Golfers may begin to notice as we get closer to summer, that areas of bermudagrass around tee boxes and other low traffic areas is not being mowed. These areas will be converted into “Low Maintenance Areas.” The golf course already features around 5 acres of these areas and our goal is to get to the 7-10 acre range, while paying close attention to pace of play and enjoyability. The less acres that we maintain at a high level allows us to pay more attention to playable areas while creating a visual contrast once areas are fully matured. These areas will be mowed 2-3 time per growing season at a height of 6 inches.
Turf Talk is brought to you by Oaks Course Superintendent, John Fields. Stay tuned for more about the turf of our course and additional information as we roll out this new blog series!
I am often asked about how to play from uneven lies on the course. Though there is more that goes into it than what I am going to write about, I am positive that this tip on how the lie impacts starting direction will help you aim.
If you look at the first picture, this is the club when it is flat on the ground. You can see by the white stick that the ball would start straight. Due to the loft of the club, when the ball is above your feet (middle picture), the ball will want to start to the left, and when the ball is below your feet (right picture), the ball will want to start to the right. Again, this is due to the loft of the club, AND the severity of the slope. The more loft that the club has, the more that an uneven lie will influence the starting line of the ball.
So, when you are faced with a lie that is above or below your feet, make sure that to take an extra second and account for the loft of the club you are using and aim appropriately.
I hope that this tip helps you with your alignment on uneven lies and will help you hit more greens!
-Coach Brad
The Coaches Corner is brought to you by our Oaks Course Golf Pro, Brad Patton. Brad is the Lead Staff Instructor and PGA Assistant Golf Professional. He has real a passion for golf and instruction, and has been part of the Oaks Course team for several years.
The home of Bridgestone Golf is located in Covington, Georgia just a few miles from The Oaks Course. Our bond with Bridgestone runs deep. Little known fact that in 1991 the parent company, located in Japan, wanted to add a testing facility to the manufacturing plant. They contracted with our owner, Dick Schulz and Jay Lanners, the first General Manager of Sunbelt Builders, to design and build the facility. This was no simple feat. Every design and change order had to be approved in Japan. Now you may recall that the fax machine was a new invention in the early 1990's, but it still took 4 hours to send a fax all the way to Japan and another 4 hours to receive the fax. After several iterations a final design was approved and the project completed. Fast forward twenty eight years, Bridgestone, a leader in ball fitting technology, manufactured and tested the ball that Tiger used to win the 2019 Masters.
Tiger's win was one for the ages and we celebrate his accomplishment. We are equally proud of his partnership with Bridgestone Golf. Stop by The Oaks Course golf shop and try the best ball for your game--we have quite a selection. If you want the ball Tiger uses, the BXS, we ordered extras!!
The Coaches Corner is brought to you by our Oaks Course Golf Pro, Brad Patton. Brad is the Lead Staff Instructor and PGA Assistant Golf Professional. He has real a passion for golf and instruction, and has been part of the Oaks Course team for several years.
Presidential Golf Trivia Imagine the stress of being President of the United States. Golf can be great diversion. We thought we would share some trivia attributed to POTUS golf.
Who is considered the first President to play golf? William Howard Taft--he was a self described golf addict who rarely broke 100.
Which POTUS was deemed the "speed golfer"? George H.W. Bush--famously playing 18 holes with a foursome in 1 hour and 51 minutes.
Who logged in the most rounds on the golf course while in office? Woodrow Wilson--painting his golf balls black to play in winter and logging in 1200 rounds.
Who installed a putting green outside the oval office? Dwight Eisenhower--it was removed in the 1970's and reinstalled in the 1990's..
Whose great grandfather established the USGA (United States Golf Association)? George W Bush--the "W" stands for Walker as in Walker Cup.
Who was so frustrated by the game that he left his clubs at the White House when his term was complete? Calvin Coolidge--enough said.
What did Gerald Ford do after pardoning Richard Nixon? Played a round of golf with Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player.
Who said "golf is about the best therapy a President can have"? Bill Clinton--in an interview with Golf Channel's Rich Lerner and Nick Faldo.
Who is the only left handed golfing POTUS? Barack Obama--Eight other Presidents were lefties but no other lefty golfers.
Who said "Arnold Palmer was the American Dream come to life"? Ronald Reagan.
Who wrote "Golf is more than a game. It is a passion."?--Donald Trump in the introduction to his book The Best Golf Advice I Ever Received.
