Golf Guide 2012

Courses action of

2012 Courier Golf Guide

Sunday, April 1, 2012 www.wcfcourier.com

INSIDE ...

All in the family

Bunker blast

Big hitters

Golf can provide some quality family time, especially when children take an interest.

Page 3

Hitting a golf shot from the sand isn’t nearly as difficult as most shots from the rough.

Page 14

Local pros point out that there’s more to hitting long drives than gripping it and ripping it.

Page16

"Big Time Golf Small Town Iowa"

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4 Person Best-Shot:

4 Person Best-Shot:

8:00 AM SHOT-GUN COST: $25

SUNDAY JUNE 10TH 9:00AM SHOTGUN COST: $55 PER GOLFER

SUNDAY AUGUST 19TH 9:00AM SHOT-GUN COST: $55 PER GOLFER

Info: Includes Prizes, Green Fee and Cart Members $20

Info: Includes Prizes, Green Fee and Cart Members $20

4 Person Best-Shot:

4 Person Best-Shot:

SUNDAY JULY 8TH 9:00 AM SHOT-GUN COST: $55 PER GOLFER

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 23RD 9:00AM SHOT-GUN COST: $55 PER GOLFER

Dates: May 8th - 22nd June 12th 19th 26th July 10th 17th 24th August 7th 14th 21st September 11th 18th 25th October 9th 16th Info: 2-person best shot – 50 and over - Includes Golf, Cart and Lunch

4 Person Best-Shot: SUNDAY APRIL 15TH 10:00AM SHOT-GUN COST: $55 PER GOLFER

Info: Includes Prizes Green Fee and Cart Members $20

1 Couple Best Shot: SATURDAY APRIL 28TH 10:00AM SHOT-GUN COST: $40 PER GOLFER

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Info: Includes Prizes, Green Fee and Cart Members $20

Info: Includes Prizes, Green Fee and Cart Members $20

Info: Includes Prizes, Green Fee and Cart Members $20

2 Person Ryder Cup: SUNDAY JULY 22ND 9:00AM SHOTGUN COST: $55 PER GOLFER

Info: Includes Prizes, Green Fee and Cart Members $20 6 Holes Best Shot 6 Holes Best Ball

6 Holes Alternate Shot

4 Person Best-Shot: SUNDAY JULY 29TH 9:00AM SHOTGUN COST: $55 PER GOLFER

Info: Includes Prizes, Green Fee and Cart Members $20

8-Inch Cup: SUNDAY OCTOBER 14TH 10:00AM SHOT-GUN COST: $55 PER GOLFER

Info: Includes Prizes, Green Fee and Cart Members $20

5 Person Best-Shot: SUNDAY NOVEMBER 4TH 10:00AM SHOT-GUN COST: $55 PER GOLFER

Info: Includes Prizes, Green Fee and Cart Members $20

Call: Fox Ridge to Sign-Up at Anytime 319-989- 2213 • golffoxridge.com

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2012 COURIER GOLF GUIDE

PAGE 3

THE COURIER

Family foursome: Golf a game for all ages WATERLOO — One of the first dates I had with my wife, Kelly, was on the golf course.

I recall earning one of my rare victories over Kelly that day, probably because of her nervousness over the date. In early June it will have been 12 years since then, and over that time golf has been a primary recreational activity for us.

Jim Nelson For several years Courier Sports now, we have Writer hoped our two jim.nelson@ wcfcourier.com. children — Alexis (8) and Talan (6) — would share our love for the game. The question for us was how and when to introduce them to golf.

As much as Kelly and I love

sports and especially golf (Kelly was a four-year letterwinner at the University of Northern Iowa), we’ve let our kids experience a multitude of sports hoping they would find one that excited them.

Kelly bought a modified set of golf clubs at a garage sale, and Alexis and Talan began whacking away at golf balls in our backyard a couple of years ago.

It got to a point where we were confident enough to buy them beginner sets of clubs (which can be found for under $100) last Christmas.

The time was also right for Kelly, who stepped away from coaching high school softball at Waterloo West and began coaching the Wahawks’ girls’ golf squad.

MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor

Golf is becoming a family affair in the Jim and Kelly Nelson family. Here, 6year-old Talan lines up a putt while 8-yearold Alexis, left, and Kelly await their turns while playing a few holes recently at Irv Warren Memorial Golf Course in Waterloo.

See KIDS, page 4

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PAGE 4

KIDS Children can take to the game of golf at an early age From page 3 “When I became the golf coach, I thought it would be a great opportunity to introduce them to the game and begin really teaching them the sport,” Kelly said.

Gates Park pro Nate Lubs is of the same theory as far as introducing kids to golf.

