Richie

Hip Rotation

You can add power to your golf swing from increasing your hip rotation. A fast and full hip rotation adds club-head speed which translates to increased distances to your shots. A good example of someone who has excellent hip rotation is Rory McIlroy. He is a man of average stature – 5′ 9″ and 161 lbs. But hits the ball far and at speeds of around 175 mph.

Rory has a hip speed which is 25% faster than most other professional golfers. His hips rotate 720 degrees per second on the downswing. Other professional golfers average about 550 degrees per second and most amateurs 300-350 degrees per second.

Faster hip rotation = longer driving distance!

Bell Gardens Golf Course – Par 3

8000 Park Lane
Bell Gardens, CA 90201
(562) 927-8811

9 holes (par 27)
Yardage: 959 yards
Hours: 7am-6pm (closes at 10.30pm Tues-Fri)
Green fees: Mon-Thu $8, Fri-Sun $10 (residents of Bell save $1)

Bell Gardens is a 9 hole par 3 golf course located in the City of Bell (5 miles south of downtown Los Angeles). It is at the John Anson Ford Park. It is tricky to find. It is at the north end of the park by the Bell Gardens Sports Complex. The best way to get here is to exit the 710 at Florence. Take Florence south for a couple of miles. Make a right on Garfield and then a left on Park Lane. The entrance to the course will be on the right. You drive past a football field and there is a large parking lot. The entrance to the golf course is at the far end of the parking lot.

I was really pleasantly surprised when I arrived to Bell Gardens. It is nicely landscaped when you walk in. There is a practice putting green and a small snack bar/ sports bar adjoined to the starters office. There were TV’s within the bar area with sports stations playing. The starter was very friendly and chatty.

From the starter office you walk down a path lined with plants/ shrubs to the first tee. It is a very nice way to start the round.

The first thing which hit me when I stepped onto the first green was the lush green grass. A rarity to see on a Los Angeles par 3 golf course in summer months. The condition shocked me; a few weeks earlier I played at South Gate and I was expecting to see the same. I was mistaken – this course is far superior. You hit off mats, tees are provided and perfect size for wedges/ short irons – not high tees. Each tee box had a ball washer and a couple of benches.

I really enjoyed playing this course. As I previously mentioned the grass was lush and green. There were not any patchy areas and the condition of the course was very good. The greens were nice also. They were on the small side but sloped. There were not many flat putts and putting was a challenge. Also hitting the greens was a challenge because they were so small. The longest hole was 124 yards, so you could probably play the whole course with a putter and a pitching wedge. Although the course condition was very good, I noticed it did deteriorate slightly as I went through the round. I am unsure why, but the greens on the last few holes looked a little patchy.

The course design was adequate, not great. The greens were elevated and sloped. But each hole was pretty much straight and around the same distance – 6 of the 9 holes being between 98 and 111 yards. There were no bunkers or water hazards on the course, just trees. I thought the trees were placed in good areas and there was a good number, not too many. The course had a nice flow to it and it was easy to find my way around to each hole. The course reminded me a lot of Maggie Hathaway in it’s look and design, just a little shorter. I wonder if it was designed by the same person??

Note that this course asks that proper golf attire is worn. No jeans or T-shirts. I am unsure if they actively enforce this or not. But everyone else I saw on the course was dressed appropriately.

Richie says… “Nice course which exceeded my expectations. It is short and great for beginners or more advanced players wanting to practice wedge play. I just wish the greens were a little bigger. The course is well landscaped and had a nice vibe about it. If I was in the area I would play here again.”

Hole by Hole

Hole 1 – Tee

Hole 1 – 100 yards

Hole 2 – 98 yards

Hole 2 – Green

Hole 3- 100 yards

Hole 4 – 109 yards

Hole 5 – 111 yards

Hole 6 – 113 yards

Hole 7 -121 yards

Hole 7 – Looking from behind the green

Hole 8 – 83 yards

Hole 9 – 124 yards

Virtual Mapping of Golf Courses

We have all seen the 3d video images of holes while watching golf coverage on TV. This interesting video shows how they do it.

