Seeing conditions like this at your local golf course? Read on to see why this is happening.

Wow, what a summer! Here in Iowa we have had record-breaking rain and high heat/humidity. Combine these elements and we have pretty much baked for the past 3 months. Put these elements together and our grass has pretty much baked/suffocated as well. Many times the excellent conditions of our golf courses go fairly unnoticed, good turf conditions are expected these days and are somewhat underappreciated by most golfers. The going unnoticed becomes the noticed in extreme conditions however. Consider this, according to WeatherUnderground.com Des Moines has had 26.91″ of rain from June through August. Same time last year we had 11.91″.

Wow. No wonder I had water in my basement earlier this month.

I received an email forwarded to me from a golf course superintendent here in the Des Moines area. This passage is taken from the August 7th Wall Street Journal article “The Ugly Summer of 2010 – Brutal heat has greenkeepers fighting to save their courses from ruin” by John Paul Newport.

“The U.S. Golf Association last week issued a special “turf-loss advisory” to courses in the Mid-Atlantic states, urgently advising greenkeepers to institute “defensive maintenance and management programs” until the weather crisis ends. Most of the danger is to greens planted in creeping bentgrass and annual bluegrass (also known as poa annua). “Physiologically, these are cool-season grasses that do very well when the air temperature is 60 to 75 degrees,” said Clark Throssell, director of research for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. “They can cope with a few days of 90-degree weather every summer, but when that kind of heat lasts for days at a time, they have extreme difficulty.”

Temperatures for weather reports are measured in the shade, but greens baking in the midday sun can reach 120 or 130 degrees. When grass spends too much time in soil that hot, it starts to thin out, turn yellow and wither. Most bentgrass strains will collapse entirely with prolonged exposure to 106-degree soil. The grass doesn’t go dormant-it dies.

Grass does have a mechanism to cool itself. It’s called evapotranspiration and is analogous to perspiration. The roots draw up water from the soil and it evaporates through the plant’s leaves, dissipating heat. But when greens are scalped to a quarter-inch, an eighth of an inch and even shorter, the leaf surface available for transpiration declines.

Prolonged heat causes other problems. One is that root systems shrink, sometimes to within a half-inch of the surface, reducing the amount of water drawn up to the top. Humidity and heavy rain make things even worse. Humidity retards evaporation, while soggy soil stays hot longer than dry soil does. Puddles and saturated soil also create barriers that prevent needed oxygen from getting to the roots.

Even when the combination of these factors doesn’t kill bentgrass and poa annua greens outright, it weakens the turf significantly and renders greens more susceptible to fungus and disease.”

Read the full article here

So, if your course is struggling know it’s due to the hardly before seen conditions we’ve been dealt this summer. Sugar Creek Golf Course in Waukee, my main teaching facility, is doing quite well considering but the extreme conditions are calling for tall measures from Golf Course Superintendent Steve Elliot. He has been waging the battle against the rain, heat and humidity and in comparison to other facilities I’ve played recently, he is doing quite well. Thank you Steve.

Grass can't survive with intense heat, water & humidity

His take on the situation is as follows and couldn’t explain it more clearly:

“I never turned the irrigation system on for the whole month of June and plus the first two weeks of July. As of today we are starting to re-seed all fairways and aeration. The main subject I feel we all battled and did not mention was the fact of how much air is required to grow turf and with water taking its place the plant just gave up (no air, too much heat and too much water) no human could live in those conditions. A plant is no different from us. These are just my thoughts but if you would cut your fingers off you could survive. Next day cut your arm off, again you live. Some where down the line your heart, or the crown of the plant, is gone. You are DOA. And yes I forgot, after your fingers were cut off you lay your arm on the highway and let all the trucks run it over – like golf carts to grass. Your odds of letting the veins work again are pretty small.  Just pretend you are the grass.”

The next time you see your golf course superintendent be sure to thank them for their hard work – believe me, this year has certainly been a hard one.

The grass is greenest in your own fairway, let’s work to find it more often!

~ Sarah

www.DesMoinesGolfLessons.com

What a PGA Championship finale! This will be a golf ruling not to be forgotten anytime soon, if ever.

I think this was an unfortunate situation where he didn’t realize he was in a bunker but the rules are the rules. In no way can the USGA, PGA or any governing body make exceptions to the rules. Local rules may have avoided this situation, however, it sounds like this very situation was covered in a rules bulletin already. Over 1,000+ bunkers are housed within the 18 holes! When in doubt, if there’s sand, it’s a bunker on this course.

My question is, what about the responsibility of the spectator? While watching a handful of PGA and LPGA tournaments over the years I have not once stepped into a bunker. Did the courses have 1,000+ bunkers like Whistling Straits – not a chance – but, why were so many people tromping through the bunkers? Maybe they couldn’t avoid them but seriously, 10 people were standing in the bunker and up on the edge. Surely one of them had to have thought – “This is a bunker, I shouldn’t be standing here.”

