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- The Top 20 Public Course with "Volcano Bunkers" + The Foolproof Anti-Chunk Chip
The Top 20 Public Course with "Volcano Bunkers" + The Foolproof Anti-Chunk Chip
Wild Golf
March 05, 2024
Happy Tuesday! Did you catch Thomas Detry’s 5-putt from 5 feet over the weekend? Not sure what he did to anger the golf gods but wowzers, that was painful. If you missed it, here’s the video LINK.
In today’s newsletter…
✅ TIPS & DRILLS: If you have a tendency to get chunky around the greens, Cailyn Henderson shares her go-to anti-chunk move that’s nearly impossible to leave woefully short.
✅ COURSES: Who had the great idea to put a bunker inside a bunker? Pete freakin’ Dye, that’s who. Take a gander at the surreal Pete Dye course at French Lick Resort, but avoid the “volcano bunkers” at all costs. 🌋
✅ STATISTICS: Chocking a scorecard full of double bogeys is a surefire way to shoot a bad score. Our stat of the day breaks down how frequently doubles are recorded by handicap.
✅ TRIVIA: Staying on topic, our trivia question asks which PGA Tour golfer had the fewest double bogeys last year, for a chance to win a Limited Edition Taylor Made TP5 Pickle Jar of balls!
Let’s go!
TIPS & DRILLS
The Foolproof Anti-Chunk Chip
Cailyn Henderson shows you the motion that’s nearly impossible to chunk
To Recap…
Got the chunks around the greens? The heel of the club is your most likely culprit, as it really digs into the turf upon impact. To make better contact, try the anti-chunk chipping technique:
-STEP 1: Raise the heel of the club off the ground by making your club angle more vertical (i.e. as straight up and down as you can get it).
-STEP 2: To accommodate the more vertical club angle, stand closer to the ball and grip further down on the club.
-STEP 3: The face of the club will naturally need to open up to expose more surface area to the ball, so be sure to aim a bit more left if you’re a righty (vice versa if lefty).
-STEP 4: Don’t hinge your wrists. Just rock your shoulders back and forth as if you were making a longer putting stroke.
Note: This approach is likely to have less spin so the ball will run out a bit more. Be sure to get in some practice reps with different clubs to learn where to land the ball with each club.
COURSES
Volcano Bunkers? Seriously, who puts a bunker inside another bunker?!!!
Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort
French Lick, IN
Pete Dye outdid himself with this one. When asked how many bunkers adorn his course at French Lick Resort, he replied “A $---load.” The exact number is 172, and he had a special fondness for a new type of sand trap, affectionately called the “volcano bunker.” They might look cool, but avoid visiting them if you can, especially if you hate raking.
Currently ranked 118th on Golf Digest’s Best Courses list, the French Lick Resort is set to host the Korn Ferry Championship for the next 5 years, and it’s a must-play if you’re ever in the area.
Rates: $400 per round + $40 mandatory forecaddie
Check out this course video from @thesweetspotgolf
STATISTICS
Stat of the Day: Double Bogeys Per Round by Handicap
presented by…
The Stat: On average, a 26 handicap will lose 12+ shots per round to double bogeys, whereas a 2 handicap will only lose 2.2 shots per round.
The Takeaway: Naturally, the higher your handicap, the worse your misses will be. But the ability to get up and down from a bad situation can save your round. Even just scrambling to save bogey may seem like a win at times.
Avoid putting yourself in bad situations that you struggle to get out of. For example, if you stink at bunkers, aim away from bunkers!
TODAY’S TRIVIA
Like Pickles? Answer to Win a Limited Edition TaylorMade TP5 Pickle Jar of Balls
(1 winner chosen on 3/31/24 across all March trivia entries, 1,000 respondents minimum)
During the 2022-23 PGA Tour Regular season, which golfer had the fewest double bogeys and how many did they have??(minimum 12 events played) |
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