2008 Beijing Summer Olympics

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By Jim Nettleton

I freely admit to being a fanatic about playing the great game of golf as well as being a lifelong fan of the professional game. I first started following the pro circuit when Arnold Palmer broke on the scene like a swashbuckling D’Artagnan. I quickly fell in love with the nearly poetic beauty of the game and became fascinated by Palmer’s bold adventures.

From today’s perspective, we look back on those days, the days of television’s early feeble attempts at covering a game played over many acres, and realize that what were then called ‘fast’ greens were, in reality, excruciatingly slow and bumpy. And that course conditions were, for the most part, ragged. Observe some of the replays of All Star Golf and the early Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf on the Golf Channel and you’ll see what I mean.

It only makes all the more remarkable the achievements of the greats of those days and the days long before them. How, for example, under those conditions, was Byron Nelson able to set an incredible scoring average that stood for decades until Tiger Woods (who else) broke it in 2000? But the record was broken on courses manicured to a degree that Nelson could only have dreamed of during his prime.

All of which brings us to the current day and what is happening to this great game. True, today’s players are bigger, stronger and better conditioned than any who have gone before. And true, their talent level as a whole is greater – after all, they’ve had amazing role models from whom to learn. They’ve also had the benefit of an unprecedented amount of research and electronic analysis that didn’t exist in their predecessors’ time.

It is normal and even beneficial that the overall talent level and general proficiency improves and that cherished records fall on a fairly regular basis as Father Time marches on. But what we’ve seen over the past ten to twenty years is too much.

Players now on the Champion’s Tour are hitting the ball farther than they ever did while in their prime on the regular tour. The average driving distance on the regular tour is increasing geometrically. Architects are being forced to stretch classic courses to inconceivable lengths: courses routinely now measure an incredible 7,500 yards – and, I believe, the overall health of the game is suffering.

It is in some ways similar to what’s happened to basketball over the years. Once an intriguing game of finesse, it has become nothing more than a group of extremely tall people dashing madly up and down the court and stuffing the ball ferociously into the basket. What were once fouls are ignored – traveling and palming the ball are now routine. Just about anything goes in today’s world of Full Contact Basketball. Gone is the intricate teamwork that once made the game a joy.

Golf is in danger of undergoing the same type of deterioration. With the incredible advances in club and ball technology that have largely gone unchecked by the USGA and R&A, great courses are becoming obsolete, records are becoming fodder for the shredder and the game’s finesse, except in the case of a few modern players such as Woods and Michelson, is disappearing at an alarming rate. It is becoming a ‘slam it hard and find it’ game.

When was the last time you saw a pro gently cut a long iron – and I’m talking a 1 or 2 iron – into the target? Today’s ball is harder to curve and fewer and fewer pros master the art of working the ball.

I liked Jack Nicklaus’ idea of some years ago – his suggestion of a ‘standard ball’, if you will. Strictly regulate the distance the ball can go under normal circumstances to retain the integrity of our great courses. Let’s make talent the determining factor, not who happens to grab the latest hot technology.

A great story is told of Sam Snead playing Pinehurst #2. When he was in his prime, he used a 1 iron on one of the longer par 3s on the course. Many years later, playing on the Senior Tour, he used a 3 iron. He was well into his 50s at the time.

That classic picture of Ben Hogan at Merion in 1950 hitting a 1 iron into the 18^th green is another example. Years later, I attended the Open there and stood at exactly the same spot watching Jack Nicklaus use a 5 iron.

We need to bring the game under control. The great players will still be the great players – Tiger Woods would have been a force of nature in days past, just as he is today – but the big winners would be the classic courses like Merion, which has no more room to expand to accommodate today’s super boomers; the environment, since less area would be needed and less maintenance required; and the history and integrity of the game.

About The Author

Jim Nettleton is a radio and television professional who is an avid golfer and golf historian. He highly recommends The Simple Golf Swing – http://tinyurl.com/2mmeux

for those struggling with their game. Visit his golf blog at http://golf-golf-andmoregolf.blogspot.com/

Every golfer’s physical capability and swing is distinctive. Many of today’s best golf clubs can be custom fit for lie angle, shaft type and length, grip type and size. Custom fitting golf clubs involves several easy measurements and a quick self-assessment of your game. These clubs are becoming to popular than even amateurs are giving them a shot. You might think that going out and buying some new, fancy, hybrid golf clubs will fix your game, but that won’t help as much as having your clubs custom fitted.

Whatever your level, with a custom golf club the aim is to ensure that if you do make a good swing, the club will be square at impact and should produce a straight shot.

To custom fit your golf club sets, you need to know: your gender (male or female); your height in your stockings or socks; the distance from your wrist (where it bends) to the floor with your shoes off; your age; your handicap or skill level; how fast you swing a golf club; what club you use at the 150 yard marker.

