Tee Times June 2018

June 2018 Keeping Golfers Connected in TN, KY, MS, AL, NC

June 2018

Coastal Alabama Golf Nine great courses on the Alabama Gulf Coast Pages 2-4

Inside!!

Pretty in Pink: Paula Creamer embraces 5 her role as the face of women’s golf country: At Country Hills, 11 Gone it’s all about the players Word’s out: Riverwatch removing 19 “hidden gem” status

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Still going strong: Alabama’s Gulf Coast remains perfect for golf getaways or family vacations Tee Times Report There are plenty of golf/vacation destinations to choose from these days for Tennessee residents, but not many of them are situated where a person can get in his car around daybreak and be on the first tee or lounging on a pristine beach by early afternoon.

There also aren’t many that offer tremendous culinary options, exceptional nightlife and family entertainment.

In short, Alabama’s Gulf Coast has everything a family or a buddies’ golf trip needs for a week’s vacation or a just a long weekend getaway.

A golf trip to the Gulf should include rounds at KivaDunes Golf & Beach Resort, Peninsula Golf and Racquet Club, Craft Farms and the Gulf Shores Golf Club. Kiva Dunes is the centerpiece of the golf action in Gulf Shores, considered one of Alabama’s crown jewel golf courses designed by Jerry Pate.

Tee Times Publisher Joe Hall played all four on a recent trip down I-65 and came away impressed with the quality.

“I have played Kiva Dunes from the day it opened and have seen it change for the better over the years,” Hall said.

“The golf course has matured to the

point that each hole is well defined with a pleasing appearance from the tee box throughout the entire hole.”

Hall said recent renovations to the bunkers and greens helped the playability of the course.

“The most dramatic improvement was the project to change the bunkering to make them playable by all skill levels, no matter if they are fairway bunkers or greenside bunkers,” Hall said. “The new greens were a major improvement to an already great golf course and are always

PeninsulaGolfClub.com in great shape no matter what time of year.”

The Gulf Shores Golf Club is the oldest course in the area, built in the 1960s.

However, the course remains viable in today’s golf landscape even though it

KivaDunes.com

barely touches 7,000 yards from the tips. A newly renovated clubhouse adds to the allure, along with superb practice facilities.

“The course provides plenty of challenges,” Hall said. “Doglegs, water hazards and strategic bunkering create the need to be accurate off the tee, but with a good tee shot it can create a birdie opportunity. The course has plenty of native wildlife as a coastal course with alligators, white nose squirrels, waterfowl and raccoons just mention a few. This is a course that keep you on your toes, and a compliment to the other resort courses in the area to visit during your stay.”

Earl Stone’s Peninsula Golf & Racquet Club, featuring 27 holes, has long been a must-play venue when visiting the Gulf Coast. It consistently is ranked among the top courses in Alabama.

“When you play it, you will see why Peninsula is highly regarded,” Hall said. “In addition to playing a beautiful course with plenty of beautiful vistas, you will be welcomed by the traditional barrel of apples at the first hole of each nine.”

Craft Farms, which features the only two Arnold Palmer designs in Ala-

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GulfShoresGolfClub.com

bama, has long been a staple of the Gulf Coast golf scene.

“Craft Farms has a rich history and Arnold Palmer bought into the concept and designed two beautiful courses, Cypress Bend and Cotton Creek,” Hall said. “You always know what you are going to get when you play either of the beautiful courses – well-manicured golf courses with plenty of challenges.

At Cypress Bend, water is a factor on many of the holes, but the generous fairways keeps good tee shots dry and provides an opportunity for a good shot into undulating greens.

“Weather you play Cypress Bend or Cotton Creek, you will be sure to find a golf course that is in immaculate condition and very playable at any skill level,” he added.

There is, of course, more to Alabama’s Gulf Coast than just golf.

“Just thinking about going to the Gulf Shores, Orange Beach area generates super memories, and it just keeps getting better,” Carol Hall said. “It is a destination that is perfect in so many ways. To be able to take in golf courses, enjoy fresh seafood, walking the pristine beaches, and so much more, is undeniably an experience that creates traditions.”

Hall said coastal Alabama has come into its own with the addition of more restaurants, golf courses, places to see and things to experience with accommodations that remind you of vacations that compare to none.”

There really isn’t a bad time of the year

to visit. Summer is great, but post-Labor Day visits are more serene and the early spring provides some of the best weather of the year. Even in the winter, mild temperatures and off-season rates can provide a pleasant experience.

Dining options in Gulf Shores are vast.

A few of the best include The Gulf at Orange Beach, Flora-Bama Ole River Bar and the Big Beach Brewery. Each offers a variety of food, including fresh Gulf seafood.

There is no shortage of accommodations in the area, but for a top-of-the-

CraftFarms.com

line stay, try the Kiva Village Condos at Kiva Dunes Golf & Beach Resort.

“This is no longer just a golf destination,” Carol Hall said. “Our condo with an expansive balcony overlooking the 18th green had all amenities. Families or golfing buddies can stay and either cook in or eat out.”

One of the best things about staying at Kiva Dunes is the array of accommodations that are available. Kiva Dunes has properties ranging from its condos, single-family homes and expansive homes that can house any size group comfort-

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ably.”

Also, the resort features its own beach, four pools, fitness, tennis and dining opportunities. The addition of the Kiva Beach Club offers a mammoth salt water pool overlooking the Gulf of Mexico with a boardwalk over the dunes to the private beach.

Planning a golf trip to Gulf Shores is as easy as contacting Coastal Alabama Golf (CAG), a spinoff from what was formerly known as the Gulf Shores Golf Association.

Rounds of golf coming to Gulf Shores in the form of large buddy trips had been in a steady decline since Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina in 2004 and 2005. Honours Golf (a Division of Troon Golf) took notice, and Troon Regional Manager Chad Leonard saw the opportunity to continue what was still coming to Gulf Shores for package golf groups, as well as grow it back into a healthy and radiant portion of the business for the Gulf Shores golf courses once again.

Now, courses in the area offer lower wholesale rates to CAG than previously given. CAG also has partnered with local hotels and rental management companies to offer lodging to groups of all sizes. In addition, CAG can even set up lunch for groups wanting to play more than 18 holes in a day. CAG heads Kevin Whitney and Marsha Guyer call it one-stop shopping that can ease the burden of trip planning.

For more information about Coastal Alabama Golf, call 251-968-5339 or visit the website at coastalalabamagolf.com.

For information about Kiva Dunes, go to kivadunes.com.

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Swim, eat, drink and walk the private beach!

June 2018

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From tHE Editor

By Gregg Dewalt

Creamer quietly becomes the face of women’s golf BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - It seems like Paula Creamer has been around forever even though she’s only 31.

