by Sandell Bennett on January 16, 2010
The other day at the range I put my money in the ball machine and ALMOST forgot to put the bucket in place. Only two balls escaped - comedy averted - but it got me thinking about being at the driving range. Whether it’s a basic facility, a well manicured hitting area with practice balls in nice pyramids, or a full-service operation like Miles of Golf, there are ways to make your visit safe, considerate and fun.
Don’t Go There
Never retrieve that mis-hit ball lying seductively just a few feet in front of you. The unbroken tees out there aren’t worth your noggin either.
Keeping an Eye on the Other Guy
Don’t set up too close to other players or walk in back of them. Before you walk into a stall, wait until golfers on both sides have finished their swings so they are not distracted.
Curb Your Cell Phone
Enough said.
Pace of Practice
If it’s crowded, you don’t need to rush your practice. Be mindful, work efficiently, and move away quickly when you’ve worked through your basket of balls.
The Art of Saying ”Thanks….. and Goodbye!”
You know him/her - Helpful Herbie. This is the person who has personal insights into your golf swing… and apparently all the time in the world to share them with you. Try saying, “Thanks, I’m working on that with my coach”.
What’s Right?
It’s perfectly OK to set up right-handers next to lefties. No particular etiquette there.
Save the Grass
On grass tees, try to keep divot pattern close together to minimize area that gets abused.
A Word About Winter
If you’re playing at heated tees, keep your clubs close to keep them warm - and turn off the heater when you leave.
Picking on the Picker and Other Strategies For a Good Time at the Range
You know what they say about golf, it’s just a stick and a ball. It’s all about having fun. So go ahead… it’s OK to try to hit the ball picker (we checked!). Play some games, promise yourself some rewards, (I WILL go shopping if I hit 10 wedge shots within a yard of the target. OK, make that two yards of the target), try something new, shake it loose…. you get the idea!
By all means, put that basket under the spout on the ball machine
At least once a week at Miles of Golf, someone doesn’t… who said golf isn’t fun?
by Sandell Bennett on November 24, 2009
HIT IT LIKE A PRO….
Men’s TaylorMade tour-caliber balls: TM TP Black and TM TP Red. Price: $43/dozen, now 2 dozen for only $55
HOT CLUBS AT COOL PRICES
TaylorMade Burner Series 2007. Our most popular metal wood line EVER!! Drivers, $149. Fairway Woods, $129. Hybrids, $99. What a deal.
GOLF BAGS-LITE
Bag manufacturers compete to make the lightest, most feature-laden, stylish stand bags. One favorite is the Ping 4 Under, as in under 4 pounds. PGA golfer Hunter Mahan used this bag recently in competition in New Zealand, a caddy-friendly move indeed. Price: $139.99. Miles of Golf has stand bags from Ogio, Sun Mountain, and Nike all under 4.5 pounds.
GET IT TOGETHER
Did you arrive at the course without socks? Do loose golf balls roam freely in the car trunk? Wish you had an extra hat or glove on hand?. Or maybe it’s a Rolaids? For every want-to-get-organized golfer on earth the Nike Trunk Organizer is the go-to gift. Price: $69.99
HAVE BAG, WILL TRAVEL
The Last Bag® by Club Glove is used by more touring professionals tour than any other product in golf. Its heavy-duty features are too numerous to mention here…. but they don’t call it the “Last Bag” for nothing. It’s the last one you’ll need. Price: $279.99
COTTON COMFORT
While most golf apparel manufactures tout the benefits of all-polyester, Ashworth continues to offer shirts that are a cotton/poly blend. If you like the look and feel of cotton, you’ll like these. Men and Women. Price range: $39.99- $59.99
EXPRESS YOUR INNER BELT BUCKLE
Adidas Golf makes it easy for golfers to play mix and match with their buckles and leather straps. There’s an in-store display at Miles of Golf for building your own belt. Take a look at the three-stripe Adidas theme in brushed metal, white, black, silver, lime, orange. Price: Buckles $19.99, Belt straps $39.99
KEEP THE COLD OUT IN STYLE
