McEwen Golf- The Houston Golf Clininc

2012-02-29T23:27:00.021-08:00

Houston Area Golf Professional- "Heal Your Game"

Finally, Golf has Made the Olympics
In 2016 when the Olympics arrive in Rio de Janeiro, the event will be historic in the minds of sports fans for two reasons. Firstly, the Olympic Games have never been held in Brazil and secondly it will be the first time for over a century that the games have featured golf as a medal sport. The talks of bringing golf to the medal world has been talked about over the years but in 2009 the decision become official, which much of the golf world very excited for the opportunity. Although undoubtedly there will be some players active today who will have retired by 2016, the presence of golf at the Olympics will make some extend their career by that little bit longer, so that they can feature in this historic event.
Golf at the Olympics will be something of a novelty both for golf fans and for lovers of the Olympics. The format of a typical golf tournament is not something that is often seen at the games, taking place over four days and on its own venue which cannot be used for any other sport. Nonetheless, golf now finds itself in the same position as tennis – winning all of the majors in one year is known as a Grand Slam, and adding the Olympic title makes it a Golden Grand Slam.
The chance to be the first Olympic Golf gold medallist for more than a century is sure to make the event one of the most competitive golf tournaments in history. Golf Course Designer Gil Hanse has been chosen to design the course that will host the 2016 Olympics, winning the selection over Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman and Gary Player. "I give the Olympic Committee a lot of credit," four-time major champion Phil Mickelson said at the Cadillac Championship in Florida. "Because it would have been easier to go with a big name and instead, they went with the best. I thought that was pretty cool." To say the least 2016 will be an Olympic Game for the ages.

Notable original designs by Gil Hanse
Castle Suart Golf Links – Inverness, Scotland

Crail Golfing Society – Craighead Links – Scotland
Rustic Canyon – Moorpark, California
Notable Hanse renovations
TPC of Boston – Norton, Massachusetts
Doral Blue Monster – Miami, Florida (home of this week’s WGC Cadillac Championship)
Monterey Peninsula Country Club – Pebble Beach, California
Notable Hanse restorations
Los Angeles Country Club – West Los Angeles, California
Sleepy Hollow – Scarborough, New York
Winged Foot Golf Club – Mamaroneck, New York

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Golf For Beginners
The 19th Hole Celebration
Part of the attraction for many golfers is the fact that there is such a strong social opportunity hitched to the game. To make sure that once you’re off the course, the fun doesn’t need to stop the clubhouse – often referred to as “the 19th hole” by golfers keen to distract attention from the fact that they are planning to drink hard liquor – is part of golfing tradition. Golf has long been considered as one of the sports where a relaxing drink after the game is almost just as expected as a pair of golf shoes. There is not much of a better way to unwind after a golf round, or settle up the money with your buddies then at the 19th hole.
Due to the popularity of this now "Golf Norm", many clubhouses have very good food options. However, not all clubhouses are the same, so important to know the differences between the different types of golf facilities. There are some clubs which are “Members Only” which the guest (non-member) must be accompanied by a member which are typically at Private Golf Courses. At the typical Public Golf Course, the 19th hole is available to everyone including non-golfers. Many courses have lunch and dinner specials that are to draw people who are not golfing into the clubhouse. Whether you are putting out on hole 18 or discussing business with a potential client, the 19th hole is a great environment to have food and drinks.
One thing that is in no doubt whatsoever is that without the clubhouse, golf would probably be less popular among a number of amateurs. Taking up golf is something that many people do for the social connections and for business reasons. Golf will retain that aspect for as long as golf, people, and business exist.

