A Mighty Wind

Juniata Golf Club wasn't the only place where wind was a factor on Sunday. THE PLAYERS Championship at the TPC Sawgrass was also being battered by high winds, wreaking havoc on the nest golfers in the world. As Briny Baird stated after shooting a final round 72, "I don't care who wins the tournament, the wind won. It kicked everybody's butts." It certainly kicked my butt yesterday at Juniata.

To play effectively in the wind, you want to keep the ball down by hitting lower or what is referred to as "knockdown" shots. As I stated in my earlier post, I tried to play "knockdown" shots on several occasions yesterday without much success. One of the best at playing this shot is Phil Mickelson, who won the 2007 Players Championship. Mike Bender, one of Golf Magazine's Top 100 Teachers, explains that to play this shot, you want to play the ball back in your stance; take a one or two extra clubs; slightly open your stance; put your hands slightly ahead of the ball and your weight more on your left side; and take an normal swing, but abbreviate your follow through to keep the ball flight flow. Try to land the ball just short or just on the green to allow for the extra roll because of the lower ball flight.

Watch here as Bender demonstrates how to properly hit a "knockdown" shot into the wind.

Calendar Said May, Weather Said March

Juniata Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 4805, Par: 66
Rating: 63.2, Slope: 106
Score: 49/44 = 93
Date: May 11, 2008

Better late than never. I finally played my first official full round of 18 holes this season at Juniata Golf Club. The weather was more like March than May, very cool and very windy, making club selection and shots extremely difficult. I tried to play some knock down shots that I'm just not accustomed to yet, but will come as I play more often. My tee shots were somewhat disappointing; several tee shots with my driver went straight right, while several tee shots with my 3-Wood were pull hooks. And the wind was a big factor, often knocking shots down or off line. I was able to make some adjustments on the back nine. I also lost three balls today; two on shots that should have been easy to find. I did make two pars -- at the Par 4 3rd and the Par 4 14th -- and had a few more par putts that wouldn't drop. My ball striking wasn't the best, but that's because I haven't been playing much. My putting was pretty solid; several times I had the right line, just not the right speed to get the ball all the way to the hole.

I also played in a foursome for the second time this season. I met up with Wes and Trevor on the first tee and they invited me to join them , and we invited Ron -- who was teeing off alone on Hole #3 -- to join us as we played Hole #4. We got along great and had a really good time.

I played the first nine holes with the new Bridgestone e6+ golf ball that I am testing as part of the PGA Tour Partners Club. I will be sending them my review this week and I will also be posting a review here, so stay tuned.

I also feel the need to comment on Juniata Golf Club. It is evident that they are working hard to improve the course. As I mentioned last time, one of the bridges over the Frankford/Tookany Creek had been repainted and an astroturf walkway had been laid in the middle for golfers who walk, while a new cart path had been added at the end of the bridge. Yesterday, I noticed there were new signs and new benches (with advertising) at just about every hole. Small changes that are adding up to a nice new makeover for the course. My compliments to Bob Wheeler and the staff at Juniata.

Home, Home Again on the Range

Fishers Glen Driving Range
4717 Fishers Lane
Philadelphia, Pa
215/533-9466

Hoping to get a nine-hole practice round in on Sunday morning, I ventured over to Juniata Golf Club, only to find the course booked with an outing. So tonight, I headed back to Fishers Glen Driving Range and hit another small bucket of golf balls. Armed with my golf bag full of clubs this trip, I took up my isolated spot on the lower level of the range. After stretching out and loosening up with my Speed Stik, I started out by hitting 10 balls with my lob wedge. From there, I worked my way up the bag, hitting 5 balls each with my pitching wedge, 8 iron, 6 iron, 4 hybrid, 3 wood and Momentus Power Hitter. I capped off my range session by hitting four balls with my TaylorMade Burner Driver. In between the 6 and 8 irons, and the 3 wood and Power Hitter, I took 10 swings with the Speed Stik. My last ball, hit with my driver, was crushed; I couldn't see it land at the far left end of the range. As I worked my way up the bag, I felt I was beginning to make more consistent contact and hitting the ball better. This weekend, I plan to play my first full 18 holes of the season.

Making the List--the 'Must Play' List--and Checking It Off 14 Times

The May issue of Golfstyles magazine (Philadelphia edition) just arrived by mail. It featured an article on the "100 Must Play Courses Open to Everyone" in the tri-state area of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, as well as the Ocean City, Maryland area. After the reviewing the list, I counted 14 courses that The Muni Golfer has played. They include:

* Baywood Greens Golf Club, Long Neck, Del.
* Bethlehem Golf Club, Bethlehem, Pa.
* Cobbs Creek Golf Club, Philadelphia, Pa.
* Heritage Hills Golf Resort, York, Pa.
* Island Green Country Club, Philadelphia, Pa.
* Jeffersonville Golf Club, Jeffersonville, Pa.
* Pinecrest Country Club, Lansdale, Pa.
* RiverWinds Golf Club, West Deptford, N.J.
* Rum Pointe Seaside Golf Links, Berlin, Md.
* Sand Barrens Golf Club, Cape May, N.J.
* Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort, Shawnee on the Delaware, Pa.
* The Bay Club, Berlin, Md.
* Water Gap Country Club, Delaware Water Gap, Pa.
* Wyncote Golf Club, Oxford, Pa.

Three of the courses--Jeffersonville, Wyncote and Baywood Greens--I played for the first time last year. Among the notable courses are Cobbs Creek, Philadelphia's first municipal course where Arnold Palmer shot a best round of 77 during a tournament in the 1950s; Jeffersonville, which was designed by noted golf architect Donald Ross; Shawnee Inn, which was designed by the legendary A. W. Tillinghast, hosted the 1938 PGA Championship and the 1967 NCAA Championship (won by future three-time U.S. Open winner Hale Irwin), and is where actor Jackie Gleason was introduced to the game of golf and Arnold Palmer met his late wife Winnie; Water Gap, which hosted legendary players like Gene Sarazen and Walter Hagen for the Eastern Open from 1926-28; and Rum Pointe, which was designed by the father-son duo of Pete and P. B. Dye.

Hopefully, I'll be able check off a few more courses on Golfstyles' list this season.