The Best Amateur Golfers Set Their Sights On The Villa Roma
Knowing Villa Roma P.G.A. Golf Professional Matt Kleiner we are sure
that he has the new pin placements all set up for the start today of
the 35th Annual Sullivan County Democrat two-man, better ball golf
tournament.
The course as always is in excellent condition and Matt has noted in
previous years that he tends to evenly distribute pin placements making
some easy and others more difficult for this premier tournament that
showcases the talents of the area's finest amateur golfers.
Built in the late 1980's and opened for play in 1988, the course
features some of the best fairways and greens in the region and has been
called by Golf Digest "A Little Slice of Heaven."
This par 71 course has a total yardage of 6,458 from the black
tees and most golfing experts agree it is a perfect challenge for the
expert. The front nine total 3,183 yards and the back nice totals 3,275
yards. From the blue tees its 3,000 yards on the front nine and 3,034 on
the back nine.
The fairways, greens and tee boxes are ready for this outstanding tournament.
The course was built by David Postlevaite.
Kleiner has been the PGA Golf Professional at the Villa since 1986 while the course was still under construction.
The front nine of this course is very generous off the tee, but the
greens must be read properly with their undulations. The front nine
features two part 5's, three par 3's and four par 4's.
Our previous golf outings at this fabulous golf facility gives some insight on how the 18-holes should be played.
Hole No. 1 is a 365-yard par 4 which requires a straight drive off the
tee and it's better to stay left center as the fairway slopes left to
right. The key for a par here is club selection on your second shot.
Hole No. 2 is a 213-yard par 3 with the fairway sloping downhill. A
trap is to the right of this green and an accurate tee shot will
determine the par here.Don't stray right here.
Hole No. 3 is a 533-yard par 5. Most of the fairway runs uphill and
best to keep your tee shot in the center of this fairway. The green has
undulations and staying out of trouble here will get you your par.
Hole No. 4 is a 408-yard par 4 downhill with a slight dogleg to the
right. A good drive here and an accurate pitch shot has you seriously
looking at a birdie. The green slopes left to right .There is a deep
bunker at the right front section of this green and a trap on the left
side. A nice golf hole.
Hole No. 5 is a 395-yard par 4. Keep it straight here and in the
middle of the fairway. The second half of the fairway slopes slightly
downhill. Good shot making will produce opportunities for a par or less
here.
Hole No. 6 is a 400-yard par 4, pretty much a straight shot. Traps are on the left and right front of this green.
Hole No. 7 is a 171-yard par 3, the shortest hole on the front nine,
There is a trap on the left side of the green but your club selection is
important in recording your par, Hole No. 8 is a 495-yard par 5 and is
the most interesting hole on the front nine, Keep your ball right
center as this hole plays a slight dogleg right, The important decision
on the second shot is to succeed with a long iron or good fairway wood
and go for the green or lay-up with the second shot somewhere about 10
to 20 feet from the pong and marsh area, The green has traps on the
right and left sides of this green. An excellent golf hole.
Hole No. 9 is a 203-yard par 3 with traps on the left side and right
front of this green. An accurate tee shot gets you your par.
Hole No. 10 is a 385-yard par 4 with a tree lined fairway that opens
up after the tee shot. The fairway slopes downhill and the key shot here
is off the tee slightly off center to the left side of the fairway.
There is water some 20 to 30 yards in front of the green and a trap on
the left side of the green. A good wedge shot puts you in play for a
birdie or par....a real nice golf hole for the start of the back nine.
Hole No. 11 is a 545-yard par 5, the longest hole on this course. It
takes a good tee shot to keep you away from the marsh wet area located
center-right off the tee.Keep the tee shot center or left center in the
fairway which slopes right to left. Keep it straight and this long hole
rewards you with a par.
Hole No. 12 is a 357-yard par 4 with a dogleg left and the fairway
running uphill to an elevated green. Keep your tee shot left center for a
good second shot to the green. A trap is located on the right side of
the green.
Hole No. 13 is a 174-yard par 3 which requires accuracy and good club
selection. The tee is elevated high above the green so it is an all
downhill shot. Traps are left and right of the green. Your tee shot will
determine your birdie or par.
Hole No. 14 is a 322-yard par 4 with the first part of the fairway
sloping downhill and a pond confronting golfers off the tee. Keep your
tee shot firm and to the left center of the fairway to avoid a fairway
trap on the right. The second half of the fairway slopes uphill to the
green which has a trap on the right front section.
Hole No. 15 is a 513-yard par 5 with a dogleg right. Traps are on the left and right side of the green.
Hole No. 16 is a 430-yard par 4 with an open fairway. Best play here
is to the left side of the fairway. There is a trap on the right front
section of the green....a nice par 4 here is reachable for many.
