Putting A Game Plan Together For My Round At Kokopelli Golf Club

As I was watching The Masters today, I began to think about how well prepared professional golfers are before a round. They gather tons of information to put together a game plan of how to play the course. Caddy and player are meticulous with their calculations, walking off every inch of the fairways and greens. And with the advancement in GPS technology, no stone is left unturned in preparation for a tournament.

So if the pros do it, why shouldn't I? As amateurs, we tend to book our tee time, look at some pictures on the course website, get to the range, hit a few balls, and then start the round. If you have played the course a bunch of times, you may know its subtleties, but I plan on playing a lot of different courses this summer. With over 200 hundred courses in the Phoenix area alone, I want to take on a new track each time I go out.

The Doctor and I plan on playing early tomorrow morning before the final round of the Masters. Our tee time is booked at Kokopelli Golf Club. I have been there to practice on their putting green, but never for 18 holes. The great thing about Kokopelli's website, is that they have a hole by hole description of the layout. Basically you have access to an online yardage book.

Since this information is available, I thought it would be to my advantage to map out a game plan of my own. So let's take a look at the course hole by hole. Hopefully it will help me to hammer out a decent round.

*We will be playing from the yellow(#2)tees. They are called the LIVESTRONG Tees on the score card.

Hole #1 is a par five. Looks like I can play driver off the tee. It is 258 yards to the rough on a straight line. That would leave between 235-260 yards for my second shot. I'll be playing for par so I will layup with a 7 or 8-iron which should leave me about 100 yards in for my 3rd. With a bunker guarding the front, left of the green, I will probably aim to the right of the green to avoid ending up in the sand.

Hole #2 is a longish par 3. 196 yards is a little less than a full 22 degree hybrid swing for me. With water on the left, a bunker guarding the left hand side of the green, and mounds behind the green, the good miss would be short and right. Looks like there is some serious undulations. Putting could be an adventure.

Hole #3 is a short par 4. No need for driver on this hole. A nice hybrid off the tee should leave me within pitching wedge distance from about 120 yards. The water which guards the front of the green may come into play depending on wind direction. If it is in my face, I have to remember to take enough club.

Hole #4 can be played with a hybrid off the tee. That should leave me with 150-155 yards for my second shot. Again, I have to remember to take enough club so that I don't end up in the bunker in front of the green. The bunker at the back of the green could prove costly as well if I end up flying the green.

Hole #5 looks like a 3-wood off the tee. That would put me out near the bunkers on the left, so no pull hooks on this hole! It looks like it is an uphill second shot so from 165 yards, I'll hit a 6-iron instead of 7-iron to cover the distance. If the wind is in my face, it may end up being a smooth hybrid for enough club to avoid the front bunker.

Hole #6 could prove tricky if I end up in the front bunker, left of the green. A good miss will be short, right of the green. Looks like the green slopes from back to front so anything below the hole will be a good shot.

Hole #7 will only require a hybrid off the tee. That would leave me with 9-iron into the green. With no bunkers guarding the green, this could be a birdie hole.

Hole #8 is the #1 handicap hole on the course. A driver off the tee should leave me short of the bunker on the right. From there, it looks like I can go 8-iron, 8-iron for my second and third. My second shot has to end up on the left side of the fairway to avoid the trees on the right. Nothing long or else I'm in the lake.

Hole #9 is a short par 4. A hybrid will leave me with a pitching wedge from 120 yards into the green. Longer hitters may be tempted to go for it, but you will have to avoid the bunkers in the front of the green.

Hole # 10 is a short par 4 with a tee shot over water. Block that out, and a hybrid shot of 200 yards will leave me with a gap wedge into the green. Avoid the bunkers on the left and I could be looking at birdie.

Hole #11 looks like another hybrid off the tee. This takes the bunkers out of play which leaves me with a short iron into the hole. The pin placement could make all the difference on this hole. Leaving my approach shot on the wrong tier will leave me with a very difficult putt.

Hole #12 requires two straight shots. Not much fairway to work with on this hole. It will probably be a 3-wood off the tee. Hybrid brings the bunkers on the left into play. Driver brings the bunker on the right into play. A good tee shot will be my only chance at hitting this green in regulation.

Hole #13 will be hybrid or 3-wood off the tee to avoid the fairway bunker on this dog-leg left, par 4. Avoiding the bunkers surrounding the green is must. Especially the one on the right and in the back. Getting up and down out of those traps will be very difficult.

Hole #14 will have me in between a 7-iron and a 6-iron. The wind will probably dictate what club I choose. Two more bunkers guard the front of the green. Anything left in there will probably end up as a fried egg.

Hole #15 has water running down the left side of the fairway. I should be alright with driver off the tee. I have to be sure to hit a good second shot that avoids the water. My third shot looks like it will be uphill, so an extra club may be needed.

Hole #16 looks like a hole I can take advantage of. A good tee shot will allow me to attack the green. I just have to be sure not to go long and end up in that nasty little bunker just off the back of the green.

