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.

Get back to the basics

Golf tips
By Cameron Rankin

Almost all swing flaws or faults stem from incorrect swing fundamentals. Check the following before making any changes to your swing.

The position of your clubhead (face) at address: position it at a right angle to your intended target line.

Grip: both hands should work together, with the back of your left hand facing the target, palm of your right hand facing the target. Looking down from your address position, you should see two knuckles on the back of your left hand. (The opposite for you left handed golfers.)

Posture: pelvic tilt from the waist keeping your spine as straight as possible. Your arms should hang directly down from your shoulders at the address position. Your legs should also be slightly flexed.

Foot/stance position: have your feet shoulder-width apart, slightly wider for wood play and slightly closer together for short irons.

Ball position: longer clubs, position your ball forward in your stance (closer to the target), moving your ball back in your stance as you get to your shorter irons (middle of your stance with wedges).

Body alignment: your clubhead and ball are positioned on the target line, your body alignment should be parallel left of your target line (for right handed golfers). Think of a railway line: clubhead and ball on one track and your body on the other track.

Check these six fundamentals and your shot results will improve.

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

Are you ready for your tee-time?

Golf Tips
By Cameron Rankin

Most recreational golfers’ are rushing to the 1st tee from work after a short or long commute and they wonder why their round starts off so badly.
Golf course owners and operators throughout the world would ideally like all players to arrive 10 to 15 minutes before their tee-times. This gives you time to check in for your official tee-time and organize a golf cart rental if required, plus pay for your green fee etc.
Additionally if you could give yourself another 15 to 20 minutes before you tee-off you could hit a small bucket of range balls. Start by doing a few stretching exercises; some practice swings then start hitting some balls. Start with some short wedge shots to set your swing tempo for the day, then move to some fuller swings with some mid and long irons and if you have time finish off with some driver shots. Remember to leave time for some chip shots and putts to give you an idea of the pace of the greens for the day.
Give yourself this time and I guarantee you will start off your round with lower scores.

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.

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Get your clubs ready!

Golf tips
By Cameron Rankin
Having your clubs ready for the season would be my #1 tip to get the new season off to good start.
Check your grips: Oil and perspiration from your hands form a build up of an oily residue. When combined with keeping your clubs in the trunk of the car during hot summer days, this hardens and cracks your grips over time.
The cure: clean regularly with Comet or Ajax in the power form. Use a scrubbing brush and warm water to remove residue to increase the life of your grips.
Cleaning your grips will relax your grip pressure at address and throughout your swing, which in turn will increase your clubhead speed, translating to more distance. This relaxed grip pressure should also improve accuracy and feel on your shots.
For more tips on your game, see your local golf professional.

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.

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