CONFIDENCE IS A CHOICE
28 Jan 2016

CONFIDENCE IS A CHOICE

By: Gregg Steinberg, WGCA contributing writer While confidence is an essential ingredient for successful golf, it is as fickle as an eight-year-old boy in a candy store. One moment he wants to try the sweet Gummy Bears and the next he will gobble up the sour chews. Birdies can give you a sweet air of invincibility while a series of bogeys can make you sour on your golf ability. As he stood on the 13th tee on Sunday, Fabian Gomez had reached 20 under par at the Sony Open. He knew he had the championship within his grasp. Then he proceeded to bogey both the 13th and 14th holes. Fabian could have lost his confidence and fallen into a downward spiral of negativity. But instead, he rebounded and finished with an amazing birdie putt on the 72nd hole to finish at 20 under par and into a playoff, which he won over Brandt Snedeker. Once you begin to lose your confidence, it is difficult to gain that sweet feeling back again. When this happens, it seems as if the game has become your enemy. All you think about is the trouble rather than focusing on the desired result. Like Fabian Gomez, to play at your best under pressure, you must be able to keep your confidence, regardless of how easily the bogeys seem to be appearing on your card. You can keep your confidence with the following key strategies: 1)         Believe that confidence is your choice. Regardless of how badly you are playing and scoring, confidence is always your choice. You can continually make a statement such as “I choose to be confident” to beat away those negative thoughts. 2)         Keep a confidence journal.  Every time you had a great round, write down how you were feeling and thinking. Keep this journal in your golf bag and look at it throughout the round to get a great jolt of confidence 3)         Have a golden nugget.  A golden nugget is a visualization of a great shot. Perhaps it was that 5-iron that you nutted last week to three inches.  Before the round, visualize this shot over and over again so that when you hit a few shots, you will remember this golden moment and it will boost your confidence. Centuries ago, the renowned philosopher Rene Descartes wrote that we have the capacity to think whatever we choose. That human truth is the same today. You always have the choice to have a great attitude or terrible one. If you make the right choice, the chances are much greater that you will become the player you always wanted to be. (Bio: Dr. Gregg Steinberg is a professor of sports psychology at Austin Peay State University. He has been ranked by Golf Digest as one of the world’s greatest sports psychologists and has worked with many PGA Tour players, including Brandt Snedeker, Brian Gay and many more. He is the head sports psychologist for the International Golf Psychology Association. To help your mental game, visit www.masteringgolfpsychology.com to see some free videos and articles.)
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A STILL SHOT
26 Jan 2016

A STILL SHOT

By: Dave Hill WGCA contributing writer A photograph is a still shot in our minds, a suspension of time, a memory that gives and helps of live. This article will be short. I recently lost someone close, a pillar of stability in our family. It is in these times as humans we reflect about life. None of us know our destiny. Our past offers options; we can learn from, dwell on and/or cherish our history. It is the present, however, most worthy of embracing. There is presently a 70-year ongoing Harvard study about happiness. Seven decades earlier, researchers asked a large group of young boys from an impoverished Boston neighborhood what they believe would help lead them to a happy and fulfilling life. Not surprisingly, they all answered, in some form or another, bar none: To be rich/successful and/or famous. We’d likely hear the same answers from our youth today. Four generations of researchers later, the study has revealed a conclusive finding amongst the many kids within who are now in their eighties, only one finding in spite of the plethora of careers and socio-economic standing of the study’s participants. As it turns out, some had very successful careers and others remained impoverished. Some became wealthy, and even one became president of the United States. Again, in spite of where one stood in their respective life 70 years forward, the only characteristic in common attributing to each individual’s fulfillment regarding a happy life was the personal relationships they fostered with others throughout their lives. Some were in the past and based upon fond memories. Earlier, I mentioned cherishing the past. The research participants didn’t cherish the past at all. They cherish the present to provide the best memories. I lost a family member, I lost a friend, I lost one of my brethren (he, too, was a golf professional) and I lost a golfing partner. The memories are fond. We are lucky we work in a profession that most call a hobby or a lifestyle. Some are young getting started, others are in the midst of their careers, while others are seasoned veterans. Whether young, old, or somewhere in between, the next time you are out teaching or playing the game, remember there are two relationships you are nurturing: one with an individual and one with the game. There is only one thing more satisfying than seeing the look of exuberance of a student or a playing partner hitting the perfect shot. It is the knowledge of you knowing they have taken a snapshot of the ball in a still-frame as it reaches its apex as it inevitably toward its intended target. You know this because this is the essence of the game you have lived many times. Everything feels right as the ball leaves the club and your eyes focus in on the hurtling sphere, and the present moment becomes etched in your memory forever. Cherish the shot and enjoy the happiness the photograph provides forever.
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ONE IMPORTANT TRAIT
26 Jan 2016

