contests. In 2000 he got into videography and started to produce high quality videos. "It was much more difficult than I thought it would be. I already had a good eye for what I wanted to see, but it took alot to learn and to be able to put together material that not only told a story but was high quality." In 2002, he won the National Paddling Film Festival in Lexington, Kentucky with his first paddlesurf video. Then in 2003 he produced another documentary style paddlesurf video that once again won the NPPF. "It was at that point I knew that others liked what I was doing!" Vince is now focusing more of his freelance photography efforts on golf photos. Point & Shoot Productions Straight Down Fall Classic Photos Nov 26 - Demo Tour at Sea Pines Golf ResortTuesday, November 15, 2005 Plan to visit Sea Pines Golf Resort in Los Osos on November 26 from 9am to 1pm for their Demo Tour - Get Fit Today! The Demo Tour features a "Swing Machine", consisting of a box with bright strobe lights and several high-speed cameras. A reflector is positioned behind and inside the teed ball, and when the clubhead breaks the laser beam, the machine takes several pictures, calculates launch angle, backspin, attack angle, and more. The data then appears on the screens for human analysis. The entire process takes about half a second. A player swings the club through the area behind to the ball, breaking the laser beams and triggering the cameras to take a series of very-high-speed pictures. Within a second, the calculations are done and the results appear on-screen. A variety of demo clubs will be on hand for custom fitting and swing analysis. Monarch Dunes to Open by the first of the yearMonday, November 14, 2005As reported this week in The Tribune, Monarch Dunes at the Woodlands, the first public golf course to be completed in the mammoth Nipomo Woodlands development, will open by the first of the year. Its clubhouse, including a restaurant and golf shop, will open next week.As reported earlier at GolfSLO, the Scottish links-styled, 18-hole, 6,800-yard championship course was designed by Damian Pascuzzo, a Cal Poly graduate and partner of Graves and Pascuzzo, a golf architecture firm in El Dorado Hills. Monarch Dunes will be managed by KemperSports, which also manages Palm Springs' Desert Willow, Black Gold in Yorba Linda and Harding Park Golf Course in San Francisco. "This is truly a unique golf course and the only one in the county patterned after the traditional links in Scotland and Ireland," said Mark Luthman, KemperSports regional director. "It's very rugged looking, with native fescue grasses, beach grasses and natural sand dunes. It mimics the appearance of nearby dunes, using shaped dunes instead of the traditional grassy mounds, and there will be a number of holes from where you can see the ocean." Pascuzzo said the golf course was built from the sand on the site. The course's green fees have not yet been set, but they will be on par with other local golf courses, Luthman said. The Woodlands development, which began construction in April 2004, will take 10 to 15 years to build. It will include 1,320 homes, two 18-hole courses and one nine-hole course, a business park, a 500-room hotel, riding and hiking trails, a shopping center, and a 12-acre park. John Scardino, the project's developer and the owner of the Monarch Dunes Golf Club, has acquired, planned, developed or constructed more than $1.2 billion in California and Texas real estate. By the time the project is finished, the Woodlands could become the largest mixed-use development in county history. Charley Hoffman wins the Straight DownSunday, November 13, 2005 After Saturday, there was a three-way logjam at the top of the Straight Down Fall Classic leaderboard, with two other teams within two strokes of the leaders going into today's final round of the $115,000 pro-am scratch golf tournament. Mark Sherman and partner Jeff Wilson, Mark Johnson with Pat Duncan and a third team of Dennis Paulson and Scott Almquist all shot 7-under 65s on a sunny but breezy Saturday at San Luis Obispo Country Club. But talented amateur Jeff Wilson was clutch all day today. His pro partner Mark Sherman needed one more stellar shot to force a playoff at the ninth annual Straight Down Fall Classic. Wilson had just hit out of a greenside bunker on the 18th hole. But the ball, played from below his feet, came out heavy. He needed to chip in from the fringe, about 14 feet away. Wilson's effort lipped out, and the air went out of the balloon for Sherman and Wilson, who dropped