“Did you know that 93% of all statistics are made up on the spot?”

Well, that’s true….probably. But mine were actually accurate. :)

Putting, we can all agree is a very important aspect of your overall golf performance (score). In fact, some would suggest that it accounts for, say, 42% of our total score…regardless of what score you shoot. I’ll assume it’s not the first time any of the reader(s) of this blog have seen this stat. So, why aren’t more of you practicing your putting? Why are we consumed with hitting the ball longer and straighter when even significant improvements in both won’t necessarily lead to lower scores? Maybe putting just isn’t that fun to do, maybe there is no gratification of practicing putting, or, maybe there’s just a lack of commitment in actually improving. Anyone know?

I drew a line in the sand this year when it came to our junior programs, specifically, our PEAK program. I wanted the kids to know just how important putting was and just exactly where their skill level was relative to where they aspired to be. You may have encountered the odd tee stuck in the ground on the practice green in the last couple of months (has anyone noticed that those new tees bend?). See if you are committed to improvement by playing the game that has taken our juniors by storm.

Pick a hole, any hole. Pace off 40 feet away from that hole and place a tee in the ground at that spot. In another direction from the hole, pace off another putt which will leave you 20 feet away and place a tee in the ground. In yet another direction from the hole pace off a 6 foot putt and place a tee in the ground. At this point you should have 3 tees in the ground and a 40, 20, and 6 foot putt. Here’s the challenge:

In sequence, you must 2 putt both the 40 and 20 foot putts and then 1 putt the 6 footer. Again, you must go 2 putt, 2 putt, 1 putt. If you 3 putt the 40 footer, you start over. 2 putt the 40 footer but 3 putt the 20 footer, start over. 2 putt the 40 and the 20 footer but miss the 6 footer, start over. You must only 2 putt (or less) the 40 and 20 and you must make the 6 footer. 40-20-6 in 2-2-1. The kids have loved it. Their challenge is they have to achieve success on the greens during any coaching session for us to move onto something else. And, they understand the relationship.

I’m giving you a 40 foot putt for birdie….just par it. I’m giving you a 20 foot putt for birdie…again, just par it. Then, I’m giving you an incredible short game shot from off the green that finishes just 6 feet from the hole, make it. If you do all three in succession, you just found out how difficult and challenging being even par can be. What the kids discovered is if (given their current ability as a putter) they hit all 18 greens in regulation (by hitting the ball further and straighter) with the ball finishing just 40 feet away from the hole….They would likely still shoot in the 80’s because they would 3 putt more than 50% of the time. It’s a game that gives you a challenge, it’s difficult to do, it keeps you focused AND it allows you to understand the relationship between what you’re practicing and what it can mean for your score on the course.

Give it a try.

I’ve heard just about every complaint or suggestion when it comes to the types of sand, types of rake used, rakes in the bunker, rakes out of the bunker, plastic handle rakes versus fibreglass versus wood, long rakes versus short rakes, firm sand, soft sand, crusty surface, sand that gets too wet when it rains, sand that drains too well after a rainfall, the number of rakes available at each bunker, white sand, dark sand, sod walls on every green side bunker, shallow bunkers, bunker design for ease of maintenance, bunker design which visually enhances the look of a hole, too penal, not penal enough……these comments can be made while laughing about a bad hole after a round OR they can be made while the person is turning blue because of rage and oxygen deprivation to the brain.

So, what’s my philosophy? Reread the first sentence and then come back.

My philosophy is I like a bunker that lives up to it’s other name: Hazard. A noun, one definition suggests that a hazard is a source of danger, a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune. I like my philosophy because it’s mine and because it means the bunker plays just like the other hazards that are on the golf course….Water hazards, and the other cousin, natural hazards like thick and dense vegetation. Water hazards and natural hazards have somehow avoided the limelight.