But she’s definitely one of elder stateswomen of the LPGA Tour, even though she’s only 31. She’s a voice of reason among a tour full of players making waves that are 10 or more years younger.

She’s got one U.S. Women’s Open championship among her 12 career wins on her resume, and she’s rocking her trademark pink outfits.

Even though Creamer is a millennial, she’s still known among her fans as the Pink Paula Creamer has always been eager to embrace Panther. Although she hasn’t her fans and a recent stop in Birmingham was no won in a while, Creamer redifferent. Photo by Gregg Dewalt mains idolized by thousands of young girls who identify with Creek. “I still look up to my role models her bubbly personality. and learn something every day.”

She is, in short, the face of women’s golf.

Creamer recalled teeing it up in a recent It’s a role she has come to embrace, even tournament alongside Karrie Webb, one though she finds it kind of funny that she of the players she idolized as a youngster. is a role model.

“It’s amazing,” she said. “I never really “I’m 31 years old and I definitely don’t understood that. Now, looking at the way feel like a role model,” Creamer said (youngsters) look at me and the game ahead of the U.S. Women’s Open at Shoal

PUBLISHER Joe Hall pgegolf@bellsouth.net EDITOR Gregg Dewalt ASSOCIATE EDITOR Justin Onslow SENIOR EDITOR David Widener widecard@aol.com

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Carol Hall teetimescarol@bellsouth.net

With an outgoing personality, Paula Creamer is perfect as an ambassador for women’s golf. Photo by Gregg Dewalt

of golf, I know I have a big influence on that. I try to do my best to promote being a strong female and at the same time doing what you love to do. There is no right or wrong when it comes to that.”

Creamer’s career has been stalled, thanks to recent injuries. She was away from the

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CONTRIBUTING WRITER Grayson Kirkham TECHNICAL ADVISOR Jimmy Phillips

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Susan Lawrence

PRINTING Franklin Web Printing Company FOUNDER Joey Smith

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Paula Creamer meets with the media ahead of her US Women’s Open appearance. Creamer has become the face of women’s golf, a role she embraces. Photo by Gregg Dewalt

game for six months in late 2017 and early 2018 while she healed from a wrist injury. However, the time off left her craving the game she loves.

“This has been an ongoing injury, and the last six months have been, I’m not going to lie, brutally tough,” she said can-

didly. “I’ve never been away from golf for that long, but you learn a lot about yourself and what you want to do with your life and your career. My goodness, I have never been more motivated in my life. This has been a blessing in disguise.

I’m ready to get back into the winner’s circle.”

On this late April afternoon, Creamer was taking time to meet and greet a group of Girl Scouts. After a quick Q and A with media members, Creamer spent time connecting with the scouts. What was impressive was that it her interaction didn’t seem forced at all. It was as if she was greeting friends she had known all her life.

She listened intently to the youngsters’ stories, she posed for selfies, she laughed, she smiled and she talked with the parents. It was obvious Creamer takes her unofficial moniker as “role model” seriously.

“One of my No. 1 goals in women’s golf is I definitely want to give young girls an option to play golf, whether it’s at country clubs or whatnot,” she said. “Even boys. Having the right to go play somewhere is huge. Having the right to go practice somewhere is huge. All you need is a driving range, some clubs, a practice putting green and chipping green. If I can help push that, if I can help motivate to get young girls and boys involved in the game of golf that would be a great thing.”

Creamer admitted she was fortunate to grow up playing at a country club. She’d like to see clubs give kids the same opportunity.

“I truly believe that a lot of these places, at the end of the day they would look back on it if they had someone come out of their club (and do great things), and say, ‘Yeah, we did that.’”

That’s an easy platform to get behind.

Is it any wonder Paula Creamer has morphed into something along the lines of the Pied Piper for girls golf?

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We are taking the Nashville Golf Show to the Nashville Fairgrounds

June 2018

Save the Date!

2019 Nashville Golf Show At the Nashville Fairgrounds February 15-17, 2019

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Father’s Day gift? A Tour Quality Club Fitting Experience

By Leonard Finkel WILLOWBROOK, Ill. - What can you get a golfer who has almost everything for Father’s Day? How about a Tour-quality custom club fitting experience from Club Champion, the No. 1 premium club fitter, builder and retailer of the best brands in golf? Their master fitters and builders are unrivaled experts, and they offer more than 35,000 hittable head and shaft combinations.

An August 2017 Golf Magazine study found that Club Champion custom fit golfers lowered their scores by three strokes per round and added an average of 22 yards off the tee. According to Golf Magazine, “Many players think they aren’t good enough to be custom fit. But our higher handicappers saw up to 25 more yards with drivers and woods and some shaved 5 to 10 strokes per round.

The results indicate fitting matters.

Based on data from the TrackMan, Sam PuttLab and SkyCaddies, along with tester interviews, it’s clear that correctly matched clubs can help golfers of all kinds.”

In addition to providing fittings from supremely trained master fitters, Club Champion builds the clubs in-house, unlike most other fitters. Variables such as swing weight, length, lie and flex do alter performance. The experience and know-how combining these intricate parts together is what separates Club Champion from its competition.

Ranked by Golf Digest among the 100 best club fitters eight times in a row, Club Champion’s unique coupling system allows it to combine any head and shaft together. Golfers hit the precise combination to be custom-built for them. All the top brands are on hand; some like PXG or exclusive premium shafts are simply not available through most other retailers or fitters.

World-renowned instructor David Leadbetter said, “It never ceases to amaze me that golfers buy clubs off the shelf and assume they’re right for them.

Whether you’re a great golfer or a casual one, getting a custom club fitting is one of the quickest ways to improve your game.”

A gift card from Club Champion is the perfect Father’s Day gift. Purchase on-

line at clubchampiongolf.com or call 888-340-7820. Check out our new location in Cool Springs…….

About Club Champion

Established in 2010, Club Champion is a national club fitting and building company headquartered in Chicago. They have 32 locations across the country with more opening soon. Their studios carry all the top golf club, shaft and grip manufacturers in the industry, which allows for 35,000-plus equipment com-

binations for customers to test. Studios are equipped with advanced analysis technology and highly trained certified fitters and builders, all of whom must graduate through an extensive training program. Services include custom fitting and building for all club purchases, repair services, personalization and highly engaging corporate and personal entertainment events. For more information about Club Champion, visit www.clubchampiongolf.com.