two shots on the final two holes of the day. Charley Hoffman -- who will join the PGA Tour in January -- along with amateur partner Ed Cuff Jr. -- picked up the win after Sherman and Wilson bogeyed the two final holes of the day. Hoffman and Cuff posted an 8-under-par 64 Sunday. They began the day one shot back of the three teams in front, including Sherman and Wilson. Cuff becomes the first amateur to be on the winning team three times. The 1998 state amateur champion also won last year partnered with Tom Pernice Jr. at the San Luis Obispo Country Club. Cuffs pars gave Hoffman a chance to go for birdies, which helped him gather the $20,000 in first-place prize money. The team posted nine birdies Sunday, but only two on the final seven holes. It was enough. I was able to attend yesterday and posted some photos of the event at flickr.com. We followed Tom and Jim Lehman for a few holes and watched "very tall" Roger Tambellini tee off on 11. Read related articles: Trio of teams tied at Straight Down Winning opportunity knocks late at Straight Down golf tourney The Tribune, Larry Mauter Yoga for GolfersSaturday, November 12, 2005Article by Tony Criscuolo, San Luis Obispo, CAThe ancient practices of yoga have much in common with golf, which is also a very old pastime. In fact, learning to properly hit a golf ball is remarkably like the process of learning yoga postures; and the mental and emotional awareness which is required to play golf consistently well is the central theme in a well-constructed yoga practice. The exercises are physical in nature, and (properly performed) will create a body that is flexible, structurally aligned, balanced, and well toned. They create elastic strength, not bulk. Depending on a person’s needs, the exercises can be physically demanding or quite relaxing: a yoga workout can dramatically increase strength and flexibility at the same time, and release tightness and tension from stiff muscles. Everything is done with controlled breathing: when combined with the precision of performing the postures correctly the mind is fully engaged. The result is that a yoga workout is a mental discipline, training the mind to be more attentive to details in ever increasing subtlety. Anyone who seriously takes up golf soon realizes that attention to subtle details is necessary for steady improvement. Yoga practices also work with emotional issues (just like golf) and breath awareness gives a player the tools to manage his or her emotions on the golf course. The breath is intimately connected to a person’s emotional state: by developing some sensitivity to the breath one can manage the impact of anxiety, anger, excitement and even fatigue, and perform free of their distracting influences. A body that is aligned and in balance is not likely to be injured, even with an ambitious practice schedule. Still injuries can happen in a variety of ways so the yoga traditions have developed “restorative” postures to hasten healing and restore balance.  I have practiced yoga for over 30 years (I took it up as a graduate student in clinical psychology) and discovered golf as a great sport for a semi-retired competitive athlete. I have worked with many LPGA and PGA touring professionals and taught yoga to top collegiate teams in many varsity sports. For three years I worked with David Leadbetter at his golf academy in Florida and caddied for my ex-wife, Deborah Vidal, on the LPGA tour. So I have first hand knowledge of how the best players in the world practice and play golf.I have a teaching studio in San Luis Obispo, provide classes at Avila Beach Golf Resort, and will also meet at other locations. To schedule a yoga class, contact me at (805) 542-0137. Click here for more information about yoga classes at Avila Beach Golf Resort. Rob Rossi buys into Sea Pines Golf ResortFriday, November 11, 2005Rob Rossi is increasing his stake in the San Luis Obispo County golf industry, buying into a partnership at Sea Pines Golf Resort.Rossi, who owns the 27-hole Blacklake Golf Resort and the 18-hole Avila Beach Golf Resort and has development rights for a golf course on the 15,000-acre Santa Margarita Ranch, will have a half-interest in the Los Osos property. Father and son Rocky and Gary Setting will control the remaining 50 percent. The deal for the 32-acre property is expected to close in January. Terms were not disclosed. Sea Pines, which features a nine-hole executive-length golf course, practice facilities, 44 hotel rooms and a 90-seat restaurant, had been held in a partnership with Rocky