This article was written by a golf professional many years ago, but I am sure nothing much has changed so we felt it was well worth sharing.

The life of a Golf Professional……the dream of many. No one can escape from being asked “what do you do for a living?” As a Golf Professional, I know if I answer truthfully I will have to endure the long pause, the glazed over stare, the slow upward turn of the lips, and then wait for the inevitable “A golf pro eh? Wow I’d love to golf every day for a living! What do you do in the Winter? Why am I slicing the ball? What’s the best ball out there today? What exactly do you do? It occurs to me that number one people LOVE to talk about golf and number two,  few people understand what golf professional do. Listing the job’s responsibilities would read like a resume so instead let’s take a walk through an average day of the Golf Professional.

“HONEY! WAKE UP IT’S 4:45am YOU’RE GOING TO BE LATE FOR WORK!” my wife ‘calmly’ wakes me. Reality strikes hard. My shower is quick, my deodorant is generously applied and “SHOOT” my cotton pants aren’t ironed! Thank goodness for summer wool. As I drive to work (work being the pro shop not the first hole at the Players Championship which some actually believe)I pray that the beating rain miraculously disappears by the time I get to the golf course. As I approach the club the dark clouds part, I lift my hands towards heaven and cry “Thank You” The weather can be a friend or foe to the Golf Professional. But for now the weather is cooperating, there is no chance of frost and the tee times should run smoothly. I take a quick look at my day timer to re-fresh my memory……morning ladies league start at 8:00am, club fittings at 8:30, meeting with a corporate tournament committee at 10:00, management meeting at 1:00, show samples of shirts for client at 3:45 and lessons from 4:45 to 6:30.

I take a deep breath and look out of the window at the first hole. The view is beautiful and it occurs to me how often I have taken this beauty for granted. My smile broadens as I see good old Carl Scott walking towards the pro shop with his precious 30 year old clubs trailing behind him. He always has a story to share ! It occurs to me: golf is great but golfers are greater! FOCUS, I tell myself. I check my emails…ouch! Okay deal with one email at a time! I encourage myself. Here I go and here Neal comes. Neal is a young new assistant to the staff and is a promising professional. He asks if I have time to review the work he has done on this weekends mixed tournament. I look at my lengthy TO DO list and answer ” Of course”. He accepts my praise with a humble smile and he absorbs my suggestions like a sponge.

I return to the first “do” on my TO DO list: Return Sandy’s call and confirm ball order and logo. As I pick up the phone, Keith, a newer member, comes into the office upset about yesterdays pace of play. I place the phone on it’s cradle and we take a little time to rectify the problem. As we walk out of the pro shop I take note of our staff: Dean is changing a floor display. Janice is helping a member try on a pair of shoes. Brent is answering the phone and Craig is checking in a guest. At the range, the outside service staff are on task and the back shop employees are providing good service. I think back to the intense training I put the staff through in the spring to get to this place today. Wow it was well worth the effort.

As I work my way back to the office. I look at my watch it reads 8:15am. The day has just begun.

We kick start the season each year with the new member Orientation followed by a Social. I think we were all  wondering if Spring would ever arrive.  By the time I drove home from Edmonton the snow was definitely starting to disappear and some of the  driving  ranges and golf courses had started to open. Edmonton’s social was very well attend by existing members, it great to have them there to welcome the new comers. Calgary saw fewer existing members but you can always count on a few of the dirty dozen and some other supportive members.  The Ranch Golf Club hosted us this year in Edmonton, Shawna, Shaun and Jeff did a great job, they wear many hats. Cottonwoods Carol, Kim and their crew did an awesome job as well, they always go the extra mile for us.  Thanks for the Spring setup, loved  the spring center pieces and thanks to chef for the special sweet treat. Little extra’s that are always appreciated. It was also great to have Tiffany Gordon attend to welcome the new and returning members.

We had not offered the Spring Tune-up in Palm Springs since 2014 so it was great to be back again. The package was from Sunday to Friday, but we left on Good Friday to get things organized. We left Calgary in a snow storm and it was -9 C. We arrived in Palm Springs and it was 44 C, what a difference. The temperature did not stay quite this high, thank goodness, but it was a lot better than here. We arrived at the newly renovated Doubletree by Hilton and the difference was wonderful, they did a great job . It is such a great property.

