The Wright Man: Will Wright

Moving on up: Will Wright overseeing Nashville-area GOLFTEC operations

By Justin Onslow Tee Times Associate Editor

Last July, Will Wright assumed the role of Regional Manager for GOLFTEC operations in the Nashville area, which included oversight of GOLFTEC locations in both Brentwood and Cool Springs. Soon, he’ll have a third location under his care in the form of a new center in west Nashville. Wright began with GOLFTEC in 2014, fresh out of the Golf Academy of America. Then-owner Andrew Braley, who has since sold his Nashville locations back to GOLFTEC corporate management, hired Wright as an instructor at his Memphis location, and Wright soon joined the team in Nashville. When Braley sold back to corporate, GOLFTEC wanted a regional manager to oversee Nashville’s operations, and they chose Wright as the man for the job. “They were looking for a regional manager, and because I had pretty much been here the longest and have some pretty good leadership skills and had worked at both locations here in Nashville, they felt I was the best fit for the job,” Wright said. It’s a role into which he’s settled nicely, especially considering how much the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the flow of business. As of the time of publication, GOLFTEC operations in Nashville should just be getting back closer to normal. “Right now, we’re trying to get open on a limited-schedule basis May 4,” he said. “The governor has the stay-at-home order extended through April 30. Whenever the governor lifts that order, we’re going to open back up. “We’ll want to get in and clean and set our schedule books and contact our students to get back in.” It’ll be a few more days after that before GOLFTEC in Brentwood and Cool Springs begins bringing students back in, with

Wright’s Quarantine Tip for Staying Sharp

By Will Wright

One thing a lot of golfers don’t think about is shoulder tilt throughout the golf swing. At GOLFTEC, shoulder tilt is measured precisely in degrees, and we’re able to see from that data exactly how golfers should be positioning their shoulders at setup, the top of the swing and at impact. Generally speaking, Tour-level players have an average shoulder tilt of 11 degrees at setup, which we’ll call “11 degrees right” for a right-handed golfer. That means the right shoulder is set up slightly below the left.

At the top of the swing, that number flips to 36 degrees left and finishes at 39 degrees right at impact. Those numbers may vary slightly from golfer to golfer, but that’s a good benchmark when dissecting shoulder tilt data. Why is this important? For starters, shoulder tilt helps with the swing plane and how much a golfer is able to shape his or her shots. A golfer who keeps his or her shoulders fairly level throughout the

entirety of the swing is more likely to experience an outside-in swing path and all kinds of contact issues, from hooking and slicing to fat and thin shots. During this time of social distancing, when it’s not always easy meeting with an instructor or getting out on the range, there are some simple drills you can do to work on your swing and improve as a golfer. Here’s a good one to work on shoulder tilt. Start with placing a club across your shoulders, as

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Will Wright

extra precautions in place for limiting the amount of people in each center at a given time. Wright says they may consider extending business hours so they can spread out appointments for lessons and club fittings. Not long after that, the new location will open in the Nashville West Shopping Center. Paul Brannon, who’s currently a golf professional at the Brentwood GOLTEC location, will be taking charge of that center with some help and oversight from Wright. “I’ll go over there a couple times a month or once a week to help him (Brannon) run the operation and sit in on lessons and provide some leadership and moral support,” Wright said. “Just to make sure everyone’s having fun and enjoying their job.” While GOLFTEC instructors have remained in contact with their students throughout the shutdown – including remote lessons – Wright expects there to be a steady flow of appointments once the centers open up in earnest. It’s golf season, after all, and now’s the time to take advantage of everything GOLFTEC has to offer.

