How do you tell a parent they need to relax when it comes to their junior golfer?  I spent 4 years working with a junior golf program and continue to stay involved as I try to give back to the game which has given me so much.  The one single thing which drove us crazy was a small group of the over-bearing and relentless parents.  They went to great lengths to show how great their child was and will be.  It should be noted the vast majority of parents are well mannered and have their priorities in line with their child's best interest.

Many years ago while working a junior golf competition event, a parent came up to me and ask how his child was fairing in the competition so far.  We weren't more than half way through and scores wouldn't be tabulated until all events were completed.  I assured the parent, let's call him Bill, the scores will be announced at the end.  Not giving up, Bill pushed the issue further and asked if I could make an exception, considering his child will be the next Tiger Woods of Golf.  Bill even suggested his family fortunes where riding on the back of his 7 year old and the world would know who he was some day.  I wish I could say Bill's views were an isolated occurrence, but not so.  It saddens me to hear parents bear onto their kids, their thirst for fortune and success.  Most kids that age are really just looking to have fun and hopefully continue to explore and find their passions in life.

On occasion other parents I encountered would have a look of disgust if their child didn't succeed to their expectations.  It was extremely dis-hearting to watch a child, who is trying their best, look as if they have let down their family.  If this article inspires one parent to change course and be supportive no matter the outcome for their child, the world of golf will have taken one more step forward.

To be fair, by far, parents of junior golfers are some of the most dedicated, supportive parents you'll ever encounter.  And to those people, those of us who've worked in junior golf, salute you.

Tees to Greens and All that's Between!
 

    

I attended the Chicago Show this past weekend.  It felt smaller than in years past which would make sense as the economy continues to struggle.  Interestingly the most foot traffic was located at the hitting stations to test clubs and where the bargains were to be had at various booths offering cheap deals on clubs, clothes and balls.  One could sense these weary, winter hibernators were ready for spring and the first round of the year.

I attended a couple of seminars on Saturday afternoon which were hosted by the IJGA (Illinois Junior Golf Association).  The first speaker was Kevin Weeks, Director of Instruction from Cog Hill Golf Club.  He discussed how many juniors have a path for success and he went into detail on how they could achieve great things in golf.  What I found most profound was he insisted the younger the child is the more they should just play.  Focus on the fun part of the game and not get too technical.  He also suggested parents shouldn't be teaching golf to their kids.  And not for the reason you may think.  Kids tend to blame the teacher when they don't get the results they want.  Have the kids blame the instructor, not the parent.

The second seminar focused on equipment.  The interesting fact I learned here was if you're a sweeper type player and attack the golf ball almost on the upswing, you should be playing more of a cavity back club.  A club with its weighting towards the bottom of the club.  If you've got a steep attack and hit down on the ball, you should be playing a middle weighted club.  One last note was the speaker insisted the player chooses the clubs.  When you find a comfortable club that allows you to hit the ball the way you want to with ease, stick with it.

Sadly, with all this great information, there were only 20 - 30 people present to listen to the seminars.  The long putt was a big fan favorite.  It was truly amazing to watch person after person spend $3-5 a piece, to make a 100 foot putt, in the oft chance they could win an official Chicago Golf Show Umbrella.  Amazing indeed.

Tees to Greens and All that's Between

    

eGolfScore.com is an innovative solution many of us Tournament Directors have been searching for to make our amateur events more tour like.  Their three main services include an event scoring program, an individual scoring program and view events live.

The Event Scoring Program includes hand held wireless scoring devices, TV leaderboards and live internet updates.  It's instant scoring as if you were stalking the fairways like a pro, getting updates on your competition as you play.  Some courses have carts fitted with GPS on-course scoring, but that's where eGolfScore takes it up a few notches.  The TV leaderboards and internet updates allows anyone to follow the action.  That's not possible with the cart fitted variety.        



The Individual Scoring Program includes using your own internet accessible phone as a scorecard.  This system also allows others to track your scores as they happen.  Plus, for the mathletes out there, you can analyze your stats and view your history.  You can even get a personalized website.

Check out eGolfScoring to see golf innovation at work.

Tees to Greens and All that's Between!

    

Emma was born in January of 2005.  She was diagnosed with a heart defect which required multiple open-heart surgeries.  Her last surgery was in July 2008 and now is a normal little girl able in mind and body to pursue her dreams.  Without the great staff at the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, Emma may not have been able to recover.

This golf event benefits the Children's Miracle Network.  If you can attend, please help support this charity where the next Emma may get the same care and be given the chance to pursue his or her dreams as well. 

The information below is taken from their web site:

Event Date:

Sunday, April 25, 2010 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm

 

    

This new rule has been implemented as January 1, 2010.  This new rule, for those not familiar, is designed to make hitting out of the rough more difficult for the expert players.  In essence, grooves on new clubs allowed players to hit greens fairly easily from the rough which has lessened the importance of driving accuracy.  Let's breakdown the new grooves rule and what it means to us amateurs.

According to the USGA.org web site: 
1) "The volume of grooves is reduced." 
2) "Groove edge sharpness is reduced for clubs with lofts greater than or equal to 25 degrees."

"A common misconception is that “V” shaped grooves will be required under the new specifications and that “U” shaped grooves will no longer be allowed.  This is not the case.  However, any “U” shaped groove must conform to the new specifications for both cross sectional area/spacing and edge radius."

In amateur golf speak:
1) 5 irons through wedges will be affected. 
2) The groove edges are not as sharp, and the grooves themselves are not as deep, all of which reduces the spin of the golf ball.

What does the change mean to amateurs?  It means basically nothing.  Studies suggest amateurs don't have the skills to take advantage of deeper grooves.  Thus, we won't have to buy new clubs.  We can continue to play our golf clubs in our amateur tournaments or whenever.  This new rule is in place for professional tournaments and qualifying tournaments for pro events.  There is a grace period for some qualifying tournaments but the entire professional golf world will be following the new rules by 2014.

