When you do step onto the driving range, be sure to make your practice as close to a real round of golf as possible. Wear the shoes and glove that you would normally wear, and stretch and warm up in the same manner you do before playing. You should also take time to mentally prepare yourself for the shots you will be practicing, eliminating any distractions and getting in the zone.

As you being your practice, spend some time taking swings without hitting any balls. Let your body get into a rhythm and loosen up so that when you do begin to hit balls, you are making each shot count. When you are ready to start hitting, focus on one club at a time. This will give you the chance to have repetition that allows you to feel the right or wrong shots and to have steady practice without feeling rushed. It will also give you the chance to see how your different shots are affected by the different clubs you use.

You should always go to the driving range with a specific goal in mind. You may go once with your goal being to increase your power and distance on your shots, or perhaps you want to work on improving your aim. Whatever your goal for the day, be sure to spend the necessary time working on it. if you are working specifically on improving your distance, set mini-goals using the measurement markers to help you track your progress. You may spend time hitting as far as you can, but may also want to try to get your ball specific distances. Those measurement markers are there for your benefit and are great tools to utilize as you set goals. Perhaps you are working on your aim. Select specific targets rather than just hitting in a general direction. Even if you do not hit your target each time, it will help you to have more narrow goal.

Be careful not to get frustrated with one goal and move abruptly to the next. Devote the necessary time, even if it feels discouraging, in order to really see improvements. You may also want to spend some time working with your “problem” clubs, or those that seem to give you the most trouble. There will be days when those are the only clubs you take to the range so you can spend time practicing just with them. Take only those clubs if it is a temptation to move on from the problem clubs to the ones that you are better at hitting. On a day when your focus is on improving your shots with difficult clubs, do not spend time with your clubs that you are already good at using. That is a waste of time designated for a specific goal.

As you practice, try to keep your routine as authentic as possible. Set up your shots the way you would during a round, and do the things you would normally do between shots to create the environment that most closely mimics your actual golf game. One of the best things about spending time on the driving range is that there is no reason for you to rush or ever feel rushed. You can spend 30 minutes or four hours there; it is completely up to you. In addition, any time that you are on the driving range should not be rushed. No one is waiting on you and this is an important time for you to concentrate and focus on your goals, shots and improving your game.

Although your scores come down to a limited number of shots, the driving range is the optimal place to take as many shots as you need to ensure that you are able to hit the correct one when it really matters – during an actual game. Spending quality time on the driving range with specific goals and working on the individual aspects of your game are the keys to making big improvements. Not only will you increase your skills, but your confidence in your abilities and in your game will grow, making a significant difference in the scores you record in the future.

For a variety of reasons, incorporating physical exercise and fitness into golf training is essential. In general, the greater your overall health, the better you will golf. During the off-season, the average golfer can put on between five and ten pounds. Not only is gaining weight harmful to your health, carrying extra weight prevents your hips from rotating as quickly as they would otherwise. They have less powerful drive which results in a less effective swing.

Working to keep weight down during the off-season can also keep you focused on your golf, even when you are not playing regularly. Having a goal of maintaining a healthy weight will help you set and work toward golf-related goals throughout the entire year. To do this, regular cardiovascular activity is an essential part of a workout routine. It can be jogging outdoors, using your favorite treadmill or elliptical machine at the gym, or any activity of your choice that gets your heart rate up.

You may even want to go walk the golf course you regularly play. Even if it is closed for the season, you may be able to walk the paths. This will keep you familiar with the course and even give you the chance to look at and analyze it in a way you have not previously. Walking nine holes on a hilly course is the equivalent of walking two and a half miles, and gives you the chance to be in a spot that you love, even if you are not playing.

In addition to getting regular cardiovascular exercise, strength training is important to not only maintain your health but also to develop your strength for improved golf swings. For instance, good hip strength will allow you to have a faster swing. Many people are concerned that strength training will cause them to become bulky, hindering rather than improving their golf game. However, when done properly, strength training allows people to gain strength without increasing their bulk. One of the best ways to do this is to use your own body weight in your workouts, doing exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, squats or lunges all without added weight.

Whatever type of exercise you do, your workouts should be focused on improving endurance, flexibility and core strength. These are all areas that can be affected in a good cardio or strength training workout, but one of the favorite ways to focus on these areas is through yoga. Many golfers have started to practice yoga, even golf-specific poses and stretches, because of the improvement they see in their flexibility as well as the way it can improve core strength, which in turn helps increase control of the body and results in better golf shots.

