Home Of Golf TV
Home of Golf TV hosted by Andy Brown brings you fascinating insights from St Andrews in Fife, Scotland. Episodes include golf course revi...Sports & Recreation
Video Episodes:
46 Views
19:05:20 11/21/09
Behind The Scenes "Fore" - Andy Brown and Old Course Caddy John Boyne
[LESS INFO] 46 VIEWS | ADDED 19:05:20 11/21/09
During the filming for http://www.homeofgolf.tv/2009/07/07/the-road-hole-at-st-andrews-with-caddy-john-boyne-episode-9/ we were nearly hit by a golf ball from the second tee. Luckily a shout of "fore" meant we ducked and could continue filming on the 17th hole of the Old Course with no harm done!
12 Views
17:34:58 11/21/09
John Gallagher Cack-Handed Professional Golfer - Episode #17
[LESS INFO] 12 VIEWS | ADDED 17:34:58 11/21/09
In this episode for http://www.HomeofGolf.TV I visit Scottish professional golfer John Gallagher at Swanston Golf Club, just South of Edinburgh. He is unique in that he plays cack-handed (cross handed), meaning for a right handed golfer his right hand is above his left one. Watch the video to see this self taught method in action and how we may all be gripping the golf club the wrong way!
John currently plays on the EuroPro Tour, though successful qualification in the final stage ( top 35 and ties over 54 holes from 16-18th Nov) of the Alps Tour this week will mean a full schedule next year playing in Austria, Belguim, France, Italy, Morocco, Spain and Slovenia.
John has been a professional for 9 months, following a successful amateur career including winning the 2007 Scottish Amateur Championship at Prestwick Golf Club, where he beat Keir McNicoll in the final 4&3. Prior to this in 2005 he reached the final of the 2005 Amateur Championship at Royal Birkdale, beating Lloyd Saltman in the semi-final.
John is sponsored by:
Swanston Golf Club
9 Views
18:41:06 11/08/09
The ToolStop.co.uk Rotary Kingsbarns Charity Golf Day - Episode #16
[LESS INFO] 9 VIEWS | ADDED 18:41:06 11/08/09
In this episode I visit Kingsbarns Golf Links for the ToolStop Rotary Kingsbarns Charity Golf Day held on Monday 26 October 2009. This was a Grand Match between Scotland North, England & Scotland South for the Chesterhills Claret Jug & The Kilrymont Vase. It was arranged by The Rotary Club of St Andrews Kilrymont
6 Views
23:12:10 10/26/09
The European Tour Qualfiying School with Golf On The Edge - Episode #15
[LESS INFO] 6 VIEWS | ADDED 23:12:10 10/26/09
In this episode which took place during the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship I met Ross Biddiscombe , author of Golf On The Edge 2: Q School Complete and also Golf on the Edge: Triumph and Tragedies of Q School. You can download the Introduction here and a free chapter called a Question of Cash here . Ross, a sportswriter and journalist for over 25 years, came up with the idea of writing a book focusing on the highs and lows of the PGA European Qualifying School (otherwise known as Q School) back in 2006. During his years working within the sports arena he had spoken to many golfers and heard their stories about the dramas, pressure and joy of going through Q School. During our chat Ross gave me a brilliant insight into all the stages of Q School in Europe which golfers must undertake. We discussed how golfers pay
6 Views
21:50:58 10/08/09
The Fairmont Hotel Torrance Course Hosts The Cleveland Golf And Srixon Scottish Senior Open – Episode #14
[LESS INFO] 6 VIEWS | ADDED 21:50:58 10/08/09
In this episode for HomeofGolf.TV I met with Chief Greenskeeper of the Torrance and Kittocks Course at the Fairmont St Andrews Resort , Neil Ballingall. Neil kindly offered me a fantastic insight into the Torrance Course which had recently re-opened after a demanding 18 months of construction and renovations. Our interview took place during the Cleveland Golf / Srixon Scottish Senior Open which was being held over the redesigned Torrance Course. ** Special
11 Views
15:46:30 09/26/09
Sunningdale Old Course and Golf Club – Episode #13
[LESS INFO] 11 VIEWS | ADDED 15:46:30 09/26/09
In this episode I visited the British Senior Open Championship presented by Mastercard which was taking place at The Old Course at Sunningdale Golf Course for the first time. Sunningdale Old Course is arguably one of the best designed heathland courses in the UK. It is located approximately 10 miles from Heathrow Airport and just 25 miles from the centre of London. Amongst its many accolades Sunningdale's Old Course has been ranked by Golf Digest Magazine #12 amongst courses outside the United States in 2009. It was also ranked in the most recent Top 100 Golf Courses of the World poll in 2009 as #2 in England, #10 in the UK and #19 in the world. History of the course Sunningdale has two stunning golf courses, the Old Course and the New Course. The Old Course, which opened in 1901, was designed by Willie Park Jnr and it has changed very little since then. Sunningdale is also lucky enough to boast a second course, called the New Course, which opened in 1923 and was designed by Harry Shapland Colt Hosting the Senior Open Championship Sunningdale Old Course has served as the site of some of the most important and momentous tournaments in Britain. Bobby Jones famously said of this course "I wish I could take this course home with me” after he successfully scored 66-68 over it during qualifying for the 1926 British Open . His round, which consisted of 33 full strokes and 33 putts, with every hole played in either 3 or 4; has often been described as the perfect round of golf. Events held at Sunningdale over the last decade have includes the qualifying competitions for the British Open, multiple Women's British Opens and in 1987 the Walker Cup was played here for the first time ever on an inland course in the UK. For 22 years The British Senior Open has been played at links courses around the UK so it was a bold move by the R%A this year to move the competition inland for the first time. It is a decision which has the backing of many of the best golfers in the world class field which includes Watson, Faldo, Norman, Funk, Torrance and Woosnam as it presented them with the perfect inland challenge. During this episode I also met up with David Edwards who featured in episode 6 at the London Golf Show . He was invited by the European Tour to perform his golf trick shots routine during the Seniors at Sunningdale. During our chat David told me he was enjoying attending the Seniors not only as a performer but also it gave him the opportunity to watch some of the great players he used to play alongside. The Old Course Sunningdale’s Old Course boasts being home to some of the best springy golfing turf in the world of golf. Beneath it is ideal sandy subsoil, which is a feature of heathland golf courses. This course was amongst the first successful golf courses to be located away from the seaside, as many people thought that turf wouldn’t grow well in such an inland region. Sunningdale’s glorious fairways are set amidst trees, mostly pine and silver birch, and beautiful blooming heather which is everywhere in the rough. Every hole at Sunningdale Old Course provides golfers with a combination of fantastic greens, fast-running fairways and stunning views. The standout holes which I feature in this episode are the 5th and 10th holes. 5th Hole The 5th hole is a superb 419-yard par 4. With its elevated tee, which gives you a fantastic view of the fairway, this is one of the best driving holes I’ve ever seen – I’m not surprised this hole is named in The 500 World’s Greatest Golf Holes. 10th Hole The 10th hole is a 475-yards par 4. This is another great driving hole with an elevated tee providing fantastic views. It is the longest of the par 4 holes on the back 9, it has bunkers lining the right hand side and the best part is you get an opportunity to enjoy a well-earned drink and sausage sandwich at the half-way hut after you’ve putted in! If you get a chance I thoroughly recommend you pay a visit to Sunningdale, one of Europe’s top golf courses. For full details on how to play please visit their website. Sunningdale Golf Club Ridgemount Road Sunningdale Berkshire SL5 9RR Telephone Number +44 (0)1344 620128 Fax Number +44 (0)1344 624154 Website: Sunningdale-GolfClub.co.uk and SunningdaleGolf.co.uk Email: Contact here Finally, the Question of the Day: How old are you and do you see yourself playing golf forever and ever? Leave your comment below and we’ll have fun reading them!
21 Views
15:30:49 09/26/09
Dr Karl Morris – Episode #12 Part 2
[LESS INFO] 21 VIEWS | ADDED 15:30:49 09/26/09
In this episode I am joined by Dr Karl Morris one of Europe's top golf "mental game" coaches. Karl works with the following players: Darren Clarke, David Howell, Lee Westwood, Paul McGinley, Graeme McDowell, Richard Finch, Phil Archer, Alison Nicholas and Trish Johnson.
Here is the transcription of our 20 minute interview.
Andy: Hi and welcome to episode 12 of Home of Golf TV. Today I’m joined with Dr Karl Morris, one of Europe’s leading golf mind coaches. Welcome Karl to the show.
Karl: Hi there Andy, thanks.
Andy: Now Karl, you’ve worked with Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley, Graeme McDowell, all the top players in Europe over a fantastic career you’ve had so far, helping them with their coaching. What tips can you give the viewers, takeaways from their games?
Karl: I think the big thing that I’ve found over the years is that the individual is sacred and what works for Darren Clarke certainly wouldn’t work for David Howell or Paul McGinley. So it’s very much about finding your own way of playing the game. And one of the big things I’ve worked in the last couple of years and it’s such a simple understanding about the game, but I think its so relevant for everybody that there’s really only two things in golf that you’re trying to control. You’re trying to control the golf ball and you’re trying to control yourself.
So that obviously, everybody, they need to keep working on the technical side of the game. They need to find a golf swing and a method that they can trust, but also there’s gonna be an element of what do you need to do to control yourself? What are the things that you let yourself down with on the golf course because from Ben Hogan, Tiger Woods, downwards, everybody hits bad shots occasionally, so you’re always willing to work on the second part as well as the golf swing.
Andy: And the dialogue you would have with Darren Clarke obviously would be different to Lee Westwood I suppose.
Karl: It would be completely different. I mean, Darren is probably one of the most gifted players I’ve ever seen, if not the most gifted. He’s very much a feel orientated player; plays his best golf in a very non technical approach to the game. Darren gets bogged down by theory occasionally, whereas Lee’s far more, more of a structured way of approach. He needs to know why he’s gonna do something. If there’s a good reason for doing it, Lee will go and do it, but very, very different in the plays.
Andy: I think you were saying earlier that Paul McGinley he’s now looking at practicing so he can recreate the anxiety you would have on the course.