Just imagine this story…

“You cannot believe what happened to me today on number 6…I’m playing the white tees, okay, and I take out my 6 iron, which, I’ve been hitting perfect all day…I’m trying to play a nice little cut shot into the green, it’s a red flag on the left side which means I’ve got to challenge the water…So, I catch it a bit heavy and I watch it fall into the pond. So, get this….I can SEE my ball….it’s buried. Totally unfair. I look around to find the floaties…no FLOATIES! Some jerk who had hit in there earlier forgot to take them off after they hit out of the water. There should be a sign that says, “Upon leaving the water hazard we encourage you to remove the floaties and return them to their original position so that your fellow member has the same opportunity and conditions under which to play.” Something like that anyway….Or at least get their name, and write them a stern letter threatening suspension or something. Anyways, I wade into the pond and once I’m able to get over the ball, well, you cannot believe the glare from the sun’s reflection….it’s basically blinding me. You know, the floaties not being returned is one thing, that’s the member’s responsibility, but the glare issue? I mean, how hard is it to maintain the colour of the water? It’s probably because they use “old” water from the dunk tanks they use at the Carp fair. Sometimes I wonder. So, I have no floaties AND I can’t see anything but I figure I got this shot. As I dig my feet in I realize I’ve been penalized even further with an uneven lie…I’m basically on the upslope of the water. That’s another thing – what has happened to the depth consistency of our ponds? I’m telling you, I’m this close to writing a letter. Anyways, the upslope is not a problem because I watched Matt’s last blog entry, the one with the video, where he hits this amazing shot out of the Swilken Burn….you know the one where he says to swing and hope? So, I take a look at the pin, open up my stance and I put the ball forward in my stance because perceptually, once the ball looks like it’s forward, it’s really just in the middle of your stance. Know why? The reflection of the water obscures your perception and our ponds really mess with your mind because that’s how they were designed…to punish us every day players. Gosh, this makes me so angry just talking about…Anyways, I take this swing, basically everything I got and I feel the club twist in my hands a lot once it hits the water…You know, I hate complaining, but, why don’t we add salt to our water hazards? They do at other courses. They actually monitor the salt levels to make sure there are never any bad lies in the pond. They boil our water and thats why our water isn’t dense enough…that’s why our clubs twist more…Anyways, I do everything perfect, I mean, I hit the shot of my life…at least I thought I did until I watch my ball come up short….Yep, I left it in the pond. Know why? Because of this frigging rock!! Yeah, this rock! It was right behind my ball and because we don’t have a local rule that allows us to remove rocks from our ponds I hit the thing. So, yeah, I’m bringing the rock to the pro shop. This should not happen.”

:)

It’s odd that a hazard could have, um, so many hazards.

I love a good debate….but the bunker stuff, in my humble opinion, doesn’t even come close to being a debate for one simple reason. The rules of golf give you the option to NEVER have to hit a ball out of a bunker. If, you have an opinion that your lie is unfair or unplayable, the sand too soft, the lips too high, a rock is close….etc… then take a look at Rule 28 in the Rules of Golf and take an unplayable lie.

Rule 28
The player may deem his ball unplayable at any place on the course except when the ball is in a water hazard. The player is the sole judge as to whether his ball is unplayable.
If the player deems his ball to be unplayable, he must, under penalty of one stroke:
(a) Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or (b) Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point directly between the holeand the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped; or (c) Drop a ball within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole. Penalty for Breach of Rule:
Match play — Loss of hole; Stroke play — Two strokes.
If the unplayable ball is in a bunker, the player may proceed under Clause a, b or c.

If he elects to proceed under Clause b or c, a ball must be dropped in the bunker.
The ball may be lifted and cleaned when proceeding under this Rule.

I’ll post all opinions because I’ve posted mine…what’s yours?

Remember, I do have one teeny tiny feeling I’ve been preserving….Don’t hurt it.

I had brought a brand new High Def video camera to record our historic journey, only to discover (fancy word for remember) that I had it in my bag on the 17th tee at the Old Course. I ended up recording the tee shots on 17 for the group which I’ve enclosed in a previous blog….and after I (yes, I’m going to tell you how I played 17) hit the ball to about 179 yards (you tend to remember these things) from the green and hit a 5 iron (yes….you remember it all) to about 15 feet….I realized that I had a great opportunity to just jump into the famous Road Hole bunker and provide the members of Rideau View with a tip.

The day had gone like a dream for me that day….almost like I forgot where I was for 4 hours….the Road Hole bunker proved to be no different.

David Duval…I’m available for counselling and coaching. :)

Just kidding.

Special thanks to Susan Cole who was the videographer and our eye candy for the day.

Enjoy

On April 7th, 2006 my wife and I’s daughters were born at 28 weeks gestation. A couple of days earlier during a routine ultrasound the technician began acting funny and asking all sorts of questions about previous ultrasounds and then we were told to wait outside….never a good thing. Turns out our daughters had a condition known as Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome – essentially one twin was receiving most of the nourishment while the other was receiving very little. They needed immediate care which meant they would be arriving much earlier than expected.

