Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 18 Holes, Cape May Par 3, driving range, Gol Instruction, Golf, Golf LEssons, Par 3
Filed under: Uncategorized
A sigh of relief went up this morning in Rio de Janeiro.
The field work for the Rio 2016 golf course has started. Paulo Goulart, executive director of Tanedo S.A., the Brazilian land-development company that owns the site and is paying for course construction, confirmed this morning that the long-delayed project is finally under way!
Designer Gil Hanse was selected to design the golf course in an international competition that attracted 29 entrants, including many of the world’s top architects. Technical specifications for the project are being reviewed by PGA Tour Design Services and PGA Tour Construction Services.
Hanse has secured the approvals and assembled a crew of six workers onsite. The non-native vegetation is being cleared by hand. With good weather, a disciplined work crew and no more delays from local officials, the course might be ready within a year and a half.
Workers must first remove exotic vegetation and then clear center lines for the routing. From there, they clear additional vegetation to allow for dirt moving, shaping, grassing, irrigation and subsequent grow-in.
The plan is to have the course ready for a professional tournament in August 2015 as a trial run before the men’s and women’s Olympic competitions – golf’s first Olympiad in more than 100 years – in 2016. Yes!
Filed under: Uncategorized
Like many of us, every once in a while I take a stroll through my life experiences…it’s always interesting to think of things and people from the past. The other night, I was reminded of a great many funny stories from my college years at University of Delaware on the Golf Team. As you can imgine, we took many fun filled road trips to play golf– chase girls– and just have a great time. Golf is one of the best games, because friends and families can get together, play a round, and just kick back. As I get older, I realize that the greatest joy in life is spending time with people we love, doing the things we love. So, with that in mind, do you have any great stories of golf you’d like to share? We would love to hear them!
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Cape May Par 3 Golf Pro, Clinics, Dover Par 3, driving range, Golf, golf course par 3 capemay, Pro, Pro shop
The golf instructor can coach you. The golf instructor can educate you about YOUR golf swing and what research has proven to be effective. The bottom line is that the more you practice the right things to improve YOUR golf game, the better you will be. Feeling comfortable with and understanding a golf instructor is really important as you find instruction that works for you.
The following is a list of qualifications that will assist you in finding the right golf instructor:
- Good communication skills; Good personality and attitude.
- Patience. A great golf instructor must be patient in working with you. This is essential and helps to create a ‘safe environment’ for you to try what you are learning. As Albert Einstein once said, “A person who has never made a mistake has obviously never tried anything new.”
- Knows the universal basics—this is so important! Your instructor must not only know the basics, but be able to communicate them to you (Remember this from the top of the list?!)
- Willing to help improve your golf game rather than your wallet. Expensive golf lessons are not always the best! Believe it or not, there is no standard price for golf lessons. The best thing is to find an instructor who can meet your golf AND budget needs.
- An instructor who has a good golf swing is essential. Modeling technique is essential for effective teaching and learning. You need to be able to “see it to be it” and for this reason, your golf instructor must be technically sound. **
- Great instructors provide personally relevant feedback. That is, they don’t offer ‘one size fits all’ suggestions and recommendations. They evaluate your swing—and tailor lessons to your individual needs.
- Makes the learning process fun!! This is key to it all– no point in doing it, if it isn’t fun.
**NOTE: A great golf instructor may not be a great player. Just like, a good player may not be a good golf instructor.
SOOO, golfers of all levels can be mislead into believing that a golf instructor will make our golf game better. A golf instructor can help you…just like club fitting can help you. Great golf instruction is part of the solution. Don’t forget, it is the student who will make the golf instructor a good one! Psst…that’s you!
I welcome questions and comments!!
Rick Jones
Cape May Par 3 & Driving Range
Filed under: Golf, Uncategorized | Tags: 18 Holes, Cape May, Cape May Par 3, contests, Dover Par 3, driving range, Golf, golf course par 3 capemay, golf joke, Par 3
Top 10 Laws of Golf!…
Law 10 — A severe slice is a thing of awesome power and beauty.
Law 9 — Golf balls from the same “sleeve” tend to follow one another, particularly out of bounds or into the water
Law 8 — The last three holes of a round will automatically adjust your score to what it really should be.
Law 7 — Every par-three hole in the world has a secret desire to humiliate golfers. The shorter the hole — the greater its desire.
Law 6 – All vows taken on a golf course shall be valid only until the sunset of the same day
Law 5 — Golf balls never bounce off of trees back into play. If one does, the tree is breaking a law of the universe and should be cut down.
Law 4 – The person you would most hate to lose to will always be the one who beats you.
Law 3 – No matter how bad your last shot was, the worst is yet to come. This law does not expire on the 18th hole, since it has the supernatural tendency to extend over the course of your lifetime.
Law 2 — Trees eat golf balls.
Law 1– Your BEST round of golf will be followed almost immediately by your worst round ever. The probability of the latter increases with the number of people you tell about the former.
These are ALLL sooooo true! Hope you enjoyed my list…feel free to post a few of your own!