The Nike Winter Sweater Knit Women’s Golf Hat and Scarf set looks good on and off the course. 100% merino wool. Machine wash. White, Red. Price: $39.99
THE 15TH CLUB
Who doesn’t want to feel more confident on the course? Range finders and GPS devices can help you be just that. Read about them in this recent Miles of Golf Women’s Club post. Price range: $199.99 - $429.99
* * * * * FOR THE SMALL SET * * * * *
“I went to the animal fair;
The birds and the beasts were there”
Daphne’s Head Covers are a fuzzy, friendly menagerie of animals. Delight assured. Price: $24.99
CLUBS FOR YOUNG GOLFERS
US Kids Golf understands kids clubs. Their Ultralight and Tour Series are based on height and swing speed. Available as bag sets or as individual clubs. Prices: Individual clubs starting at $24.99. Starter sets with stand bag starting at $119.99
There’s currently a rebate program through 12/31/09 for the Tour Series: http://www.uskidsgolf.com/eng/storeSection/tsrebate.cfm
SHOES THAT REALLY SWOOSH
Nike’s junior Remix shoe is water resistant and sports an integrated spike system. But the cool part: the 8 custom color inserts that let the small golfer switch up the colors of their Nike Swoosh. It’s like having 8 pairs of shoes. Boys and Girls. Price: $49.99
by Sandell Bennett on November 23, 2009
MILES OF GOLF RANGE CARDS at half price
Purchase $50 worth of merchandise, and you’re eligible to buy an unlimited number of $20 cards for just $10. A great stocking stuffer!!
A TEE BELOVED BY GOLFERS AND MOWERS ALIKE
Zero Friction’s unique 3-prong design drastically reduces contact area between tee and ball for awesome distance. Company claims it’s the #1 tee on the PGA. Made with environmentally friendly materials that are biodegradable, it’s safe for course mowers. Price: $6.99 for 50
TEETOTALLER
Martini Tees stand up and are noticed with a full 3 1/4” length, festive colors, virtually unbreakable poly-resin, and a martini glass shape to make you smile. $4.99 for a 5 pack or $19.99 for a 24 pack with a free martini shaker!
HIGH TECH, HIGH COMFORT SOCKS
A feet treat. FootJoy TechSof Sport Socks are engineered especially for golf, targeting foot areas that receive the highest impact. There’s actually a left and a right sock! Nike and Adidas also offer high tech socks. Price: $9.99
TITLEIST HATS
Show your team spirit with a Titleist Golf hat. In addition to the Titlist script logo on the front, these hats have sports team logos. UM, Michigan State, Detroit Tigers… Price: $24.99
PRACTICE RANGE IN YOUR BACKYARD
AlmostGOLF’S Point3 golf ball is the first CO2 pressurized practice ball with real ball flight and performance. It’s extremely soft and very realistic - except it only goes 1/3 the distance of a regular golf ball. Grab a pack – great gift for every level of golfer.
Price: 10 pack $10.99. 36 ball pack $29.99
SPEAKING OF GOLF BALLS…
NEW Ladies iQ Precept Plus is the softest ball on the market. Longer distance at lower swing speeds and a soft touch around the green. Clear, Pink, White. Another option … Solaire, Callaway’s women’s ball, is a low-compression softie that is far-flying and light to the touch. Pure White, High-Vis Pink. Price: $19.99 per dozen
by Sandell Bennett on November 21, 2009
Golf’s a game of shot-making, of course, but behind the shots there’s the decision-making. With the 2008 change to Rule 14-3b, distance-measuring devices are more and more common around the course. Making decisions is becoming easier.
Range finders and GPS devices are simple to use, accurate, light, durable — and helpful. But hold the similarities there. They are very different pieces of equipment and selecting one or the other can be complex and personal. Ease of use, accuracy, innovation, travel use, cost, annual fees, buzz factor – each device offers a mixed bag of pros and cons. Another decision for the golfer!
RANGE FINDER
This is an optical device, part binoculars, part State Trooper’s speed gun, part 5th grade arithmetic exercise. Select and lock onto an object. The range finder shoots a laser, and by measuring how fast it travels to the target and back again, it determines distance.
Upside of the Range Finder
- Hassle-free – pop out of box, pop in battery, go.
