The Back Nine: May 2009 Archives

Today's Front Nine in the Beacon News talks about how amateur players often incorrectly look at the total yardage on the scorecard to determine which set of tees to play.

The yardages you should look at are on the par 3's and the par 4's - not the toal yardage. The difficulty of those holes can change drastically for the average player depending on the tee box chosen - and oftentimes player's ego prevents them from choosing the right set of tees to play.

Says Phillips Park and Fox Valley Golf Club head pro Jeff Schmidt: "It comes down to enjoyment of the game when you're out there playing with your buddies and having a good game, I want to play it where I've got a chance to compete with my buddies and not at a point where I'm just going to get killed. I don't want a skin because I got a bogey -- I want to make skins because of birdies."

"What guys don't understand is you can really do a lot with a golf course without having to add yardage. It's not so much growing the grass longer or things like that, but it's where you position the pins or tee placements. All these little factors add up to a few yards here or there to help you dictate your score."

This led into a talk about Driving Distance on the PGA Tour, and how many times amateur players see the big boys cranking the big stick for miles on end and then somehow, begin to overestimate their own prowess with the driver.

Schmidt says that many times players think they're driving the ball 26-270 yards, but when they get fit they're actually only hitting it 220-230.
"A lot of these amateurs do not realize (on the PGA Tour) they dry everything out," Schmidt said. "They make the conditions suitable for the long hitters. They're not all concrete fairways and I'm not doubting the guys and how strong they are, but they're not getting 5, 10 yards roll -- they're getting 15, 20 yards of roll because everything is mowed so tight. Unless it's a wet golf course, when it lands it just takes off and runs."

And, a final note on course yardage by famed architect and Dubsdread renovator Rees Jones: "What we're really doing in adding length is giving the tour officials a better opportunity to be flexible in set up. It used to be they would mark the tees as a 7,000 yard golf course and they would play the same tee every day. Now when the weather changes, they have much more flexibility because we've built them from 7,4(00) to 7,1(00), we can make some holes shorter on certain days, longer on certain days. I think it's a better test for the best golfers in the world. That's why we added length. We don't expect them to play the total yardage."

Read on for Jeff's full tip on breaking chipping down into 1/3-2/3...

The IPGA Match Play Championship finals are today at Kemper Lakes Golf Club - definitely work swinging by if you're in the area. There is nothing like match play, especially when played by the best around.

But the big news of the week was the "official" kickstart to the Western Golf Association's season here in the Chicago area with its "introduction" of Conway Farms as the host of the 2009 tournament on Aug. 3-8 in Lake Forest.

Read on to see a list of notable past champions, runners-up and stroke play medalists...

We have a ton of events in Illinois this year following the Match Play ...
June 4-7: LPGA Tour's State Farm Classic in Springfield
July 9-12: PGA Tour's John Deere Classic in Silvis
July 10-11; 18-19: Aurora City Championship at Fox Valley Golf Club & Phillips Park
July 27-29: Illinois Open at Hawthorn Woods
August 3-8: Western Amateur in Lake Forest
August 21-23: LPGA Tour's Solheim Cup in Sugar Grove
Aug.31-Sept. 2: IPGA Championship in Grayslake
Sept. 10-13: PGA Tour's BMW Championship in Lemont
Sept. 12-17: USGA's U.S. Senior Amateur in Chicago

Sugar Grove resident and Mistwood Golf Club Director of Golf Dan Phillips offered up some great tips of the week, including this one for getting over water hazards...
You may not realize this but, when there is water or out of bounds on a hole, the last thing that most players look at before making their swing is the water or out of bounds. The brain will only do what you program it to do. If you look at water and not the intended target, then the intended target becomes water. Always make sure that your last look is where you want the golf ball to go, your target.
But he also offered up these outstanding tips - with some humor too
How to win today's bet.
* In golf most bets are won or lost before you even tee up your first shot. Negotiation is the key to success. Do not let your ego get in the way. Make a true evaluation of how you have been playing against your opponents recent rounds. During your round never give up a shot or a hole, keep playing until the ball is holed.

Remember these tips and your pockets will become full again, unless you and I are in a match. Then forget what you read and I get ten aside with automatic one down presses.

* Three keys to green side sand bunker play.
1. Use the bounce not the leading edge of your sand wedge to strike the sand and have the sand push the ball onto the green.
2. Strike the sand approximately two inches behind the ball.
3. Always finish your swing.

Next, as you are swinging the club with one hand, use the other to throw the sand and your golf ball onto the green. Quickly put both hands on the club and hold your finish. If you are playing for money and someone catches you never, I repeat never, mention my name.

Speaking of Mistwood - which is a quick jaunt for us west suburbanites -
Here's another cool thing about Mistwood - they do a Cubs-Sox crosstown match play for the two sides to duke it out on the golf course.
And, besides that, it benefits a great cause.
This from Dan Bradley: The Crosstown Classic is Mistwood's most popular event. It is a unique golf tournament that allows Cubs fans to compete against Sox fans on the golf course in a two-person scramble format, with two Sox fans against two Cubs fans in each group. Contestants are encouraged to wear their fan gear for the event, and to participate in the numerous pre-game festivities which in the past have included contests such as a long drive with a corked bat and a disco record toss. Participants will "line-up" for the national anthem and fireworks, and the billy goat will once again be present to curse the Cubs contestants.

A charity raffle as well as a live and silent auction will be held during dinner, and all money raised will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House near Advocate Hope Children's Hospital. We are currently in the process of securing donations for auction.

Read on for a great video of the event...

As for when the event is: We hold the tournament one time every year. It originally was scheduled during one of the times the Cubs and Sox played each other, but those dates don't work out every year. This year it is on Friday, May 29th so it will not be during the actual games.

Rees Jones was on hand Tuesday for the official unveiling of the work he did on Cog Hill's famed Dubsdread course, the long time home of the PGA Tour's Western Open (currently BMW Championship)

Now that the work is done, the course has been immediately thrust into contention for the 2017 U.S. Open - nice job by the man known as the "Open Doctor."

"I think they're very aware of the quality of this golf course," Jones said. "I think it's very similar to Torrey Pines, which we did before we had the (2008) Open. We got them to come out and see it. I'm not saying we'd ever abandon the BMW - they're going to go to Crooked Stick in three years because Medinah is going to have the Ryder Cup - but I think that Chicago should have a major championship every 15 or so years."

Important links: Be sure to check out Village Greens Golf Course in Woodridge. It's easy to get to, it's a great layout and they're doing a wonderful promotion throughout May. Not only can you play 18 with a cart for a reduced rate, you get either a hat or golf balls with every green fee that you purchase.

Another fun event going on that you should check out is the Crosstown Golf Classic 2-man match play event at Mistwood Golf Club in Romeoville.
They set up the range like a baseball diamond and they have Cubs fans play against Sox fans. It should be a good event on a great course.

Read on for more golf brief updates and Stonebridge Country Club assistant pro Benjamin Nachtwey's unabridged golf tip...