August Happenings at Hart Ranch GC

August Happenings at Hart Ranch GC

We know, the weather has been stifling here in Rapid City lately. Almost every day has hit 95+, but it appears we’re going to be getting a break in the weather this week. Since many of you have braved the heat, we wanted to give you a break as well. Starting Tuesday, August 1st, we’ll be running a “Dog Days” promotion, where you can play 18 holes w/ cart for only $50 + tax after high noon(12pm to the layman). That’s a $24 savings off the normal price!

We also have the Hart Ranch Couples Tournament on Sunday, August 6th. We will be playing a Modified Chapman format in a 1:30pm shotgun, with a casual cookout to follow. Please register by 5pm on Friday, August 4th so we can get the event organized and handicapped. If you’re still looking for a partner, call the shop at (605) 341-5703 and we’ll try to get you paired up. You never know what sparks may fly!

The best tournament of the year begins on Saturday, August 26th and runs through Sunday, August 27th. The Spring Creek Classic is our annual member-guest, so if you’re not a Season Passholder or HartSmart member, see if you can talk one into playing with you. This is a really fun series of formats that concludes with a Sunday Shootout. There is plenty of pride and glory to be won and lost at the Spring Creek Classic.

Be sure to check your email for other promotions throughout the summer and fall seasons. We sometimes run email specials that only subscribers get. If you haven’t had a chance to experience Hart Ranch this season, come on out. The course is still in fantastic shape despite the weather, and we always look forward to making Hart the best place to golf in the Black Hills. See you soon!

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Open Championship Preview

Open Championship Preview

Blimey! It appears we’re going to have another soggy Open Championship this weekend, with wind and rain in the forecast every day (as it should be, really). I’m not sure what that means for predicting this thing, as my crystal ball has been out-of-order this season. Henrik Stenson and Philthy Mickelson put on a fine display at Royal Troon (they sure know how to name courses across the pond) last year, and if we get a show half as good at Royal Birkdale it’ll be well worth the watch. So strap on your knickers, brew a pot o’ tee and be prepared to stay up until the wee hours of the morn to see the best in the world putt from 50 yards off the green.

Course: Royal Birkdale, Southport, England, 7,173 Yards, Par 70

Past Champions (at Royal Birkdale): Pádraig Harrington, Mark O’Meara, Ian Baker-Finch, Tom Watson, Johnny Miller, Lee Trevino, Arnold Palmer and Peter Thomson

156 Players, top 70 and ties make the cut after 36 holes

Fun Facts:

The trophy now awarded to the winner of the British Open is officially named the Championship Cup, though it is widely referred to as the “Claret Jug”. Claret is a dry red wine produced in the famous French winemaking region of Bordeaux. The British Open trophy was designed to look like the silver jugs used to serve claret at 19th century gatherings, thus the name. (Courtesy GolfDigest.com)

The winner of the first dozen Opens at Prestwick was presented with a red Morocco belt with silver clasps. Dubbed the “Challenge Belt,” it was purchased by the members at a cost of £25. “Young” Tom Morris captured four consecutive Opens held there from 1868-1872 (still an unprecedented feat). Under the original rules of competition, if a player won three times in a row, he was entitled to keep the prize — meaning there was nothing to play for in 1871, and therefore, no Open was held that year. (Courtesy GolfDigest.com)

British Open Records

Most wins: Harry Vardon has the most British Open wins with six.
Most times as runner up: Jack Nicklaus has been runner-up at the British Open seven times.
Most appearances: Gary Player has appeared at the British Open 46 times.
Oldest winner: In 1867, “Old” Tom Morris Sr. became the oldest golfer to win the British Open at 46 years and 99 days old.
Youngest winner: In 1868, his son, “Young” Tom Morris Jr. became the youngest golfer to win the British Open at 17 years and five months old.
(Courtesy CNN.com)

The Players:

At the U.S. Open, a lot of big names missed the cut at a course players were torching. DJ, Rory, Justin Rose, Jason Day, Adam Scott, Henrik Stenson and yes, even my boy Graeme McDowell didn’t make the weekend. While I don’t necessarily expect the same, I don’t love Rory and DJ here. Both could certainly get hot and win, but Rory doesn’t like bad weather and DJ still hasn’t seemed to recover from falling down the stairs. Here’s a quick look at the Vegas odds:

