July 02, 2009
Golf Practice-zine Newsletter for June 2009
Thanks for signing up to receive the June 2009 issue of the Newsletter.
Here is the lineup for June:
Golf has a reputation as a "male-dominated sport". Numbers of women participating in the sport grew rapidly in the late 1980s and 1990s but have tapered off as with growth in male numbers. But female participation rates were small to begin with. Why the decline?
An interesting article appeared on this issue recently in the Wall Street Journal: Getting Women Into Golf (John Paul Newport, WSJ, June 6, 2009) Executive Women's Golf Association: guidelines for "women-friendly" facilities.
From the article, some of the main points suggest that the industry has to shift its focus to attract more women. For example:
- Golf has had a business focus, selling products, catering mostly to men.
- Golf should focus on the positive health benefits inherent to golf
- Women are not as intent on the competitive play aspects of golf. They are looking to golf as a social outlet, a way of connecting for 2 to 4 hours with friends. Highlight the personal experience and networking benefits of golf; help them use golf to bond together with friends and family.
- Develop lesson plans that cater to women and provide an introduction to the game (etiquette, rules, techniques). Provide an outlet for non-competitive play and learning.
Executive Women's Golf Association
Newton's article also mentions the Executive Women's Golf Association. Organized into affiliated chapters, the EWGA has played a strong, constructive role in trying to attract more women to the game. They have provided guidelines for a "women-friendly" golf facility. Here are a few key recommendations:
- Full access for women to any part of the clubhouse.
- Golf staff with consistent approach to players regardless of gender or skill level
- Clean, full service washrooms for men/women on course every six holes
- Two sets of tees rated for women players
- Tees setup for yardages between 4600-5,300 yards and between 5,300 - 5,800 yards for 18 holes
- Slope rating, handicap conversion tables available for each set of tees posted for easy visibility in the clubhouse.
- Fully appointed pro shop with equal services to men and women (club fitting, clothing, lessons, equipment, etc.)
I'm all for more women on the golf course. Anything golf can do, should be encouraged. I think women are in the category of "most desirable group for membership" for any course. Here is why(based on my experience at my golf club):
- They are beautifully dressed, well-mannered; the epitome of what well-behaved golfers are meant to be
- They add much to the social and day-to-day civility of any club
- They shoot short and straight and as a rule, play a well-focused 2 to 4 hour round well within the pace of play tolerances of most clubs.
- Females love to help organize club administration, competitions and social events. They are the life blood of the club's operations. Their service and support level to the club is invaluable.
- Athletic opportunities for youth development in golf could not be better worldwide. Organized development for male and female junior players alike should be encouraged. Women are best-suited to promoting golf amongst their children. No sport offers more advantages scholastically or athletically than golf. Women can help grow the game through related junior development for both genders.
Golf Fore Women
I recently discovered what I consider to be a very progressive, full-service organization devoted to women's golf right here in B.C. Golf Fore Gals (check out their website), covers all the bases: lessons, tournaments, networking, fitness, retails stores, clubfitting, etiquette, charities and fundraising, you name it. Operating since 1999, they have chapters in Greater Vancouver, Fraser Valley and Thompson-Okanagan regions of the province. They have offerings to members that will appeal to every level of golfer.
2. Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online
EA Sports is developing a new version of Tiger Woods PGA Tour golf -- the most popular electronic golf game. In a bold move, the latest version will not be developed for PCs. Instead, the game will be deployed only on the web, playable solely through the web browser; playable entirely online.
This is a big step. Online gaming will mean players pay a subscription fee to enroll for various EA games, then pay on a per minute basis in a "pay as you play" billing model. The web opens the door to enhancements to the game experience. Opportunities for online advertising, multi-player games in which you could create an online community or virtual foursome of buddies to play one of the virtual courses.
