Here is a drill from Michael Breed (PGA Coach of the Year 2012). This drill teaches you to swing on the correct plane. All you need is a coat hanger. I had issues with my swing plane last year and I tried this out. It helped me greatly with my swing mechanics. I did 20-30 practice swings daily with the hanger at home in front of a mirror for about 2 weeks. It felt weird to start, but after a few days started to feel natural.
This is a 2 minute clip from Golf Channel’s, Golf Fix show.
Although we are straying off the golf theme with this post, it was so good I felt obliged to share it. David Beckham is one of the greatest football players to play for England. This short tribute video depicts his career moments in Lego. It is a really fun video for the football (soccer) or Lego fan.
Oakhurst Links was the first golf course to be built in the USA. It was built in 1884 and held it’s first competition in 1888. It was built in the grounds of Russell W. Montague estate (the course designer). His house served as the Oakhurst Links clubhouse.
Russell Montague learned about golf in Scotland and build the course with some friends, before any other golf course existed in the United States.
Oakhurst Links is a 9 hole golf course and is located in Suplhur Springs, West Virginia. In 2001 the course was listed in the National Register of Historical Places. The course ceased golfing operations in 1912 and an effort to restore it started in the 1990’s. The owners ran into some cash difficulties and the course was bought by the Greenbrier resort in 2012. The course in now once again open for people to play. Oakhurst Links is operated exclusively as an amenity for registered guests and members of the Greenbrier.
The course keeps the historic approach to the game – no modern equipment is allowed. You play with clubs which have hickory wood shafts and use gutta-percha golf balls. No tee’s, you simply take some sand from a bucket which is on the tee box and make a small mound from the sand to place your golf ball on. The rules of the course are of the period also. No ball makers. If your playing partner’s ball is in the line of your putt, you have to chip over it or hit around the other ball. Also if your ball breaks during the hole you have to continue with it, until the next hole. Where you can use a new ball.
To play 9 holes costs $125. This includes rental of the equipment, balls, tour of the museum and commemorative certificate. Players are encouraged to wear “turn of the century clothing”, which includes knickers, tall socks, caps, shirts and ties. All of which can be purchased at the club store.
The Links at Terranea is a 9 hole par 3 golf course. It is located in Rancho Palos Verdes (30 minutes south of Los Angeles); on the Pacific Ocean. It is just a couple of miles up the coast from the Trump National Golf Course. The course is located at the Terranea resort and was opened in June 2009. When you drive in, you make a left at the intersection just before the hotel entrance. There is plenty of parking and I believe it is free if you are playing golf – I didn’t pay anyhow.
There is a practice putting green and a chipping green on site. Both are in really good shape. As this course is on a resort, there is obviously drinking and eating options at the hotel.
The starter and staff are friendly and polite. As you expect with an expensive private course. Talking of which this course is expensive – $48! To put that in perspective you can play eight times at Los Feliz for that. I recommend that you look online and deals can be had. I went on GolfNow and paid less than $20. Which is a much more reasonable rate. The booking online whether with GolfNow or the Terranea website is a little strange. I say that because you can not book for 1 or 3 people. Just groups of 2 and 4. If you are playing alone you have to pay for 2. Although the starter says that you can replay for free if it is not busy. Golf Magazine named Terranea the #2 best par 3 golf course in the whole of the USA, in 2012. Although it is a very nice course, I have had better experiences at other courses in the LA area. The value for money aspect is what keeps it from being one at the top of the short courses in the area. I would however say that it is definitely in my personal top 5 short courses in the Los Angeles area – if not in the top 3. We are so lucky to have so many options in the City. Last week I played a canyon course and this week a links!
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| Practice chipping green |
The course condition is superb. I have not seen any other short course in Southern California which is so well kept. The grass is lush and green and the course looks beautiful. The bunkers are really well maintained with staff constantly raking them throughout the day.
The course design is pretty good. The course is in true “links” style. The course is ocean-side with long rough and plenty of bunkers. I believe there are at least 30 throughout the 9 holes. The course is wide open with few trees. Again keeping with the links style of course.