Hole No. 17 is a 180-yard par 3 and the tee shot must go over a large
pond. Take the water out of play and select the right club for putting
the ball in the center of the green and you will have your birdie or
par.
Hole No. 18 is a 435-yard par 4 and some decision making is in order
for the tee shot. The fairway runs slightly with a dogleg right and
there is a pond about 195-yards off the tee. It's about a 240-yard long
tee shot to clear the pond so many golfers prefer to lay up in front of
the pond. A nicely hit fairway shot from in front of the pond puts you
in a good position for the par 5. There are traps left and right of the
green. The right decisions here make this an outstanding golf hole for
scoring.
Ed's Outlook
Featuring this week the site of the 35th Sullivan County Democrat
two-man better ball tournament we went right to P.G.A. Professional Matt
Kleiner for his opinion on what are the two toughest holes on the Villa
Roma course.
Kleiner noted "the toughest par 3 is our 17th hole with water to carry
and huge rocks on either side so hitting the green is not easy."
The Villia Roma P.G.A. Professional also said, "the par 5 third hole
seems to be the toughest of the rest due to its length and playing
uphill the whole way, " and "having the out of bounds fence up the left
side doesn't help either, your doing well to make a par on this hole. "
In our previous rounds at the Villa we found that hole No 17 is a
180-yrd par 3 and the tee shot must go over a large pond. Taking the
water out of play is key here and club selection will help putting the
ball in the center of the green for a birdie putt or par.
Hole No 3 is a 533-yard par 5 with most of the fairway running uphill
and best to keep your tee shot in the center of this fairway. The green
has undulations and staying out of trouble here will get you your par.
Oops.......Wrong Caption Last Week
The wrong photo caption was inserted under last week's photo of the
toughest hole at the Town of Fallsburg Municipal Tarry Brae Golf Course.
The caption should have read , "part of the fairway and green on the
difficult No. 2 hole at the Tarry Brae Golf Course.
The Golf Tip
By Robert Menges
Prepare our mind for a better game.
We all have different ways of doing things on the golf
course, which is why one technique or strategy might work for one person
but not another.
For example, some of us will visualize the shot we want to hit in our
mind, because it helps us execute the shot. For others, they have to
experience the shot.
With that said ( or written, in this case), it never hurts to try
something new. So here are several "pep talks" you can create to help
build your confidence for the next round.
After each round of golf, take 60 seconds to sit quietly and replay
your three best shots of the round. Visualize them in slow motion and
lock every detail into your memory. They'll come back to cheer you on in
the future.
Tell someone about your best shot of the day, but never talk about
your worst shots. Professionals can usually remember every shot during a
tournament, but there is one shot they "just don't recall"--it's their
worst shot. Let the bad shots go, and never, ever talk about them.
After every shot, remember to say, "great shot" and mean it when you
say it. the results may not be exactly what you wanted, but the ball
went where you hit it. So go and do it again.
Breathe before every shot or putt, remember to breathe deeply and
softly. It will relax your whole body and allow you to focus on the task
at hand.
Make it a part of your pre-shot routine to consciously expect a great
shot. As you pull the club from your bag, smile. As you look down the
fairway or line up your putt, smile. As you stand over the ball, smile.
Expect the best.
Finally, but perhaps most importantly , have fun our there. Golf is a
game. Yes, it can be very challenging and frustrating at times, but it
is intended to be a form of enjoyment. Enjoy the day, the weather and
the time with friends, Chances are, you'll enjoy the wonderful game of
golf as well.
Robert Menges is the golf pro at the Swan Lake Golf &
Country Club, Mt. Hope Road, Swan Lake. He is available for private
lessons and if you have a question you would like covered, he can be
reached at 845-292-0323 or via e-mail at menges@hughes.net
Putting Tip Of The Week
By Joe Bermel Jr.
If you want to score well you must learn to putt well.
Without a doubt the #1 key is "organization of your mind."
To ask and answer the questions, "what are we going to do and how are we going to do it.
Remember the challenge in putting, in golf, and in sports in general is coordinating the mind and the body.
Joe Bermel is available for private lessons, group, corporate,
organization and golf shows-tournaments. His special edition DVD "How To
Putt Well" is available by calling 631-589-1384, at his web site www.ThePuttingDoctor.com or by email at joe@theputtingdoctor.com
Ed Townsend is a Public Relations consultant to the sport of golf and
brings over 65-years of sports journalism experience in writing and
compiling the information for this column. If you have league or
tournament information, shoot a hole-in-one or even shoot your age, let
Ed know at 845-439-8177, email at edwardctownsend@hotmail.com or fax at
845-205-4474, View this column and Ed's photos at http://bght.blogspot.com We are also on Facebook and Twitter,
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