Gender is used to put you into the correct fitting scale for custom golf clubs. The golf industry uses different definitions of “standard length” for men and women.

Your height and the distance in inches from your wrist to the floor are used together to determine the length of a custom golf club that is appropriate for you. The starting point for club length can vary up to 3 Ω-inch ranging from ladies to men plus 1 Ω-inch. A tall person with long arms can very easily require shorter clubs than an average height person with short arms. Only 20 percent of golfers out there fall outside the standard length.

Your age, handicap (if you happen to have one), self-assessed skill level, estimated golf swing speed and club you use at the 150 yard marker are all combined to determined the custom golf club’s shaft flex that is appropriate for you.

Custom fitting can fix your slice. If you slice the ball it means that the toe of the club is leading into the ball which opens the face of the club. That may be down to a swing problem, but another possible cause is that the club flatter than it should be. So as part of the custom fitting process you can make the custom golf club more upright to help with this. This will mean that the toe of the club will be slightly off the ground at address to compensate.

There are different methods of fitting according to custom golf club manufacturers but ultimately they are all trying to improve your game. To begin with simple measurements such as wrist-to-floor, height and hand size are taken and will point you to the right size club and at what angle it should be to the ground. Then, you will go out and start whacking some balls. One way of doing this is to put impact tape on the bottom of the club, with an impact board on the floor.

As you hit the ball the board will leave a mark on the tape showing whether the heel or the toe of the custom golf club is striking the floor first. The resulting mark will show whether the club face needs to be flatter or more upright. After this, things get trickier. Analysis equipment can measure everything from your club speed to the side spin of the ball so that you can get maximum distance from your shot. You can also measure the launch angle of the ball, how much backspin you generate and impact efficiency – all which affect distance. The angle in which the custom golf club approaches the ball and the sidespin of it can help fix your game too.

Rather than bringing down your old clubs, it might be better to start from scratch. It is a huge mistake to think that custom fit clubs are only for those special, good golfers. Anyone can benefit. That said, if you plan to upgrade a new set of clubs with the same manufacturer they may be able to adjust your old set to become custom golf clubs.

Lastly, custom fitting is often free of charge. But it is usually on the condition that you buy some clubs once you’ve been fitted. So it really depends on what your budget is. If you’re prepared to buy a new set of clubs it’s definitely worth getting fitted.

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By Jim Nettleton

Overall, television coverage of professional golf is very good. But I feel that adjustments are necessary for that coverage to reach the level of excellence.

Typical tournament coverage involves many distractions from the game at hand. Endless interviews while there is action on the course are an annoyance, taking away from the focus on the continuity of the tournament. These diversions can be easily eliminated.

Television is, obviously, a visual medium. There is no need to concentrate entirely on an interview with a player while blocking out what’s transpiring on the course. Baseball also falls victim to this tendency, as do other sports, failing to use split screen technology that keeps sport fans in touch with the developments on the field while announcers are interviewing players.

I enjoy interviews with players that interject their perspective on the contest, but I want to also see the current action on the field. Too infrequently, television devotes one hundred percent of its attention to these sidebars and neglects the story that is unfolding on the course at the moment. There is no reason that TV cannot multitask. One set of actions does not have to be sacrificed for another.

One of my pet peeves of television’s golf coverage, for example, is the ever-present need to indulge in lofty introductions as they begin telecasting a golf tournament. Introduce the announcers, give a synopsis of previous play, mention the sponsors, etc. By the time we get to actual coverage of what’s happening now, we’re five, six or seven minutes past the opening of the telecast.

I want to see what’s happening now, not a day ago. I’ve already read about that in my morning newspaper. I don’t want to see today’s analysts bantering back and forth, I want to see what’s going on at the course, live and on time.

The analysts can banter if they wish, and much of what they say is timely, but we can and should see the game develop at the same time. These do not have to be separate and independent exercises.

Then there is the obligatory appearance by the CEO of the sponsoring company. There is no reason that we must see him/her full screen to the elimination of the course action. Put him/her on a quarter screen, while we still follow the game on the course.

If television would give us all a chance to see multiple views more viewers would be able to see more action. The other imperatives which networks need to include could all be accommodated by using split screen technology and we could all enjoy that continuity of tournament coverage that we deserve to have.

About the Author:

Jim Nettleton is a radio and television professional who is a lifelong golf addict and lived in Tampa for 10 years. He highly recommends The Simple Golf Swing – http://tinyurl.com/2mmeux for those struggling with their game. Visit his golf blog at:

http://golf-golf-andmoregolf.blogspot.com/

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By Jim Nettleton

If you’re a golfer, there’s no better place to indulge your passion than the golf-friendly state of Florida. With well over one thousand courses of all varieties, you could play for many years without hitting the same course twice.

