Golf Practice-zine Newsletter
for January 2011

Thanks for signing up to receive the January 2011 issue (#27) of the Newsletter. High School Golf Academies are emerging in some provincial school districts. We take a look at one very nice Academy in the Lower Mainland of BC. Mike Weir is making some intereesting transitions for 2011; Camilo Villegas gets disqualified thanks to a TV viewer's surveillance; the Stack and Tilt golf swing metholdology is discussed and some interesting news tidbits are highlighted.

Newsletter Contents:

1. High School Golf Academies
2. Mike Weir Transitions to 2011
3. Caddy Manners, 1940 Edition
4. Stack and Tilt Decoded
5. Camilo Villegas Gets a Ruling
6. News Tidbits

Back to Contents

1. High School Golf Academies

This past fall, an article in the Vancouver Sun reported on the recent trend toward development of high school sports academies. What a cool concept! It made me think back to my "golden years" of sports participation. High school was where my interest in sports peaked.

The Sun report indicates that the BC High School system is taking the 'Academy Approach' in order to attract student athletes and funding for sports programs to encourage for students who want to take their games to advanced levels. For budget-restricted school districts, the academies offer a way to charge fees for the new programmes and raise dollars to promote advances in their curriculum.

In British Columbia, there are now 110 academies offering coaching in 21 sports at 72 different schools. Academies are offered through respective school districts that administer extra fees for the academies in sports as student demand warrants. Luckily, golf is one of the sports covered. Of course not every school district offers an academy, but the idea is gaining interest as a way to maintain student interest through more advanced/specialized programming. Of the 60 school districts in the province, about half of them offer some form of sports academy.

West Vancouver, for example offers academies in golf, hockey, soccer and tennis. Another golf academy is presented at Rockridge Secondary (School District #45). Another golf academy is at Delta School District, in Seaquam Secondary School. Seaquam's academy is based at the Northview Golf and Country Club, former host of the Air Canada event on the PGA Tour. Northview GC features two 18 hole courses, driving range and (from personal experience) an outstanding practice area for short game and putting. Details of the Seaquam program are available at the school district website.

Seaquam Golf Academy Program
Students apply for entry typically about mid-January. Last year, 10 students received instruction that included:

• access to a CPGA golf professional and a golf strength and conditioning specialist
• completion of a 6-week short game instruction program
• 2-D and 3-D video analysis of their swings
• biomechanical assessment of their full swings, short game and putting
• 50 two-hour training sessions at Northview GC
• 25 two-hour training sessions at Seaquam Secondary
• 5 one-on-one lessons outside academy time
• a Titleist golf bag, two Footjoy shirts, and one Footjoy jacket
• a pass for 20 rounds of golf at Northview GC

Right now, the program is offered only at Seaquam Secondary. Kids don't have to be enrolled at Seaquam but right now, most do. The Academy is part of the course cirriculum; students get credit for Phys-Ed and an Elective for taking part in the full year program. It is not cheap, cost is $4,000 per student. But, when you consider the extensive training, conditioning, skill testing and 20 rounds at a high quality facility like Northview, this program gives full value by any measure in my opinion.

There are no "standards" between academies as to program content for each sport, so each school might be slightly different, but this one looks awfully good. Bill Richards, Teacher Coordinator of the Seaquam Golf Academy, together with school district staff have done a tremendous job to assemble the components of the academy program into the offering that exists today.

Academy Program Instructors

The two instructors are Matt Palsenbarg (8 years as a CPGA pro and 15 in the golf industry) and Jason Glass ( head golf strength and conditioning coach of BC Golf Assn. and assistant coach to UBC varsity golf program). A very experienced and knowledgeable staff. The Seaquam program starts in the fall and runs for 8 months. Kids can develop their swing technique, course management, physical fitness, mental conditioning and access to competitive golf through this innovative program.

