My Friend Sam's First Round Of Golf

I had an opportunity to take my friend Sam(Sam is on the left) out for his first full round of golf this past week. It was his birthday and he wanted to start off his day on the golf course. I think it's the perfect way to spend a birthday so I obliged.

I took him to Miami Springs Golf Course where Sam Snead , Gene Sarazen , and Byron Nelson used to compete in The Miami Open, held there from 1924-1955. The course was in great shape and Sam was like a little kid on Christmas.

Sam played pretty well for a first timer. About twelve stroke better than I did my first time out. He shot a 117 which was better than some of my other friends who have been playing for the past three years like myself. Sam is a natural athlete and when he gets a hold of it he can hit the ball a ton. He has good hands and takes direction well. If he works at, he can become a very good player.

The most important thing is that Sam loved being out there. I think he got disappointed as the round was nearing its end. I get the same way. I just want to keep playing. I'm glad that he got an opportunity to play. He's been bitten by the bug.

Sam is the fourth friend I have introduced to golf since I started playing three years ago. Golf is one of those sports that needs to be shared. Unlike other fast paced sports, golf is a sport that allows itself to be appreciated.

We as golfers can appreciate the scenery. We can appreciate our playing partners. We can appreciate that one perfect shot that we hit during the round that makes us forget all the bad shots we had hit to that point.

Sam is already pestering me to go back out there but trust me, it is no bother. There aren't too many other places I rather be than on a golf course. Have a good one and always hit your target.

91
Posted: 4/7/2010 •
Miami Springs Golf & Country Club (Miami Springs)	Tees: White, Par: 71

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Miami Springs Front Nine Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out Par 4 4 4 3 5 4 4 3 4 35 5 5 5 5 6 5 5 4 6 46 FIR: # Putts: 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 15 Back Nine Hole 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In Par 4 4 3 5 4 5 3 4 4 36 4 4 4 6 6 6 5 5 5 45 FIR: # Putts: 1 1 0 2 4 1 1 2 1 13

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Pars: 2 Bogeys: 12 Doubles: 4

Par 3 Avg: 4.5 Par 4 Avg: 5.0 Par 5 Avg: 6.0

FIR: 7 / 14 GIR: 1 / 18 Putts: 28 Putts per GIR: 4.0

Scrambling: 2 / 17 Bounce Backs: 1 / 15

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New Nike Commercial - Earl Woods Asks Tiger A Few Questions

Nike released a new commercial yesterday with Earl and Tiger Woods. Nothing is said by Tiger during the shoot. He is simply listening to a few questions from his father. Tiger has the same look on his face that I used to get when I knew I had done wrong and my father was asking me about it.

Tiger makes his comeback to competition with a 1:42 PM tee time today at The Masters Tournament. He will be paired with Matt Kuchar and K.J. Choi. The wait is over. A few of the questions have been answered and I think everyone is just ready to see him play.

Tiger's play is one of the main reasons I fell in love with the game of golf. He brought excitement to a game that I never paid attention to as a kid. I grew up in the Michael Jordan era and it was all about "being like Mike." Tiger did for me what Jordan did for basketball. He ignited a fire.

We are all human and we all make mistakes. What matters is what we do after we make those mistakes. Golf is a game of integrity. The only sport where you can call a penalty on yourself if you are honest.

I believe that when you do wrong in life, just like in golf, call a penalty on yourself, be prepared to except the consequences of that penalty, and then move on. The great golfers are the players who after such situations on the course, know how to put themselves back on the right track.

Ben Hogan said, "the most important shot in golf is the next one." The same is true in life. We will all error from time to time, but what will we do from there? Will we hack away at the ball making the same mistake over and over again? Or will we step back assess the shot and then make a decision that will give us the best chance at success?

Golf teaches us all kinds of life lessons if you pay attention closely enough. Life is going to throw you all kinds of twists and turns. Learn how to navigate life the way you should navigate a golf course. Stay away from the "hazards" and you will score well in life and on the golf course.

Have a good one and always hit your target.



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Golf Tips From John Stockton And Karl Malone???

I played basketball growing up and like most kids my age I wanted to be like Michael Jordan. On the court, he was the greatest in my opinion, to ever play the game. He tried to beat his opponents by the biggest margin possible. He never took a night off. When he was on the hardwood floor, he was trying to humiliate you.

