Book Review: The Art of Scoring

January 19, 2011 By 2 Comments
The Art of Scoring, by Stan Utley with Matthew Rudy

The Art of Scoring, by Stan Utley with Matthew Rudy is exactly what the title suggests. It’s a look into scoring as an art form. In it, Utley gives a number of ways to improve your game in the areas of short game and putting, where, as we’ve all heard before, scoring happens. Stan Utley is something of a rarity, having played golf at the highest levels, including being a winner on the PGA Tour, and having gone on to a very successful teaching career. He has been recognized as one of the 50 greatest teachers by Golf Digest (he was named 6th on the list in 2010) and he counts among his students, many players from the PGA Tour, Champions Tour, LPGA Tour, and others. As the title of the book suggests, Utley tries to get away from overly-mechanical teaching to unleash the talent within players. The following excerpt from his website summarizes that philosophy. To teach the “Art of the Short Game” using a fresh and unique approach. It is my desire to

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Should Tournament Golf and Recreational Golf Diverge?

January 15, 2011 By 10 Comments
Cheater

I had an interesting phone conversation last night with someone from the golf industry that I’m going to tell you more about some time in the next several days. One of the things we discussed, at length, is the idea that there is a serious disconnect between tournament golf and the enjoyment that recreational players derive from the game. The Rules of Golf are probably the biggest divergence between the best players in the world and the rest of us. They have to play the Rules to the letter or suffer dire consequences. Weekend players, however, take extreme liberties with them. In many cases, it’s not even out of a desire to cheat. Sometimes, it’s a matter of ignorance. It’s also an issue of the Rules not always being practical on busy public courses. Be honest, how many of you go back to the tee to hit another shot after you’ve discovered that your ball is lost or has ended up out of bounds? All of the golf leagues I’ve been involved with had local rules

Filed Under: Equipment, Golf Philosophy, Rules Tagged With: ,
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A Slow Play Manifesto

December 31, 2010 By 4 Comments
snow

If you poll enough people, I’d bet money that they would identify slow play as the number one problem that plagues golf. In fact, maybe that will be my next sidebar poll. Those of us living in the United States seem to be especially affected by slow play. Some of the problem, no doubt, has to do with the design of courses. In Europe, many courses were built before the existence of motorized transportation so they were made for walking. Tees and greens are closer together, minimizing the time it takes to get from one hole to the next. I’ve heard that 3 1/2 hour rounds are common, or are even expected. Perhaps an even bigger part of the problem is the culture of players on courses today. Many players either don’t care or just don’t know about the issue of slow play and what they can do to help the situation. That leads me to the purpose of this post. What follows is not something I created. It was sent to me by a

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Book Review: When to Regrip Your Ball Retriever and How to Line Up Your Fourth Putt

December 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment
When to Regrip Your Ball Retriever and How to Line Up Your Fourth Putt

There is a rich history of golf in literature. Titles like Golf in the Kingdom, The Legend of Bagger Vance, The Greatest Game Ever Played, and Golf’s Sacred Journey, showcase the splendor, glory, and mysterious draw of the ancient game. Neither How to Line Up Your Fourth Putt nor its sequel When to Regrip Your Ball Retriever follow that pattern. Instead, these books provide a humorous take on the seedy under-belly of the game. Cheating, lying, and gratuitous (though well-deserved) violence fill the pages of these books, which aim to parody the myriad of self-help golf books on the market today. The material contained within could have only come from the depraved mind of a person who has been playing golf far too long. If you’re reading this, it most likely applies to you too, so wipe that smile off your face. I’m trying to become a pro over here, why am I associating with you people? Aww, who am I kidding? I like good golf humor as much as the next guy. If you can’t

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My Fantastic Voyage – Of Golf

December 7, 2010 By 5 Comments
Caledonia First Tee

I’m of the opinion that it’s hard to take too many golf vacations in one lifetime. A couple of months back, I came to the realization that it had been nearly ten years since my last. After having been under a crunch at the day-job, it was obvious that I needed another. My brother planted the seed that we should go to Myrtle Beach again, the destination of my previous golf-getaway. With his brainwashing taking hold, I started my planning. The plan was hatched, reservations were made, and we headed south. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina was the destination. My brother Tony, our friend Keith, and I loaded up our rented SUV ready for 4-nights, 3-rounds of golf madness. We decided to keep it relatively short because we left the weekend before Thanksgiving and wanted to get back in plenty of time before the holiday. We had a great time and I thought I’d let this post serve as part course review, part vacation guide, and part travel log. I’m amazed at how low the overall

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