Monticello golfers, l to r, Judy Bergstrom, Warren Bergstrom and John Hoffmann at the Tarry Brae Golf Course recently.
The 206-yard par 3 (17th) hole at Tarry Brae requires a tee shot over water. A nicely designed hole that requires accuracy.
Tarry Brae & The "Toilet Bowl Shot"
In all the years I have been playing and writing abut the great sport of golf I have never heard of "The Toilet Bowl Shot."
The phrase came about while recently playing nine-holes of golf with two real nice folks from Monticello, Warren and Judy Bergstrom.
While doing a course review story at the Tarry Brae Golf Course in South Fallsburg we had the wonderful opportunity to meet up with Warren and Judy on the first tee and joined them in playing the front nine.
Warren acknowledged that he is a great fan of bicycling, is a retired teacher from Monticello High School and with the encouragement of his wife has taken up the game of golf. Judy pointed out that she also agreed to take up bicycling but the enjoyment these two have with golf was very evident that day at Tarry Brae where they walk the course with their pull carts and are members of Tarry Brae and Lochmor Golf Clubs.
The "toilet bowl shot" phrase came about as a result of one of my putts rimming the cup and then swirling around the cup before it dropped to the bottom of the cup. Judy commented that it was called a "toilet bowl" shot.
We all chuckled about the comment and proceeded on with our golf game.
Terry Brae was first developed in the early1950's and was designed by William Mitchell. In the mid 1950's the golf course was taken over by the Town of Fallsburg.
This beautifully designed course is classified by many as a premier golf facility. The course has a well-equipped pro shop and a snack bar and grill.
P.G.A. Professional Glenn Sonnenschein heads up the staff at Tarry Brae and the Lochmor Golf Course. Clark Bartholomew is the golf course superintendent.
This course features a state-of-the art irrigation system which uses a computerized automatic watering program.
We were not too sure how we would find the course after two days of heavy rain but an improved drainage system installed several years ago put the course in excellent condition with no restrictions on cart use.
The back nine of this course (holes 10-18) plays 3,513 yards to a par 36. This 18-hole course plays to a total of 6,965 yards with a par 72.
This week we will take you on a tour of the back nine.
Hole No. 10 is a 543-yard par 5 with the fairway sloping left to right. Best to take your tee shot left center.
Hole No. 11 is a 201-yard par 3 with the fairway running slightly uphill. The green has traps on the left and right. Hitting the right club off this tee decides a par score.
Hole No. 12 is a 365-yard par 4 with trees on the left side and a fairway trap on gthe right. Best to take your drive in the center of the fairway. There is a big trap to the left and center of this green.
Hole No. 13 is a 433-yard par 4 with a slight dogleg to the left. A fairway sand trap is on the right and green trap is on the left side.
Hole No. 14 is a 408-yard par 4 with an open fairway. Take your drive left center to avoid the fairway trap on the right. There is a trap on the left side of the green.
Hole No. 15 is a 391-yard par 4 with trees and fairway bunkers on the left side. Best to take your tee shot right center. Traps on the green are on the left and right center.
Hole No. 16 is a 425-yard par 4 with a fairway sand trap on the left side. Take your tee shot center of the fairway. There is a small stream about 20 yards in front of this green which also has a sand trap on the right side.
Hole No. 17 is a 206-yard par 3 with a pond on the right and a stream running in front of the green. Careful club selection is the key to a birdie or par here.
Hole No. 18 is a 541-yard par 5 with a sloping fairway running uphill. A nice finishing hole.
The Golf Tip
By Robert Menges
The Importance of Wedges:
In today's ever-changing golf game, most players are under the influence that if they hit the ball longer they will play better.
Even though technology has increased how far the ball will travel, the scores are about the same. There is no doubt that if you hit the ball longer you should have less club to the green and be able to get the ball closer to the hole and make more putts.
