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Get Golf Ready on Facebook!
You can now become a fan of Get Golf Ready on Facebook! Find out what instructors are saying, post photos and comments, and read feedback from students on their Get Golf Ready experiences. This is an ideal way to bring the Get Golf Ready community together and best of all, share your experiences and get ideas on how to improve your game or find events and playing partners in your area. |
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Keep Playing After Your Lessons!
Now that you've completed the program and feel "golf ready," make sure you retain what you've learned and keep hitting the links! Check out PlayGolfAmerica.com for upcoming events, clinics and lessons for a fun and valuable way to continue growing your golfing abilities. |
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Welcome!
Welcome to our first monthly edition of the Get Golf Ready Participant e-Newsletter! The purpose of this e-Newsletter is to encourage our current and former Get Golf Ready students to continue playing this fun and exciting game. We hope that you will find useful information, interesting stories and helpful tips to inspire you to grow your game after what you have learned with Get Golf Ready in Five Days. Enjoy!
If you wish to unsubscribe to this e-Newsletter, you can do so at the bottom of this e-mail. Your contact information will never be released to any other parties.
Tip of the Day
This month's featured tip comes to you from Rick Timm, PGA Professional at Kennedy Golf Course in Aurora, Colorado:
"Use me not only as your coach and trainer, but also as your advice coach on equipment and courses."
Remember, your PGA Professional has a wealth of knowledge about local golf courses and the latest information on equipment, including where to shop, reliable brands, and proper club sizes for you. Your PGA Professional is your golf expert and is available to help you feel more comfortable and confident playing the game.
Graduate Outings: An Ongoing Value
A Great Way to Show Off What You've Learned and Bring You Back for More
So, you’ve completed your Get Golf Ready in Five Days Lessons and you are ready to move onto actually playing more than a few holes. But, where do you start? Who do you play with? How do you keep up with all the great knowledge you have just obtained? Your Program Coordinator will have Graduate Outings scheduled specifically for you and your fellow students to continue to play with an instructor and your new friends.
Steve King, Head Professional and General Manager at Rivercut Golf Course in Springfield Missouri noted the following advantages of the graduate outings: “I think the greatest result of what we witnessed from our students in the graduate outings was that each and every week their confidence level rose and they felt much more at ease with the whole process of what it takes to get out on their own and play golf.
The main focus of our presentation to our students was to curb any of the intimidation that they were feeling about coming to the course and learning from them the reasons they had not attempted golf in the past. Each and every session seemed to be the same overall consensus: most of our students just didn’t know what to do or how to do it! Our mission then became very clear that we would take every step possible to get them over any obstacles that were hindering them from enjoying golf.
The graduate outings were the perfect next step after the 5 session GGR program. We allowed our participants to show up at their specified times and pair up or go out on their own and we had 3 golf professionals that would drive around and give them occasional tips and many times even play a hole with them. As the weeks progressed, their confidence levels rose and it became routine for our participants to check in, get a cart, hit some range balls, roll a few practice putts, and then head to the tee and play. It was very rewarding for us to see them go from never playing golf and not knowing what to do, to now acting like they had b
een
doing it for a long time.
Many of our new golfers that played in the graduate outings also developed friendships and started playing together even after the program had ended. That is the best result of what we wanted out of the program! We are very excited for 2010 and the Get Golf Ready program."
Creating Memories
PGA Professional Steve Hardesty tells of one student’s thrilling Get Golf Ready Moment
I had one student in my class, Kelli, who was not unlike many students I've had over the years. She was a very inexperienced golfer and wanted to learn the game. Her husband plays some and it would be a good game for them to play together. I was pleasantly surprised about her progress over the course of the first few lessons and experiences at our facility. Kelli seemed to enjoy the lessons and always tried hard to improve. We had practiced putting, short shots, irons and woods over the previous few weeks.
On our 3rd or 4th meeting, I like to introduce the participants to the golf course in a friendly way. At this lesson, we start on our Short Course instead of the driving range or other practice facilities.. #1 is 96 yards long and I like to take the group 1/2 way down the fairway and hit 20 or so pitching wedge shots per person to the green. We have a nice wide fairway and everyone can hit at the same time. It gives the players time to unwind from their day, practice the swinging motion with a short club, and hit to an actual target instead of a flag on the driving range.
After warming up we move to hole #2. This hole is 170 yards long and we play it as a group with a modified scramble. I give each player 3-5 shots from each playing area and we play the hole as a group. Its a great way to play the hole in a safe and fun manner. We don't move forward until each player has hit a decent shot and then we move to the best shot of the group. The girls all seemed to hit a couple good shots and we had a great time playing hole #2.
Our third hole is only 86 yards long. At this hole, I have each participant play their own ball into the hole. We give several mulligans on each shot, if they need it, so that they have no pressure to perform. I help the students pick clubs which they think might travel that distance. As a group, we discuss how the different clubs produce different shots. Kelli selected a #6 hybrid for her shot. She was the second person to tee off in our group. I teed up the ball for her to give her the appropriate tee height for a hybrid club and then she prepared and swung. The ball flew straight and true towards the flag. I was standing off to the side of the tee watching as the ball took one hop short of the pin and then disappeared into the hole for an ace. The rest of the group saw what happened but there was a moment of silence. I broke the silence by thrusting a fist into the ai
r and
giving a loud yell. I think I startled the group as they were slightly stunned. Then Kelli realized that she had made a hole in one and she was jumping and screaming with me. The entire group was very excited.
I've taught golf as a PGA Professional for over 20 years now and that's the first time one of my students made a hole in one during a golf lesson. To make it even more unusual was the fact that hole #3 on our Short Course was actually the first hole of golf that Kelli had ever played her own ball in her life! Kelli was very excited and she mentioned that her husband wouldn't believe her. I always send a note to the local newspaper telling when one of our patrons makes a hole in one - and I did so with Kelli's shot as well. She told me later that he didn't actually believe she made an ace until he read it in the paper the next day.
I will never forget that day in our Get Golf Ready classes as we all experienced an amazing feat that only the game of golf can provide. I truly hope that Kelli will remember it as well as she continues to pursue this game.
Steve Hardesty is a PGA Professional at Salina Municipal Golf Course in Salina, Kansas.
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In This Issue
Welcome
Tip of the Day
Graduate Outings: An Ongoing Value
World Golf Foundation
Sponsors
This month's feature sponsor is Nike Golf. Click on the image below to view the website.
Get Golf Ready: Z-Boaz Golf Course, Fort Worth, Texas
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Get Golf Ready: Adaptive Golf Academy, Sarasota, Florida
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Get Golf Ready: Chase Oaks Golf Club, Plano, Texas
Get Golf Ready: The Club at Cimarron, Mission, Texas
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