Golfing Highlights Column

  Lochmor Has Interesting History

   History about Sullivan County golf courses is one of the more interesting aspects we enjoy when writing this golf column.

  Interesting history we obtained recently when we visited the Town of Fallsburg Lochmor Golf Course is that the present 18-hole golf facility was originally designed on a smaller scale. 

  Lochmor was first built in the early 1950s by the hotels that were in the area and originally it did not start out as a town owned and operated facility.

  The course originally had about 12 holes when the Town of Fallsburg took over the project in 1958 and the Mitchell-designed course was completed with 18-holes by town employees.

  The newly designed course was officially open  for play in 1961. 

  Today the 18-hole 6,550 yard course is popular for open play and league play.

  Par for the front nine is 35 and par for the back nine is 36 for a total par of 71. 

  A total automated water system for the greens, fairways and tees has helped the course receive a three and one-half star rating from Golf Digest magazine.

  Glenn Sonnenschein is the head PGA Pro, Michael Decker is the Assistant Head Pro and Patrick McNamara is the Golf Course Superintendent.

  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 rates go down.

  The golf and lunch special is very popular.

  The golf pro shop at Lochmor offers a nice variety of golf equipment and accessories.

  The golf course can be reached by calling 434-1257 or at their web site at www.lochmorgolf.com 

  The course offers four set of tees for each hole which makes the course playable to all caliber of golfers. Black tees are recommended for men with a 0-8 handicap, green tees for men with up to a 20 handicap, gold tees for men with 21-25 handicap and ladies with a 0-10 handicap and yellow tees for men with handicap of 36 and above and ladies 11 and up.             We found this golf course in excellent shape and very well maintained. Greens are nicely groomed and tend to be a little fast. A great job by the grounds crew.

  In playing from the black tees the yardage on the front nine runs 3,190 yards.
  The front nine looks like this.

  Hole No. 1 is a 334-yard par 4 and pretty much straight. Take your tee shot left center. The green has 3 traps.

  Hole No. 2 is a 362-yard par 4 with a slight dogleg left. Stay center of the fairway. Traps are left and right of this green and keep your approach shot from going over this green.      Hole No. 3 is a 388-yard par 4 and fairway runs pretty much straight. Trees are on both sides of the fairway. 

  Hole No. 4 is a 209-yard par 3 with the beautiful Morningside Lake in the background. Proper club selection here can get you your par. Traps are left and right of this green.

  Hole No. 5 is a 467-yard par 4 with a dogleg left. There is a trap on the left side and water on the right of this green. A nice golf hole with opportunities for a birdie after a good tee shot. 

  Hole No. 6 is a 495-yard par 5 with water off the tee and a dogleg right. Take your tee shot right center. Proper club selection on your second shot can get your ball up and on this elevated green for an eagle or birdie. Traps are left and right on this green.

  Hole No. 7 is a 380-yard par 4. Fairway is pretty much straight and the second half of the fairway runs uphill. Traps are left and right on this green.

  Hole No. 8 is a 390-yard par 4. Stay in the center of fairway on this hole. There is a pond about 200-yards on the left. Trap is on the left side of the green.

  Hole No. 9 is a 165-yard par 3. Again club selection is the key to your birdie or par.
  An entertaining and comfortable golf course to play.                                                               

 

  Ed's Outlook

  The McNamara Memorial Golf Tournament, hosted by Terry McNamara, will be held on Saturday, September 13 starting at 11 .a.m.at the Grossingers Country Club.
  A portion of the proceeds will be given to the Wounded Warrior Project.
  Golf, cart, lunch and dinner $100 per golfer. There will be prizes for closest to the pin and for the longest drive.
  Call 845-292-9000 to reserve an entry or if you have any questions.
  Singles are welcome as they will team you up with another single.
  Golfing in Russia appears to be for the wealthy.
  For many Russian billionaires golf represents a part of the ultimate opulent lifestyle. As a result, some Russian tycoons have had courses built, but they're not marketing them to the public. On the contrary---they're designed and cater exclusively to the country's wealthy elite.
  Moscow's first golf course was built in 1990. Today they have nine 18-hole courses and three nine-hole courses.....most of which are more or less empty.......after all, the capital only has about 3,000 regular golfers and just two publicly accessible courses.

  Ed Townsend is a PR Consultant to the sport of golf. Ed writes and compiles the information for this column. If you have league and tournament information, shoot a hole-in-one or even shoot your age, let Ed know at 845-439-8177 or 845-866-0333, email at edwardctownsend@hotmail.com or fax at 845-205-4474. View this column at http://bght/blogspot.com We are on Facebook and Twitter.

Golfing Tip 

By Robert Menges 

   Buried Bunker Lies. 

   To blast the ball out of the sand, your club needs to swing  more up and down to create a steeper angle of attack.

  To help illustrate, have someone stand (or picture a wall) several feet behind the ball. In the backswing, hinge your wrists early to get the club up more, avoiding the person (or wall). 

  Also make note of the length of the backswing. It should almost be a full swing. In order to create enough speed and energy to blast the ball out of the sand, avoid taking a short and /or low backswing.

  From this position, you will be able to swing the club into the sand on the downswing. It's imperative that you strike down into the sand 1 to 2 inches behind the ball and finish with the club low to the ground.

  Amateur golfers often try to scoop or help lift the ball out of the sand. This usually results in the club hitting the sand too far behind the ball and either missing it completely or taking too much sand and leaving the ball in the bunker. Or, the club misses the sand and strikes the top of the ball, resulting in a topped shot that can go anywhere.

  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 email at menges@hughes.net   

    

 The Putting Tip

 By Joe Bermel Jr.

  Here is one of the best putting drills since "sliced bread was invented.

  Drill # 2..... A Quadrant Drill

  1. Take 1 golf ball.

  2. On practice green, establish on one hole at four foot distance only.

  3. Ist putt straight uphill.

  4. 2nd putt straight downhill.

  5. 3rd putt right edge slight right to left.

  6. 4th putt left edge slight left to right.

  Every golfer has these 4 putts many times every round. Do this drill again and again.

  Make yourself make 3 consecutive putts at each quadrant.

  This will make you a better 2 putt per hole average.

  Joe Bermel is available for private lessons, group, corporate, organization and golf shows-tournaments. His special edition DVD "How To Putt Well" and his 2014 Golf Tip Calendar are available by calling 631-589-1384, at his Web site www.ThePuttingDoctor.com or by email at joe@theputtingdoctor.com