Our teaching team this year were Patty, Rand and Bill, a repeat performance by Patty and Rand and Bill was the new kid on the block. We enjoyed the format spending time at each of the stations which covered both long and short game. Patty did a great job, as usual, tweaking our pitching, putting and sand play. Rand and Bill identified and corrected those little things that get in the way for us to improve our swings. Patty asked us to keep track of our putts when we played the day after our lesson, Jane had 6 one putts, the total for her round was 33 and I had 7 one putts on the front nine, not so good on the back nine. It never hurts to have a tweak. Thanks Patty.

We had a great meet and greet Sunday night, it was so good to see everyone and to have representation from both Calgary and Edmonton again. Some of the group got to attend the final day of The Dinah Shore Classic, it was quite the finish. Many of us did  additional golf including a nine and dine at one of our favorites, Escena. We golfed, dined, shopped and enjoyed the sun and the pool. Life dosn’t get much better than that and we also got some great golf tips.

Malaysia offered us a myriad of interesting, diverse and exciting adventures.
Penang, was a fascinating fusion of the East and West and you can certainly feel the Chinese influence as 70% of the inhabitants are of this culture. Penang embraces modernity while retaining its traditions and old world charm. It is steeped in history as we can attest to. We strolled down a living heritage community as we visited Chew Jetty. What started as a wooden passageway slowly became a cluster of houses perched above the sea shores by stilts, this site is locked away in a time zone by itself disregarding the urban development taking place around it. We saw an array of temples the best of which was Kek Lok Si the largest Buddhist Temple in Malaysia. It was a truly impressive complex housing temple grounds, temples, gardens, the pagoda and the four heavenly kings pavilion and an enormous statue of the Goddess of Mercy. After that we experienced riding the funicular train up to Penang Hill where I saw my first monkey cup plant. Georgetown was unique and I wish we had had more time to explore.
While Penang boasts of exquisite restaurants and fast food outlets serving everything from Japanese, Korean, Italian, English and French to Indian, Chinese, Malay, Indonesian and Thai cuisine, it is her hawker fare that both locals and foreigners cannot get enough of and we tried that out a few steps from our hotel.
Kota Kinabalu or KK as it is known by the natives has bustling markets, modern boardwalk, beaches and waterfront. Just a speed boat away were beautiful islands and the snorkling was outstanding even though Lorie stubbed her toe badly, it was black and looked yucky sure glad we didn’t have to amputate. A highlight of the trip to the Kilas wetlands was our trip through the mangrove swamp, accompanied by the secret rhythm of fireflies and their flickering lights. There were thousands.
Our highlight was the sojourn in the jungle. Who would have known that you could travel two hours by boat to the middle of the Jungle and find a top notch Resort, the Sukau Rainforest Lodge, in the middle of nowhere, This is one of the National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World. What a feeling to be completely secluded in the jungle listening to the music of the Rainforest! Imagine gliding down the river in the morning mists and the afternoon light, spotting wildlife up close from a quiet electric-motored boat. We could stroll right from our room into the jungle on an elevated boardwalk, stopping to see wildlife and tropical plants. We dined on a riverfront terrace, taking in the view over delicious meals as well as watching monkeys and rare birds flit among the trees as we cooled off in the refreshing pool. The nighttime river cruise allowed us to see sleeping birds up front and personal, it seemed surreal.
Everything was top notch and even if we did not see the pigmy elephants we saw an amazing array of monkeys and an orangutan and junior We identified many different birds as well as dozens of primates, reptiles, and a variety of land mammals.,
The memories and experiences will stay with us for the rest of our lives!
We enjoyed the golf, even though it was very hot and humid. The courses were all different as were our experiences. My personal favorite was Sutera Harbour in KK. We enjoyed beautiful vistas and we encountered many challenges, monkeys taking our balls, water hazards and rough, and our night golf was especially interesting if you did not hit in the beams bye bye ball.
Our final destintion Kuala Lumpur offered us excitement as there was a major thunder storm when we were downtown visiting The Petronas Twin Towers, what a rush that was. The architecture is indeed amazing and we appreciated it all.
It was hard to get back to reality and the snow, but we feel blessed to be able to get a few escapes here and there.