Karl: Yeah, Paul McGinley, Graeme McDowell in particular this last two years, last year was a particularly good year for Graeme. He played in the Ryder Cup for the first time. But one of the things that we did in the whole of last year was really try and make sure that there was an element of his practice that was trying to simulate golf. And one of the big mistakes I see golfers making is aimlessly hitting golf balls on the range, hitting it well and it doesn’t represent anything that’s gonna happen on the golf course.
Andy: Karl, how long have you been in the industry for, teaching golf psychology?
Karl: My background originally was as a player, but I’ve probably been involved in the psychology side of things for about ten years now and it’s been a really interesting journey. One of the things I’ve tried to develop over the last few years, I’ve done a lot of work with the PGAs around the world. I’ve been fortunate to speak to the Australian PGA, the Swedish PGA, South African PGA as well as the Europeans.
And my real passion has always been to try and pass on some of these things that have worked tour players to the golf coach, because I really believe that the coach of the future will be able to teach not only the technical side of the game, but he’ll also have an understanding of how the mind works, as well, so that we can bring the two things together. I think the problem with golf has been that there’s almost been two camps. There’s been technical coach to work on the range and so well, you’re swinging it a lot better than this mind coach who says “Well just go out there and don’t think about it” and it never really comes together.
And I really passionately believe that good coaching in the future will develop both of those sides probably as well being able to define mechanics, as well. I think a great coach in the future will be much more rounded, perhaps, than we’ve all been in the past.
Andy: Oh yeah, I mean, I can see that happening ‘cause as a kid, that never happened.
Karl: Yeah I think we’ve all had the experience of having a golf lesson. The pro stands there, we’re maybe working on something in the swing. We start getting it perfectly on the range, start flushing it. The pro say’s, “Right go away take that to the golf course.” He thinks that you’re gonna go and play well. You think you’re gonna go and play well and then you have to make a phone call to him and say, “That was dreadful. I hit it all over the place.” And that, to me, is where this necessity to understand the mental game is so important, because if you can repeat an action on the range over and over again, and then on the golf course it’s terrible, that’s not just your golf swing. There is an element of the mind side going on there.
Andy: Like you, I probably get bogged down with so many swing thoughts and so, how many swing thoughts should I have as I sort of prepare myself?
Karl : The interesting thing again, with all this is what really frustrates me is when I hear the phrase "golf’s 90 per cent mental".
Andy: Yeah, you hear that all the time.
Karl: Well it isn’t. You hear that golf’s 80 percent, 90 percent. Well it isn’t because when it’s doing well, golf is not a mental game. Golf is a physical game. It’s a physical club, a physical ball, a physical body and actually, you play your best golf with a reduction in thinking rather than thinking too much. I think that if there is one sport in the whole of the world that we’re not short of things to think about it, it's golf. I read somewhere once that we’re drowning in information but thirsting for knowledge.
And in answer to your question, to me it’s paramount that a golfer should never have more than one swing thought and rather than looking at it as a swing thought, I look at as a place where you’re occupying your mind. You’re placing your attention. One of the things that the human mind does and in the East they call it the ‘monkey mind’, it jumps from one thing to another. And that’s the classic the golfer’s mistake, that he stood over the ball and he’s thinking about this, thinking about that and thinking about something else, “Don’t go left, don’t go right don’t go in the water.”
Actually a really effective focus brings your attention to one point and to one place and that should be the goal for everybody, to actually keep your attention in one place throughout the motion of the golf swing. That then gets the best out of your swing thought, but also occupies your mind.
Andy: And when you’re teaching the pros, do you teach them pro routine where they would have a swing thought and then they, like Darren Clarke, for instance, then he can play his natural game?
Karl: Yeah. One of the most effective things that we’ve used over the years is something we’ve called the thinking zone and the playing zone whereby, if you can imagine that you’re playing golf now and if your golf ball is here, just behind the golf ball is a line. Now anything behind the line is what I call the thinking zone. So that’s where you would do your process, you would maybe visualize a shot.
You would program in the movement that you feel is essential for your golf swing. You would in effect be using the left side of the brain, the analytical part of the brain, doing all the thinking. Once you’ve done all of that though, you see this line and you literally step over that line and I call that ‘Nike golf’, then because you step over the line and you literally just do it.
Andy: Just do it, yeah.
Karl: You get into the golf ball and actually, what this does is the reverse of what most people do in a sense, that they spend very little time here, especially if they’re playing on their golf course all the time, “Oh, it’s the six iron ‘cause it’s the 12th”. They step over the line and then they start to think.
Andy: I know it's weird why they do that.
Karl: And then they freeze. So what this does is actually prepare you here in the thinking zone, but you get over the line and then just relax a little bit more, so the game becomes, actually striking out, much less of a mental process and much more of a physical one.
Andy: We all go to the range. We see everyone hitting the ball, hitting the ball and really they’re not concentrating on their mental game, are they? Is there takeaways that we can use?
Karl: I honestly think on that, I would never ever have had a role in golf the way that I have, if golf was practiced correctly. It’s the number one reason why there’s a huge frustration in between what people see that they can do on the range and then what actually comes out on the golf course. We’ve all gotta understand golf is incredibly unique because there are a very few games where you’re trying to score as low as possible.
Most games, football, cricket, whatever it is, you’re trying to get as many as possible, whereas golf you’re trying to get as little as possible, and yet, with practice, we equate a good session, I even hear it on the TV, as I hit 1,000 balls. Well the only thing that you can guarantee if you hit 1,000 balls, is that you trained yourself to hit a 1,000 shots. And as far as I am aware 1,000 wouldn’t be that good a return on a golf course, you need to split your practice into two segments.
One part of your practice, yes, you should be working on your technical side that you’re working on with your method or your coach or whatever it is, but a part of your practice should simulate a game. And the only way you can simulate a game is to add in consequence. There needs to be a consequence to each shot. I get all the players, they’ll hit a certain number of balls where it’s a particular game that they’re playing and what they’ve got to do is hit the shot and then they’ll note down the scores for that particular game.
Andy: So that reduces the anxiety out on the course.
Karl: The very act of being in practice is actually having to take a notebook out and writing the score down that you do in practice, simulates that sort of competitive element in the real game. And I would say less than one percent of golfers do this. So I think that for the viewers, really ask yourself, “Am I hitting a lot of shots? Or am I getting better at golf?”
Andy: Because one thing that you can commit to is a routine. That’s what Harrington has said in the past.
Karl: Yes. It’s a great point, that, because all golfers hear the phrase, “Well you need a routine” and I sit down with players and it’s “Oh, yeah, I’ve got a routine.” And I film them on the golf course and they haven’t got a routine. They think they’ve got a routine. The routine is as fundamental to the mental game as the grip is to the physical game. To develop a routine, you’re actually giving yourself something that you can genuinely rely on under pressure.
The mind needs a series of steps to follow under pressure. That’s the reason why in an aircraft they give you the drill, the safety procedure before you take off. I’ll never forget Harrington saying that, I heard him once say, “There’s no way I can swing it well every day, but there’s no excuse for not having a good routine every day.” And I think these great players reflect that.
Tiger Woods has been working on the mind side of things from the age of 11 and everybody assumes he’s just this born entity, but he’s not. It’s something his father was in the Special Forces. His father made him practice in a certain way and Earl Woods said to him, “When you get in competition, the training will take over.” And I take that as being that his practice was very geared to simulating the game.
Andy: It’s a really big takeaway, isn’t it?
Karl: I think the first question for the viewers would be to really ask yourself, are you getting better with the practice that you do? And it wasn’t a golfer but I think Einstein said the definition of insanity was to keep doing the same things over and over again and expecting a different result.
Andy: That’s brilliant Karl. So the next time I’m the range, I’m going to be spending at least 25 percent on the mental game. Karl, is there any way that I can conquer my first tee nerves? I mean, we all get it to some degree. What’s your take on that?
Karl: The take that we’ve had the last few years that seems to have worked well with all of the plays is the concept of what is nervousness? Well, nervousness is actually a feeling in your body. It’s a sensation running through your system. Now, as kids we were all told, “When you get to the first tee and you’re feeling these things in your body, it’s ‘first tee nerves’. And immediately, the perception is that these feelings are bad.
Well, just imagine as a kid if you were told that when you get to the first tee, these feelings that you get are actually first tee energy? All of a sudden, you’d actually look forward to those feelings. It’s actually resisting the feeling that’s the problem. You know, Tiger Woods, when he’s walking to the first tee in the Masters, I guarantee you he’ll be getting certain feelings through his body. But what he’s learned to do, he’s learned to channel those feelings and not see it as a bad thing.
I remember years ago reading that Jack Nicklaus talked about it. He said that he didn’t win majors. He waited for other people to lose them. But he said, “Just give me that feeling on the back nine of a major. That’s what I hit all the balls for.” He didn’t say, “Give me that feeling of nervousness.”
Andy: Just give a feeling.
Karl: So in his mind he created a label that this feeling was a good thing. So that would be one of the things to reframe the actual term ‘nervousness’ as an energy, but also then learn how to control it a little bit more. And one of the most effective ways is breathing. And centuries old advice has been around far longer than any of us have, a lot of the Eastern traditions talk about this.
It’s pretty much impossible to maintain a state of nervousness and breathe correctly. And nervousness, you actually have to be in the future thinking about what might happen to be nervous. Now, when you bring your attention to your breathing, not only are you physically starting to calm down, but mentally, you’re right back here in the now, in the moment. So, just that simple process of focusing on breathing. And we’ve all heard it, but very few people do it and in practice it’s really profound.
Andy: Right. Karl, a big problem I have is I tend to surround myself with people that in the clubhouse afterwards, talk about their bad shots. “I had a 70, I had an 80, but the triple bogey on #14, that sort of conversation. The conversations doesn’t sort of go on to, “Yes, but I did this part and you know, single putts on these five greens.” It’s a funny sort of conversation us golfers get into. I want to almost get away from it because I think that must be better for my golfing.
Karl: It’s a crazy thing, Andy, really because I think we’ve almost been conditioned that misery loves company. I do call it the ‘but syndrome’, I shot 68 but! And you know the number of times I’ve sat with very good players and they almost love to tell me how bad they’ve putted. You know, “I hit the ball so well, but I three putted four times” or whatever, almost as though that’s a badge of honor that they’re wearing.
And I think it’s something that we should all look at in the way that we talk about the game because there’s no question, one of the things I’ve become fascinated with over the last few years is how memory plays such a big role in our performance. You know, the certain shots that you stand over that you just know that you’re gonna hit a good shot, because a memory has been triggered of a previous result that you’ve had in that situation.
