Dogs, Whiskey and Unlimited Play on a Tenn. 9-hole + Don't Swing Your Lob Wedge, Stand On It

TIPS & DRILLS
Don’t Swing Your Lob Wedge, Step On It
Louis Jean from ClubFaceUK helps you generate perfect chipping contact every time

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To Recap…

-STEP 1: Grab your most lofted wedge and put the club face under your lead foot, which will leave the shaft running across your trail shin at roughly a 45 degree angle. Focus on keeping your weight on your front foot so that the shaft of the club you’re stepping stays in place.
-STEP 2: Now using your next most lofted wedge, take the club back without making contact with the shaft of the wedge you’re stepping on. This is what’s called “taking the club back to the outside.”
-STEP 3: Similarly, when you start your downswing, do not make contact with the shaft of the wedge you’re stepping on. If you leave the club head behind you, you’re swing will be stopped by the angled club. Your downswing should feel like you’re progressing towards the ball more vertically, which can really improve your starting line.

Not only will this drill keep your club head on the proper path, it promotes cleaner contact because your weight stays forward. And crisper contact will really dial up the spin you experience around the greens.

COURSES
$1 Million Turns “Squishy Valley” Into a Cult 9-Hole Masterpiece
A gem you’ll literally pay extra to play over and over and over again

Sweetens Cove Golf Club
South Pittsburg, TN

30 minutes from Chattanooga, TN, Sweetens Cove Golf Club began as a bootstrapped pipe dream and has transformed into a cult hero 9-hole masterpiece. Born from the vision of designers Rob Collins and Tad King, Sweetens Cove emerged from what was once known as "Squishy Valley"—a flood-prone, flat landscape that seemed unlikely to ever amount to anything.

With a modest budget of just $1 million, Collins knew it was his one opportunity to make a name for himself as a course designer. So he poured his blood, sweat and tears into making his vision a reality. The result is a course that is literally writing the handbook on golf innovation. Ranked #21 on Golfweek's Best Courses You Can Play in the USA and holding the #1 spot in Tennessee, Sweetens Cove has become a legendary destination for golf travelers.

Sweetens Cove has radical approach to the game. There’s no modern clubhouse on-site, and you can wear whatever you want on the course. Even dogs are allowed on the course while you play. And forget traditional tee times—Sweetens Cove offers 45 to 60 unlimited-play daily passes that are snatched up as soon as they are released to the public. Golfers from all over the world make the trek to play the same 9-holes over and over and over again. To keep things interesting each time through, all of the nine holes feature two different hole locations per green and a variety of tee boxes to choose from, making the combinations nearly endless. The course itself is only 3,301 yards, and “every inch of this yardage is memorable,” as one golfer wrote. “The greens are of every size and shape imaginable and have humps, bumps and rolls in them that would confound Bobby Locke, Ben Crenshaw, and Jordan Spieth.”

One of the smartest things Collins and King did after launching the course was bringing in a star-studded ownership group, led by NFL legend Peyton Manning and tennis star Andy Roddick. It amplified the course’s mystique, and they've since expanded the brand to the world of spirits with a line of bourbon, an idea spawned from the course's pre-round whiskey shot tradition.

With plans to expand and offer a new par 3 course, stay-and-play cabins, a fishing dock, a skeet shooting range, and a restaurant and distillery on-site by 2026, Sweetens Cove is becoming more than a golf course—it's a pilgrimage destination. As one GolfPass reviewer noted, “Few places actually live up to the hype that they receive. Sweeten's Cove actually lives up to the hype and more. When you drive up, the initial impression is underwhelming. Gravel parking lot, portable bathrooms and a backyard storage shed to check in. Once you get out of the car, you start to understand the hype."

Rates: Various options ranging from $15 (9-Hole Walking) to $175 (All Day Cart Play)

Check out this overview from @coursesyouneedtoplay

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STATISTICS
Stat of the Day: Sorry Boomers, a Younger Generation is Taking Over
presented by…

The Stat: In 2023, the 18-34 age bracket became the largest group of green grass golfers in the United States, with 1.1 million more players than the 35-49 year old demographic.

The Takeaway: It’s no secret that COVID brought a LOT of new golfers into the game, and the 18-34 year old demo was the biggest contributor to the game’s growth. Perhaps the most surprising takeaway from the chart above, however, is that the 65+ bracket (which has the most disposable income AND the most free time available) lags far behind even the 50-64 year old demo.

Premium tee times are becoming harder and harder to secure, so we’re going to need more venues to support the growing demand.

TODAY’S TRIVIA
Answer to Win a Set of 3 Mizuno T24 Denim Copper Wedges
(1 winner chosen on 11/30/24 across all November trivia entries, 1,000 correct respondents minimum)

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