On the heels of the most-talked about golf ball launch at the 2020 PGA Merchandise Show, Bridgestone Golf, the No. 1 ball-fitter in golf, has unveiled its highly anticipated new version of the popular TOUR B XS – Tiger Woods edition balls. The new TOUR B XS-TW balls, a strong collaboration between Tiger and Bridgestone, deliver a game-changing combination of driver distance and greenside control, thanks to Bridges- tone’s new REACTIV Urethane® cover. From a performance perspective, the TOUR B XS-TW edition balls are iden- tical to the standard TOUR B XS model that Woods currently is using in all pro- fessional competitions. The 2020 TOUR B XS-TW balls feature the unmistakable “TIGER” sidestamp that replicates how the 15-time major winner marks his balls. In addition, new commemorative packaging that recalls Tiger’s emotional first major championship in more than a decade, last April, makes these balls just as suit - able for a collector to display on a shelf as they are for play on the course. The new TOUR B XS-TW featuring a REACTIV cover has been partially re- sponsible for an increase in Tiger’s driving distance and substantially more greenside spin. REACTIV is the golf world’s first smart Urethane – using an “impact modifier” to deliver a shock

absorbing soft cover on slow impact shots for more spin and control - and high resilience on high impact shots for more power and distance. The material reacts differently depending on the force of the impact. In essence, on the violent impact of a driver, REACTIV rebounds quicker than other urethane covers, gen- erating more ball speed and longer distance. On the soft- er touch and feel of wedge shots, REACTIV keeps the ball on the face longer, allow- ing golfers to impart more spin and have better control in the short game. “Tiger Woods has proudly stated that he has never been more involved with the design of a golf ball from birth of concept to final model, than he has with the new 2020 TOUR B XS golf ball, so it is only fitting that we offer a version to consumers with the same TIGER sid - estamp that Woods himself uses,” said Elliot Mellow, Golf Ball Marketing Man- ager for Bridgestone Golf. “Combining this incredible new ball with some re- ally cool new packaging that was taken

from the 72nd green at Tiger’s huge major win last spring, should really ap peal to golfers and collectors. This ball truly is a celebration of the nearly 20- year relationship Tiger has had with Bridgestone’s engineers throughout his playing career.” The Bridgestone TOUR B XS-TW was available for retail in mid-March and has a price-point of $44.99 per dozen. For more information on the TOUR B XS-TW and the entire family of 2020 TOUR B balls, visit www.bridgestone golf.com.

TGA tournament schedule remains in holding pattern

By Justin Onslow Tee Times Associate Editor

Despite the pall the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown over most organized sporting activities for the past few months, golfers can still get out and play the game they love in a safe, healthy fashion. Many courses throughout the country have remained open, and as the weather continues to improve – especially in the mid-South – golf will remain a great physical distanc ing-approved activity. Several Tennessee Golf Association (TGA) member clubs have remained open for business after taking the appropriate precautions to keep their patrons safe. Unfortunately, the TGA itself has had to cancel some tournaments in March and April with an eye on a reshuffled qualifier schedule that will resume when state and local officials deem it appropriate for less stringent physical distancing. Chad Anderson, who serves as the Executive Director for the TGA, provides an overview of what to expect once things start to settle down and return closer to normalcy. “As of right now, we’ve only postponed one tournament,” Anderson said. “That was our Senior Match Play that was scheduled for May. It has been pushed back to October. We have a contingency plan for the events that are scheduled in June, but we have not made that call yet. We’re going to let things play out and see if things take a turn for the better or the worse and see what the state allows us to do.” One major June event still in a holding pattern is the Tennessee State Open Championship, tentatively scheduled for June 2-4. June 2 is still a month away, but the seven qualifiers leading up to that tournament – originally scheduled to start on May 11 – will be rescheduled for the week prior to the Open Championship. The following week features the Tennessee Women’s Amateur Championship at Tennessee National, followed by the Tennessee Senior and Super Senior Four-Ball Championships at Chickasaw Country Club in west Tennessee. “We’re just excited because we have a great lineup of championships this year,” Anderson said. “The State Open returns to GreyStone. Our Women’s Amateur is at Tennessee National, which is the first time that club has hosted a women’s championship for us. “The Senior Four-Ball travels to west Tennessee for the first time in its 50- year history, Chickasaw Country Club, which hasn’t hosted an event for us since the 1960s. We’re really excited to get back to that club and to get that championship on the west side of the state. We’re trying to get more events to the Memphis area.” Because that trio of tournaments all take place in early to mid-June, the TGA is being especially measured with its planning in the hopes that, should things calm down in the coming monthplus, it can still host those events with out a hiccup. “To give us our best chance to play the State Open the first week of June, we’ve pushed everything as late as we can, hoping that golf courses will be ready to host qualifiers and players will be ready to play,” Anderson explains. When things do settle down – and assuming that happens in the next couple months – golfers have plenty of reasons to look forward to what lies ahead on the TGA schedule, chief among them a new match play format for the Ten“We have a contingency plan for the events that are scheduled in June, but we have not made that call yet.”