ONE IMPORTANT TRAIT

Having studied very successful golf instructors for many years, I have discovered one important trait that they all have in common that you do not see with the average golf teacher. This one thing goes right to the heart of how human beings learn physical motion. For the sake of space and your boredom, I won’t go deep into motor skill learning. The simplest way to understand how we learn motion is to think of how you learned to eat, drive or brush your teeth. Motor skill learning in its most basic form is repetitive motion that is learned and captured in the nerves that connect the brain to the muscles.  Having spent most of the last twenty years helping golf professionals learn to improve their teaching skills, the one thing I have noticed more than any other shortcoming is the lack of understanding how the dynamic of motor skill learning works. So, what is this one trait? Besides the obvious, which is the ability to communicate well, the one trait is the understanding that human beings learn from feel. Successful instructors not only verbally explain the motion, but they actually interact with the student by helping them physically make the motion. New or inexperienced instructors spend the majority or even all of their instruction time verbally teaching the student. While all of us that teach the game have the desire to help people play better golf, we need to understand better how humans learn. Therefore, it is not a lack of caring or effort on the part of teacher. It is simply a lack of education. Either through experience, education or even trial and error, successful instructors understand what the famous instructor Gary Wiren said forty years ago: “A golfer needs to clearly feel and understand what he or she is trying to do.  Even more simply put, golf is a game of feel. “ Our main purpose as golf instructors trying to help our students improve is to teach what the motion should feel like. The only truly effective way to do that is to physically move them or the club while attached to them. Teach feel. Some of us can watch and imitate. A very, very small percentage can read it and then translate the written word into motion. But the vast majority of us need to be taught how the correct motion feels. Watching instructors attempting to help their students, I see them way too frequently attempt to talk their students into a better motion, commanding verbally, “Don’t do this or don’t do that.” Back to our basic motor skill learning. As we make a movement, the human brain is wired to learn motion so as to repeat that motion eventually on a subconscious level. Think of having to learn to use your fork and spoon from the beginning every time you ate a meal. That would make for some long dinners. Try this simple motion.  Take your hand from a positon of resting it on a table and use your index finger to touch the tip of your nose. This simple motion has six million possible motion variances; that’s correct, six million. Therefore, one aspect of simple survival for us is our ability to learn motion. Next time you are giving a lesson, ask yourself, “How much am I talking and not showing?” Understandably, some are apprehensive to physically help their students. That is completely understandable. But an important step of improving your instruction is to get over that fear and just do it. They can’t release the energy of the club head through impact? They have never felt their hands stay solid through impact on a chip or putt? Help them swing the club slowly through impact, teaching them to feel the correct movement. Trust me, the reward and response you get from your students from teaching feel will surprise you.
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18 Jan 2016

If you were a golf course manager, how would you respond to the following scenarios?

  1. During a busy day early in the season, several groups legitimately complain about the slow pace of play on the course. Do you… a. Apologize for the slow play but explain that your Players Assistants were doing the best they could to keep play moving? b. Explain to the golfers that it was a busy day and slow play is to be expected particularly early in the season? c. Tell them that you understand that play was unusually slow today and offer them a discount voucher for their  inconvenience and ask them to please come out and try the course again? d. Tell them that you are not surprised as you saw many bad players out on the course today? Answer: Although A, B and D may all be very true, none of those answers will bring any satisfaction to the golfers and CUSTOMER SATISFACTION is the number one priority. Discounting golf is certainly not the answer to everything – but the course is obviously having a good day (causing slow play) and you want to cultivate as many happy customers as possible.

