Get ready for golf!

Golf Tips
By Cameron Rankin

The season is upon us after a long snowy winter. The local golf courses seem to have wintered well, with no noticeable winter kill or snow mould to speak of. The spring rain we’ve just had should promote a fast turnaround to course conditions and get the grass nice and green once again.
I have three tips for you this week to be properly prepared for the season.
1 - Check those golf clubs and consider replacing your grips. The feel of a new grip makes that club feel like NEW again. If the grips just need cleaning, use Comet or Ajax in the power form to clean them up. Make sure you check the steel shafts for any surface rust, use chrome cleaner to polish up.
2 - Check your shoes. Check those spikes and consider replacing them for better traction. Don’t forget to weatherproof your uppers.
3 - Get your legs into shape. Practice walking; the average golfer walks a minimum of four miles during eighteen holes, so if you want to finish your round strongly remember those legs.
Cameron Rankin is a member of the CPGA and British PGA, and the head pro at Sand Hills Golf Resort (www.sandhillsgolf.ca) in Port Franks.

Gifts for golfers

Looking for a gift for your favourite golfer? The Lung Association’s Golf Privilege coupon books give you a chance to help the charity and get deals at courses across southwestern Ontario. For $39, you get 40 coupons for deals at 17 courses including Bayview Golf Club in St. Joseph, and Sand Hills Golf Resort in Thedford.
For more information, call the Lung Association in Stratford at 519-271-7500.

Fall has been very kind

Golf Tips
By Cameron Rankin

What a fall season for golf!
The weather has been great to get those last few rounds in. Even the professionals have enjoyed the weather, with Mike Weir taking down Tiger at Royal Montreal and Jon Mills making a great mid-season charge to get his PGA Tour playing privileges back for next season.
Before you put your clubs away for the season, do some winter maintenance on them. Take the time to clean the grips, the grooves and if you still play with steel shafts, clean them with some chrome cleaner. Finally, store them in your house for the winter months; the truck doesn’t cut it due to the extreme temperature changes.
For those golfers still playing, please take a few minutes to do some stretching and warm up exercises before you tee-off. Dress warmly and have some fun.
I hope you all had a good season. Time to get those skis waxed and skates sharpened and ready to go.
Go Leafs!
Cameron Rankin will return to the Strip in the spring.
Sand Hills Golf Resort remains open for special events.

Fall golf is here!

Golf Tips
By Cameron Rankin

Fall is the best time of the year to play: the courses are quieter, the weather is cooler, course conditions are improving after an especially dry hot summer, and the green fees are usually less, so get your last few games in before the weather breaks.
Fall is a good time to take stock of your game and get ready for next season. I would check your equipment first. Grips are the first thing to look at. Worn grips or smooth grips will rob you of distance; look into replacing them or give them a good cleaning with Comet or Ajax (powder form). Remember to check that putter grip.
Regarding your game, do some statistics on your next few rounds. The following would be a good start:

Department How Many?
Fairways hit: 6
Greens hit in regulation: 9
Total # of putts: 32
Chip & putt greens: 2
Chip & two putt greens: 7
Penalty Shots: 2

Keep it simple to start. Try and identify your weak areas and work on them this fall and be better prepared for next season.
Good Golfing.

Looking for a straighter shot?

Keep your left wrist (right for lefties) flat at the top

Golf Tips
By Cameron Rankin

One of the secrets to hitting straighter golf shots more often is the left wrist position (the right wrist for lefties) at the top of the back swing. Assuming your fundamentals are correct, this position can be achieved fairly easily. During your backswing, your wrists hinge on an approximate angle of 45 degrees to the ground; the shaft of the club should also be on this angle. Turning your shoulders to complete the backswing, you should still have your left wrist flat.
Cupping your left wrist will cause you to slice the ball to the right of your target. Arching your left wrist will cause your ball to fly low and left of your intended target. The arched left wrist is not very common, as golfers like to see the ball have some trajectory. Check your left wrist position for lower and more consistent scores.

Cameron Rankin: golf at grandbendstrip.com

Hold the angle

Golf Tips
By Cameron Rankin

The angle we’re discussing is caused when the wrists break during the back swing and is held during the forward swing. Allow the inside (the core or center of your body) or shoulders to move your arms to hold the angle on the forward swing. The hands and arms do nothing and are only moved by the shoulders.
Do not allow your right arm (opposite for lefties) to straighten out too early on the forward swing. You must hold the angle by allowing the right elbow to stay folded as it drops against your right hip.
If your right arm straightens out too early, your right elbow will be pulled away from the body. This is called “casting” or “clubhead throw-away” and is the main cause of power loss. The backswing should be wide with maximum extension; the forward-swing should be becoming narrower as the shoulders turn the right elbow to the right hip. Remember there are two circles, one large circle for the backswing and one smaller circle for the forward-swing.
Remember this angle for more consistent striking of the ball.

Cameron Rankin is the head pro at Sand Hills Golf Resort.

Maintain the letter Y when chipping!