“I tell people to start them when they show any interest,” Lubs said.

“We have kids as young as 4 (in the Gates Park Swinger’s kids club). If they want to get out there and hit some balls, that is great.

“A lot of the time they are more interested playing in the bunker or rolling down the hill, but exposing them to the game and having fun with friends and family ... that is positive. As they come out more and have

THE COURIER fun, that is how they get into it more.”

Kelly and I have had a few trials and tribulations getting our kids into the game.

While it is nothing for us to pick up our clubs and walk nine or 18 holes, that doesn’t work right away with a 6-year old or even an 8-year old. After three for four holes of walking, the complaining begins in earnest.

So while we’ve taught them if they are going to play they have to carry their own clubs, that doesn’t mean I’ve never had to carry three sets of clubs at one time.

A cart helps, but in addition to the added expense, we found it doesn’t necessarily extend how many holes our kids want to play.

More often than not, they were more interested in sitting on our laps and pretending they were driving the cart or just feeling the wind in their hair as we raced to our next shot.

Most of the time, our kids only

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want to hit their tee shots or putt, and Kelly and I have decided that is fine.

We’ve taught them some basic skills, such as keeping their hands together while holding the club and proper stance while planning on adding additional technique as they get older.

“I teach an interlock grip and as far as stance, their feet should be shoulder-width apart with the ball in the middle of their stance,” Kelly advises. “What I find out with our kids is they get equally as frustrated with hits that go way left or right as we do. So I try to make sure they are aimed correctly.

“I find Alexis, now, always correcting her stance so she’s aimed down the middle of the fairway, and that is one of the first questions she will always ask is if she is lined up right. For her, it’s not so much how far it goes but if it goes straight.”

As far as putting and chipping, those skills take time to develop.

It’s not uncommon to see Alexis

or Talan putt it 5 feet when they need to putt it 20 or 20 feet when they need to putt it 5 feet.

Obviously, we’ve also tried to teach some golf course etiquette, but it doesn’t always stick with excitable children. If they hit a good shot, they like to inform any and everyone how good it was, even if that means the player four holes over can hear their excitement.

We’ve also decided that both Alexis and Talan probably need to hear more than our voices when it comes to golf, and there are great programs in the Cedar Valley.

The Swinger’s Club at Gates Park provides a great way to introduce kids to the game. It meets every Wednesday afternoon from 4 to 5 p.m. beginning in June and running through July.

“A lot of times, kids’ attention spans aren’t that long. We try to create different contests where they can have fun with it,” Lubs said.

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SUNDAY, APRIL 1, 2012 “The guys with the Swingers Club are great with their time, as well.”

Additionally, both Lubs and South Hills pro Monte Meyer will be holding golf academies for golfers ages 8-14 through Waterloo Leisure Services. The Gates Golf Academy will be from May 9-11, and the South Hills Academy will be May 21-23.

Both programs are designed for beginning golfers where the youths will be taught the basic fundamentals to get them started. The course will focus on proper techniques for grip, swing, putting and chipping.

At the end of each academy, the participants receive a Waterloo Junior morning golf pass for the 2012 season and entry into the Kiwanis/Katoski Golf Tournament.

While everything Kelly and I have tried might not work with every kid, we’ve found our kids’ love of golf is growing over the past two years since we introduced them to the sport.

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Senior/Young Adult 9-hole Ten Round Card $110 (Save $10 from daily play rounds)

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2012 COURIER GOLF GUIDE

PAGE 5

THE COURIER

Teaching tools: Local trio delivers with Benderstik ■ Waterloo native keeps finding new ways to help golfers improve

By NICK PETAROS nick.petaros@wcfcourier.com

If Mike Bender’s dad had fishing equipment in his garage, the journey may have been different. Yet, it’s tough to imagine the Waterloo native away from a golf course.

A former PGA Tour pro, Bender has developed a reputation as one of the sport’s top instructors.

DAWN J. SAGERT / Courier Staff Photographer He was named the 2009 PGA Chris Huff demonstrates how of America National Teacher of to use the Benderstik while cothe Year and has ranked among designer and Pheasant Ridge Golf Digest’s national top 10 Golf Course professional John instructors for more than 15 years Bermel looks on. The Benderstik is — coming in one spot ahead of another teaching tool developed by Hank Haney at No. 4 on the 2011 Waterloo native Mike Bender. list.

Complementing his work as an instructor for professionals such as Zach Johnson, Bender has developed multiple training aids. Most recently, he’s worked with John Bermel and Chris Huff of Cedar Falls to help put a tool called the Benderstik on the market.

Bender’s introduction to golf came as a 12-year-old. He moved to California with his mom after his parents separated and spent summers in Cedar Falls with his dad. On his first trip back to Iowa, Bender’s dad asked him if he wanted to go fishing or play golf.

