December 2013  - Vol 6  Issue 2                                                       Vancouver Island, British Columbia  
IN THIS ISSUE
The Editors Tee Time
Right Time, Right Place
The World of Putting
Youtube
Handicaps...An interesting solution
Minnedosa Golf Club
Cigarette Golf Cards
Golf Instruction with Scott
Previous Editions

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THE EDITORS' TEE TIME

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Dear Readers, 

 

Well, after 33 issues of the Journal, and the end of another year, I would like to thank all those folks who chime in each month and read my little publication.  I want to tell you, I find it a great joy creating the Journal and sharing it with you each month.  I look forward to 2014.

 

I must admit, it is long overdue I tell you I do not create the publication alone.  My daughter Michelle does the difficult technical work for me, and without her expertise the production would simply not happen.  I am very grateful!

 

  As most of you know it is now a year since we were blessed with our first grandchild, named Vienna.  I thought you might enjoy and updated image of her preparing for St. Nick!

 

 

Seasons Greetings!

 

RIGHT TIME, RIGHT PLACE!

 
 
 
 
 
A few years ago I had just completed a short game chipping lesson with a student.  We had finished the session and I was just cleaning up when I heard a women call out from the edge of the parking lot..."does anyone want some free golf clubs?"  Being the collector I am, and following the instincts of my passion I immediately cried out..."yes I do!".  Anyhow, over I go, introduce myself, thank her for her generosity, and she hands me a bundle of clubs ducktaped together.  She does say she thought there was a decent putter in the batch.  Once passed, she heads to her car and is gone!  Oh golly, it was a sorry lot of rusted steel shafted irons from the 50's...and then there was the putter.  To simplify the proccess I unwrapped the lot, removed the putter and carried the remaining clubs directly to the dumpster.  Upon examination the putter was a PING model, known as a "hot dog putter", a 69 model (for obvious visual reasons)...very cool indeed.  More importantly when you examine a ping putter what is of the greatest significance is where it was made.  Each putter usually has manufacturer name, Patent number, location, and Zip Code.  That information you can find on the back of the face.  So, to my utter surprise and joy...I could see the word "Scottsdale"... almost all will have Phoenix.  A "rare" and valuable putter indeed!
 
If you are keen to know more about historic Ping equipment, their value and their maker, visit the website www.pongman.com.
 
 

THE WORLD OF PUTTING...

When you watch a PGA tour event, one has to concede the players there must be very proficient with the putter; it's the only way one could shoot the kind of fabulous scores they record, week in week out!  When one comes to think about it, putting on tour is usually 30-40 percent of the shots hit in a round; it's a huge deal and a big piece of the scoring pie!   So what makes them so good?  What do they do that I am not doing?

 

   

 

To start, who are the greatest putters of all time?  Who are these magicians with the flat stick?  Golf.com lists the top nine as:
  1. Tiger Woods... When Tiger's putting is on he is "invincible"... ask Rocco Mediate about the 2008 U. S. Open at Torrey Pines
  2. Jack Nicklaus... With 18 majors what needs to be said... I love the quote Jack made... "I had no option, the putt had to be made".... and he did!
  3. Ben Crenshaw... When he won the 1995 Masters, "Gentle Ben" 1 or 2 putted all 72 holes... no 3 putts.  The Augusta greens stimp at about 12...Yiks!  
  4. Bobby Locke... He coined the expression... "drive for show, putt for dough".  It obviously worked, he won 4 British Opens + 68 other PGA events 
  5. Brad Faxon... In year 2000, Faxon had a putting average of 1.704 putts per "greens in regulation"... the best in PGA history!  (Golf Channel analyst)
  6. Billy Casper... A winner of 51 Tour events, including 3 majors, Casper was known for his deadly putting... liked the mallet head style putter!
  7. Bobby Jones... His famous putter "the Calamity Jane"... Winner of 7 majors, plus 5 U.S. Amateurs & a British Amateur... he retired from golf at Age 28!!!!!
  8. Dave Stockton Sr... The modern "guru" of putting.  Teaches a lot of tour players!  Won both the 1970 & 76 PGA Championship.... nice credentials indeed!
  9. Loren Roberts... You don't get the  knickname "the boss of the moss" for nothing... Career putts per round 28.3... hello!