In this first of a series of articles on golf in the Sunshine State, we’ll visit the west coast of the peninsula and discuss some of the courses in the Tampa Bay area. Let’s being with one of my favorites, probably influenced by the fact that I lived on the course for several years, Northdale Golf Club.

Located in northern Tampa, just above the Carrollwood section, Northdale is a great facility with 18 well-designed holes. They range from fairly easy to quite difficult. The course measures 6,840 from the tips of this Ron Garl design. It was renovated in 2002 – all greens were rebuilt to USGA specs, the clubhouse was improved and new cart parths were installed.

Northdale begins with a relatively easy par 5 that can be reached in 2. From that point on, players will experience a solid variety of holes with water coming into play frequently. Some of my favorite holes are as follows. The par 3 3^rd can play well over 200 yards from the back and it’s all over water. The par 5 9^thmeanders to the right and the small green is protected on three sides by water. The par 3 15^th hole plays through a narrow chute of trees to a tricky green that is guarded on the right by a pond and tall reeds. Finally, the par 5 16^th, which bends around a lake and requires precise shot placement.

Northdale is a solid test and an aesthetically pleasing layout, the only drawback being that there is no driving range associated with the facility.

North of Tampa just a few miles is another of my favorites located in the town of Zephyrhills, The Links At Lake Bernadette. It was designed by Dean Refram and opened in 1983. It, to my mind, falls into the classic course design category. You don’t need to be a big bomber to play here, but you will have to be accurate. The course is a shot maker’s delight. Water comes into play on many holes as the course winds through beautiful, mature trees and over gently rolling terrain.

By the way, The Links has a summer special going on, with all you can play plus lunch for $20 – a great bargain.

Here are some of my favorite holes. The par 5 4^th, which I think is one of the best risk-reward holes I’ve ever played. It’s short, well under 500 yards, but don’t let that fool you. If you have any hope of hitting the green in 2, you’ll have to thread your tee shot around the bend to the left and hope you don’t pull it in the woods left or push it in the woods right. Then, your second shot is extremely demanding to a small green with water in front and trouble behind, in the form of a mound with a bunker and pampas grass.

The par 3 6^th is a fine test that plays to a very undulating green. If you don’t get it close, a long putt on that green can be an adventure.

The par 4 10^th is strictly a position hole. It only measures about 315 yards, but don’t venture to the right and be tempted to cut across the dog leg. There’s serious trouble on that side.

The par 5 12^th is a solid hole that requires a very accurate drive of good length for a chance at getting home in two. Nonetheless, the green is very well guarded and missing it will bring a big number into play.

The par 3 13^th has been called the best par 3 in Tampa Bay by Golf Digest. It’s a tricky hole of only 163 yards with a semi-blind shot to a very difficult green.

Finally, the par 4 18^th gives you a solid challenge in finishing your round. It bends about 35 degrees to the right and requires a well placed tee shot to get a good angle to the green. The green itself is very narrow and well-bunkered, with 3 tiers.

Next time around we’ll look at more Tampa Bay area courses. Until then, stay well and keep swingin’.

About the Author:

Jim Nettleton is a radio and television professional who is a lifelong golf addict and lived in Tampa for 10 years. He highly recommends The Simple Golf Swing – http://tinyurl.com/2mmeux

For those struggling with their game. Visit his golf blog at http://golf-golf-andmoregolf.blogspot.com/

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By Jim Nettleton

This time around we’ll look at two wonderful Tampa Bay area courses in our continuing examination of golf in the Sunshine State.

A long time favorite of mine has been a municipal course owned by the city of St. Petersburg, Mangrove Bay Golf Course, located just off Interstate 275 in the northern area of the city.

Mangrove Bay is set in a lovely natural area bordering the bay and possesses sweeping vistas of both land and sea. It plays at just a tad over 6,600 yards and is laid out, in my opinion, beautifully. Water comes into play on 12 of the 18 holes, although in some of those instances, it is only really in play for a player who is fatally wild off the tee.

Your round begins with a relatively mild first hole, which is always a good idea, in my estimation. It’s a 349 yard affair that bends very slightly to the right and is very much a birdie possibility.

The second is a 579 yard par five with water down the left side, but that shouldn’t come into play. After a dry par three and par four, we come to the fifth hole, playing at 380 with water on the right. The sixth is a short par 5 at 506 yards, presenting a good birdie opportunity.

The seventh is a short par four, at which you’d be wise to use an iron or hybrid off the tee, since water lines the left side and position for your second shot is everything here.