Hole #17 is the last of the par 3's. It's hard to tell from the picture, but it appears that the green sits on top of a dome. If that is the case, anything on the edge of the green is going to run off. Picking the right club will be crucial, as holding the green may prove difficult.

Hole #18 requires a good tee shot. Left, you're in the desert. Right, you're in the trees. I can forget about par if either of these scenarios play out. A hybrid for my second shot will leave me around the 150 yard marker. I'm sure that the next shot into the green has given golfers of all levels fits. With the bunker guarding the front and water looming in the back, the right club selection is a must.

So there you go. That's the game plan for the my round at Kokopelli. Let's hope it goes as well as I drew it up. I will have pictures and a course review within the next few posts. Have a great round and always hit your target.

Photos found here.

How To Take Advantage Of Being A Golf Widow

Since getting married a few days ago, I have to be careful not to turn my wife into a golf widow. I love the game of golf but I have to remember that I am married to a beautiful woman and not my Ping driver.

In the event that I do forget, and God bless me if I do, I should point out that there are advantages to being a golf widow. I came across this very helpful post that educates the spouse who feels that they are being neglected at home. Golf is a very addictive habit and convincing your significant other to quit

might require a 12 step program in order to do so.

So rather than fight it, you might as well make the most of it. Instead of trying to change the person, adapt to their lifestyle. There are many advantages to allowing the one you love the freedom to pursue their insane dream of becoming a PGA Tour Player. While they are on the course, you could be enjoying the perks that come along with a golfers lifestyle. It's a win-win situation in my eyes. I just hope my wife sees it that way as well. Have a great round and always hit your target

1. A lifetime of simple gift ideas

Books, bags, balls, any number of golf novelties, and a plethora of golfing paraphernalia will make gift buying a cinch. Open an account at the pro-shop, or simply purchase online.

2. Golfing guilt

Play on it. Make him feel guilty about all the time he spends at the club instead of with you and insist on punitive damages after each game. Dinner at the restaurant of your choice should suffice, but ban any talk that even hints at how he played that day.

3. Girl's day out

Suddenly you are presented with hours of leisure time on the weekends. Shopping, lunch, tea, movies, sushi, sun tanning, reading, snoozing or anything else that tickles your fancy. If he insists on serenading you with how his game went, give him a shop-by-shop account of your day.

4. Take up the game

Although Winston Churchill described the game as the best way to ruin a good walk, golf can be entertaining and great exercise. Included is quality time with your mate, and even better is infuriating him with lost balls and taking your time to enjoy the scenery. You may even beat him.

5. Stunning holidays

Most golf resorts are top-notch and uber-luxurious, including health spas. Find one that you drool over and then say, "Look honey, they have a Jack Nicklaus designed golf course on the property". Chances are he'll be whipping out the fantastic plastic before you can say Reiki.

6. Practice your extreme driving skills

Some golf widows are unfortunate enough to be forced into joining him for the day. Common incentives include: "But babe, it's great exercise", or "You'll enjoy the fresh air and countryside" or "You can learn something about the game". Don't fall for it. If, however, you have no choice, insist on hiring a golf cart. Get behind the wheel and make like a rally driver. Your white-knuckled approach will ensure that you never get invited to tag along again.

7. Capital gains

Being a golf widow you will often find that you benefit from ancillary golfing possessions - the second or third TV in the bedroom and spare room so you can watch the soaps while Tiger is teeing up for yet another tournament; guaranteed cable for the sports channels; a luxurious car with a bigger trunk to hold his clubs; and the holy grail of a second home on an exclusive golfing estate.

8. Right back at ya

Next time he scoffs incredulously at the price tag of your new Manolo Blahnik boots, you can casually mention that the cost of his new set of clubs could equal the GDP of a small third world nation. Golf is an expensive game, so use the opportunity to score on shopping sprees.

9. Pampering

Many golf courses have adjoining health spas. No doubt a service offered out of sympathy for the battalions of golf widows. Seize the opportunity. Bone up on the golf courses and resorts that offer these services and entice your man into playing there or, even better, joining the club. Your weekly facial and beauty treatments are now in the bag, so to speak.

10. It could be worse

Imagine he suddenly took a shine to drag racing! Weekends spent at the raceway, surrounded by exhaust fumes and mullet hairstyles, are utter hell in comparison to being a golf widow.

Picture of me and my lovely wife taken by my new Aunt, Patricia L. Idol

10 Advantages found here.

My Bachelor Party At Arizona's Eagle Mountain Golf Club

I know I have been away for a while, but I had a good reason. I got married y'all. It was an awesome wedding and the reception is being called borderline legendary. My best man, "The Doctor", asked me what I wanted to do for my bachelor party, and without hesitation I said, "Let's play golf." He was like, "Why did I even ask?"

I wanted to play a course I had never played before and he picked Eagle Mountain Golf Club located minutes from Scottsdale in the scenic McDowell Mountains of Fountain Hills. What a great choice as it was a perfect day and the course and the surrounding views were breathtaking.