And I always think back to the lovely story about how Harvey Penick that Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite were sat with him many, many years before they went out on tour. I think it was Tom Kite said to Mr. Penick, he said, “If there was one single piece of advice that you would give us out on tour, what would it be?” And Harvey Penick just said, “Make sure that you go to dinner with good putters.” And in effect what he was saying, he was being a great psychologist in that moment. He was saying, “Make sure you hang out with and be with people who hole putts, who talk about holing putts rather than ones who just drag us down into the sort of misery of what should’ve been.”
One practical thing that the viewers might want to think about is something that’s been really successful with players over the last few years is something that I call the three shot diary. And literally, what the three shot diary is that when you finish playing golf, what you do, maybe after you’ve got back, you’ve gone home, you actually sit down and think about the three best shots that you’ve hit that day and actually then, write them out. Write them out in detail what you were thinking, what you were feeling.
There are a couple things are happening with this simple process. One is by writing the shot out, you’re solidifying the memory of that, strengthening the memory, but the other thing is, you’re going to start to find a pattern of what you do when you play good golf. You know, people go for a golf lesson, the first thing they say, “Tell me what I’m doing wrong.” Which we’ve gotta look at our faults, or actually, what do you do when you do it right?
Andy: Yeah, and what you consistently do right.
Karl: What do you consistently do when you do it right? You know, I once said, “Success leaves behind a trail”, but you’ve gotta look for that trail. And I think that good plays do this. Tiger Woods, he said he felt that the secret to the game was to instantly recall past success and to let go of failure. Most people do the opposite.
Andy: Exactly, yeah. That’s human nature, I guess.
Karl: Probably the best example I’ve ever seen about this and mental toughness was Bernhard Langer when he missed that putt at Kiawah Island. A four foot putt to win the Ryder Cup, he missed it. You imagine that impact that could’ve had on him, but Langer went away. He said, “I went through a routine. I did everything I could. I shot the putt the right way. It didn’t go in. It just didn’t go in.”
And then the very next week he went over to Germany and he won the Mercedes Masters the next week. I just think that’s incredible. It just shows you, he had the ability to let go of what happened, get the best out of it and move on.
Andy: Yeah, incredible story and that’s one takeaway for all of us. Langer, back in ’91. Can you imagine that?
Karl: The world’s watching.
Andy: The world’s watching. Everyone doubting that he can hole a putt and then two weeks later he goes and wins the Mercedes Masters. Incredible story there. Something we can all learn from. That’s fantastic Karl. So much advice there. I really appreciate your time. If there’s anyone out there that wants to find out more about what you’re doing with the players or just to help their own game, where can they go to find out the information?
Karl: There’s a couple of websites and one of the websites is GolfTrainingProducts.co.uk and if people go to that site they can get some free videos, some downloads and some things that we’ve talked about here today. The other website is Golf-Brain.com and anybody signs up there they get a free monthly newsletter that keeps them informed of what’s going on with the players and some of the courses that I run, etcetera. The product that’s worked really well this last 12 months, a new product is a CD called 5 Shots Lower Without Changing Your Swing .
Andy: Oh, we all want that, yeah.
Karl: Something that you can play in the car, a series of tools that you can use, similar to what we’ve talked about today. This stuff needs reinforcing. We all fall back into our old patterns and our old habits. And you know, we’re so keen on being warmed up physically, but we need to be warmed up and tuned in mentally.
Andy: This is a CD you can put in the car?
Karl: A CD you can put in the car and you can listen to it at home, you know, the players that I’ve worked with say that they keep listening to it over and over and just to keep their mind, the mental stages in all of it, like I say five shots lower without changing their swing.
Andy: So, hope you thoroughly enjoyed the show with Karl. I have. Thanks very much for coming Karl.
Karl: My pleasure, Andy.
Andy: Hopefully we’ll talk in the near future.
Karl: Look forward to it.
Andy: Okay. Well that’s the end of the show. I hope you thoroughly enjoyed it.
More about Dr Karl Morris
Free Golf Mind Factor Video Training Course
5 Shots Lower Without Changing Your Swing
The Mind Factor
Finally, the Question of the Day:
What’s the biggest mental challenge in your game? Leave your comments below and we’ll have fun reading them!
2 Views
22:56:31 09/23/09
HomeofGolf TV Show Reel 1 Episodes 1 – 12
[LESS INFO] 2 VIEWS | ADDED 22:56:31 09/23/09
This video features extracts from the first 12 shows of http://www.HomeofGolf.TV
The show reel ranges from laughs with Nick Faldo, the 18th on the Old Course in the snow, to hearing great stories from local Old Course caddy John Boyne on the famous Road Hole, to tips on playing Kingsbarns, to helicopter footage of the courses at St Andrews.
In addition I talk to Jack and Sheena at the famous 19th hole in St Andrews, namely the Dunvegan Hotel. I also take time to understand how playable hickory clubs are made at the St Andrews Golf Company.
The show reel also features Musselburgh Old Links, the oldest course in the world, as well as spending some time with Karl Morris, the mind coach to Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke.
3 Views
00:12:24 08/21/09
Dr Karl Morris – Episode #12 Part 1
[LESS INFO] 3 VIEWS | ADDED 00:12:24 08/21/09
In this episode I am joined by Dr Karl Morris one of Europe's top golf "mental game" coaches. Karl works with the following players: Darren Clarke, David Howell, Lee Westwood, Paul McGinley, Graeme McDowell, Richard Finch, Phil Archer, Alison Nicholas and Trish Johnson.
Here is the transcription of our 20 minute interview.
Andy: Hi and welcome to episode 12 of Home of Golf TV. Today I’m joined with Dr Karl Morris, one of Europe’s leading golf mind coaches. Welcome Karl to the show.
Karl: Hi there Andy, thanks.
Andy: Now Karl, you’ve worked with Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley, Graeme McDowell, all the top players in Europe over a fantastic career you’ve had so far, helping them with their coaching. What tips can you give the viewers, takeaways from their games?
Karl: I think the big thing that I’ve found over the years is that the individual is sacred and what works for Darren Clarke certainly wouldn’t work for David Howell or Paul McGinley. So it’s very much about finding your own way of playing the game. And one of the big things I’ve worked in the last couple of years and it’s such a simple understanding about the game, but I think its so relevant for everybody that there’s really only two things in golf that you’re trying to control. You’re trying to control the golf ball and you’re trying to control yourself.
So that obviously, everybody, they need to keep working on the technical side of the game. They need to find a golf swing and a method that they can trust, but also there’s gonna be an element of what do you need to do to control yourself? What are the things that you let yourself down with on the golf course because from Ben Hogan, Tiger Woods, downwards, everybody hits bad shots occasionally, so you’re always willing to work on the second part as well as the golf swing.
Andy: And the dialogue you would have with Darren Clarke obviously would be different to Lee Westwood I suppose.
Karl: It would be completely different. I mean, Darren is probably one of the most gifted players I’ve ever seen, if not the most gifted. He’s very much a feel orientated player; plays his best golf in a very non technical approach to the game. Darren gets bogged down by theory occasionally, whereas Lee’s far more, more of a structured way of approach. He needs to know why he’s gonna do something. If there’s a good reason for doing it, Lee will go and do it, but very, very different in the plays.
Andy: I think you were saying earlier that Paul McGinley he’s now looking at practicing so he can recreate the anxiety you would have on the course.
Karl: Yeah, Paul McGinley, Graeme McDowell in particular this last two years, last year was a particularly good year for Graeme. He played in the Ryder Cup for the first time. But one of the things that we did in the whole of last year was really try and make sure that there was an element of his practice that was trying to simulate golf. And one of the big mistakes I see golfers making is aimlessly hitting golf balls on the range, hitting it well and it doesn’t represent anything that’s gonna happen on the golf course.
Andy: Karl, how long have you been in the industry for, teaching golf psychology?
Karl: My background originally was as a player, but I’ve probably been involved in the psychology side of things for about ten years now and it’s been a really interesting journey. One of the things I’ve tried to develop over the last few years, I’ve done a lot of work with the PGAs around the world. I’ve been fortunate to speak to the Australian PGA, the Swedish PGA, South African PGA as well as the Europeans.
And my real passion has always been to try and pass on some of these things that have worked tour players to the golf coach, because I really believe that the coach of the future will be able to teach not only the technical side of the game, but he’ll also have an understanding of how the mind works, as well, so that we can bring the two things together. I think the problem with golf has been that there’s almost been two camps. There’s been technical coach to work on the range and so well, you’re swinging it a lot better than this mind coach who says “Well just go out there and don’t think about it” and it never really comes together.
And I really passionately believe that good coaching in the future will develop both of those sides probably as well being able to define mechanics, as well. I think a great coach in the future will be much more rounded, perhaps, than we’ve all been in the past.
Andy: Oh yeah, I mean, I can see that happening ‘cause as a kid, that never happened.
Karl: Yeah I think we’ve all had the experience of having a golf lesson. The pro stands there, we’re maybe working on something in the swing. We start getting it perfectly on the range, start flushing it. The pro say’s, “Right go away take that to the golf course.” He thinks that you’re gonna go and play well. You think you’re gonna go and play well and then you have to make a phone call to him and say, “That was dreadful. I hit it all over the place.” And that, to me, is where this necessity to understand the mental game is so important, because if you can repeat an action on the range over and over again, and then on the golf course it’s terrible, that’s not just your golf swing. There is an element of the mind side going on there.
Andy: Like you, I probably get bogged down with so many swing thoughts and so, how many swing thoughts should I have as I sort of prepare myself?
Karl : The interesting thing again, with all this is what really frustrates me is when I hear the phrase "golf’s 90 per cent mental".
Andy: Yeah, you hear that all the time.
Karl: Well it isn’t. You hear that golf’s 80 percent, 90 percent. Well it isn’t because when it’s doing well, golf is not a mental game. Golf is a physical game. It’s a physical club, a physical ball, a physical body and actually, you play your best golf with a reduction in thinking rather than thinking too much. I think that if there is one sport in the whole of the world that we’re not short of things to think about it, it's golf. I read somewhere once that we’re drowning in information but thirsting for knowledge.