“I didn’t know anything about golf and I go, ‘Let’s go fishing,’” Bender related. “But we couldn’t find any (fishing) equipment and there was a set of clubs so we went out to the golf course at Washington Park in Cedar Falls.

I had to watch him because they

wouldn’t let us play out of one bag. Then I decided it looked fun.

I tried it the next day and from then on I played golf every day, all day long, for the rest of summer.”

Eventually Bender turned into a year-round golfer, capturing back-to-back NCAA Division III national championships at California State Stanislaus before spending three years on the PGA Tour. During his playing career, Bender sought out the game’s top instructors, including David Leadbetter.

Once he lost his tour card in 1990, he began teaching and found his calling. Bender stayed in the Orlando area and worked with mini tour players and eventually LPGA and PGA Tour veterans.

The instructor has put several training aids on the market aimed and giving players instantaneous feedback. His first was called The

Insider, a piece of equipment that forced golfers to change their downswing path. He then added The Arm Master, a strap that keeps a golfer’s elbows in, and a putting aid called Right on Line.

Bender’s most comprehensive training tool is the MEGSA Perfect Practice Equipment. This training station has a similar took to a multi-purpose weight machine and forces golfers to avoid adjustable bumpers while providing real-time feedback as to whether or not the club and body are in the correct position.

“If you don’t use something that gives you feedback to let you know that you’re doing it correct, then you’re most likely wasting your time,” Bender said. “I found that to be true with my own game.

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PAGE 6

BENDERSTIK New tool designed by Bermel, Huff, Bender is taking off From page 5 “Then, when I started teaching, people would come back to me two weeks later and they’d still be doing the same thing they were two weeks before.

“I started using the feedback tools and setting up practice stations for them and then all of a sudden they started making dramatic changes and their games started improving.”

A couple of years ago, Bermel, the head golf professional at Pheasant Ridge and University of Northern Iowa head coach, was giving instruction to Huff at the MEGSA training station when a new idea was born.

“He said, ‘I like that MEGSA machine, but I’m a member at Beaver Hills Country Club. I can’t take the machine out there with me,’” Bermel related. “I told

THE COURIER Chris (Huff ) to come up with something that we can stick in our bag that people could use as a training aid.”

Huff — who works in the concrete business and coincidently was one of Bender’s neighbors growing up — developed the first prototype using PVC pipe and eventually a portable personal swing trainer was born.

Bermel called Bender, whom he takes lessons from and has known since his days as a collegiate golfer, and pitched the idea.

The product still didn’t have a name when Bermel made the trip to Bender’s golf academy in the Orlando-area community of Lake Mary, Fla., to help shoot its DVD instructional video.

“He said, ‘Hi I’m Mike Bender with the Mike Bender Golf Academy,’” Bermel related. “As the tape was rolling, he said, ‘I’d like to introduce you to this ... cut. What are we going to call it?’”

“Somebody in the background

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said, ‘Why don’t you call it the Bender stick?’”

The name stuck.

“It’s huge,” Bermel said of Bender’s endorsement. “I know we couldn’t call it the Bermel stick and get the same out of our buck.”

“I’m about improving golfers,” Bender added. “I’m not about trying to sell a tool to make money.

“My motivation is helping players to play better golf. This does that. I would never lend my name to something that I didn’t feel had great credibility and substance.”

The Benderstik’s design is simple.

The device can be carried in a golf bag and looks similar to an adjustable microphone stand with a yellow foam ball attached.

It can be configured in multiple positions, and if a golfer feels resistance from the foam ball, he or she knows something is wrong.

The Benderstik is aimed at

correcting common problems such as overswing, hip sway, outside swing path, chicken wing follow-through and head movement.

Those who purchase the Benderstik also receive an instructional DVD along with a code to an on-line self evaluation DVD. In the DVDs, Bender details a step-by-step process for players to find faults in their swing, along with how to use the Benderstik to correct the miscues.

“It’s kind of like a domino effect and you’ll find the domino that’s out of place,” Bender said.

For the past two years, Bermel has been using the Benderstik in every lesson he gives.

“I think it’s something that anybody could use in one way or another,” Bermel said.

The Benderstik has taken off this past year.

Doyle Golf, LLC a local golf distribution company, holds the Master Distribution agreement with The Benderstik. Impact Marketing & Technology helped

SUNDAY, APRIL 1, 2012 pull the investors together in July of 2011 and markets it nationally.

The product’s website was launched in August. Infomercials and commercials have been running on the Golf Channel since February, and ads have been placed in Golf Digest.