Each hole has plenty of variation and different lengths which makes it interesting to play. To be honest I found the course pretty easy to play. The greens are large and I pretty much hit all GIR. I think it was a mixture of me bringing my A-game plus the conditions. It was a beautiful day and perfectly calm. The starter told me that the winds start to come in from the ocean about 2pm. The course becomes much more challenging then. The most noticeable being hole 3. The wind makes it play 20 yards longer – 190 instead of 170 yards.
They are plenty of bunkers (30+), but I was fortunate not to hit any. The sand in the bunkers looked firm and long grass surrounded the lip of the bunkers. All holes were enjoyable to play, but I really liked hole 9. It was 121 yards with a dry creek and reeds in front of the green. The Pacific Ocean made a nice backdrop to the green.
To be honest I was a little disappointed when I played here. I saw the pictures online and with the high-price tag and had super high expectations. I expected a mini Pebble Beach kind of experience. With waves crashing against the holes etc. This was not the case. The course was set back from the ocean edge with lots of vegetation, the hotel and a beach in between the course and ocean. In fact only a couple of the holes made me feel like I was by the water. The third is probably the most noticeable. But standing on the green, I was still a good 100 yards from the cliff edge.
The pace was great. I played on a weekday morning and pretty much had the course to myself. I had no one ahead of me for at least two holes the whole way around. I whizzed around the course in about 45 minutes. It was very peaceful and a nice relaxing break from the outside world. Terranea is a walking course – no carts. But they have hand-carts for rent. They looked like ClicGear. They also have TaylorMade clubs for rent – I think they charge about $27 to rent a set.
Richie says… “Beautiful links-style golf course. Not very good value for money. I can not recommend playing here at the $48 price point. Look online and get a deal. The course is superbly maintained and one of the nicest looking I have played in Southern California.”
Hole by Hole
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| Hole 1 – 123 yards |
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| Hole 2 – 104 yards |
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| Hole 3 – 172 yards |
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| Hole 4 – 136 yards |
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| Hole 4 – green |
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| Hole 5 – 115 yards |
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| Hole 6 – 145 yards |
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| Hole 6 – green-side bunkers |
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| Hole 7 – 150 yards |
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| Hole 8 – 173 yards |
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| Hole 8 – green |
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| Hole 9 – 121 yards |
Merriam-Webster dictionary definition – “Scottish word; sand hills especially along the seashore“.
Links courses tend to be on, or at least very near to, a coast, and the term is typically associated with coastal courses, often amid dunes, with few water hazards and few if any trees. This reflects both the nature of the scenery where the sport happened to originate, and the fact that only limited resources were available to golf course architects at the time, and any earth moving had to be done by hand, so it was kept to a minimum. Even today, some links courses do not employ a greens staff, use only basic machinery such as hole cutters without boards to ensure that the hole is cut unevenly, and use grazing animals to keep the grass cropped.
Although the term links is often considered synonymous with any golf course, few golf courses have all of the design elements of true links courses and are built on linksland. The presence of a seaside location does not guarantee a links golf course. Many famous courses that claim to be links do not have all of the necessary characteristics (e.g., Pebble Beach Golf Links, Old Head Golf Links at Kinsale, The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island). On the other hand, some courses located hundreds of miles from a coast can have all of the characteristics of a seaside links except for proximity to water. One notable example of such a course is Sand Hills Golf Club, located in the midst of the Sand Hills of Nebraska.
The style of play on a links golf course is considerably different from the style of play on other types of courses. The challenges of links golf fall into two categories: Firstly the nature of the courses themselves, which tend to be characterized by uneven fairways, thick rough and small deep bunkers known as “pot bunkers”; and secondly, due to their coastal location and lack of trees, many links courses are frequently windy. This affects the style of play required, favoring players who are able to play low accurate shots. As many links courses consist literally of an “outward” nine in one direction along the coast, and an “inward” nine which returns in the opposite direction, players often have to cope with opposite wind patterns in each half of their round. The combination of the sand-based turf, sand dunes, general lack of trees, and seaside location means that links courses are frequently exposed to strong winds. As a result, successful links golfers learn to control the trajectory of their shots by playing a lower ball flight. Greens on links courses tend to be free of fronting hazards, allowing golfers to bounce the golf ball into the green rather than hitting high approach shots with strong backspin.