And in answer to your question, to me it’s paramount that a golfer should never have more than one swing thought and rather than looking at it as a swing thought, I look at as a place where you’re occupying your mind. You’re placing your attention. One of the things that the human mind does and in the East they call it the ‘monkey mind’, it jumps from one thing to another. And that’s the classic the golfer’s mistake, that he stood over the ball and he’s thinking about this, thinking about that and thinking about something else, “Don’t go left, don’t go right don’t go in the water.”
Actually a really effective focus brings your attention to one point and to one place and that should be the goal for everybody, to actually keep your attention in one place throughout the motion of the golf swing. That then gets the best out of your swing thought, but also occupies your mind.
Andy: And when you’re teaching the pros, do you teach them pro routine where they would have a swing thought and then they, like Darren Clarke, for instance, then he can play his natural game?
Karl: Yeah. One of the most effective things that we’ve used over the years is something we’ve called the thinking zone and the playing zone whereby, if you can imagine that you’re playing golf now and if your golf ball is here, just behind the golf ball is a line. Now anything behind the line is what I call the thinking zone. So that’s where you would do your process, you would maybe visualize a shot.
You would program in the movement that you feel is essential for your golf swing. You would in effect be using the left side of the brain, the analytical part of the brain, doing all the thinking. Once you’ve done all of that though, you see this line and you literally step over that line and I call that ‘Nike golf’, then because you step over the line and you literally just do it.
Andy: Just do it, yeah.
Karl: You get into the golf ball and actually, what this does is the reverse of what most people do in a sense, that they spend very little time here, especially if they’re playing on their golf course all the time, “Oh, it’s the six iron ‘cause it’s the 12th”. They step over the line and then they start to think.
Andy: I know it's weird why they do that.
Karl: And then they freeze. So what this does is actually prepare you here in the thinking zone, but you get over the line and then just relax a little bit more, so the game becomes, actually striking out, much less of a mental process and much more of a physical one.
Andy: We all go to the range. We see everyone hitting the ball, hitting the ball and really they’re not concentrating on their mental game, are they? Is there takeaways that we can use?
Karl: I honestly think on that, I would never ever have had a role in golf the way that I have, if golf was practiced correctly. It’s the number one reason why there’s a huge frustration in between what people see that they can do on the range and then what actually comes out on the golf course. We’ve all gotta understand golf is incredibly unique because there are a very few games where you’re trying to score as low as possible.
Most games, football, cricket, whatever it is, you’re trying to get as many as possible, whereas golf you’re trying to get as little as possible, and yet, with practice, we equate a good session, I even hear it on the TV, as I hit 1,000 balls. Well the only thing that you can guarantee if you hit 1,000 balls, is that you trained yourself to hit a 1,000 shots. And as far as I am aware 1,000 wouldn’t be that good a return on a golf course, you need to split your practice into two segments.
One part of your practice, yes, you should be working on your technical side that you’re working on with your method or your coach or whatever it is, but a part of your practice should simulate a game. And the only way you can simulate a game is to add in consequence. There needs to be a consequence to each shot. I get all the players, they’ll hit a certain number of balls where it’s a particular game that they’re playing and what they’ve got to do is hit the shot and then they’ll note down the scores for that particular game.
Andy: So that reduces the anxiety out on the course.
Karl: The very act of being in practice is actually having to take a notebook out and writing the score down that you do in practice, simulates that sort of competitive element in the real game. And I would say less than one percent of golfers do this. So I think that for the viewers, really ask yourself, “Am I hitting a lot of shots? Or am I getting better at golf?”
Andy: Because one thing that you can commit to is a routine. That’s what Harrington has said in the past.
Karl: Yes. It’s a great point, that, because all golfers hear the phrase, “Well you need a routine” and I sit down with players and it’s “Oh, yeah, I’ve got a routine.” And I film them on the golf course and they haven’t got a routine. They think they’ve got a routine. The routine is as fundamental to the mental game as the grip is to the physical game. To develop a routine, you’re actually giving yourself something that you can genuinely rely on under pressure.
The mind needs a series of steps to follow under pressure. That’s the reason why in an aircraft they give you the drill, the safety procedure before you take off. I’ll never forget Harrington saying that, I heard him once say, “There’s no way I can swing it well every day, but there’s no excuse for not having a good routine every day.” And I think these great players reflect that.
Tiger Woods has been working on the mind side of things from the age of 11 and everybody assumes he’s just this born entity, but he’s not. It’s something his father was in the Special Forces. His father made him practice in a certain way and Earl Woods said to him, “When you get in competition, the training will take over.” And I take that as being that his practice was very geared to simulating the game.
Andy: It’s a really big takeaway, isn’t it?
Karl: I think the first question for the viewers would be to really ask yourself, are you getting better with the practice that you do? And it wasn’t a golfer but I think Einstein said the definition of insanity was to keep doing the same things over and over again and expecting a different result.
Andy: That’s brilliant Karl. So the next time I’m the range, I’m going to be spending at least 25 percent on the mental game. Karl, is there any way that I can conquer my first tee nerves? I mean, we all get it to some degree. What’s your take on that?
Karl: The take that we’ve had the last few years that seems to have worked well with all of the plays is the concept of what is nervousness? Well, nervousness is actually a feeling in your body. It’s a sensation running through your system. Now, as kids we were all told, “When you get to the first tee and you’re feeling these things in your body, it’s ‘first tee nerves’. And immediately, the perception is that these feelings are bad.
Well, just imagine as a kid if you were told that when you get to the first tee, these feelings that you get are actually first tee energy? All of a sudden, you’d actually look forward to those feelings. It’s actually resisting the feeling that’s the problem. You know, Tiger Woods, when he’s walking to the first tee in the Masters, I guarantee you he’ll be getting certain feelings through his body. But what he’s learned to do, he’s learned to channel those feelings and not see it as a bad thing.
I remember years ago reading that Jack Nicklaus talked about it. He said that he didn’t win majors. He waited for other people to lose them. But he said, “Just give me that feeling on the back nine of a major. That’s what I hit all the balls for.” He didn’t say, “Give me that feeling of nervousness.”
Andy: Just give a feeling.
Karl: So in his mind he created a label that this feeling was a good thing. So that would be one of the things to reframe the actual term ‘nervousness’ as an energy, but also then learn how to control it a little bit more. And one of the most effective ways is breathing. And centuries old advice has been around far longer than any of us have, a lot of the Eastern traditions talk about this.
It’s pretty much impossible to maintain a state of nervousness and breathe correctly. And nervousness, you actually have to be in the future thinking about what might happen to be nervous. Now, when you bring your attention to your breathing, not only are you physically starting to calm down, but mentally, you’re right back here in the now, in the moment. So, just that simple process of focusing on breathing. And we’ve all heard it, but very few people do it and in practice it’s really profound.
Andy: Right. Karl, a big problem I have is I tend to surround myself with people that in the clubhouse afterwards, talk about their bad shots. “I had a 70, I had an 80, but the triple bogey on #14, that sort of conversation. The conversations doesn’t sort of go on to, “Yes, but I did this part and you know, single putts on these five greens.” It’s a funny sort of conversation us golfers get into. I want to almost get away from it because I think that must be better for my golfing.
Karl: It’s a crazy thing, Andy, really because I think we’ve almost been conditioned that misery loves company. I do call it the ‘but syndrome’, I shot 68 but! And you know the number of times I’ve sat with very good players and they almost love to tell me how bad they’ve putted. You know, “I hit the ball so well, but I three putted four times” or whatever, almost as though that’s a badge of honor that they’re wearing.
And I think it’s something that we should all look at in the way that we talk about the game because there’s no question, one of the things I’ve become fascinated with over the last few years is how memory plays such a big role in our performance. You know, the certain shots that you stand over that you just know that you’re gonna hit a good shot, because a memory has been triggered of a previous result that you’ve had in that situation.
And I always think back to the lovely story about how Harvey Penick that Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite were sat with him many, many years before they went out on tour. I think it was Tom Kite said to Mr. Penick, he said, “If there was one single piece of advice that you would give us out on tour, what would it be?” And Harvey Penick just said, “Make sure that you go to dinner with good putters.” And in effect what he was saying, he was being a great psychologist in that moment. He was saying, “Make sure you hang out with and be with people who hole putts, who talk about holing putts rather than ones who just drag us down into the sort of misery of what should’ve been.”
One practical thing that the viewers might want to think about is something that’s been really successful with players over the last few years is something that I call the three shot diary. And literally, what the three shot diary is that when you finish playing golf, what you do, maybe after you’ve got back, you’ve gone home, you actually sit down and think about the three best shots that you’ve hit that day and actually then, write them out. Write them out in detail what you were thinking, what you were feeling.
There are a couple things are happening with this simple process. One is by writing the shot out, you’re solidifying the memory of that, strengthening the memory, but the other thing is, you’re going to start to find a pattern of what you do when you play good golf. You know, people go for a golf lesson, the first thing they say, “Tell me what I’m doing wrong.” Which we’ve gotta look at our faults, or actually, what do you do when you do it right?
Andy: Yeah, and what you consistently do right.
Karl: What do you consistently do when you do it right? You know, I once said, “Success leaves behind a trail”, but you’ve gotta look for that trail. And I think that good plays do this. Tiger Woods, he said he felt that the secret to the game was to instantly recall past success and to let go of failure. Most people do the opposite.
Andy: Exactly, yeah. That’s human nature, I guess.
Karl: Probably the best example I’ve ever seen about this and mental toughness was Bernhard Langer when he missed that putt at Kiawah Island. A four foot putt to win the Ryder Cup, he missed it. You imagine that impact that could’ve had on him, but Langer went away. He said, “I went through a routine. I did everything I could. I shot the putt the right way. It didn’t go in. It just didn’t go in.”
And then the very next week he went over to Germany and he won the Mercedes Masters the next week. I just think that’s incredible. It just shows you, he had the ability to let go of what happened, get the best out of it and move on.
Andy: Yeah, incredible story and that’s one takeaway for all of us. Langer, back in ’91. Can you imagine that?
Karl: The world’s watching.
Andy: The world’s watching. Everyone doubting that he can hole a putt and then two weeks later he goes and wins the Mercedes Masters. Incredible story there. Something we can all learn from. That’s fantastic Karl. So much advice there. I really appreciate your time. If there’s anyone out there that wants to find out more about what you’re doing with the players or just to help their own game, where can they go to find out the information?