Dustin Johnson 14-1
Jordan Spieth 14-1
Rickie Fowler 16-1
Jon Rahm 16-1
Sergio Garcia 18-1
Justin Rose 20-1
Rory McIlroy 20-1
Hideki Matsuyama 20-1
Tommy Fleetwood 22-1
Henrik Stenson 25-1
Adam Scott 28-1
Brooks Koepka 33-1
Jason Day 33-1
Paul Casey 33-1
Alex Noren 40-1
Phil Mickelson 40-1
Louis Oosthuizen 45-1
Branden Grace 45-1
Marc Leishman 50-1
Justin Thomas 50-1
Matt Kuchar 50-1
Thomas Pieters 50-1

I really like Fowler and Branden Grace in this spot. Rickie is due and Grace is a low-ball hitter who can keep it out of the wind. I’ll go with Rickie to win in a playoff. If you’re looking to lose some money, copy my $1,000,000 DK Lineup below:
Rickie Fowler
Adam Scott
Paul Casey
Branden Grace
Bernd Wiesberger
Justin Thomas

Well, there you have it. Hopefully you’ve learned something. Enjoy the weekend and I look forward to being wrong as always. Happy golfing!

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How to Pitch

How to Pitch

It’s common knowledge that the short game is the most important aspect of scoring. We often hear that 60-65% of our shots are taken from 100 yards and in (there are some discrepancies with that number because of close putts, but overall the data is correct), yet rarely does anyone spend 60% or more of their practice time on these shots.

If you’re a long hitter, you’ll have 5-10 (or more) 30-100 yard wedge shots on an average-length course (6,300 – 6,800 yards). If you’re shorter, you’ll need to make up ground on par 5s and long par 4s that you can’t always reach in two. While we tend to spend a lot of time trying to improve our full swing, the truth is that unless you really commit and practice A LOT, you’re going to have a difficult time changing your swing. While short game shots certainly require technique, the swing is shorter and the margin for error is a lot less drastic if we know what we’re doing. If you practice, you’ll develop touch, and be able to compete with anyone regardless of distance. Very few of us will ever hit it as far as Dustin Johnson, but if we really committed, we could be just as good around the green.

There are three things that really kill your score in golf: lost balls (including water hazards), not hitting the green from 100 yards and in and three-putting. If you avoided all three for an entire round, there’s a good chance you’d easily shoot your best score ever.

Today, we’ll focus on the second score-killer. If you know what you’re doing, pitching isn’t that difficult. There are two main faults, and they generally pertain to higher and lower handicappers.

Fault 1 (Higher Handicapper) – Trying to Lift the Ball

This is very common on all shots, but especially around the green. Novice players tend to leave all their weight on their back foot and try to help the ball into the air by scooping. This leads to poor contact, skulls and chunks. We need to learn to use the natural loft of the club to get the ball in the air.

We see this a lot. My weight is on the back foot and I’ve tried to help the ball into the air. This is the worst move you can make on any golf shot.

The Fix – Keep Your Weight on Your Front Foot Throughout

The first rule of setting up for any pitch shot is to lean towards the green. Lean your entire body so your head is even with or even in front of the ball (the ball should generally be played in the middle of your stance). Keep your feet close together, and feel ALL your weight in your front foot. Simply swing from hip to hip, pivoting around your front leg. The club should brush the grass without taking a big divot or missing the ground entirely.

Good setup. My weight is forward, the stance is narrow and shoulders are fairly level.

The Drill – Flamingo

Set up using the steps above, and leaving your front foot flat, drop your back foot back and raise your heel so you’re on the toes of your back foot. Now, hit some short pitches, rotating around your left hip. Let the clubhead brush the grass and keep all the tension out of your hands, shoulders and arms.

Flamingo drill setup.

Rotate around the left hip and keep tension out of your arms.

Fault 2 (Lower Handicapper) – Too Steep, Big Divots

People who’ve played for awhile tend to try too hard to hit down on the ball, especially on short shots. When we pitch, we want to use the bounce of the club, rather than the leading edge. Using the bounce will give us more spin and more room for error (using the leading edge you’ll have to strike the ball perfectly to get it close).

The Fix – Spin the Cover, Not the Core

While we definitely want the club to bottom out in front of the ball, it’s much more of a brushing the grass feeling than taking a deep divot. See if you can get a feeling for shallowing out the swing, letting the bounce of the club brush the grass rather than the leading edge.