Jordan and the Chicago Bulls battled the Utah Jazz on many occasions during their second three-peat run. The Jazz were lead by arguably the greatest duo to ever play the game. John Stockton and Karl Malone. I never liked the Jazz but you have to respect these two athletes and what they accomplished as teammates.

Stockton is the all-time assist record holder for the National Basketball Association(NBA). Most of these assist were dealt to Malone. It seemed like every other play the announcers would say, "Stockton to Malone for the finish." Malone was recently nominated to the NBA Hall Of Fame. A big reason for this is that he had Stockton on the team.

So what does John Stockton and Karl Malone have to do with golf? Michael Breed of The Golf Fix made an analogy of the relationship of Stockton to Malone being the same as the relationship between your wedges to your putter. Just like they used to say "Stockton to Malone for a made basket," you should be thinking "wedge to putter for a made putt."

Malone was able to become one of the all time scoring leaders because Stockton always put him in the best position to score. With pinpoint accuracy, Stockton's passes set Malone up with easy layups and dunks. So should it be with your wedge game.

Your wedges are like Stockton and your putter is like Malone. Your wedge shots into the greens set up your putts. If you have pinpoint accuracy with your wedges you will leave yourself with short putts leading to lower scores. You have to set your putter up with the best chance at success. If you keep leaving yourself with 60 footers to save par, you will continue to struggle. But if you hone your skills around the greens, tap ins will be the norm.

These two aspects of the game work in tandem. The better you get with your wedges the better you will be with the putter, mainly because you will be putting from shorter distances. Take a lesson from John Stockton and Karl Malone. Put yourself in the best position for success so that success become inevitable. Have a good one and always hit your target.





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Michael Breed's 5 Helpful Hints To Reading Greens

I have been having a reoccurring nightmare for the past couple of weeks. I'm on the 18th green standing over a putt from about 35 feet for par at the U.S. Open. I have a one shot lead. Make the putt and I win. Two putt and I go to a playoff. Three putt and I go home with my head hung low.

I take my stroke and immediately I know I have left it short. I choked. Now I have a testy left to righter down hill just to make it into the playoff. My hands are shaking as I stand over the putt. I back off. I stand over the putt again, make the stroke, and disaster. Miss on the low side. The "dream" is over.

Nothing kills a round faster than having too many three putts on the scorecard. I shot my best score the other day an 83, but still had four three putts. If I had two putted each of those holes I would have posted a 79.

When I get outside of 20 feet, I have trouble judging the pace of my putts, especially if there is any kind of break to it. And forget about it if the green looks anything like the one below. Teaching pros always say that pace is the most important aspects of putting. When you have good pace, you always give yourself a chance to make the putt.

I always catch The Golf Fix with Michael Breed on Monday nights and tonight he gave us five tips to reading greens. I'll be sure to pay attention more when I am on the green and to the landscape surrounding it.

Michael Breed's 5 Hints To Reading Greens

1.Find The Clubhouse

The ball will roll away from the clubhouse. The clubhouse is usually situated on the highest part of the course. This is for scenic effect. When your in the clubhouse, it's always nice to look out over the course. The other reason is so that when it rains, the water drains away from the clubhouse.

2.Know Where The Bunkers Are Located Around The Greens

Bunkers usually have a lip on them and the ball tends to roll away from these points on the green.

3.Take Notice Of The Water Surrounding The Green

The terrain on a green tends to slope down towards the water. When it rains the water has to go somewhere and it naturally goes to where the rest of the water is. This is a great hint because we know that where there is water, the break will tend to be that way.

4.Walk Around The Green/Weight Distribution

Take a stroll around the green. Feel the lay of the land beneath your feet. If you are tilted in one direction then that's a hint to which way a putt will break.

5.Take Notice Of Your Playing Partner's Putt

Everyone loves when you are just inside of your buddies ball, on the same line. Mark your ball and then take out your note book. Take notice of the pace and the break of their putt. This will be a good indicator of what your putt will do.

My goal is to break 80 by the end of 2010 and if I am to do that, I can't have any three putts. Hopefully, after practicing these tips, I will be free of my nightmare and be able to start dreaming about making lots of birdies. Have a good one and always hit your target.



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Golfing With Al E. Gator

I played at Miami International Links/Melreese Country Club yesterday. I have been wanting to play there for a while. The course is located right next to Miami International Airport and depending on the flight pattern you can see the course as you land.