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2017 Section Awards Announced

Golf Professional of the Year

R. Kedric Perkins Jr., PGA Jackson Country Club

Distinguished Career Award Warren Huddleston, PGA

Assistant Golf Professional of the Year

Chris Woods, PGA Cattails at Meadowview

Horton Smith Award

Joseph Hallett, PGA Vanderbilt Legends Country Club

Bill Strausbaugh Award Jim West, PGA Tellico Village

Youth Player Development Award

Jeff Craig, PGA WindStone Golf Club

2017 Tennessee PGA Chapter Award Winners

Chattanooga Chapter

Richard Eller Growth Of The Game Award Kevin Forte, PGA Harpeth Hills & Percy Warner

Not Pictured Merchandiser Of The Year Public

Teacher of the Year

Brian Lackey, PGA The Golf Club of Tennessee

Brandon Mendes, PGA Glen Eagle Golf Course

Golf Professional of the Year Adam Campbell, Lookout Mountain Club Assistant Golf Professional of the Year Jeremy Cason, The Honors Course Bill Strausbaugh Award Henrik Simonsen, The Honors Course Richard Eller Growth of the Game Award Jeff Craig, WindStone Golf Club Youth Player Development Award Jeff Craig, WindStone Golf Club Teacher of the Year Bruce Etter, Chattanooga Golf & Country Club Merchandiser of the Year (Public/Resort) Robin Boyer, Bear Trace @ Harrison Bay Merchandiser of the Year (Private) Bruce Etter, Chattanooga Golf & Country Club

Knoxville Chapter

Golf Professional of the Year Nathan Blanchard, The Country Club Assistant Golf Professional of the Year Adam Forgey, Heatherhurst Golf Course Bill Strausbaugh Award Jim West, Tellico Village Horton Smith Award Jim West, Tellico Village Richard Eller Growth of the Game Award Adam Jacob, Tanasi Golf Course Youth Player Development Award George Hall, Beverly Park Teacher of the Year Greg Wyatt, Golf Capital Learning Center Merchandiser of the Year (Public/Resort) Ashley McGaha, Sevierville Golf Course Merchandiser of the Year (Private) Don Jones, Cherokee Country Club

Middle TN Chapter President’s Award Lynne Howd Golf House Tennessee

Merchandiser Of The Year - Private Oliver Peacock, PGA Belle Mead Country Club

Golf Professional of the Year Bryan Combiths, Five Oaks Assistant Golf Professional of the Year Andrew Kincaid, Brentwood CC Bill Strausbaugh Award Johnny Bridgeman, Brentwood CC Horton Smith Award Joe Hallett, Vanderbilt Legends Club Richard Eller Growth of the Game Award Kevin Forte, Harpeth Hills & Percy Warner

Youth Player Development Award Valerie Vaughn, Little Course Teacher of the Year Brian Lackey, Golf Club of Tennessee Merchandiser of the Year (Public/Resort) Jared Melson, Bear Trace at Tim’s Ford Merchandiser of the Year (Private) Oliver Peacock, Belle Meade CC

West TN Chapter

Golf Professional of the Year Kedric Perkins, Jackson CC Assistant Golf Professional of the Year Andy Degener, Ridgeway CC Bill Strausbaugh Award Sid Johnson, Srixon/Cleveland Golf Horton Smith Award Kedric Perkins, Jackson CC Richard Eller Growth of the Game Award Adam Payne, Wedgewood CC Youth Player Development Award Vince Alfonso, MAM Park Golf Course Teacher of the Year Rob Akins, Spring Creek Ranch Merchandiser of the Year (Public/Resort) Brandon Mendes, Glen Eagle GC Merchandiser of the Year (Private) Brian Wood, Memphis National

Tri-Cities Chapter

Golf Professional of the Year Mark Houser, Tennessee Golf Trail at Warrior’s Path Assistant Golf Professional of the Year Chris Woods, Cattails at Meadowview Bill Strausbaugh Award Ken Crowder, Lonesome Pine CC Horton Smith Award Patricia Eiselstein, Ridgefields CC Richard Eller Growth of the Game Award Cody Weems, TN Golf Foundation Youth Player Development Award Casey Barnes, Clear Creek Golf GC Teacher of the Year Todd Foster, Tennessee Golf Trail at Warrior’s Path Merchandiser of the Year (Public/Resort) Pete DeBrall, Cattails at Meadowview Merchandiser of the Year (Private) Bruce Bowen, The Olde Farm Player of the Year Chris Woods, Cattails at Meadowview

June 2018

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Savoie rolls to Tennessee Open crown Tee Times Report COLLEGE GROVE – Joey Savoie put on quite a show at the Franklin American Mortgage Tennessee Open in late May. Playing on a familiar course – The Grove – and with a friend on his bag, Savoie tied the tournament record with a 54-hole total of 13-under-par 203 to post a six-shot victory.

Savoie was particularly good over the final 36 holes, shooting 65-68 to pull away from the field. He tied the tournament record of 13-under set by Jonathan Fly in 2011 at Brentwood Country Club.

A chip-in for eagle on the final hole gave him a share of the tournament record. Eric Ansett, a former Lipscomb golfer, finished second at 209.

“I played a really solid week overall,” Savoie told the Tennessee Golf Association after the win. “I had a lot of fun with my caddie, Liam.

I knew the golf course so I was able to play (freely). It just came out my way this week. I really hit the ball well, made some key putts at some key moments, and now we’re holding the trophy.”

Savoie, a Quebec, Canada native, had the benefit of playing in comfortable surroundings. As a former Middle Tennessee State University golfer, Savoie played The Grove often. He arrived at MTSU after starting his college career at Saint Leo, an NCAA Division II University in Florida.

MTSU considers The Grove as one of its home courses, so Savoie came into this week having a lot of experience on the Greg Norman-designed layout.

“In college golf, I never had (an individual win),” Savoie noted. “It feels good to win this one on the home golf course. Last year, we had regionals here and we didn’t make it to nationals by only one shot. It just feels

good. I just love this place.”

Savoie was joined on the bag by a former teammate of his at Saint Leo, Liam Ainsworth. The two played on Saint Leo’s 2016 national championship squad.

“I would like to thank my great friend, Liam, for being on the bag this week,” Savoie added. “He made me laugh all the time, and that’s what

a good caddie does … he makes you relax.”

Savoie had a three-shot lead over Stoney Crouch and Ansett going into the final round.

Savoie made three bogeys on the front nine and Ansett briefly pulled within two shots of the lead Savoie kicked it into another gear on the back nine with three straight bogeys to pull away. He capped the win with an exclamation chip-in eagle on No. 18.

“I felt like after eight, my composure was not really well,” Savoie said. “I was getting a little bit tense over the ball. After 11, I just started swinging the club freely and without any expectations. I had some better swings and made some clutch putts.”