Use the bounce rather than the leading edge.

The Drill – Hit Off Tight Lies

While lower-bounce wedges will do better with this drill, it will be helpful regardless. Find a tightly-mown area, hard dirt or even a cart path (use an old wedge!). Try to make good contact. Most players would be scared to death of a shot like this, but if you use the club the way it’s designed, you’ll be able to hit it pure and even put a lot of spin on the ball.

Good finish. I’ve rotated around my left leg and all the weight has stayed forward. The ball will fly high and land soft.

Remember these three things and you’ll improve your wedge game tremendously:

1. Always lean towards the green (weight on front foot and keep it there).
2. No tension in your hands, arms or shoulders throughout the swing.
3. Brush the grass with the bounce rather than the leading edge.

Happy Golfing!

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How to Read Greens

How to Read Greens

Putting begins with confidence. There are a lot of different putters, grips, stances and strokes, but all really good putters think they’re going to make everything The question is, where does that confidence come from? We certainly have fundamentals (mainly hitting the center of the face), but oftentimes those fundamentals are dependent on an absence of doubt. So, what happens? We get out, aren’t quite sure if we’re aimed correctly or if we’ve picked the right line, and all of a sudden we decelerate the putter or try to manipulate our putter during our stroke. That’s why reading greens is an extremely overlooked skill to this game that needs to be developed. If you’re confident in your line, a lot of other things fall into place.

Most golfers don’t put much into reading the green. They take a look, visualize what they think the ball might do and roll it. OK, so that’s one way to play, and it might not be bad if you’re at your local shaggy-greened muny par-3 course, but you’re going to struggle if you don’t have some idea what the ball is going to do when you play somewhere more challenging. Below are a few easy rules to follow. You don’t need to act like you’re putting for $200,000 and read your 3-footer from every angle in order to read a green.If you’re smart, you can play just as quickly as you normally do, all the while draining way more putts and lowering your score quickly.

 

1. Pay Attention

 

This seems easy, but a lot of us aren’t aware of what’s going on around the green. Here’s the cardinal rule: EVERY TIME THE BALL HITS AND ROLLS ON THE GREEN, IT’S GIVING YOU INFORMATION. When you’re 100 yards out, you actually have a much better perspective of overall slope than you do when you’re standing on the green. Pay attention to all shots, watch how they roll after they land, see if you can decipher the overall shape of the green (back-to-front slope, right-to-left, etc.). Watch other players putt and how the ball breaks around the hole. This isn’t rocket science, but many of us don’t even take the opportunities a normal round gives us. Pay attention and you’ll get a much better feel for what’s going to happen when you putt.

2. Use Your Feet

If you were blindfolded and walked onto a green, would you be able to feel the slope? You bet. This ties into paying attention. As you walk around, maybe pulling the pin out and marking your ball, pay attention to your feet. They’ll give you a good idea of how much slope there is and what is going to happen with the putt. Close your eyes for a few seconds as you walk. You’ll get a good feel for the slope.

3. The Break Follows the Water

Greens are built so water doesn’t stand and stagnate. Greens drain. Use it to your advantage. If you get the chance, check out Hart’s greens after a big rainstorm. You can see exactly where the water drains and you’ll begin to realize exactly what’s happening on certain areas of each green. Gravity doesn’t lie.

If you’ve been out to Hart Ranch lately, you’ve noticed the greens are slick and rolling true (which makes them tough). We pride ourselves on our greens, and for good reason. That’s the most important part of the course (and what courses spend the most money on). There’s a lot that goes into maintaining green complexes, and it goes without saying that no matter where we play (or how many beverages we’ve consumed) we should do our best to leave the greens better than we found them. Hope these quick tips give you something to think about next time you play. Remember, if you’re confident in your putting line, you’re off to a great start.

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U.S. Open Preview

U.S. Open Preview

I’m not sure what it says about us that we have a barbaric impulse to watch the best golfers in the world suffer. On Thursday, 156 said golfers will descend on the Heartland, taking amateur-like 7s and 8s on holes as they battle waist-high fescue and 7,800 yards of madness. Here’s a little preview so you can sound like a dad on Father’s Day.