Karl: There’s a couple of websites and one of the websites is GolfTrainingProducts.co.uk and if people go to that site they can get some free videos, some downloads and some things that we’ve talked about here today. The other website is Golf-Brain.com and anybody signs up there they get a free monthly newsletter that keeps them informed of what’s going on with the players and some of the courses that I run, etcetera. The product that’s worked really well this last 12 months, a new product is a CD called 5 Shots Lower Without Changing Your Swing .
Andy: Oh, we all want that, yeah.
Karl: Something that you can play in the car, a series of tools that you can use, similar to what we’ve talked about today. This stuff needs reinforcing. We all fall back into our old patterns and our old habits. And you know, we’re so keen on being warmed up physically, but we need to be warmed up and tuned in mentally.
Andy: This is a CD you can put in the car?
Karl: A CD you can put in the car and you can listen to it at home, you know, the players that I’ve worked with say that they keep listening to it over and over and just to keep their mind, the mental stages in all of it, like I say five shots lower without changing their swing.
Andy: So, hope you thoroughly enjoyed the show with Karl. I have. Thanks very much for coming Karl.
Karl: My pleasure, Andy.
Andy: Hopefully we’ll talk in the near future.
Karl: Look forward to it.
Andy: Okay. Well that’s the end of the show. I hope you thoroughly enjoyed it.
More about Dr Karl Morris
Free Golf Mind Factor Video Training Course
5 Shots Lower Without Changing Your Swing
The Mind Factor
Finally, the Question of the Day:
What’s the biggest mental challenge in your game? Leave your comments below and we’ll have fun reading them!
11 Views
17:20:05 08/20/09
Kingsbarns Golf Links Episode #11
[LESS INFO] 11 VIEWS | ADDED 17:20:05 08/20/09
In Episode 11 I have the pleasure of visiting Kingsbarns Golf Links , one of the newest courses in the hallowed home of golf, in the glorious sunshine. Kingsbarns is a traditional Scottish links course set in a stunning seaside location just 7 miles from St. Andrews. The wide fairways stretch along 2 miles of spectacular coastline in East Fife. In this show I’ll take you to the signature holes at Kingsbarns, the par-5 12th and 15th, I’ll show you the challenging 7th, 9th and 18th holes as well as the dramatic fairways and greens, the beautiful clubhouse, the stunning coastline and even some wildlife down on the adjacent beach! 15th hole I start out by taking you to the 15th hole and offering you some top tips to help you make par on this hole. This hole is gaining a reputation as one of Scotland's finest par 3s. With its fantastic views I think it’s our version of Pebble Beach! Whenever I come to Kingsbarns I always see some fantastic drama on this incredible hole - I love it. From the tee at 212 yards I demonstrate how the hole can be played – either by simply going for it or by laying up on the left hand side of the green. When you stand on the tee of the 15th at Kingsbarns you don’t know how windy it’s going to be, so my top tip is to check the trees on your left and also aim for the left bunker if you can because that’s a really good safe line. The last thing you want is to end up on the rocks on the right. Once you get to the green you should take care because there are lots of borrows, contours and undulating ridges on this green. If you can get a 3 or a 4 that’s a good score and you can move on having played one of the best golf holes in Scotland! 12th hole Apart from the 15th one of the best holes at Kingsbarns Golf Links is the 12th - it’s a par 5 , it goes all the way along the coastline and has to be one of the most stunning holes in the British Isles. 7th hole The par 4 7th is a long tough hole at 470 yards from the championship tees. It's important to miss the large hollow on the left side of the green, as recovering from here can be tricky. 9th hole Next I take you onto the par 5 9th hole which is 568 yards long and I show you the cross bunkers and the deep bunkers on the right hand side of the green.. Like all of the greens at Kingsbarns there are 6 or 7 pin placements on the 9th green. However there is no other green like the 9th for the variety of placement. There is a large hollow and a ridge running across this green. This really is a tricky green but a lot of fun to play. 18th hole I finish the show on the testing par 4 18th hole which is 444 yards from the tips. You final approach shot must carry the Cambo Burn. This is a finishing hole which is designed for maximum drama - it’s lots of fun and it could decide the outcome of your match. Kingsbarns History Golf at Kingsbarns dates back to 1793 and since then it’s had a turbulent history. The course closed in 1850 so that farmers could turn the land into farmable fields, and re-opened in 1922 when Willie Auchterlonie laid out a nine-hole golf course on the links at Kingsbarns Bay. Then in 1939 this course was mined for military purposes during World War II. Finally in 1999 Californian designers Mark Parsinen and Kyle Phillips created and opened the 18 hole golf course which features in this show. Despite its infancy, Kingsbarns has the honor of being one of three venues for the annual Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, along with the Old Course and Carnoustie. This spectacular course has also been selected as a Final Local Qualifying course for the 2010 Open Championship . If you want the sights, sounds smells of sea while you are playing golf then Kingsbarns is the place to be. The elevated tees give you magnificent views of the landing areas of each hole as well as stunning views out to the sea. On the green you really need to have you’re “A” game with you because there are so many contours and subtle borrows - probably best to have a caddy on your first visit! Good luck on your 1st visit to Kingsbarns! For full details on how to play please visit their website. Kingsbarns Golf Links Kingsbarns Golf Links Kingsbarns, Fife KY16 8QD Scotland Telephone Number +44 (0)1334 460860 Fax Number +44 (0)1334 460877 Website: Kingsbarns.com Email: Contact here Finally the Question of the Day: What is your favorite seaside golf course? Leave your comment below and we’ll have fun reading them!
38 Views
22:27:05 07/14/09
Musselburgh Old Course Golf Club Episode #10
[LESS INFO] 38 VIEWS | ADDED 22:27:05 07/14/09
In this episode of HomeofGolf.TV I visited Musselburgh Old Course Golf Club, the oldest surviving golf course in the world.
The Course
The Old Course at Musselburgh is a 9 hole, par 34 links golf course, located in the heart of Musselburgh, just miles 3 from Edinburgh and surrounded by Musselburgh Racecourse.
The course was originally 7 holes, another hole was added in 1838 and then the full 9 holes came into play in 1870. I really enjoyed walking round the historic course taking a look at the layout and in particular I wanted to see the infamous 4th hole, “Mrs Foremans”. It’s named after the pub, Mrs Foreman’s Inn, which sits behind the 4th green and where in years gone by refreshments could be passed to golfers through a hatch in the wall of the pub adjacent to the green – the perfect halfway house!
The history of Musselburgh Old Course Golf Club
I met up with Robin McGregor, the Secretary of Musselburgh Old Course Golf Club, who told me about the history of the course and how it had come to pass that Musselburgh Links was officially recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s oldest golf course.
Documentary evidence shows that golf was played on Musselburgh Links since 1450 and Mary, Queen of Scots even reputedly played there in 1567. However, there are no definitive records of this other than the one in 1672 when someone actually recorded play. Robin explained to me that the record comes from an Edinburgh accountant, called Sir John Fowles, who recorded in his account book on that date that he played at Musselburgh Old Course and lost the huge amount of
4 Views
10:52:14 07/10/09
The Road Hole St Andrews - John Boyne Ep 9 Pt 3
[LESS INFO] 4 VIEWS | ADDED 10:52:14 07/10/09
In this episode I am joined by registered Old Course caddie John Boyne and he explains to me what life is like as a caddie here in St Andrews and talks me through how to play the famous 17th “Road Hole” on the Old Course.
This video was made possible by the kind assistance of Mike Woodcock at The Links Trust . Visit StAndrewslinks.Allianz.com to see Mike in the Working at the Home of Golf section under Community.
Life as an Old Course Caddie
John is in his 8th season as an Old Course caddie, having started purely by accident back in 2002. He explained to me how his wife encouraged him to join a caddie program she saw advertised in a golf magazine, which was organized by the Caddie Master at the Old Course. John signed up, completed a 4 day training course and 8 years on he is enjoying caddying on the Old Course for up to 160 rounds a year.
The Old Course caddies’ season begins properly in mid-May, which is when I shot this episode. From May through to the end of October, the main golf season at the Old Course, the caddies work full-on typically doing 36 holes a day. John told me that as well as himself, the St Andrews Links Trust has 132 caddies who are working for them this year on the Old Course as well as caddying on the other six St Andrews Links courses which are also open to the public. Caddies are all self-employed and some of them work 11 rounds a week. When winter descends on St Andrews and the Old Course becomes less busy many of these caddies jet off to Naples in Florida or Las Vegas to caddie for 5 months.
I followed John down to the Caddie Pavilion on the Old Course, which is a second home to the caddies. They spend the first part of their day there until they are booked to go out caddying. In the high season the first tee time on the Old Course is 6.30am and thus caddies are often seen arriving an hour beforehand.
John explained to me that he feels very privileged to work as a caddie on the Old Course. Besides helping him stay in good physical condition, it also has other perks. Every day he gets the chance to meet lots of different people from all over the world who come to play the most famous golf course in Scotland. The stories which John shared with me during the filming of this episode about people he has caddied for are both amusing and give an invaluable insight into life as an Old Course caddie.
Some golfers John has caddied for come back on repeat visits to play the Old Course. During the 4.5 hours out on those hallowed grounds it’s easy to see how friendships are forged and John told me that that many golfers keep in contact with him throughout the year. He believes that when you visit Scotland life and golf are inextricably linked together.
After years of being asked by golfers for his recommendations on where to stay and where to play golf in St Andrews John started up his own golf tour company at CaddieGolfTours.com . He offers straightforward honest advice, for a very reasonable fee, about accommodation to suit your budget and his tips on how to get onto St Andrews’ golf courses as quickly as possible. John also offers information on booking golf vacations in other parts of Scotland too.
If you ever visit St Andrews to play the Old Course I highly recommend hiring a caddie before setting foot onto that infamous first tee. A knowledgeable caddie like John can help you to take at least five shots off your game with his reads, club selection, target strategies and lines off the tees on this championship course. A caddie can also assist in protecting your score by helping you deal with the legendary windy weather which many experience on this course.
John offers more useful information about playing at St Andrews on his web site here.
The Road Hole
Having caddied on the Old Course so regularly John is definitely experienced enough to be able to point out to myself, and my viewers, how we can avoid the many traps on the Old Course which have ruined the scores of many golfers in their first encounter with it.
So in this episode John concentrated on the challenging 17th hole, the most famous par 4 in the world, and talked me through the best strategy for playing it.
