Connection - Woodforest Golf Club

The
Connection
Exclusively for Members & Friends
Woodforest Golf Club
Member & Member/Guest
Events for 2016
June Events
New Member Golf Mixer
Small Business Seminar
School’s Out Ice Cream Social
Amateur Golf Association
NIKE Junior Golf Camp
Chef John’s Cooking Class
Performance Truck Golf Outing
Father’s Day Brunch
Gulf Coast ISRI Foundation Tournament
Adult Rules Clinic
Couples Golf & Social
AXIS Club Fitting Seminar
After Camp Lunch Special
Social Member Play
Summer Wine Dinner
July Events
Red, White & Blue Tournament
Golf Channel Am. Tour
Men’s Club Championship
August Events
Senior Club Championship
Golf Course Maintenance Seminar
Couples Golf & Social
New Members Mixer
Driving Range Upgrade
Proposed New Training Studio
ISSUE 2 | 2016
2016 Woodforest Golf Club
Member Guest
M E M B E R G U E S T W E E K E N D began on
Friday afternoon with all of the participants
receiving a pair of Maui Jim Sunglasses
prior to their practice rounds.
On Saturday morning 42 Woodforest
members & their guests were able to tee off
after a weather delay and complete round
#1. The “Big Break” Challenge was held on the driving range during the
delay with Former Member Bobby Bishkin winning
the finals that afternoon for a Bushnell Tour V3 Range
Finder.
That evening while members enjoyed a Crawfish boil
in the Woodforest Grille, Kirk Norris pulled out a
great victory in the putting challenge. It is still to be
determined whether the putt or his victory jump was
more impressive. Kirk also received a Bushnell Range
Finder for his victory.
On final day of the tournament, the weather cleared and players were
allowed to drive 90 degrees on the golf course.
Upon completion of the round the five flight
winning teams went out to the back nine for a
“Shootout”. The exciting finish on the 9th hole
produced the winning team from Flight #4 of
Scott & Kurt Lauer over Flight #3 Winners Greg
Lusk & Noe Carrasco.
Inside the
Ropes
IN MY CARE E R in the golf business as a golf professional,
manager, club owner, coach and instructor it is clear that most
golfers follow the same routine. Those that are interested in
improving their game may (or may not) deviate from their day
to day routine but most do not. They come to the club and spend
about 90 percent of their practice time hitting full shots and
maybe 10 percent on short game. They play, make their normal
mistakes and make swing changes they assume will solve the
problem. At times, it could be a swing to swing thing. Bad shot,
make a change, another poor shot, make another swing change
and that continues for that particular day. Most of the time the
corrections are only a band aid.
If you are more serious about refining both your golf game and
your fitness level, which is paramount to the process, I suggest
that you continue reading. My observation (after more than
instructing for over 40 years) is as follows:
What is missing from most golfers are as follows:
1.Lack flexibility and mobility
2.Deficient strength as it relates to golf
3.Short on endurance and conditioning
4.Fail to prepare properly
Some of the strategic components are as follows:
1.Eating healthier
2.Commitment to follow directions for a minimum of 90 days
3.Wake up every morning and drink 16 oz of water immediately
and put in a short 15 minute fitness schedule; 10 push-ups, 1-5
pull-ups, 3 x 30 second planks (with a 15 second rest) and 15
“Broom Swings.” You might want/need assistance with the
Broom Drill but go online and do some research on the other
drills and I would be available for working with the Broom.
4.Continue drinking between 60 and 90 oz of water during the
day.
5.Set your alarm 30 minutes prior to when you need to go
to bed so that you can take care of pre-bed time duties and
responsibilities.
6.This is going to make you feel awesome about yourself.
7.Remember the long-term benefits and you will stay
committed.
In week two or three I suggest that you start getting into your
practice sessions which are now organized more and are closely
related to other sports like football and baseball. Your new
theory is to Plan Your Practice and Practice Your Plan! First you
may even consider getting a series of golf lessons in an effort to
assist you in making good fundamental golf swings. Moving on
to what I am suggesting that you plan for the next three months.
Practice sessions must be at least one hour or more.