They have recently renovated and have done an excellent job with the facilities and the course was in great shape. It was windy so it made for a tough day. We teed off from the blue tees which measures 6613 yards, but it played longer because of the conditions.

The foursome was made up of myself, Hurchell, Marc, and Kevin. The highlight of the round came on our approach shots into the par 4 13th green. I left my second shot just short of the green and grabbed my wedge and putter and left Marc with the cart while he and the others hit there shots.

As I got to my ball Kevin shouts over to me, "Hey Dex. See if that's my ball in front of that alligator." Alligator! I thought he was joking, but as I got closer to where he was pointing, there, sitting on the bank, was an alligator.

Kevin's ball had ended up within ten feet of the alligator. We had an encounter with an Iguana we called Iggy during another round but this was on another level. Kevin contemplated his next move and decided to take the shot.

As Kevin inched over to his ball, Hurchell captured the moment on his iPhone. I don't think Kevin could concentrate on his shot. If you notice in the video he takes a look at the alligator a couple of times, swings, and then takes off after the shot. I guess he really did not want to take a penalty stroke.

I can't wait to play this course again. I didn't play my best and now that I know the course I think I can score better. I'm going to practice my putting a lot this week. I'm still missing too many short-ish putts. If I can eliminate the three putts, my scores will continue to improve.

Have a good one and always hit your target.

93
Posted: 4/2/2010 •
(international links of miami)	Tees: Blue, Par: 71

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international links of miami Front Nine Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out Par 4 3 4 5 3 4 5 3 4 35 6 6 6 6 4 6 5 3 5 47 FIR: # Putts: 1 2 3 2 2 1 2 1 2 16 Back Nine Hole 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In Par 4 5 3 4 4 3 4 5 4 36 6 6 5 5 5 3 5 6 5 46 FIR: # Putts: 2 2 3 2 2 2 1 2 2 18

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Pars: 3 Bogeys: 9 Doubles: 5 Other: 1

Par 3 Avg: 4.2 Par 4 Avg: 5.4 Par 5 Avg: 5.8

FIR: 9 / 13 GIR: 2 / 18 Putts: 34 Putts per GIR: 2.0

Scrambling: 1 / 16 Bounce Backs: 2 / 14

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The Golf Fix Swing Plane Hanger Drill

I played at Orangebrook Golf & Country Club yesterday. My buddy flew back into town and after I picked him up, we went straight to the golf course. The previous day I had jokingly told him that he should have brought a golf outfit since I had his clubs in the car. He promptly sent me a text that read, "book the tee time."

I'm glad we decided to go because I posted my lowest score to date. An 83. I was so excited. My previous best was an 86 which I posted a couple days prior. I have been practicing a lot and I feel that I am swinging the club a lot better.

I have to give credit to Michael Breed of The Golf Fix for this round. On Monday he demonstrated a hanger drill that helps the golfer to get into a proper swing plane position.

I practiced this drill over and over. While I was watching television, I had my hanger and club and I was swinging away. I think I am more of a feel player so I like to ingrain a feeling into my swing and then let muscle memory take over from there.

This is my scorecard. I couldn't believe that I birdied the first hole which was a par five. It set the tone for the rest of the day. My ball striking was definitely the best it has ever been. I could have gone lower if not for my four three putts. Take those away and that's a 79.

I'm going to continue to do the hanger drill described by Breed in the following video. I feel that it is a great drill to go back to if I start to miss hit it badly again. Try this drill if you are having problems making solid contact. I think it will help you as it has helped me. Have a good one and always hit your target.

83
Posted: 3/31/2010 •
Orangebrook Golf & Country Club (West)	Tees: Blue, Par: 71

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West Front Nine Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out Par 5 4 3 4 4 4 3 5 4 36 4 4 5 5 5 5 3 6 4 41 FIR: # Putts: 1 1 3 2 2 2 2 3 2 18 Back Nine Hole 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In Par 3 4 5 4 3 4 3 4 5 35 4 5 5 5 4 5 3 5 6 42 FIR: # Putts: 2 2 2 3 1 3 2 2 2 19

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Birdies: 1 Pars: 5 Bogeys: 11 Doubles: 1

Par 3 Avg: 3.8 Par 4 Avg: 4.8 Par 5 Avg: 5.3

FIR: 6 / 13 GIR: 8 / 18 Putts: 37 Putts per GIR: 2.3

Scrambling: 1 / 10 Bounce Backs: 4 / 11

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