The Road Hole, so called because of the old turnpike road which forms a boundary on the right side, is arguably one of the toughest holes in golf and it’s seen by many as the most difficult hole on the Old Course. At 461 yards it is listed as a par 4 on the scorecard but it is actually only 14 yards short of par 5 distance. John told me that during previous Opens Nick Faldo consistently played this hole as a par 5, as do many local golfers.
This hole has witnessed a lot of dramas during the 27 Open Championships which have been played here at the Old Course.
Teeing Off
John says that there is always great excitement amongst players on the 17th tee, and that for every different foursome he is caddying for, something dramatic always happens on this hole.
Most players are thinking about their strategy for the 17th hole as they are walking down the 2nd fairway because as they get to the 2nd green they can see the 17th tee, which is adjacent. John told me that many players are worrying that in 3.5 hrs they are going to be playing the 17th, one of the most famous golf holes in the world. He explained that by the time a player gets to the 17th tee he has found that mentally they are pretty screwed up, especially for those not used to links golf courses.
The old railway tram shed (which has been rebuilt since its original installation) has remained over the years as a perfect aiming point for driving off of the 17th tee on the Old Course. A sign with the words “OLD COURSE HOTEL” is fixed to the side of the shed (which houses offices belonging to the Old Course Hotel). The Old Course Hotel and The Jigger Inn both run alongside the 17th hole fairway.
John’s advice for teeing off is to play an aggressive line - play outside the word “HOTEL” on the sign, going quite close to the face of the hotel. He told me that it’s a 200 - 220 yard carry to get onto the fairway from there, so he has to be pretty confident about the ability of the golfer he is caddying before he recommends this to them. It is aggressive but it pays off. You definitely have to trust your swing here because you can’t see the landing area. As John says it’s a shot of blind faith!
If he is with a confident golfer John takes them over the “L” of “HOTEL” on the sign and maybe even another 2 or 3 yards to the right of that. He explains it’s a very tight shot but professionals are going to hit the ball 280 - 290 yards consistently so will be on the fairway and will be in perfect position for the approach shot to the green. They go over the green sheds and garden, over the conservatory of the Old Course Hotel and then into landing area opposite the Jigger Inn. He says the braver you are the tighter you can go to the hotel. It is a big carry but the rewards are extraordinary for the entrance into the green. It’s definitely a shot that needs a bit of courage!
John told me that he always enjoys a fade as a shot on this tee but that he has also seen a lot of golfers play a draw. A draw takes you to the left rough. The fade takes you into the fairway, going round from the left, trying to land centre and right of centre on the fairway will give you a good shot into the green. If like 70% of the golfers John has caddied for you have a fade, John says this hole was made for you!
John also reminisced with me about back in the 70s when he remembered Jack Nicklaus hitting his ball across the roofs of the train sheds during the Open. The Old Course Hotel and sheds were constructioned in the late 1960s early 70s and not in the mid 80s as mentioned in the video.
One of John’s fun stories he shared with me about this hole was when he asked a Japanese golfer he was caddying for to play over the word “HOTEL” on the sign. Somehow his words got lost in translation and the golfer hit the ball right over the roof of the Old Course Hotel into the car park!!!
I highly recommend reading this article on the 17th hole by John and in particular R.T. Jones' account of a Walker Cup match in 1926
Approach Shots
John also showed me the more realistic landing area where the majority of players hit their tee shot to. Typically they end up on the left side of the fairway in the rough which is thick and tangled, which makes it tough. John explained that it’s extremely difficult from this position to get onto the green. He told me that even professionals will leave their 2nd shot short, on purpose, to have a option to play a chip and run onto the green or a long putt.
Hitting Off The Road!
Hopefully if you have followed John’s tips up to this stage you can avoid your ball landing on the path, road or rock wall which are to the right hand side of the 17th fairway and green. If not you might just have to hit your ball off of tarmac! The ball must be played as it lies on this hole. John took me onto the road of this hole and offered advice for players from this position. He recommends a 4 or 5 iron to be hit quite hard to get up the bank from this position to get onto the 17th green. John told me that in the early 80s during the Open Tom Watson overcooked his 2 iron and landed 6 or 7 inches from the rock wall so he had no shot. Thus he turned around, hit the ball against the wall and luckily it careered and bounced up onto the green. He says that during his time on the Old Course he has seen this shot done many times and it does work.
Bunkers
John pointed out that the bunkers short of the green in the left rough rarely come into play. They did however in the 2007 Ladies Open when Lorena Ochoa ended up in one.
The Road Hole bunker has been known to destroy many rounds on the Old Course, including David Duval's Open fight in 2000 (admittedly he was being agressive to close the lead) and Tommy Nakajima in 1978. John told me that some golfers he caddies for hit their shot into the bunker on the 17th deliberately because they want to take a crack at getting out of it. If you are unfortunate enough to end up in the Raod Hole Bunker John outlines some damage limitation tactics to keep your score down.
On The Green
The 17th has a thin deceptive green. On the day we filmed this episode the pin had been placed favorably but John told me that was not always the case. He pointed out too that the green has a slight tilt on the right which feeds the ball quite gently down to the pin.
As links golf has no great depth perception because it is so flat John told me it is hard to judge distances on a green like this for putting. This can be especially difficult on the 17th when you could have a really long putt. That is why John always recommends someone attending the flag on the green to give some depth perception for the player.
Overall John warned me that you have to use flexibility and imagination to play this hole and be prepared for anything to happen! Have fun.
More on Old Course caddy John Boyne
Website: CaddieGolfTours.com
Blog: http://wwwcaddiegolftours.blogspot.com/
Tour Enquiries: Click here for John to contact you personally
Email: john@caddiegolftours.com (If you enjoyed this video please email John to say so, many thanks)
Finally, the Question of the Day:
What is your favorite Open Championship Hole? Leave your comments below and we’ll have fun reading them!
1 Views
02:26:26 07/10/09
The Road Hole St Andrews - John Boyne Ep 9 Pt 2
[LESS INFO] 1 VIEWS | ADDED 02:26:26 07/10/09
In this episode I am joined by registered Old Course caddie John Boyne and he explains to me what life is like as a caddie here in St Andrews and talks me through how to play the famous 17th “Road Hole” on the Old Course.
This video was made possible by the kind assistance of Mike Woodcock at The Links Trust . Visit StAndrewslinks.Allianz.com to see Mike in the Working at the Home of Golf section under Community.
Life as an Old Course Caddie
John is in his 8th season as an Old Course caddie, having started purely by accident back in 2002. He explained to me how his wife encouraged him to join a caddie program she saw advertised in a golf magazine, which was organized by the Caddie Master at the Old Course. John signed up, completed a 4 day training course and 8 years on he is enjoying caddying on the Old Course for up to 160 rounds a year.
The Old Course caddies’ season begins properly in mid-May, which is when I shot this episode. From May through to the end of October, the main golf season at the Old Course, the caddies work full-on typically doing 36 holes a day. John told me that as well as himself, the St Andrews Links Trust has 132 caddies who are working for them this year on the Old Course as well as caddying on the other six St Andrews Links courses which are also open to the public. Caddies are all self-employed and some of them work 11 rounds a week. When winter descends on St Andrews and the Old Course becomes less busy many of these caddies jet off to Naples in Florida or Las Vegas to caddie for 5 months.
I followed John down to the Caddie Pavilion on the Old Course, which is a second home to the caddies. They spend the first part of their day there until they are booked to go out caddying. In the high season the first tee time on the Old Course is 6.30am and thus caddies are often seen arriving an hour beforehand.
John explained to me that he feels very privileged to work as a caddie on the Old Course. Besides helping him stay in good physical condition, it also has other perks. Every day he gets the chance to meet lots of different people from all over the world who come to play the most famous golf course in Scotland. The stories which John shared with me during the filming of this episode about people he has caddied for are both amusing and give an invaluable insight into life as an Old Course caddie.
Some golfers John has caddied for come back on repeat visits to play the Old Course. During the 4.5 hours out on those hallowed grounds it’s easy to see how friendships are forged and John told me that that many golfers keep in contact with him throughout the year. He believes that when you visit Scotland life and golf are inextricably linked together.
After years of being asked by golfers for his recommendations on where to stay and where to play golf in St Andrews John started up his own golf tour company at CaddieGolfTours.com . He offers straightforward honest advice, for a very reasonable fee, about accommodation to suit your budget and his tips on how to get onto St Andrews’ golf courses as quickly as possible. John also offers information on booking golf vacations in other parts of Scotland too.
If you ever visit St Andrews to play the Old Course I highly recommend hiring a caddie before setting foot onto that infamous first tee. A knowledgeable caddie like John can help you to take at least five shots off your game with his reads, club selection, target strategies and lines off the tees on this championship course. A caddie can also assist in protecting your score by helping you deal with the legendary windy weather which many experience on this course.
John offers more useful information about playing at St Andrews on his web site here.
The Road Hole
Having caddied on the Old Course so regularly John is definitely experienced enough to be able to point out to myself, and my viewers, how we can avoid the many traps on the Old Course which have ruined the scores of many golfers in their first encounter with it.
So in this episode John concentrated on the challenging 17th hole, the most famous par 4 in the world, and talked me through the best strategy for playing it.
The Road Hole, so called because of the old turnpike road which forms a boundary on the right side, is arguably one of the toughest holes in golf and it’s seen by many as the most difficult hole on the Old Course. At 461 yards it is listed as a par 4 on the scorecard but it is actually only 14 yards short of par 5 distance. John told me that during previous Opens Nick Faldo consistently played this hole as a par 5, as do many local golfers.
This hole has witnessed a lot of dramas during the 27 Open Championships which have been played here at the Old Course.
Teeing Off
John says that there is always great excitement amongst players on the 17th tee, and that for every different foursome he is caddying for, something dramatic always happens on this hole.
Most players are thinking about their strategy for the 17th hole as they are walking down the 2nd fairway because as they get to the 2nd green they can see the 17th tee, which is adjacent. John told me that many players are worrying that in 3.5 hrs they are going to be playing the 17th, one of the most famous golf holes in the world. He explained that by the time a player gets to the 17th tee he has found that mentally they are pretty screwed up, especially for those not used to links golf courses.