Glen Oaks Golf & Learning Center – Par 3 (Glendora)

200 W Dawson Ave
Glendora, CA 91740
(626) 335-7565

9 holes (par 27)
Yardage: 1,078 yards
Hours: 7am-10pm (although I did not see lights on the course)
Green fees: weekdays $7, weekends $10

Glen Oaks Golf & Learning Center is located in Glendora. It is just off the 210 freeway, exit Grand Ave. The course is just a couple of minutes drive from the freeway. The parking lot is located across the street from the golf course. You have to park and then cross the street to the starters office. The staff were friendly and located in the starter office was a small cafe/ snack bar. In addition to the golf course, there is a really nice driving range with practice putting greens and chipping areas.

The course itself is a 9 hole par 3 golf course. There is good variation in the hole lengths, with the longest being 151 yards. I found the course was a little difficult to navigate and didn’t flow all that well. Sometimes there was a 30-40 yard walk to the next tee box. With an open style course it was tricky to figure out the layout when playing here for the first time. The tee’s were marked. However they just had the hole number on. There was no yardage listed at the tee box. Thus meaning that I had to reference the scorecard for yardage which slowed down play slightly. Also the course was designed where almost all of the holes ran in a west-east/ east-west direction. Therefore meaning if you are playing when the sun is rising or setting, you will have the sun directly in your eyes for half of the holes.

Each tee had a mat, with tees provided and also an area where you can hit off grass. I liked the fact that you have the option. The course was pretty challenging mainly due to the greens. Some of them were a little small for my liking, but they ran super fast. For a par 3 “pitch and putt” course I think they were running way too fast. It was like putting at Augusta National (although I have to admit never visited there, let alone played). All holes had green-side bunkers which were in nice shape with good quality sand. The greens had undulations and interesting shapes – the most notably being hole 3.

The course condition was very good. The greens were excellent, although small and ran too fast – as I stated earlier. There were no patchy areas on the course and it looked in great shape. The tee mats were very good and not worn. There was however a lack of ball cleaners. I only saw about 2 on the whole course. The pace out there was pretty slow. I went on a really off-peak time and the course was busy with a lot of 4-balls out there. At the time I played, I usually have the course to myself at other locations. I would be reluctant to play here at a peak time. I imagine it would be slow going. I must say though that the other golfers out there were courteous and waived me through if I caught up to them.

Richie says… “The course is above average and is in very good condition. For me the greens were too challenging and made it not so fun to play. I would highly recommend using the driving range if you live in the area – it is one of the nicest I have seen in the whole of LA.”

Hole by Hole

Hole 1 – 94 yards

Hole 2 – 127 yards

Hole 3 – 95 yards

Hole 4 – 150 yards

Hole 4 – green

Hole 5 – 120 yards

Hole 6 – 151 yards

Hole 7 – 105 yards

Hole 8 – 141 yards

Hole 9 – 95 yards

Golfer Fights with Teen at a Victorville Golf Course

Not what you expect to see on a golf course. This was caught on a cell phone at the Spring Valley Golf Course in Victorville. I believe the incident happened yesterday. The golfer was angry as the teens were riding through the course on their bikes.

Video courtesy of ABC 7.

The Orange Whip Trainer Review

The Orange Whip Trainer is a swing training aid. It is 47.5″ long and weighs 1.76 lbs – designed to simulate a driver. It can be used as a training aid and/ or a warm-up and stretching tool.

Swinging this trainer will help you swing at good tempo while being on-plane and balanced. If you are not balanced/ on-plane with your swing you will not be able to repeat several swings in a row. It is also supposed to teach you a nice/ rhythmic tempo; which carries over to your real golf swing.

When using the Orange Whip for warm up it loosens the muscles and also helps with your first drive. As it is weighted, it can be used in the same way as a baseball player swinging a bat with a weight in the on-deck circle. You take a few swings with this and then when you pick up the golf club, it feels might lighter. You can swing faster and with ease. Although you can use it before you start, note that it is illegal to use during the round.

There are three versions;

Trainer: 47.5″ long for men and tall women
Golden: 44″ for shorter men (<5′ 6″), women and teens
Hickory: 38″ for juniors aged 7-12

I came across this product online while looking at swing training aids. I did some more research and it got very positive reviews on the golf forums. Although there are many golf training aids out there, this is one (of very few) which actually works and helps with your swing.

