Hart Ranch GC Year in Review

Hart Ranch GC Year in Review

First of all we’d like to thank everyone who played Hart Ranch this year! We had another fantastic season because of you, and we’re looking forward to an outstanding 2019. Be sure to check out the photo gallery below, and here are a few of the highlights from 2018:

New Carts and GPS

We started out the year by getting brand-new carts and an improved GPS System…we hope you enjoyed them as much as we did.

Masters Contest – April 8th

Only four lucky souls picked Patrick Reed to win a free 18-hole Green Fee…well played Tim Roth, Guy Chabot, Kathy Barrett and Patti Koupal. Patti won the drawing for a custom-fitted Rogue Driver, we hope it suited you well Patti!

Hart Ranch Spring Shamble – April 22^nd

Click for Results

Spring Creek Runneth!

Spring Creek ran the whole summer, which makes Hart Ranch even better than it already is.

Young Life – May 18^th

We had great weather until the very end!

SDGA Two-Woman – June 9^th – 10^th

Stay tuned…another big state event is hitting Hart Ranch next year!

Click for Results

Hart Ranch Best Ball – June 23^rd

Click for Results

First Tee of South Dakota at Hart Ranch – July 10^th – 12^th

This was our first time hosting this camp and we had a great time!

The Spring Creek Classic – July 21^st – 22^nd

Click for Results

Junior Golf – June 13^th – July 26^th

Check out the photos below!

Hart Ranch Couples – August 5^th

Click for Results

Friday Night Derby – June 8^th – August 10^th

A big thanks to all who participated…be sure to play next year!

Hart Ranch Men’s League – May 29^th – August 14^th

Laughs were had, tears were shed and the cream of the crop rose to the top. See you next year gentlemen.

Hart Ranch Club Championship – August 25^th – 26^th

Congrats to 2018 Club Champs Joe Strain & Emmy Sundby!

Click for Results

Retribution of the Ranch – Sept. 15^th

Click for Results

LA Open – Sept. 29^th

You know who you are

Gary Gross Memorial 3-Sticker – Oct. 12^th -14^th

The weather unfortunately hampered us this year…

Click for Results

Heaven & Hell – Oct. 27^th

Click for Results

TrackMan Sim Opening – Nov. 1^st

Be sure to check it out if you haven’t already! Also, a new Sim League is starting January 7^th…so sign up if you haven’t already!

 

Thank you all for an awesome year. Remember, there are some big changes coming to golf in 2019, including an updated Rules of Golf and a new Handicapping System. We’re looking forward to it! Have a safe and happy New Year and we’ll see y’all in 2019!

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Get the Most Out of Your Next Sim Session

What to Take from Your Next TrackMan Session

For new TrackMan users, all the numbers can be daunting. With 30+ parameters being measured on each shot, there’s a lot of information to digest. This week we’re going to look at a few things you should focus on if you’re practicing on the TrackMan Sim.

1. Path and Face-to-Path

This is the first thing you should look at. You want to avoid extremes here, meaning 6 degrees or more in either direction is going to cause issues. Assuming center contact, a shot struck with a 0.0 Path and a 0.0 Face-to-Path will go dead straight. A few degrees isn’t a big issue, and can actually be preferable depending on your desired shot shape. What you don’t want is a huge gap between Path and Face-to-Path, for example a -7 Path and a +7 Face-to-Path (14 degree difference, will cause a slice for a righty). The bigger the gap between the two, the more the ball will curve.

2. Attack Angle

We’re often told to HIT DOWN on the ball, which in a sense is true. Any shot hit off the ground should have a negative Attack Angle (drivers off a tee should generally be positive to gain distance). The problem comes when we hit TOO FAR down, which causes the ball to deflect off the face rather than compressing. We have Tour averages for every club posted in the Sim Room, and you’ll notice that their Attack Angles with irons are not very far down (-3.4 for a 7-iron, for example).  Chances are you’re actually swinging down on the ball too much with your irons.

3. Spin Rate

Spin is an underrated aspect of distance, especially in the wind. With irons, your Spin Rate should generally be around the same as the club you’re hitting (~6,000 for a 6-iron for example). Your ideal driver Spin Rate depends on your Club Speed (we’ll get to that). Generally, the lower the Spin Rate the further the ball will fly, but only to a point. At 80-90mph, ideal spin is about 3,200-3,600, at 100mph+ 2,500-2,900rpm. If you’re 110-120, your ideal Spin Rate is 1,800-2,400. Low spin with slower Club Speed is going to cause the ball to dive out of the air, just as high spin with fast Club Speed is going to cause the ball to balloon and fall quickly from the sky. If you’re seeing a big discrepancy between spin and Club Speed, you might need to take a look at the driver/shaft combo you’re using.

4. Smash Factor

This relates to how well you’re striking the ball. Smash factor is Ball Speed divided by Club Speed (150mph Ball Speed with a 100mph Club Speed would equal 1.5, which is the max allowed with driver due to USGA regulations). You can equate Smash Factor with energy transfer, meaning the higher the number, generally the more centered your contact. With irons, the Smash Factor will go down (1.35 is Tour average with a 7-iron).

