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The Most Patriotic Round of Golf You Can Play + How a 5 Handicap Stacks Up to the Average Player
Plus, Stand on a Wedge to Minimize Mistakes from 100 yards
Wild Golf
May 24, 2024
Happy Friday all. The rollercoaster saga between suspected felon Scottie Scheffler and the Louisville police took a turn yesterday, didn’t it? After footage of his and arrest was released yesterday (watch HERE), it appears the “criminal offense” was grossly exaggerated. Seemed pretty routine to us, but how can anyone trust the word of the #1 golfer with a pristine reputation, a new father and devout Christian who also happens to be one of the nicest humans on the planet (allegedly)?
Separately, don’t forget what Memorial Day is all about- and be sure to thank any current service members and veterans in your life. We owe them a debt of gratitude!
In today’s newsletter…
✅ TIPS & DRILLS: Stand on a wedge to minimize mistakes from 100 yards. Super-simple and immediately helpful.
✅ COURSES: A veteran-owned golf course that honors our country’s heroes on every hole. A one-of-a-kind experience, and it has a special rate for service members.
✅ STATISTICS: How does the average joe 13 handicap compare to a 5 handicap? See more below.
✅ TRIVIA: A pro athlete holds the world record for the most holes played in 24 hours. How many holes did he play? Answer for a chance to win a 2014 PGA Championship Flag from Valhalla signed by Rory McIlroy!
Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend!
TIPS & DRILLS
Stand On a Wedge To Minimize Mistakes from 100 Yards
PGA Instructor Carlo Ciullo demonstrates
To Recap…
Do you struggle with approach shots inside 100 yards? Shots from this distance actually need to be played quite differently than approach shots from 150-200 yards. Here’s how to minimize wedge mistakes and create a consistent strike in the center of the club face:
-STEP 1: Unlike shots from say 150-200 yards where you really need to shift your weight from neutral to back to front, at ~100 yards it’s quite beneficial for your weight to stay stacked on your lead foot, so focus all your weight there throughout your swing. This will keep the low point of your swing arc consistent (i.e. the point of impact).
-STEP 2: To really ingrain the stacked feel and prevent weight shift, try standing on a wedge during your range sessions.
-STEP 3: If you shift your weight too much to your rear foot, the wedge under your front foot will fall to the ground. And if you practice this drill enough, the wedge under your foot will barely move, which makes for really consistent contact.
PRO TIP: Even at 100 yards, it’s not always ideal to attack the pin. Be sure to weigh your ability to be aggressive with the risk you might miss your target. For example, is the pin tucked on the left side next to a bunker? Aim 5-10 feet right of the pin instead of directly at it.
COURSES
The Most Patriotic Course You Can Play - American Dunes
Run by the Folds of Honor Foundation
American Dunes Golf Club
Grand Haven, MI
In 2006, the Grand Haven Golf Club in Michigan hosted a small golf tournament that would inspire the Folds of Honor Foundation, which provides scholarships to the families of fallen and disabled members of the US Armed Forces. The Grand Haven Golf Club closed in 2018 and Folds of Honor took it over, partnering with Jack Nicklaus to create American Dunes Golf Club.
It’s hard not to feel moved when you arrive on site, as you enter through a large Memorial and upon exiting immediately notice the giant American Flag between holes 9 & 18. Taps is played daily at 1300 hours, and there are memorials to fallen soldiers on all 18 holes. Upon check-in, golfers receive a nickel, which is to be tossed into the turf near the 18th tee, in line with the tradition whereby fighter pilots throw a nickel in the grass during a fallen soldier’s funeral.
The course itself is equally memorable, ranking 21st in the state of Michigan, which may not seem great at first until you realize Golf Digest ranked Michigan as the 2nd best state in the country for public golf (behind neighboring Wisconsin). With an average Google rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars, American Dunes is absolutely worth the trip.
Rates: $155 - $195 during peak season, $105 - $125 for Active Service members of the Military, Veterans and First Responders
Check out this review from @tfeltz_golf
STATISTICS
Stat of the Day: 5 HCP vs The Average Joe (13 HCP)
presented by…
The Stat: A 5 Handicap gains ~3.4 strokes per round on Approach shots and ~2.1 strokes per round Putting over a 13 Handicap. They also drive the ball ~24 yards further off the tee and hit an extra 3 greens in regulation.
The Takeaway: Hitting the ball further off the tee is naturally going to put you closer to the green on approach, making it easier to hit the green in regulation. But assuming a longer set of tees is being played by a 5 HCP, that may be a wash.
The bigger takeaway is the lower percentage of tee shots out of bounds or into recovery situations and the 2.1 strokes gained putting per round. So do whatever you can to keep balls in play off the tee (no lost balls!) and spend more time rolling putts on that practice green!
TODAY’S TRIVIA
Answer to Win a 2014 PGA Championship Flag from Valhalla signed by Rory McIlroy
(1 winner chosen on 5/31/24 across all May trivia entries, 1,000 respondents minimum)
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Eric Byrnes holds the world record for most holes played in 24 hours. How many holes did he play?(Fun Fact: He also played Pro Baseball) |
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