Here is a video which gives an example of a true links course. It features the Lahinch Golf Club in Ireland. This course was voted in the top 50 of golf courses worldwide.
620 E. Live Oak Avenue
Arcadia, CA 91006
(626)443-9367
18 holes (par 54)
Arcadia Golf Course is located in the San Gabriel Valley, just south of the 210 Freeway, Myrtle exit. The golf course is about 5 minutes south of the Santa Anita Horse Racing Track.
Arcadia is an 18 hole par 3 golf course. The course is short – average of 108 yards per hole. The longest hole being 153 yards. There are lights on the course which enable extended playing times. It is advisable to book a tee time. You can do this up to 7 days in advance using the golf course’s website – www.arcadiagc.com. You have to set up an account and use a credit card to hold the reservation against no-show. You then pay once you arrive to play. Carts are available for rent at this course, but we walked as usual – good exercise!
I must say that the staff here are the friendliest I have come across in the 15+ courses I have played in the Los Angeles area. The starter was friendly. Then the marshall was very proactive. He was out on the course coordinating play ensuring larger groups were allowing smaller groups to play through. His name was John and he did a great job. He came and checked on us several times throughout the round and said if we needed any drinks to let him know and he would send someone out. There was a “cart-girl” who periodically drove around the course selling water, sodas and beer.
The other people on the course were friendly and nice also. A couple of five person groups allowed us to play through and we completed the 18 holes in about 2 hours and 20 minutes. Much better pace than the previous week at Pico Rivera where it took 3 hours for 9 holes!
The course has a range and a practice putting green on site. There is a small pro-shop with a cafeteria inside. The course itself was in great condition. One of the nicest courses we have played. The grass was green, well watered and cut to a nice length. The greens were nice and ran fast. Although I felt some of the greens were a little on the small side.
The course design was somewhat generic. As you can see in the pics below each hole was somewhat similar to the others. No water, but there were a few bunkers sprinkled throughout the course. The course had a lot of trees and was a little like Los Feliz in that aspect. There was a nice flow to the course and the holes were clearly marked. Each tee box had a bench and ball washer. You hit off mats and no tees were provided. Most of the holes had two mats, ladies and gents. The ladies yardage for the course is 1,876 (101 yards shorter than the mens). The key to playing this course is accuracy. The holes are relatively narrow. If you are hitting straight you will avoid any other the trees and hazards and shoot a low score. The pin positions were set in challenging locations, often within 10 feet of the edge of the green.
The standout hole for me was number 15. It was a 106 yard hole with a large bunker right at the front of the green. When we played the pin position was set right behind the bunker about 10 feet back onto the green.
Richie says… “I really enjoyed playing here. One of the better short golf courses in the Los Angeles area. Very well maintained and the pace of play was good. It gets hot, so I recommend playing early. The course is short so you only need to bring half your clubs.”
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| Hole 1 – 93 yards |
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| Hole 2 – 101 yards |
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| Hole 3 – 153 yards |
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| Hole 4 – 102 yards |
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| Hole 5- 95 yards |
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| Hole 6 – 82 yards |
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| Hole 6 – green |
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| Hole 7 – 98 yards |
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| Hole 8 – 111 yards |
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| Hole 9 – 93 yards |
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| Hole 10 -126 yards |
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| Hole 11 – 100 yards |
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| Hole 12 – 123 yards |
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| Hole 13 – 100 yards |
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| Hole 14 – 105 yards |
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| Hole 15 – 106 yards |
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| Hole 15 – green |
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| Hole 16 – 119 yards |
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| Hole 17 – 107 yards |
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| Hole 18 – 134 yards |
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| Hole 18 – green |
We have all seen the guys on TV hitting greens and seeing the golf ball zip back. If you want to impress the ladies or playing partners read below. This guide is courtesy of www.GolfSmith.com.