Setting, Fermo Rossi and Joe Rossi of Pasadena. Rob Rossi is not related to father and son Fermo and Joe Rossi. In recent years, Sea Pines has undergone several improvements. The golf course, for example, was expanded to 2,000 yards and par-31 in 2001. Rob Rossi said the nine-hole course, combined with hotel rooms on the site, are "an advantage for us, and we think there are a lot of symbiotic relationships between the nine, the 27 and the 18-hole golf courses for the total 54-hole round experience." Most significantly, he and the other Sea Pines partners said, they'll now be able to market all three courses together. Sea Pines, which has relied on word of mouth to attract golfers, will now be able to offer packages to people in the Central Valley, the Bay Area and Los Angeles, Rocky Setting said. And Sea Pines' hotel rooms should help Rossi attract out-of-town golfers to his Avila and Blacklake courses because those sites lack hotel rooms. "It's the golfer who needs accommodations that's going to fill in that revenue niche that we need," Rossi said. Some additional hotel rooms are being considered at Sea Pines, along with some restaurant modifications and the addition of tennis courts and a day spa, Rocky Setting said. Rossi's Infinity Card program -- which offers discounted prices for golf, practice and food at Blacklake and Avila -- will be extended to Sea Pines. In December, the price of the Infinity Gold Card will be cut by $40 a year to $159. Gary Setting, a Southern California PGA professional and manager of Sea Pines since 1989, will become the new managing partner at Sea Pines. He will take on roles at Blacklake and Avila Beach in a move that Rossi said will add "greater depth and experience" there. Looking ahead, all three partners in Sea Pines say their goal is to attract to the county more tourists who golf because local play represents such a small percentage of their business. "I think golf on the Central Coast is a challenge as it is in a lot of markets today," Rossi said. "You've got local play that is certainly important to everybody." Yet, he said, it's less than 10 percent of the play at Avila and Blacklake. "I think that golf's challenge in the future is expanding the tourism aspect and in particular having the accommodations so that we can bring tournaments back," Rossi said. Part of our focus here on working something out with Sea Pines is we need to get better at the marketing." Read entire article by Larry Mauter, The Tribune A sportsman's paradise by Morro Bay estuary Nov 20 - Demo Day at Rancho Maria Golf ClubThursday, November 10, 2005Demo Ping, Nike, Adams and Tour Edge at Rancho Maria's Demo Day on November 20, 2005.www.ranchomariagolf.com Straight Down Fall Classic at San Luis Obispo Country ClubWednesday, November 09, 2005 Tom Lehman, the 2006 U.S. Ryder Cup team captain, will return to San Luis Obispo to compete next weekend in the Straight Down Fall Classic.The ninth annual 36-hole pro-am four-ball scratch golf tournament Nov. 12-13 features 60 teams, with almost a fifth of the field being pros at the PGA or Nationwide Tour level. The teams are playing for a total purse of $117,500. Lehman, the 1996 British Open champion, will make his fifth appearance at the San Luis Obispo Golf and Country Club event. He will be teamed with his brother Jim Lehman said Mike Rowley, president of Straight Down and tournament host. Lehman was named the Ryder Cup captain just before last year's Straight Down tournament. His Ryder Cup player points rank him 13th on the list that will compete with a team of Europeans next September in County Kildare, Ireland. There has not been a playing captain for the U.S. Ryder Cup team since Arnold Palmer held down both jobs in 1963. The top 10 on the points list earn a spot on the team, with the captain naming two players to round out the squad. Other touring pros expected to shoot for the $20,000 Straight Down first-place money include Kevin Stadler, Dennis Paulson, Jeff Brehaut, Charley Hoffman, Roger Tambellini, Scott Gutschewski and Mark Johnson. Hoffman and Tambellini are Nationwide Tour players who currently are in line to gain a PGA Tour card for 2006. Johnson now plays on the Champions Tour; he won the Toshiba Senior Classic on that tour earlier this year. Tambellini -- now living in Scottsdale, Ariz. -- played golf at Atascadero High and also worked summers at Chalk Mountain Golf Course. He turned pro in 1998 after gaining All-America status at USC. He won the Price Cutter Charity Championship on the Nationwide Tour in August, after