This Academy is to die for! The pass for 20 rounds at Northview GC alone would be phenomenal. The objective is to give students an opportunity with a high performance golf program to enhance their personal education experience and to develop their game and passion for golf.

i look at this program and I am so envious. I wish I was a student there. Golf wasn't even a school sport when I was in my school years (sorry for the repetive old geezer rant). If they had an Adult Education version of this Academy, I would be there in a heartbeat.

Back to Contents

2. Mike Weir Transitions to 2011

Mike Weir has turned 40 and injuries are beginning to take a toll. In 2010 he struggled with pain in his elbow that was finally diagnosed as a torn ligament. His earnings suffered, dropping him well out of the Top 125 needed to retain his Tour Card. After making approximately $550,000, Mike fell about $227,885 short of the money needed to qualify for 2011. So, the PGA Tour is permitting him a special medical exemption: he will have five events to play in order to make up the $227k deficit in order to preserve his exempt status as a Tour player for the rest of 2011. If Weir doesn't make it in his first five events, no worries, Tour sponsors will likely give him enough entry exemptions to earn his way into the Top 125 for 2011.

Mike stopped playing late in the season to get medical treatment, rest his arm and regain his game before playing in the Shark Shootout in December. Although he reported being pain free at the time, 2011 prospects are still uncertain. Shortly after the event, Mike's long-time caddy, Brennan Little indicated to him that he wanted to loop for Sean O'Hair in 2011.

Brennan Little Changes Bags

Brennan will be leaving Mike Weir's bag to caddy for Sean O'Hair in 2011. After 12 years with Mike and a childhood friendship long before that, Little's decision was strictly business. Financially, a caddy's cut of Weir's $550k earnings would seriously cutback the lifestyle of he and his family. In 2009 and 2008 Weir was Top 30 and Top 20 ($2M - 3M range) so the fall in family income would have been steep. Further, Mike's back and elbow problems made his scheduling for 2011 pretty tentative and uncertain for a man with a new family. Since O'Hair is a solid earner with huge upside potential, the option choice for Little was pretty clear.

The parting for Brennan and Mike was amicable and Weir has taken the news in stride. For 2011, Mike's caddy will be Pete Bender, who has been a on Tour for 40 years with the bags of Greg Norman, Jack Nicklaus, Ray Floyd, Rocco Mediate, Aaron Baddeley and Hal Sutton.

No Coach

In his time off, Mike took the opportunity to re-evaluate his game. The review included deciding to part ways (again) with his swing coach, Mike Wilson. To Mike, he has enough experience and video to know his swing characteristics well enough to provide his own guidance for the coming season. As Mike said on his website "Golf's still an individual game and the fundamentals apply differently to every player. But fundamentals are fundamentals and I've been able to take ownership of (my swing)"

These are a lot of changes coming at once. Significant changes. Mike says his priorities are to focus on winning. At 41 years of age, Weir's opportunities to win will decrease over the next few years. Hopefully his health holds up and he can reclaim his ranking and a few more victories.

Back to Contents

A Bygone Era

In May 1940, Life Magazine carried a story about the PGA's attempt to "clean up" the sorry state of caddy behavior at member courses throughout America. At the time, there were 3,000 courses in the country, 1,500 of which were officially members of the PGA. In those days, caddies flourished; there were 500,000 club-carriers waiting to ply their trade.

Apparently caddy behavior required intervention in the opinion of the PGA and its golfers. Caddy manners were considered poor and in a state of deterioration to the point that the PGA began a campaign to publish "New Charts of Etiquette" to be posted on caddy house walls.

Poor manners were described as, "Lounging, rough-housing, practicing with players' clubs, swearing, smoking and showing amusement or contempt." Accordingly, the PGA produced a set of Rules of Etequette posters which were distributed to the 1,500 member clubs and for sale ($1.00 each) to non-members. Life Magazine went to New Jersey's Baltusrol GC and took photos to illustrate some of the new conduct guidelines. The photos can be found at: Google's scanned magazine archive.