Savoie is currently a member of the Canadian national amateur golf team. The 23-yearold won the Quebec Amateur back in 2016.

He is the first amateur to win the Tennessee Open since Craig Smith in 2012.

Ansett birdied two of the final three holes to finish alone in second at 7-under. Chas Narramore and Michael Nagy were the topfinishing professionals in the field. They tied for third at 5-under and split the top monetary prize for the pros, which ended up being $7,500 for each of them.

Andrew McCain and Spencer Cross were part of a four-way tie for fifth. They also tied for the best score of the final round at 5-under, 67. Crouch and Hunter Richardson also tied for fifth at 4-under.

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Country Hills Golf Club on a mission to bring players-first mentality to Middle Tennessee

By Justin Onslow Tee Times Associated Editor A players-first mentality in the golf business is what separates good courses from bad, success from failure. That fact isn’t lost on general manager and PGA Director of Golf Brad Shirley of Country Hills Golf Club in Hendersonville.

Shirley understands that to operate a golf course players want to keep coming back to, management needs to offer what other courses won’t.

“The days of being the best golf course, the most manicured golf course, the cleanest carts—that’s all good,” Shirley said. “But that’s not necessarily where a (golfer) wants to go all the time.”

And he would know. Shirley has an impressive track record of course management and oversight in the Nashville area, including stints at Hermitage Golf Course (10 years) and Pine Creek as well as the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Oxmoor Valley (five years).

In spending time at several facilities over the course of his career, Shirley developed an appreciation for what allows a golf course to thrive—its golfers. “(Golfers) are certainly going to get friendly faces, smiles and a good attitude when they come to the golf shop right off the bat,” Shirley said. “It may sound cliché but a good golf shop staff is crucial and I have the best.

Rusty, Cole, Jerrell, Rob and Chaz, we’re like Cheers. Everybody knows their names. The difference in today’s golf and 20 years ago is the (golfer) doesn’t have a set course (anymore). They might go somewhere else on occasion but they used to have their own home course and played there all the time.

Now people aren’t quite as loyal so you have to figure out how to keep that person here.”

And as simple as the formula seems, it certainly seems to be working for Country Hills.

Shirley is quick to acknowledge that it’s often the little things—like a laid-back atmosphere and relaxed dress code, the welcoming and energetic staff—that keep people coming back.

“People want a good golf course but they want a good golf course at a good price,” Shirley said.

“They want to go somewhere they can have fun and feel like there’s interaction and they just enjoy coming. That’s exactly what we have here at

(L-R) PGA Professional Brad Shirley, Angel (grounds), John (carts), Jacob, Bill, Greg, Larry and Mikey (all grounds), Cole, assistant pro. Not pictured Rob and Jerrell, Pro Shop

Golfers aren’t going to get a five-star dining experience at Country Hills, but they will get a great burger or hot dog and a round of golf that can hopefully be played in four-and-a-half hours. They’re going to get a well-maintained course but without the strict cart path rules many local facilities enforce. And even if golf isn’t even your thing, Shirley and his staff have something for you.

Brad Shirley, proud of his friendly staff, both inside and out. “We are like Cheers, everybody knows their names.”

Country Hills. You come here and you’re going to have a good time.”

But don’t let Shirley’s customer-first attitude fool you. Country Hills is still very much a quality golf course that is both challenging and beautiful. Though it plays at just 6,211 yards from the back tees, Country Hills offers an incredible design with elevation changes, uneven lies, blind approach shots and fast greens.

In other words, don’t show up with just a driver and a putter.

To negate the inherent difficulty of the course, Shirley and his staff work hard to maintain good course conditions. In addition to keeping the roughs cut short and the greens rolling smoothly, the crew has worked to remove hard-to-maintain or overly difficult bunkers and is always looking for ways to give golfers a small advantage.

“I’ve been to a lot of places and run a lot of tournaments,” Shirley said. “I’ve kind of learned what people (L-R) Rusty Pence, teaching professional, Brad Shirley, PGA like and what hot buttons Professional, Director of Golf, and Cole Murley, assistant golf they don’t like.” professional. Not pictured Rob Phillips

“In the winter, usually in December or January or both, I’ll close down one side of the golf course for disc golf,” Shirley said. “Last December we had 110 disc golfers come in, play 18 holes in the morning and 18 holes in the afternoon. No one was playing golf that day because it was so cold. And it was a neat venue for them because they always have to go to park and stuff like that. It was awesome. We’re going to plan to do that again.”

Shirley is a golf guy with a mind for business, or perhaps it’s the other way around. Whatever the case, he’s found a way to blend the two mentalities perfectly in his time at Country Hills, and the results are obvious to anyone who has visited the facility. Whether you’re a weekend duffer, a scratch golfer or even a disc golfer, it’s a good bet you’ll have a great time at Country Hills.

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Maintain wrist bends for short game consistency

By Will Wright Do you struggle with consistency around the greens?

Are the majority of your misses contact related? If so, I have a great tip to help you eliminate your “chunks” and “blades” when chipping and pitching around the green.

A contact-related miss is the most common occurrence found when trying to get “up and down” from the side of a green. These contact related misses stem from golfers being too handsy, and not generating enough lower body turn through the shot. If you focus on a certain bend to your wrists while chipping and pitching, you can drastically reduce the amount of poorly contacted shots around the green.

The next time you go to the driving range or short game practice area at your local course, I want you to focus on maintaining specific wrist bends. After you set up to the ball, hinge your wrist by bowing your left and cupping your right.

From there, make a very short, chip shot like swing, and try to maintain the cup to your right wrist all the way to the finish. If you are finding it difficult to hold your wrist, shorten up and slow down your swing. Maintaining these wrist bends will force your body to turn and prevent the handsy action that causes the bladed and chunked miss.

Try it without a club. Put both palms together like you are praying and then extend your arms. From here, bend both wrists so that all 10 fingers are pointed to the right. Make practice swings while you try and maintain that wrist position.

A popular drill that will help with your wrist bends is called

Will Wright the hinge and hold. The idea is to hinge your wrist or create the bowed left and cupped right wrist bends and then hold those bends as you swing. This is not only a great drill for your short game, but also an excellent drill to help with creating lag and hip turn in your full swing.

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Youth on Course provides juniors with low-cost rounds

By Gregg Dewalt Tee Times Editor

any other junior golf initiative.

Youth on Course, he said, is simply to provide access to golf courses at an affordable price.

How does Youth on Course work? Simple. Youth on Course partners with local golf or civic organizations and golf courses.

Youth on Course negotiates a price with golf courses, and the organization’s members pay $5 or less per round to play.