- Works on every course everywhere. Great for travel.
- Measures distance to anything in line of sight – tree, face of bunker.
- Pinpoint accuracy to the hole location, not just to front, middle and back of green.
- Higher end models adjust distances based on changes of elevation (slope), giving readings of both straight distance and adjusted distance. Don’t guess about taking an extra club to that elevated green.
- Can be used on the practice range.
Downside of the Range Finder
- Requires a direct line of sight.
- Needs an object to target. Sometimes hard to measure edges of hazards or bunkers.
GPS UNITS
Simply put, GPS devices talk to satellites. They pinpoint your exact location on Earth and use previously recorded locations on the course to tell you the distance to important locations such as the front of green. You download maps of specific courses into the GPS.
Upside of the GPS Unit
- Easy to use on course – walk up to ball, look at your GPS, see where you are.
- You don’t have to see the target to know where it is. On a dog-leg, or in the woods? No worries.
- Most courses are mapped.
- Gives measurements like how far to carry the bunker in front of the green.
- Gives rough outline of the green – helpful if course is unfamiliar.
- Some have cool features, like Callaway’s uPro, which offers hole fly overs.
Downside of the GPS Unit
- Doesn’t measure exact pin placement. Measures only front, middle, back of green.
- Course maps must be downloaded. Most GPS units typically hold only a limited number of courses.
- Just one vendor, Sky Caddy, has its own GPS mapping team (those guys with backpacks). Others purchase satellite maps or images and may not be as accurate.
- Some require yearly fees for subscriptions.
Every owner of a distance-measuring device should know when to hold it and when to fold it. The new rule states “The Committee may make a Local Rule allowing players to use devices that measure or gauge distance only”. Most GAM events allow distance measuring devices. However, the PGA and the USGA have not adopted the same policy. Any model that features the slope feature will not be allowed regardless of the local rule.
There’s lots to learn about range finders and GPS devices. At Miles of Golf you can compare models such as Bushnell Tour V2, Nikon Lr550, as well as Sky Caddy, Golf Buddy and Callaway uPro. Talk to the staff about the fine points of each.
by Sandy Wagner on October 17, 2009
With a little cooperation from Mother Nature and some smart clothing choices, we can enjoy golf on and on through the fall season. It’s a splendid time to work on your game – the courses aren’t crowded and you can accomplish a lot. Here are two fun practice ideas that I use with the Women’s Golf Team at Eastern Michigan. Don’t forget your wooly hat!
Car Trunk Lock-Away
One of the things I like to do is play a round of golf with just a few clubs, bringing along my least-used ones. Put the rest in the car trunk or you might be tempted to pull them out. Try using as few as 2 or 3 clubs; the experience will be very educational. I had my EMU team use only their odd or even golf clubs. Besides the feedback that their bags were lighter :) , they all liked the experience because they had to be creative and hit clubs different distances with smaller or bigger swings. Their creative side was turned on.
Six Club Up-and-Down
Choose 6 different clubs, maybe a hybrid, 5 iron, 7 iron, 9 iron, pitching and sand wedges. It can be any combination of clubs. Pick one spot to chip from. From that spot chip one ball to the hole and putt it out. In order to get an up-and-down, your score would be 2 – one chip and one putt. Try to get up and down with each of the 6 clubs. Women on the EMU team get up and down with those 6 clubs and do it in a row! That will be the most challenging up and down game you will ever play. Hole it or not, you will learn what those 6 clubs do when you chip them, and you’ll learn to pick a different landing spot for each club.
Unleash your creativity this autumn!
by Sandell Bennett on October 17, 2009
Run down your get-me-to-the-golf-course mental checklist. Clubs, check. Shoes, check. Glove, hat, balls, check, check, check. Sunscreen, got it. Dollar bills to tip the bag boy? Whoops!
Bag boy, beverage cart driver, golf pro, caddie…. Where does tipping start, and please, where does it end? Is there any one who has not driven the cart directly to their car after a round just to avoid all the confusion and save a couple of bucks?
