Palmetto Hall March Around the Clubhouse

Friday 4pm-8pm

HERITAGE GOLF TEXT CLUB

MANAGER'S MESSAGE

By Rob Ciapanna

Punxsutawney Phil called for an early spring and so far, has delivered.

It’s time to say goodbye to those bitter cold nights, morning frost delays, and 5:00 sunsets and welcome back blooming annuals, comfortable temperatures, and green Bermuda grass. I think I speak for all of us when I say that this is our favorite time of year on Hilton Head Island.

In March, we celebrate! Starting with longer days of sunlight on Sunday, March 10 with the beginning of daylight savings, nine days later we say hello to the first day of Spring on Tuesday, March 19. Tucked in between is the club’s St. Patrick’s Day Irish Fest Kickoff party on Friday, March 15, which includes traditional Irish fare prepared by Chef Mick and his team along with specialty cocktails prepared by our master mixologist, Kati Schroeder. Palmetto Hall then welcomes back the “golfing” Easter Bunny on Saturday, March 30, to see who finds the “Golden Egg” during the club’s annual Family Easter Egg Hunt and Breakfast. Close out the month by enjoying an exceptional Easter Brunch in the comfort of your club on Sunday, March 31.

So, dust off the clubs in the garage, get your racquet restrung, purchase that new state-of-the-art pickleball paddle, or order that new bathing suit you have been eying on Amazon and celebrate Spring at your club!

TURF TALK

by Patrick Hensley

I wanted to take a minute to talk about practice. I know this isn’t the first time that we have discussed this, but I have a couple of photos that will illustrate my point. Practicing for a golfer is inevitable. But, I would like to try to get people to practice the right way in regards to the distribution of divot patterns. The incorrect way is to just keep hitting shot after shot in the same area. This creates what I call deforestation, as it creates a giant hole in the turf. The correct way is to hit shots in a linear pattern. Then, after several shots, leave some space and start another line. This helps the turf recover in a quicker fashion. If we continue to stick to the deforestation route, then the turf will take longer to recover.

Take a look at the below pictures and try this next time you are out on the range practicing.

Hope to see you out there!

PARKER'S POINTERS

by Parker Mulford

The Lie

Having an opportunity to hit the ball level with our feet is a great advantage At Palmetto Hall, we are blessed with a fairly flat surface to play from. Unlike many northern courses, we have relatively minimal changes in elevation. However, we are faced with an occasional instance where the ball is either above or below our feet, or we are hitting downhill or uphill. Here is how we can set ourselves up for success in these shots:

When the ball is above our feet, we need to take into account how much above us it is, then adjust our grip by choking down on the grip to essentially shorten the club. This will allow us to make solid contact and not "chunk" the shot. We should also be aware of taking one extra club to account for the shortened grip to cover the same yardage. Additionally, we can aim our target line a little to the right to compensate for the ball being above our feet and allow it to hold a better line.

Dealing with a ball below our feet is a little more acrobatic. A good and committed knee bend will keep our posture in a steady position to reach the ball. We should also play the ball a touch more back in our stance to ensure contact. Lastly, this shot tends to flight right of our target line, so aiming a touch left gives us a true flight toward the target.

Uphill and downhill lies are all about our shoulders. For uphill lies, it's crucial to maintain level shoulders with the slope and not lean into the hill. This allows us to make our normal swing and ensure the path of the club results in solid contact Lastly, when hitting uphill, move the ball one ball length toward the front foot, and when hitting downhill, move the ball one ball back.

I hope these tips help level your playing field! Enjoy.

FLEUR DE PARADIS

FROM THE BAR OF KATI SCHROEDER

MARCH 2024

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 ounces Bombay Saphire Gin

3/4 ounce St-Germain

Elderflower Liqueur

1/2 ounce Grapefruit Juice, freshly squeezed

1/2 ounce Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed

1/4 ounce Simple Syrup

1 dash Orange Bitters

Prosecco, chilled, to top

DIRECTIONS:

Add the Gin, Elderflower Liqueur, Grapefruit Juice, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup, and Orange Bitters into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Double-strain into a champagne flute.

Top with the Prosecco.

CLUB PHOTOS

LADIES GOLF CLINICS