Yeah, I know, you’re tired of hearing me say how important the short game is.  It seems to be the conventional wisdom and rightly so. It’s impossible to progress your game without a solid short game.  I learned something interesting over the weekend.  Not only will a good short game bail out our pitiful swing flaws.  It will prevent us from reaching the next level at the exact same time. Indulge me in a little personal reflection so I can explain what I mean by that. Over the winter, I came to the realization that I have not been putting enough work into the short game.  Putting, chipping, pitching, finesse wedges, bunker play, the whole works.  I’m certainly proficient in the techniques and have passable skill, but not the kind of refined technique that leads to serious scoring. The first thing I did when winter broke was spend about 2/3 of my practice time around the practice green.  And this is on top of the fact that I committed a LOT more time to practice

Last week, I asked you to tell me if you’ve ever left the game and why, for a chance to win a copy of The Downhill Lie, Carl Hiaasen’s tale of woe chronicling his taking up the game again after over 30 years away. There are two winners to the contest:  the story I liked the most, and a second winner chosen at random from the remaining entries.  I will be contacting each winner by e-mail shortly. First I’d like to thank Vintage Publishing for sponsoring this giveaway.  Stay tuned in the near future for my complete review of the book. Now, the random winner.  Congratulations to Chris, who shared a great story of discovering the challenge of him versus the course instead of him versus other players after having given up the game for 18 months. And, now for the winner that I selected.  First, I want to say that I really enjoyed all the entries and it was truly difficult to pick a winner.  I’m not just saying that to console everyone who

Note:  This contest is now closed and the winners will be announced shortly. Thanks to Vintage Publishing, I’m fortunate to have a couple of copies of The Downhill Lie: A Hacker’s Return to a Ruinous Sport, by Carl Hiaasen, to give away.  The book will be available for wide release on May 5, 2009. The Downhill Lie chronicles Hiaasen’s return to golf after 34 years away from the game.  I started reading it myself last night and am loving his wit and storytelling.  When I finish, I’ll publish a review, but in the meantime, it’s contest time. Here’s what we’re going to do: To enter, leave a comment telling me if you’ve ever given up the game for any length of time – a day, a month, or multiple decades.  Also, tell me why you left, and if you came back, tell me why. If you’ve never given up the game, don’t worry, you can still win.  If you know someone else that left, tell me their story.  Or, simply tell me why you’ve never

A couple of things have come through the publicity pipeline recently that I think you may be interested in. “Class is In” at Faldo Golf Institute For anyone who was thinking of attending a golf school this year, it looks like the Faldo Golf Institute has a great deal in store for you: Now Golfers Can Book 2 & 3-Day Golf Schools At Faldo Golf Institute Locations In Orlando, FL And Palm Desert, CA, And Enjoy Complimentary Luxury Marriott Accommodations. As the 2009 golf season tees off, “Class Is In” at the acclaimed Faldo Golf Institute (FGI), one of the nation’s leading golf schools, created by legendary 6-Time Major Champion Nick Faldo. Faldo Golf Institute today announced a golf school package promotion that will include complimentary “First-Class” Marriott Villas — throughout the duration of the golf school stay — for all golfers that book 2 & 3-Day Golf Schools before May 31, 2009. “Class Is In” packages start at $955 for 3-Day Golf Schools and $635 for 2-Day Golf Schools. These packages are based on

Now that spring is here, for those of us in places with winter climates, it’s time to shake off the rust and get ready for another great season of golf. Depending on the weather, you may have started up already.  If so, I’m hoping you didn’t just grab your clubs out of the garage and head to the first tee.  There are a number of things you can do to make this your best playing season ever. Equipment First and foremost, you should inspect all of your equipment and make sure it’s in good shape or you could find yourself wondering why you’re not scoring like you should.  Let’s take a look at some of the specifics. Spikes – if you play regularly, you should change your spikes regularly.  I change mine a few times per season.  Spikes help you keep your footing on wet or steep ground.  Having worn spikes can affect the quality of your footing and thus the quality of your shots. Grips – It’s a good idea to change your grips