Following every workout, be sure to stretch. This is an important part of overall health for everyone, but particularly golfers, because the less flexible you are, the shorter and less effective your swing will be. Important stretches are those that focus specifically on your hips and back.

All off-season long, it will be important to stay focused on your golf game and pay attention to the ways you can improve, even off of the course. As you engage your golf mind, you can continue to become a better golfer, although you are not playing regularly. You can watch videos about golf technique or have your swing recorded and analyzed by a pro to learn what to do differently in the upcoming season. As you practice swinging off the course, you will be able to stay focused on your game.

Maintaining your health, both physical and mental, is a very important part of being a good golfer. The action you take off of the course can be just as important to a well-played game as the shots you take. Staying physically healthy and mentally focused will play a critical role in helping you lower your score and maintain your golf skills all year long.

Photo credit: chispita_666

With a little digging, the following unofficial rules have been discovered, and learning them should not only improve your game, but will also increase the camaraderie between yourself and fellow players as you rise to the level of someone who understands the intricacies of the game.

Do not talk. While this might be obvious to most golfers, some simply do not pick up on this, and instead, chat through other players’ set ups and swings. Some chatter may be acceptable between holes or in the golf cart, but when others are prepping and taking shots, be quiet. This little piece of common sense advice will endear you to the other members of your group, while failing to follow it might keep you from getting any future invitations to play.

Hold still when others are hitting. Again, this may seem like another obvious tip, but is one that can make a big difference. Good shots require high concentration, and when you do something that is distracting to other players trying to take their shots, including rustling around in your bag or walking around in the near vicinity, it can break their concentration and ruin their shot.

Respect others’ putting lines. As your fellow golfers read the green to set up their putt, the last thing they want is someone stepping where they are planning to hit and changing anything about the surface of the green. Just as you would hate for someone else to do anything that derailed one of your shots, your golf buddies will not be very happy if they miss a putt because of something you did.

Do not let your shadow cover the hole. Reading greens is difficult business without added complications. When other members of your group are putting, stand well away from the hole and be sure that you monitor the position of the sun so that your shadow is not covering the hole or area around it.

Rake the sand in the bunker. Having to take a shot from a bunker might put you in a bad mood – and rightfully so. However, this is not a good excuse for forgetting your manners and failing to be courteous, especially for any groups that come behind you. Beautiful golf courses can only stay beautiful when they are well maintained, and part of that good maintenance depends on golf patrons taking care of the course. If you hit a shot into the sand, as angry as it might make you, rake the sand afterward and leave that bunker looking better than you found it.

Dress appropriately. Especially if you are playing as a guest of someone at their club, learn the acceptable dress before showing up to play. Many clubs and courses require collared shirts or may ask their members not to wear certain types of clothing. If you are unsure about what is appropriate, ask you host or make a call to the club’s pro shop. They will be happy to tell you and it will save you from the embarrassment you would feel showing up to golf in the wrong attire.

Control your temper. There is a good reason that many people “quit” golf on multiple occasions in their lifetime. Although it is one of the most entertaining sports and pastimes, it can also be one of the most frustrating, and one bad shot can feel like the end of the world. This is no excuse, however, for losing control, showing your anger, or throwing a child-style temper tantrum. As bad as a shot is, it will not warrant the throwing of clubs or your huffing around for the next few holes. Not only is behavior like this rude, but can frustrate you so greatly that subsequent holes and shots are also a disaster.

Turn off your phone. A ringing phone in the middle of someone’s backswing is one of the most distracting things for any golfer. If possible, leave your phone in your car or locker where it can ring without disturbing anyone. If your phone must absolutely be with you for some reason, turn the ringer off. Be careful, however, not to keep your phone somewhere where the noise of its vibration will be enhanced. Putting a vibrating phone in your cart’s cup holder or in a pocket where it rattles against golf balls will produce a terrible noise that will annoy your fellow golfers even more than hearing a ringtone might.

If you are ever in doubt of what behavior is acceptable, watch the other golfers around you. Follow their etiquette and channel their behavior the next time you go golfing.

Aeration and Topdressing

In the past we have had to close the course for two days for each of the greens aerations in March, June, and August, as well as for two or three days for aeration and topdressing of fairways and tees in July. Each of these procedures would additionally be followed by a two to four week “healing period,” a time when course conditions would be less than optimal. With the improvements we have made, that pattern will change this year and going forward because the playing surfaces of the entire golf course are now all warm season grasses, a type of grass that allows us to accomplish all the necessary aeration and topdressing requirements at one time.