The old railway tram shed (which has been rebuilt since its original installation) has remained over the years as a perfect aiming point for driving off of the 17th tee on the Old Course. A sign with the words “OLD COURSE HOTEL” is fixed to the side of the shed (which houses offices belonging to the Old Course Hotel). The Old Course Hotel and The Jigger Inn both run alongside the 17th hole fairway.
John’s advice for teeing off is to play an aggressive line - play outside the word “HOTEL” on the sign, going quite close to the face of the hotel. He told me that it’s a 200 - 220 yard carry to get onto the fairway from there, so he has to be pretty confident about the ability of the golfer he is caddying before he recommends this to them. It is aggressive but it pays off. You definitely have to trust your swing here because you can’t see the landing area. As John says it’s a shot of blind faith!
If he is with a confident golfer John takes them over the “L” of “HOTEL” on the sign and maybe even another 2 or 3 yards to the right of that. He explains it’s a very tight shot but professionals are going to hit the ball 280 - 290 yards consistently so will be on the fairway and will be in perfect position for the approach shot to the green. They go over the green sheds and garden, over the conservatory of the Old Course Hotel and then into landing area opposite the Jigger Inn. He says the braver you are the tighter you can go to the hotel. It is a big carry but the rewards are extraordinary for the entrance into the green. It’s definitely a shot that needs a bit of courage!
John told me that he always enjoys a fade as a shot on this tee but that he has also seen a lot of golfers play a draw. A draw takes you to the left rough. The fade takes you into the fairway, going round from the left, trying to land centre and right of centre on the fairway will give you a good shot into the green. If like 70% of the golfers John has caddied for you have a fade, John says this hole was made for you!
John also reminisced with me about back in the 70s when he remembered Jack Nicklaus hitting his ball across the roofs of the train sheds during the Open. The Old Course Hotel and sheds were constructioned in the late 1960s early 70s and not in the mid 80s as mentioned in the video.
One of John’s fun stories he shared with me about this hole was when he asked a Japanese golfer he was caddying for to play over the word “HOTEL” on the sign. Somehow his words got lost in translation and the golfer hit the ball right over the roof of the Old Course Hotel into the car park!!!
I highly recommend reading this article on the 17th hole by John and in particular R.T. Jones' account of a Walker Cup match in 1926
Approach Shots
John also showed me the more realistic landing area where the majority of players hit their tee shot to. Typically they end up on the left side of the fairway in the rough which is thick and tangled, which makes it tough. John explained that it’s extremely difficult from this position to get onto the green. He told me that even professionals will leave their 2nd shot short, on purpose, to have a option to play a chip and run onto the green or a long putt.
Hitting Off The Road!
Hopefully if you have followed John’s tips up to this stage you can avoid your ball landing on the path, road or rock wall which are to the right hand side of the 17th fairway and green. If not you might just have to hit your ball off of tarmac! The ball must be played as it lies on this hole. John took me onto the road of this hole and offered advice for players from this position. He recommends a 4 or 5 iron to be hit quite hard to get up the bank from this position to get onto the 17th green. John told me that in the early 80s during the Open Tom Watson overcooked his 2 iron and landed 6 or 7 inches from the rock wall so he had no shot. Thus he turned around, hit the ball against the wall and luckily it careered and bounced up onto the green. He says that during his time on the Old Course he has seen this shot done many times and it does work.
Bunkers
John pointed out that the bunkers short of the green in the left rough rarely come into play. They did however in the 2007 Ladies Open when Lorena Ochoa ended up in one.
The Road Hole bunker has been known to destroy many rounds on the Old Course, including David Duval's Open fight in 2000 (admittedly he was being agressive to close the lead) and Tommy Nakajima in 1978. John told me that some golfers he caddies for hit their shot into the bunker on the 17th deliberately because they want to take a crack at getting out of it. If you are unfortunate enough to end up in the Raod Hole Bunker John outlines some damage limitation tactics to keep your score down.
On The Green
The 17th has a thin deceptive green. On the day we filmed this episode the pin had been placed favorably but John told me that was not always the case. He pointed out too that the green has a slight tilt on the right which feeds the ball quite gently down to the pin.
As links golf has no great depth perception because it is so flat John told me it is hard to judge distances on a green like this for putting. This can be especially difficult on the 17th when you could have a really long putt. That is why John always recommends someone attending the flag on the green to give some depth perception for the player.
Overall John warned me that you have to use flexibility and imagination to play this hole and be prepared for anything to happen! Have fun.
More on Old Course caddy John Boyne
Website: CaddieGolfTours.com
Blog: http://wwwcaddiegolftours.blogspot.com/
Tour Enquiries: Click here for John to contact you personally
Email: john@caddiegolftours.com (If you enjoyed this video please email John to say so, many thanks)
Finally, the Question of the Day:
What is your favorite Open Championship Hole? Leave your comments below and we’ll have fun reading them!
7 Views
22:54:59 07/09/09
The Road Hole St Andrews - John Boyne Ep 9 Pt 1
[LESS INFO] 7 VIEWS | ADDED 22:54:59 07/09/09
In this episode I am joined by registered Old Course caddie John Boyne and he explains to me what life is like as a caddie here in St Andrews and talks me through how to play the famous 17th “Road Hole” on the Old Course.
This video was made possible by the kind assistance of Mike Woodcock at The Links Trust . Visit StAndrewslinks.Allianz.com to see Mike in the Working at the Home of Golf section under Community.
Life as an Old Course Caddie
John is in his 8th season as an Old Course caddie, having started purely by accident back in 2002. He explained to me how his wife encouraged him to join a caddie program she saw advertised in a golf magazine, which was organized by the Caddie Master at the Old Course. John signed up, completed a 4 day training course and 8 years on he is enjoying caddying on the Old Course for up to 160 rounds a year.
The Old Course caddies’ season begins properly in mid-May, which is when I shot this episode. From May through to the end of October, the main golf season at the Old Course, the caddies work full-on typically doing 36 holes a day. John told me that as well as himself, the St Andrews Links Trust has 132 caddies who are working for them this year on the Old Course as well as caddying on the other six St Andrews Links courses which are also open to the public. Caddies are all self-employed and some of them work 11 rounds a week. When winter descends on St Andrews and the Old Course becomes less busy many of these caddies jet off to Naples in Florida or Las Vegas to caddie for 5 months.
I followed John down to the Caddie Pavilion on the Old Course, which is a second home to the caddies. They spend the first part of their day there until they are booked to go out caddying. In the high season the first tee time on the Old Course is 6.30am and thus caddies are often seen arriving an hour beforehand.
John explained to me that he feels very privileged to work as a caddie on the Old Course. Besides helping him stay in good physical condition, it also has other perks. Every day he gets the chance to meet lots of different people from all over the world who come to play the most famous golf course in Scotland. The stories which John shared with me during the filming of this episode about people he has caddied for are both amusing and give an invaluable insight into life as an Old Course caddie.
Some golfers John has caddied for come back on repeat visits to play the Old Course. During the 4.5 hours out on those hallowed grounds it’s easy to see how friendships are forged and John told me that that many golfers keep in contact with him throughout the year. He believes that when you visit Scotland life and golf are inextricably linked together.
After years of being asked by golfers for his recommendations on where to stay and where to play golf in St Andrews John started up his own golf tour company at CaddieGolfTours.com . He offers straightforward honest advice, for a very reasonable fee, about accommodation to suit your budget and his tips on how to get onto St Andrews’ golf courses as quickly as possible. John also offers information on booking golf vacations in other parts of Scotland too.
If you ever visit St Andrews to play the Old Course I highly recommend hiring a caddie before setting foot onto that infamous first tee. A knowledgeable caddie like John can help you to take at least five shots off your game with his reads, club selection, target strategies and lines off the tees on this championship course. A caddie can also assist in protecting your score by helping you deal with the legendary windy weather which many experience on this course.
John offers more useful information about playing at St Andrews on his web site here.
The Road Hole
Having caddied on the Old Course so regularly John is definitely experienced enough to be able to point out to myself, and my viewers, how we can avoid the many traps on the Old Course which have ruined the scores of many golfers in their first encounter with it.
So in this episode John concentrated on the challenging 17th hole, the most famous par 4 in the world, and talked me through the best strategy for playing it.
The Road Hole, so called because of the old turnpike road which forms a boundary on the right side, is arguably one of the toughest holes in golf and it’s seen by many as the most difficult hole on the Old Course. At 461 yards it is listed as a par 4 on the scorecard but it is actually only 14 yards short of par 5 distance. John told me that during previous Opens Nick Faldo consistently played this hole as a par 5, as do many local golfers.
This hole has witnessed a lot of dramas during the 27 Open Championships which have been played here at the Old Course.
Teeing Off
John says that there is always great excitement amongst players on the 17th tee, and that for every different foursome he is caddying for, something dramatic always happens on this hole.
Most players are thinking about their strategy for the 17th hole as they are walking down the 2nd fairway because as they get to the 2nd green they can see the 17th tee, which is adjacent. John told me that many players are worrying that in 3.5 hrs they are going to be playing the 17th, one of the most famous golf holes in the world. He explained that by the time a player gets to the 17th tee he has found that mentally they are pretty screwed up, especially for those not used to links golf courses.
The old railway tram shed (which has been rebuilt since its original installation) has remained over the years as a perfect aiming point for driving off of the 17th tee on the Old Course. A sign with the words “OLD COURSE HOTEL” is fixed to the side of the shed (which houses offices belonging to the Old Course Hotel). The Old Course Hotel and The Jigger Inn both run alongside the 17th hole fairway.
John’s advice for teeing off is to play an aggressive line - play outside the word “HOTEL” on the sign, going quite close to the face of the hotel. He told me that it’s a 200 - 220 yard carry to get onto the fairway from there, so he has to be pretty confident about the ability of the golfer he is caddying before he recommends this to them. It is aggressive but it pays off. You definitely have to trust your swing here because you can’t see the landing area. As John says it’s a shot of blind faith!
If he is with a confident golfer John takes them over the “L” of “HOTEL” on the sign and maybe even another 2 or 3 yards to the right of that. He explains it’s a very tight shot but professionals are going to hit the ball 280 - 290 yards consistently so will be on the fairway and will be in perfect position for the approach shot to the green. They go over the green sheds and garden, over the conservatory of the Old Course Hotel and then into landing area opposite the Jigger Inn. He says the braver you are the tighter you can go to the hotel. It is a big carry but the rewards are extraordinary for the entrance into the green. It’s definitely a shot that needs a bit of courage!