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A little research could help
For anyone who likes watching golf or playing it, it can be instructive to read up about the sport as well. There are few better ways to learn about something, or to become as knowledgeable as possible, than by reading articles on everything from golf clubs (the equipment) to golf courses (the places where you go to play), videos from golf instructors, and coaching clinics from professionals. There is a healthy market in golf magazines which provide game improvement tips for golfers with all skill levels. Go to any newsagent or most supermarket/convenience stores and you will find a wide range to choose from. The internet has more golf literature and resources then one would ever need to increase your familiarity with the sport.
The range really does vary from the extremely studious magazines, which favor articles on the technical points of the game, to the new generation of golf magazines which put the players front and center and will ask them more about themselves. Neither type of magazine is specifically better, because your choice will inevitably depend on your own taste. It is often beneficial to buy a few different magazines in order to get the most rounded impression of the game. If there is a star player you want to emulate, then you can only be helped by knowing both about the courses they play and the way they prepare.
A subscription to a golf magazine may also make an excellent present for the amateur golfer in your life. They will be only too glad to receive a magazine which will enable them to hone their game and learn about the stars of the sport. Be sure to choose wisely and try to filter out the information that does not apply to you. There is so much information available and so many new golf solutions that it is just as important to identify what information will work for you. Do your research and have fun learning.
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The Shoes to Match
There is probably a very long and very pointless conversation to be had about the footwear that differentiates the most popular sports. Wearing football cleats to the basketball court or trying to play baseball in bowling shoes would only make these sports that much more difficult. So what about golf shoes? Some people would say that playing golf in sneakers or sandals does not have much affect on ones golf game, but that is far from true. The need for golf spikes may not be as imperative as football cleats are but it does make a difference.
The shoes worn by golfers have small spikes on the soles, which are not dissimilar to the cleats on football shoes. The golf spikes provide traction, allowing you to get good grip on the ground when you are preparing to hit a shot. When the grass is wet or your ball comes to rest in a sand bunker, you will definitely notice the difference. The reason that the spikes are so much smaller than football cleats is because much of the game of golf is spent on the green putting. If you walked on the green in football shoes, the surface would be destroyed in no time at all.
Affordable golf shoes are easy to find on the Internet if you know where to look (McEwen Golf Store). The best shoes will last for some considerable amount of time, and will stay comfortable even over the five to six miles you can easily walk during a typical round of golf. Be sure to change the spikes on your golf shoes every few months and they will perform like new.

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The Evolution of Golf Gear

There is no shortage of sarcastic comments around on the dress sense of golfers, and to be honest it is hard to blame the people who make mention of it. Sometimes, golfers wear items of clothing that are simply "corny". The late, great Payne Stewart was famous for his knickers which ironically became the image associated as the normal attire for golfer. Most would summon up a stereotypical picture of what they would deem a golf outfit to be – and the likelihood is that most golfers dress nothing like that.
The evolution of golf clothing has come a long way in the past few years. Because golf is being more popular amongst the younger generations, Golf Apparel Companies have transcended there clothing that has cross over appeal. Companies such as Nike, Cobra, Travis Mathis, Adidas and Polo have become the front runners in making golf attire a lot more stylish. Most of there clothing can be worn on and off the golf course in a stylish way. Brands such as Cutter and Buck and Greg Norman continue to appeal to the slightly older golfer but is still a long way from the Knickers look.
When it comes down to it, there is a reason golf clothing to not look elegant or stylish. If a golfer took to the course wearing a full dress suit, their swing would be badly compromised. If they wore jeans on to the course, they would most times be breaking the Golf Courses dress code and also look out of place. Therefore it is important to find a compromise. Slacks are exactly the right compromise and nowadays the golf clothing companies are making them to appeal to any person.
Plenty of amateur golfers, and for that matter a number of the professionals, like to have a bit of fun with their clothing; look at players such as Rickie Fowler, Ian Poulter or John Daly. For some people, golf just wouldn’t be golf without a bright shirt and pants to match. Have fun and find the right style for your "golfer personality".

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Experience the Pressure
There will come a day when most amateur golfers will compete in a golf tournament, whether it be a company scramble or a local men's club event the tournament jitters will be met head on. It may not be the same feeling that the Professionals face on television with thousands of fans lined up outside the ropes watching their every move but nonetheless, a few unfamiliar eyes watching you tee off on the first hole can provide a few butterflies. Testing yourself against the best players from a golf club and can be fascinating – it allows you to see how you fare under pressure – and maybe win some cash or prizes.
Golf tournaments differ depending on the level you play at. Professionals play in tournaments that typically last four days, taking them through seventy-two holes of raised pressure and heart pounding moments. If they don’t play well enough on the first two days, then they may fall below the “cut line” – usually ten strokes behind the leader – or the top 75 players. If you make the cut, then you play for the final two days no matter what happens.The higher that you finish on the leader board, the more money that you make.
At amateur level, tournaments rarely last that long – after all, everyone has a job to go back to. They will frequently last a day or a weekend, and if you are playing in a tournament then pressure is always at its highest in the final holes when you stand a real chance of winning. A golf lead no matter how large or small is insurmountable, the winner can not be determined until the final putt is holed. There is nothing like playing in a tournament to see what kind of game you really have. The experience alone will help make you a better player and give you clarity of what area that you need to improve in. It will give you a better appreciation for the difficulty of making a 3 foot putt when there is a little "dough" on the line.
If you ask the best golfers in the world that feeling of first hole nerves never go away. It is just another trick that the Golf God's like to play.