I found the product useful for a brief 3-5 minute warm up before a round. After doing a couple of sessions with the Orange Whip, my hand started to feel a little sore and started to get a blister. I would recommend using a glove when swinging with this training aid.

The Orange Whip Trainer retails for $109. On a side note I should mention that SKLZ has a product very similar to the Orange Whip called Gold Flex Strength and Tempo Trainer. It is half the price and seems very similar. I tried it out briefly at the store and the feel seems similar. The only difference I could notice is that the Orange Whip has a counter balance on the handle, which the SKLZ does not. I think the Orange Whip is may be a little better quality to the SKLZ also. You can get details of the Gold Flex Strength and Tempo Trainer by clicking on the below link.

Top 10 All-Time Long Hitters on the PGA Tour

Noticeable omissions from the list include; Rory McIlroy, Nicolas Colsaerts and Gary Woodland.

Vista Valencia Golf Club – Executive

24700 Trevino Drive
Valencia, CA 91355
(661) 253-1870

18 holes (par 61)
Yardage: 4,366 yards
Hours: 5.30am-sunset
Green fees: weekdays $22.50, weekends $29.50 (reduced rates available after noon), carts $6-10

Vista Valencia is located about 30 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. Just off the 5 freeway (exit Lyons) and located close to Six Flags Magic Mountain. There are two courses here – a 18 hole executive golf course and a 9 hole par 3 golf course. This review is for the executive golf course. This is the furthest north I have traveled to date and the first time playing in Santa Clarita. I continue to travel around bringing you a comprehensive guide of golf in the Los Angeles area. If you click on the map in the sidebar you can see a full list of courses covered.

In addition to the two golf courses there is a driving range and full practice facility at the location. The driving range looks nice with plenty of stalls. The main building (clubhouse) looks like a church from the outside, but once inside there is a pro-shop/ starter office, a bar area and a cafeteria. Prices seemed a little on the high side – $3 for a bottle of Gatorade. There are lots of tables and chairs inside the building.

To date this is the longest executive golf course which I have played in the Los Angeles area (at 4,366 yards). Vista Valencia is over 1300 yards in length longer than Scholl Canyon. There are six par 4’s ranging between 320 and 427 yards. The par 3’s are also on the longer size than your average executive golf course too. Most noticeably hole 2, which is 222 yards. This hole plays as a par 3 for men and a par 4 for ladies. Being such a long executive course this is not one I recommend for beginners. If you are starting out, I would recommend playing and getting comfortable with the 9 hole, par 3 (Chica) course which is also located here. This course however is great for those taking the next step or wanting to play “full-size” golf. It is just like the standard par 72 golf courses out there – minus the par 5 holes.

We found the back nine was considerably easier to play than the front. Also it was more enjoyable. Out of the 18 holes, I enjoyed playing the stretch of smaller par 3 holes (holes 12-14).

One of the standout holes on the course is hole 17. It is a 158 yard par 3. The hole is on an island and completely surrounded by water. It reminds me somewhat of 17 at TPC Sawgrass. You have to drive your cart up a path to an elevated tee. It is one of the most memorable and unique holes in the whole LA area. I would have given this course an overall rating of 3.5/5, but purely based upon hole 17, I bumped it up to 4/5.

The course is in decent shape. The ground is very hard and the greens in particular are very dry. I think this is pretty much due to where it is located. The course is up in Santa Clarita where it is typically about fifteen degrees hotter than downtown Los Angeles. The greens were large, however challenging to play. I gentle tap and the ball would go blasting 20ft past the hole. I would like to see them water the greens a little more. The first nine holes feature a lot of water hazards. There are ponds/ small lakes with lots of geese present. They seemed to be at home on the course and reluctant to move out of the way of the cart at times.

The course is littered with bunkers. Almost every hole (if not every hole) has challenging and multiple bunkers. Some have deep faces and take a lot of skill to recover from. The sand is average, very dense in consistency and not the best quality. Vista Valencia is in a nice setting, there are lots of trees spread throughout and there were good elevation changes throughout the course. We played on a weekday afternoon and it took us about 3 hours 20 minutes to complete the round. There were a sprinkling of people out there and everyone seemed to play at a nice pace. By using carts (rather than walking), it certainly helps to speed up play. Also with the heat I give props to those who were walking. They must have great stamina.

