Golf

Divorce and new babies heading into the PGA Championship- how is this going to play into the results.

I’ll never forget my first eagle. It was a par 5 that was playing a little short that day, and I took full advantage of it. As a golf professional, I’ve since had a few more eagles, the most notable, of course, being on a par 3. Whether you are still on the hunt for…

As a former golf teaching professional, I had to adjust my expectations of a good drive based on the player I was working with. The average driver distance for most amateur golfers is likely shorter than you think. People love to say they hit their driver 250, but unless you have a good amount of…

To be a golfer, you have to play like one, look like one, and even talk like one. Amateur golfers seem to have their own language, one that golf pros can’t relate to all that well. How many of these are you using during your golf rounds? Do you sound like a pro? 10 common things…

Years ago, the color of golf balls was a novelty. Today, things have changed, and golf ball color is viewed as more of a technological advancement than a novelty. In fact, some golfers swear by playing with yellow or green balls and are fully convinced that it has helped their game. If you are tired of white golf balls or simply want…

I’ve tested dozens of golf balls on the course, and I can tell you that the right golf ball is all about finding a match for your game. Sometimes, the perfect golf ball is one that you would not expect, but it provides more distance and better spin rates than any other ball on the…

There’s lots of talk about dads getting time out on the golf course with their kids. Introducing them to the sport, teaching the etiquette, and letting them ride along in the cart for a quick nine. Here’s the thing: this privilege (and it is a privilege) is not reserved for the dads. As a mom who plays golf with her kids…

Golf greens change speed. Even if you play the same golf course week after week, you’ll need to adjust to the green speeds that day. As a golf professional who played competitively for years, I was frustrated when it took 7 to 8 holes to get a real feel for the greens. I started using these 5…

As a golf professional who was also a former membership director, I’ve seen people make bad golf membership decisions in the past. Joining a country club goes well beyond the initiation fee costs or how nice the locker room may be. I’ll dive into 9 questions you should ask yourself before joining. If you can confidently answer these questions, you’ll enjoy…

Softer golf balls are considered better for players with lower swing speed. Faster swing speeds do well with the hard golf balls. Although this is considered generally accepted information, is it actually correct? With the help of launch monitor data, enough testing has been done to help us understand the soft vs. hard golf ball dilemma and determine who should really be playing with each.  If…

If adding 10 yards to drive seems like a massive project, you may want to think again. I recently added some distance to my driver, and even after 30 years in the game and playing at the professional level, there are still tweaks I can make to add distance. I’ll go through these 6 pro…

Have you ever considered how the golf courses you play impact your score? Although it would be hard to get an exact number for the average handicap at country clubs vs. public courses, there would likely be some differences. As a former golf professional and teaching pro, I’ve been very lucky to play and belong…

As I watched Scottie Scheffler grab his second green jacket, I couldn’t help but notice how many golfers were under par. I’ve played golf for about 30 years and have seen every Masters along the way. I remembered when hanging on to par was enough to do it.  Not anymore.  The average golf score of…

Some golf courses use the color of the golf flag to help you identify the position of the hole. Traditionally, the white flag is for the center of the green, the blue flag for the back, and the red flag to indicate that the flag is up front. However, the color of the flag is…

As a golf professional, I’ve watched players struggle with lowering their golf scores for years. I can see the effort and time put in. However, what I notice more than anything is the mistakes. Golfers make a lot of mistakes when trying to lower their golf scores. Let me break down the 10 steps to…

As a former golf teaching professional, I’ve always kept an eye on private lessons and their cost through the years. Some costs have gone up (hasn’t everything?), but there are still ways to get affordable golf training. I’ll break down exactly how much golf lessons cost and whether or not private golf lessons are a…

I love a good scramble. As a golf professional, I think it’s so much fun to bring the team element into the game and let golfers of all levels play together. In fact, my husband, myself and the kids will play scrambles sometimes and everyone loves it. I’ve heard golf shamble vs. scramble format referred…

I try to play with urethane balls because I feel like they give me better control in the short game. However, surlyn balls are a lot cheaper and hold up better. I’ve tested some recently, like the TaylorMade Distance+ and Titleist DT Tru Soft, that actually felt good and made me want to do a…