  2. Your club policy is that employees must request days off two weeks in advance for scheduling purposes. A usually very reliable part-time staff member comes to you and informs you that he needs the next three days off because of a wonderful opportunity that just came his way. You are already short staffed because of others who had requested off a couple of weeks ago. You… a. Reiterate the policy and explain that you can’t give him the days off. b. Let him know that you’ll be glad to cover for him even though you’re short-handed and to have a great trip. c. Let him know that he can have the time off as long as he can find someone to cover his shifts. d. Moan and complain about how difficult it will be to cover for him so that he feels bad about the late notice – but cover for him anyway. Answer: Reliable part time staff is hard to come by and are an essential component of any smooth running golf course. By allowing him to feel good about his opportunity, he will be much more productive when he returns, bringing with him a positive attitude and good morale. Answer C would seem to be a reasonable solution but it will very possibly cause extra stress and hard feelings between the staff members who can’t, won’t, or eventually do cover his shifts. Staff will be much more willing to cover if asked by the Director or Head Pro – thinking they will be banking some good will for later use.

  3. A golfer comes into the shop after having a confrontation with another group and ultimately your Player Assistant. He is very upset with the way he was spoken to by the PA and demands that something be done. He is a regular customer and influential in the community. Your PA has already made you aware that this individual was hitting into the group ahead of him on more than one occasion. When the PA approached him he became loud and abusive. You should… a. Apologize for the confrontation because “the customer is always right” and allow him to leave feeling good and limiting any negative publicity. b. Respond in a strong tone making sure he understands that hitting into other groups will not be tolerated and that your PA acted appropriately. c. Tell the customer that you will speak to your PA about the way he spoke to him and assure the customer that it will never happen again. d. Explain that you have already heard what happened from the PA’s point of view but would like to hear his side too. Discuss how the situation can be avoided in the future without demeaning the actions or authority of your PA. Answer: The trick is to neutralize the situation, take steps to prevent it from reoccurring, and to protect the integrity of your staff. Making a stand and lecturing on the customer’s wrong- doing may feel good and deserving, but will probably come back to haunt you at some point. It is very important that your staff understands that there is a right and wrong way to communicate with customers but that you will support them when they are forced into a difficult situation during the course of doing their job. Correct answer – D.

  4. Membership is down and a small group claiming to represent a contingency of 16 members comes to you because they have been offered a better deal to join a neighboring club. Do you… a. Tell them you will match the other club’s offer if the group will rejoin your club? b. Meet with the group to discuss a mutually beneficial resolution? c. Point out to the group the benefits of remaining at your club and impress upon them how much you value them as members? d. Advertise special pricing and incentives to all members to attract additional members while limiting the departure of current members? Answer: Members can be tough to come by, and at times, even tougher to keep happy. “The grass is always greener” philosophy does present challenges when trying to get members to rejoin year after year. Meeting with the group to discuss a possible resolution AND impressing upon them how much you value their memberships are both necessary steps. Often times the members just want to know that they are valued and are heard when it comes to golf course and membership issues. Matching the other club’s offer will most certainly be found out by your other members and will create a terrible situation. If the numbers continue to drop, advertising special pricing and incentives may become necessary – however, getting pulled into a price war with neighboring clubs will usually only benefit the golfers and hurt any and all of the clubs involved. Unfortunately, sometimes drastic measures must be put in place to get through difficult times. Correct answer – C.

  5. A group of eight have reserved two prime tee times on a Sunday morning. Four players show up and announce that the second foursome decided to cancel. You… a. Politely let the gentlemen know that they had reserved two tee times and that they will have to pay the greens fees for the time that will go unused. b. Politely let the gentlemen know that this is a prime time for the course and in the future you would appreciate their calling ahead to cancel the time. c. Don’t say anything and accept that this is part of the business. d. Make a note of the reservation for future reference and let the staff know that if a multiple reservation is made in that name again that the individual will have to leave a credit card number to secure the times and that it will be charged greens fees for any no shows. Answer: This is a common occurrence at golf courses that take advance reservations. Answer B is probably the best way to handle the situation at the time, but it would also be prudent to implement a policy to take a credit card number at the time of the reservation and let the person know that it is course procedure to charge a green fee for no-shows in prime hours of operation. The policy should be written down and all pro shop employees should know the policy. If you have to enforce the procedure, be sure to keep a record of the charge, day and time the  reservation was made and the name of the person. That way, you can have it available for a customer who disputes the charge or the credit card company disputing the charge.