Skipping ahead to the back nine, you’ll see that it starts quite benevolently, with a short par four and par three. Number twelve, however, will definitely get your attention at 400 yards, bending left. Thirteen is a neat little par four with water well left and fourteen is a straightaway par five that is a good birdie opportunity. Fifteen is the longest par three on the course.

Sixteen is probably my favorite hole at Mangrove Bay. It’s a par four of 400 yards that plays uphill for the second half, with a second shot over a creek. But you need to take a moment to look to your left as you walk or ride the hill and observe a lagoon in which mullet leap almost constantly. It’s a beautiful sight, indeed..

Mangrove Bay ends on a very strong note, with two excellent holes, the par five seventeenth at 565 yards and the par four eighteenth at 438 yards with water on the left.

The course, at least in my experience, was always in very nice shape and the environment is unbeatable.

Now let’s head north to the town of Palm Harbor in Pinellas County, a few miles northwest of Tampa and check on Tarpon Woods Country Club, another of my favorites in the region. Wildlife abounds in this beautiful setting located just off Route 19. Water is present on every hole on this course that sports tricky greens and a varied layout of holes. It plays at just under 6,600 yards from the tips and requires accurate tee shots and carefully thought out approaches.

Sadly, at the time of this writing, the course may be on its way to disappearing. Because of the usual short-sighted development without regard for consequences, the Tarpon Woods community is prone to flooding in the rainy season and pressure has been brought to dispense with the golf course and turn the area into a virtual water basin to relieve the condition.

Brooker Creek runs through the golf course, and is the source of the problem, only because of thoughtless development upstream. But it is also one of the sources of the charm of the course. So get there and play it while you can, because it’s worth the effort. If you get a chance, you’ll thoroughly enjoy this layout and its abundant flora and fauna. From the par four opening hole, throughout the picturesque layout, to the visually appealing eighteenth, this course is a delight.

Let’s hope it will be around a lot longer.

About the Author:

Jim Nettleton is a radio and television professional who is a lifelong golf addict and lived in Tampa for 10 years. He highly recommends The Simple Golf Swing – http://tinyurl.com/2mmeux for those struggling with their game. Visit his golf blog at http://golf-golf-andmoregolf.blogspot.com

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By Jim Nettleton

Bermuda has been my favorite vacation retreat for decades. Its friendly people, clean environment and wonderful weather are always a joy.

Being an avid golfer, experiencing the game and the courses on that beautiful island is also a never-ending joy. Bermuda has more golf courses per square mile than any place in the world. There are 8 courses there and each offers a splendid test.

The Belmont Hills Golf Club is a short but challenging layout that measures a little over 6,000 yards from the tips. It was rebuilt not long ago to USGA standards.

If you’re looking to spruce up your short game, try the Fairmont Southampton executive par three course, located near the southwestern tip of the island. It’s a fine array of 3 pars that will test every aspect of your iron play.

Farther along the southwestern tip you’ll find the spectacular Robert Trent Jones, Jr. designed Port Royal Golf Course. Several of its holes hug the cliffs overlooking the ocean. My personal favorite is the par three 16^th, which plays 176 yards over a chasm to a green perched on a cliff. At 6,561 yards, Port Royal is Bermuda’s longest course. Don’t miss it.

Heading back northeast, you’ll come upon Riddell’s Bay Golf & Country Club, a short but testing course along the water, measuring 5,800 yards.

Not far from Hamilton, the Ocean View Golf Course affords lovely views of the ocean. It’s only a 9 hole course measuring a little over 2,900 yards, but the scenery is worth a play.

Traveling farther north, Tucker’s Point Golf Club, the former Castle Harbour, presents itself. It was recently redesigned a while back, but maintains the elevation changes that made the old course so challenging.

Farther along the north route in the lovely town of St. George is the 18 hole executive course, St. George’s Golf Club. It consists of 8 par fours and 10 par threes. Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., this stunning layout wraps around historic Fort St. Catherine and offers challenging play and terrific views. Sadly, this course is closing soon, so enjoy it while you can.

I’ve saved the best for last. Heading back toward Tucker’s Point you’ll find the marvelous Mid Ocean Golf Club, ranked for years among the top 50 courses in the world. Play it and you’ll see why. Although it measures just under Port Royal in length, play it from the tips and you’ll think you’ve just come up against a 7,300 yarder. Spectacular holes along the ocean are to be savored. Be sure to bring plenty of memory cards for you cameras.

Some of these courses are private – but arrangements can be made through your hotel.

I can’t wait to get back there and enjoy those lovely links again.

About the Author:

Jim Nettleton is a radio and television professional who is a lifelong golf addict. He highly recommends The Simple Golf Swing – http://tinyurl.com/2mmeux for those struggling with their game. Visit his golf blog at http://golf-golf-andmoregolf.blogspot.com/