losing a playoff to Jason Gore at the Cox Classic the week before. Former San Luis Obispo High and Cal Poly standout Loren Roberts, who has played in six of the eight tournaments, won't be at the event. Roberts has split time this year between the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour, earning $1.45 million on them. Rowley said Roberts accepted an invitation to play in Florida that week at the Templeton Shark Shootout. "He will be playing next year for sure. Fred Couples will also be playing in the Shark Shootout. They said they would play again here next year," Rowley said Friday. Couples played in the Straight Down event in 2002. Something new this year is a Friday $17,000 pro-am shotgun that features 21 five-person teams competing for a $5,000 first-place purse. Teams will include a pro and scratch amateur with three additional amateurs. Many of those players will come from local businesses, said Rowley, who plays in the tournament and has won the event twice with Tambellini. The idea for the pro-am shotgun evolved from conversations between Rowley and tournament chairman John Ronca Jr. They wanted to do something that would spread the roots of the tournament deeper into San Luis Obispo County. "It immediately sold out. It was just word of mouth," Ronca said. Rowley expects to see a high caliber of local amateurs in the pro-am shotgun: "People are going to go out and try to win that thing. I think it becomes more and more of a community event. And that is our goal." Volunteers have been a large part of the success of the Straight Down event. Beyond a tournament committee, there are close to 200 people who assist. With caddies coming from the county's junior golf program and Cal Poly athletics, Rowley noted it is a chance for young athletes to gain "a good learning experience." As the tournament's designated charity, Cal Poly athletics has benefited from the event over the past five years. But Ronca noted the benefit is a two-way street: "They supply a lot of the volunteers for the event too." Following last year's tournament, Straight Down struck a new five-year deal with the country club to continue as the host site. With less focus on competition and more attention given to fun and comradery, the Fall Classic has quickly become the favorite event for those who've participated. With the field limited to only 60 teams, entry to the better ball, pro/scratch format is by invitation only. The tournament is free and open to the public. Straight Down Clothing Co. First Round at Rancho Maria Golf ClubTuesday, November 08, 2005 I followed up my string of three 83's in a row with an 86 on Sunday at Rancho Maria Golf Club in Santa Maria, a course I've never played. I really enjoyed the course. Nice setting up against the hills southeast of Santa Maria and south of the Guadalupe-Oceano Dunes. The best part of my game - my driver - was horrible! I hit one straight drive that went 300 yards - 110 yards out on a 410 yd par 4. The rest went left and right. I also 3-putted 3 greens on the back (38 putts overall)! Overall, shot a 7-over on both 9's and 2 double-bogies on both 9's. Hit 6 greens on the back, but only 3 on the front. I only hit 3 fairways total - a low point for the year. Argh! My irons however were incredible and saved the round from approaching 90. I hit a 7 iron on a par-3 that landed within 1 foot of the pin - my one birdie for the day. I followed up my 300 yard drive with a beautiful sand wedge that went over a 100+ yr old, 200 ft. high eucalyptus tree and landed just past the pin, making for an easy par. I hit some great mid iron shots, a usually difficult set of clubs for me. Overall, no big complaints. I loved the course and plan to return soon. Those greens are fast! Photos from the round can be viewed at flickr.com/photos/golfslo. Joined the SCGA and Cypress Ridge Men's ClubMonday, November 07, 2005After taking up this game again this year and playing probably 40 rounds now without an official handicap, I decided it was finally time to join the Southern California Golf Association (SCGA) in order to obtain an official USGA handicap to qualify for entry into local tournaments. I've kept my last 25 scorecards and entered them online at Greenskeeper.org, tallying an index of 11.5.The border dividing the Northern and Southern Golf Associations runs right through San Luis Obispo County, so choosing your home course here determines which association you join. I decided to join through Cypress Ridge Golf Course, since I play the course the most due to its close proximity