John told me that he always enjoys a fade as a shot on this tee but that he has also seen a lot of golfers play a draw. A draw takes you to the left rough. The fade takes you into the fairway, going round from the left, trying to land centre and right of centre on the fairway will give you a good shot into the green. If like 70% of the golfers John has caddied for you have a fade, John says this hole was made for you!
John also reminisced with me about back in the 70s when he remembered Jack Nicklaus hitting his ball across the roofs of the train sheds during the Open. The Old Course Hotel and sheds were constructioned in the late 1960s early 70s and not in the mid 80s as mentioned in the video.
One of John’s fun stories he shared with me about this hole was when he asked a Japanese golfer he was caddying for to play over the word “HOTEL” on the sign. Somehow his words got lost in translation and the golfer hit the ball right over the roof of the Old Course Hotel into the car park!!!
I highly recommend reading this article on the 17th hole by John and in particular R.T. Jones' account of a Walker Cup match in 1926
Approach Shots
John also showed me the more realistic landing area where the majority of players hit their tee shot to. Typically they end up on the left side of the fairway in the rough which is thick and tangled, which makes it tough. John explained that it’s extremely difficult from this position to get onto the green. He told me that even professionals will leave their 2nd shot short, on purpose, to have a option to play a chip and run onto the green or a long putt.
Hitting Off The Road!
Hopefully if you have followed John’s tips up to this stage you can avoid your ball landing on the path, road or rock wall which are to the right hand side of the 17th fairway and green. If not you might just have to hit your ball off of tarmac! The ball must be played as it lies on this hole. John took me onto the road of this hole and offered advice for players from this position. He recommends a 4 or 5 iron to be hit quite hard to get up the bank from this position to get onto the 17th green. John told me that in the early 80s during the Open Tom Watson overcooked his 2 iron and landed 6 or 7 inches from the rock wall so he had no shot. Thus he turned around, hit the ball against the wall and luckily it careered and bounced up onto the green. He says that during his time on the Old Course he has seen this shot done many times and it does work.
Bunkers
John pointed out that the bunkers short of the green in the left rough rarely come into play. They did however in the 2007 Ladies Open when Lorena Ochoa ended up in one.
The Road Hole bunker has been known to destroy many rounds on the Old Course, including David Duval's Open fight in 2000 (admittedly he was being agressive to close the lead) and Tommy Nakajima in 1978. John told me that some golfers he caddies for hit their shot into the bunker on the 17th deliberately because they want to take a crack at getting out of it. If you are unfortunate enough to end up in the Raod Hole Bunker John outlines some damage limitation tactics to keep your score down.
On The Green
The 17th has a thin deceptive green. On the day we filmed this episode the pin had been placed favorably but John told me that was not always the case. He pointed out too that the green has a slight tilt on the right which feeds the ball quite gently down to the pin.
As links golf has no great depth perception because it is so flat John told me it is hard to judge distances on a green like this for putting. This can be especially difficult on the 17th when you could have a really long putt. That is why John always recommends someone attending the flag on the green to give some depth perception for the player.
Overall John warned me that you have to use flexibility and imagination to play this hole and be prepared for anything to happen! Have fun.
More on Old Course caddy John Boyne
Website: CaddieGolfTours.com
Blog: http://wwwcaddiegolftours.blogspot.com/
Tour Enquiries: Click here for John to contact you personally
Email: john@caddiegolftours.com (If you enjoyed this video please email John to say so, many thanks)
Finally, the Question of the Day:
What is your favorite Open Championship Hole? Leave your comments below and we’ll have fun reading them!
4 Views
13:53:02 06/17/09
Barry Rhodes On The Rules Of Golf Interview - Episode #8
[LESS INFO] 4 VIEWS | ADDED 13:53:02 06/17/09
In episode 8 Barry Rhodes author of 999 Questions On The Rules of Golf tells us how the Royal & Ancient in St. Andrews became responsible for administering the Rules of Golf.
He explains how in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries there were many different rules, as each Club developed had their own versions. This obviously led to difficulties and in 1897, by common agreement of the existing clubs, most of who were in Britain, the Royal & Ancient Golf Club (R%A) were asked to take control of the Rules. The first international set of Rules was then published in 1899.
The United States Golf Association (USGA) also adopted the R%A Rules and published them for American golfers in 1900. However the two golfing bodies then went their separate ways for the next 50 years.
As Barry states in the video, itt is important to stress that there aren't two sets of Rules.
In 1952 the R%A and USGA agreed to co-operate to produce a unified set of Rules for worldwide use and this is the situation today. The two bodies meet regularly and agree on any changes to the Rules, which occur every four years, and any new or changed Decisions on the Rules, which are published every two years.
There's just one difference between the two and to the majority of us it's of little relevance. There is no limit to the value of prize that an amateur player may receive for a hole-in-one in the USA or Mexico, which are governed by the USGA, but for the rest of the world the R%A limits the value of prize that a player may receive for a hole-in-one to just ã500.
Like many golfers I often ask myself why are there so many Rules and Decisions. On this occassion Barry reminded me that there are more than 60 million people playing golf, in almost every country in the world, in all sorts of climates and playing conditions. So the Rules have to cover everything that could possibly happen to the player and his ball on the course.
As we know it's an impossible task for most players to learn all of the Rules. In fact Barry has spent more than ten years getting to grips with the Rules and Decisions on the Rules and still learning.
However, I'm sure that if you have watched or played any game regularly, such as soccer, pool, trivial pursuits or even poker, you'll have witnessed arguments as to whether a particular play is valid, or not. Sooner or later players have to check, or establish, rules so that they can compete fairly against each other on a level playing field. There's only one game of golf, with a universal set of Rules, and if that's the game that you want to play then you have to respect and abide by all of them, so as to preserve the integrity of this wonderful game.
In conclusion I asked Barry how would recommend players get a better understanding of the Rules?
"Well, the easy answer to that question would be to recommend that every golfer should carry a book of Rules in their pocket, which they regularly take out, read and digest. But I know that's not going to happen. Most players learn from the situations that they experience on the course. Every time something new crops up they discuss it afterwards in the bar, or the Pro Shop, until they are satisfied that they know the right answer. To assist golfers everywhere I've taken this to the next step and written a book containing 999 questions on the Rules of Golf with answers, references to the Rule, or Decision, number and explanations, where required. I've covered the myriad situations that can occur on the golf course and have included an index so that golfers can easily find the relevant Q%As for the situation that they are interested in."
7 Views
22:04:24 06/10/09
Aerial Views of St Andrews & Braeside House B&B Interview - Episode #7
[LESS INFO] 7 VIEWS | ADDED 22:04:24 06/10/09
Episode 7 features Braeside House B%B , a delightful Bed and Breakfast run by two of St Andrews most charming hosts, James and Margaret Yule.
In this episode James and Margaret offered me a warm and friendly welcome into their award-winning B%B in the historic town of St Andrews. They discussed with me how they achieved the Scottish Tourist Board 4 Star Award with their thoughtful and generous hospitality towards their guests and great attention to detail. They really are a font of local information and take pleasure in sharing this knowledge with guests at their B%B so that they can get maximum enjoyment out of their time in St Andrews.
During my visit to Braeside House James and Margaret shared with me plenty of stories about their golfing exploits around St Andrews and other courses too. I especially enjoyed their tale of how they managed to secure marshalling jobs at the 4th and 17th holes for the PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass this year. Plus James tells me how he walked the full 18 holes at Augusta during the The Masters with his son and Colin Montgomerie ! I then noticed a photograph of Margaret and Hugh Grant in the lounge and hear how she regularly scores for the celebrities during the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews
As both James and Margaret are lucky enough to be Links Ticket holders they have played all of the golf courses at St Andrews many times, particularly the Old Course . This allows them to share with residents their golfing knowledge on how to book tee times . Whilst James can’t guarantee getting you a tee time for the Old Course he will certainly do his utmost to secure one for you during your stay at Braeside House!
One of the highlights of your visit to Braeside House is sure to be the scrumptious breakfast which they offer. Whether it’s the home-made pancakes, traditional full Scottish Breakfast or the Arbroath Smokies you opt for, alongside porridge, fresh fruit, cereals and toast with home-made marmalade, jams and local honey, these freshly cooked delectable delights are sure to carry you through at least one round of golf in St Andrews! What a great way to start your day in St Andrews - you definitely won’t set off with a rumbling tummy!
As well as offering exceptional hospitality this privately owned B%B comprises of 3 spacious, tastefully furnished en-suite bedrooms which are all non-smoking. As a guest at Braeside House you can also enjoy its spacious dining room and comfortable guest lounge.
Braeside House also offers guests ample parking facilities, express laundry and dry-cleaning facility and free Internet Wi-Fi.
Braeside House is in a quiet and lovely location which is also very convenient – it’s within easy walking distance to the shops, restaurants and bars , the university , and the historic sights of St Andrews. Most importantly a 10 minute walk is all that is required to take you to the famous St Andrews Old Course, the Home of Golf!
James also recommends the Castle Course , set on a dramatic cliff location, overlooking St Andrews Bay. Watch the video to see a great painting of the new seventh course by local St Andrews artist Ken Roberts . Ken is based at the Hill Crest Studio Gallery in Strathkiness, just 3 miles from St Andrews.
Whether it's a round of golf on the Home of Golf’s world famous courses you are after or simply a few days to visit the attractions of St Andrews and take in its special atmosphere I recommend Braeside House for your stay - you’ll arrive as guests and leave as friends!
During Episode 7 I also had the pleasure of accompanying James on an aerial tour of St Andrews. From the helicopter ( PDG Helicopters ) I managed to capture amazing footage of the Old Course and St Andrews Links , as well as the surrounding area including the Fairmont St Andrews Hotel with the new Kittocks course (previously the Devlin) and the Torrance course, Firth of Tay , the Tay Bridge, Tentsmuir Beach and Dundee . I hope you enjoy it as much as I did from the air!
Braeside House B%B
25 Nelson Street, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 8AJ Scotland
Website: Braeside-StAndrews.co.uk
Email: james@braeside-standrews.co.uk
Tel No: +44 1334 473375
Fax No: +44 1334 479102
Finally the Question of the Day:
What is your favorite golf accommodation in the world? Please leave your answer in the comments section below. Thank you.
09/26/09