Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Golfing Highlights Column 8-26-11

The 15th green at Lochmor presents several hazards for golfers to avoid. On the left of the green is Morningside Lake, a small stream in front of the green and water in also in back of the green.


Lochmor GC Get's Golf Digest Rating


Golf Digest magazine has given the Town of Fallsburg Municipal Lochmor Golf Course a three and one-half star rating and a major reason why is the total automated water system for the tees, fairways and greens.
The Mitchell-designed course was officially opened by the town in 1961 and today the 18-hole 6,550 yard course is popular for open play and league play plus the scenery on the back nine (holes 10-18) is beautiful and offers a challenge to most golfers.
In a recent outing we found the condition of this course to be outstanding.
Glenn Sonnenschein is the head PGA Pro, Michael Decker is the Assistant Head Pro, Clark Bartolomew is the Golf Course Superintendent with William Henkelman Assistant Superintendent. Club house pro-shop manager is Frank McCoy.
Rates at Lochmor include the weekday lunch special which includes 18-holes of golf with a cart and lunch. After 1 and 3 p.m. the golf and cart rate is reduced.
The golf course can be reached by calling 434-1257 or at their web site at http://www.lochmorgolf.com/
The course offers four sets of tees which make the course playable to all caliber of golfers. The greens are nicely groomed and tend to be a little fast.
This week we outline for you the back nine from the black tees and we'll define holes (10-18). Yardage on the back nine runs 3,360 yards.
Hole No. 10 is a 280-yard par 4 with trees darting the left side of the fairway. Best to take your drive left center. Traps are on the left and front sides of this green.
Hole No. 11 is a 201-yard par 3. Club selection off the tee is your key to nailing that birdie or par.
Hole No. 12 is a 580-yard par 5, the longest hole on this golf course. Fairway starts out straight with a dogleg left and the fairway then runs uphill. Just prior to the dogleg there is water which runs across most of the fairway. The green has a trap on the right side and the right rear. Avoiding the water running across the fairway will determine your final score here.
Hole No. 13 is a 157-yard par 3 with trees on the right side of the fairway. Traps on the right and left side of this green.
Hole No. 14 is a 418-yard par 4 with a dogleg left. The beautiful Morningside Lake is on the left and its about 170-yards to water running across the fairway off the tee. The lake runs completely on the left side of the fairway. A trap near the green is left front. Keep from going over this green on your approach shot.
Hole No. 15 is 1 501-yard par 5 with the lake on the left so best to take your ball to the right center in this fairway. There is a small stream running in front of this green and a trap on the right side of the green. The approach shot and club selection is the key to success on this hole. If you go too far over this green there is also water.
Hole No. 16 is a 409-yard par 4 with a dogleg right. An open fairway with trees on the right off the tee and in the second half of this fairway there are trees on the left. There is a trap on the right side of the green. Hole No. 17 is a 423-yard par 4 with the fairway sloping left to right. Open fairway and some trees on the left and right sides. All depending where the flag is on this hole but overall its best to take your approach shot left center as the green slopes left to right. It might take a couple of rounds to figure our the best way to putt on this green.
Hole No. 18 is a 390-yard par 4 with a fairway trap on the right and traps left, center and right on the green.
On your next golf outing be sure to take in the beauty and great golfing opportunities at the Lochmor Golf Course.


The Golf Tip
By Robert Menges

The Hybrid Chip Shot
As many of you avid golfers have probably noticed, more and more golfers are putting a hybrid, or utility club in their bag. They are replacing the three, four and five irons for an easier club to hit.
The hybrid irons are easier to hit because, they offer the golfer more surface area to strike the ball with. Also, these clubs are much better at getting through the rough. This is because they glide through the rough instead of getting stuck in the grass as an iron would.
Many golfers are also using the hybrid club to chip around the green. If you have a shot where you only have to loft the ball in the air a short distance, and then let the ball roll on the green much like a putt, this is a very effective way to accomplish this shot.
First you must set up in a normal chipping stance. Keep your feet close together with 70 percent of your weight on your forward foot. Place your hand and arms slightly ahead or forward of the ball. When you make the stroke, attack it like you are hitting a putt. Try to let just your arms and shoulders do the work, without flipping or using your hands. You must keep your lower body and head still to avoid sending the ball in a poor direction. Try to pick a spot on the green where you want the ball to land and let the ball roll as much as possible to the hole.
Remember, always try to practice this shot on the chipping green before you go out to play.
As with every new shot you try to use in golf, you want the shot to save you strokes not add more to your 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 and if you have a question or subject you would like covered, he can be reached by phone at 292-0323 or via e-mail at menges@hughes.net

The Putting Doctor
Putting Tip
By Joe Bermel


Tired of 3-putting?
Tired of constantly missing 3,4 & 5 foot putts?
Joe Bermel is a Long Island native who started teaching in 1981 and earned a reputation for making putt after putt in the New York State leg of the old Compaq World.
At the age of 64 he tied for the title in 1996 and is now a fixture at golf shows up and down the East Coast.
"What sets me apart is no other golf professional will stand in front of an audience and do a putting presentation, and putt the ball in again and again," said Bermel, who's got the convictions of an televangelist and the marketing sense of a infomercial pitchman.
Joe Bermel is a special God-given talent to do this.....and he does it very, very well.
Want to get help for your putting, 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, http://www.theputtingdoctor.com/ or my email at joe@theputtingdoctor.com


This column is written by Ed Townsend, a consultant to the amateur and professional sport of golf and to several golf writers associations. If you have a topic that you believe would make good reading or have league standings and tournament information, Ed can be reached by phone at 845-439-8177 and by e-mail at edwardctownsend@hotmail.com For a much more expanded version of this golf column, please visit our Web site at http://www.http//bght.blogspot.com This column is also available on Facebook.
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