Rick
Cape May Par 3 & Driving Range
I realize I am biased. I have spent just about my entire life around golf. I think it is one of the best sports in the world—and certainly popular world wide. As the London Olympics is set to take center stage this summer, I can’t help but to look forward to 2016, just 4 short years away, when Golf will once again return to the summer Olympics that will be held inRio de Janeiro. It will be a 72-hole stroke play tournament for men and women, with 60 players in each field. How exciting!!
“I think it’s fantastic, an unbelievable day for the game of golf,” Jack Nicklaus said. “The impact is going to be felt all over the world, which is what I’ve always felt about the game. The game is a mature game in many countries, but it never had the opportunity to grow in many others. People of all walks of life will be inspired to play the game of golf, and play for sports’ highest recognition. For all sports, that has been a gold medal.”
Wie talked about taking up golf when she was 4, but never being able to dream of an Olympic medal until now. “I can dream about doing something that neither Tiger nor Ernie have ever done, and that is to make the final putt to win an Olympic gold medal,” Wie said. “If this dream comes true, somewhere in the world there will be another 4-year-old who sees me on that podium and perhaps starts her own Olympic dream.”
Walt Disney said “If you can dream it, you can do it.” In 4 years, young golfers all over the world will be inspired to pursue their dreams with the hope of one day making it all the way to the top! What a great day that will be.
Rick
Cape May Par 3 & Driving Range
Filed under: Golf | Tags: 18 Holes, Cape May Par 3, Golf, Learn to Golf, Par 3, PGA Rules
Hello!
Yesterday, the temperature was warm and the sun was shining—though the wind was blowing a bit. Because golf is played in the elements, there are guidelines that address some aspects of play in the wind. Crazy things can happen in windy weather on the course, and there has to be some way to address it. And, in October of this year, at the end of a 4 year review, the USGA, working with the R&A, updated and changed several important rules– including a rule that addresses the impact of wind.
Here is the updated rule:
Ball Moving After Address (Rule 18-2b). A new exception is added which exonerates the player from penalty if their ball moves after it has been addressed when it is known or virtually certain that they did not cause the ball to move. For example, if it is a gust of wind that moves the ball after it has been addressed, there is no penalty and the ball is played from its new position.
Unfortunately for Nick Watney, these rule changes don’t take effect until January 1, 2012! Yesterday, he was caught in a situation where the old rule was applied and he was penalized a stroke. He addressed the ball, backed up, and watched it move—and was penalized one stroke. Under the new rule, the penalty stroke is NOT assessed if the wind moved the ball after the address. Taking it in stride, Watney remarked, “I might be the last player in history to be penalized under that rule. That could be a trivia question one day.”
Have a wonderful holiday season! I will catch you on the other side of the holidays.
Rick Jones
Cape May Par 3 & Driving Range
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Cape May, Cape May Par 3, Dover, Dover Par 3, driving range, Golf, Par 3 Golf
Well…the cold weather is here. YUK! I love the fall colors out on the course, and the slight chill in the air makes the sounds of the leaves blowing in the trees relaxing; but I find myself longing for the warm days of May and June…already. In any case, here we are. So, I wanted to talk to you about golf in the cold weather and the small adjustments that need to be made in the cold weather.
So, a little science lesson will help you understand where I am heading with this…cold air is denser. Have you ever
noticed that the air pressure is higher in your tires during the summer than in the winter? That is because air molecules do not move as much in the cold temperatures as they do in the warmer temperatures. So, cold air is functionally heavier and it creates more resistance on the ball as it travels through the air. The problem for golfers is that many golfers, especially new players, think that simply hitting the ball harder is the answer. Unfortunately, it leaves you open for more mistakes. Very basically, it causes you to be in the wrong position at the point of impact.
There are a few things you can do to help combat the cold temps on the course:
- Try to keep your ball warm. Put it in your pocket until you need it.
- Keep your hands, feet, and head when playing in cold weather. Invest in good gloves! If you are not cold, you will enjoy yourself a lot more—if that is even possible!
- Work your swing to generate a lower trajectory, and play the ball slightly back in your stance. You will need to change your swing plane to a shallower arc.
- Drop your right shoulder to lower than your left. From this position the right allows the left to control the takeaway. Lead with the left and follow with the right. Do not let your right shoulder to pass the ball, so that the spin on the ball will be right.
I hope these tips help. The biggest thing is that the cold weather is not the worst thing in the world…you can still get out, play 18 holes, and enjoy the game as always. You will be glad to get the fresh air—and who knows, you might come to enjoy and appreciate the renewed opportunity of being successful on the course in even the coldest weather!
Rick Jones
Cape May Par 3 & Driving Range
Dover Par 3 & Driving Range
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Cape May, Cape May Par 3, Cape May Par 3 Golf Pro, golf APPS, Golf technology, Par 3 Golf
Smartphones are all the rage—if you don’t have one yet (like
me), some people night think you are a dinosaur…also like me! Well, in an
effort to understand all the hubbub about smartphones (Droids or iPhones), I
asked around. I now realize that the applications that smartphones can offer
are so addicting…and helpful! I looked into the applications available for
smartphones that are valuable on the course. I have been thinking of getting a
high tech phone for a while and now…OK. SO—here are some neat Apps with great reviews:
Golf GPS APPS
SkyDroid (http://www.skydroid.net/)
Works with iPhones, iPads, & Droids with 3G Technology
Cost: $1.99
Features: GPS Distance to every green; Distances to water
hazards and bunkers
Pros: Great skycaddie for $2.