In a most simplistic form, the great ones must be best in two categories...the first is "weight", the second is "line".  Weight is speed...how hard does one hit the ball to cover the desired distance, and Line is all about understanding how a ball will react to the various contours and textures of the green.  To excel in putting you must have a strong command over both disciplines.  The video below of putting greats Ben Crenshaw with Dave Stockton I think is very much what putting is all about... notice how they refer to the "feel" on a regular basis.

 


 

Further to their comments, when I give a putting lesson I generally promote the following simple but essential fundamentals...
  1. Is your body moving during your putting stroke?  The body "must" be still...it's all about shoulders, arms & hands as a unit.  Please refer to the image below of Tiger.   
  2. The length of the follow through must be somewhat the same length as the backswing... balance, it just makes sense!  A beginning, an ending!
  3. I like a player's eye to be over the ball... this will deliver the best visual angles
  4. Most players do not analyse the contour of the surface enough... hey!  Get down there and look!  Watch the great players and copy their program.
  5. Think arms, not hands... try to eliminate the need for wrist movement... think of the triangle!  Notice the two images below and the sustaining of the triangle.
  6. The triangle is best achieved in a balanced, standing "tallish" position...do not "crowd" the ball.  Perspective is more easily achieved in a tall posture. 
  7. Try different grip positions... find one you like and stick with it!  Do not be afraid of experimenting with cross handed.  The game is about experimentation. 
  8. Develop and refine a pre-shot routine...Step 1...set the club, Step 2...set the feet, Step 3...secure the hands (need proof...watch Tiger!) 
 
  
Some cause & effect scenarios...

 

a. If you lift your head prematurely, you will open the clubface & hit the ball to the right.
b. If your left wrist breaks down during the stroke you will pull the ball to the left...lead the stroke with the left arm/wrist
c. If your knees move during the stroke... the blade angle has little chance to achieve consistency... a "killer" mistake!  Steady as she goes!
d. Find a putter you like... people who do not like their putters always putt poorly!
e. The more you practice, the better the weight and angle elements will be achieved... this is a fact!  As Ben Hogan said.... "the more I practice the luckier I get!"
  
 
  
           The best tip of all...as Tiger does, put a directional line on your ball!

Some interesting quotes...

 

*  I am aware of the weight of the putter throughout the swing, and to promote this feel I hold the club very softly and at its end.  Bobby Locke

 

*  Mechanics are about 10% of putting...feel is 90%.  but good mechanics lead to good feel.  Tom Watson

 

*  A pre-shot routine helps you stay nice and relaxed so you can make the best stroke possible.  Tiger Woods

 

*  Trust the line you've picked, commit yourself to that line, and just make the stroke.  Butch Harmon  (the world's #1 instructor)

 

*  As long as you live, the hole will never come to the ball.  Willie Park Jr.

 

YOUTUBE

 

Youtube  

 
Please "CLICK" on the YouTube logo above to visit my YouTube Channel
& video lessons. There are 5 topics: 

 

~Sand Play

~Simple Alignment 

~The Fairway Trap Shot

~Putting Basics

~Sticky Lies...Chipping

 

Check out these easy to follow golf videos.  Give it a try...a path to better golf!  

  

HANDICAPS...AN INTERESTING SOLUTION

 

When I was a Club Professional one of the most difficult tasks in a Club was that of member and non-member handicaps.  It may be hard to believe from outside the circle, but something that should be quite simple can prove to be very challenging, especially for competitions.  Establishing a handicap is easy; in most club member senairios the club will register you and provide you with the tools to enter your scores.  For those not affiliated with a club, it's super easy too; just go on the BCGA web-site and complete the application.  The annual fee is very low, and the benefits large!  Take it from me, the system works well, and having a handicap will make you keener to play more, and better.  It's all about every golfer being on the same playing field; if everyone adheres to the same proven system the handicap fromula is a "gem"!