Bender believes the product, which retails for $99.95, will be a success.

“The versatility of it, the price of it, the ease of it, all those things make it a product that should sell a lot,” Bender said.

“It’s pretty neat that it’s really come out of the one area that we all grew up playing and learning the game.”

Bermel agrees.

“Just from the numbers that we’ve gotten so far, it does look like it’s going to be pretty successful,” Bermel said. “But I want it to be really successful. I think it’s something that’s going to change people’s golf swings so that they have a more fundamentally sound golf swing.”

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PAGE 7

THE COURIER

Win or lose, it’s still about how you play the game ■ Proper etiquette goes a long way toward making it fun for all

By JIM SULLIVAN jim.sullivan@wcfcourier.com

Golfers care if they win or lose.

They also care how they play the game.

In other words, etiquette remains an important part of golf’s identity and its day-to-day existence.

“It makes everything flow,” said Andy Devine, the pro at Irv Warren. “It’s taking care of the golf course and leaving it the same way you found it.”

Said John Bermel, who holds the same job at Pheasant Ridge in Cedar Falls, “It’s a gentleman’s game. Etiquette is important to the game of golf.”

BRANDON POLLOCK / Courier Staff Photographer

A sign posted at Irv Warren Memorial Golf Course in Waterloo gives golfers some direction.

Even the casual player who sneaks in 18 holes now and then has some general sense of oncourse etiquette. Replace divots.

Rake the bunkers. Avoid stepping

into a player’s putting line. If a cart’s not being used, walk at a reasonable speed between shots.

Remain quiet when someone’s putting.

Gates Park Golf Course, Waterloo To make your reservation, please call the Alliance & Chamber office at 232-1156 or contact Bette or Kim at: bwubbena@cedarvalleyalliance.com kschleisman@cedarvalleyalliance.com WO-040112031

There are etiquette guidelines from the United States Golf Association, for example, available on-line. A course like Irv Warren has signage to remind players what’s right and what’s wrong.

“They’re up all over the place,” said Devine.

When the local pros work with junior golfers, the curriculum covers more than just how to address the ball. Etiquette, from where to put the flagstick to saying please and thank you, is discussed. In fact, said Devine, an etiquette class is required for junior golfers.

“We know what needs to be covered,” said Monte Meyer of South Hills.

Added Nate Lubs, the pro at Gates Park, “Sometimes, we have to have some reminders.

Overall, they pay attention. They see friends doing things the right

way, and that helps.”

By and large, the golfers in the Cedar Valley get good grades from the pros when it comes to etiquette. There are foursomes here and there who won’t let others play through when the pace is slow. Now and then, a club or two or three still gets tossed out of frustration.

That’s the exception, not the rule, according to Lubs.

“We don’t see a lot of that,” he said. “I think the golfers in Waterloo and Cedar Falls are pretty well educated, to be honest with you. A lot of them have been playing for a long time.

They know how to behave.”

That said, nobody’s perfect.

The local pros do have an issue or two.

One is taking care of the greens.

See ETIQUETTE, page 8

2 Shotgun Starts 7:30 a.m.

1:00 p.m.

4 Person Best Shot Continental Breakfast Networking Lunch 19th Hole Social

2012 COURIER GOLF GUIDE

PAGE 8

THE COURIER

ETIQUETTE

Arnie’s angles

Ball marks on greens, slow play a concern for local courses

Here are 10 rules for good golf etiquette, taken from a 2008 Golf Digest story written by Arnold Palmer and Guy Yocom: ■ Don’t be the slowest player ■ Keep your temper under control ■ Respect other people’s time ■ Repair the ground you play on ■ Be a silent partner ■ Make your golf cart ‘invisible’ ■ Always look your best ■ Turn off the cell phone ■ Lend a handn. Help look for lost balls, for example.

■ Learn the little things, such as letting faster groups play through and tamping down ballmarks.

From page 7 “It’s one of the most common problems on all golf courses — getting people to repair ball marks,” said Devine. “Even this spring. We opened early and the greens are real soft and cushy.

We’ve had over 500 players this year and that creates a lot of ball marks.”

Then there’s slow play. That, too, is a problem everywhere, although it can be addressed in several ways. For instance, seniors can move up to the shorter tees.

Golfers in general should have a plan in mind before approaching the ball. And, letting faster groups play through.

But it is worrisome.

“That’s why there are people leaving golf,” said Bermel. “It takes a long time to play a round of golf. When you get slowed down and it becomes even slow-

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Short game key to going low ■ Slight adjustments in stance, swing can help provide more control

By NICK PETAROS nick.petaros@wcfcourier.com

er, people are not interested in that.”

And Monte Meyer offered one cautionary note: Etiquette is fine and important. Overall, the object is simple.

