When many of us start to play, all the information on a score card can be confusing so, here is a quick guide to the information:

1. The color of the tee boxes. While there can be some variations among courses, here is the most common breakdown:
   Black = Championship
   Blue = Less difficult, but a good player
   White = standard tee for men
   Gold = Seniors
   Red = WomenOnce you start on a particular set of tees, you must continue to use them for the rest of the game.
2. Yardage per hole. The score card above shows that for the Black Tees, it is 557 yards to the center of the green for the first hole. The holes on the green are moved frequently and flags mark the relative position. A common pattern is Red/White/Blue which equals, front of the green, middle of the green and back of the green. Information on what a specific course does can be obtained in the Pro Shop.
3. The handicap (stroke index) indicates the relative difficulty of the hole at that course. For example, on the score card above, hole number 4 is the Number 1 or most difficult hole on the course. Hole number 2 is the 11th most difficult hole. If you are given strokes for a game, they are taken off starting with hole 1.
4. Par. The “par” for each hole is the number of strokes it will take a good, or “scratch” golfer to complete the hole. The par can be different for the same hole depending on the tees you are playing. The par for each hole is totaled on the right side of the card and gives you the “Par For The Course”.
5. Each player’s name and number of strokes they take per hole – based on the rules.
6. Other information you may or may not find on the card:Course Slope/Rating these numbers are used when calculating a handicap. Very basic descriptions of them are the Rating is a number that indicates the difficulty of the course for a par golfer and the number will approximate the par for the course.The Course Slope is the degree of difficulty for a “bogey” golfer It is between 55 and 155 with about 113 being the average. The more difficulty the course, the higher the slop.

   Local Rules: Many courses have rules that only pertain to their course. For example, at Starr Pass, a course I love to play at in Tucson, one of the local rules is that they play by desert rules. What are those? If your ball enters a desert area, don’t look for it. Why you may ask? Because instead of your ball, you might find a rattlesnake.

   Distance Markers: Most use courses use stakes or markers in the ground. Common are blue for 200 yards, white for 150 and red for 100, but some courses have unusual markers. The Meadows at Peabody uses bird houses to mark 150.

   Course layout: Frequently a diagram of the course will be on the score card. This will help you find your way around the course and plan your shots.

I was playing on a hilly course the other day and found I was having a hard time remembering the techniques for successful hits when on a slope. So, if the slope is downhill, pick a club with more loft, such as a sand wedge. Stand with more of your weight on the downhill leg and the ball closer to your uphill leg.

For a uphill lie, you keep your weight evenly balanced, choose a less lofted club and place the ball closer to the uphill leg.

If the ball is above your feet, you will need to choke down on the club, stand a little more upright than you would otherwise. Aim to the right of the target to compensate.

If the ball is below your feet, stand closer to the ball, align your feet to the left of the target and put more weight on your heels to help prevent losing your balance.

Over the years I have seen plenty of inappropriate behavior on the golf course but it seems to be getting worse. As newer players get out there and test their skills on the links, they are forgoing the simple common courtesies that have long been a part of golf. And the well seasoned players have their moments as well! Here are a few things I witnessed just this week playing golf:

1. A player is about to tee off and out of no where an older gentleman, who I know has been playing at the same golf course for years, just drives right across the fairway making his way to another hole (out of sequence). He never once hesitated, apologized or even acknowledged we were on the tee box. In fact, he kept his stare straight ahead so as not to make eye contact.
2. Golf group, has 3 people, 3 sets of clubs all piled into just one golf cart.
3. Slow group in front of us, stands way too long on the green discussing/arguing over every shot they took to make it to the green, before they even start to putt.
4. A player dragged their golf pull cart completely across the green.
5. Player is about to hit their next shot in the fairway when a group heading to the next tee come driving by talking loudly, never stopping to allow the player to hit first before they drive by.

These are just 5 rule breaking moments but there are plenty more out there. I think it’s time for all of us to review the rules and etiquette of golf so it is a pleasurable day for everyone on the course. Being disruptive and interfering with other players game is not what golf is about. Below are two USGA links:

USGA Rules of Golf Etiquette

USGA Golf Rules

What does “ready golf” mean and how do you play it?

In order to keep up with play, especially if there are slower players in your group, it is a good idea to play with the ready golf principle. Ready golf simply put means you are ready to play your ball. Everyone in your group should always immediately move into position to play their ball after hitting a shot. That means no standing around chatting, talking on the phone, eating or whatever else may be stopping a player from addressing their ball when it is time.