Chad Anderson TGA Executive Director

nessee Match Play Championship July 7-10. “We’re really excited about our Match Play Championship,” Anderson added. “We’re at a great match play course at Lookout Mountain, but we changed the format this year where we adopted the PGA Tour’s WGC match play format. Sixty-four players play from the very beginning and it’s pod play. Each player is guaranteed three matches. “The feedback we’ve received from the players has been awesome. Match play is just such a great form of golf that we just don’t get to play as much anymore. I think that will be the most anticipated event on our calendar for years to come with that new format change.” For those worried about the hassle of registering for TGA tournaments with so much uncertainty in the scheduling process brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Anderson has some words of encouragement. “Registration is still open for us, and we want people to have the confidence to go ahead and register,” he says. “We’re not charging right now; we’re just put ting people on a pending list. If an event doesn’t happen and we cancel it, they were never even charged. We want people to get excited about getting out to compete without having to worry about the financial side of it for now.”

Tennessee State Open Greystone Golf Club June 2-4 2020

Lynx Golf unveils groundbreaking Junior Ai clubs, accessories

Lynx Golf has unveiled the Junior Ai range of clubs and accessories, engineered to suit youth golfers better than any brand on the market by accurately and propor- tionately re-sizing all aspects of the equip- ment to meet the unique needs of junior players of all ages and sizes. Available this spring at select retailers and LynxGolfUSA.com, the collection of- fers different club head sizes and weights across six height coded sections. Each includes a driver, fairway wood, hybrid, irons, wedges, a putter and matching bag. As an example of how Lynx resized the clubs to benefit different segments of ju- nior golfers, a 6-iron in the smallest blue section measures 7% lighter and shorter than the next size up, the red section. Sim- ilar levels of difference continue through the remaining orange, green, black and silver sections with clubs getting progres- sively larger, longer and heavier. Each size will be available in both right- and lefthanded versions. Many junior clubs in the industry are cut shorter but with the same thickness as adult clubs and feature identical hosels and ferrules as those used in adult equip - ment. As a result of extensive research coupled with the latest advances in Arti - ficial Intelligence, the Junior Ai range in- cludes re-tooled grips, heads, shafts, fer- rules and hosels designed to be smaller, lighter, and sized to the proper propor - tions as the rest of the club. “Because of the way we have developed these junior golf clubs, sizes grow pro- portionately with the child,” says Steve Elford, CEO of Lynx Golf. “It is impor - tant, because children have slower swing speeds and less power than adults, so to include adult-sized components in a child’s golf club does not give them the correct feel and weighting that they ought to have. It’s a perfect model for scaling up to adulthood and one which takes account of the child’s strength development and increased swing speeds as they get older, stronger, and more confident.” Clubs will be sold individually with pric - ing as follows: • Driver (Titanium) - $103.00 each • Driver (Alloy) - $48.00 each • Fairway Woods (3 and 5) - $48.00 each • Hybrids (3 and 4) - $48.00 each • Irons (5i, 6i, 7i, 8i, 9i, PW, SW) - $29.00 each • Wedges (52 degree, 56 degree, 60 de - gree) - $29.00 each • Putter - $35.00 each Beyond creating superior performing clubs, Lynx has also addressed the matter of golf ball weight. The Junior Ai golf ball is lighter than standard, making it easier for juniors to get the ball airborne and have more fun. The reduced weight translates to faster flight from the face and a higher trajectory, allowing for greater distance despite slower club head speeds. In fact, independent testing conducted by Ger - man-based T&K Golf Research has shown that the Junior Ai driver paired with the Junior Ai golf ball outdrove the nearest competitor by an average of 50 yards. “Children have pliable, developing bod

ies, and their joints can be subject to strain and potential injury when clubs are too heavy, or they struggle too hard to get a ball in the air. The lighter Junior Ai ball is proportioned to give young golfers the ability to get the ball airborne and hit shots longer than they would with nor - mal junior equipment,” says Stephanie Zinser, CFO of Lynx Golf. “We also hope the Junior Ai range gives young golfers a better chance of finding success early in their golfing journey and more enjoyment in our beautiful sport. If any company was going to champion the young golfer, it would have to be us – Steve and I have seven children between us and can apply our own experience to the mission.” For more information visit: www.lynxgol - fusa.com, or follow @LynxGolfUSA on Twit- ter.

Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park Golf Packages

Burkesville, KY  866-903-7888

Flexible golf packages allow you to choose your length of stay, lodging, and golf options. And don’t forget to take in the views. Package pricing and course information at parks.ky.gov/golf.

What we can learn from past Masters Champions

By Gregg Steinberg Tee Times Contributor

With the pandemic, the PGA Tour has suspended any play for a few months. With that suspension comes no real-time golf tournaments. The good news is that the Golf Channel as well as other stations are re-playing final rounds from tournaments past. The better news is that we can learn so much from these champions, particularly their mental toughness under pressure. Take the pre-eminent Masters in 1986 won by Jack Nicklaus. There are so many mental game lessons to be learned but here are a few: • On No. 15, Jack turns to his son, Jackie who was caddying for him, and says, “3 would go a long way.” What Jack is doing here is saying, “I am going to make an ea gle and win this thing!” Jack is the master of positive self-talk and you too need to master this key mental game fundamental.

• At the start of the day, Jack thought if he shot 65 that he could win. He had a specific goal in mind which drove his focus and motiva tion. In fact, Jack was right as he shot a 65 to win by one over Tom Kite and Greg Norman. • Speaking of Norman, he needed a birdie to win the tournament as he came up 18. Instead, he blew his 4-iron dead right and made a bogey to lose by one to Jack. This shows us that even the greats can choke under pressure. So when you do choke, and you will, give yourself some grace and know that everyone does choke under pressure at certain times. • Do you know who was paired with Jack on the final round? It was Sandy Lyle, and he won in 1988. Sandy learned from Jack how to play your best under pressure. When you watch these final rounds in the future, don’t just observe what the greats do under pressure, but emulate them! Let’s fast forward to the 1995 Masters in which Ben Crenshaw won. Earlier in the

week, his great friend and mentor, Harvey Penick, died and on Tuesday, Ben went to his funeral. Perhaps it was Harvey’s angel that helped him win, however here are some keys that we can learn from this situation: • His death put golf into perspective. Golf tournaments are not life or death. I believe that gain in perspective took the pressure off Ben to win his second Green Jacket. • The mental game lesson here is that

Jack Nicklaus 1986

Tiger Woods 2019

next time you are in a tournament that is important to you, keep it all in perspec tive. You will feel less pressure, and most likely, play much better when it counts. Let’s fast forward one more time to the 2019 Masters in which Tiger Woods won his fifth green jacket. This victory was one of the greatest career comebacks as we may see in our lifetime, and there are many mental game lessons to be learned. Here are two that standout: • It took thousands of hours to rehab his back in the gym as well as it took thousands of hours to rework his swing around his back issues. We only see the final outcome but not all the hard work. Nothing comes easy to anyone, not even Tiger Woods. Next time you do not play as well as you like, ask yourself if you paid the price of hard work. • At the start of the final round, Tiger was a few strokes behind the leaders. He made a few bogeys on the front nine, but as he said, “I remained patient”. In a lot of cases, when amateurs are not scoring well, they force the issue and go for too much. Be patient and let the score happen. It worked for Tiger and it can work for you! Dr. Gregg Steinberg is a professor of Sport Psychology at APSU. He was voted by Golf Digest as one of the greatest sport psy chologists. He has been the mental coach for the Vanderbilt Men’s golf team as well as the mental game coach for NCAA champion University of Florida men’s golf team. You can see more mental game tips at www.masteringgolfpsychology.com. Go to this site for your free mental game e-book as well as free vids.