  6. You are the Director of Golf Operations and a Certified Golf Instructor presents you with a plan to teach golf at your facility and bring students. When you present this to the golf pro, he resists and tells you he does not want any outside instructors teaching at his golf course. You… a. Tell the pro that it is not his decision and you are allowing the new teacher access, like it or not. b. Remind the pro that the goal of the course is to bring in business and that the instructor’s plan does not compete with the pro and that it will bring in new business to the facility. c. Discuss with the pro the benefits of having an individual that will bring in new business and assure him that there is room for both to grow and prosper. d. Demand that the pro come up with a plan that will add the same revenue promised by the certified golf instructor’s proposal. Answer: It would be easy to just tell the pro that you make the decisions not him, but that would probably create hard feelings and cause more harm than good. It is always better to be up front and try to get people to see the bigger picture. Golf is a competitive business and convincing him in the long run that the more opportunities to improve the bottom line is good for everyone. C would be the best approach.

  7. A guest of a member of your golf club is having dinner in the main dinning room of the clubhouse. One of your wait staff informs the club manager that this person is receiving multiple calls on his cell phone and is annoying their members. Club policy clearly states that cell phones are not allowed in the main dinning room. Therefore, you respond in the following manner: a. Confront the member and reiterate the policy. b. Confiscate the cell phone from the guest and say it is against club policy but the phone can be picked up at your office after dinner. c. Do nothing. d. Tell the waiter to explain the policy. e. Show the member the written policy on a small business card you had developed for that purpose. Answer: E

  8. The starter on the first tee of your golf club calls you stating that Dr. Smith, a suspended member for nonpayment of dues, has just teed off with three guests. Dr. Smith has been a respected member of the community and a club member for seven years. How would you, the club manager, handle the situation? a. Tactfully escort Dr. Smith and his guests off the golf course. b Allow him and his guests to finish the round and ask Dr. Smith to see you in your office after the round. c. Have the ranger hand him a note reminding him of the situation and ask him to see you after play. d. Allow him to finish the round with his guests and telephone him the following day. Answer: B

  9. For your pro shop you need to decide what retail prices to set on apparel and equipment. To help determine, you need to find the gross margin percentage (GMP) in figuring these prices. The equation for GM is displayed: GMP = (Sale of goods—Cost of goods) / Sale of goods. Therefore, which one of the following is not included in calculating the GMP? a. Rent b. Cost of apparel and equipment c. Shipping cost of apparel and equipment d. Retail price Answer: The best answer is “A.” The cost of rent to house your equipment and apparel is definitely not part of the GMP equation. Hence, rent would be considered an indirect cost. Any cost directly related to equipment and apparel such as shipping and the wholesale price is part of cost of goods. And, to complete the calculation, the retail price (which is the sale of goods) is the other number required for the GMP.

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CHANGE
18 Jan 2016

CHANGE

Everyone has heard phrase about how the world is changing and you have to adapt to the change.  For some of us, this might be natural, while for others, it’s extremely hard.  Change is everywhere:  from the way people communicate, the way people learn, the way information is exchanged and the way information is taught. For about six years, I have been working with a young man who is a now a freshman in college.  The way he likes to communicate is via text messaging.  To me, this is somewhat strange.  I would call and he would not answer; shortly after he would text me. It took me a bit to figure out that texting was the best way to communicate with him.  He would text a novel, but face to face it was hard to get two words out of him. Texting is the way young people communicate. Think about the options available for college.  There are the traditional, daytime classes that are now being overtaken by night, weekend, or online classes.  People like online learning because itprovides the freedom to work or take care of a family.  The higher educational system has realized that in order to capture market growth, they have had to alter what they offer. As golf teaching professionals, how are we changing to adapt to our students and their needs?  Websites and social media might be the medium through which your current or future students want to communicate with you.  They want to text videos of their swings and have you communicate back via text.  Some people only like to email.  They want to email their swing video to you then have you respond via email back. To maintain or grow your success as a teacher, you have to modify your approach.  Think about the way you have done things in the past and the how your student demographics are changing.  Figure out where the gaps are between your style and their learning and communicating methods, then close those gaps.  It might be scary at first, but once you embrace the change, you will be happy you did.
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A TIGER, A BEAR AND A HAWK…OH MY!!
8 Jan 2016

A TIGER, A BEAR AND A HAWK…OH MY!!