Native Grass Plantings

We are excited to continue our warm-season native grass plantings. The major area of focus for 2013 will be a massive planting stretching from the 17^th greens complex to the area beside the 15^th tee complex and down the hill to the area behind the 14^th green. This planting will occur in three stages, beginning in late April and scheduled for completion near the end of May. Not only do these plantings enhance the golf course visually, but they are also important in the way they reduce the amount of pine straw that is used at the course, helping Old Chatham keeping expenses down. We will continue to enhance the out-of-play areas with native grasses throughout the golf course over the next few years.

John Marino, Old Chatham’s director of operations, expressed appreciation for the chance to get to see the trophy in person. “We are all passionate about golf,” he told Triangle Business Journal. “To hold the same trophy that so many champions have handled is truly awe-inspiring.” The trophy was on display in the clubhouse, where members could view it. (Did you get a photo with the trophy? Send it to us at ProfessionalShop@oldchathamgolf.org!)

A closeup of the U.S. Open Trophy.

The U.S. Open is one of the four major championships in golf and one of the most prestigious invitational championships in all of sports. It is part of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour. Hosted by the USGA, it is held each June in various locations around the country. In 2014, the Open will come to North Carolina, where it will be held at Pinehurst Resort.

Old Chatham Director of Development Jodi Tata with the U.S. Open Trophy.

Hogan is a favorite of many Old Chatham members, including John Schade, a painter who specializes in western Native American themes and who spearheaded the Hogan portrait project. Schade has even credited Hogan for closing the deal that got him to join Old Chatham, after Hogan accompanied him on an enjoyable golf cart ride around the course. He says that his story is not unique, but that many club members have a similar tale and a great relationship with the club mascot. Many club members made generous donations to this project; in fact, there was extra money available for donation to the Chatham Animal Rescue and Education, Inc. (CARE).

Hogan’s favorite pastimes include riding around the course with director of operations John Marino, and greeting members as they enter the pro shop. Hogan even has his own specialty clothing line featured in the pro shop: hats, shirts, sweaters and accessories with Hogan’s own personal logo of a black Lab with short legs, a stocky tail and a red collar. He has been a familiar and friendly face at the club for more than eight years. The member relations director reports that when Hogan had a tumor removed in 2012, more members read and responded to the emails about Hogan’s treatment than they had to any other club-wide email ever sent.

Although he is the only member of the Old Chatham family that does not actually play golf, Hogan’s passion for the game and the club’s members is unmatched. This portrait of him is well deserved and will be a favorite piece of art in the club.

This year’s event featured Gary Crunkleton of Chapel Hill’s renowned private social club, The Crunkleton, and Andy Plate, Old Chatham’s representative from Polo Ralph Lauren Golf, who featured selections from Polo’s Spring 2013 and Fall 2013 Men’s and Ladies’ golf lines.

Gary Crunkleton’s affability and his knowledge of fine scotches met an equally enthusiastic crowd that evening. Similar to how the terroir affects a wine, the microclimate at the growing fields and distilleries, local waters used in fermentation and proximity to the sea all impact the flavor of a scotch. Twelve scotches were chosen for the evening along with savory food pairings to highlight the subtle differences between them.

Head Chef Matt Romatzick created House Smoked Salmon on Pretzel Crostini with Dill Creme and Smoked Almonds to compliment the smokey flavor found in most single malts. The fat found in the variety of cheeses served and other dishes helps to buffer the palate, allowing one to more enjoy the first few sips, which could be too astringent for some.

Warm Dates Stuffed with Blue Cheese and Wrapped with Ham blends the salty-sweet-smokey flavors that perfectly compliment nearly any single malt. The longer time spent in barrels, the darker the scotch, and Matt’s Deep Rich Chocolate Pate combines well with these, particularly those with a little coffee flavor in the finish.

The scotches? Here’s a little something to get your mouth watering:

Tobermory 15 Year Island Single Malt: The nose is medium-bodied and rich. There are notes of sultanas and Oloroso sherry, lemon and orange peels with feinty, honeyed cigar box hints with requisite smoke rising gently. The palate is full-bodied with notes of sherried peels and winter spice, crème de cacao and peppery oak. The finish is long and spicy with notes of walnut and salty melted butter.

Auchentoshan 18 Year Lowland Single Malt: Triple-distilled and expertly matured, Auchentoshan 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky is a delicate, complex dram with luscious toffee, chocolate, vanilla, almond, and candied tangerine notes.

