Junior Golf: How Far Is That?

In this Monday Mulligan we will take a look at the #1 question asked during a round of golf. Yes, of all the talk that may or may not take place on the golf course, this question or 1 very similar is by far, the most asked: How far is it to the pin? How many yards to clear the hazard? What’s the distance to the fairway bunker? Distance, distance, yards and more distance makes up the context of the most asked question when your daughter is playing.

Golf courses are measured in yards or meters. Did you ever wonder why distance is important? How far it is from point A to point B is crucial to the sport. Golf course designers used yardage in virtually every aspect of their work. Where to put or not put a design element such as a bunker, water hazard, turn in the fairway, a slope to the green or whether to leave or remove a tree.

Your daughter must know distances so she can properly plan her approach to the whole course, then her strategy for each hole and of course, plan her next shot. So how do you figure out distance on a golf course? Well, there are several ways. There’s the old fashioned way of reading sprinkler head yardage or using trees or rocks placed at specific yardages on holes or there may be yardage on the paved cart path.

In reality, this only works to a point and then your daughter is basically estimating distance. So how do you improve accuracy? You buy 1 of the many digital yardage devices. They come in many shapes and sizes from a number of reputable makers. Now Dad and Mom beware: nearly 100% of the tournaments your daughter will play in allow devices which give ONLY distance. The device you buy cannot give wind or slope readings. Every now and then you may hear that it’s ok to use a device which is capable of giving slope and wind readings, but these functions must be turned off during play. I would never risk it.

What do you buy? I had a GolfLogix GPS that that I used for years and it worked well. Our good friend Gordon has a Garmin GPS watch that he loves. Over the years however, there is 1 distance-measuring device which is far and away the one we have seen the most in junior golf and college golf tournaments. It’s your everyday golf rangefinder. Why are they so popular? They are relatively inexpensive. They have no annual fee. And like every golf shot is different, every reading on a rangefinder is different. In other words, they are infinitely able to give custom yardages on each shot, which makes them the most similar the sport where no 2 shots are the same. There are no limits to which landmark you can get a yardage to.

S3 has a Bushnell Golf Range Finder and it has been great. It’s at least 5 or 6 years old and it has always worked perfectly. Even with all the golf S3 plays, he only changes the battery about 1x per year. I mean folks, this is great. There are several brands to choose from but I think if you look around or ask your daughter’s swing coach, Bushnell is likely be the most prevalent brand. Whatever brand you buy, make sure it only reads distance. Competitive golf is hard enough without risking a penalty or disqualification for illegal equipment.

See you on #1 tee knowing how far to hit your 1st shot… Sam

Junior Golf: Winning Course Strategy

In today’s Monday Mulligan we will take a look a winning course strategy that you and your son can use during every round of golf he plays. The pros dissect golf courses in great detail so they can have a strategic plan to effectively work their way around the course. (photo jennleforge.com)

Knowing what shot to hit and where you want it to end up is very important in order to win golf tournaments. The pros study their next tournament course in great detail and I don’t know exactly what they do or how they do it. What I do know is some elementary basic things that you and your son can start doing at virtually any skill level that can help him learn how to have a plan to attack a golf course and can help build his confidence during a round.

The ultimate goal is to shoot the lowest score possible. Part of the plan to do that is to study the course ahead of time and figure out what club to hit on every tee box and where you want the ball to end up in order to be in a good position to hit an effective next shot. Many courses have yardage books that give yardages between, from and to various points on each hole. This can include tee boxes, greens, bunkers, hazards, etc. A yardage book can be a valuable asset. Buy 1 if available, they are usually $5-$10. A practice round and range finder along with a yardage book are more than sufficient for any junior golfer to be able to “plan out” each hole.

Another benefit of having a strategy for playing a course is that it will give confidence to your son. Confidence can fluctuate during the 18 holes and every small thing to help build confidence ahead of the round is important.

Here are 2 things you can do with a junior golfer of any skill level, even a 6 or 7 year old. Look at the very first shot they will hit. If it is a progressive start-read tee times, ask if your son is starting on #1 or #10. The 2 of you decide what club he should hit based on what the 2nd shot on the hole requires. Have your son hit that 1st shot on the range before he tees off. If it is a shotgun start, find out what hole he starts on and take the same approach as above. The 2nd thing your son can do is find the 1st par 3 he will play. Determine what club he will hit and where he would like the ball to end up. Practice this shot on the range as well. Just practicing these 2 shots can do wonders for your son ‘s confidence during his round. Even the pros will tell you they are a bit nervous on #1 tee and while they would love to hit a great shot, they will be pleased with a decent shot, in play, with an OK leave for their next shot. Proper preparation is a big deal. (photo tomkitedesign.com)

Real-life example: S3 and I played a practice round at the beautiful Comanche Trace Golf Club in Kerrville, Texas, to prepare for a US Amateur Qualifier. There was a short par 3 that had the potential to be particularly deceptive. Prevailing winds would be helping from tee to green, but you could only tell if the wind was blowing by looking at the balconies of condos behind the green. The green itself was way downhill in a hole and was shaped running from about 11:00o’clock to 5:00 o’clock. However the back left ⅓ of the green sloped downhill into a water hazard. So the miss on this green was center to right and mercifully the pin placement was front right instead of back left. Understand how easy it could be to hit too much club, or pull a shot to the back left or have a strong wind blowing behind you that you could not feel or be aware of and suddenly you have an easy-looking tee shot over the green in a water hazard. Dad and Mom, this stuff happens to the pros and it can and will happen to your junior golfer or a member of his group. Yes, it’s golf.

See you on #1 tee looking confident… Sam