By: Dave Hill WGCA contributing writer So who is the best player of all time? Yes I realize comparing players from different eras is next to impossible if not frowned upon but in light of Tiger turning 40 it would be an interesting exercise to compare his record with those of past greats. It would be wise to start with a list of my top players from youngest to oldest: Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen and Harry Vardon. HOW DO WE MEASURE? Some say Tiger is the most talented to ever play the game however this is an unfair statement as no one alive today had the opportunity to witness Vardon, Hagen or Jones and those who remember watching Hogan, Snead and Nelson in their primes were too young at the time to offer an expert opinion today. Many who did witness these players in their primes were not alive to witness Tiger. Therefore the only effective way to compare is winning % and by the numbers or is it?  FACTS TO CONSIDER
  • Some players were more natural than others (Hagen,Vardon, Nelson, Snead vs Hogan).
  • Some were coached from a young age and others not (Bobby Jones, Jack & Tiger vs Hagen, Nelson, Snead & Hogan).
  • Some players competed in 4 majors per year (Jones,Nicklaus & Tiger) and others only 2 to 3 (All professional players pre Nicklaus) due to scheduling conflicts or inconvenience of travel.
  • Some players have had career interruptions due to injury (Tiger), illness (Vardon & Jones), WW1 or 2 (Jones, Hagen,Nelson, Snead, Hogan) or injury and WW2 combined (Hogan).
  • Some had long careers (Vardon, Snead, Nicklaus) while other retired early for personal reason (Jones & Nelson).
  • Some players went through equipment transitions (Vardon from the feathery to the Gutta Percha ball), (Nelson, Snead and Hogan from Hickory to steel shafts…major transition), (Tiger from shorter steel shafted to longer graphite shafted driver and fairway woods).
  • Depth and quality of competition. Some players had stiffer competition than others (Vardon who was also part of the 1st great triumvirate), (Nelson, Snead and Hogan who were the 2nd great triumvirate) and (Nicklaus who was part of the 3rd great triumvirate and who took on many greats throughout 3 decades)
WINNING PERCENTAGE (Majors) Harry Vardon (7 Major victories/Played 1 per year except in 1900/1913 & 1920 when he played 2)
  • 21% (7 wins in 33 majors)
  • 33% (% wins between 1st major win and last major win/ 7 wins in 21 majors)
  • 5% (Hottest major winning streak/5 wins in 9 majors)
Walter Hagen
  • 20% (11 wins in 55 majors)
  • 35% (% wins between 1st major win and last major win/ 11 wins in 31 majors)
  • 47% (Hottest major winning streak/7wins in 15 majors)
Bobby Jones
  • 42% (13 wins in 31 majors) He played in Masters after these 31 majors and after he effectively retired from competitive golf
  • 62% (% wins between 1st major win and last major win/ 13 wins in 21 majors)
  • 5% (Hottest major winning streak over a few years/10 wins in 16 majors)
Byron Nelson
  • 6% (5 wins in 32 majors) He played past retirement but last tournament counted here is 1949 Masters
  • 25% (% wins between 1st major win and last major win/ 5 wins in 20 majors)
  • 33% (Hottest major winning streak/4 wins in 12 majors)
Sam Snead
  • 12% (7 wins in 60 majors) Stopped when Snead was 47yrs old
  • 26% (% wins between 1st major win and last major win/ 7 wins in 27 majors)
  • 40% (Hottest major winning streak/4 wins in 10 majors)
Ben Hogan
  • 20% (9 wins in 44 majors)Stopped when Hogan was 47yrs old
  • 56% (% wins between 1st major win and last major win/ 9 wins in 16 majors)
  • 73% (Hottest major winning streak/8 wins in 11 majors)
Jack Nicklaus
  • 17% (18 wins in 108 majors) 1960-1987 however he’s 25% with 14 wins in 55 majors (1962-75)
  • 5% (% wins between 1st major win and last major win/ 18 wins in 97 majors)
  • 44% (Hottest major winning streak/4 wins in 8 majors) 36% (5 wins in 14 majors)
Tiger Woods
  • 20% (14 wins in 70 majors) 1997- 2015
  • 30% (% wins between 1st major win and last major win/ 14 wins in 46 majors)
  • 83% (Hottest major winning streak/5 wins in 6 majors) 64% (7 wins in 11 majors)
MOST VICTORIES (From this list)
  • Sam Snead – 82 (30 years)
  • Tiger Woods – 79 (18 years)
  • Jack Nicklaus – 73 (25 years)
  • Ben Hogan – 64 (22 years)
  • Byron Nelson – 52
  • Walter Hagen – 45
  • Harry Vardon – 7 (The Open and US Open)
  • Bobby Jones – 6 (Us Open and the Open)
BEING OBJECTIVE Numbers alone can’t tell us who we believe the best player of all time is however they can help but only when we delve deeper. Take Bobby Jones for example. Yes he won 13 majors with a high winning % however 6 are amateur championships in which he did not compete against the best of the best of his era (Walter Hagen & Gene Sarazen) and there was little quality to his competition. The same can be said for Vardon however we cannot deny these two great men’s raw talent as Jones played part time and Vardon was a true superstar of his era. Byron Nelson retired from golf for a simpler way of life. He had amassed a small fortune for the day and hung it up early in 1946. Yes his winning % was quite respectable in majors however he amassed many of his wins in 1944/45. His arch rivals Snead and Hogan were enlisted for service during the war years while Nelson was not due to health reasons. This allowed the latter to amass victory after victory during 1944 and his record breaking year of 1945. It cannot be overstated that had he gone head to head against both Snead and Hogan during these years his win total would have been lower. There is a strong argument for Sam Snead being regarded as the best ever based on his career longevity by winning in 5 different decades and obtaining 82 PGA Tour victories but his winning % in majors and not procuring the US Open unfortunately drops him down a notch. 