JUNE - 60% of your practice session on long game (8 iron through
Driver); 40% on mostly wedges 100 yards and under, chipping,
pitching and putting
JULY - 40% of your practice on long game; 60% on mostly wedges
from 100 yards and shorter then incorporate sand game practice
(minimum of 10 shots each session)
AUGUST - 50% dedicated to both long and short game
Let’s just suppose that you have a strong desire to do almost
anything it takes to improve your golf game and to shoot lower
scores. First I would write down 3 of my goals for the remainder
of 2016 and post those goals on my bathroom mirror or the
refrigerator so that I can see them at least once a day. Personally,
my #1 Goal would be “To do everything it takes to reach my other
goals.” Then make a commitment to start by getting your health
in order. How? First step is to begin eating a more healthy diet
which is the fuel for the work you plan to do. Start by eliminating
SUGAR in every form; sodas and snacks would the first thing to
eliminate. Try doing it by eliminating sodas for a month and
then move on eliminating fried foods and bread.
Now it is time to move right into a HOW TO IMPROVE GOLF
PROGRAM. Be prepared and committed to follow this program
for 90 days and record your progress. If it’s not working after 90
days (which it will) go back to your old hit and change philosophy.
But, the program is tried, tested and proven, but only if the
players stick to it 100%. You continued to read so I’m assuming
you are planning on or interested in making the leap.
Details of these practice sessions/playing are as follows:
1.Analyze your practice and playing in a journal and address
the issues.
2.Pay attention to putting speed at 25’ – 30’ – 35’ – 40’ during
the majority of practice on the green.
3.Minimize your moving parts pitching and chipping.
If, after 30 to 60 days, you can start to see some improvement,
consider doing some research on incorporating a more serious
fitness and conditioning program and/or finding a personal
trainer with some golf knowledge and how it relates to golf. What
I am suggesting to you is simple, easy and will certainly prove to
be beneficial. The missing ingredients are your commitment and
patience. If I may be of any assistance or provide some guidance
don’t hesitate coming to see me at the Club. Remember to stick
with your morning routine.
Tom Martty
GM/COO Woodforest Golf Club
936.588.8808
ISSUE 2 | 2016
What is an Effective
Club Fitting?
A V E RY C O M M O N Q U E S T I O N when someone becomes
interested in club fitting is, “What should I expect from a club
fitting?”.
What should you expect from a club fitting? You should expect the
fitter to help you identify the best set of clubs for your skill level,
tendencies, and goals for your game. In order for the fitter to do this
they will need to start with a series of questions such as:
1. What is your current handicap/experience level?
2.What are your goals?
3.Are we trying to change any tendencies of ball flight and what
is preferred ball flight?
Example: Higher, lower, more curve, less curve, longer,
draw, fade, etc...
4.Are you currently receiving instruction and does that affect the
previous question?
5.What do you like and dislike about your current equipment?
6.Past/current injuries or limitations?
Once a fitter has the above questions answered they can then
develop a plan of action. Keep in mind though, depending on
goals and current swing tendencies, ideal ball flight is not always
immediate. In many cases the clubs should be set up to enhance
and enable good swing fundamentals rather than to solely fix
undesired ball flight.
Woodforest
Grille
W O O D F O R E S T G R I L L E has become an integral
mainstay of our community over the past several months. One
of the foremost reasons for this development is the creative &
artistic talents coming from our kitchen. Great food, cold drinks
and prompt service by the Woodforest Grille Staff has been an
essential element in our recipe to success. We also now provide
outside service for out guests. In order to more fully connect
with our members & guests, we have been putting together
exciting events that encourage guest participation.
This past month we hosted
the “Chef’s Table” Dinner, an
interactive experience for our
invitees. Attendants to the
dinner had the opportunity to
dine in our kitchen and witness
Chef Stanley & his staff,
prepare their dinner specially
selected for this event. This
premium event will be offered in the future to our membership.
In addition we have also begun “Cooking with John”, which is a
cooking class seminar conducted by Chef John Stanley. Cooking
with John is a food preparation class designed to teach our
guests how to prepare simple food items at home.
As time passes we will evolve to include our guests more and
more. So come by and join us for a delightful dining experience.
For further information please contact David Duenas, Director
Food & Beverage, at 936.588.8830 or [email protected].
ISSUE 2 | 2016
There are two basic forms of fitting once a plan of action has been
established. One is static fitting. Static fitting uses measurements
of height, leg length, arm length, and hand size to come up with a
starting point for shaft length
and lie angle. Once static
fitting is performed we will
then utilize the second form
of fitting: dynamic fitting.
