The Smallest Guys that Hit It the Farthest + America's 1st Island Green

TIPS & DRILLS
One Major Flaw Might Be Ruining BOTH Your Driver and Wedges
Don’t make this takeaway mistake, as shown by popular online coach Adam Porzak

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To Recap…

In the video, Adam Porzak mentions a really good +2 HCP golfer who was struggling with driver blocks and wedge mis-hits. And as soon as he heard this, Porzak knew it all stemmed from the same flaw- the takeaway. If you tend to take the club back low and inside, it can be disastrous for every club in the bag. But there’s a simple fix:

-STEP 1: On the practice range, grab an alignment stick and place it directly behind your ball.
-STEP 2: As you begin your takeaway, try and keep the club head following along the alignment stick as long as you can.
-STEP 3: Once the club is parallel to the ground, it should also run parallel to the alignment stick, and the club face angle should match the angle of your spine at address.
-STEP 4: Similarly, your shaft and club face angles should mirror the position described in step 3 on the downswing. This will promote a great angle of attack such that the club face can work down the line from the outside (and it won’t get “stuck” behind your body).

PRO TIP: Use a mirror or better yet, your phone camera! Even just attaching your phone to your bag using a flexible tri-pod stand like THIS ONE is worth it’s weight in gold in terms of the feedback you’ll immediately receive.

COURSES
The First Island Green Ever Built in America
Constructed in 1917 and still testing golfers’ patience 100+ years later

Galen Hall Golf Club
Wernersville, PA

The 17th at TPC Sawgrass is almost certainly the most famous island green par 3 in the world, but the course didn’t open for play until 1980. There had to have been some island green innovation before that, right? Enter Galen Hall Golf Club just outside of Reading, Pennsylvania, which expanded from 9 to 18 holes in 1917 and is home to the original “Moat Hole,” the first of its kind in America. Designed by legend A.W. Tillinghast, this par-3 gem measures 193 yards from the back tees (but you can play it at 132 yards just one tee box up), and it hasn’t been altered in more than a century. It’s hard to imagine how many golf balls have been lost to the surrounding water over that 100+ year span. Similar to Bethpage Black, it’s a rare opportunity to play a Tillinghast design that’s accessible to the public, and it’s affordable, too. Walking rates top out at just $62 during peak times.

But Galen Hall isn’t just about one hole (even if it is cool). The course serves up fantastic mountain views, quirky elevation changes, and plenty of character to keep you on your toes the entire round. At just 6,271 yards from the back tees, it’s old-school golf in the best way, taking full advantage of the natural topography and requiring strategic positioning instead of length off the tee. This is a shot-maker’s course, for sure, and the hard-breaking greens receive rave reviews, as well.

In a word, Galen Hall is simply FUN. As one reviewer put it, “13-16 at Galen Hall is one of the best stretches of golf I’ve ever played. Extremely small greens but they still had so much movement. Plays much harder than the course rating and short yardage. Really fun slightly quirky course."

So, if you’re looking to play a Tillinghast gem on a budget, Galen Hall is certainly at the top of the list. And you can tell your buddies you played the very first island green hole created in America. At just $62, that’s pretty hard to beat in 2024.

Rates: $37 - $62 walking rates (+$18 to add a cart)

Check out this overview from @forefailinggolf

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STATISTICS
Stat of the Day: Tour Stats - Small Guys Who Hit It Far
presented by…

The Stat: At 5’9” and 161 pounds soaking wet, Rory McIlroy’s body type doesn’t quite scream “watch me drive the green on this par 4.” And yet, Rory ranked 2nd on Tour in 2024 in terms of distance off the tee at 320.2 yards.

Diving into the data, Rory is actually 4th in terms of the driving distance to weight ratio (Carlos Ortiz is #1 at 300.3 yards and just 150 pounds). Keep in mind the average Tour distance off the tee in 2024 was 300.2 yards.

The Takeaway: You don’t have to be big and brawny to hit the ball a long way. Some of the longest players off the tee are actually quite svelte; they simply know how to maximize club head speed by using physics to their advantage. Torque and leverage are created by maximizing hip rotation while maintaining a stable upper body through the backswing, consequently using your lower body as the power source to initiate the downswing.

So don’t skip those lower body and core workouts this winter. They will pay dividends when spring comes.

TODAY’S TRIVIA
Answer to Win BOTH of our Wild Golf Holiday Gift Boxes
(1 winner chosen on 12/31/24 across all December trivia entries, 1,000 correct respondents minimum)

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