to my home. I decided to join the Cypress Ridge Men's Club while I was at it too. The Cypress Ridge Men's Club plays a skins tournament every Sunday at Cypress Ridge Golf Course and other surrounding golf courses. They're also starting to organize play on Friday afternoons. I like that this club provides an opportunity to play a variety of courses instead of just the "home" course. We have such a great selection of courses to play on the Central Coast! The Southern California Golf Association is one of the oldest and largest regional golf associations in the United States with more than 160,000 members throughout Southern California. As the principal ruling body for the game of amateur golf in Southern California, the SCGA administers a computerized, United States Golf Association-approved handicapping system for more than 170,000 men and women at the SCGA's member clubs. Currently the SCGA has more than 1200 member clubs throughout Southern California and extending south into Baja California (the SCGA's northern boundary is San Luis Obispo and Kern County). Nearly half of those clubs are connected with golf courses, including all private clubs in the region, and nearly all of the semiprivate, resort, and public golf courses in Southern California. The balance of the SCGA clubs are affiliate clubs: organizations not connected with a golf course but, instead, groups of people who band together out of a mutual love for the game of golf. For detailed information on the many benefits and services of membership, as well as to find out how you can become a part of this exciting, vital organization, visit their website at www.scga.org. First Round at Pismo State Beach Golf CourseSunday, November 06, 2005 With some time to kill after a meeting in San Luis Obispo, I decided to play 9 holes at Pismo State Beach Golf Course on my way home. After all my time living on the Central Coast, I'd never played this course before. The Pismo State Beach Golf Course is a very reasonably-priced executive golf course located right next to the Oceano Dunes along the Pacific ocean. I was pleasantly surprised by what a great little course this is! You can't beat the location, right on the ocean in Grover Beach at the north entrance to the Ocean Dunes Recreation Area. Each of the 9 holes are par-3 (many are par-4 holes for women). The length of each hole varies between 110 and 220 yards, providing the opportunity to use all your irons from the tees, and perhaps a wood when the tees are back. I found the course excellent for sharpening up your short game and approach shots. Water hazards come into play on five holes, but you won't find any sand traps. The course is in good condition and designed for the whole family to enjoy. There are additional tees that can be used when playing an eighteen hole round. Photos from my round can be viewed at flickr.com. Make sure to visit this little gem of a course! First Round with no 3-putts!Saturday, November 05, 2005 I played Cypress Ridge Golf Course for a second time this week, and shot my third round in a row at 83! It's strange to shoot the same score 3 rounds in a row but play each round so differently. Today I did it with what is usually the weakest part of my game - putting. In fact, I'm pretty sure this was my first round all year with no 3-putts! I came in with only 29 total putts - an all-time record for me. My drives - the most reliable part of my game - gave me trouble on several holes today. I only hit 7 fairways and 6 greens in regulation. I had 1 birdie, 9 pars, and 1 quadruple bogie! I overhit 2 wedges in a row over the green on 6 putting both balls out-of-bounds. Amazingly, I kept my composure and finished the remaining 12 holes with 7 pars and 5 bogies. In addition to putting, my strength today was recovery shots. Poor shots were followed by great shots! I should add - this was my first round wearing golf shoes - ever! Earlier in the week at Cypress Ridge, my 83 resulted from great drives and amazing approach shots. One OB and only average putting prevented an even lower score. I missed a lot of birdie and par-save putts between 4 and 12 feet. My strength this round was my approaches with my wedge. I was nailing shots from 50-125 yards. And last week at Morro Bay, my 83 came after prior rounds of 90 and 98, and resulted primarily from good approach shots from the fairway and great chips around the green. This round was one of the few I can remember lately where I didn't have any triple or quadruple bogies! Consistency was my ally that round. I'm encouraged