I believe this to be true, but you better be able to hit the shots on the green close to the pin. In order to hit the ball close, I feel it is important to carry three wedges in your golf bag. Most people have a pitching wedge that comes with their set. This club has 47 to 49 degrees of loft. You have a choice to make for the other two wedges. A gap wedge with about 50 to 55 degrees of loft and a lob wedge is about 60 to 64 degrees of loft. I would choose between these two clubs depending on how far you hit the ball.
A lob wedge will save you shots around the green and a gap wedge will help you with the in between yardages in the fairway.
You should always carry a sand wedge that has 54-57 degrees of loft.
Some touring Professionals will carry 4 wedges in their bag.
The next time you play a round of golf, count how many shots you take from 100 yards in to the green. I think you will find that this will total about 60 percent of your score.
When you are trying to improve your score, it is important to lower the number of shots you take close to the green. I think having three wedges in your bag will help you accomplish a lower score.
Robert Menges is the head golf professional at the Swan Lake Golf & Country Club, Mt. Hope Road, Swan Lake. He is available for private lessons andit you have a question or subject you would like covered, he can be reached at 292-0323 or via email at menges@hughes.net
Ed's Outlook
We are approaching the end of August but remember that some of the late summer and early fall golf is the best there is at our area golf courses. Take advantage of many courses that offer special fall rates.
It sure was a chilling victory at the British Open. Many are still trying to thaw out from their summer foray to England . Many have said that "if this is summer, I couldn't live here," and that is certainly the truth.
The Open Championship will long be remembered for four days of bone-chilling wind and weather that would send most sane folks indoors.
That led to a lot of big numbers, which included both golf scores and sales on hot coffee (wonder if those Brits added anything other than cream and sugar to that coffee?).
Somehow it was fitting that the winner, Ireland's Padraig Harrington, played the final 18 holes in shirt sleeves. The most comfortable guy took home the Claret Jug.
This column is written by Ed Townsend, who is a consultant to the amateur sport of golf and professional golf facilities. If you have a topic that you believe would make good reading or have league standings and tournament information, please call Ed at 439-8177 or send an email to bowlgolfect1@yahoo.com
For a much more expanded version of this golf column, please visit the Web site http://bght.blogspot.com/
In all the years I have been playing and writing abut the great sport of golf I have never heard of "The Toilet Bowl Shot."
The phrase came about while recently playing nine-holes of golf with two real nice folks from Monticello, Warren and Judy Bergstrom.
While doing a course review story at the Tarry Brae Golf Course in South Fallsburg we had the wonderful opportunity to meet up with Warren and Judy on the first tee and joined them in playing the front nine.
Warren acknowledged that he is a great fan of bicycling, is a retired teacher from Monticello High School and with the encouragement of his wife has taken up the game of golf. Judy pointed out that she also agreed to take up bicycling but the enjoyment these two have with golf was very evident that day at Tarry Brae where they walk the course with their pull carts and are members of Tarry Brae and Lochmor Golf Clubs.
The "toilet bowl shot" phrase came about as a result of one of my putts rimming the cup and then swirling around the cup before it dropped to the bottom of the cup. Judy commented that it was called a "toilet bowl" shot.
We all chuckled about the comment and proceeded on with our golf game.
Terry Brae was first developed in the early1950's and was designed by William Mitchell. In the mid 1950's the golf course was taken over by the Town of Fallsburg.
This beautifully designed course is classified by many as a premier golf facility. The course has a well-equipped pro shop and a snack bar and grill.
P.G.A. Professional Glenn Sonnenschein heads up the staff at Tarry Brae and the Lochmor Golf Course. Clark Bartholomew is the golf course superintendent.
This course features a state-of-the art irrigation system which uses a computerized automatic watering program.
We were not too sure how we would find the course after two days of heavy rain but an improved drainage system installed several years ago put the course in excellent condition with no restrictions on cart use.
The back nine of this course (holes 10-18) plays 3,513 yards to a par 36. This 18-hole course plays to a total of 6,965 yards with a par 72.