Tees to Greens and All that's Between! 

    

The USGA has launched a new rules of golf application for the iPhone and iTouch for the low, low price of $3.99.  Normally we can get a rules book for free, but hey, even the USGA needs to make a buck these days.  Amazing how modern technology can solve some of societies ills.  Yes, no more bending the rules on the course.  No more illegal drops on the fairways.  No more mysterious scores from playing partners.  No more gimmies.  Alright, we won't take away the last one.  Gimmies for all!

Humor aside, this app is a fantastic new resource for the USGA, golfers and courses alike.  It should cut down on the 15,000 rules questions the USGA gets a year.  It will be a great teaching tool for new players, especially the one's uneasy about playing for fear of rules illiteracy.  Plus, rules questions can be handled on the course at the moment there is a question instead of hours, day or weeks after the round.  And, it has the potential to speed up play which helps courses.  There are many, many other advantages but reading my ohs and ahs will bore.

As a Tournament Director, this application will provide me instant answers to some of the most bizarre circumstances which seem to happen at every tournament.  One issue with this app, which can be resolved, is many courses won't allow cell phones on the course.  It's hard to use this app with your smart phone stashed in your car for fear of retribution from the course 'management'.  The resolution is to have those courses integrate this app into their cart GPS units.  Certainly this would require an upgrade to existing units, but it's an added value to players.  It's a logical solution if courses won't trust players to keep their phones on vibrate and maintain pace of play.  Another idea is for hand held GPS units such as the uPro to be integrated with this feature.  Players could check distances and rules with one device.  With tough economic times, I have other ideas but most courses wouldn't want to pay for it, at least for now.

This is the dawn of a new era for amateur golfers everywhere.  Please use this new app for the sake of humanity and most importantly for the groups behind you.

Tees to Greens and All that's Between!

    

The Pepsi Little People's Golf Championships have a long tradition of great competition for kids of all ages but its focus on the kids experience and sportsmanship that make this tournament so special.  With any organization, the energy and spirit flows from the top and Nan Ryan, Founder and Executive Director, supplies that passion every year.

The championships are open to boys and girls 3 through 17.  Plus, a collegiate level is open to men and women 18-21.  All ages will play June 21-23, 2010, on six golf courses in the Quincy, IL area, and Macomb IL.  Entry forms for both events will be available on the Little People's web site in February 2010.

Nan started this tournament in 1974 with 174 players.  Today, more than 800 compete traveling in from every state in the US and some even from foreign countries.  It's become the 3rd largest junior golf tournament in the world.  Even with this success, Nan's focus remains staunchly with the kids' experience and providing a positive atmosphere allowing the little people memorable moments for a lifetime.

Life experiences like these help shape lives, foster friendships and brings a community together.  If you have haven't participated yet, you're missing a fantastic tournament.  If you're a parent and you're thinking of entering your child or children, get in touch with Nan.  It's an experience your child shouldn't miss.

Tees to Greens and All that's Between!

    

We stumbled upon a company which makes golf clubs where the shafts are all 1 length.  The concept challenges golf's conventional wisdom where each club's shaft has a different length.  The company suggests golfers perform better when they repeat the same swing, set-up and ball position.  This company has been around for over 10 years, but we haven't come across this concept before.

In thinking about the theory, it does make sense.  Repetition along with muscle memory help golfers hit consistent shots.  How many times have we chunked a wedge coming into a green?  Is it lack of focus or maybe the change in shaft length causes the mis-hit?  If you believe this concept, 1 shaft length will help tremendously.

Their web site showcases testimonials, but we all know those are not always accurate.  We are wondering if any of the Golf Die Hard readers have played these clubs before.  It's an interesting concept and as with anything in golf, if something can help the average players out there cut strokes to enjoy the game that much more, we're all for it.

Tees To Greens and All That's Between! 

    

1PageGolf.com is a new web site designed for golf consumers and businesses to find each other in one place on one page.  Interestingly, the site is guaranteed to be up for 4 years and the countdown is on.  They actually have a counter, to the second, at the top of each page.  There are news links and also embedded golf games to play in case you're looking to get your golf fix at work or just in general.

For golf related businesses looking to spread the word on the cheap and reach customers, here's the skinny:

• 1-time $40 payment secures an ad spot until 12/31/2013.
• 2 photos (40x40 pixel and pop up 200x208 pixel) are posted on the home page.
• One-way link to your web site.
• A text link with description on their links page (who's on 1page section).
• Twitter mention

Golf Die Hard has signed on as one of the first advertisers.  We wish them well and would love to see this new, creative endeavor be successful.

Visit their web site and for information on how you can "Buy a Ball", click this link:
 http://www.1pagegolf.com/buy.htm

Tees to Greens and All That's Between!

    

For those of you looking to compete in the fantasy world, Yahoo.com begins its fantasy season starting January 7th.  They've made some changes but not the one I was hoping to see.  Namely, points for majors should be doubled.  It would make the season a lot more interesting and put a premium on majors, as it should.

Overall, it's a lot of fun and competitive.  You can create your own private league or join a public league.  The skinny is it's free to play.  Pick 8 PGA Tour players each week of which 4 play on any given day.  You only get 10 starts per player for the year, choose wisely.  Bonus points are given if your players finish in the top 3.  Points accumulate during the whole year, but 3 segments (Winter, Spring and Summer) break up the year and prizes are awarded for overall segment winners.

Think you know who'll win better than the rest of us?  Sign up and prove it.  Here's a link:
http://golf.fantasysports.yahoo.com/

Tees to Greens and all that's between!