that I brought in decent scores this week with rounds including a horribly played hole in each round. I made a lot of progress this week in puting bad shots and bad holes behind me, instead of assuming I'd just thrown away another chance at a good round. I'm learning to be less results oriented and focusing instead on one shot at a time. I'm making a practice of not figuring out or adding up my score at any time during the round so that I don't start thinking about "what if" I make this putt or "what if" I par this hole. All that matters is this shot - right now. My first yoga lessonFriday, November 04, 2005 DSC_0175.JPG Originally uploaded by seanomatopoeia. I was introduced to a yoga instructor here in San Luis Obispo via email this week - Tony Criscuolo - who specializes in yoga instruction for athletes. After playing a recent round at Morro Bay Golf Course with the General Manager of the Links Course at Paso Robles and learning that this pro uses yoga as his primary program for golf fitness, I decided at some point I wanted to give yoga a try myself. So, I scheduled a yoga lesson with Tony and had my first class yesterday. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that he didn't have me try to get into any pretzel positions or anything. He simply showed me 4 positions to help stretch and strengthen the proper muscles for golf. It turns out Tony has not only taught yoga for 30 years, but is an avid golfer, has worked at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur with Michael Murphy (author of Golf in the Kingdom), is very good friends with Fred Shoemaker who authored Extraordinary Golf, and has taught for three years at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy as well as working with many LPGA and some PGA touring professionals. Tony now teaches yoga at our local university - Cal Poly - teaching the football, women's soccer team and men's and women's golf teams. This follows his experience at the University of Florida where he taught 10 different varsity teams. Not at all what I was expecting... I can't wait for my next lesson! Okay, time to get off the computer and get down on the mat! Learn more about Tony Criscuolo or schedule a lesson. p.s. Thanks to seanomatopoeia at flickr for the great photo! The Hilly Lie FormulaThursday, November 03, 2005The Hilly Lie Formula, by Jim DeLaby, PGAAll golf courses are designed to with a 1-2% slope in order to drain water effectively, even the driving range and tee boxes which appear to be flat. As golfers on the Central Coast know, finding a flat lie once you leave the tee is a real challenge. Many of our courses are carved into canyons, are surrounded by hillsides or slope sleeply towards the ocean. Practically every shot after the tee shot involves a hilly lie - a slope of 3% or greater. That means that the average golfer, shooting 100, plays their other 82 shots - 36 putts and 46 approach shots - from hilly lies on greens, fairways and rough. That's 82% of your shots! So, when you're working on your game on the range, you're practicing on a flat lie that only comes into play on 18% of the shots you experience on the course. This results in most golfers loosing their balance over the majority of their shots on the course. The Hilly Lie Formula Since maintaining balance is paramount in hitting a successful golf shot, Jim DeLaby made this the key to his Hilly Lie Formula: BALANCE + BALL POSITION = SUCCESSFUL SHOT! Step 1 - Your weight should be on the lowest part of your feet (e.g.: if you are on a downhill lie then the weight goes to the target side foot). Depending on the slope, decide what percentage of your weight will be on the target side foot. Step 2 - Concentrate on holding that percentage exactly through the hitting area with a practice swing. Step 3 - Notice where the club landed and that is where you will place the ball in your stance. Step 4 - Now address the ball with that ball position and again concentrate on maintaining that balance percentage on the target foot. If a ball is above your feet then a higher percentage of your weight goes to your heels, since the heels are now at the lowest spot. Then start the 4-step process above. If the ball is below your feet, your weight percentage goes to the toes. Then start the 4 step process above. If you have an uphill lie and you want to sweep the shot like you did on the other three lie positions described above, then your weight goes to the back foot. Then start the 4-step process above. Learn more about Jim DeLaby and schedule a golf lesson. Getting