Hydration...If you have not noticed, it's hot.  Hydration is so very important when doing any activity outside and that does not exclude golf.  No, beer isn't the fix.  No problem with a beer after your round but it should not be the first thing you do.  Continuing to hydrate with water up to 45 minutes after your round is what you should be doing.  Then a beer at the 19th hole is ok.  Read this article on hydration and see how you measure up.  Click Here 

Don't ignore the warning signs.  Can't catch your breath, light headed, fatigue, not sweating, not urinating or if you do it is dark with odor.  All signs of not getting enough of the right fluids (Water,Gatorade or Powerade) into your system.  If you do overheat the fastest way to cool down is cold towels under the armpits and/or the crouch area.  This will aid in cooling you down.  The obvious thing is to get help quickly.  Call 911 and don't be embarrased.  It happens to a lot of people and is very dangerous.  I know, I had this happen to me in a matter of minutes.  I came off of a green and started to feel very fatigued.  By the time I got to the next tee, I could hardly get out of the cart to tee off.  I got to the fairway and could not stand up (8-10 minutes from the first sign).  They took me to the clubhouse and called 911.  I was down for nearly 1 hour.  I thought this could not happen to me.  I had never had this problem before.  Don't be a fool like I was.  Be smart and take care of yourself. 

Spring is here!!!!

If you have not noticed, spring has arrived early and everything is in full bloom.  If you have not got the clubs out.  Get them out and do some minor maintenance.  Change your grips.  You will be glad you did.  Also, clean them up.  Get the grooves cleaned up and keep them that way.  This helps with the payability of the club.  Do you need a good golf bag.  Zippers broke?  Sometimes this can bhe repaired, but if not get a new one.  Shoes?  Are they tore loose from the sole?  All these things are important.  You will happy you made the necessary repairs or replacementys when it is time to play.  Oh yeah, we do all this at the club so come and see us.

Happy Golfing in 2012.

Hydrattion is important...

How about the heat this week in Missouri.  First it was cold, wet and nasty and now it it has went straight to summer.  Here is a little lesson for us all.

Out playing golf a couple of years ago in our Pro-Member I was on my seventeenth hole and I began to feel a little winded.  I had been sweating all day in one of those hot, humid days in Missouri.  As I got back in my cart to go to the eigthteenth tee I really felt exhausted.  I got to the tee and said "Boys, I don't think I can hit this shot."  Of course they all hit it everywhere so I got up and hit anyway.  By the time we got out in the fairway I felt like I just needed to lay down.  My cart partner seen me start to do this and came to me and started putting ice cold towells on me.  Felt great but I still could not catch my breath.He got me back in
the cart and took me to the clubhouse.  I could not get out of the cart and walk in.  I was completely drained.  An ambulance was called and I had a lot of help from by standers with trying to cool me down.  The paramedics immediately put ice cold towels under my armpits and in the groin area and that did the trick.

Long story short, keep hydrated with water or something like gatorade (not beer).  If you get like I did put the towels in the armpits and groin area to help reduce the bodies temperature, I learned my lesson the hard way.  Don't be the next.

Spring is almost here...

Have you got your clubs out and had them regripped yet?  How about that new bag you were going to get because the zippers on it broke last fall?  What do you think about this time of year as golf season gets closer?  Is it just warm weather or maybe a spring golf trip?  I need to know and so do others so we are all prepared for 2011.

Hail, Hail go away...

The skies opened up and gave us a huge surprise in July.  On July 11, 2010, we had a golf tournament playing on the course.  It was our annual Firecracker Open.  Although we had seen some rain in the area on the radar, it did not look like we would have a rain event.  We got the tournament out and only had them out there about 30 minutes when lightening started to pop around us.  So we sent the message out on the GPS to come back in so we could wait this thing out.  Once back in, the radar on the computer and the television started showing tornado warnings around us.  So I ran around the clubhouse and sent everyone downstairs into the cart barn area.  Sure enough the wind picked up and the lightening continued to pop so game on.  But, all of the sudden we start hearing the sound of hail coming through the trees as a rain sounds when approaching.  However, this was not any ordinary hail.  This was the nasty stuff the size of baseballs and bigger coming down with great force.  Once it reached the club it was coming down with such velocity it hit at a 45 degree angle and would bounce 10 to 20 feet high.  Everyone stood in amazement as this stuff pounded the ground.  This went on for around 15 minutes.  During that time everyone began to think about their cars in the parking lot?  Also, was this happening at their house?  It was not a good situation. 