Dynamic fitting consists of
hitting golf balls to analyze
ball flight. Doppler radar
systems such as Trackman
are often used to better
understand ball flight. We then confirm our static measurements
and make observations and recommendations as to best head
design and shaft characteristics based on the idea of enhancing and
enabling good swing fundamentals. It is also good practice for your
club fitter and coach to have a conversation, preferably before the
fitting but at least before finalizing equipment order, in order to get
the best recommendations for any new equipment.
AXIS Golf Academy
936.588.8877
www.axisgolfacademy.com
Corporate
Apparel & Gifts
D I D Y O U K N O W that besides a full service golf shop,
we can also provide you corporate apparel and gifts for your
business? We can offer competitive pricing on brands like
Nike, FootJoy, Under Armour and more. Golf polos, jackets
and pullovers for men and women with your business’s logo
on it will advertise for you as you wear it out and about. Or
bring
customers
out to the club and
provide them with
custom logo golf
balls from any of
the manufactures
to use during their
round.
And not only can we customize polos and golf balls – we can
also custom logo accessories such as hats, cooling towels,
umbrellas, t-shirts and much more. It’s hot outside so why
not provide them something to keep them cool and advertise
your company at the same time. We can custom logo such a
wide variety of products, it’s hard to think of something we
can’t logo.
For more information, please contact Brianna Stumpf,
Merchandise Manager, at 936.588.8814 or email her at
[email protected].
Staff
TOM MARTTY
General Manager/COO
936.588.8808
[email protected]
PATRICK O’NEAL
Head Superintendent
936.588.8800
JON BAACKE
PGA-Head of Professional
936.588.8872
[email protected]
BRIANNA STUMPF
Retail Merchandiser
936.588.8814
[email protected]
Services
Woodforest Golf Club can
offer our guests a wide
variety of amenities &
activities, such as:
GOLF SERVICES
Lessons
Golf Club Sales
Club Fitting
Club Repair
Locker Rental
DAVID DUENAS
Director of Food & Beverage
936.588.8830
[email protected]
GOLF ACTIVITIES
JOHN STANLEY
Executive Chef
936.588.8830
[email protected]
Ladies Social
HOWARD LEVINSON
Director of Sales & Marketing
936.588.8888
[email protected]
1199 Fish Creek Thoroughfare
Montgomery, Texas 77316
Men’s Interclub
Junior Academy
Hole in One Club
If we can assist you or
provide further information,
please do not hesitate to
contact the Golf Shop directly
Bunkers -
“The Perfect Lie”
B U N K E R S , W E L O V E T O H AT E T H E M , aesthetically pleasing as we stare down
the golf hole trying to figure out how not to end up in one. Considered a hazard, the bunker
is the only hazard on a golf course that we the golfer expect to have a perfect lie when we hit
into one.
I would like to take you through the process of preparing a bunker for a PGA event, of which
I have firsthand knowledge having been involved with the preparation for the Shell Houston
Open for three years. Weeks in advance the tour agronomist will come to visit the site and,
among other things, he will tell us the expected sand depth for the bunkers. We will then begin
adding and moving sand that has been displaced by rain and wind. This process is completed
by hand to achieve the required sand depth.
When the required depth is achieved the bunkers are then compacted, by hand and with a
compacting machine. We then move to the week of the tournament were we get 8 volunteers and donated equipment solely to maintain
the bunkers for the tournament. The evening prior to play a machine is put in the bunkers to rake them and keep them firm. The morning
before the first tee time the bunkers are then hand-raked by the volunteers to fluff up the top layer, and also faces are hand watered to keep
them firm so there are no “fried egg” lies.
Now as fans we sit at home and watch the pros play on a perfectly manicured course, then we see the ball struck by one of the pros come up
short and end up in the bunker. The camera man then gets a close up on the ball in the bunker, and what do we see; a “fried egg lie”. Let’s move
on to the following Monday. The tournament is over but the golf course is still open for regular play that is expecting a maintained course;
the fairways mowed, greens rolled/mowed, tees mowed, cups cut, and keep the bunkers perfectly raked? Unfortunately the 8 volunteers are
gone, so should the superintendent not mow the greens or cut the fairways so the bunker can be perfectly raked? Just remember next time
you get a bad lie in a bunker, that not even the man power and weeks of preparation can prevent a bad lie in a bunker. After all, it is a hazard.
Pat O’Neal
Head Superintendent
936.588.8800
ISSUE 2 | 2016