Nothing in life really prepares you for what would happen over the next several months – many life and death moments, faced with decisions you wouldn’t want to decide – except for maybe the game of golf. Dayna and I had a conversation, about what I preach in coaching, during a ridiculously difficult time. It was in the first 4 or 5 days of the girls life…Dayna had just been diagnosed with a very rare, pregnancy induced heart condition called Peri Partum Cardiomyopathy and we were just overwhelmed by ALL the what if’s….What if the girls don’t make it, What if Dayna doesn’t make it and the girls do, and on and on. We thought we’d both go crazy.

And then, we just decided, that like golf, we would take it one “shot” (shot, as in, Doctor, hit me again with some bad news) at a time. We would immerse ourself in the “shot” instead of reacting to it….because reacting to each “shot” every time just wasn’t working. Basically, after we took the golf approach to these life issues we were faced with….we were able to get through it. ‘Nuff said.

The Longest Day of Coaching helps raise funds for CHEO. Funds that will be directed to what the NICU needs or other wish lists from other departments in the hospital. Last year just over $36,000 was raised….just through our little golf course (members). Over $65,000 raised in the first two years…it’s truly amazing. Dayna will again be working with the CHEO Foundation to determine proper allocation of all the funds raised for the day….you’ll know what the money went towards. ALL of my coaching fees for the day will go directly to CHEO…Any and ALL donations made for the day will receive a tax receipt AND my very generous sponsor of the event will MATCH every dollar donated up to a total of $20,000.

Our daughter Kathryn understands that CHEO is part of her life, part of her extended family and we certainly rely on the professionals at the hospital. Kathryn has had 7 surgeries to date and has smiled through all of them…a testament to her courage and strength….and certainly a testament to the environment and atmosphere throughout the hallways of CHEO. Two cochlear implant surgeries have given Kathryn the gift of hearing and communicating…almost at normal range now…still catching up. I encourage you to take part in what promises to be another wonderful moment for Rideau View on July 24th.

When it comes to golf, Focus, is really about the task at hand. What’s the task? Simple…the target. What’s your target? Where do you want the ball to go? What path do you see your shot taking to reach the destination you have chosen? What is your true intention? These are questions I’ll ask a student during a lesson AFTER they have hit the ball and quite often they are stuck on question 1? The answer goes like this:

“Uh, well, I, uh…well, straight. I mean I wanted my ball to go straight…you know, to my target.”

So, what was your target? Point it out to me.

Student turns towards the landing area of the range.

“Well, let me see…The, uh, the 150 marker.”

When did you decide that was your target? Now?

“I had an 8 iron in my hand and I hit the ball 150…so, I was, yeah, I wanted it to go 150 because that’s how far I hit my 8 iron.”

So, you wanted the ball to go 150 yards towards…nothing in particular?

Bottom line. The person had no target. They weren’t focused on a target and they didn’t look at a target before they addressed the ball. They had no intent with regards to a destination. The intent, then, became hitting the ball…which they did. Focus is not just about a glancing look down the fairway or towards the green. It’s about leaving an imprint in your brain as to where you want the ball to go, the path it will take to get there, the trajectory or height of the shot – it’s essentially about seeing the shot, in real time, PRIOR to actually addressing the ball. It’s about leaving no doubt whatsoever as to your true intention. The mind, then, becomes quiet, leaving the brain to auto pilot the body, recruit and engage the muscle groups necessary to perform the task you intend to pull off. The body reacts. If you continue to repeat the step of actually identifying a target…trust me. You will improve.

If most are honest, they will admit what they focus on.

1. Head still on the takeaway.
2. Hands quiet on the takeaway.
3. Keep weight on my right side at the top of the backswing.
4. Lead my downswing with my hips first.
5. Keep my left arm straight.
6. Keep my head down.
7. And on and on and on…..

Most golfers focus on physical aspects of the swing or technique. Most do not identify a true target. And by true target I mean one in which you have zeroed in on so much that you could direct someone, through commentary to a spot so small it would resemble the triple 20 section on a dart board. That would be focus.

