GOLFING HIGHLIGHTS

  Winter Golf At The Golf Shop 

  Dave Worden has been in the golf-related business for 35-years and offers opportunities to golfers 12-months of the year. 

  The 56 year-old former outstanding four-letter Middletown Central School athlete opened The Golf Shop in Middletown in 1992 and was the former Director of Golf of the  Honor's Haven Fallsview Golf Course near Ellenville.. 

   Dave has become very well known to Sullivan County golfers with his club repairs and club rebuilding  where he gives golfers his personal attention..... they also enjoy golfing in the winter.

  Taking golf indoors during the late fall, winters and early spring months has become a speciality at Dave's Indoor Golf Center located within The Golf Shop at 316 East Main Street, Middletown where winter indoor golf is played on Deadsolid Golf Simulators.

  The Indoor Golf Center features leagues for single men, two man teams, single ladies, two lady teams and juniors.

  Dave points out that the golf simulators provide realistic computer images, swing speed, swing tempo, face angle, face rotation , impact point and yardage. "This is real golf with amazing feedback," Worden said.

  Clubmaking has been a part of The Golf Shop for over 20-years and Dave is associated with the Golf Clubmakers Association and Professional Clubmakers Society.

  He describes himself as "self-taught" when it comes to clubmaking. 

  His wife Terry works closely with Dave performing all the bookkeeping aspects.  All members of Dave's family play golf.

  Worden lettered in four sports at Middletown High and played football and lacrosse at Hudson Valley Community College before moving on to the University of South Florida.

  He formerly taught International Leadership Training (ILT) at the Honor Haven Clubhouse where he was involved with  students ages 12-14 from mainland Korea who come here to learn English, Math, Money, Budgets and various aspects about the game of golf. 

  Dave Worden breathes, eats and sleeps the game of golf and his  outstanding enthusiasm for the sport and his desire to help others enjoy the sport is a beautiful thing to see. 

  Stop by or call Dave at  845-344-2582 or at his email address, golfshop@warwick.net .

Ed's Outlook

  Sullivan County golfers don't have far to go to enjoy what Golf Course Designer Robert Trent Jones Sr. developed near Ellenville.
  Jones built a gem when he put together the plans for the the Fallsview Golf Couse at the Honor's Haven Resort and Spa located just outside the village of Ellenville. 

  On this nine-hole facility there is not a weak hole to be found and some consider holes seven through nine the toughest three finishers in the Tri-State area. 

  This week we will take you through the first three holes and follow up with three holes each for the next two weeks.

  From the blue tees the total yardage is 3,432 and 6,342 for 18 holes.

  Hole No. 1 is a par 4 totaling 401 yards and  is a fairly straight hole with a lake down the left side of the fairway and a bunker down the right side which requires you to drive straight down the middle. A large undulating green has sand traps to the left and front of the green. Keep it straight and you get your par here.

  Hole No. 2 is a 173 yard par 3 and a safe play to the middle of the green is recommended. The pin positions usually tempt golfers to attack on this shortest of the par three holes. An errant tee shot here and your looking at a bogie.

  Hole No. 3 is a 509 yard par 5 with high risk. The Sandburg Creek greet golfers off the tee and runs parallel to the third hole and Gully Creek must be traversed off the tee. A bunker lines the right side of the fairway and is reachable with your tee shot. The green is defended by a pond on the right and a deep face bunker greenside. A five on this hole requires accurate shooting.

  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, 845-866-0333, email at edwardctownsend@hotmail.com or fax at 845-205-4474. View this column and all of my pictures at http://bght.blogspot.com  We are also on Facebook and Twitter.

 

 The Golf Tip

 By Robert Menges

  The Importance of Wedges:

  In today's ever-changing golf game, most players are under the influence if they hit the ball longer they will play better.

  Even though technology has increased now 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  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 some 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 and if you have a question or subject you would like covered, he can be reached at 845-292-0323 or email at menges@hughes.net 

      
  Putting Tip
  By Joe Bermel Jr.

  The miscue of golfers is that on short putts, especially, they decelerate on the forward stroke.

  Golfers need to do the exact opposite, that is accelerate on the forward stroke.

  Short putting is from a tap up to six feet, the "holy grail" of putting.

  Paramount to be proficient here.......your second putt on every hole is between a tap in and up to six feet.

  How many of these 18 you make or do not make will determine your score.

  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