Defending Champ: Dustin Johnson

The Course: Erin Hills, Erin, Wisconsin, (35 miles NW of Milwaukee, actually pronounced mill-e-wah-que, which is Algonquin for “The Good Land”)***

Par 72, 7,741 Yards, Rating 77.9/Slope 145 (nasty)

Erin Hills is a new U.S. Open venue, which means they and the USGA will want to showcase it as a brutal test (why do we love punishing ourselves?). It has hosted the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links (2008) and the U.S. Amateur (2011). It’s a mix between a parkland and links course, and will be the first U.S. open in 25 years to play at a par 72. They’ve made the 138 bunkers on the course inhuman hazards, with no flat bottoms and plenty of restricted backswings. You’ll see a lot of players bailing out on what are normally routine bunker shots. It’s also the first U.S. Open to be played in Wisconsin.

The Field: It’s a major. It’s a good field. Only the top 60 and ties out of 156 make the cut, so you’re going to need to get really lucky to make any money if you play DraftKings. On a quick side note, much has been made about Phil Mickelson possibly missing the event due to his daughter’s high school graduation. As you’re probably aware, Phil has finished runner-up at 6 U.S. Opens and it’s the only major he’s never won. I say good on him. For all the bad acting, fake smiles and brushes with insider trading, he’s still an awesome dude. Way to put your ego aside Phil.

The Favorites:

Dustin Johnson (29/4 Vegas Odds): DJ hates Wisconsin. Well, maybe not the state as a whole, but he’s had some harsh misses. That being said, as always nowadays, he’ll be in the hunt. He just had a baby two hours ago as of this writing, so he’s carrying newborn swagger. Definitely a possibility, unless there’s a staircase in his rental or another vengeful USGA official.

Jordan Spieth (9/1): He plays great on crazy courses like this, but I just don’t see the firepower at 7,800 yards. It is interesting that he lost in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur in 2011, so he might have a bit more course knowledge than most.

Jason Day (11/1): I just feel like he’s going to be bitten by a disease-ridden mosquito before the tournament. He has all the tools to make it happen, besides luck.

Rory McIlroy (12/1): Uh-oh. This was my pick at the beginning of the year, so I suppose I have to stick to it. It can certainly happen if the putter gets hot, and it can happen by a lot of shots. I hate putting right now too Rory.

Jon Rahm (18/1): This is an extremely intriguing pick, and one many will be high on considering it’s pretty much a brand-new course for everyone. The Next Big Thing could contend, but I see a debilitating 9 on the scorecard somewhere.

Rickie Fowler (18/1), Justin Rose (20/1), Hideki Matsuyama (28/1), Sergio Garcia (28/1): For some reason, this feels like a Justin Rose tournament. He’s on a tear this year, with four top-tens and two seconds in his ten starts. The crazy thing is, his long-adulated approach game has held him back. If he finds that, watch out. As for the other three, I’d reverse Sergio and Rickie’s odds, and give Matsuyama a probable top-20. Sergio has virtually no pressure coming in, and he’s playing a course built for ball-striking, of which he’s long been the best in the world. I want to take him but will be too much of a wuss to pull the trigger.

Others to Watch: Byeong-Hun An, Branden Grace, Kevin Kisner, Shane Lowry, Henrik Stenson, Adam Scott, Daniel Berger

Sleepers: Graeme McDowell (my boy!), Jaimie Lovemark, Charl Schwartzel, Peter Uihlein, Talor Gooch (based on great name), Tommy Fleetwood, Ross Fisher

Prediction: Rory, can I trust you? Probably not, but if there’s anyone who could roll a course like this, it’s him (and DJ). I should take Justin Rose, but I’ll go with Rors and hope for the best.

Have a fantastic golf weekend, and a very happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there. Hopefully you get a chance to play (the Hart Ranch Two-Person Best Ball is Saturday btw), then watch some excellent golfers complain about the USGA. Happy golfing!

***Hopefully you caught the reference

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How to Take Advantage of Your Membership

Take Advantage of Being a Hart Ranch GC Member

Hello friends! I apologize to the four loyal readers of this blog (which includes me) for the recent moratorium. We’ve had a busy few weeks here at the course and I’ve been out of town trying to advance my career.

First of all, welcome to summer! This is easily the best time of year in the Hills, and we’re officially rolling on the golf season. Since we have a lot of new season passholders this year, I’d like to give you a few tips on how to take full advantage of your Hart Ranch GC membership.