3 GOLFERS REMAIN (Hogan, Nicklaus, Woods) HOGAN IS THE BEST Ben Hogan is the most curious case to examine for being placed on the pedestal as the best player to have ever played the game. It can be agreed his career was condensed. Yes there was the car accident in early 1949. Some say this made him a better player forcing him to work even harder in order to make it back to the game he so loved. I don’t buy this. His love for the game and work ethic were instilled prior to the accident and simply helped him recover so quickly. If anything the accident placed these elements into the limelight giving Hogan legendary and iconic status. Some also say his swing changed for the better after the accident. Shorter and more controlled. This too is far from the truth. Hogan did not have a professional coach/teacher growing up and first developed his swing to hit it far in order to keep up and beat the older caddies as a means to get caddy loops and earn a dollar. His original swing was born of necessity for survival. He went on to say later in life he would have developed the swing he did 10 years earlier had he had the usage of a video camera. Lest we forget he along with other players of the era were transitioning from the long “handsy” swing of the hickory shaft to a more controlled swing of the steel shaft. Hogan had figured out his swing much earlier and consolidated it with a victory at the Hale America Open in 1942 (considered by many to be Hogan’s 1st US Open victory) and immediately after the war as the flood gates opened up with victories between 1946 -1948. When we talk about a condensed career Hogan’s first years out on tour cannot be compared in today’s world. No coach, not a natural and many years of toiling until he “dug it out of the ground” and developed a swing he could rely on in the heat of battle. Then the war hit, then 3 years later a life threatening car accident shortening his career in essence for 5 more years of strong competitive golf. It is easy to surmise Hogan’s career lasted approximately 10 years in which some of those years contained a very limited playing schedule with only 2 to 3 majors played per year. Quite impressive and no one to date has played better in the majors in such a short period of time…not even Tiger. Although Tiger won 4 majors in a row, Hogan did not compete in the PGA Championship in 1953 due to the stresses on his legs caused by the car accident as it was 36 holes per day (match play). He did lose in a playoff in the 54 Masters to Sam Snead which would have made it 4 in a row. Regardless he did win 8 out of 11 compared to Tiger’s streak of 7 of 11. Jack’s record of 18 major victories at this juncture does not look like it will fall at least not by Tiger who remains with 14 and he did it in 46 attempts beating out Jack who was 14 for 55. However what stands out about Jack Nicklaus are the number of 2nd, 3rd and top 10 finishes in the majors. Jack Nicklaus in the majors 1st – 18 2nd – 19 3rd– 9 Top 5 – 56 Top 10 – 73 Cuts Made – 131 Total events – 164   Tiger Woods in the majors 1st – 14 2nd – 6 3rd – 4 Top 5 – 31 Top 10 – 38 Cuts made – 67 Total events – 76   Ben Hogan in the majors 1st – 9 2nd – 6 3rd – 2 Top 5 – 25 Top 10 – 40 Cuts made – 53 Total events – 58 If we delve even further into why I consider Hogan the best and only by a slim margin over Nicklaus I have to look at a few other factors. Nicklaus surpasses Hogan in majors due to the amount of victories 2nd and 3rd place finishes but again this number is skewed against Hogan as he was unable to compete in the British Open or in most years the PGA Championship. It is not however skewed against Tiger. This then leads us to another vital aspect; Depth but more so, the quality of competition. The tour in Tiger’s era is/was very deep in talent however is it fair to say the quality of his competitors was lacking if compared to those of Nicklaus and Hogan? The fact both Hogan and Nicklaus were part of a “Great Triumvirate” is telling in its own right. Hogan had Snead, Nelson, Sarazen, Harmon, Demaret and later Palmer. Nicklaus took on all comers in three decades and many of his competitors are iconic names today; Palmer, Player, Trevino, Floyd, Watson etc. Tiger has had to compete in essence against Faldo and Norman during the twilight of their careers, Els and Mickelson. The edge here goes to Nicklaus with Hogan second. Finally it is important to realize what a figure Hogan was and what he brought to the game. He was revered for his ball striking, course management, work ethic, devotion and passion for the game like no other. There has never been a player in the history of the game who has garnered the respect from his peers like Hogan. Tiger has stated only Hogan (and Moe Norman) has owned his swing. When Hogan was hitting balls, Nicklaus would stop and watch. Case closed in my opinion.  
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8 Jan 2016