“It should be fun,” said Meyer.

“If you don’t feel comfortable at a tee, move to a distance where you feel comfortable and hit the ball. It’s supposed to be fun.”

Inside 150 yards, golf professionals have an uncanny ability to manipulate the golf ball and locate greens with GPS precision.

They can run it, stick it and even back it up on command.

Chris Black, Andy Devine and John Bermel are a few local golf pros who recently took the time to provide insight that could help improve your short game.

Step one is to spend enough time at practice range to know your distance.

“Know how far you hit each club so when you get out on a golf course and you have that distance

you’re pretty comfortable with what golf club you have in your hand,” Devine said. “That’s what make the tour players so good is their distance is pretty much right on.”

One you get a feel for the range of each club, the next step is being able to flight the ball — develop a consistent high, middle and low range trajectory.

Andy Devine “Better players can use all the clubs in the bag and flight to right height,” Bermel says.

As a general rule, players can achieve a lower trajectory by placing the ball farther back in their stance to take the loft off their club. Players should move the ball up in their stance and

hinge their wrists back farther for a higher trajectory.

Inside of 80 yards, Black points out the options change. He first makes a distiction between a pitch and chip shot.

“Most amateurs would say when they get close it’s all chipping,” Black said. “A chip from my definition is one that rolls further than it flys. A pitch is a shot that would fly more than it rolls.”

One type of pitch shot Black likes to use is called the “hinge and hold.” He sets the loft early on his back swing, hinging his wrists further back for a higher trajectory. On the downswing, the initial hinge in the wrists is maintained and distance is determined by the length of the followthrough.

See SHORT GAME, page 9

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SHORT GAME Altitude often best way to get shots to stop on the green From page 8 Black says he tries to make sure his chest and hips rotate at the same speed during the swing for consistency in distance. This can be achieved by making sure the buttons on your shirt remain aligned with a belt buckle.

Just off the green, Black likes to chip using a technique known

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2012 COURIER GOLF GUIDE

as the Runyan shot named after Paul Runyan, a golf professional in the 1930s who found success on the PGA Tour despite being one of the shortest hitters in his era.

The goal of the Runyan chip shot is to carry the ball over the fringe and let it roll toward the flagstick with the same consistency as a putt. The Runyan shot employs the same mechanics as a putt with the ball being struck by the toe of the club.

Any club from a fairway wood

to an iron or wedge can be used for this shot depending on a player’s comfort level.

“Anytime I can use the Runyan, I do,” Black said. “There’s been guys that win the British Open using a fairway wood (to chip).”

When it comes to getting a ball to stop on a green, all three players agree backspin is difficult for amateurs to achieve. The PGA Tour professionals typically hit their shots off bent grass fairways, which eliminates grass that can surface between the clubface

PAGE 9

THE COURIER and ball. Locally, fairways are more bluegrass or rye grass and often that grass will get between a club and ball, reducing spin.

In this instance, the best way for an amateur to stop a ball on the green is by achieving maximum altitude.

To maximize altitude on a pitch, Black recommends the following: 1. Use an open stance and maintian an open clubface.

2. Approach the ball from inside swing path, making contact with the ball’s bottom left quadrant.

3. Follow through with the clubface open and directed toward the sky.

As with any technique in golf, the best way to improve your short game is through practice.

Time spent on improving the short game can be just as important as finding consistency with the driver.

“Practice different yardages, try different clubs,” Devine said.

“It’s nice to hit the driver long and straight, but that’s just one part of the game.”

3606 Kimball Ave. Waterloo, IA 50702 Ph: 319-234-3736 • Fax: 319-234-0401

TAKE IT FROM THE PROS: CHIPPING Here are a few helpful tips for improving your chipping game from PGA professional Greg Mason of G3 Golf and his staff:

you and your life depended on them stopping the golf ball, would you throw it or roll it to them?

That’s right, roll it.

So grab that 7- or 8-iron and get it This is a low running shot meant to rolling. An 8-iron is generally 1/3 air stay out of the elements. Too many time to 2/3 roll time. But get it rolling. times I see players try to hit this high, Simple technique for a right handed lofted shot when a simple, low-running golfer: 2 lefts and 1 right. The lefts are chip would serve them better. weight to the left (almost 70 percent If there was a 2-year-old across from on that side) and handle/grip to the

left. Most of you are set up with even weight distribution. Get those items to the left. The right is the golf ball. Get that ball toward your right foot.

Remember, low-running, 2 lefts, 1 right and your chipping will be automatic.

Now just make the putt.

Kris Marcks, M.S. P. T. Lewis Benedict, D.P.T.