After things settled down everyone headed to the parking lot to check out their cars.  As feared, they were beat up.  Windshields broke out.  Huge dents on the top and hoods.  Although, there were some cars not appearing to be touched. 

After surveying the cars and the clubhouse I began to think about the course.  We had hail before and it was not a big deal but I thought since this was so large maybe we had better take a look.  I called the superintendent and told him what happened.  I suggested he come out.  In a short amount of time he calls me and says "I think you better come out here."  I have been in the golf business for over 25 years and played golf for another 15 beyond that and I had never seen anything like this before.  Imagine a ball mark on the green but about 10 times bigger.  Then place those about every 4 inches and make them about a inch to inch and a half deep.  That is what the greens looked like.  22 of our 29 greens were hit.  Some worst than others.  It also became clear that the storm had started on top of us because of the path in which it took.  Besides the greens the entire course was dented up.  The concrete cart paths had been marked up with slight abrasions showing where the hail had it.  Leaves and debris everywhere.  It was a disaster. 

The biggest problem however were our greens.  It was July!  In Missouri, July is not much fun because of the high temperatures and humidity.  Normally, you would treat the damage as a large ball mark.  Try to repair what you could and then aireify and topdress with sand to fill the holes.  But with July temperatures this could not be done. Baby steps had to be taken in order to fill the damage up with sand.  Sand on hot greens is death.  We were closed for 2 months.  The damage was so bad we took nine holes and started over with those greens.  They will open in March 2011. 

I could go on and on about the stress and bad times we had in 2010 but  I will let the pictures below speak for themselves.  Let us all have a very happy 2011.

Corvette

Green

Cart Path

Green

After

Hail

You having fun yet????

Golf is supposed to be fun, right?  How many times do you ask yourself why am I playing this stupid game?  The answer is because it is fun.  To be able to keep it that way requires patience and hard work.  Sure you can have fun and just go out there and try to hit the ball as hard as you can and that is it.  But most people start to understand the game a little better as they play and understand all the strategic moves involved to score the best you can.  Sometimes you can improve with just a little assistance from your friendly golf professional.  Other times just by going to the range and hitting golf balls.  But how many of you actually look at your equipment?  How many of you understand what a shaft change can do for your ability to hit a longer, straighter shot?  Consider these options when you tell yourself you need a new set of clubs because these just don't work anymore.  Not only will it be good for your game but also on the wallet.

Having fun yet?

State of Golf...

Golf has been affected just like everything else in the country.  Although we didn't feel it as much as we initially first thought, we did take a hit.  Other factors such as the weather have figured in to some of the shortfalls that courses have felt.  Something that I learned a long time ago was you are only as smart as your competitor down the street.  If you competitor runs a crazy discounted special of some kind, do you jump on board and do the same or do you try to hold your ground?  It is crazy kind of game that we play.  It can be downfall to your business.

Many people forget that we are a business.  We get the calls for free golf donations or merchandise donations and although it may be that we can do that, we must maximize our revenues.  Giving things away can not pay the bills.  We do want to be well received in the community.  But to get a letter from the Hog Farms of South Dakota Scholarship Fund, c'mon!

Love the Golf Business!  Most days we just coast along and everything goes well, but others, wow!  You must wear so many different hats in the golf business.  Did you know we are supposed to know what the weather is supposed to be like in 2 weeks at 10am.  I didn't get that lesson during PGA business school but I have learned on my own over time.  We also must speak different languages, learn everyones name, carry the green beans out to a table, know everything there is to know about golf clubs and on and on.  But you know what, I wouldn't have it any other way.  And the other PGA professionals that I know feel the same way. 

Thanks for making our lives so interesting.