Courses track how many rounds Youth on Course members play and then submit a bill for the difference between the negotiated price and members’ prices.

The local Youth on Course chap-

ORLANDO, Fla. – Jeff Clark, the director of development for the Youth on Course initiative, said his organization’s goal is relatively simple.

“Our core purpose is to give youth opportunities through golf,” Clark said at the PGA Merchandise Show earlier this year. “We do that by giving them access to cheap, afThe Youth on Course initiative provides juniors the opportunity to fordable rounds. Our memplay for $5 per round. The program bers play rounds of golf for negotiates a cost per round for juniors $5 or less.” and then makes up the difference.

Growing the game of golf is kind of like the old weather axiom – Everybody is talking about it but nobody is doing anything about it. Nearly every major golf organization has ideas on how to grow the game and everybody agrees that it has to begin on the junior level. The rub of the green, so to speak, is how to do that.

Sure, there are First Tee locations across the country and a multitude of other grassroots efforts to involve junior players, but where Youth on Course differs is that it actually provides access to golf courses for junior players for next to nothing.

The Youth on Course prorgram does not compete with other programs.

Youth on Course, which started in northIt simply provides access for junior players to golf courses. ern California 12 years ago, went national in 2015. Now, Clark said it can be found in 20 states and has nearly 30,000 members. that say we are adding rounds of golf, and ter then pays the course the difference.

“It can be done anywhere, and we don’t At the start of 2017, it was in 12 states and that’s one of the things the golf industry is trying to figure out.” compete with anybody else,” Clark said. “It’s had 18,000 members.

Youth on Course, Clark said, is not so much win-win. It’s a win for the kids, a win for the “So, we are really growing,” he said. “We had over 115,000 subsidized rounds last about churning out the next generation courses and a win for golf, which is why we year. It’s win-win. We are getting youth into of PGA Tour caliber players. If some of its love it.”

There is a nominal fee for junior golfers to the game and giving youth opportunities to members do go on to great things, that’s a learn the lessons of golf and to be around bonus. Instead, it’s about allowing junior join – typically $5 to $20 – set by the state people who play the game and the oppor- players access to the game and to be around organization. Members can play any course tunities it can create for them. And we are players who can influence them in a variety affiliated with the organization in any state. growing the game. We actually have metrics of different areas.

“It’s a great partnership with The First Youth on Course was the original idea of a Tee,” Clark pointed out. “They teach them group of golfers in northern California who the game; we give them access.” wanted to give back to the game and honor Clark said Youth on Course officials have a mentor. been in conversation with officials in both “There was one guy who made an impact Alabama and Tennessee to see if the busion several people when they were kids,” ness model works for them. Youth on Clark said. “He took them under his wing Course recently added state chapters in the and got them into the game of golf. They Carolinas and Georgia, and hopes to be in wanted to honor him in some way when he every state by 2020. passed away. They said, ‘He got us going; “Everybody is doing their due diligence on how can we give other kids that same op- it,” he said. “They want to make sure they portunity?’” can fund it. We fund new states for the first The group started Youth on Course through 18 months and then they fund it after that. the Northern California Golf Association You have to raise some money.” and then started a non-profit organization.

Youth on Course can help individual states Clark cautioned that Youth on Course is negotiate the rates, and the goal is so that not the same as The First Tee. course owners and operators don’t lose “They have staff members and offices and money.

185 locations,” he said. “We are much leaner “We are just about access and helping and simpler.” kids,” Clark said.

Clark emphasized that Youth on Course is not in competition with The First Tee or

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Tournaments, upgrades and a junior championship M ontgomery Bell is hosting the Tennessee Golf Association Senior and Super Senior 4 Ball events on June 11-15.

The course has weathered the winter fairly well, especially compared to others I have seen. Other than the driving range, which we re-sodded recently, and a few of the new tees we have built, I think the course will be good for the event, barring more rain which we seem to get every day.

Jeff Kuhns, our greens superintendent, has done a great job with respect to all of our challenges over the winter, and I expect the course will

show his handiwork in a positive manner, especially the greens. Everyone loves great greens, and I fully expect that they will be rolling smooth and fast for the event.

Upgrades in the works

In other news along the Tennessee Golf Trail, our guests will be treated to some significant upgrades over the next two or three years at the inns and cabins at several of our parks. The upgrades will only make you want to come see us even more.

The Inn at Fall Creek Falls will be demolished and a new lodge with approximately 85 rooms will be built in its place, something along the lines of the beautiful

Sewanee Inn in Monteagle. Work should begin in a month or two.

The Paris Landing Inn will also be replaced and converted to a beautiful lodge this fall. Montgomery Bell Inn and the Pickwick Landing Inn will both receive wonderful makeovers in the next two years that will provide our guests with more comfortable accommodations, along with other amenities.

Henry Horton is on the drawing board as well, and we will have some news on that in the very near future.

All this is to say that we are working hard to make the Tennessee Golf Trail better in many ways, and hope you will come see us soon.

We will still have cabins available at Fall Creek Falls and Paris Landing, along with other options for everyone who likes to

take advantage of our golf packages along the TGT.

Junior championship coming

Plans are being made for a new event – the Tennessee Golf Trail Junior Championship.

A series of qualifying events will be held at all of the Tennessee State Parks courses this summer with winners advancing to the TGT championship tournament at Montgomery Bell in September. There will be two age groups for boys and girls – 14-under and 15-to-17. Check the TGT website for details.

As always, go to our new web site or call your favorite TGT course and make your reservations to come see us as soon and as often as you can.

Have a great golfing season, and we look forward to seeing you soon, - Mike

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Caddy For A Cure giving new meaning to giving back we go have lunch and play golf and forget about it. This was family and it was all-encompassing.”

So much so that 25 years later, Holden is heading up a program that aims to bring awareness to Fanconi anemia while also touching the lives of so many others in need.

Caddy For A Cure officially launched in 2002 during Holden’s time as Langer’s full-time caddy. Just four years prior, the Collins family had welcomed their fifth child, Calen, into the world. Calen was also born with Fanconi anemia and once again, the disease and its effects had a profound impact on the way Holden saw the world—especially the world of golf.

“I was rubbing shoulders with Tiger and Phil and Ernie and Sergio and all the great players of the day and

By Justin Onslow Tee Times Associate Editor Life often has a way of not only giving us what we need, but also presenting us with opportunities to give others what they need, as well. For Russ Holden, that’s what life has been all about since August 25, 1993.