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– More info at www.youtube.com/ g3golf

2012 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE MAY Friday, May 18th Saturday, May 26th

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SEPTEMBER Saturday, Sept. 8th Tuesday, Sept. 18th Sunday, Sept. 23rd

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OCTOBER

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Sunday, Oct. 14th

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PLEASE CALL BIG ROCK FOR START TIMES AND FEES ALL FEES & CART RENTALS NEED TO BE PAID AT TIME OF SIGN UP. WE DO ACCEPT M/C - VISA - DISCOVER AS PAYMENTS. CART RENTALS ARE $30 EACH. TRAIL FEES ARE $10.

Big Rock Country Club 9684 146TH STREET, PO BOX 2 • FAYETTE, IA 52142

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SUNDAY, APRIL 1, 2012

PAGE 12

2012 COURIER GOLF GUIDE

THE COURIER

www.wcfcourier.com

SUNDAY, APRIL 1, 2012

1749 Golf Course Blvd • Independence, IA 50644

319-334-6576 Here is our fee schedule which allows access to all four golf courses 18 Holes $22 Family Membership $620 9 Holes $14 Single Membership $475 18 Hole Cart $24 College $200 9 Hole Cart $14 Junior $150 Operated by

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Family $650 Senior $625 Single $525 Senior $500 Junior $175 Cart Sheds Available.

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Jesup Golf and Country Club 2012 Schedule of Events Date

Title

April 25 3 Person Best Shot – 12:00 p.m. Shotgun Start - $20/Member $40/Guest May 8 50+ 2 Person Best Shot – 9:00 a.m. Shotgun Start - $20/Member $40/Guest May 23 2 Person Ryder Cup – 18 Hole– 9:00 a.m. Shotgun Start - $20/Member $40/Guest May 28 Fun Day Breakfast – 9 Hole Ryder – 9:00 a.m. Start - $20/Member $40/Guest June 10 4 Person Best Shot – 10:00 a.m. Start - $20/Member $40/Guest June 19 3 Gal Best Shot – 11:00 a.m. Start - $20/Member $40/Guest June 20 2 Man Best Shot – 12:00 p.m. Shotgun Start - $20/Member $40/Guest June 24 Couple Best Shot – 12:00 p.m. Shotgun Start - $20/Member $40/Guest July 10 4 Gal Best Shot – 11:00 a.m. Start - $20/Member $40/Guest July 11 50+ 2-Man Best Shot – 9:00 a.m. Shotgun Start - $20/Member $40/Guest July 21 2 Couple Best Shot-8” Cup – 12:00 p.m. shotgun Start - $20/Member $40/Guest July 28 4 Man Alternate Best Shot – 12:00 p.m. shotgun Start - $20/Member $40/Guest August 4-5 Club Tourney – Tee Times available August 1 @6:00 p.m.

August 10 Northeast Iowa Amateur Day 1 – Tee Times August 18 3 Couple Nite Golf – Check in at 7:30 p.m. Golf at Dusk-$20/Member $40/Guest August 19 Sole Survivor I&II – Play will Start at 9:00 a.m.

September 9 2 Couple Best Shot – 12:00 p.m. Start - $20/Member $40/Guest September 19 2 Man Best Shot – 12:00 p.m. Start - $20/Member $40/Guest September 23 27 Hole Ryder Cup – 8:00 a.m. Start - $20/Member $40/Guest October 6 Turkey Shootout – 11:00 a.m. Start - $20/Member $40/Guest October 20 Maid-Rite Open – 11:00 a.m. Start - $20/Member $40/Guest

• Please call or e-mail for event details and reservations at least 48 hours in advance.

• All events are weather permitting. Cart Fees NOT included in registration fee.

• Guests riding with a member will not be charged. Guests using member cart without member will be subject to regular cart fees.

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PAGE 14

2012 COURIER GOLF GUIDE

THE COURIER

www.wcfcourier.com

SUNDAY, APRIL 1, 2012

Bunker mentality: Sand an easier play than rough ■ Proper club a key to hitting quality shots from sand bunkers

By CARSON TIGGES carson.tigges@wcfcourier.com

Sand isn’t so bad when a beach chair, umbrella and perhaps a cooler of cold beverages is in tow.

But good luck fitting all that in a golf bag.

Bunkers on a golf course aren’t always the most desirable places to be, but, like many other hazards, are a part of the game.

“All golf golf courses have some kind of a hazard and sand bunkers are the most common,” said Andy Devine, golf pro at Waterloo’s Irv Warren Golf Course. “You need to know how to get out of them to lower your

score.”

While there are certainly better places for your ball to land, the good news is that sand traps aren’t the nightmare they seem to be, and, in some instances, it’s a better place than many alternatives.