Cons: No instructions.
FreeCaddie Golf GPS (http://freecaddie.com/)
Works with most smartphones (incluing Blackberry, iPhones,
Droids, Windows).
Cost: FREE
FreeCaddie Pro Golf GPS is $9.95, and offers additional
capabilities (Not included here).
Features of FreeCaddie: Distance to the font, back, and
center of the green for 1 course. NOTE: The pro edition allows for an unlimited
number of courses.
Pros: #1 for Androids (with 700,000 downloads). There are
over 23,000 mapped courses.
Cons: Free version offers much less than the version that is
$10. Latest update isn’t working for all phones with DroidX technology.
Golf Score Card APP
GolfCard Pro (http://www.senygma.com/GolfCard/Home.html)
Works with most spartphones, including iPhones, iPods, and
Droids
Cost: Between $9.99 and $10.99
Features: Scoring, range finder, USGA Handicap Index,
Statistics, and more.
Pros: Great tracking and storage capability
Cons: Account required to use some features, such as adding
a course or uploading scores.
Other applications…
The Rules of Golf
(http://www.usga.org/news/2010/January/USGA-Launches-New-Rules-Of-Golf-Application/)
Presented by the USGA
Works with iPhones, and Droids.
Cost: $3.99
Pros: Offers user the Rules of Golf, in addition to
Decisions on the Rules of Golf and Rules of Amateur Status.
Cons: Small and hard to read.
Golf Channel Mobile (http://www.golfchannel.com/mobile/)
Presented by the Golf Channel
Works with iPhones and Droids.
Cost: FREE
Features: Tournament leaderboards, news and blogs; golf
channel show clips and instructional video; photo galleries and player
profiles; and equipment and travel reviews.
Pros: Handy way to stay on top of all the professional golf
happenings!
Cons: None.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 18 Holes, Cape May Par 3, Cape May Par 3 Golf Pro, Dover Par 3, driving range, Golf, Golf Balls, golf course par 3 capemay, Golf LEssons, Pro shop
Ball marks are those indentations from where the ball hits the green from a your shot (from the air). A ball mark can cause the grass in the depression to die, leaving not just a scar but also a pit in the putting surface that can knock well-struck putts offline. Repairing a ball mark restores a smooth surface and helps keep the grass healthy. Sometimes, people accidentally incorrectly repair ball marks, simply because they don’t know the proper technique.
Unfortunately, “repairing” a ball mark incorrectly can actually cause more damage. Incorrectly “repaired” ball marks take up to twice as long to heal as those that are properly repaired. So please help repair the ball marks and take care of the greens for everyone. And if you have a minute, and there isn’t another group of golfers behind you please feel free to fix one or two other ball marks, too, if you find more of them on the green!
Repairing ball marks isn’t just important for the health of the greens, and for smooth-rolling putts. It isn’t just a matter of golf etiquette. It is our obligation to help take care of the golf courses we play. And repairing ball marks is a big part of that obligation to the game. The ball mark repair tool is the right tool for the job of repairing ball marks. The tool should be familiar to every golfer; it’s a simple tool, just two prongs on the end of a piece of metal or hard plastic. If you don’t have one, please stop in the pro shot and there are tools for sale. There are some new ball mark repair tools on the market, but the jury is still out on whether any of them really do a better job at helping greens heal than the standard, old-fashioned tool you will find in most pro shops.
To properly repair ball marks, please follow the steps below.
STEP 1:
Take your ball mark repair tool and insert the prongs into the turf at the edge of the depression. Do NOT insert the prongs into the depression itself, but at the edge of the depression.
STEP 2:
The next step is to push the edge of the ball mark toward the center, using your ball mark repair tool in a “gentle twisting motion,” in the words of the GCSAA. This is the step where some well meaning golfers might mess up. Many golfers believe the way to “fix” a ball mark is to insert the tool at an angle, so the prongs are beneath the center of the crater, and then to use the tool as a lever to push the bottom of the ball mark back up even with the surface. Do not do this! Pushing the bottom of the depression upward only tears the roots, and kills the grass.
Just use your ball mark repair tool to work around the rim of the crater, pushing the grass at the edge toward the center of the depression. One way to envision this is to picture reaching down with your thumb and forefinger on opposite sides of the ball mark and “pinching” those sides together.
STEP 3:
Once you’ve worked around the rim of the ball mark with your repair tool, pushing the grass toward the center, there’s only one thing left to do: Gently tamp down the repaired ball mark with your putter or foot to smooth the putting surface.
That’s that! You have repaired the ball mark correctly! If you are unsure, or need more help with this, please ask one of our staff members. They play the Par 3 often and would be more than happy to help you learn how to fix ball marks the right way!
On behalf of everyone at the Par 3, thanks!
Rick Jones
Cape May Par 3 & Driving Range
Dover Par 3 & Driving Range
Par3golfer's Blog 