Holden, a 33-year member of the PGA of America and former caddie for professional golfer Bernhard Langer, remembers the exact day Caddy For A Cure was unofficially born. That day marked the birth of Christian Thomas Collins, son of former MLB pitcher Chris Collins, who began working with Holden at Woodfield Country Club in Boca Raton, Florida shortly after his retirement from baseball. “(Christian) was born with a rare bone marrow disorder called Fanconi anemia,” Holden said. “There’s a tremendous amount of birth defects that come along with it when you have the full blown disease. Ultimately it leads to marrow failure and transplants are necessary and subsequently, there’s an extremely high incidence of head and neck cancers.”

Holden wasn’t familiar with the disease prior to Collins’ birth, but he soon learned how devastating the effects can be both on those who have the disease and on their families.

Phil Mickelson with Fanconi pati

ents

“We were literally living, breathing and dying with the Collins family,” Holden said. “This was my first touch with almost a family member who had something. We all hear and see things about that family and this family and it pulls our heartstrings and then

Wounded Warrior at The Honda Classic

ni patient

nco Tiger Woods with a Fa

I knew (fans) would be willing to make a donation in order to trade places with me for a day,” Holden said. “So my wife and I laid out a business plan for Caddy For A Cure. We went to the PGA TOUR and had a lot of meetings with them back and forth.

They gave us sort of a quasi-yellow light to go ahead and start and here we are 15 years later still providing experiences.”

Those experiences Holden refers to are exactly what the organization’s name suggests—a chance for ordinary fans to bid on extraordinary opportunities to caddy for PGA TOUR players like Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Jason Day and many more. And while Caddy For A Cure is not a PGA TOUR initiative, Holden does work closely with the organization and its members to ensure caddying opportunities are plentiful.

Calen and Christian Collins serve as advocates and spokesmen for Caddy For A Cure and Fanconi anemia remains an important part of its mission, but 2005 marked the addition of a second prong for the organization’s charitable mission in the form of Operation Warrior Golf.

In 2005, Holden was caddying for Langer at the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio, home of the Brooke Army Medical Center (now the San Antonio Military Medical Center). Being around wounded military veterans at the tournament struck a chord

with Holden and spawned the idea to add a second initiative to Caddy For A Cure.

“We started the (Operation Warrior Golf) initiative of what we do now with our caddie experiences,” Holden said.

“Fanconi anemia will always be the reason why we started and we still support them and do everything we can for them, but we have really kind of morphed into a military initiative. By providing these experiences for wounded service members it has really been impactful and made a difference for them. It’s been a way of helping them deal with some of the injuries they’ve sustained as a result of their fighting for our freedoms.”

And after all, as Holden is quick to point out, golf contributes more in charitable giving than the other four major American sports combined. He sees these prongs of Caddy For A Cure as smaller parts of a much larger mission to help those in need.

“Somehow, in some way, if we can be remembered or looked upon as being a very small spoke in that large wheel of golf… it’s all spokes of little guys like Russ Holden and Caddy For A Cure that saw a niche or some way that they could give back and make a difference, creating milestones in the lives of others,” he said. “And that’s what we aim to do and hopefully can be seen as being successful in doing: Just being one small spoke in the big wheel of golf and its charitable giving.”

Life continues presenting Holden with opportunities to give others what they need and he continues to answer the call.

Thanks to Caddy For A Cure, those benefiting from the organization may one day have the chance to do the same.

Please visit caddyforacure.com to learn more about the organization and the opportunities it offers.

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Get in on the ground floor of Tennessee’s best hidden gem

By Justin Onslow Tee Times Associate Editor Little more than an hour east of Nashville in the scenic hills of the Upper Cumberland lies a golf course too good to remain the state’s bestkept secret.

Overlooking Center Hill Lake, Riverwatch Golf Club is as picturesque and pristine a course as one could hope to find—especially for the value. Given Riverwatch’s location in the heart of the state’s third-largest tourism destination, that’s saying something.

New management has brought big changes to Riverwatch. Under superintendent and head golf professional Ken Lacy and the “eggs to his ham,” assistant golf pro Pete Ferguson, Riverwatch has laid the foundation for a destination course that’s just too special to not be one of the most popular courses in the region.

That’s going to happen if Lacy and Ferguson have anything to say about it.

A manageable but challenging 6,900 track, Riverwatch has the framework already in place for one of the most enjoyable rounds a golfer could ask for, starting with quality grasses and impeccable maintenance.

“Our quality is second to none,” Lacy said. “We have bentgrass greens.

We have zoysia fairways—once you play zoysia you never want to play anything else. And we have bermuda tees. Our fairways are second to none. Our greens are excellent. And we keep our speeds up to tournament level.”

But Lacy and Ferguson know it takes more than a tremendous course to attract golfers in a region flooded with competing courses. It takes unmatched value, great service and an overall fun experience to generate that replayability factor—something Riverwatch has in spades.

“We wish we had people backed up all day long on every tee,” Lacy said. “That would be a great problem to have. We don’t, but we do keep people moving. We try to make it enjoyable. We make it economical. We give you a great value for a low, modest price.”

With rounds generally in the $35 range, there might not be a better blend of value and quality anywhere in Middle Tennessee.

Lacy and Ferguson have already put in motion several initiatives to earn their course the exposure it deserves. Last year, Riverwatch hosted the American Junior Golf Association for a tournament that boasted a field featuring 15 of the

our freedom.

With the additions of several weekly events like couples’ “nine and dine” on Friday nights, a ladies instructions night and a free junior golf academy, the dynamic duo of Lacy and Ferguson are certainly taking all the right steps toward a common goal of making Riverwatch the course everyone in Middle Tennessee wants to play time and again.

Perhaps the most appealing aspect of what

the water before your round, Lacy and Ferguson might even pick you up themselves.

“The waterfalls, the outdoors, the hiking, the backpacking, the camping... Everything you want outdoors is right here in this area,” Lacy said. “Put us in there somewhere in the mix. If you bring your boat down and tie up down on the river and call us we’ll come pick you up.

We’ll come get you if you don’t have a ride.”

Lacy is also happy to announce a big step in

(L-R) Superintendent and Head Golf Professional Ken Lacy, and Pete Ferguson, Operations Manager

No. 1

Signature No. 13

top 50 junior golfers in the country.

That event returns July 4th weekend, preceded by a Sneds Tour event (also for junior golfers) in the middle of June.

In the fall, Riverwatch will host a Special Operations Warrior Foundation event headlined by retired four-star general Butch Neal, who served as Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1996 to 1998. The event aims to benefit the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, a charity that pledges to fund college tuition for children of fallen special operators and honor those lost fighting for

perfect place to The Villa patio, a round of golf unwind after your

Villas just right for Stay N’Play packages at Riverwatch Golf Club

Riverwatch has to offer, though, is its location. Nestled above Center Hill Lake—and in the middle of a region enjoying a tourism boom—Riverwatch is every bit a destination course close enough to Nashville to be the perfect weekend getaway for the golfer who also wants to enjoy time on the lake and in nature. With 11 on-property villas and stay-and-play packages to match, there’s little reason not to make Riverwatch a multi-round weekend getaway.