Thanks to Dan Wheeler of American Golf for setting up my visit to Vista Valencia.

Richie says… “This is a very long course, possibly just on the verge of being classified as an executive course. The back nine was a lot more fun than the front nine. The course is challenging with lots of hazards, best suited for intermediate/ advanced players. Drink plenty of fluids, it gets very hot there.”

Hole by Hole

Hole 1 – 373 yards (par 4)

Hole 1 – 2nd shot (!00 yards out)

Hole 2 – 222 yards

Hole 3 – 196 yards

Hole 4 – 374 yards (par 4)

Hole 4 – 2nd shot (100 yards out)

Hole 5 – 104 yards

Hole 6 – 167 yards

Hole 7 – 320 yards (par 4)

Hole 8 – 145 yards

Hole 8 – green

Hole 9 – 423 yards (par 4)

Hole 10 – 452 yards (par 4)

Hole 11 – 194 yards

Hole 12 – 92 yards

Hole 13 – 81 yards

Hole 13- green

Hole 14 – 144 yards

Hole 15 – 344 yards (par 4)

Hole 15 – 2nd shot (100 yards out)

Hole 16 – 396 yards (par 4)

Hole 16 – 2nd shot (100 yards out)

Hole 17 – 158 yards

Hole 18 – 181 yards

One of the Luckiest Hole’s in One You Will See

As the saying goes… it is better to be lucky than good! This video dates back to 2002 on the European Tour. This is James Kingston’s tee shot at the 15th hole of the Dunhill Championships which was played at Houghton Golf Club, South Africa.

Bixby Village Golf Course – Executive (Long Beach)

6180 Bixby Village Dr
Long Beach, CA 90803
(562) 498-7003

9 holes (par 30)
Yardage: 1,795 yards
Hours: 6am-sunset
Green fees: weekdays $14, weekends $16

Bixby Village is a nice part of Long Beach. It is known as the place where they filmed the American Pie movies. There is a Bixby Village Golf Center and a Bixby Village Golf Course. It is confusing and they are about 20 minutes apart. Do not make the mistake like I did and show up at the wrong place! Being in Long Beach the weather was good. You get that ocean breeze and it is cooler that out in the Valley. Which makes it a good spot to play in July/ August when the Valley is 100+ degrees.

The course is a 9 hole executive golf course, with three short par 4 holes. There is a small parking lot and a starter office. Within the office is a small cafeteria area. There is a putting green but no driving range located at this site. We booked online with the club direct and got a great rate, paying under $9 each for the round.

Immediately upon checking in we were able to start. We were paired with someone else who was on his own. We played 10am Saturday morning and the course was quiet. We played at good pace. May be on two of the holes we had a wait of a couple of minutes other than that we worked our way around the course in good time. It took the three of us 1 hr 40 minutes to complete the 9 holes. I consider that is good going on a Saturday morning. I saw no one behind us the whole way around.

The course had a great flow and design to it. There was good variation of hole lengths which allowed you to use pretty much every club in the bag throughout the 9 holes. I really enjoyed the course design and consider it one of the best 9 hole layouts which I have played. You start with the first three holes and then walk through a tunnel to the other side of the road where you play the remaining 6 holes. The course had it all – water, sand, trees. Hole 2 has a challenge in a form of a lake which you have to hit over (120 yards). Hole 3 had a lot of trees down the left. Hole 4 was a straight par 4 with lots of bunkers along the center of the fairway. Then hole 6 had an awesome green. It was modeled after a hole at River; there was a bunker right in the middle of the green.

The course condition was good. The grass was green and generally not patchy. The greens were large and really nice. Several greens had elevation changes or breaks which made putting challenging, yet fun. There were a lot of bunkers out there. My only criticism is with the sand. The sand was very course and like hitting in dirt. If they were to spend a few bucks and put in the fluffy white kind of sand it would really transform the course and make each hole very eye-catching.

Richie says… “One of the best 9 holes I have played. I really enjoyed playing here. Every hole is unique. One hole you can hit a wood and the next you are teeing off with a wedge. I like the variety and it is nice to take out the big-stick every once in a while.”

Chris says… “Nice course. Saturday morning and not busy at all. Good price – cost effective. It is an open course, but I like it. Well maintained and good bang for the buck.”

Hole by Hole