Yesterday, Saturday, while working in the backyard, alongside the Sidewinder golf course, I was golf talking to myself about how the number of golfers coming by has diminished. I thought "Well, it is May...and this is Arizona...and our winter visitors started going back home last month". They have to get back to do taxes, of course, and Grandma wants to be home for Mother's Day.

Another thing did occur to me, however, while I was working hard at watching those folks putting out on the 15th green - We better support our local golf course during this recession if we want to enjoy our sport when it's over. .

Keeping a golf course in good playing condition is an expensive proposition. We see the workers and the equipment every day outside our window, so we have a pretty good understanding what it takes to keep Sidewinder and its sister course, Dinosaur Mountain, among the best privately-owned, open-to-the-public golf courses in the state. Consequently, we know how tough it must be to keep the bottom line black for any golf course during these difficult times.

So, we just wanted to remind our fellow golf lovers to play and support your local or home course. Yea, we know it's fun to go play courses in other towns, but their local players will take care of them. If you want the grass to stay green, and the greens to stay fast at your course, go to the driving range, play a round of golf - and take your Mother to brunch at your local home golf course.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all you Mom's. Where would we all be without you?


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Contact: darabbitt@gmail.com

Tags: golf, golf talk, golf ball, golf club, golf swing, talk about golf, golf talking, Sidewinder Golf Course, golf course, Dinosaur Mountain Golf Course,

While playing our home course at Mountain Brook Golf Club yesterday, I got a simple - but important - Golf Talk anatomy lesson from my friend and golf coach, Jack Challender. Maybe, it will help you, too.

My round started off well enough with a nice tee-shot out in the middle about 200 yards. Jack's, of course, was about 65 yards farther down the fairway. But I was pleased with my drive. Then, I set up to hit the approach to the green, another 200 yards ahead. That's when it started.

My first approach swing topped the ball, sending it forward about 30 yards to the right. Not happy, but OK, I set up to make a second approach to the green...again, squirting it to the right side of the green. Now, I'm lying 3 off the par 4 green, when I hit a pitch REALLY thin and way past the hole, realizing that bogey was the best I could possibly do on this first hole. That thought, of course, played around with my head, and I walked off with a four-putt quadruple bogey.

Needless to say, the next few holes weren't much better, as I struggled to leave that crappy first hole behind me. Golf shot after golf shot went squirting or slicing to the right, as my blood pressure began to heat up my collar.

After another lousy approach shot to the sixth green, I asked Jack if he would point out anything he saw me doing to cause such a poor swing. He said the problem was that I needed an anatomy lesson. I thought "What the hell is he talking about?", but to him I simply said "What kind of anatomy lesson?" That's when he gave me the Golf Talk lesson of the day:

Jack said, " You see, your head and shoulders are connected, but your head doesn't have to turn with your shoulders when you swing through the ball. Remember, your shoulders are designed to turn under your chin, while your head remains still - looking at the club go through the ball."

It was one of those moments when you hear something you already knew...and had heard a thousand times before...and wondered why you had to hear it from someone else to realize what you have been doing. Golf!

From that point on, my golf swing improved dramatically as I consciously swung through with my arms and shoulders - without moving my head. In fact, I hit a couple of approach shots with a three wood onto the green from about 185 yards out. Near the hole. too.

So, that's our Golf Talk anatomy lesson for the day. More importantly, when we get caught up in those moments when things are going wrong, and the blood begins to boil, we need to pull ourselves up and go back to the basics. In fact, awhile back I made a checklist of golf swing set up points to go through, just for those times. Now, if I could just find the darn thing...


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Contact: darabbitt@gmail.com

Tags: golf, golf talk, golf ball, golf club, golf swing, talk about golf, golf talking, Mountain Brook Golf Club, Jack Challender,