Growing up on Long Island, I couldn’t wait for those first few days of spring weather to get out on the golf course. Anything was better than hitting shots into the net in the garage. However, that first month or so of golf was always kind of a mess. The course is soaked, there is…

I’ve been playing golf since I was 7 and have heard my fare share of golf puns through the years. I’ll be honest, some of these are much funnier than others. I’m not a huge fan of the overused puns although I’ll admit I have a few on my list. If you want to give…

Have you ever finished a round of golf and wondered, was that a good golf score? As a golf teaching professional and scratch golfer, I’ll warn you that my idea of a good golf score and yours may be slightly different. Let’s face it: this subject is one that we could debate quite a bit….

For most of us, golf is such a fun part of our week that it’s hard to think about what can get in the way of a great round of golf. One of those things is, without a doubt, the wrong golfer in your foursome. We’ve all been there, and there are, without a doubt,…

When I play golf with my 7 and 10-year-old, they LOVE it when their golf ball rolls into the first cut of rough. When they have a tight lie on the fairway, they struggle sometimes to hit a solid shot. Why is this? What is a tight lie in golf? How do you play from…

As a former golf professional, I still play a lot of golf. My average golf score is par. However, having taught hundreds, if not thousands of golfers, to play the game of golf, I can tell you that the average score for 18 holes of golf is not par. Whether you are a beginner golfer…

When I was teaching golf, my most consistent students were seniors. Why? Most senior golfers have the time to work on their games and try and improve. However, as a senior player, I find it challenging to combat slower swing speeds while still making improvements in the game. One of the best ways to do…

As a golf professional who has played the game for nearly 30 years, I like to play with clean clubs. However, I’m also a mom of two young kids, and some of my rounds are nine holes in the afternoon with kids on the back of a four-seater golf cart. Needless to say, my wedges…

I don’t like bad lies. I’ve been playing golf since I was seven and competed professionally. I’ve often felt that bad lies are one of the most unfair aspects of the game. How can I hit a 260-yard drive straight down the fairway that ends up in another golfer divot? It doesn’t feel fair. (Who…

I never play golf without a golf glove. In fact, as a college and then professional player, I felt almost lost without the glove on. Golfers have some strong opinions about whether or not it makes sense to wear a glove when they play, so I will break this down for you. I’ll answer the…

I’m a 5’2″ female professional golfer. If you think that stock clubs work for my game, they don’t! Years ago, I would have had to pay a lot of money for custom golf clubs just so that I could find equipment that would work with my swing. Luckily, custom golf clubs are not quite as…

As a female golf professional, I’ve worked with hundreds of beginner golfers ready to jump into the game of golf. In fact, I even got to enjoy this process with my mom when she decided to try her hand in the game. Female golfers need different equipment than men. With the right first set of…

The average handicap for a male golfer is estimated to be around 15 for a male golfer and 28 for a female. However, we aren’t talking about the average handicap here. Instead, we want to dive deeper into what is a good handicap in golf. As a golf professional who has been in the game…

The set of tees you choose to play from makes all the difference in the difficulty of the round you play. Different tee boxes are set up to accommodate golfers of varying abilities. As a golf professional, I can tell you that the traditional blue tees that were once made for the pros aren’t what…

It’s your first time heading out to play golf on a course, and you want to know what you can expect. You aren’t alone. Beginner golf can be overwhelming and eye-opening. As a former golf professional, I had students who would go out for their first round and wonder whether their score was good or…

As a former golf professional and membership director, I’ve seen a lot of different golf tournament themes. Some of these themes are a great way to get people excited about an event and ready to have a good time. Other themes are just kind of a disaster and leave people rolling their eyes. If you…

The first time I broke 70, it was at a course that was a par 70. Therefore, I shot a 1 under 69, not a 3 under 69. I’ll take it: the score was good enough, but it’s certainly different when you play a par 72 golf course. If you are wondering are all golf…

I’ve played a lot of serious golf in my life, which can be stressful. As a golf professional, I played in many tournaments where the pressure was incredibly high. I love a good golf scramble format at this stage in my golf career. If you’ve ever wondered what a golf scramble is and how you…

If you identify as a mid handicapper, chances are your handicap falls between 12 and 25. Whether you’re looking for a premium ball, a cheap golf ball, or something with a softer feel, I have you covered. I’ve tested almost every golf ball on the market, and I prefer to take them on the golf…

If you are a member of a club, you must be a great player. Right? That is not the case! The typical handicap of a club member may be higher than you think. As a former golf professional and country club membership director, I can tell you that golf handicaps are all over the map….