Highland Park 18 Year Island Single Malt: Proclaimed “The Best Spirit in the World” in F. Paul Pacult’s Spirit Journal (Volume 15, Issue 2/June 2005), Highland Park 18 Year Old is a simply spectacular bottling. A luscious burnished gold color, this dram has an inviting bouquet of honey, wildflower, peat, and smoke. The palate is layered and complex with notes of toasted walnut, honey, baking spices, chocolate, caramel, and smoke. Utterly mouthwatering, this will quickly become a new favorite.

Here’s the others Old Chatham Members enjoyed:

Aberlour A’Bunadh Highland Single Malt
Ardbeg Uigeadail Islay Single Malt
Springbank 15 Year Campbelltown Single Malt
Talisker “Distiller’s Edition” Skye Single Malt
Oban “Distiller’s Edition” Highland Single Malt
Bunnahabhain 18 Year Islay Single Malt
Isle of Jura 16 Year Island Single Malt

The Swatches? Polo Golf surged back on to the golf apparel scene three years ago with the introduction of their performance line, RLX. It combines their proprietary performance fabric with the styling of Ralph Lauren, which the Pro Shop Staff thought was ideal for Old Chatham and it’s been a top seller since then. “Their commitment to delivering quality goes hand in hand with our philosophy here,” says Director of Operations John Marino. John has been on their Advisory Board since its creation in 2010. “Polo is interested not only in the apparel itself, but the delivery, the embroidery, the customer service. Those elements make a real difference in how we can serve our members.”

Many golf shops offer their clients the chance to get “fit” for golf clubs. Often, golfers wonder what this means and whether they should do it. Being properly fit by a teaching professional can have a number of advantages for a golfer, including their increased confidence when they know that they are playing with clubs that are made specific for them. When clubs are fit, they will be specifically suited to an individual’s height, strength, club head speed, swing characteristics and playing level.

As golfers get ready to purchase new clubs, many wonder if they should get fit for a set. Whether you are a beginning golfer or an accomplished player being fit for a set of clubs by an expert can only help you. Only 5% of golfers fit into a standard set of clubs so the remaining 95% of the golfing population has some customization to their set of clubs. The things that can be customized are the length of the shaft, the flex, weight and material (steel or graphite) of the shaft and the lie angle, also the grip size as well as the loft of the club.

If you are currently playing with a set of clubs that were not fit for you I would bet that your inconsistencies on the golf course could be stemming from your clubs. For example; if your ball flight is a fade your irons could be too flat which means the toe of the club digs into the ground at impact. When the toe enters the turf first or too deep the club opens up and the result is a ball that starts right and stays right of your target. If a player keeps missing to the right he/she will then compensate for their miss resulting in inconsistencies in ones game.

Most Golf Professionals have a small fitting fee and many will waive this fee with the purchase of a set. I feel it is always helpful to be upfront with the Golf Professional about your commitment level when going through the process; are you just checking things out or are you buying clubs that day. The Professional is there to help you and they only want what is best for you. Find a Golf Professional that is knowledgeable, friendly and helpful and the fitting process will be something you will be glad you did.

A fitting with a Golf Professional will take about an hour and can be done indoors or out. I would always recommend outdoors because the Professional you are working with can see the ball flight which is a factor in the fitting process. Many indoor facilities now use launch monitors that will give the Professional and student data to help them with their fittings but the “eye test” is always the best.

Clubs that fit you properly can be a real game changer. They help you swing better, allowing you to play your best, and improve at a faster rate giving you greater confidence in your game and making your experiences on the course more enjoyable and leaving you without any more “fits” on the course.

John H. Marino, PGA

Old Chatham Golf Club

(Photo credit:  kulicki on Flickr)

Old Chatham Ranks Second Among Golf Courses In The Triangle Region

DURHAM, N.C. – Old Chatham Golf Club, a Triangle-based golf club, has announced that the course was named to Business North Carolina’s 2012 list of top 100 golf courses in North Carolina. The magazine ranked Old Chatham second out of 68 courses in the Triangle region.

The top 100 is voted on by a group of panelists that use a scoring system that considers conditioning, routing, design, strategy, memorability, fairness, variety and aesthetics to determine the rankings. The panel is a 135-member organization that includes journalists, golf professionals, college coaches, noted amateurs and business leaders. Panelists can only vote for courses that they have played.

The course at Old Chatham is currently closed for course design improvements including additional bunkers, undulation in greens and the installation of Champion Bermuda greens. It will reopen Friday, Aug. 31 with a putting contest among the members on the new greens.

QUOTES:
“It is an honor to be ranked among Business North Carolina’s top 100 golf courses,” said Allen Wilson, Old Chatham Golf Club president. “We take pride in how our golf course is maintained and we believe this prestigious accolade recognizes our staff’s commitment to creating an exceptional member experience.”