Darts. Yes, darts. If you want to learn about Focusing on the Target…watch darts for half an hour. Phil Taylor, arguably the greatest player ever and a 15 time World Champion is pretty fun to watch. He’s not a physical specimen by any means and is quite content to engage with the raucous crowds which attend the matches, not to mention, he also engages with his playing competitors. But, when he steps up to the line…and the camera zooms in on his eyes….you know exactly WHERE he is looking. He does it every single time he steps up to the line and the dart board is ALWAYS the same distance from him, he ALWAYS has the same darts, the conditions are ALWAYS the same since the events take place indoors and yet…he still doesn’t blink when he stares down the target. Why?

Because it’s critically important that you ALWAYS pay attention to your true intention…the target.

Forget learning about focus from Jack, Tom, Bobby or Tiger…Watch Phil Taylor focus on his target.

Photo Courtesy of Matt Wallace - Tricep courtesy of Matt Robinson

The end result? It allegedly made it’s way onto the desk of someone who worked for someone who supplied someone at FOX with ideas for pilot sitcoms. It stopped there. The feedback was FOX wanted more “ethnicity” in the characters, even suggesting more Hispanics as, at the time, their audience had a very hispanic flavour. Well, I wasn’t motivated enough to actually make this stuff up so…there it sits, on my hard drive…precious memories.

Since that original 10 episode season I’ve have come up with at least 40 more episodes. Titles of the episodes have included:

“My Guest’s Name is Earl”,
“I Need a Cart…Doctors Orders”,
“What Do You Mean My Cart Has No Roof? I’m Allergic to the Sun”
“I Dream of Jeans….in the Dining Room”
“Jack Frost is Screwing Up My Lunch at IKEA”
“The Hunt for Handfuls of Tee’s in October”

And, I just added a new one….it’s the title of this blog entry.

I could technically have a whole season “direct to DVD” on the subject of tees. Tees are a necessity in the game of golf – you need them. And, because you need them – it’s likely you have an opinion on the colour, type, length and durability. The new ECO tees in the shop have spurned the normal conversation….too long, too white, too flexible, too plastic, they’ll hurt the mowers, they’re not eco friendly, the teeing ground is too firm, what happens if I only want to hit an iron shot?? At least the ones before would break so I could use a broken one. It’s the normal sort of banter we get to hear and the sort of conversation that makes you wonder why there aren’t any government funded sociological studies of human behaviour in pro shops. :)

The facts on the tees: They are white, very white. They cost 2.5 times as much as the previous selection of tees. They are very eco friendly and are biodegradable. They are not bad for the green mowers, in fact, 4 out of 5 dentists recommend these tees to prevent tartar build up in TORO machines. They do bend. The fact that they bend allows you to “bend” them back into shape. They are more durable provided the user picks them up off the ground after they have hit their tee shot. Being ECO friendly with ECO tees means taking and using, only what you need which is why the tees are being held hostage (against their will) behind the pro shop counter.

I’ve used the tees and they do bend a little…too much? Hard to say. I’m starting to think it’s more of a “feel” issue myself, that I’ll actually get used to the feel of pushing this new tee into the ground and the feeling will, in fact, become normal, and, thus, not be an issue.

My next idea is to write a sitcom based on a golf pro who decided to write a sitcom based on the day to day stories that occur at a private golf club only to have the sitcom rejected, but, then he gets to write a blog where he can tell everyone his idea for the sitcom and a reader then steals the idea and sells the pilot to a major network only to have the golf pro come back and use his blog entry as evidence in a court case to prove that the sitcom was actually his idea.

Follow me?

January 1993(ish?) – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

My parents lived in Myrtle Beach for about ten years back in the ’90s. My Dad had decided that he was tired of the high tech world and went back to school to earn a degree to become a Golf Course Superintendent. While he was chipping away at that degree my Mom found work at Deer Track Golf Course just south of Myrtle Beach. Anytime someone you know works in the golf industry there are generally some perks…my Mom’s perk included sweet talking her boss into letting her son play a little golf. The Head Professional thought I would be a great match for one of his students and suggested we could play and practice together since that student had the pro circuit in their sights.

I went to the golf course that day wondering what I’d gotten myself into. It sounded like this guy was pretty good if he was planning on playing professionally. It was a quiet day at the course so I headed over to the 1st tee because it was only a couple of minutes before tee off. It was there that I met my playing partner for the first time…Katie…a girl.

I was playing the back tees on a regular basis during that time and I remember thinking…

*It wouldn’t be polite to play the back tees when she’s ALL the way up at the Ladies Tee…I’ll just play the white tees….that’s a good idea.*

So, I walked with Katie up to the Whites – and we each grabbed our drivers out of the bag.