Readers of this newsletter may remember the item on the World Golf Tour in February, 2008 based on an interview with YuChiang Cheng, CEO of WGT. At that time, WGT was introducing an online, 6-hole game based on the Bali Hai course in Las Vegas, NV. The course was a stunning digital representation based on aerial photographs, digitized walking-maps of the course and months of intense work to render realistic effects of topography, wind direction and accurate-to-fractions-of-an-inch realism on putts. WGT was asked by the PGA Tour to work to prepare a digital version of Bethpage Black in time for the 2009 US Open. The current course list available is:
- Bethpage Black, Farmingdale, NY
- Bali Hai, Las Vegas, NV
- Wolf Creek, Mesquite NV
- Ocean Course, Kiawah Island, SC
EA Sports asked to work with WGT in order to tap their online expertise and establish a presence on the web for their line of electronic games.
Players can play legendary courses online (Pebble Beach, St. Andrews, TPC Sawgrass), with others being added during the year. You will be able to start and suspend your game at any time. Currently, only an announcement has been made; people cannot actually play yet, but breathless supporters are being solicited to enroll for a beta version of the game to furnish feedback and heighten anticipation for the full release later this summer.
To take part in the beta program, you must register with EA sports, then register your name to be drawn as a candidate for the beta program at an unspecified time.
So I enrolled. I clicked and filled out contact info, completed a "user profile", submitted to an online check of my computer specifications (it's like being frisked by security) and filled out a personal questionnaire which included gender, ethnicity (optional), income bracket and online game experience. All that appeared to go fine in that my registration was accepted for further review.
I received the following polite email:
Dear andisoa,(my registered online name)
Thank you for signing up for the EA SPORTS Tiger Woods PGA TOURŪ Online Beta program. We have received your information and you are now eligible to be a Beta participant. If you are selected to participate in the Beta, you will receive a Beta Key and an e-mail containing instructions on how to access the Beta. We will be releasing a limited number of Beta Keys for our initial Closed Beta period. However, more keys will be released for subsequent Closed Beta periods in the coming weeks. If you do not receive a Key for the first Closed Beta, you may be considered for one of the subsequent Closed Betas.
Good luck, and we hope to see you out on the course!Sincerely,
The Tiger Woods PGA TOURŪ Online team
If I am deemed worthy, I will receive an online key which will entitle me to play the beta version of the game for free.
Final version of the game is expected for release in the Fall 2009. Stay tuned for future development.
3. Stay Patient
During a recent round I had an unexpected, but invaluable learning experience.
Men's Night
My golf club has a Men's night every Thursday. It's a chance to play with better players and put my game "on the line" for prizes in competition.
I was invited to play by my good friend Martin, who is a 6 handicap (to my 10) and Ross, a friend of his. Ross is a former club champion, so I'm already nervous to be grouped with excellent players. To me, it was a chance to learn from watching these guys play -- they were much more experienced than me.
Well, it turned out great. I played way beyond my expectations. I kept up with Ross and Martin. Drove the ball well, chipped and putted to two-over by the eighth hole --two strokes ahead of both Ross and Martin. I felt really confident in my game.
Ninth hole coming up is a par 5. Our Men's night only takes scores for the front nine to calculated Low Net and Low Gross scores. I was tracking to be in contention for Low Gross honours. I'm licking my chops.
My tee shot blocks out to the right, through the trees and into the oncoming first fairway. Minor setback, no problem; just play down the first fairway to get a clear shot to the ninth green. I'll be on in three, no worse than par, dream still intact. Except my second shot doesn't travel quite far enough, I still have tree trouble. I assess my options and aim to play a gentle shot to a flat lie with a clear shot to the green. Oops, I block that too far to the right. Now I have a dicey lie for my fourth shot. Got to get this on the green. Nope, I leave it short at the bottom of a mound 20 yards from the hole.
It took five shots to get to the green, and I'm still 30 feet from the hole with a tricky breaking putt up over a ridge. The putt goes six feet by and rolls off another four -- I'm still away. Ross and Martin are sitting there watching and waiting to putt for birdie as I muck around in front of them, doing a slow burn.