“When you watch the pros, the reason they like the sand so much is when you get in the sand, you’re going to have had that lie before. And typically, it’s a great lie,” said Monte Meyer, the pro at South Hills Golf Course.

“When you hit it in the rough, you can have a ball that’s sitting up, a ball that’s sitting down, you can have a mound of junk behind it, a mound of junk in front of it. Bunkers, they know what they have to do and it’s very consistent.”

The same can be said for recreational golfers, and more good news is that the equipment needed to make for a pleasant stay on the beach actually does fit in the bag.

After all, there is something

called a sand wedge for a reason.

“The first thing I ask is, ‘Do you own a sand wedge?’ Quite honestly, you have to own a sand wedge,” Meyer said. “Then, does your sand wedge have a lot of bounce on it? A pitching wedge is a digger, a sand wedge is a bouncer.”

What Meyer refers to is the angle on the bottom side of the clubface. Most clubs are

designed to dig into the ground and get to the ball. However, a “digger” club in sand will result in a loss of club speed and, ultimately, the person swinging the club won’t have much control of where the ball ends up.

“The sand wedge doesn’t dig.

It’s very important to have the right equipment,” Devine added.

See BUNKERS, page 15

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$30.00 per person | Shotgun Start 11:30 AM | CMH Tournament Fundraiser for the Hospital | June 30th $25.00 per person | Shotgun 10 AM | 2 Gal Best Shot | July 7th $25.00 per person | Shotgun 10 AM | Couples Alternate Shot | July 29th $10.00 per person | Shotgun Start 12:30 PM | Junior Tournament 8th Grande and Under | August 7th $25.00 per person | Shotgun Start 10 AM | Couple’s Best Shot 8” cup | August 11th Pink Ribbon Tournament 2 Gal Best Shot Fundraiser for Breast Cancer Registration 9 AM | August 18th $50.00 per team | Tee Time 10 AM | $25.00 per person | Shotgun Start 10 AM | 2 Man Best Shot | August 25th $25.00 per person | Shotgun Start 9 PM | Glow Ball | September 15th

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2012 COURIER GOLF GUIDE

THE COURIER

BUNKERS Aim behind the ball to get shots up and out of sand traps From page 14 A sand wedge, on the other hand, will use the playing surface to its advantage to, ideally, get the ball up, out and onto the green.

“You want to aim an inch or inch-and-a-half behind the ball, get that club traveling down into the sand. The ball actually comes out of the sand on a layer of sand,” said Meyer. “A typical person shouldn’t make any contact with the golf ball out of the sand. It just should be coming out of a layer of sand.”

Simple enough?

Well, not quite because lies do vary. While they may not be to the extremes that you can find BRANDON POLLOCK / Courier Staff Photographer

Waterloo's Eric Anfinson blasts out of a sand bunker at Gates Park during last year's Waterloo Open Amateur tournament.

Stanley Taylor Memorial Park, will be adding three holes to the existing six holes creating a nine-hole par three course. We will be hosting an Open House for the new course during Hudson Days that takes place the weekend of July 20, 2012.

251 DALE DRIVE HUDSON, IA 50643 WO-040112036

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PAGE 15 in deep rough, golf balls can be buried — often referred to as a “fried egg” — or sitting on top of the surface.

In the case of the former, a reverse strategy may be the best option, and a “digger” club can be used to dig the ball out.

The type of sand the ball is sitting in can also fluctuate. Golf courses certainly aren’t immune to the elements, and a wet bunker can be another wrench.

“Wet sand is tough. When it’s wet, it’s compacted. So it’s very difficult to read how it’s going to come out,” said Devine. “With fluffier sand, it’s more predictable. You know what it’s going to do, you know how long of a swing you need to make.”

That’s where the maintenance crew and sand pros come in.

They’re there to make things easy — but not too easy, of course.

Should you find yourself in any of these conditions, knowing what you need to do to get out can make a big difference on your scorecard.

PAGE 16

www.wcfcourier.com

2012 COURIER GOLF GUIDE

THE COURIER

SUNDAY, APRIL 1, 2012

Grip it and rip it? Distance more than a big swing ■ Proper mechanics are the key to hitting longer drives

lot more to it than the new technology that helps golfers reach maximum distance. There also isn’t a quick fix other than practice and more practice.

Irv Warren professional Andy

By JIM NELSON Devine and Gates Park pro Nate jim.nelson@wcfcourier.com Lubs say there are a couple of A new Callaway Razr Fit or easy things to help and one is not to swing harder.

TaylorMade R11 helps.

