Tee Time

The fall season is upon us, and we can all look forward to cooler weather and faster greens at The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation. The golf schedule for the upcoming months is full of golf tournaments and programs. The golf course is in excellent shape to make sure that you enjoy the club.

The golf staff completed our Folds of Honor Golf Marathon on July 6th. We want to thank our membership for their support and generosity. The

marathon was a huge success, and we were able to raise $25,453.00. The donated funds will provide five scholarships to the family members of our soldiers who have passed away or have been wounded while serving our great country. As a whole, McConnell Golf raised $298,232.00 for Folds of Honor which will provide 59 scholarships!

In the next two months, we are looking forward to the end of our tournament schedule with three of our larger tournaments, the Bob Bidwell Senior MemberGuest, Member-Member Tournament and the Club Championships. We expect full fields for these events, so make sure you sign up on the Wakefield calendar. This fall, we will also continue our successful Operation 36 programs for the ladies and juniors of the club.

The golf staff is looking forward to a great fall season. As always, if I can assist you in anyway, please do not hesitate to reach out as my door is always open.

Adam McLaughlin, PGA, Director of Golf

FRIENDLY REMINDRS

Over the past few months we have noticed several dress code infractions. Below is the Dress Code for the members and guests when using the golf course and practice facilities. Please make sure that you adhere to these policies when practicing and playing at Wakefield Plantation and other McConnell Golf Properties.

Dress Code: Proper attire on our golf course, practice range and all practice greens is expected to conform in style to that which is sold in the Golf Shop. Proper attire includes collard golf shirts (ladies must have a collar or sleeves), sweaters, Golf Shop-style pullovers, jackets, slacks, golf shorts which are similar in style to walking and/or Bermuda shorts of an appropriate and tasteful length and suitable golf foot wear. All golf shoes shall have metal spike alternatives. Clothing items NOT PERMITTED are tee shirts, undershirts, athletic/sweat shirts, sweat suits, cutoffs, running shorts, short shorts, tennis attire, tank tops and jean or denim material of any color. Hats worn on Club premises must be work bill forward at all times.

SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER GOLF SCHEDULE

September 6th Labor Day (Course Open)

September 9th-11th Bob Bidwell Senior Member-Guest

September 17th Couples Night Golf

September 18th Ladies Challenge Cup

October 2nd-3rd

October 5th October 8th October 16th-17th Member-

Member Tournament WE CARE Golf Tournament (course closed)

Couples Night Club Championship WSMGA Golfapalooza

FROM THE LESSON TEE:

Set Yourself Up for Success

I know most of you are excited to read about how we can hit it 10 yards farther and shoot lower scores, but don't forget to focus on fundamentals. If there were a perfect swing in golf, we would all have it, and golf instructors would share the same teaching philosophy. The fact of the matter is that we have different body types, strengths, and weaknesses. I believe that there are fundamentals that have to be there, and the majority of them are done before the club begins to move. Make sure to double-check these checkpoints before you start your swing.

Proper Stance

The golf swing works from the ground up. Without a solid base we can limit ourselves. We need to make sure that our feet are should-width apart and the ball position is correct. Always start with the ball position in the middle with our PW through 8 iron. As the club gets longer, we begin slowly inching the ball to our front foot. The driver should be lined up just inside your front heel with a wider stance. Tee it high and let it fly!

Good Posture

Always start each shot by placing the clubhead behind the ball with your feet together. As you take your steps shoulder-width apart, stand nice and tall. With your legs locked focus on bending your chest down as your waist goes out. (Picture bending over a ball). At this point, you should feel a slight pull in your hamstrings and then softly unlock your knees so that the weight is on the balls of your feet. So many golfers have too much knee bend, which causes our spine angle to become too upright, and the weight kicks to the heels.

Alignment

One of the biggest mistakes so many players make is not being square to their target. If you are a range rat, I would encourage you to use alignment sticks at all times. So many swing flaws are created by pool alignment. Focus on a spot about a foot in front of your ball in line with your target. It is much easier to aim something a foot away versus 300 yards away. Once your clubface is square to your target, we must make sure that our feet are parallel to our target line. I find that most amateaur golfers tend to aim their feet and shoulders at their target. If this is you, chances are you are aimed too far right. when you are standing over the ball, imagine a line from your ball to your target. Get out of the habit of looking down your shoulder line.

I look forward to seeing you all putting these tips to work on the range. Don't forget your alignment sticks!

Erica Britt, Teaching Professional