And if you happen to be enjoying some time on

Riverwatch’s ongoing improvements to its amenities in the form of a new head chef for the recently renovated dining area of the clubhouse.

“We just acquired Kellius Stout, a former marine and captain’s cook in the military,” Lacy said. “He has his culinary degree and he’s come here to help up boost our facilities and get our food going.”

Lacy and Ferguson know what they have on their hands. Riverwatch is a hidden gem that just keeps getting better, and it won’t be long before it’s not so hidden.

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In His Grip

By Scott Lehman

The cure for life’s detractors

In May 2016, Australian Jason Day completed an impressive finish to win at the Tournament Players Championship held at famed TPC Sawgrass. Day, the world No. 1 at the time, pocketed a whopping $1.9 million for the effort, bringing his career earnings to more than $33 million.

It really shouldn’t surprise anyone that Day blasted his way around the course and easily outpaced the field.

Including the TPC, he’d won seven of his last 17 events and finished well in several other events. Day has won a total of 10 PGA Tour events and has second-place finishes at the Master’s and the U.S. Open and tied for fourth at the British Open; an impressive resume for someone just 28 years old.

But Jason Day isn’t without his detractors. Although he has been one of golf’s top players, many people have been quick to label him as not realizing his

full potential. They’ve strongly critiqued whether he’s missed his moment, or if he just has had a mental block that wasn’t allowing him to succeed. Fortunately, Day has responded to his detractors through perseverance and consistency.

In 1 Timothy 4:12, Paul writes his young friend Timothy and advises, “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.”

This is good advice to all of us who follow Jesus Christ and face detractors, regardless of our age. Let’s face it; they are everywhere. Coworkers, supervisors, neighbors and even fellow church members can say something negative that can take the wind out of our sails. And let’s not forget our “adversary the devil,” as the Bible calls him. He is constantly standing and accusing us of being failures.

But look closely at how Paul counsels Timothy (and us) to respond. We are to be an example in what we say, how we live, how we love, in our faith and by a pure and holy life. He’s not talking about a “one and done” here. This isn’t a checklist of items we do once, cross it off and move on. No, the way we answer the detractors is to show up day-after-day and walk consistently through life with the Lord. If we stumble, return to Him in humility and continue moving forward. Consistently walking with the Lord is how we develop the life that pleases the Lord.

How about you? Do you have a daily “tee time” with the Lord where you show up and meet Him for the day’s round? If not, I’d encourage you to reserve tomorrow’s tee time. Then, do it again the next day and keep meeting Him every day for the rest of your life. Pretty soon you won’t be able to hear the detractors because you’ll be too focused on listening to the Lord.

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Opinion

By David Widener

Member Golf Writers Association of America

U.S. Open features tough conditions, new playoff format

I

t’s time for another U.S. Open, which means the pros can expect tough playing conditions, especially since the site is Shinnecock Hills Golf Course in New

York.

They also will encounter a new playoff system, as the 18-hole playoff format played the day after the final round is now part of history.

Staged by the United States Golf Association, officials are noted for setting up U.S. Open courses in a way that makes scoring very difficult, with a premium placed on accurate driving.

There also can be other problems at Shinnecock Hills. In the 2004 U.S. Open at Shinnecock, which is located on Long Island, the sun and wind dried out several greens, including the par-3 seventh hole which was virtually unplayable as players struggled to keep the ball on the green.

This marks the fifth time for Shinnecock Hills to be the host of the U.S. Open and it is scheduled to return again in 2026. The first was in 1896 and played as a 36-hole event over a short 4,423 yards.

Many broke 80, including the winner (78-74— 152), which led to a demand to increase difficulty.

By the time the U.S. Open returned to Shinnecock in 1986, the links style course measured 6,912 yards when Raymond Floyd won with 1-underpar. An even par score was good enough for Corey Pavin to capture the 1995 U.S. Open title, and Retief Goosen shot 4-under to win in 2004.

With those winning scores in mind, it is hard to image defending champion Brooks Koepke coming up with a score like the 16-under-par he posted in winning a year ago at Erin Hills.

Golfodds.com has his chances at 30-1, the same as Masters champion Patrick Reed. Three-time U.S. Open champion Tiger Woods is listed at 20-1 odds while Dustin Johnson is the 10-1 favorite.

Franklin’s Kenny Perry earned a spot in the field thanks to winning the 2017 U.S. Seniors Open, but he is a 300-1 long-shot. Also in the field are Nashville’s Brandt Snedeker, who tied for ninth with 8-under-par in the U.S. Open a year ago, and former Vanderbilt standout Luke List, who ranks third in driving distance on the tour at 316.1 yards. Both are listed at 100-1 odds.

The 7,445-yard length of the par-70 course this year favors a long ball hitter. For example, the par-5 16th hole measures 616 yards, the par-4 14th hole 519 yards and the par-3 second hole 252 yards.

Raymond Floyd was the oldest U.S. Open champion when he won in 1986 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club

How tough are U.S. Open courses? Six times in its long history the winner has shot 10-over-par or more. Hall of Famer Walter Hagen won the 1919 U.S. Open despite shooting 17-over-par.

There have been 33 playoffs, all of them at least 18 holes, since the U.S. Open began in 1895, but the tournament is doing away with the 18-hole playoff and switching to a two-hole aggregate score format starting this year. If still tied, it will go to suddendeath.

If such rule had been in effect in past years, 14 U.S. Opens would have crowned different champions and some of the game’s greatest stories never would have come to fruition. For example: • Francis Ouimet, the 20-year-old amateur, would not have won the 1913 U.S. Open and there would be no “Greatest Game Ever Played” movie depicting

Dustin Johnson, the 2016 champion, is a 10-1 favorite to win the this year’s U.S. Open

such. Harry Vardon would have won.

• Bobby Jones would not have won the 1923 U.S. Open for his first of 13 majors. Bobby Cruickshank would be the champion.

• Ben Hogan’s “Miracle at Merion” in 1950 just 16 months after a near fatal car wreck never would have come to fruition. Lloyd Mangrum would be the winner.

I liked the 18-hole playoff. You got to see more golf (especially if you suddenly became sick and had to miss school or work) plus one or two holes should not decide a major championship.

It certainly gave us some unforgettable moments.