“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Getting ready to tee off” she said.
“From here?” with an incredulous look on my face while pointing at the White tee blocks.
“Yeah, I always play from here” Katie said.
“Oh…um…well… then I’m going back there.” – I pointed across the pond to the back tees.
“Ok.” she said.

I walked back to the tee and had a lot of self talk going on. I had never, ever met a girl golfer who played from the whites….It had never been done…..Who is this Katie…..Don’t look like an idiot…..You’ll beat her…..You better beat her….What happens if you don’t beat her?

Hole 1 – Katie birdies. Matt birdies. No talking.
Hole 2 – Katie birdies. Matt birdies. “Nice putt” said by both.
Hole 3 – Katie birdies. Matt birdies. Compliments back and forth. We chat walking beside each other up the fairway. She’s a teacher (memory’s fuzzy on that) who picked up golf 3 years ago – figured out she was talented. Hired a coach and decided to play full time – goal was to be on the Futures Tour in a year. She already had some sponsors so she could just practice/play and chase her dream. She tells me I’m pretty good. All I can think about is that I’m 3 under after 3 and nervous as hell and she’s 3 under and doesn’t look or sound like she’s nervous at all. I’m wondering how long I can keep this charade going. I’m not this good. But, I’m still thinking I should beat her.
Hole 4 (Par 3) – Matt’s tee shot to about 25 feet. Katie’s tee shot hit’s the pin and finishes a foot from the hole. Matt pars. Katie birdies.

The rest of the round is a bit of a blur. We each ended up with 71’s for the day.

I got over the whole boy/girl thing. Katie became just a golfer after the 4th hole. We spent quite a bit of time talking about girls involvement in golf. There were very few of them whether we were talking about competitive players or just players playing for fun. I told her I’d only ever known 1 junior girl golfer, Paula Tansley (daughter of Gerry and Judy Tansley). Katie said that was a problem. She asked me how I thought Paula might feel being the only girl…No girls to play with. She asked me if I’d ever played with Paula and I quickly said I had not. Katie asked me why and I told her the truth. One, she was a girl who was pretty and asking her to play would be as tough as asking her out (I was a young teenager at the time) and two, what if she beat me. Katie certainly had an opinion about that and she even understood where I was coming from – it made sense.

That day with Katie stuck with me after I became a Golf Professional later that same year (1993). I made a commitment to myself, then, in 1993, to promote the game to girls – encourage girls to play the game – and if I happened to see talent I would do whatever I could to help. In fact, it was that commitment which led to a little secret which has been under the radar at Rideau View since 2007….The Girls Club.

Mary Jo Heyes (mother of Ali Heyes, 2008 RV Women’s Club Champion) and I put together a Girls Club program which would bring girls together to give the game of golf a try. The clinics were held on a Wednesday at Rideau View during a “dead” period on the range because of the crossover tee times. The idea – target girls who were not currently involved in the sport or who had limited exposure – get them together with other girls who were in the same boat and host a golf clinic. We would play games and do activities that were non golf specific, the girls would interact and develop friendships while they were having fun at a “golf clinic.” Golf would be the common denominator for the friendship that were made. We thought that might be the recipe that had been missing and so far…..we’re right.

Many of the Girls Club members have become members of Rideau View. In fact, our junior girls program is thriving to the point where we don’t want the Girls Club to be a secret any longer. We’re planning a season long once a week clinic with several on course outings during the summer and even a Girls Only golf camp the last week of July.

For more information about the Girls Club check out http://ottawagirlsclubgolf.com/online/

Thanks Katie.

Rideau View uploaded a wonderful video showcasing all that we are proud of for public consumption. It was so well received in fact that another club in Ottawa raced, in a royal way, to put one up themselves, perhaps in feared response. We now receive frequent updates via email from the GM, there’s a “Members Side” to the website where one can see upcoming tee off times, the club calendar, dinner themes or specials AND….sadly, up to date information about your account. Rideau View is on Facebook and Twitter isn’t far behind. It’s all in an effort to give the membership various ways of communicating with each other and a way for management to communicate with the membership.