You need to be playing on a golf course with decent greens. If you are playing on a course which has bad greens, with long grass or holes/ divots it will be almost impossible to put a lot of spin on your shots. Also you need a good quality golf ball (soft type). If you are using a beaten-up used golf ball taken from a bargain bucket 10 years ago, the chances are no spin!
South African pro-golfer Charl Schwartzel had a “mantrum” during the first round of The Open in Muirfield (Scotland) today. Having bogied each of the first three holes his frustration was high. On the fourth hole his tee shot went into the long rough to the left. His shot out from the rough missed the green and he knew down his club in anger. His two-handed beat down of his 6-iron snapped the shaft of the club in half. He had to play the remainder of the round with a club less in his bag.
It is important to have the correct wedges to fit both your swing and the other clubs in your bag. With 14 clubs allowed in your bag, many people opt to drop a second wood/ high iron and have three (not including PW) dedicated wedges in their bag.
It is important to have the right gaps between your clubs. I suggest you look at your pitching wedge loft and go from there. You want to keep your gap between your clubs consistent and not exceed more than 6 degrees. An example would be… if your PW is 45*, a popular choice would be GW at 50*, SW at 56* and LB at 60*. Alternatively if could go Sand Wedge at 54* and Lob Wedge at 58*.
An important aspect of the wedge is the bounce. All top manufacturers offer their wedges in a bunch of different options. For example Titleist Vokey’s offer their SM4 wedges in 23 different loft and bounces for each club finish. Bounce can be a confusing term. It is not necessarily the amount the ball will bounce, but the angle at which the club head will slide along the ground and impact the ball.
When you hit a wedge shot;
The correct bounce will help you hit more consistently. If you have a low bounce swing, but have a high bouce club, it may cause you to “top” the ball.
With bounce course conditions also come into account. If you play in the Arizona desert (where the ground is generally firm) you would most probably need a low bounce wedge. However if you play in Pacific North West (where it rains a lot), the ground may be soft and soggy. In that case you should look at a higher bounce to compensate for it.
When selecting your wedges you may want to go for a combination of bounces. I am a slider/sweeper, but I like to have a sand iron with a high bounce to use from fluffy sand or long grass (rough). But a low bounce lob wedge for work around the green on short grass and firm ground conditions.
There are traditionally three different finishes to wedges. Traditional chrome, black nickel and raw finish. Some golfers prefer the black nickel and raw finishes because there is no glare from the sun. The raw finishes (also known as oil can, rustique, rusty) have unfinished faces. These are designed to rust and have patina. The club faces are softer to play; which some people prefer the feel. It has been proven that raw wedges having more spin than others, is nothing more than a myth and just an old-wives tale. They all spin the same.
Confused?? It is a very complex subject and wedges can be the toughest clubs in the bag to pick out. As with all clubs look for something which feels good to swing and easy on the eye at set-up.
Here is a good video from Mark Crossfield which explains wedge bounce…
3800 E. Glenoaks Blvd.
Glendale, CA 91206
(818) 243-4100
Scholl Canyon is nestled up in the mountains behind Glendale. From the 2 Freeway exit Holly and then head along Glenoaks all the way up until the end of the road. The golf course is clearly sign posted from the freeway. You will travel about 2 miles on a private road up until the top of the mountain. The road is recently surfaced and in great condition. Once you get to the golf course there is a large parking lot. There is a driving range, putting green, tennis courts and starter office. The starter office contains a small pro shop and a small snack bar.
I have nicknamed this course “Machu Picchu”. If you see an overhead picture you will see why. It is a canyon course and weaves around the mountain top with steep elevation changes. It is a short 18 hole course – just 3,039 from the back tees, 2,400 from the ladies tees. There are 6 short par 4’s. The longest hole being 324 yards. All the par 4’s could be reached with my 3 wood – with the exception of hole 13, which you have to lay up. There was a nice breeze that went through the course due to the elevation. Also I noted that it was 6 degrees cooler up there, than at the base of the mountain in Glendale.