Results from Golf LessonsWednesday, November 02, 2005As I've shared in prior posts, I took up golf again this year for the 5th time in my life. This time, like every other time, I hit a wall at 79 and usually end up shooting between 81 and 87. A few months ago, I was getting my game down in the low 80's pretty consistently, but then sprained my right hand pretty badly and had to take a month or so off (during my best round where I finally broke 80 at Chalk Mountain Golf Course). Since then, I haven't had too many good rounds. In fact, most of them have been over 87.So, last month, I decided to do something I promised myself I'd never do - take lessons. I've resisted for over 30 years since I haven't wanted to experience getting worse before getting better. It's kind of like giving up a good ski day to learn how to snowboard (which I finally did 12 years ago). Since I've never been able to play too much golf until this year, I just haven't wanted to waste any rounds playing poorly due to taking on a new swing or grip change. I'd seen too many other golfers go through this (and not necessarily ever get better). Plus, I just thought I could teach myself. As expected, I got worse right away. After my 1st lesson, which introduced me to a new grip, I shot my worse round in decades with a 98 at Cypress Ridge Golf Course. Interestingly, I started the round hitting each of the 1st 5 greens and fairways, but 3-putted every green. I was actually striking the ball solidly and adapting well to the new grip. But, the frustration with my putting gradually sent my round into a tailspin... A few too many OB's ruined the round. I just lost my composure. My next round, I got back down to 90 at Blacklake Golf Resort... a score I'd shoot on occasion in the past, but not one I'd consider a good round. Nothing felt right during this round, but I managed to get through it. I then spent some time at the range followed by a round at Morro Bay Golf Course a couple weekends ago. I pulled off an 83, which I was very happy with, but partially succeeded on good putting and chipping and wasn't ready to admit my lesson had helped. I then took my 2nd lesson with Jim DeLaby at Cypress Ridge Golf Academy, where he again focused mostly on my grip, since I'd gradually let it slip back to my old one (or a hybrid of the two). After this lesson, I finally "found my grip" and improved my posture. I had the opportunity to put it to use yesterday at Cypress Ridge Golf Course. I shot an 83 (on the very same course I had just shot that 98). I was hitting the ball better than ever. Drives were long and straight (with only a few exceptions due to mental lapses). I was nailing approach shots, putting almost every iron within 12 feet of the pin! I practically got through the round without even having to make any chip shots. Unfortunately, my putting wasn't on. I only capitalized on 1 out of about 4-5 good birdie opportunities and missed quite a few makable putts to save par. However, I only blew up on 1 hole where I triple-bogied after pushing a long straight drive just far enough left on 15 to go OB. I also had one double bogie after a poor sand shot on 8, followed by 3 putts (my only 3-putt). Overall, I was very pleased with my round, hitting 9 fairways and 9 greens in regulation. My improved ball striking was a direct result of the new grip I incorporated from taking lessons from Jim. With a little work on my putting, hitting sub-80 rounds looks very achievable. I've played this game enough to know though, that a 90 might come again before that 79 does! Anyway, I feel confident that a single handicap is something I can actually achieve... a handicap that's always been just out of my reach - before lessons! Golf Rewind Golf ForumTuesday, November 01, 2005 Here at Golf SLO, we've done quite a bit of investigation to find some of the best golf forums. Although we have found many worth recommending, the one we rate among the best is Golf Rewind. This privately run "family friendly" golf discussion forum is moderated by volunteers, hand-picked by its members, who make every effort to make it the best forum possible and to keep the best interests of the vast majority of the forum in mind. Golf Rewind provides forums to discuss general golf topics, tour talk, golf tips, golf equipment, club making & repair, equipment reviews, and a marketplace to buy and sell golf equipment. Head on over to Golf Rewind and sign up and introduce yourself. You'll find a friendly bunch of golfers, eager to share their advise and experience. www.golfrewind.com |
|