Facebook is bringing friends from the past directly under your fingertips….you can find out everything those friends want you to know. With Rideau View being on Facebook ANYONE who was ever a member, staff member, or guest of the club can find us in 2010 – they’ll be able to see all the changes that have been made to the course, clubhouse and just how “hip” we’ve become. Our Facebook group is up to 140 members and I’m sure the number will climb throughout the year. If you haven’t joined the group yet – join. Especially if you’re a long time member because it’s only a matter of time before you reconnect with someone who was a member at the club many, many moons ago – might be someone you played a lot of golf with and just lost touch over the years or it could be that guy who used to cheat in the club championships and has moved onto other clubs (you know who you are)….Regardless, it’s fun and it’s a great way for you to stay connected with Rideau View.

You might notice the subject of this post – Heather Grace Stewart. Heather is a freelance writer, published poet, and author of five books including Kim Campbell: the keener who broke down barriers, Sir Wilfrid Laurier: The weakling who stood his ground, Where The Butterflies Go, and, most recently, Leap. She is also a published photojournalist. Heather and I went to school together almost thirty years ago and haven’t seen each other since. Yet, we have quickly caught up. She thinks it’s neat she went to school with someone who became a golf pro (it’s not that glamourous) and I think it’s neat that I went to school with a published poet and author (it’s not that glamourous). She has a much better memory and recall of times spent at Glen Cairn Public School and I’m thankful because it triggers my memory of those same events – I just can’t recall any on my own (except for being able to spell Mississippi forwards and backwards much, much faster than she). She’s had a chance to hear/read about events in my life in the last four years and even used the story of our daughter Kathryn as an inspiration for one of her poems, Closer (Where The Butterflies Go). I’m bringing up this personal story for a reason. It’s an example of staying “current”. By staying current I was able to reconnect with someone from my past who gave me the gift of some childhood memories that I thought I’d forgotten.

Join the group on Facebook if you haven’t already. Share a funny story, or, ask the simple question “Whatever happened to…..” You’ll likely get an answer.

My friend, Heather Grace Stewart can be found on Facebook on her blog and you can find reviews of her latest work online.

Slow play has been a topic of concern for Rideau View’s playing committee for several years now. After hiring the UK consulting firm STOP Slow Play Inc which specializes in identifying the actual cause(s) of slow play on a club to club basis the committee has chosen to make several radical changes in club policy. The consultant identified some key, though, polarizing factors in providing the committee with solutions. The new policies were presented to the Board of Directors last week and, surprisingly, yet convincingly, all of the changes were met with approval from the Board.

The changes in policy are:

1. The immediate cancellation of both Men’s and Ladies League. All fees paid to date and sponsor contributions will be refunded. The consultant, through, the cooperation of our marshals/starters have determined that BOTH leagues encourage the consumption of alcohol, gambling, and unnecessary conversation between group members. The result is a round of golf that is 38 minutes longer than any other day of the week.

2. All members will be required to go through a MANDATORY club fitting and ball striking analysis by the professional staff. The consultant has identified a large percentage of the membership are attempting to play the course with equipment which is either outdated and/or not fitted properly. Golf ball loss is the equivalent to time loss and using properly fitted equipment will result in a faster pace of play. Members will not have reservation access to tee times until they have gone through this process.

3. Ladies will not be part of the draw process until after 10:00am on weekends and holidays. After careful review of average times for the last twenty years the consultant identified a period of time where SLOW PLAY was not an issue. It was during this time that ladies did have have full playing rights and while this is a radical change, the consultant felt it was a necessary one.

4. The new restroom facility located on the east side of Hole #4 will be closed until further notice. Since it’s opening it was discovered that round times increased just over 12 minutes versus the previous years time averages. The Board will begin a process in determining other options/uses for the facility.

5. Juniors will no longer have access to the tee time reservation system. The consultant accessed the hard drive of the reservation system and identified that juniors had openings in their foursome 92% of the time. In the opinion of the consultant this is due to senior members feeling intimidated by the younger, smaller junior member’s ability on the course. The result leads to many twosomes and threesomes on the course which interrupts the pace of play.

6. ALL members will be required to arrive at the course a minimum of 45 minutes prior to their tee time. Failure to do so will result in a loss of playing rights. After a year long analysis of observing “trunk slammers” arriving mere seconds before their tee time compared to that of a member who had arrived 45 minutes prior to their time – trunk slammers averaged a 13 minute longer round than that of the more time observant and warmed up member.