I two-putt for an 8. Ross and Martin both make their birdies. I go from two strokes ahead to two strokes behind. No prizes, no low gross, no low net, nothing. Nothing except some invaluable advice from Martin.
What I Did Wrong
I knew I blew it. Martin explained how I blew it.
My first two shots were no big deal. I put myself in poor scoring position but I could have handled that. From the third shot on, that was where I fell apart. I had a bad lie, but instead of taking my time, I rushed it. Quick swing to bad result. Then with each bad shot in succession, I got quicker and quicker, leaving myself no chance of recovery.
The fourth shot fell short of the green at the bottom of a mound. I should have walked up the mound, paced around the green to assess the best landing position to get close to the hole; gauge the height and weight of the lob wedge shot I was about to play. I should have taken practice swings while visualizing the shot and then made my swing to strike the ball. I did none of that. I grabbed my lob wedge, addressed the ball and hit a shot that fell horribly short, barely on the green. I stomped up to the ball, took a quick look at the hole and made an awful putt to the cup. I acted and felt like I just wanted the experience to be over as soon as possible.
What I Should Have Done
Martin scolded me afterward. He described all the above very briefly. His advice was invaluable. What I should have done:
- Slow down.
- Weigh options
- Pick best bet (for your game, your capabilities)
- Plan the shot
- Take aim.
- Play the shot.
- Always aim and measure your putts.
This is great advice whenever you are in a situation that matters. For me it was a chance to break a scoring milestone. Throughout your round, keep your pace at normal level. No need to rush. When you get into a bind, take time to calm your nerves so you have max chance to play shots to your capabilities. Do not defeat yourself.
Postscript
There is a happy ending. I played with these tips in mind over the next week. Next Men's night Ross and Martin were kind enought to play with me again. I shot 38 on the front (two over par) and matched that with a second 38 on the back. Score: a new personal best of 76. I won low gross honours. In one week I went from bad to glad. I thank Martin for a very valuable lesson in how to make the most of your potential.
4. Rising Star Canadian Golfers
Derek Gillspie
Golfchannel Big Break-watchers may know him as Derek. Canadians should know him as Derek Gillespie, Oshawa, ON native and All American member of Arizona State's golf team and inductee into the ASU sports hall of fame.
Gillespie has two wins on the Canadian PGA Tour and has been a pro since 2000. He has a stellar background in amateur golf. He played on the Canadian Junior National team in 1995 & 1996.
On Monday night, June 30 the Golfchannel will televise the final episode between Blair O'Neal and Gillespie for the $100,000 prize and a chance to boost his career. Rumour has it that the series, shot in late-season 2008 over a two-week period, has Derek winning. The finale goes at 9:00pm and since the contestants are sworn to secrecy, we'll have to wait for confirmation.
Nick Taylor
From Abbotsford, BC, Taylor has been a junior phenom from his early years as a member of Ledgeview Golf Club. Nick was recently selected the Pac-10 Player of the Year. At the start of the US Open (his second appearance there) Taylor learned that the R&A, golf's governing body, had ranked him as the No. 1 amateur player in the world.
Rob Houlding, Nick's coach, is quoted as saying:
Nick is our next Mike Weir and he is proving to be a world class player accomplishing things no other amateur in Canada has done. In three years he has moved from 530th to world number one. I have been coaching him for three years and it has been a lot of fun to watch how much he can get out of every lesson and apply it. How many guys do you know can take a four hour lesson and go shoot 7 under on the front nine and three under on the back. He does this. He is interested in understanding cause and effect in so far as it relates to his ball flight and his tendencies. As he gets better at this he becomes empowered to make better decisions and make better shot selections based on his feelings at the time. He has an amazing humble, strong intensity and I hope Canadians get behind behind him. He wont let you down. We have the talent and technology in Canada to be amongst the best in the world in golf. We are proving this by results. We need more support from industry and our provincial-National associations to help develop this talent.(BC Golf News, Comment, June 20, 2009)
Nick qualified for four rounds at the 2009 Open, finishing 34th in the field but as top amateur. Proven results indeed!