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Davis stages big finish to win Nashville Golf Open Tee Times Report NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Cameron Davis came out of nowhere in the final round to win the third Nashville Golf Open Benefitting the Snedeker Foundation.

Trailing by six shots going into the final 18, Davis capped a 7-under 65 with a four-foot birdie putt on the last hole.

Then he waited while the rest of the field tried to catch him. Nobody could, and the result was a one-shot win over Kevin Dougherty, Josh Teater and Lanto Griffin.

Griffin was bidding to win back-toback NGOs. The 2017 winner returned from the PGA Tour to make a start and he nearly pulled it out. But he could do no better than an even-par 72 on the last day and had to settle for the three-way tie for second.

Davis, a native of Sydney, Australia, won in his fifth Web.com Tour start. His only previous professional victory was equally impressive, winning the Emirates Australian Open last year. In that tournament, Davis started the final round six shots back of Jason Day, but shot 7-under

64 to win his first professional title on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australia.

At the NGO, Davis played the final 12 holes in 7-under. He leapfrogged eight players with a back-nine 31.

Davis birdied No. 17 and capped off his day with a birdie on No. 18 to take the lead for the first time.

“I kept on holing putts even when the pressure was on, which is a big improvement for me,” Davis said. “It’s nice that I could get it done under pressure. There were nerves out there, I didn’t know the exact situation, but I knew I was up there and to make a few putts is really nice.”

Davis needed only 25 putts in the final round.

Davis has been perhaps the hottest golfer on the Web.com Tour in recent weeks.

He opened the year with conditional status after a T113 performance at final stage of the Web.com Tour qualifying tournament. He played in the Panama Championship, but didn’t get another start until the North Mississippi Classic.

A T17 in Oxford helped him move up in the reshuffle. Davis took advantage of the

Tee Times Report TRI-CITIES - Zac Fletcher has been selected as one of 10 from across the country to attend the highly regarded Congaree Global Golf Initiative.

Fletcher is a freshman at Dobyns-Bennett High School and an Ace student in The First Tee of Tri-Cities.

“Zac was nominated and ultimately selected by the CGGI partly because of his work ethic and playing ability, but mostly because of his qualities, values, and leadership abilities,” Regional Director of the Tennessee Golf Foundation Cody Weems said.

Congaree Golf Club is located in Ridgeland, South Carolina, and was founded by golf enthusiasts Dan Friedkin and Bob McNair as a world class golf club with a philanthropic purpose.

Friedkin and McNair, along with Congaree Ambassadors around the world, are committed to providing life-changing experiences for deserving high school students through Congaree Foundation. Its signature program is the Congaree Global Golf Initiative (CGGI), which is an intensive athletic and academic college preparatory program committed to helping motivated young men and women prepare for their future.

This year’s CGGI will host 20 participants from across the globe over the course of two one-week sessions. Participants will

work with academic advisors, fitness counselors and golf professionals to prepare for the college admissions process and future success on the golf course and in the classroom at a four-year college or university.

All instruction and training is administered by carefully selected and skilled professionals who provide a structured learning experience for participants through both individual and group-based training.

Fletcher selected for Congaree Global Golf Initiative

opportunity to play more with a T4 at the Knoxville Open. The NGO victory was worth $99,000 and moved him from No. 72 to No. 14 on the money list.

“I’ve been trending upwards over the last couple of weeks,” he said.

“I’ve gone from having no status to have enough status to play events and now winning one. It’s been a pretty steep rise over the past month or so. I mean, it’s just a lot of relief to know I’ve gotten over the line and now looking forward to the rest of the year, because obviously I’ve moved up the money list a bit and have a few more opportunities coming my way.”

Davis said the NGO win gets him closer to his goal of getting to the PGA Tour.

“The Aussie Open was fantastic, it was my first win and such a big event, but getting it done on this Tour, gets me toward the PGA Tour,” he said. “It’s good to get a win out here and it means a lot.”

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Train Your Brain

By Buddy Harston

Head Golf Instructor Vanderbilt Legends Club

Stay in the present to block out stress Back when “Tiger was Tiger,” a fellow PGA professional asked him why he thought he was the No.1 player in the world.

If asked that same question, most of us would probably say that he was longer off the tee than the rest of the pros or that he had the best short game in golf.

Some of us might say, “It’s definitely because he is the best putter in the game.” All these remarks about Tiger Woods’ physical game were definitely true. But Tiger never saw his physical prowess as being the main reason for his success.

He thought that his total dominance came from his mental strengths.

“First and foremost, I am mentally tougher than everybody out here. My dad, who was an Army Green Beret, trained me daily to be mentally strong.” Remembering back 15 years ago, I can certainly agree with his assessment. Nothing seemed to rattle him. He always kept his poise in the most pressure-packed situations.

“And secondly, I can stay in the present better than any other professional,” Tiger continued.

The other pro then asked him, “What exactly does it mean to be able to stay in the present?”

“It means that when I have to make a 12-foot putt on the 72nd hole of the 2008 U.S. Open to tie Rocco to earn a spot in a playoff, I could look at the putt with nothing attached. It was just another putt that I had practiced perfectly thousands of times before. Or when I had that chip shot on No. 16 at The Masters in front of a world TV audience,

I could ‘remove’ myself from the fear of making bogey or losing the lead and totally get immersed in the moment. All that existed was that one shot.”

So, how do we practice “being present?” Simply put, we practice being “mindful” of what we are doing. There are several techniques but, first, I would encourage you to pay attention to your breathing. Feel your stomach move in and out as you breathe or feel the air move in and out of your nostrils. When your mind wanders off, gently bring it back to your breath. This technique brings us back to the present and has been practiced by yoga gurus for thousands of years. The breath is the foundation of all yoga poses.

And, secondly, realize that you must practice this just as much as you practice your grip, setup and swing. Set a time every morning to practice your mindfulness and it will be much easier to implement it into your pre-shot routine when you practice and play.

I promise you, it will be much easier to maintain your poise during those seemingly stressful situations that always appear on the course if you can just stay in the present.

ROAD TRIP No. 44

More golf than you can shake a 9-iron at.

When it comes to championship golf, there’s no better destination than Alabama. Come play where the PGA TOUR professionals compete and see why Golf Digest editors picked two of Alabama’s golf resorts among their favorites. For starters, there are the 468 holes along the world-renowned Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Stretching from the mountains in the north to the Gulf Coast in the south, America’s original golf trail opened 25 years ago and recently completed a massive renovation of its 26 courses. Then there are the many other impressive courses scattered across the state, designed by the likes of Arnold Palmer and Jerry Pate. Each with its own set of challenges, each with its own rewards. Plan an epic road trip to great golf courses across the state of Alabama.

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