Golf Tips
By Cameron Rankin

When chipping, don’t try to lift the ball with your swing. Use the loft to get the ball airborne.
The following tips on your set up will help.

- Keep your weight on your front foot (nearest your target)
- Position ball middle to back in your stance.
- Position your hands in front of the club head at address.
- See the letter “Y”
- Optional: grip down your club on the shorter shots for more control.

During your swing, the above tips will ensure you make a descending blow on the ball, contacting the ball first and the grass after. Hold your finish to check that your forward arm and golf club shaft form a straight line.

Remember that letter Y finish.

Do the above and you will save a few strokes around the green.

Cameron Rankin is the head professional at Sand Hills Golf Resort in Port Franks.

Cure that slice!

Golf Tips
By Cameron Rankin

There are many reasons golfers slice. The student has to understand that the club head must be delivered to the ball squarely to impact from a slightly inside path. From there the club head moves through the impact zone to the target and then to the inside path again.
The most common faults I see as an instructor are the following.
- A grip too weak: one or both hands too far to the grip’s left side.
- The takeaway: opening of the club face at the start of the backswing, or closing the clubface on the takeaway then opening the club head through impact.
- Left wrist: too cupped at the top of the backswing causing an excessively open clubface. This also tends to force the right elbow to point out and up.
- An outside-in swing path: the club head attacking the ball from the outside of the ball, then having to pull the club head inside to make contact with the ball. This causes left to right spin on the ball.
If you are a left-handed golfer, do the opposite.
Check the above and I’m sure your ball will arrive at the target on a straighter flight path.

Strip Golf Special: How to play a course for the first time

Impress your playing partners by playing well and have bragging rights the next time you play.

Golf Tips
By Cameron Rankin

Here a few ideas to help you enjoy your round:

• Try to find out as much as possible about the course you are going to play. If the course has a website look for details such as type of grass used on the greens and fairways, type of sand in the bunkers, club professional tips on how to play each hole, length of holes, diagrams or photographs of each hole and finally make sure you get the proper directions on how to get to the course. There is nothing worse than arriving late for your tee time.
• If you can, arrive early, say 30 minutes ahead of your tee time. Loosen up on the range, spend a few minutes on the putting green, and check out course conditions. If you are playing a new course, most of them are built on a blend, with a sand and topsoil base, bent grass fairways and tees, and Kentucky bluegrass rough. The bent grass tees and fairways allow the golf course superintendents to cut the playing surfaces much shorter if required to provide faster and smoother playing conditions. Playing on this type of grass, I would recommend playing the golf ball slightly further back in your stance when playing fairway shots; this will help you make a more descending blow on your golf ball at impact.
• When you get to the first tee, hopefully you have made some notes on how to play each hole from the golf courses website tips. If not, try and visualize your shot, and align your body parallel to the target line. Mental imagery is your best asset when hitting your shots.
• I highly recommend you play the course at a yardage you will enjoy. Try a set of tees similar to the course you play all the time.
• When approaching the green, try to look at the different contours of it: slopes, right to left, tilted back to front etc. This will give you a better idea of the type of putt you have. When on the green, distance control is the key to good putting. With the practice you had on the putting green, you should have a better idea of the speed and pace of the greens you are playing. My final tip while on green would be to visualize a 3-foot radius circle around the hole and try to put your first putt within that circle.

Try these tips and I’m sure your score will be lower.

Cameron Rankin is a member of the CPGA and British PGA, and the head pro at Sand Hills Golf Resort between Port Franks and Thedford.

Grand Bend area golf courses: Sand Hills Golf Resort

9767 Port Franks Road
Off Highway 21 at Port Franks
(519) 243-1800

Information from Cameron Rankin

Hours:
6:30 a.m. to dark

Number of holes:
18

Prices:
Weekends and holidays - $30/18 holes; $20/9 holes. Monday to Friday - $26/18 holes; $20/9 holes. Carts – add $12/18 holes, $10/9 holes

Owners:
Stubbs, Brown and Walden families

Golf pro’s name:
Cameron Rankin, CPGA professional

Year established:
1996

Skill level of golfers:
Novice to advanced. There’s a bit for everybody.

Longest hole:
14. 550-yard par 5

Shortest hole:
3. 115-yard par 3

Most difficult hole:
11. Tee shot is demanding with water on both sides.

Most interesting hole:
14. There’s a pond on the left, fescue grass on the right. Demanding tee shot and a tree in the middle of the fairway, so it’s tricky.

Best time of day to golf here:
Early morning, late evenings for fast game.

Pro shop products:
Callaway clubs, Toureg clubs, Spalding clubs. Shoes by Callaway and Etonic, clothing by Antigua, Lady Haggar.

Dining facilities and information:
Pub fare, and finer dining with dinner buffets Friday and Sunday nights after 4 p.m. Nine and dine is popular - $19.99/person for golf & dinner.

Other activities:
Driving range - $6/large bucket, $4/small.

What people say:
Not a really long course but it’s fun and enjoyable to play. It’s a fair test for new golfers. Fair pricing. It’s in good shape. That’s what people tell us.

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