Lesson: Always know where you are on the course whether you’re a player or a spectator.

The grass is greenest in your own fairway (stay out of the bunker), let’s work to find it more often!

~ Sarah

www.DesMoinesGolfLessons.com

Ever found your ball nestled in tree roots, or maybe even up in the tree itself?? As long as you can indentify your ball up in the tree you may take an unplayable lie. Here’s how:

An unplayable lie may be taken anywhere except in a water hazard. If your ball is in a water hazard you need to use the rules associated with water hazards to determine your relief. Only the player him/herself can determine if their ball is “unplayable”.

Once an unplayable lie has been determined the player has 3 options for relief under a 1 stroke penalty:

1. Play the ball as near as possible to the original position from the previous stroke.
2. Drop on a line created between the ball and the hole, as far back as you want, no closer to the hole.
3. Drop within 2 clublengths from where the ball sits, no closer to the hole.

All options require a 1 stroke penalty be added to your shot. 

Options for Relief from an Unplayable Lie

Note: if your ball is in a bunker, you may only take relief within the bunker for options 2 & 3. If your 2 clublengths places you out of the bunker, you are not allowed to drop outside the bunker. The “as far back as you want” is only with the margins of the bunker.

What if your ball is in a tree that overhangs a water hazard? Well, if your ball is sitting in part of the tree that hangs over the water hazard your ball is considered to be in the hazard and can not be deemed unplayable. Why? The margins of a water hazard extend vertically both up and down.

Interesting eh? Food for thought =)

The grass is greenest in your own fairway, let’s work to find it more often!

~ Sarah

www.DesMoinesGolfLessons.com

Ball Position can best be described in a picture:

I’d like to point out several things about ball position:

1. As the clubs get longer the ball position moves forward but only by 1 ball in size ~ a relatively small amount.
2. Ball position does not go behind center for regular full swing shots.
3. Ball position does not go past the inside of the forward foot.

So, now that you know where to place the ball ~ here’s how to do it consistently:

1. Start with your feet together, touching.
2. Have the ball situated in the middle of your feet.
3. For Center Ball position: Take equal steps apart to shoulder width.
4. For any position ahead of center: Begin taking smaller steps with your forward foot and step the back foot out to shoulder width.
5. For your Driver take the smallest step with your forward foot to allow the ball to sit on the inside of your front foot then step the back foot out to shoulder width or slightly wider.

Placing the ball in a position on the ground where your club is most likely to make the best contact will help with finding the sweet spot more often and with your direction control. Good luck!

The grass is greenest in your own fairway, let’s work to find it more often!

~ Sarah

www.DesMoinesGolfLessons.com

The two basic views we record for computerized swing analysis are face on and down the line:

Face On View in Golf Swing Analysis

Down the Line View in Video Swing Analysis

Both views share a lot of information about your swing with your instructor and most importantly with you. The biggest advantage to a golf lesson that includes video analysis is YOU are able to see what the instructor is seeing. What a strong and powerful tool.

Common things we look for in each view:

Down the line
Path, Swing Plane, Posture, Weight distribution (Heel to Toe), Clubface Position at a variety of spots in the swing, waist high position, 3/4 back postion, top of swing length, 3/4 on the way down, waist high, impact, 3/4 follow through and complete finish.

Face On
Ball position, grip, weight distribution (L to R), shoulder turn, posture, length of backswing, club vs. left arm angle (speed), impact, release of hands, finish position.

Don’t worry, your instructor shouldn’t tell you everything about your swing but in a given analysis these are the things we most commonly look for and then some.

In today’s age of technology take advantage of a simple video golf lesson – you’ll be able to see what your instructor is describing and as they say “Seeing is believing”.

The grass is greenest in your own fairway, let’s work to find it more often!

~ Sarah

www.DesMoinesGolfLessons.com

Curious if the golf balls sitting in your trunk for the past year – through winter, spring, summer & fall – are as good as a new golf ball in the Pro Shop? Consider this little tid bit of information I received for Bridgestone Golf:

The general rule of thumb is that for each year a golf ball sits on a shelf it looses 1-2% of its overall performance.

Math time: 2% of 225 yds is 4.5 yards – take a 3 year old ball, subtract 13.5 yds. You can see the math quickly adds up!

A golf ball exposed to different elements besides a shelf will most likely loose more of its overall performance.

Today’s lesson: beware when pulling an old Po-Do from your grandpa’s 1950’s golf bag or an older ball in your trunk from 3 seasons ago. You will not receive the performance of a new golf ball. When the majority of players I teach come to me looking for more distance make sure you’re using an optimal golf ball and you’ll gain an advantage over the old ones you may be using.