If you play at municipal courses you probably won’t encounter tipping situations, but sooner or later in the universe of golf you’ll find yourself face to face with a person who has given you a service. What to do? We’ve collected golf tipping guidelines from local pros and from the web, mere suggestions and educated guesses to help navigate one of the biggest mysteries in golf – tipping.
Generosity generalities
Adjust gratuities according to where you’re playing and the level of service you receive. If you’re at a high-end course, tips should be higher. And if you’ve received outstanding service, a larger tip is always appropriate and welcomed.
Bag Drop
Taking your bags from car to cart, $1-3 per bag.
On the return, taking bag to car including cleaning, $1-3 per bag.
Beverage Cart Driver
25% with a $1 minimum is about right. And if it’s an outing where the refreshments are free, you should still tip. Folks rely on tips to supplement their wages.
Starter
Not usually, unless something out of the ordinary has been done.
Caddie
If you’re playing at a course with a caddie, you’re at a high-end place. Tip an experienced caddie $50, a somewhat experienced caddie $40, and a rookie $30. You don’t have to tip the caddie master.
Golf Instructor
A tip is always appreciated, but is not customary. If an instructor has rocked your golf world, go ahead and show your appreciation.
Club Personnel
If you belong to a club, don’t forget the folks who man our clubhouses, listening to our personal play-by-play wrap-ups, answering our questions, carting our clubs, attending to our needs over the whole season. Instead of handing over a tip each time you golf, you might give a larger tip a few times over the season.
“Got it!”
At moments of sheer tipping confusion at the golf course, is there a sweeter sound? My partner is handling the tip!. I vow to be better prepared next time.
Got more tipping insights? Send us a post.
Disclosure: The author is related to a former bag boy!
by Sandell Bennett on September 14, 2009
IMPROVING FLEXIBILITY, STRENGTH & BALANCE … AND OUR GOLF GAMES!
I stood on one foot, shut my eyes – and toppled over. Jeff Goble, Director of Instruction at Kendall Academy watched the leaning tower of womanhood and made a notation: under 5 seconds. A typical golf pro holds the no-peeking pose for more than 28 seconds. OK, yet another reason why I’m not a golf pro. But can I improve balance and other physical roadblocks to my better golf game? Yes! And raise my overall fitness level too. Game on.
We met with Jeff a couple of weeks ago at Miles of Golf, and he put us through a series of simple exercises designed to identify physical limitations that impact our golf games. Jeff is a certified instructor for the Titleist Performance Institute (TPI). After the assessment with Jeff, the program generated a personal fitness handicap and a just-for-me routine delivered through the MyTPI website, complete with scheduled workouts, video instruction, and plenty of information on golf-specific health and fitness.
It’s like having a personal trainer show up at the house 3 days a week.
“A golf fitness regimen starts out as something you do to lower your score,” said Dr. Greg Rose, a co-founder of TPI. “People aren’t thinking about their health at all. But it ends up making you more fit over all. It recharges people, and they play better too.”
Sounds good! So we’ve embarked on a 6-week TPI Workout Program after which we’ll head back to Jeff for a progress assessment.
THE EVALUATION
It takes half an hour, nothing too strenuous. Wear comfy workout clothes, sneakers and bring golf shoes if you wish. No clubs necessary.
First we chatted with Jeff about expectations, any physical limitations, how the program works, etc. We hit a few 9 irons while he videotaped, so he can give our swings slo-mo scrutiny. Then we went on to the main event, about a dozen exercises to assess flexibility, core strength and balance. Jeff is a walking ad for the program, demonstrating the moves to perfection. He’s also patient and humorous. It all looked easy. Looks deceive.
EVALUATION FINDINGS
Within a couple of days we received our official TPI e-welcome, login info and evaluation findings including our personal physical handicaps and inspirational/motivational remarks. “You have over 180 degrees of flexion in your lat muscle on the right. Normal range of motion on the PGA Tours is over 180 degrees”. Very rewarding. Or, “It was very difficult for you to stabilize your pelvis in the bridge position, which indicates a weakness in the left glute”. Oh yeah? Just wait 6 weeks!
STARTING THE WORKOUT - FIRST DAY, FIRST WORKOUT
I logged into MyTPI and clicked on the first of my personal workouts. Each is demonstrated in a video that can be downloaded to an iPod. You can print off the exercise info too.