To not be ready, not only slows up play but it is also inconsiderate to all players around you. It can back up play for the entire afternoon, that’s how important it is to be ready to hit your own ball.

How do you play ready golf?

1. On the first tee the first person ready should get up and hit the ball. If you are in the middle of play then generally the person with the lowest score on the previous hole has the “honors” and should hit first. So, if that is you then you should be the first one ready. If you aren’t then another player who is ready should hit.
2. Get to your ball as quickly as you can after hitting your last shot. Bring your club with you. If not sure which club you need, take extra clubs with you.
3. The first person who should hit on a fairway is the one furthest from the green. That person should be ready to hit first but if they aren’t, then another player should go, as long as they are not in danger of hitting someone in front of them and that others know they are going to proceed and take a shot.
4. While you are waiting for someone else to hit the ball, be thinking about your shot and have your club ready.
5. If you lose a ball in the woods other players who are closest to the green should try and help you find it, not someone who is in back of you and supposed to be hitting their ball first and certainly not the whole foursome. Then no one is hitting a ball! Don’t take more than a couple minutes to search, drop a ball if necessary.
6. When putting, the one furthest from the pin should be putting first. If they putt once and are within a foot of the pin they should play out that hole rather than take the time to mark it. Be ready with your shot when it is your turn to putt.
7. Be ready to hit your ball when it is your turn and your game will go a lot smoother.

It’s time once again for me to work on my golf swing. It’s not that I don’t constantly try and improve my swing, it’s just that sometimes I forget what I’ve learned. Thankfully, I do tend to have a consistent drive off the tee. Problem is, I’m not getting the distance that I want.  Reason being? I’m not rotating my body enough. The strength of your drive should be in your body rotation and legs, not your arms.

So how did it finally sink in? When my husband said, “your belt buckle should be facing the target at the end of your swing.” Bingo! Now I get it, I sure wasn’t rotating enough. My belt buckle was only part way around. Now, I can visualize how much rotation I need. And when I do it, I hit my ball much more solidly and have gained distance.

Try it for yourself and see if it improves your own distance on the golf course. One word of caution though, the one thing I started to do when first switching my drive was to follow the swing with my head. Resist that urge to have your head rotate with your body. No peeking allowed.

To summarize: 1. rotate your body so your belt buckle faces your target, 2. keep your head down and 3. follow through! I guarantee your golf  score will improve.

Everyone loves to tell a new golfer how to play golf. But to a new golfer it is a bit overwhelming and you’re really not sure who to listen to after awhile. Here I have compiled a list of the best advice I’ve been given… maybe it will help any new golfers out there. And it can be a good refresher for long time golfers too!

1. Golf etiquette is important so take the time to learn it. You can read the USGA rules list here.
2. Be on time to play. A tee time is the time when you are set to actually tee off, not when you should arrive at the golf course.
3. Maintain pace of play. If you are struggling on a hole, pick up your ball and move on. If your group is slow, let faster groups “play through” – go ahead of you.
4. Keep your head down and follow through! Makes all the difference in a good swing.
5. Slow down your swing. Don’t try and crush the ball. Think of the tempo of a waltz.
6. Repair your divots. If you take a big chunk of grass off the fairway, go pick it up and replace it. Or if the golf course supplies grass seed then fill the hole with that. It helps to keep golf course in tip top shape which benefits all golfers.
7. Stop when driving by any golfer who is about to make a shot whether on the tee, the fairway or the green.
8. Never drive a golf cart or bring a pull cart onto the tee box or green.
9. Don’t talk when someone is making a shot.
10. Be accurate when recording your score. No one likes a cheater. This is a great tool for counting your scores.
11. Have fun and relax… it’s only a game!

Why are golfers so determined to finish their round versus go in and wait out a thunder storm? Even though there is a real danger of death or severe injury from a lightening strike, golfers will indeed tempt fate and continue play, hoping the storm will end soon. Or gamble that they won’t get hit.

What goes through a golfers mind? Here are some thoughts:

1. What are the chances I’ll get hit?
2. It won’t happen to me.
3. I paid for a round so I’m going to finish it.
4. I hear thunder but I don’t see any lightening so I’m safe.
5. If I can just finish this one last hole, then I’ll go in.
6. No one else is going in, it must be safe.

The reality is storms put people at risk. If there is a storm the smartest thing you can do is go into the club house and wait it out. A  golf course will allow you back on the course once the storm passes and most will issue a rain check if you haven’t played many holes.