Jon Rahm is no longer a PGA Tour guy. He’s off to the LIV with Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, and Cameron Smith. However, we all know Rahm will still be back around to play in the major championships. If you are wondering what majors has Jon Rahm won and how that compares to some of…

As a former golf professional, golf writer, and daily golfer, I always found it frustrating that golfers got lumped into groups of “mid handicap,” “high handicap,” “low handicap,” and beginner. My game is different than other low-handicap players, as I’m sure your 15 handicap golf game is a bit different than that of other “mid…

As a professional golfer who’s worked at many country clubs, I had to understand the ins and outs of the golf handicap system. The golf handicap system is designed to make the game more fair and allow players of different abilities to play against each other. I will break down for you what the golf…

One of the greatest battles golfers face as they age is a reduction in swing speed. Losing swing speed is frustrating, and it’s something that senior golfers are continually battling. If you want to know if your swing speed is closer to the average golfer or a professional, you’re in the right place. As a…

If you’ve been playing golf as long as I have (30+ years), you remember the days of pitching wedge and sand wedge. Those were the wedges you had to work with. Then, the lob wedge started becoming popular. Eventually, someone realized there was a large gap between the pitching and the sand wedge. That’s where…

As a golf professional and +1 handicap I find it incredibly interesting the way that a golf ball can impact my game. I’ve played almost my whole golf career with a Titleist Pro V1. However, at one point, I decided to test out some other balls on the golf course to see what they did…

As a female scratch golfer and former golf teaching professional, I can tell you that the term scratch is a little misunderstood among amateur golfers. I once played with a new golfer who thought scratch meant he didn’t have to count all the holes. Scratch all the bad ones off! Although this would make golf…

Having the right clubs in your golf bag is essential regardless of your skill level. We know the United States Golf Association has a 14-club rule, but there is more to this discussion than that. As a former professional golfer and PGA teaching professional, I was always surprised to see golfers come to a lesson…

How often have you heard a golfer refer to themselves as a bogey golfer? Has it left you wondering if this is just another of those tricky golf terms or sayings. As a former professional golfer (who was once a bogey golfer), I’m here to give you the rundown on what it means to be…

It’s hard to stay mentally positive on the course, but it can make all the difference.

If you are playing by the rules of golf, you must know how to play a provisional golf shot properly. You’re probably scratching your head wondering, what is a provisional golf shot? I’ll explain everything to you. As a golf professional with a +1 handicap, I’ve had to take quite a few provisional golf shots…

Golf is almost always played by a group of four people. It’s rare to find a solo golfer at most courses. I’ll be honest with you: I love playing golf by myself. I wouldn’t want to do it all the time, but I find it to be a great way to get better at golf….

Golf club fitting is a great way to make sure you are playing with the right equipment. Use this guide to get some details.

Many factors go into the average golf score and the world handicap system, but it’s kind of nice to know whether you are above average, below, or somewhere right in the middle. As a professional golfer who also spent many years teaching the game, I can tell you that the handicap system, when followed correctly,…

As a golf professional, I was never interested in competitively playing tennis. However, I certainly play it for fun, and now, I’ve caught the pickleball bug. In all the years I played golf, I never really struggled with golfer’s elbow. However, when I started playing pickleball, I got a case of something that I knew…

I love it when golfers try to identify the type of grass growing at their local course. People will say things like, “They just added TiffEagle greens to my course; it’s wonderful.” What’s wonderful about it? How does it impact you as a golfer? If you have no idea how these golf course grass types…