5. Club/Ball Speed

This is the one we’re all obsessed with, but it’s last on this list for a reason. Yes, Club Speed is great, and the more you have, the further your potential distance. The average amateur Club Speed is 93.4, while the average Tour player is at 113, so yes, Club Speed does correlate to Handicap.

Handicap vs Club Speed

Consider, however, that the average amateur scratch golfer is only at ~105mph. The takeaway here is that the higher your Club Speed, the more potential you have to shoot lower scores, but it’s not the be-all-end-all. Club Speed won’t do you much good if you hit gigantic slices or hooks all over the course and won’t matter much if you don’t have relatively good numbers on the first four categories above.

If you’re interested in diving deeper into your golf game and really improving, give us a call at (605) 341-5703 and schedule a lesson on the simulator. We’re here to help all winter long. Happy golfing!

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Why We’re Thankful

Here’s a little secret to life you already know: it’s good to be grateful for the things we have. That’s not to say we shouldn’t have goals and work towards them, but taking some time to reflect on wanting we have already is always beneficial. Heck, we even have a holiday dedicated to that ideal tomorrow. Here are a few things we’re appreciative of this year:

HRGC Members:

We wouldn’t have an operation without the guys and gals that make up our membership. Thank you for being the backbone of our golf course.

Public Players:

Ditto to above. Thanks to the Rapid Citians (not sure if that’s right), area locals and tourists who come to play Hart Ranch.

Maintenance Staff:

Thanks to Adam, David and the entire crew for working their tails off year-round to make Hart the best-conditioned course in the area.

Shop/OC Staff:

It’s nice to see friendly people when you walk into an establishment isn’t it?

Our Setting:

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more tranquil place to play golf than Hart Ranch (especially around dusk).

The TrackMan Sim Room:

Be sure to get out and try it this winter. Not only is it a blast, but you’ll learn a lot about your game.

Our Shop:

If you haven’t stopped in in awhile, we’ve done a little rearranging. Come check it out.

Tiger vs. Phil:

Black Friday is admittedly a weird time to put on a big PPV event, but we bet it’ll be bunches more entertaining than the national sports media is giving it credit for.

Hole #15:

For teaching us all that our score doesn’t matter until we get through you.

Golf:

For being the most infuriating, fantastic, cursed, marvelous, annoying, remarkable, nauseating, terrific, disheartening and incredible game ever devised.

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone, and be sure to take advantage of our Black Friday deals all weekend long. Happy golfing!

 

 

 

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The Evolution of Golf – The New Rules of 2019

Part 1

Chapter 1

New Rules

Golf is evolving, and as players we need to evolve with it. This blog series will focus on some of the ongoing revolutions in golf, including technology, instruction, rule changes and more. It’s said that you can’t fix a problem if you don’t acknowledge it exists, and golf as a whole took awhile to admit that the game was in decline.  With cost, time and perception the pervading issues, a major shift needed to occur in order to keep the industry afloat. We’re currently in the midst of that shift, and leaders have worked hard to refashion the game into something everyone gets a chance to experience and enjoy. No matter your golf knowledge or skill level, this blog will help you stay ahead of the curve as the game evolves. Let’s get started.

Click Here for a Comprehensive List and Explanations

We can agree most casual golfers don’t always adhere to the rule book, even if they want to. The Rules of Golf and Decisions On the Rules of Golf are tomes that contain all sorts of crazy golf scenarios. While of course important and necessary, no one is going to sit down and read these things cover-to-cover. Most golfers figure out the rules simply by playing and learning as they go, or asking their pros, which means most people don’t really play by the rules (which is totally fine in my book as long as you’re not in competition or gambling).

Regardless, we need some sort of standards for competition, and the old rules were no doubt outdated (say that three times fast). After a ton of research and listening to golfers worldwide, the USGA and R&A decided to mend the rules to modernize the game and speed up play. Above you can see 20 of the most important changes. Overall, I think they hit the nail on the head. Some really stupid rules like not being able to repair spike marks on the green or having to hit off of rocks in the bunker have been eliminated, and some should help speed up play, like being able to putt with the flag in the hole.

I’m not going to go over every single new rule, because that would be drudgery for both of us, but I will point out a few of my favorites.

Ball Search Reduced from 5 to 3 Minutes

Some say the most excruciating part of golf is the shank. I’d argue it’s waiting for the fella romping around in the jungle he has no prayer of getting out of to find his Pinnacle from 1994. We all know it sucks to lose golf balls, but c’mon. 3 minutes is perfect.

Ball Moved During Search, or Accidentally on Putting Green – Replace With No Penalty

These are kind of the genesis to making the game more lenient. Think DJ at Oakmont.