There are lots of price variations in the green fees. If you play after 3pm it gets really cheap. You can also find great prices on www.golfnow.com. I booked through them to play a weekday afternoon. It cost me just $20 including the cart. Talking of which, you must rent a cart. You can not walk this course as there are a couple of holes where you have a long cart ride to get to the next. Also there are some steep inclines.
The pace was good – probably because everyone was using carts. It took me just under 3 hours to play the 18 holes. The front 9 were quick and then there were some hold ups on the back 9. I joined two other groups to play the last five holes and we sailed through them really quickly. Now remember this was a mid-week early afternoon. I would imagine that this course can get busy at weekends. So it may well be a 4+ hour round. But I would be interested to hear from others who have played Scholl Canyon at the weekend.
The course design was excellent. The designer did a superb job working the holes around the mountain. Great use of space! It is a true canyon course. Lots of elevation change. The first 9 holes are relatively flat. However after hole 10 you drive up a long steep road to play the rest of the holes. These holes are a good 200 feet higher than the rest of the course. I found the last 9 more challenging holes than the first. There are 30+ bunkers spread throughout the course. Also some holes hug the mountain, so you have to be straight otherwise the ball will fall hundreds of feet down. The standout hole for me was hole 13 (par 4, 289 yards). It was a dog-leg right. You have to lay up with an iron and then hit a wedge over a ravine into the green. Hole 15 was a lot of fun too. This is a par 4, 252 yard hole. But the green is a lot lower than the tee box. I used a 4 iron and almost made the green in one shot. In fact there were so many fun holes to play on this course.
The condition of the course was very good (above average). The greens were nice and the grass on the course was good. Although a little dry. The bunkers were nicely raked and in good shape, with the sand being of very firm texture. You hit off regular grass. No mats here!
Scholl Canyon was a treat to play. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I think it was one of the best, if not the best short course I have played in Southern California. The people working there and other golfers were friendly and there was a nice vibe.
It is a great transition to playing par 72 golf. My recommended strategy for beginners who want to play “full-sized” golf would be to start with the small and cheap municipal 9 hole, par 3’s. Then once you are comfortable with those play an executive course like Scholl Canyon or Van Nuys. Then from there you can step it up to the 6,000 yard par 72’s. Scholl Canyon is also great for females who can not hit 260 yard rockets. It is short, but not too short where you can enjoy playing your game and a multitude of different shots in one round.
Richie says…“One of the best, if not the best short courses in the LA area. Great layout and very fun to play. Amazing views of the whole LA basin and valley. It is a nice escape from the busy city – up in the mountains with no traffic or noise. A must play if you are visiting the Los Angeles area.”
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| Hole 1 – 259 yards (par 4) |
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| Hole 1 – 2nd shot (50 yards out) |
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| Hole 2 – 103 yards |
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| Hole 3 – 324 yards (par 4) |
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| Hole 3 – 2nd shot (50 yards out) |
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| Hole 4 – 122 yards |
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| Hole 5 – 167 yards |
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| Hole 6- 127 yards |
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| Hole 7 – 83 yards |
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| Hole 7 – green |
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| Hole 8 – 140 yards |
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| Hole 9 – 262 yards (par 4) |
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| Hole 9 – 2nd shot (75 yards out) |
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| Hole 10 – 253 yards (par 4) |
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| Hole 10 – looking back from behind the green |
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| Hole 11 – 89 yards |
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| Hole 12 – 145 yards |
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| Hole 12 – green |
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| Hole 13 – 289 yards ( par 4) |
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| Hole 13 – 2nd shot (100 yards out) |
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| Hole 14 – 108 yards |
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| Hole 15 – 252 yards (par 4) |
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| Hole 16 – 87 yards |
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| Hole 17 – 125 yards |
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| Hole 18 – 104 yards |