The images recall golf's golden years and the forgotten heritage of the caddy to a modern golfing public. I've been a caddy for the occassional tournament but have never had a caddy on my bag. I think it would be a cool experience; too bad the game is so much more expensive now and that common experience is now long passed.

Back to Contents

Swing Method

Andy Plummer and Mike Bennett are respected swing gurus to PGA Tour Stars. They have been famous lately as the originators and key proponents of the Stack and Tilt Swing methodology. I first took notice when the Australian ace, Aaron Baddeley became a convert and took it to the course in 2006. He won Harbour Town with the swing.

Mike Weir took it up for a couple of years, indicating he found it easier on his back than the traditional swing. Mike has since returned to his old method but people like Charlie Wie and Dean Smith have been very successful tour players.

I didn't really understand the concept and found it hard to determine from television whether a player was employing Stack and Tilt (S&T)or not. Then a buddy of mine started using it. When I played with him, I got to watch it up close. He went over it with me and I could see the positive affects on his game -- for a while. His motivation was a bit strange because of his unusual circumstances. Jim is an avid player and often plays with local professionals since his business takes him to the pro shops around town. So he often gets out with the pros as a means of promotiing his business. (To protect his privacy, I won't say Jim's real name or where he lives, but his experience is real.) One pro, is a traditional swing advocate so when he and Jim play, Jim gets coached closely under his philosophy of the swing. When he plays with the other pro -- the Stack and Tilt guy -- Jim plays by that school. Now I don't advocate this approach as a way to improve your game, but I state this as a way to say Jim understands both swings pretty well. He likes both and they each have their advantages. Like Jim, you should take professional guidance and try both in order to choose wisely yourself.

Books and Visuals

If you're interested in Stack and Tilt, Bennett and Plummer have a book (written with Peter Morrice, 2009) which you can find on Amazon for about $14.00. There is also an interesting article in Golf Digest called, The New Tour Swing.

Take a look this winter. Try it to see how it feels. Nothing wrong with trying something new. Sometimes a new method can lead to a breakthrough in how you implement your old swing. Keep the swing muscles oiled and limber. A new method can break the monotiny of a repetitive practice regimen. Give yourself some fresh insights on the way to the coming season. Good luck!

Back to Contents

Captured on Video

The Tournament of Championsin Hawaii lost Camilo Villegas when he was disqualified for a rules violation reported by a television viewer after the opening round.

Villegas was chipping up a slope at the 15th green when the ball rolled back toward him. Frustrated, he chipped up again. The second time, the ball also rolled back. As it rolled Villegas walked over and swatted away some loose pieces of grass in front of the divot as the ball was still moving down the slope. That act of cleanliness was a mistake.

That move is a violation of Rule 23-1 which states, "When a ball is in motion, a loose impediment that might influence the movement of the ball must not be removed." The penalty: two shots. Villegas, though blissfully unaware that he had done anything wrong, finished out his round, proceeded to the scoring tent and signed his card. When the viewer's call was presented to Tournament officials, they admitted that it was a violation. Villegas as informed and he was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard.

Slugger White, the PGA Tour's vice president of rules said, "It makes me sick ... that it wasn't recognized prior to him signing his card" .

Just Trying to Help

Dave Andrews is the person who saw Camillo flick away the loose grass. He is just like you and me. Dave plays 150 rounds of golf a year, a passionate golfer, but he does not consider himself an expert on the rules. In an article on golf.com, Dave describes his reaction to what he saw.

Something didn't look right, so he searched around with the help of his golf buddies and confirmed that what he saw was a rule violation. Nobody knew who to call, so they searched around until Andrews (who, ironically spent 30 years as a TV reporter) contacted a golf blogger (hooray!) who passed him through to a PGA Tour media official at Kapalua. The message then made its way to the appropriate authorities and thence on to Villegas.

Something is wrong with disqualification if a ruling if it can't be made in a timely manner. To me, justice delayed is justice denied. The time lag is a big factor in what caused the disqualification. Sure, Villegas broke a rule -- he admits that -- but does that violation warrant disqualification? I think circumstances warrant some mitigation of the penalty.

