2007

Cold Weather Tips:

When playing golf on colder days you'll need to use more club. When the temperature drops, a golf ball will not compress as much as it would on a warmer day. Therefore less energy is transferred from the club to the ball and the ball will not travel as far. Your wardrobe can also affect this. The more layers of clothing you are wearing, the less flexibility you will have in order to make a full swing. So if you normally hit a 7 iron from 150 yards, your best bet is to club up to a 6.

Flagpole Follies: 

Often times you hear teachers of the game and touring professionals use the term "trust", such as trust your swing, commit and trust, trust your 1st read of the green, etc.  However, one thing that might be a disclaimer to this is to trust your visible judgment when hitting shots into a green.  Items such as flat light, haze, and even topography can play into what your brain thinks as compared to true yardage.  One item that is really helpful to learn is the height of the flagpole on a golf green.  Golf Courses often times use different length flagpoles ranging from a short as 5 feet to the classic tournament pole that is approximately 8 feet in length, and in some rare cases even taller poles may be used.  The shorter flagpole will yield an appearance of a yardage actually being farther than what it may actually be, and conversely a taller flagpole will give the visible translation to your brain of the approach shot being shorter.  So when playing a round of golf, hold the flagpole up beside you and estimate it's height and ultimately trust your yardage markers as compared to what your brain says. 

Playing in the wind:

Spring winds can reek havoc on a golf ball. When playing with the wind at your back think of the old saying, "tee it high and let it fly". Often times you can gain more distance by using a 3 wood off of the tee as opposed to a driver because the ball will stay in the air longer. The opposite is obviously true when playing into the wind. Here, the thing to remember is to simply take a little more club as a stronger lofted club will keep the ball under the wind. To assist in this, try playing the ball off your back foot at address. Gauging cross winds is simply guess work, but be certain to allow for the wind to move the ball. Wind can even effect your putting stroke. A good way to stabilize yourself is to widen your stance. This gives you a lower center of gravity and will keep the wind from knocking you off balance.

Beware of the summer sun:

One in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime. A person's risk for skin cancer doubles if he or she has had five or more sunburns. A round of golf can last four to five hours which can increase a golfer's exposure to dangerous ultra-violet radiation. One way to protect yourself against the risk of skin cancer is to wear plenty of sun block. One with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or greater is recommended. To assure that you have an effective sunscreen look for The Skin Cancer Foundation's Seal of Recommendation on the label. Another precaution is to cover as much area of skin as possible. Wear a hat that shades your ears and nose. Those with fairer skin may want to consider a long sleeve shirt and pants. With the advent of lighter more breathable fabrics this may not be so uncomfortable as temperatures rise.

Why must play be delayed due to to frost on cold mornings?

We understand a golfer's eagerness to get off the first tee, but playing on a frost-ridden course could ultimately mean even longer delays. You see, grass becomes hard and brittle when frost (i.e., crystallized dew) gathers on it. Plus, a grass blade is already 90% water, making subject to freezing when the mercury starts to dip. Walking on frost covered greens causes the plant to break and cell walls to rupture. The result is a thinning of the plant surface and a weakening of the plant. The greens in turn become more susceptible to disease and weeds.  Because of short mowing heights (sometimes lower than 1/8 of an inch) and the fragile nature of turf, putting greens are most affected by frost. But frost also brings all course preparations to a halt until thawing takes place. Because golf carts can cause considerable damage, maintenance personnel can't maneuver around the course to mow, change cup positions, or perform typical daily preparations.