But when it comes to maximizing distance off the tee, there is a See DISTANCE, page 18

RICK CHASE / Courier Staff Photographer

Upper Iowa University standout Jill Preeshl hits a drive during the 2011 Iowa Women’s Amateur Championship at Sunnyside Country Club in Waterloo.

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2012 COURIER GOLF GUIDE

PAGE 17

THE COURIER

REGISTER TO WIN GOLF PASSES FROM ONE OF THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS [WINNERS DRAWN AND CONTACTED BY PHONE TUESDAY, APRIL 17.]

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Mail entries to: Golf Pass Giveaway, c/o The Courier | P.O. Box 540 | Waterloo, IA 50704

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PAGE 18

DISTANCE Pros say body position, ball-striking keys to long drives From page 16 “Distance is a funny thing in golf,” Devine said. “Everybody always wants to hit if farther. If you hit it 250, you want to hit it 260 and if you hit it 280, you want to hit it 290. Even the guys on the tour want to hit it farther.

“But it’s not the harder you swing the farther it goes,” added Devine, laughing.

The best home run hitters in baseball don’t “swing for the fences,” Devine explains.

“Basically, you need to keep your weight evenly distributed throughout the swing and never try to shift weight into the ball,” Devine said. “When you watch a hitter in baseball you never see them get their body in front of the bat.

“When your body gets ahead of the club it decreases head speed ... so stay behind the ball.”

2012 COURIER GOLF GUIDE

THE COURIER Devine also talks about keeping the face of the driver square on impact and having a shallow angle with the club to the ball.

“A lot of times I see a golfer as the club comes over the top, their shoulder, it comes out and that causes the face of the club to open and then the attack gets very steep and instead of driving into the back of the ball you are hitting the top of it ,” Devine said.

Lubs says he wishes he had the answer for more distance because he could use it in his game.

“I really wish I did,” cracked Lubs. “But I don’t. There are some easy things to keep in mind.

But swinging harder ... that only means your contact is not going to be as solid so the ball won’t go as far.”

A lot of times golfers Lubs instructs feel the need to strangle their clubs, which he says also hinders their ability to hit it farther.

“A lot of golfers I see, they are real tense in their arms and their grips are too firm. If you loosen

up on the grip and use less tension in their swing, I think a lot of distance can be gained from that,” Lubs said Lubs’ other advice is something most average golfers don’t think about when they arrive at the course, carry their bag to the first tee and swing away.

“When you think in terms of now, coming out of the winter, a lot of us haven’t played in two or three months,” Lubs said. “When you golf you are using a lot of different muscles you haven’t used in a while.

“More than anything I recommend taking time to stretch, which gives you more flexibility and that helps.”

Some other simple tips the professionals advise are using a wider stance when hitting with the driver, which allows the body to have more balance. They also say move the ball up in your stance so it is aligned with your front heel, which allows the golfer to generate more clubhead speed and power on the downswing.

www.wcfcourier.com

SUNDAY, APRIL 1, 2012

TAKE IT FROM THE PROS: BALL POSITION AND GRIP Here are a few helpful tips for improving your chipping game from PGA professional Greg Mason of G3 Golf and his staff:

have a tendency to go left.

If you are still struggling with ball position, find a tile floor to see exactly where you golf ball is.

Ball position

The top hand golf grip

This time of the year many of you struggle with ball position. Where do I put that golf ball in my stance as it relates from my left foot to my right foot?

There are many views on this, but we will give you the Jack Nicklaus view. He uses a 4-ball rotation.

A what?

A 4-ball rotation, for the right handed golfer: Ball 1 - middle of your stance for wedges and 9 iron; Ball 2 - move the ball one ball toward your left foot for 8,7,6 irons; Ball 3 - move the ball one ball toward again for hybrids and fairway woods; Ball 4 - move the ball one ball toward again for driver and teed up shots.

Never should the ball be in the back of your stance unless you are hitting a chip shot or really want to hit the ball low.

If you have the ball too far back in your stance, you will have a tendency to hit the ball right of your target. If you have the ball too far forward, then it will

Early in the year, one usually struggles with one’s grip. A few issues that most of you struggle with – too much of the grip in your palm.

For a right handed golfer, one must have the grip more in the fingers of one’s top or left hand.

Take a hammer and grip it. You will notice that the heel or fat pad is on top of the hammer and the hammer is more in your fingers. This allows you to hinge your wrist naturally with POWER. Now put that same hammer in the palm of your hand. Now try to hinge. Pretty hard isn’t it?

Imagine trying to hit a golf ball with this grip holding a golf club. Good luck.

Now grab the golf club in your top or left hand like you did the hammer. More in your fingers, fatty pad or heel pad on top. Feel the power and how natural it feels. That is your top hand position.

– More info at www.youtube. com/g3golf

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