Let me give you a few facts.

1. According to the US Weather Service the odds of getting hit by lightening in your lifetime is 1 in 5000.
2. The risks of getting hit on the golf course are higher because of metal golf clubs and because fairways are flat making a golfer oftentimes the tallest thing out there.
3. There are hundreds of people that are struck by lightning each year across the country. The effects after surviving a lightning strike are often long-term or permanent. The symptoms of survivors include memory loss, attention deficits, sleep disorders, numbness, dizziness, stiffness in joints, irritability, fatigue, weakness, muscle spasms, seizures, depression and inability to sit for long periods of time.

So think carefully when out on the golf course. Know the risks… and decide for yourself if it is worth it.

For more golf tips go to our site at www.jewelrythatcounts.com

Why is it that golfers go to the driving range and practice their drive over and over again, totally ignore the short game? Sure it is good to get your drive under control and be consistent off the tee. But… in the end, it is your short game and particularly your putting that can lower your score most dramatically.

Imagine just one less putt a hole. That’s 9 less shots for 9 holes, and 9 less points on your score card. So, practicing your putting technique is just as important, if not more, as practicing your shots off the tee.

Here are a few tips.

1. First, I will preface this by saying, the shorter putt you need to make the better. So, on your way up the fairway to the putting green your pitching wedge/chipper are important clubs to master so you hit that ball as close to the cup as you can before you bring out your putter.
2. When on the green, line up your shot to the hole. Stand behind the ball and see where the line to the hole is. Squat down behind the ball and see how the green is laid out. Is it flat? Then line up to hit the ball straight to the hole. If there is a slight grade to the right then you’ll need to aim the ball more towards the right so it climbs up that grade and rolls into the cup. Reverse that if it is a higher grade to the left, aim your ball more towards the left to guide it into the cup.
3. Stand over the ball with the ball in the middle of your stance. Keep your feet shoulder width apart with your upper body bent over slightly from the hips to give you stability.
4. Use a light grip on the club and control your speed. A smooth controlled stroke will get the ball where you want it to go.
5. Follow through with your stroke. Your club should follow the line to the hole as you putt. Once again, a smooth swing is what you are looking for, not a jab at the ball.

One important note: When you are putting and your ball is close to the cup, someone in your golf group may say, “that’s a gimme,” which means you can pick up the ball and consider you are done putting. Keep in mind, that ‘gimme’ stroke counts on the score card. When I was in a golf league we had golfers who were taking that as a free shot not realizing just because someone isn’t make you putt it, (assuming you will putt it in anyway) doesn’t mean you don’t count the shot.

If you need help keeping track of your scores check out our site at www.jewelrythatcounts.com.

Do you have a problem getting your ball to come off the tee and fly straight down the fairway? It could be you are over rotating when you swing. It’s important to rotate your body when driving the ball but there is such thing as rotating your club too far.

I have a friend who had trouble hitting the ball. It always went off to the side and not very far. She’d even miss it all together. Problem was, she was over rotating her driver all the way around her back. This caused her to shift incorrectly and pull up when she came back around. Once we shortened her backswing she was able to hit the ball correctly and now has a nice long drive that goes down the middle of the fairway. Her game has improved tremendously.

To find the top of your backswing, rotate your chest and shoulders, your backswing is where you can no longer comfortably turn. If your club continues to go back then you are using your arms, not your rotation to hit the ball.  The strength of your shot is in your rotation, not you arms.

Have someone watch you practice at the driving range. They can help you determine if you are rotating your club too far around your body. Once you find that comfortable spot with your body rotation, stop briefly at the top, then swing back around, keeping your head down and follow through! You’ll be amazed at the difference.

You’ll find more golf tips at www.jewelrythatcounts.com.

Golf is a head game, pure and simple. You can practice your technique over and over again but if your heads not in it, your game is going to suffer. How many times have you had a negative thought going up to the tee?

1. What if I “whif” the ball?
2. I don’t think I can hit it over the water.
3. All those people are watching me tee off!
4. I can’t hit anything today.

Problem is, when you put that negative thought in your head, that thought is what you think about instead of focusing on your shot. The last thing in your head before you hit a ball should not be a negative thought. You should have a positive focus which allows you to concentrate on hitting a good shot.

Negative thoughts bring negative energy which brings negative shots! So next time you get up to hit that ball, think about that great shot you are about to hit. You’ll be amazed at the outcome.