Golf – The Game Of Lasting Friendship

By Anthony Bernard Benny

Sitting at my desk and looking down memory lane, I could not help but smile at what this great game has done for me, from being a caddie, a worker on the golf course, a stint as caddie master and also a player, but the best was yet to come. One day, I was asked to play in an event that had the best players in my country.  It was a four-day event and at the end, I placed second, a loser by one (1) shot.  The then-manager of the golf club suggested that I should turn pro.  In those days, being a pro was mostly to teach, because there were one or two events for us to play, and being a good player, everyone believed that you could teach, as well. I remember quite clearly that one day while giving a lesson to one of my very outstanding students, there was a guy not too far away, on the range.  He put his clubs down and headed for the manager’s office.  I then thought that maybe I had spoken too loudly, or said something offensive.  In a matter of minutes, the manager came out of her office and requested that I visit her after finishing my lesson.  I proceeded to the Manager’s office after my lesson was completed.  She informed that the gentleman on the range had asked her to speak to me about being his teacher/coach.  We became good friends.  One night he asked me, “Where do you get all this knowledge?  What do you have as evidence to show that you are a teacher?”  All I had was my local PGA card.  He then informed that that was not enough and I should research and find a school where I could get my teaching card. Chris Richards and I went in search of this and we found quite a large number of schools, but decided on the United States Golf Teachers Federation. On yet another night, I had a class of six (6) new students and after the class, I told the leader of the group that I was going to America to golf school to learn to be a better teacher.  He asked me who was paying for it.  I then called the name of the other guy present and without hesitation he said that he would double what the other guy was paying. That was more than ten (10) years ago and to date, I am still supported by the second gentleman to be a member of the USGTF every year.  I look forward with great anticipation as to where the next USGTF Cup will be held.  There are many reasons why, but most of all, I look forward to seeing my friends made from events of the years gone by, and the new ones that I am going to make.  Plus, it gives me time to go visit my guru and friend David Leadbetter. Being a lover of the sport, I am always open to knowledge, and to be a good teacher, one must be always open to learning. To all my golfing friends, golf simply means a game of lasting friendship.
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MY EXPERIENCE WITH FOOT GOLF
8 Jan 2016

MY EXPERIENCE WITH FOOT GOLF

Our golf course just added a foot golf layout. For those unfamiliar with this new sport, an individual uses a soccer ball and kicks it down the fairway to a hole about the size of the top of a 55-gallon drum. There are flags in the hole so one knows where the hole ends. Each hole, like with a golf course, is different in length and weaves around trees and hazards. The purpose is to increase revenue and provide a fun outdoor activity to active people. Just like golf, you can play individually or in groups. Based on my observation thus far, it does not require a lot of skill, just a strong foot. The real question is what is the overall purpose of this activity? Was it designed to expose more people to golf with the hope of creating new golfers, or to add more money into the course coffers? I suspect both, but money will most likely win out. No question we need more golfers, but I’m not sure this will be the answer. I say this based on my own experience and that of some savvy young people in a recent golf camp I conducted. For me, it was pretty dull. Not a lot of excitement. About the equivalent of skipping rocks on a lake. At my Christmas golf camp, I earmarked one afternoon for all the kids to play a round of foot golf. Ages ranged from 6 to 11. When asked if they liked it, the overwhelming response was “it was okay.” Not a ringing endorsement. Where it will lead, no one can really say.
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