Around Nashville Fairways

Metro Parks courses will open when given the go-ahead Wayne Evans Superintendent of Sports/ Golf Clubhouse Operations

Covid-19? Seemingly out of the blue, Americans began to hear about a fast spreading virus in China. Then it advanced to Europe and then onto Washington and New York City. Nobody could fathom that this would reach every state, including Tennessee. Who knew how it was about to affect our lives, that our federal, state, and local governments would have to step up and enforce policies unheard of in our lifetime? Officials went about shut down nonessential businesses and Nashville Mayor John Cooper, upon advice from health experts, shut the Metro Golf Courses and Parks down knowing that safety of our patrons and em

ployees was paramount. Much thought went into allowing the golfers to continue playing, walking at no charge while following guidelines of proper safe distancing and being mindful not to litter the golf courses. While the clubhouses are closed, we have continued to maintain our courses with limited staff for now. We have allowed people to walk and play our courses because we felt that golf was one activity that people could enjoy while practicing safe social distancing. We don’t have a set date for reopening. Hopefully, Metro Parks Courses will open around the time the mayor allows the city to begin phase 1 of reopening the city. We might have to restrict customers to one at a time in the clubhouse and continue walking only with the cups turned upside down, no water coolers, no rakes in bunkers, and several other measures to keep people safe from exposure to Covid-19. Also, we may adjust our hours or days of operation depending on staffing levels available in an effort to provide a safe place to play going forward. Stay tuned for upcoming changes, as the way we operate will likely change several times throughout the foreseeable future. https://www.nashville.gov/Parksand-Recreation/Golf-Courses.aspx

Stay safe, play well - Wayne

We Love Our Golfers!!!

Harpeth Hills 2424 Old Hickory Blvd. • 615-862-8493

McCabe 46th & Murphy Rd. • 615-862-8491

Percy Warner Forrest Park Dr. • 615-352-9958

Shelby 20th & Fatherland • 615-862-8474

Two Rivers Two Rivers Parkway • 615-889-2675

Ted Rhodes 1901 Ed Temple Blvd. • 615-862-8463 VinnyLinks 2009 Sevier Street • 615-880-1720

Nashville Mayor John Cooper gives daily updates

Nashvillefairways.com

Life is altered, but Tennessee Golf Trail is open

How in the world can things change this fast? Sixty days ago we were in a really good place golf-wise - people were out playing a lot, rounds were up, it was not a really cold winter, and the Masters was just around the cor ner. In a blink of an eye everything changed. Instead of giving you the same message about this terrible pandemic that has altered our world, the one that has caused us irreparable harm and loss of life, the message that we hear constantly every day, I am here selling HOPE. We all know what we have to do, so let’s do it without dwelling on the negative, but instead let’s be positive and take what we can get going forward. Things change, some for the better, some for the worse, but we are a constantly evolving society and we will deal with this going forward.

OPEN!

rakes, coolers, and sand bottles - which brings me to a topic that is always on my mind. Help the super intendents. Now more than ever before we can use your help. Please repair your ball marks (and one more) on the greens. Try to leave a bunker in bet ter shape than you find it, and repair your fairway divots as best you can until our rakes and sand bottles return. I think you will find our courses in excellent condition with some of the best putting surfaces around. Please help us keep them that way. Thanks to all for supporting the Tennessee Golf Trail, and I look for ward to seeing you all very soon. Much obliged, - Mike I say we go forward with hope and face the challenges in front of us with the idea that things will get better. All of us need to do our part to achieve this so let’s do our part, and a little more when we get the opportunity. Here is a positive item—the Tennessee Golf Trail is open for play! We have a few rules, like everyone else in regard to our play, and we appreciate your help in abiding by those regulations for the near future. Please be sure and read the signs and ask our personnel for any help you might need in relating to how our operations are running at the moment. You can visit our websites for more information before you make plans to play - advance tee times are advised for sure as it makes everyone’s job easier and offers you, the customer, an easier experience to get out on the course in a timely manner. I am sure we will offer more services each week while we practice our social distancing and our product disinfecting guidelines. We need to be cautious so we can continue to stay open and offer our guests the opportunity to play golf and be outside in the fresh air. Personally, I would like to give a shout out to our golf course staff, both in side and outside, for the job they are doing under extenuating circumstances. We are doing some things that many of us have never been involved with considering varying situations that are very fluid and change daily. Some seem very different, such as not touching flagsticks and being without bunker Spring is Here A message of Hope!