The Doctor and I were joined by Bryce, whom you met in this post and my Father-in-law, Big Ron. It's ironic because my last post was about the best player you never heard of, and I found out later that Big Ron actually took lessons to learn how to hit the ball like Moe Norman.

The facilities at Eagle Mountain are stunning. You are greeted at the bag drop by the friendly staff from outside services where they promptly take your bags and show you the way to the pro shop. The pro shop is well stocked and again you are treated as if you are VIP by the staff as you check in for your tee time.

Eagle Mountain has been the site for many weddings and the views from The Grille, the course restaurant, which looks over southeast Valley of the Sun, are something to behold. Eagle Mountain has several hotel and resort partners, so beside golf, the best in luxurious accommodations are not far away.

We had an excellent time. Like I said the course is beautiful. It is a desert style golf course so you have to play what some call, target golf. If you hit an errant shot, you will end up near a cactus tree, needing to drop, before hitting your next shot. The good thing about a lot of the fairways is that if you are able to keep it out of the rocks, your ball will funnel back into the fairways because of the slope. There were a few times when I thought I was in trouble, but got up to my ball, only to see it sitting in the fairway.

The greens gave us all trouble. They were fast and full of undulations, and it seemed as they had Sunday pin placements even though it was only Wednesday. I was blowing my putts way passed the hole and reading the greens was a challenge. I need to find a good place to practice that mimics these conditions. Where I practice now is fine, but the green is not nearly as fast and is relatively flat.

It was a great round and a lot of good memories were made. I definitely recommend that you play this course when you are in the Phoenix, Scottsdale area. You will not be disappointed. The pictures that follow will give you an idea of what to look forward to, but it will never replace playing this course for yourself. Have a great round and always hit your target.

Click here to book your tee time at GolfNow.com Today!

Moe Norman - The Best Golfer You Never Heard Of

A few post ago I wrote an article called, Just Put That Dumb Guy On That Dumb Guy. It was quote from the greatest golfer you never heard of. I came across this video while browsing around the blogs of my fellow golf fanatics. It's the story of Moe Norman. He did things with the golf ball that left onlookers in a state of amazement.

I had actually seen footage of him on The Golf Channel's Top Ten Ugliest Swings. Everyone regarded him as one of the best ball strikers of all time except for the "suits" who ran the golf world. They couldn't grasp his quirkiness and shunned him, which deterred him from playing professionally.

Enjoy the video. Do some research, and you will discover that it doesn't matter what your swing looks like. All that matters is that you get the ball in the hole. Have a great round and always hit your target.

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I Just Donated $1.00 To The Arnold Palmer Hospital For Children...

...and you can too. Just visit the Arnold Palmer Invitational Facebook page and hit "like." For every person that likes the page, Mastercard will donate $1.00 to the Arnold Palmer Hospital For Children and the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies, and will do so up to $200,000.

Palmer has done a tremendous amount to promote the game of golf world wide. He was the guy that made golf cool and was one of the first athletes to gain product endorsements because of his efforts on the golf course. All of the commercials and sponsorships that we see today was all started by the King.

When you get a chance, scoot on over to Arnie's page and hit the like button. You will be helping out those in need, and in a way, saying thank you to the man who helped to make golf what it is today. Have a great round and always hit your target. 

Arnold and Winnie Palmer photo found here.




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Treat The One-Piece Takeaway As If It Were A Putt

If you have been reading this blog, you know that Mike Southern, my virtual swing coach, has been helping me to improve and understand the mechanics of my swing. I was telling him that he is becoming somewhat of a mentor of mine both on and off the golf course. 

For example, he gave me a entire tutorial on how the copyright laws work in America, so that I am protected as I publish this blog and other projects I may undertake. He is a published author with his own publishing company, so I understand why he takes this issue so seriously.

The most valuable lesson he gave me as far as my swing is concerned is on how to make a proper one-piece takeaway(The picture above is from this post). Before I met Mike, my takeaway was way to the inside, causing a severe coming over the top move, which robbed me of a lot of distance and accuracy. My swing has definitely improved as a result of his efforts.

I am always on youtube searching for tips, which sometimes is a problem, because I am getting so much information from different teachers with their own philosophies. It is easy to get confused when you have too many swing thoughts floating around the brain while standing over a golf ball.

I like simple, and when I came across this video explanation of the one-piece takeaway by Paul Wilson at Peak Performance Golf Swing, I was eager to try it out. Coupled with what Mike has taught me, I think I'm on the right track to making my swing even better.

I don't want to try and explain the drill as I am not a PGA Teaching Professional. Remember these are just the drills that I find that are working for me, so I like to share my progress. You should always visit your local Head Pro to get proper instruction.

I'll just say that what is taught in this video, is very easy to understand and implement right away. I saw the video last night and was able to take it to the range today. Take a look at the video and see if it helps you. Then get back to me with your thoughts. Until then, have a great round and always hit your target.

Photo courtesy of the Ruthless Golf Blog.

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