As a HR Member, you have reciprocity with both Red Rock GC and Elkhorn GC in Spearfish. You get a deep discount at both places ($35 for 18 and cart M-F at Red Rock, $35 for 18 and cart at Elkhorn every day). Take a look at our event schedule here so you can plan around the few corporate events we have this summer.

Also, Men’s League, Ladies’ League and Junior Golf are all starting next week. The Leagues are fantastic for meeting fellow members and playing (somewhat) competitive golf. Junior Golf is a great way to get your kid(s) started in the game. We have a lot of fun, learn rules, etiquette and swing and play tons of games. Be sure to sign up by the end of this week as spots are filling up quickly!

Brand new this year, we have a Friday Night Derby starting June 23^rd. Everyone in the Derby will go out as one group around 5:30pm. We will play in two-person teams in an alternate-shot format. Teams are eliminated as we progress through nine holes, until only one team remains at the end. There’s no commitment for the Derby, just call and let us know you’re playing beforehand (the event will be handicapped).

Also, Dustin and I will be available for lessons and/or fittings all summer. I’ll be teaching several more Get Golf Ready classes, and we’ll both have some more Saturday clinics. Get some lessons in before our Hart Ranch tournaments kick off on Saturday, June 17^th with the Two-Person Best Ball. Call for your tee times between 9 and 11am (other tournaments to follow through the summer).

We’re looking forward to another awesome summer at Hart Ranch. As always, feel free to call us with any questions, comments, concerns or queries. Thanks for reading and we can’t wait to see you at Hart Ranch!

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PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP Preview

PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP Preview

May 11th-14th, 2017

Course:

TPC Sawgrass, Stadium Course, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

7,189 Yards, Par 72

With 25 water hazards on TPC Sawgrass and some renovations since the last PLAYERS (apparently it’s always capitalized), we may see some new names at the top of the leaderboard. Most notably, they’ve turned the former dogleg par 4 12th into a driveable, 285-320 yard beauty (the best holes on Tour, in my humble opinion, are driveable par 4s). Water is in play only eight yards from the left edge of the putting surface. Be ready for some massive leaderboard swings on the 12th.

Like any Pete Dye course, approach shots are demanding and crucial to score.  There will be few drivers off the tee, putting a premium on second shots, and players will try to limit gigantic numbers when they make a mistake. The famous island green at hole 17 makes for good television, but it’s a pitching wedge for most unless the wind is howling, and the par 5s are gettable for everyone, so look for THE PLAYERS (there it is again) to be won and lost on the par 4s.

The Field:

THE PLAYERS is called the fifth major, because it boasts “the best field in golf” (Vegas has set the over/under at 4,000 times that phrase is uttered by an announcer this weekend*). There are no sponsor exemptions, no amateurs, and one of the following is required:

1.  Winners of PGA Tour events since last Players
   2. Winner of the 2016 Olympic Golf Tournament
   3. Top 125 from previous season’s FedEx Cup points list
   4. Top 125 (medical)
   5. Major champions from the past five years
   6. Players Championship winners from the past five years
   7. The Tour Championship winners from the past three years
   8. World Golf Championship winners from the past three years
   9. Memorial Tournament and Arnold Palmer Invitational winners since 2015
   10. Top 50 from the Official World Golf Ranking
   11. Senior Players champion from prior year
   12. Web.com Tour money leader from prior season
   13. Money leader during the Web.com Tour Finals
   14. Top 10 current year FedEx Cup points leaders
   15. Remaining positions and alternates filled through current year FedEx Cup standings

Basically, every household name besides Tiger and John Daly will be playing.

Prediction:

Want to go DJ? Don’t we all…unfortunately he’s never finished better than T28 in eight tries at THE PLAYERS (I’m starting to hate this). I’m going to stick to my guns and go Hideki Matsuyama, as he’s one of the best iron players in the world (making him one of the best Pete Dye Course players in the world). Some others to watch out for include:

Kevin Kisner, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Sergio (not again right?), Jason Day, Ryan Moore, Martin Kaymer, as well as SLEEPERS: Kyle Stanley, Wesley Bryan, Jim Herman, DA Points

Happy Mother’s Day to all the fantastic moms out there. Hope you get to enjoy what should be another fantastic Players (not doing it anymore) Championship with those you love. Be sure to bring Mom out to Hart Ranch so she can enjoy free green fees this weekend!

*I made that up, but it’ll be close.

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