Many of us don’t use a power cart that often and because of that may not be aware that some things we do or don’t do  can annoy your golfing partners. Have you ever been playing with someone who is always sitting in the cart and is never ready to hit her ball?  There are certain un-written rules that apply to golfing in a power cart. When on the tee box everyone should be there ready to hit their ball. When two players in a cart hit to opposite sides of a hole, drive to first ball and drop off that player with his club, then drive to the second ball. After both players hit, meet up farther down the hole. Players should anticipate which club or clubs they are going to use and go directly to their ball be prepared to hit when it is their turn. When walking from your cart to your ball, take a couple clubs with you. Taking only one club, then having to return to the cart to retrieve a different club, is a huge time-waster. In addition if you are in the cart alone your partners should be there to assist driving your cart when needed and also the rider should be aware of assisting their partner and also communicating who will take the cart behind the green depending upon the shots that need to be made.

This we thought would be a good time to re-visit our weather policy. As we all know winter has had it’s grips on us for a long time and none of us are sure when Spring will finally arrive. If there is still white stuff on the ground in May it will be an easy call as the golf courses will not be open. But on the other hand they may be open and the following comes into effect.  Spring in Calgary and Edmonton is unpredictable and sometimes if we are fair weather golfers and wait for the perfect day to golf they may be few and far between. Don’t let inclement weather ruin your game. If you know what to expect you will be prepared for it and will have an enjoyable game. If it is cool, and at times, dress in layers. Choose garments that do not restrict your movement. Dressing in layers lets you adapt to the temperature, as it gets warmer you can remove a layer or two. For those chilly days it is a good idea to have a headband and some warm gloves in your bag, there have been times when club covers were used, but gloves do work best. A good rain suit is also useful and another good tip is to keep an extra towel, gloves and socks in the spokes of your umbrella to keep them dry.
The Golfaround policy is that if you have booked golf you do show at the golf course. You may not have to golf if it is especially inclement but weather can be very different in different parts of the city so it is hard to predict. If you are a fair weather golfer you may want to take your chances and book last minute. Golf courses rarely close due to inclement weather but if they did we will let you know on the website so always check there. Let’s hope that Spring is just around the cornor

 

Most of us want to get more distance when we tee off and so we are always looking for the driver that will do that for us. We see a fellow golfer hit the ball beautifully and we ask what driver do you have? it looks great. Just because you like how it looks doesn’t mean that it is the correct club for you. Choosing a driver because it looks great is not the way to buy one if you want to play a better game of golf. In fact, nine out of 10 golfers play with drivers that do not have sufficient loft and their drivers are too long for their swings. Furthermore, just because some drivers cost a lot of money does not mean that you will instantly improve your game. Here are a few things to think about as you select your new driver.

Ask a golf Professional? This always a good thing to do. The golf course Pros are there to help you choose the right equipment for your individual swing, height and age. Many golfers have drivers that are too long for them and also do not have enough loft to give them increased distance

Choose the right club head. There are many choices out there and many sizes but for simplicity lets divide them into small, medium and large.

A smaller club head is lighter and gives you more control of your swing but you may sacrifice distance for control. In addition smaller club heads have smaller sweet spots so if you hit tee shots often that miss the “sweet spot,” you probably need a driver with maximum forgiveness.

Large club heads have a larger sweet spot as well as more mass to help create momentum and distance to your swing. A larger club face is much more forgiving on a mishit. A mid size club head is a compromise between control and distance. There are also different materials for club heads, titanium and stainless steel primarily. Titanium allows you to have a larger club face with less weight but stainless steel will be cheaper. Ultimately what the driver is made of will be immaterial it all boils down to how it feels to you.

Choose the right shaft  The type of shaft is also just as important as the driver head. Different materials provide different flex. Flex is the amount of “bend” in a shaft. Basically, the slower the swing you have, the more flex you need to create the right impact speed. If you have a fast swing, you will need a stiffer club shaft.

Choose the right loft  Loft is the measure of the angle of the club head. The greater the loft, the greater the angle on the face of the head and the more control but less distance. Slower swings need more loft. Faster swings need less loft. If your swing speed is over 100 mph and you hit the golf ball a long way, you should have a driver with a loft of about 12 degrees, or less, and that will produce less backspin. But if you are like most golfers with swing speeds that are below 90 mph, you will need a more lofted driver that increases that backspin to keep the ball aloft. In some cases, you may need a more lofted driver to get the ball airborne.