Local Rule – Stroke and Distance on O.B.s and Lost Balls

Local rules can be established at courses where under penalty of two strokes you can drop rather than re-hit from the original spot on O.B.s and lost balls. This will explain it better than I can:

This should hopefully eliminate the dreaded “drive back to the tee while the foursome behind you waits and shank another one O.B. in front of them.” FYI, you won’t be seeing this one on Tour or in elite Amateur competitions.

Penalty Areas Rather than Water Hazards

“Water Hazards” no longer exist, meaning any part of the course may now be deemed a Penalty Area. At Hart Ranch, for example, we weren’t able to make the left side of 11 or 15, the back of 16 or the left of 17 Water Hazards, as those areas aren’t a sea, lake, pond, river or ditch. Not saying we will automatically make those Penalty Areas, but we now have the ability to do so by the rules.

Ability to Ground Club in Penalty Area

We’re already in trouble, we should be able to do whatever necessary to get out of there.

Overall, these changes are going to be a good thing for golf. We will touch on some more rules stuff later in the series. Thanks for reading and we’ll catch you next week!

 

 

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TrackMan Glossary

Swinging out to play on the sim? Take a look at some terms so you’re prepared when all these numbers pop out at you:

Club Speed – Club Speed is the speed the club is travelling immediately prior to impact. More Club Speed equals more potential distance.

Ball Speed – Ball Speed is created by Club Speed and impact. Bad impact such as shots hit on the heel or toe will reduce the potential Ball Speed.

Smash Factor – Smash Factor is ball speed divided by club speed. Smash factor relates to the amount of energy transferred from the clubhead to the ball. The higher the smash factor the better the energy transfer.

Spin Rate – Spin Rate is the amount of spin on the ball immediately after impact. Spin has a major impact on the height and distance of a shot. Spin Rate is one of the least appreciated numbers, especially in windy conditions.

Launch Angle – Launch Angle is the angle the ball takes off at relative to the ground. Launch Angle is highly correlated to Dynamic Loft.

Dynamic Loft – Dynamic Loft is the amount of loft on the clubface at impact. The golfer’s Attack Angle, how the shaft bends, how the golfer releases the club, whether the face is open or closed and where the ball is contacted on the face all impact dynamic loft.

Attack Angle – Attack Angle is the direction the clubhead is moving (up or down) at impact. Shots hit off the ground should have a negative attack angle.

Club Path – Club Path is the direction the clubhead is moving (right or left) at impact. A positive value means the club is moving to the right (“in-to-out” for a right-handed golfer and a negative value means the club is moving to the left (“out-to-in” for a right-handed golfer.

Face Angle – Face Angle is the direction the clubface is pointed (right or left) at impact. This relates to Target Line rather than Club Path (Face-to-Path). Face Angle greatly influences whether the ball starts left or right of target.

Carry – Carry is the distance the ball flies through the air. This is influenced by everything above.

We can’t wait to see you at Hart Ranch! Happy golfing!

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The Kinematic Sequence

Take a close look at the above video, especially the downswing. Without reading further, take a minute or two and really try to observe what is happening.

OK, since you didn’t do that, I’ll just tell you. What you’re observing is a near-perfect kinematic sequence, or what you hear golf announcers and great players call efficiency.

You can go all sorts of crazy watching extremely technical videos that will break down the sequence frame-by-frame, but in all honesty that’s not going to help your golf game. I’m going to try to make it as simple as possible.

A kinematic sequence is the order in which various parts of the body and club accelerate and decelerate. There is a kinematic sequence in the backswing, but it’s more often referenced in the downswing, so that’s what we’ll focus on today.

Think of it like throwing a ball. In a good throwing motion, the first thing you do is step forward with your lower body, then rotate your torso, then fling your arm, then release the ball. A bad motion would be to fling your arm, then rotate, then step. This wouldn’t feel very natural, and the ball wouldn’t fly very far. It’s the same in golf.

To start the downswing, we want to lead with our lower body, then rotate our torso, then swing our arms and finally release the club. The builds speed until it is released fully into the clubhead at the moment of impact. Take a look:

From GForceGolf.com

Most people tend to start the downswing with their upper body. Again, this is like flinging your arm before you step to throw a ball. We need to get into the habit of starting the downswing with our lower body. See what a legend (who was way ahead of his time) had to say about it:

One of the best drills to learn a good kinematic sequence is the stop-at-the-top drill. It’ll be tricky to hit good shots at first, but stick with it. Slowly take the club to the top of the backswing, then stop for a good 2-3 seconds. Now feel your lower body unwind, followed by your torso (ribcage), then swing your arms, then whip the club through the ball. Do this slowly at first. You’ll feel a good stretch in your midsection and probably your upper lead arm. Keep working at it until you can actually hit balls. When you can make decent contact a few times, you’re well on your way.

This is probably the most important aspect of a good golf swing, so keep at it. If you can change this, you’ll definitely become a better ballstriker. Happy golfing!

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Building the Sim Room (Photo Gallery)

A photo gallery update on our progress…much more to come!

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