The initial feedback from members is mixed. I conducted my own personal opinion poll – calling members of all categories to get their immediate reaction to the effective changes in club policy. I asked them to keep their comments to just one word to describe their feelings and current state of mind. Here are just some of the comments:

Astute
Profound
Reasonable
Inventive
Laughable

Frightening
Original
Offensive
Ludicrous
Sensible.

Have a great day. :)

A parent has brought their four year old child out to the golf course for the very first time. They borrow a US Kids junior club from the pro shop (US Kids specialize in junior equipment by the way) and the two of them, beaming smiles and all, head down to the driving range. It’s there that the two of them will share a moment that may be classified as a once in a lifetime moment…they’ll both be witness to the first “hit.” It goes well at first – the parent/child become involved in the “copy cat” coaching style…”Stand like this. Ok, now put the club behind the ball…perfect. Now watch…I bring the club up like this….and whooosh! I hit the golf ball like that…did you see that? Ok, now you do it.” It’s a fairly typical and simple demonstration. The child attempts to perform the same action (without success) and it’s normally met with some giddy laughter from both the parent and the child…both of them are having fun, playing.

And then…it happens. Contact. And again. And again. And again. BIG SMILES :)

It’s easy to imagine isn’t it?

Sadly, the moment is ruined…not always, but often. It’s ruined because after four consecutive strikes – an intention realized – there is almost always a miss – a learning opportunity for the child. Unfortunately, this learning opportunity is misunderstood by the parent as a moment for them to react to what just happened.

“It’s okay honey. Try again. You’ll hit another good one.”

Seems harmless, I know. In that comment the child just became aware of what’s “good” and what’s “bad”. So, they try to hit a good one. Miss. Another miss.

“Sweetie. Do what you did before. Keep your head down.”

Oh no. You didn’t just say “keep your head down” did you? Now they know the difference between good and bad shots AND right and wrong technique and it only took two sentences. Perfect. The child attempts to hit a “good” shot with the “right” technique. They stand still. Motionless. Then, swing. Contact again.

“You see. I told you. All you had to do was keep your head down. Great shot honey!”

Whiff. Whiff. Whiff.

“Try to put your hands closer together. You’re holding it like a hockey stick. This is golf. You’re supposed (parent demonstrating their best Vardon grip) to hold it like this sweetie.”

With hands close together the club becomes even more awkward in the child’s hands but they manage to dribble their next shot just off the range mat.

“There you go!”

The next attempt features a 360 degree spin-o-rama as the weight of the club is just too much to control with the new grip.

“Try to keep your feet on the ground honey. That’s why you missed it.”

I’ll stop there. You get the picture. If you’ve been involved in a conversation like this you’re not alone. Most of us are likely to plead guilty.

The author of Magical Child, Joseph Chilton Pearce, would likely describe the event on the driving range as a battle. The intent of the child versus the intentions of the parent. The intentions of the parent overwhelm the intent of the child and ultimately introduces anxiety…I don’t want to hit it “bad” again…I’ll try not to do it the “wrong” way this time. Pearce believes that a child learns by freely interacting through the five senses and body movement. Nothing more is needed.

In other words, the child can see what everyone else is doing on the range…they can hear the sound that is made when the club meets the ball…and they can feel the club in their hands as well as the ball when they put it on the tee. Kids will figure it out. The adult practice of providing immediate feedback before the child has a chance to “experience” this new world (driving range, club in hand, ball on tee) is damaging as it subjects the child to dealing with information and experiences better suited for a later stage in life. Think about when your spouse or playing partner tells you what you just did wrong when you flub your tee shot…think of how you feel inside…blood pressure rises, heart races, you feel your face flush….anxiety. Most of us do our best to avoid anxiety at all costs so are we ever truly ready? Anxiety, Pearce says, is the enemy of intelligence.

Magical Child is the core of my coaching philosophy. It’s my golf bible. And I fight my intentions with my own children every time they come out to the golf course. Sometimes, I’m successful. Other times I have failed because I get caught in that all too familiar trap.

I have a video of my son Mitchell, which some readers have seen before and while it is funny to watch (people have suggested I submit it to America’s Funniest Home Videos or to the Golf Channel) I watch it many many times for another reason. It was one of those “good” moments.

Mitchell’s intent was to get his ball out of the bunker. We knew that because he purposely put himself in that position. Our intentions as parents managed to stay muted (thankfully) as we just watched, offered a couple of words of encouragement for him to feel safe to keep doing what he was doing….and the result?

A glorious moment.