Choose the right length You will need to choose the right length shaft to ensure you have proper positioning on the ball during your swing. Additionally, a longer club may give your more distance, but may give you less control. Swinging clubs of improper length can create inconsistency in ball contact due to improper club path to the ball and an ineffective swing plane.

When choosing a driver, it should look and feel comfortable in your hands. Swing-weight, length and flex should all feel right to you. How a club feels will differ from each person but the club head should generally always feel light and manageable while still having enough weight to create the feeling of drag.

Having the right club in hand will not guarantee a good shot there are other considerations to hitting a good tee shot. You should have a slightly closed stance, a low, smooth and wide takeaway and a full turn of the torso. Fifty percent of the ball should be above the club head and it should be positioned ahead in the stance. Consentrate on letting the hips and lower back do most of the rotation and do a full body turn for maximum power.

After 20 plus years of teaching and coaching the game of golf, I am always amazed at the number of individuals who ask me what the benefit of taking a lesson is. Golf is a sport not unlike, tennis, hockey or baseball. It is a sport and recreation that requires skill, repetitive motion, and more than anything confidence and passion.
I recall the time when I first decided to take up skiing. If you watch it on TV, realistically it looks fairly simple. Couple of ski’s, some poles, obviously clothing to adapt to the climate and the willingness to not fall! Well, on my first attempt, I thought I could do it all on my own, what a rude awakening that was! Fall after fall after fall, I finally took off those ski’s and walked down the hill. Not a fantastic experience and definitely not one that made me want to jump back up on that lift and do it again……… a series of lessons with an instructor that gave me the skill and confidence to execute the sport as well as the passion to get back up and continue to ski was what it took. Amazing how we forget the first time we attempted any physical activity. Lessons and learning are part of the process………..all of which we should encourage each other to achieve.
Lessons are critical to the development of any sport and the individual or individuals and learning is key. First, you always want to find an instructor that you bond with. This is not unlike anything in life. The people we associate with, learn with and grow with are the individuals you will turn to in success and frustration. Any sport or activity that we aspire to learn has its moments and golf is not unlike any of them.
Don’t take on more than you can handle. This game was not taught in a few lessons and definitely is not learned in that same amount of time. With that said, practice is critical to your success. Take one or two things away from a lesson and work on them when you practice. Your practice routine will allow you to perform on the golf course as well as will give you the confidence moving forward. Taking one or two items will allow you to focus on items that will create a better result. Often as instructors we will give you these items to work on knowing that in fact it creates a routine and result unknowing to the student.
Ask questions! Don’t ever be afraid to ask a question. As an instructor I have never been asked a question that was not worthy of an answer. This is a fantastic opportunity for growth and learning.
Lessons give you the checkpoints, the confidence, the encouragement and more importantly the knowledge to perform the skill to play this great game. Find a group or series of groups, pairs, or even individually. Taking lessons and learning a system is the best way to excel at this amazing game!
ENJOY!

by Tiffany Gordon, PGA of Canada Teaching Professional
The Golf Academy at Heritage Pointe

We were chatting the other night at the Dome after hitting balls about this and that and we got an idea for something we should include in our news feeds, pet peeves. On and off the golf course there are things that bug us so we are asking that you submit these and we will do our best to address them. Our discussion that night was about people taking numerous practise swings, both on the tee box and on the fairway and nothing ruins a good game of golf more than having to wait while someone in your foursome takes four practise swings before making her shot. This golfer is the most dreaded to golf with and behind, she is truly the girl no one wants to play with.

Practise swings are a preference, some never take them and others will do so while they wait to approach the tee box. It’s not a matter of how many swings a person takes but how long it takes you from the time you arrive at the ball until the time you hit it, and your overall pace of play. In other words, are you a slow player and holding up play, or not? We were always told that a pre shot routine should only take 3 seconds. There are players who might take six practice swings but do not hold up play. There are others who may take one practice swing, but are painfully slow and methodical about everything they do that they are always holding up the group. So it’s about pace of play, not number of swings.

Back by popular demand the oh so popular hoodie PTECH® FLEECE HOODED LADIES’ JACKET

It will be available in the 5 different colours (Black, Navy, Pink, Dark Grey & light Grey; Sizes Small to XXXL

Cost $55 + GST

We will taking orders at the Orientation/Socials in both Calgary and Edmonton. If you want to order without trying on this is an option.