THE LOWE DOWN
 Are you on this list?
From a recent informal survey, listed below are the top 10 Rules of Golf that are the most violated by amateur golfers:
1. Rule 6: Undue delay, slow play.
2. Rule 13: Improving lie, stance, swing or line of play.
3. Rule 27: Provisional ball.
4. Rule 4: Excess clubs.
5. Rule 8: Advice: Indicating line of play.
6. Rule 28: Unplayable Ball.
7. Rule 26: Relief from Lateral and Water Hazards.
8. Rule 27: Lost ball procedure.
9. Rule 24: Dropping ball at nearest point of relief.
10. Rule 3: Playing a second ball.
Are you in here anywhere?
Slow play
You don’t have to play at breakneck speed. All you need to do is be ready when it’s your turn to play. Know your rules options in any situation and know where to be on the golf course at all times.
On the range (things I’ve learned from observing players on the PGA Tour and Champions Tour)
What are you doing out there? Banging balls with no real idea of what you’re working on? Take a hint from the big boys: you’re not there to see how far you can hit it; you’re there to warm up, check ball flight, direction and alignment. Practice with a definite purpose in mind and things will improve.
More Tour players’ observations
Want to lower your handicap 3 to 5 shots? Commit to 30 hours of pitching and chipping. Practice in one-hour segments and use one club for that hour. The real benefit comes on the course when you miss a green: you KNOW you can get it up and down in 2. Try it; what have you got to lose?
Masters’ Trivia
You can have some fun at the 19th hole with these bits of trivia about Augusta National.
1. Not including the land or buildings, the course was built for $85,000.
2. O.M. Scott Co. of Ohio supplied common Bermuda grass seed (8,000 pounds) and overseeded with domestic rye. The course was seeded on May 27 and MOWED on June 10.
3. Workers were paid 10 cents per hour, 10 hours a day, six days a week.
4. Alister Mackenzie was born Alexander. His Mom was English and dad was a Scot. He never saw Augusta National with grass grown, passing away in January 1934.
5. Bobby Jones never broke par in the tournament proper! He set the course record of 65 in practice in 1934 and broke it with a 64 in ‘36, again in practice.
6. After the first Masters (originally called the Augusta National Invitational) the nines were reversed from Mackenzie’s original routing and never changed back.
7. The “shot heard ‘round the world” on the 15th hole was a double eagle by Gene Sarazen. The ball was a Wilson K:28, his club a Wilson “Turfrider” 4-wood and the distance was 220 yards. By the way, very few people witnessed the shot.
Finally ...
Have a great summer! |