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Do Not be Misconstrued
Watching golf on TV, it is often very easy to become complacent about what the sport requires of you. To the untrained eye, it is simply a matter of hitting the ball really hard once, slightly less hard another time or two, and then trying to get an accurate putt to round the hole off. What could be more simple? Actually, a lot of things. It may seem like those professionals just put the ball on the tee and smash it as hard as they can, but even the action replays the networks show cannot prepare you for the sheer physics of the best golf swing. It will take you a while to hone yours, be in no doubt about that.
A successful golf swing is about three specific parts – the back swing, the impact and the follow-through. Golf Professionals spend forever honing their swing and even at the top of their game can sometimes get it wrong. The back swing is about building up power, the impact itself is to direct and control the shot. The follow-through – although the ball has gone by this time – needs to be clean and full, otherwise your shot will not go according to plan.
If you cannot get to the course as often as would be ideal, then you are going to have to practice like young budding guitarists do. Practicing your golf swing in front of a mirror can help give you the visualization of how your swing should look. Before trying to tackle teaching yourself the golf swing, find a replicable local golf instructor who can explain exactly the positions of a golf swing. Watching the pros swing on television will not be enough to help you with your swing.

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Golf Break, a Great way to Escape

Golf is one of the most popular participation sports on this earth, and certainly one of the few where you can be watching someone play an event one day, and be playing that same course less than a week later. You may watch the Superbowl one night and go out and throw the pigskin around with your friends the following day, but you won’t be doing it on the same turf as the professionals who played in the previous night’s game. In golf, you can try and recreate that incredible putt you saw the day before too the absolute millimeter – which is pretty cool.
All over the world it is possible to play courses that have been walked by the superstars, and have been the location for some of sport’s most dramatic moments. This means that a golf package holiday can make some of your dreams come true. There are so many possible locations for a golfing holiday and finding that place is just a matter of finding where the sun shines most often throughout the year. The enjoyment of playing the great courses in Europe, America and beyond is enhanced by the knowledge that this is something other sports do not provide to the average fan.
It is a good idea to get down to your travel agent or checking the online resources for booking you next golf vacation. Golf has become a very popular getaway for couples and old friends looking to catchup and relax for a weekend. Do not settle for just watching the beautiful Pebble Beach sunsets or golfing in the desert, live the dream of playing these courses, and spending some time in a beautiful location. What can beat that?

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Try It, You Might Buy It!!
The most commonly held prejudice about golf is that it is a sport for the rich, that it goes along with sailing and horse riding as a sport that is ring-fenced off for players that were born with a silver spoon in their mouth. There was a time when this was substantially true, but as time has gone on it has become easier for less well-off players to take the game up and play it for fun – before going on to see if they can get better and if it is worth investing a little more money in better equipment so as to make their game flow better and get more enjoyment from it.
Cheap golf equipment is not as good as more expensive golf equipment – that simply goes without saying. However, not everyone can afford it. Not only this, but it is not always worth spending a bunch of money on the right equipment only to find that golf is not quite for you, or that you cannot afford to keep up your time on the course. If you want to get the best out of your early games of golf, it makes a lot more sense to get more basic equipment and see how good you are early on before adapting as you go along.
It is also not always possible to go to bigger and better courses right at the start, and you may find that you have to play on cheaper golf course. Don’t worry too much about that – golf can be pleasant on any course. Online golf sites such as golfnow.com has made golfing a lot more affordable with incredible golf rates. Do your research on equipment and golf rates if you are just starting out. The worst thing you can do is buy over priced equipment, play a course to challenging for your skill level and have a bad experience. Start out slow and enjoy the ride.

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HOUSTON GOLF NEWS

Registration for 2012 Shell Houston Open qualifying events available

The 2012 Shell Houston Open is approaching- Houston's PGA Tour event- will take place Mar. 29 through Apr. 1 on the Tournament Course at Redstone Golf Club in Humble.

A pair of qualifying events have been announced for golfers hoping to earn spots in the field of the tournament.

Pre-Qualifying will be held on Mar. 22, 2012, on the Tradition Course at Spring's Cypresswood Golf Club. The entry fee is $200 and the entry deadline is Monday, Mar. 19, 2012.

Pre-qualifying is required of all prospective entrants not otherwise exempt from qualifying (please see the qualifying entry form for details) and is open to professionals and amateurs with a handicap index that, when applied to the qualifying site's slope, will generate a handicap index of 2.0 or less.

The top 50 golfers (plus ties) from the Pre-Qualifying tournament will advance to the Open Qualifying tournament, which will be held on Mar. 26, also on Cypresswood's Tradition Course. Golfers successful in advancing from the Pre-Qualifying round into the Open Qualifying event will pay an additional entry fee of $200- the low four golfers from the Open Qualifying round will advance into the 2012 Shell Houston Open.

For additional information and entry details and forms, visit the "Open Qualifiers" page of the "Tournament Information" pages of www.stpga.com. If you need additional help, please call Eric Covert at the Southern Texas PGA office (832-442-2404).

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McEwen Golf: The Houston Golf Clinic

McEwen Golf- The Houston Golf Clininc