Some folks may head to the gym to do the TPI exercises, but I’ll do them at home, opening up the back sliding door and looking out at the still-green world. Winter’s ahead, but I’m thinking spring.
We’ll update you on our TPI progress.
If you have questions about the program, contact Jeff Goble.
by Sandell Bennett on September 14, 2009
ETIQUETTE AT THE TEE BOX
Tee the ball and get set up for the drive; envision a beautiful arc down the fairway, and the bounce and roll that carries further still. Brava! The teeing area is like a stage, each golfer stepping up to perform, every drive a soliloquy of motion. Alas, poor golfer … sometimes we flub our lines. Well, that’s golf.
The teeing area is a pretty staightforward piece of real estate, but like everywhere on the golf course, there are things to know. Learn the little details by heart, and then go ahead and deliver that top-flight performance.
Nine notable things to know and do around the teeing area
Brand your ball
Ever hit someone else’s ball on the course? You take 2 penalty strokes… and many self-inflicted lashes of embarrassment, regret and distraction. Save yourself! Before you begin your round, know what brand of ball you’re playing, tell the other players, and be sure to mark them with a distinctive squiggle, dot or initial. Golf is confusing enough.
Ready or not
Has your group decided to play ready-golf? If so, there’s no order to players teeing off. Be aware, though, many golfers play honors; the player with the best score on the previous hole has the honor of teeing off first. If no one wins the hole, then the order of play does not change from the previous tee. Who tees first on the first hole? That’s often determined by random, or sometimes the player with the lowest handicap gets it going.
Hitting from the “ladies tees”
Stina Sternberg, former editor of Golf For Women Magazine and current TV golf personality, has some strong opinions about what tees to use and she shares them in her Golf Digest blog: “Ladies tees” is an out-dated term – like calling a flight attendant a stewardess. It might have been acceptable years ago, but today it’s insulting. Tees should have nothing to do with gender and everything to do with the golfer’s skill level. If you’re a short hitter, you should play from the forward tees, no matter your age or gender. It pains me to watch men who can’t hit the ball 200 yards off from the whites – or heaven forbid, the blues. The reverse is also true: Long hitters should move back, even women. I know many men who cringe when they play against a woman who bombs it from the reds. It’s a huge advantage”. Thanks, Stina.
Behave
When someone’s teeing off, stand safely and courteously out of the way and out of her peripheral vision. Turn off your conversation and stand still, no banging of clubs, blowing of noses, sneezing, coughing or wiggling of anything. This is the theatre, remember?
Pretend you’re a caddie
Watch everyone’s drive and make note of the spot where each ball lands. Have you ever disowned your errant drive, its pathetic path too painful to watch? It’s great to have another pair of eyes. I always appreciate it when someone can quickly and accurately help me find a hidden ball.
When it’s your turn…
Have your club ready, and ball and tee in hand. Rule 11 defines the teeing area as “a rectangular area two clubs lengths in depth, the front and sides of which are defined by the outside limits of two tee markers”. Think of a rectangular box. You may stand outside the box, but your teed ball must be inside it.
When you’re done, attend to some housekeeping, filling in your divot with the sand mixture provided. Don’t forget to pick up your broken tee.
Curb your cart
Motorized carts should not be driven on the teeing area, and the best-mannered golfers will even leave their pull carts and carry bags off of it.
Just a wee bit of tee history
Early golfers made tees from piles of sand. At each teeing ground, courses provided sand in boxes as well as water so golfers could clean up. Sand tees are long gone, but the term “tee box” has remained and is now used by golfers to refer to the entire short-grassed area where a hole begins. A more accurate name would be “teeing area” or teeing ground”.
Exit stage right, stage left, just exit!
When your group has finished driving, be ready to move out with dispatch. Show’s over.
by Sandy Wagner on August 10, 2009
Words of wisdom from Eastern Michigan University Women’s Golf Coach and Kendall Academy Instructor
Summer’s winding down, autumn is in sight, and my ardent advice is, “Don’t put the clubs away!” Late summer and fall golf in Michigan can be downright glorious. There are so many reasons to keep swinging.