Legacy re-opens; bunker project nearly complete

While we had lots on tap going into the 2020 season, including great tournaments, league play, Couples 9 & Dine, and plans for the youngsters again this year, along with so many others in the golf industry we were blindsided with onset of COVID-19. Officials in Springfield, where we are located, in an effort to slow the virus progress, closed us for a period of 17 days. The best news is that as of April 24 we were back open for regular play with guidelines set in place by the CDC and other governing entities. We understand and know that everyone is happy to follow rules in order to get to play this game we all love. It was great to see long time members and golfers from our area once again and eager to return to play our Legacy Golf Course. The Legacy moved up to No. 2 in the annual Golf Advisor ranking for Tennes see’s public golf courses. That’s an eightplace jump in the rankings after we were rated No. 10 from 2016-2018. We attribute the jump to No. 2 due to improved course conditions and a commitment to customer service. We want to get even better, though. Part of the commitment to continue to improve is a bunker renovation project. We are currently putting the finishing touches on five bunkers that will be back in

Welcome Back!

play soon. That will leave only four more bunkers to renovate and the project will then be complete. We are also replacing cart paths on a yearly basis as needed. The golf course is in great shape with the crew’s good maintenance this spring ahead of the summer season. We look forward to seeing you soon.

- Kevin Holler and Chet Frazier

Wright’s Quarantine Tip for Staying Sharp

illustrated here. Make body turns to mimic your swing, and pay close attention to where the end of the club is pointing. At address, the club should be pointing up slightly. By the high point of the turn, the club should be pointing down at a much steeper angle. Finish the turn as if you’re finishing your swing and the end of the club should again be pointing up, almost the same degree as it was pointing down at the high point of the swing. It’s a simple drill that can have drastic results on the range and on the course. You can even take it a step further and do the same drill while only balancing on your left foot (for a right-handed golfer), as the left leg is the center of balance while making a correct golf swing. Stay safe, keep working on those swings, and come see us at one of our three Nashville GOLFTEC locations soon.

Golfers’ Choice 2019- 2020 Public Golf Courses in Tennessee The Legacy • #2 Course in Tennessee!

Cumberland Mountain

The Tennessee Golf Trail— a great place to play and stay!

Come enjoy warm Tennessee hospitality and beautiful scenery at these nine courses located within lush Tennessee State Parks.

Pick your choice of a hotel, cabin or camping stay, and make new memories this summer!

To learn more, and make your reservations, visit

tngolftrail.net

Warriors’ Path

Montgomery Bell

Paris Landing

At press time, our state is monitoring the COVID-19 situation and the importance of slowing its spread with efforts that may impact travel and gatherings. Please call before visiting any of the courses on the Tennessee

Golf Trail, to ensure that the course of your choice is ready for your visit.

tngolftrail.net

All courses are Audubon International Certified and are Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries. Annual passes available.

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The Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain State Park 407 Wild Plum Lane Crossville, TN 38572 931-707-1640

The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay State Park 8919 Harrison Bay Road Harrison, TN 37341 423-326-0885

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The Bear Trace at Tims Ford State Park 891 Wiseman Bend Rd Winchester, TN 37398 931-968-0995 Golf Getaway Package

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The Golf Course at Fall Creek Falls State Park 626 Golf Course Road Spencer, TN 38585 423-881-5706

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The Golf Course at Henry Horton State Park 4358 Nashville HWY Chapel Hill, TN 37034 931-364-2319 Stay and Play Packages

The Golf Course at Montgomery Bell State Park 800 Hotel Avenue Burns, TN 37029 615-797-2578 Play and Stay Packages

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The Golf Course at Paris Landing State Park 285 Golf Course Lane Buchanan, TN 38222 731-641-4459 Stay and Play Packages

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The Golf Course at Pickwick Landing State Park 60 Winfield Dunn Lane Pickwick Dam, TN 38365 731-689-3149

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The Golf Course at Warriors’ Path State Park 1687 Fall Creek Road Kingsport, TN 37663 423-323-4990