 

  
 
With regard to handicap accuracy, the old and tireless saying..."the system is only as honest as you are" holds strong.  I thought the 1920 competition entry form from the Hamilton Golf & Country Cub shown above is very illuminating.  (Check-out the value of the pre-paid stamp) If you will notice they are asking for both entry confirmation, plus the best 5 scores from Ancaster in the previous year.  As most readers realize handicaps in golf are made up from the average of your best games.
 
rcgaLogo   bcga   
 
So I ask you, do you have a handicap?  If not make it a New Year's resolution and get one.  It's interesting, easy, and believe me you will enjoy the game more.  Golf Canada and British Columbia Golf are there to both "enhance" and "build" the game for you; check out their
web-sites...it's FUN! 
 
Please click the logo's...
  

FEATURED CLUB...POSTCARD PICS OF THE MONTH

 

Minnedosa Golf Club... Minnedosa, Manitoba
 
The Town...

 

  

 
*  Incorporated in 1883, the CPR railroad arrived the same year
*  Minnedosa...a native Dakota word meaning "flowing water"
*  The town is situated 32 miles north of Brandon in southwest Manitoba
*  A hydro-electric dam was built nearby on the Little Sask. River... completed in 1912
*  Population in 1901... 1,052, 1921...1,505, 2011...2,587
 
The Golf Course... The beginnings...

 

The old course - looking North towards #2 green, hole #3 and #4 tee box

 

* The golf course project was born in July, 1923
* The construction of the course began in March, 1924
* The course was build next to the fairgrounds owned by the Argicultural Society

* Memberships were set at $2.00 per year, $3.00 for a couple

* In Nov. 1923, the Golf Club leased the land for $62.50 per year 

 

 

An early view from the #5 tee box looking southeast.

 
*  The golf club colours were canary yellow and purple
*  In 1925 a horse drawn lawn mower was purchased for the club to cut fairways
*  In 1926 the first interclub matches were played between Minnedosa, Neepawa & Newdale
*  In 1927 the club joined the Manitoba Golf Association.  
*  The course measured 2375 yards, par 32 in 1928 

  

  

CIGARETTE GOLF CARDS

 

In the early late 1800's and early 1900's sports cards were distributed in cigarette packages.  Their purpose was to stiffen the packages and promote the sale of cigarettes.  This same type of promotional vehicle is still used today especially in baseball gums.   Cigarette manufacturers such as Wills, Ogden, John Player, Goodwin & others inserted the cards on many different subjects, from wildlife, to celebrities, to military figures, to sport heroes.  It was all about enhancing the value of the product... a truly valued added proposition.  Below I have illustrated (from my collection) four 1935 Pattreiouex golf cards.  The four "Near Mint" photographic collectible cards illustrated are from  a set of 96 cards titled "Sporting Events & Stars".  J.A. Pattreiouex was a cigarette manufacturer from Manchester...the brand name was Senior Service Cigarettes.
  
     
  Henry Cotton                                      Alfred Perry
  
        
   Bobby Jones                                  W. Lawson Little
  
It is rarely I get side tracked from my golf subject, but I think it worthy and very cool trivia to illustrate the most expensive cigarette card ever sold.  I have mentioned before, collecting is a passion, and serious collectors will aggressively chase a prize not had by many.  The card I speak of is the 1909 "Pittsburgh Pirates" shortstop "Honus Wagner" baseball card.  There are believed to be only 57 known examples.  So why is the card worth so much... it had to do with Honus Wagner's non smoking stance... he believed young fans should not be encouraged to buy cigarettes to obtain the card... thereby he had the cards recalled.  A Honus Wagner card sold in 2007 for $2.8 million.  It is a serious business, annual baseball card sales today are in the $200 million range.

 

 

GOLF INSTRUCTION with SCOTT              

 

 Lessons are available with Scott at Highland Pacific weekday's and weekends. Send an e-mail or call Scott to find a time that works best for your schedule.

 

Developing and implementing a new plan can be exciting and rewarding.

All lessons include video and an e-mail summary. Not to forget...playing lessons are available too. Highland Pacific is a fantastic venue for Playing Lessons. 

 

 

Highland Pacific... 1st hole... Pacific Nine 

 

"Our covered range is perfect in the rain!"

"Our toasty range heaters are waiting for you!"  

 

Email: [email protected]


Call: Highland Pacific Golf Shop @ 
250.478.4653

Website: www.highlandpacificgolf.com

 

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Happy Holidays to all