On the Course
End of summer the courses start to slow down. Tee times are easier to get, or not needed at all. When you’re one of just a handful of players out there, you have more time to play a shot or maybe even take an extra one without feeling rushed. As an added benefit, some courses offer slow-season price deals.
Here’s To Our Health!
Do something that you love and get exercise too – is there any better reason to continue golf in the off season? And let’s not forget the social positives of connecting with friends. And how about the stress buster aspects of being active and out-of-doors? Golf’s a hobby with health benefits – let’s keep it up.
Getting Better All The Time
Fall and winter (ok, I said that cold word!) are great times to work on your swing. I always see a slowdown in my lesson business the first part of September, and though that is partly due to my commitment to the Women’s Golf Team at Eastern Michigan, the end-of-the-season golf slowdown is also at work. I encourage you to think about golf improvement year-round.
I have a Women’s Practice Club that starts up the first part of November and runs through mid-March. Many participants will tell you that though they aren’t scoring a ball during those months, they are improving their techniques and using repetitive motion to fix flaws and improve consistency. Not worrying about scoring can be the best kind of practice.
Picture It!
Golf is a game of mental imagery. Visualize your shot, picture the ball flight, see it headed to the cup. Off-season golf offers plenty of opportunities to practice the power of the mind. Work on mental imagery. You’re on your favorite course - it’s 80 degrees with a light breeze. In Winter Practice Club it’s fun to work on imagery drills . Picture green grass and sun shine! The looks on new winter practice members always give me a chuckle when the snow is flying!
We’re not ready to kiss summer goodbye just yet. There are too many good rounds to be had. But think ahead. Consider a lesson this fall or winter, and see where it takes you. (Lesson rates are also cheaper in the off-season) If you are looking for a fun weekly activity this winter, consider the Women’s Winter Practice Club at Miles of Golf. Details will be coming soon. It’s the perfect way to beat Old Man Winter!
If you’re having difficulty scheduling a lesson with me because of my limited availability, just email me: swagner2@emich.edu . I’ll do everything I can to help you!
by Sandell Bennett on August 10, 2009
When you see your ball bound into a bunker you know your round just got a little tougher. And what’s a player to do, but shake off dejection and bound into the bunker too. Just don’t shake off the etiquette. Be thoughtful and fair to other players and maintain pace of play. Here are 10 tips just for the sand.
- Before you go into bunker, pick appropriate club, visualize your shot and take your practice swing in the grass.
- Enter at low point near your ball. Protect those fragile, high-maintenance bunker faces.
- Don’t touch sand with club or rake, or kick it around with your shoe. This isn’t etiquette - it’s the rules. You can scootch your feet a bit as you set up for your shot.
- Take same path out of the bunker to minimize raking and time.
- Leave no footprints behind. Rake it back and forth, nice and smooth, and use the back of the rake too. No ridges, please.
- Put the rake in its place. In Misc./2 Decision the USGA admits there’s no perfect answer for position of rakes, but recommends placing them outside the bunker. In addition, The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America recommends that rakes outside the bunker be placed flat on the ground (tines up) and parallel to the hole’s direction of play. These guidelines seek to minimize rakes’ influence on play. Extra etiquette points for placing rake at some distance from other rakes, saving steps for the next sand-bound soul who comes this way.
- Some courses ask that you leave the rake inside the bunker, so pay attention.
- Lend a hand. Sometimes a player gets out of the bunker but is still the next to play. She’s got to rake, dust herself off, move to her ball, size up her shot, pick her club, all those things. If you’re nearby, offer to rake while she prepares for her next shot. This ranks somewhere between, “May I wash your kitchen floor”, and “Could I watch your kids for the afternoon” - one cool and friendly move indeed.
- Speaking of smooth moves, have you noticed the way the pro’s bang their shoes with their club after they exit a bunker? It’s an emphatic, “I’m-out-of- there!” flourish. Probably worth a try.
- A matter of terminology. You won’t find “Sand trap” in the Rules of Golf. “Bunker” is the word for it.
- And check out the USGA video on bunker etiquette!