This week we will take you on a tour of the back nine.
Hole No. 10 is a 543-yard par 5 with the fairway sloping left to right. Best to take your tee shot left center.
Hole No. 11 is a 201-yard par 3 with the fairway running slightly uphill. The green has traps on the left and right. Hitting the right club off this tee decides a par score.
Hole No. 12 is a 365-yard par 4 with trees on the left side and a fairway trap on gthe right. Best to take your drive in the center of the fairway. There is a big trap to the left and center of this green.
Hole No. 13 is a 433-yard par 4 with a slight dogleg to the left. A fairway sand trap is on the right and green trap is on the left side.
Hole No. 14 is a 408-yard par 4 with an open fairway. Take your drive left center to avoid the fairway trap on the right. There is a trap on the left side of the green.
Hole No. 15 is a 391-yard par 4 with trees and fairway bunkers on the left side. Best to take your tee shot right center. Traps on the green are on the left and right center.
Hole No. 16 is a 425-yard par 4 with a fairway sand trap on the left side. Take your tee shot center of the fairway. There is a small stream about 20 yards in front of this green which also has a sand trap on the right side.
Hole No. 17 is a 206-yard par 3 with a pond on the right and a stream running in front of the green. Careful club selection is the key to a birdie or par here.
Hole No. 18 is a 541-yard par 5 with a sloping fairway running uphill. A nice finishing hole.
The Golf Tip
By Robert Menges
The Importance of Wedges:
In today's ever-changing golf game, most players are under the influence that if they hit the ball longer they will play better.
Even though technology has increased how far the ball will travel, the scores are about the same. There is no doubt that if you hit the ball longer you should have less club to the green and be able to get the ball closer to the hole and make more putts.
I believe this to be true, but you better be able to hit the shots on the green close to the pin. In order to hit the ball close, I feel it is important to carry three wedges in your golf bag. Most people have a pitching wedge that comes with their set. This club has 47 to 49 degrees of loft. You have a choice to make for the other two wedges. A gap wedge with about 50 to 55 degrees of loft and a lob wedge is about 60 to 64 degrees of loft. I would choose between these two clubs depending on how far you hit the ball.
A lob wedge will save you shots around the green and a gap wedge will help you with the in between yardages in the fairway.
You should always carry a sand wedge that has 54-57 degrees of loft.
Some touring Professionals will carry 4 wedges in their bag.
The next time you play a round of golf, count how many shots you take from 100 yards in to the green. I think you will find that this will total about 60 percent of your score.
When you are trying to improve your score, it is important to lower the number of shots you take close to the green. I think having three wedges in your bag will help you accomplish a lower score.
Robert Menges is the head golf professional at the Swan Lake Golf & Country Club, Mt. Hope Road, Swan Lake. He is available for private lessons andit you have a question or subject you would like covered, he can be reached at 292-0323 or via email at menges@hughes.net
Ed's Outlook
We are approaching the end of August but remember that some of the late summer and early fall golf is the best there is at our area golf courses. Take advantage of many courses that offer special fall rates.
It sure was a chilling victory at the British Open. Many are still trying to thaw out from their summer foray to England . Many have said that "if this is summer, I couldn't live here," and that is certainly the truth.
The Open Championship will long be remembered for four days of bone-chilling wind and weather that would send most sane folks indoors.
That led to a lot of big numbers, which included both golf scores and sales on hot coffee (wonder if those Brits added anything other than cream and sugar to that coffee?).
Somehow it was fitting that the winner, Ireland's Padraig Harrington, played the final 18 holes in shirt sleeves. The most comfortable guy took home the Claret Jug.
This column is written by Ed Townsend, who is a consultant to the amateur sport of golf and professional golf facilities. If you have a topic that you believe would make good reading or have league standings and tournament information, please call Ed at 439-8177 or send an email to bowlgolfect1@yahoo.com
For a much more expanded version of this golf column, please visit the Web site http://bght.blogspot.com/
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