 Even if you aren’t a golfer, chances are you have heard the word, par. The par golf meaning, how it impacts your scoring and its role in the game are all critical factors for golfers to understand. As a former Class A PGA Professional and golf course membership director, I’ve had a lot of experience…

Do you track your stats on the golf course? I took a long time to become a stat tracker and record information and data from each round. Amateur golfers often think that some of this information is for professionals. That’s not the case. If you ever wondered what GIR is in golf, I’ll give you…

Are you looking for a unique theme for your next ladies’ golf tournament? You are in the right place. As a former golf professional and membership director at a country club, I’ve hosted, planned, and organized many ladies’ golf tournaments. The best ladies’ golf tournament themes will ensure that the event is enjoyed and discussed…

People throw the term “average golfer” around quite a bit. Have you ever wondered what is an average golf score? I know that many golfers believe you are average if you shoot in the 90s.  As a former membership director and golf professional, I can give you some insider information on what an average golf…

As a former golf teaching professional specializing in female golfers, I see a lot of bad advice for female golfers. I’ve been playing golf for 30 years, and I know for a fact you have been given some bad advice at some point in your golf career. Golf tips for women tend to annoy me…

As a former golf professional and membership director at a country club, I was constantly asked about the difference between gross and net scores. Some people won’t play in a tournament if it doesn’t have a net division. Let’s face it: a net score in golf is a bit easier to accept mentally than a…

One of the most notable golf states in the United States is Florida. Without question, there is a multitude of reasons why golf enthusiasts flock to the Sunshine State to become residents or visit on a consistent basis. Fortunately, you will be able to find a mix of public courses, semi-private courses, and private country…

Does slow play drive you crazy? You aren’t alone. When I head out to play a round of golf, I only like to be able to move from one shot to the next without 3-5 minute waits on each swing. However, if you have ever played (or even watched) a golf match, you know they…

There are two reasons to understand country club guest fees. The first is for members curious about how much it will cost to have a friend come and play. The second is if you are invited to a club and want to be able to pay your way. As a golf professional and former golf…

Golf terminology takes a little while to understand fully. However, knowing the different types of golf clubs and golf club names can make a big difference in how your bag is set up and how it benefits you on the course. As a golf professional, I’m pretty particular about the clubs I have in my…

It seems that Xander Schauffele just recently went through a putter change. When this happens, we like to take a look at what may have caused this, what we can learn from it, and what the golfers putting stats look like. Let’s face facts here: sometimes, putter changes are all about sponsor dollars and equipment…

Are you still trying to figure out a way to get that extra club in your golf bag? I get it.  Our clubs are the only tools we have (besides our brains!) to help make it around the course in the fewest number of strokes. If you think you may have found a loophole in…

I’ve always loved my 8 iron, and as a golf professional, I often hit shots from the tee or when approaching a par 5 that leave me with a solid 145 yards to the hole. This is my most comfortable distance for my 8 iron. However, the 8 iron is also good for other golf…

The yacht club vs. country club decision isn’t as straightforward as you may think it is. There is quite a bit to consider here, from price to facility availability. As a former membership director, avid boater, and golf professional, I’ll explain everything you should know about the yacht club vs. country club membership decision.  Yacht…

Almost every golf set has a pitching wedge and an approach wedge. The lofts on a modern pitching wedge are just too low to leave the approach out of the bag. The problem that I see with so many golfers is not knowing when to use the pitching vs. approach wedge.  You should have a…

The ladies club championship is a big day at any golf club or country club. At one of the clubs I worked at, my lesson book was completely filled for the two weeks before the championship while everyone made last-minute changes to their game.  As stressful and nerve-wracking as the ladies club championship can be,…

One of the top reasons to join a country club is to network with other members of the club. Of course, you can network on the golf course regardless of the type of course you play. However, as a former membership director and golf professional, I can tell you that some golfers have a strong…

You have seen all of these blade vs. mallet debates, right? Some people are incredibly fixed on the concept that blades are better, or mallets are better. Others have decided to put two putters in the golf bag.  Could it really be that simple? Is carrying two putters worth it?  As a golf professional, I…