Let's Get Real

I get it. Golf wants to present an image of unblemished integrity regarding the rules-following ethics of its players. On and off the course. But there have to be realistic guidelines with which these rules of the game and conduct can be applied. Camilo was on the 15th hole when he inadvertently (let's assume) made the violation. Nobody nearby or even on-site noticed. The person who did was thousands of miles away and could not notify game officials in a timely manner. By timely, I mean before Camilo could unwittingly sign his card and hand in what became his disqualification sentence. If officials are going to apply a rule violation confirmed by viewers, they should be obligated to inform the player BEFORE his card is signed (ideally before his round is over) so that he can at least conduct himself accordingly.

Second, not everybody is on TV so the watch is not evenly applied to all contestants. This ruling inadvertently singles Villegas out. Nobody can be expected to know all of golf's rules. Even officials have to consult with one another to make determinations on a case-by-case basis. You have to accept a certain level of honesty and integrity from the players. This has been clearly demonstrated by the likes of Brian Davis (last year at Harbour Town), and Ian Poulter (at the Race to Dubai final). Heck, think about Dustin Johnston at the PGA Championship; TV viewers were all over him on the 18 hole and nobody saw that he was in a bunker. A walking official got to him after he had putted out and after the incident occurred. So, you can't tell me that TV is necessarily the way to go to administer the rules in a consistent manner any more than walking officials could.

Third, if you accept audience input, who do they call when they "see" a violation? If they are allowed to call and report in a timely manner, a number should be posted for every tournament, together with a contact name so that reports can be attended and screened as valid before play is affected. Maybe an on-screen number in the lower left-hand corner should be broadcast over the video so that it is constantly there and the "hotline" can be dialed the minute a violation is spotted. This system would no doubt be then envy of NORAD. PGA Tour marketing should be overjoyed. This would spawn a whole new category of viewers; eagle-eyed, rule book-carrying, guardsmen (and women) of the game. The switchboard will light up, I promise, at every tournament. Caddies could wear wireless headsets and be notified immediately when a wrongdoing has occurred.

Why not just tack the violation penalty onto his tournament score? Who cares whether he signs an incorrect score card or not? If the violation was found late or reported too late, then Camilo should get some consideration for his mistake. Villegas was very open to accepting the penalty -- rules are rules. Nobody else gets hurt. Rules people are happy, players should be happy and viewers get to participate as golf goes social just like the internet.

It is a difficult issue. Golf, I think, has an excellent reputation based on the conduct of its players as administrator of rules as they are. It is too much to add the millions ot TV viewers into the mix and administer constant surveillance into the mix because it cannot be applied consistently during a tournament.

Back to Contents

Other News bits of interest:

• Trevor Immelman is on his way back after a year plagued by injury. For the story follow: the SI.com article.

• New Phil Mickelson model putter coming from Odyssey. For details: reported by Golf News Now.

• Graham DeLaet to have back surgery. The Canadian golfer was set to play the PGA Tour in 2011, but a herniated disk in his back forced him to have an operation. He is expected to fully recover but will not be ready to return to the Tour for at least 8 weeks. (Toronto Sun Golf report).

• Tiger Woods has parted ways with another sponsor. On January 6, the New York Times reported that Golf Digest Magazine has discontinued its association with Tiger. Woods' last issue as byline author of golf tips will be February 2010. The Times quoted both sides indicating that the parting was "amicable".

• Reuters and CBS News reported another Tiger Woods sponsorship adjustment. EA Sports, maker of the Tiger Woods PGA Tour series of electronic golf games since 1999 will ship the 2011 issue without Tiger on the cover of the Xbox 360 and Wii versions. Though continuing their association with Tiger, EA probably had to do something; sales last year were down 50 - 60 percent from 2009 levels.

Back to Contents

Visit the Site for Back Issues of Golf Practice-zine

Visit Best-Strategies-For-Better-Golf.com