Don't use your grandpa's old golf balls

The grass is greenest in your own fairway, let’s work to find it more often!

~Sarah

www.DesMoinesGolfLessons.com

The Rules of Golf were created by and are regulated by the United States Golf Association (USGA) and the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A).

There are 34 rules of golf.

Rules may be updated, changed, modified, removed, etc every 2 years.

Did you know agreeing to waive the rules will result in Disqualification in a tournament?

Did you know stopping a golf ball in motion (say when your buddy muscles a putt across the green) results in a 2 stroke penalty on you.

Did you know “Winter Rules” only exist if the local committee (usually the Pro) creates a local rule allowing this?

Knowing the Rules of Golf will not only help you avoid penalties but knowing the rules will help you play the game correctly. This winter, when the snow is blowing and wind chills are below zero, pick up a Rule book and committ to reading 1 rule a day – you’ll be a better golfer for it!

I couldn’t have summed it up better than Wikipedia:

“The underlying principle of the rules is fairness. As stated on the back cover of the official rule book: Play the ball as it lies, play the course as you find it, and if you cannot do either, do what is fair.

There are strict regulations regarding the amateur status of golfers. Essentially, anybody who has ever received payment or compensation for giving instruction, or played golf for money, is not considered an amateur and may not participate in competitions limited solely to amateurs. However, amateur golfers may receive expenses which comply with strict guidelines and they may accept non-cash prizes within the limits established by the Rules of Amateur Status.

In addition to the officially printed rules, golfers also abide by a set of guidelines called golf etiquette. Etiquette guidelines cover matters such as safety, fairness, pace of play, and a player’s obligation to contribute to the care of the course. Though there are no penalties for breach of etiquette rules, players generally follow the rules of golf etiquette in an effort to improve everyone’s playing experience.”

Thanks for reading, pick up a Rules book and get started! Always remember if you have questions regarding a rule never hesitate to ask your local PGA Professional.

The grass is greenest in your own fairway, let’s work to find it more often!

~Sarah

www.DesMoinesGolfLessons.com

Chipping can be frustrating! You’re close to the green, almost there, the hole is in sight, just one little chip & a putt stand in your way from greatness. Then you hit your chip shot and BAM you blade your chip over the green. Dang it.

Get your chips closer to the hole by getting the ball in the air. How? By 1 simple action: TRY TO MAKE THE BALL GO LOW.

Imagine you want the ball to roll across the ground and you’ll surprise yourself at how this swinging action makes the ball pop up! The reason? By trying to make the ball roll on the ground you swing the club low & brush the grass. This hits the ball in the center of the clubface where loft resides. This loft makes the ball go up.

Give this a try, you’ll enjoy the outcome and only have to chip once =)

The grass is greenest in your own fairway, lets work to find it more often!

~Sarah
www.DSMGolfLessons.com

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Playing in heat and/or humidity requires a major inflow of liquids (the non-alcoholic kind) and paying attention to your body. If you develop a headache, stomach discomfort, dizziness, fatigue, lack of sweat, vision issues, etc do yourself a favor and leave the golf course!

How much water/fluids should you drink? Take this quiz to figure it out.

Here are my results:

A person who is 130 pounds
and is exercising for 90 minutes ,
is not pregnant,
is not breastfeeding,
does not live at a high altitude,
does not live in a dry climate,
drinks 0 alcoholic drink(s),
when the weather is very hot or very cold,
and is not sick with fever or diarrhea should have:

90 ounces of water today, or 2.7 liters.
If you eat a healthy diet, about 20 percent of your water may come from the foods you eat. If you eat a healthy diet you can drink 72 ounces of water today, or 2.2 liters.

Remember that water is the best source for your daily fluid needs. Other good beverages include milk, herbal teas, low-sodium broth, 100% fruit and vegetable juices. Soft drinks will also count toward your daily total of fluid, just remember that sugar sweetened soft drinks and fruit juices add extra calories to you daily diet that you don’t need.

Stay safe out there – today was a heat index of 110 – even if you’re acclimated to the heat like I am, choose wisely how you spend your time outside.

The grass is greenest in your own fairway, lets work to find it more often!

~Sarah
http://www.DSMGolfLessons.com

TGIF! Here’s a great clip to make the final hours of a Friday workday pass by ~

Love it! This clip is courtesy of nine 8th grade girls (rising stars) from Waukee who are working hard on their games with myself & Jim Webb this Spring. In a rain delay we got talking about crazy scenarios on the course, specifically when a ball is at rest. This clip was the result, what a crazy way to make a hole-in-one!

The grass is greenest in your own fairway!

~Sarah
http://www.DSMGolfLessons.com