Tommy Morrisey was born with one arm due to a blood clot. At just 3 years old, this little prodigy has a swing better than most of us. Watch this below video (or click here) of Tommy smacking the golf ball over 100 yards – a great piece of inspiration!
Charl Schwartzel shot off the road – Shot of the year?
Watch this amazing shot off the road from Charl Schwartzel (click here), the 29-year-old former Masters champion, at the par-4 16th hole at the 2014 Volvo Golf Champions, Durban Country Club in South Africa. With approximately 150 yards to a hole with no clear path, it was a bold move by Schwartzel to draw off the concrete rather than playing it safe. The blind shot flew over the trees nearly went right into the cup making it one of the best recovery shot we have ever seen.
Iconic Moments in Golf – Part 3
Following up on our series on iconic golf moments, below we share photographs of key moments in the game of golf. Have we missed any?
Continue reading “Iconic Moments in Golf – Part 3”
Just use Your Tree Iron
At times pro-golfers get a bad swing and the ball may well end up stuck in a tree. Well, when that unfortunate event happens there are 3 ways out for a continuing play,
a. Unplayable – Declare the ball unplayable under Rule 28 and take a one-stoke penalty
b. Lost Ball – One-stoke penalty and return to the spot if the previous stroke and replay the shot
c. Play It as It Lies – Meaning, climb the tree, get into a position and take a swing at the ball. By doing so you avoid the one-stoke penalty.
On the tour, where every stroke counts, the process are apt to choose option c – see the famous examples of Bernhard Langer and Sergio Garcia. These guys really do have every swing in their bag!
Moe Norman – The greatest golfer you’ve never heard of
Murray Irwin “Moe” Norman was a legend. He was arguably one of the best ball strikers ever.
His accuracy and ability to hit shot after shot perfectly straight gave him the nickname “Pipeline Moe”. But it is unfortunate that many don’t even have heard of him, probably because of a short career. He turned professional in 1957 but played just 27 PGA tour before returning to play in Canada after a bitter experience with the officials. But nothing can take away the serious talent he possessed and we’ll never know what he might have achieved if he had a longer career.
He won 55 Canadian Tour events, had 33 course records, and 17 hole-in-one’s. Yes you read that right – 17 hole-in-one’s! 59 is considered to be the magic score in golf – well, he did that too, not once but thrice!
In January 1995, Titleist decided to pay Moe $5,000 per month for nothing more than his unique contribution to the game of golf. Moe passed away September 4, 2004 at the age of 74.
Watch this below video (or Click here) on Moe Norman. Truly inspirational!
Forward for Fun
For those of you who follow our blog, one of our guest posters is Shawn Augustson, a student at the College of Golf and writes the blog Golf with Shawn and has shared with us some of his recent lessons. Here is one such post for the benefit of MyScorecard members.
We have many different reasons why we like to golf. Some find it as a way to relax, others enjoy the challenge… but the common denominator is that we all find it fun. This leads me to the question that if we want to have fun, why do we set ourselves up for failure at the first tee?
I have friends who like to stretch the course out and play as far back as they can. “I want to get my money’s worth and see the entire course”, is what I have heard time and time again.
The simple reality is this. They do not have the skill set to play from the distances they “feel” they need to play at. They start off with high hopes but after a few holes there is a lot of complaining, self-doubt, and threatening to quit the game forever.
This could all have been avoided and they could have had much more fun had they moved up to a tee that was more comparable to their game.
We need to change our mindset and play the game where we can score and have fun. When I was attending the College of Golf, Dr. Wilson, PGA Master Professional, and Director of Golf would challenge us to play from the first set off tees. “If you can shoot par or better there, then move back one set until you shoot par or better from there, etc.” he would say to us.
The Tee It Forward program has a really good yardage recommendation based of the players average drive distance:
| Driver Distance | Recommended 18-Hole Yardages |
| 275 | 6,700-6,900 |
| 250 | 6,200-6,400 |
| 225 | 5,800-6,000 |
| 200 | 5,200-5,400 |
| 175 | 4,400-4,600 |
| 150 | 3,500-3,700 |
If you are finding that the game of golf is becoming frustrating, my challenge for you is this… with your next round of golf, move up one set of tees from where you normally play from. Move it forward and have fun. See you on the tee at Westchester Golf Course!
Iconic Moments in Golf – Part 2
Following up on our first post of iconic golf moments, below we share photographs of key moments in the game of golf. Have we missed any?
Continue reading “Iconic Moments in Golf – Part 2”
Iconic Moments in Golf – Part 1
Over its history, the game of golf has had its share of iconic moments – inspirational events that are remembered by all golfers. Below, in pictures, our Scratchpad team lists a few of these iconic moments. Which ones are we missing?
Continue reading “Iconic Moments in Golf – Part 1”
It’s good to be Dave Pelz
I think I would have the same backyard as Dave Pelz if I won the lottery. His backyard practice facility is just ridiculous. He’s replicated a number of famous greens including the island 17th from TPC Sawgrass. My first thought was that he must have an insane water and lawn care bill each month. But don’t worry, the greens are made of SynLawn synthetic turf and consequently don’t have to be watered or mowed, providing a perfect low-maintenance practice area year round.
Derek @ 72strokes.com
The Single Club
There’s something comforting about having a golf club only a few paces away. The office, the living room, or even a lightly trafficked hallway are all locations where I’ve received enjoyment from its mere presence. Then, to stand over it, take a few putts or practice swings with your work attire or gym clothes on keeps the game familiar and fresh even in the most unsuspecting times of the year. As we all ramp up for this golf season, a good way to start is by taking one club out of the bag and put it somewhere you frequent often. You’ll get more inspiration from the club being in your hand than any book, article, or blog could ever assemble.
Jon @ atruegolfer.com