How important is the pitch shot in golf? Consider that if Kenny Perry had made just one out of two good pitch shots on the final two holes at the 2009 Masters, he would now be picking out ties for his new green jacket. But how important is the ability to hit consistent pitch shots for the average golfer? According to Jack Snyder, Head Golf Professional at Glenmore Country Club, a high … [Read more...]

By Daryl Daughtrey, PGA Professional   An old golf guru once told me that when your shots start going everywhere, other than where you want them to go, head to the practice tee and start subtracting. Subtract everything you have read about the golf swing, what you’ve been told or learned about the golf swing. What this guru meant was that a golfer must get back to the basics. As … [Read more...]

The most dreaded words a golfer will ever hear are these: Cart Paths Only! As much as a golfer hates to hear this directive, the golf shop guys – sadists that they are – love to tell incoming foursomes of their impending doom. “Sorry fellows, today it’s Cart Paths Only! Har-har-har-har!” Cart Paths Only is like a life sentence without parole to a convict. It means that instead of a 3 ½ or 4 … [Read more...]

It’s a long Par 4 and the average golfer finds his or her ball 40 yards from the pin. The golfer who has mastered the pitch shot will settle the ball on the green, and then take two putts for a 5 - on the way to a round in the high 80’s or low 90’s. But for the golfer whose pitch shots ricochet around the course like a wayward pinball, a different outcome may be experienced. Using too much wrist, … [Read more...]

It’s not really about the game of golf. The reason grown men go gaga over a round on the links is the opportunity to drive a golf cart. For me, it all started when I was 6 years old and saw an electric car in the Sears catalog. It was $29.95, a king’s ransom in those days, but I begged Santa Claus to bring me one for Christmas. Christmas came and went and all I got was a red tricycle. Since … [Read more...]

One of the fun parts about golf is visiting new courses. On a new course, everyday is Opening Day and there is always hope that the slice in your driver will magically disappear, your short game will come together and you knees will no longer knock when staring down a 5-foot putt. So it was with great eagerness that I accepted a friend’s suggestion to try the Heritage Oaks Golf Course in … [Read more...]

No golf year in Central Virginia is complete without at least one visit to Swannanoa on Afton Mountain. Even golfers with memberships at Glenmore and Farmington make the trip up the mountain. It’s not a great course, but it’s a great place to be. On certain holes at Swannanoa you can see as far west as the Allegheny’s in West Virginia, south across the Blue Ridge and east to the Southwest … [Read more...]

Boy, we have some great golf courses in Central Virginia. One of my favorites is Stoney Creek, a Wintergreen layout in Nellysford. My regular golf buddies and I played there last week. We used our VSGA cards and played 18 holes for just $26, and with a cart. Stoney Creek offers three 9-hole layouts, Tuckahoe, Monocan and Shamokin. We happened to play my favorite two – Tuckahoe and Monocan, both … [Read more...]

When you’re too poor or too cheap to belong to a country club or to have an annual membership to a golf course, you play around a lot. Such is the case with my regular golf amigos. We play around and have lots of great choices in central Virginia. Last week, we added another venue to our tour – the Royal Virginian at Hadensville in Louisa County. It’s about 35 miles from Charlottesville as the … [Read more...]

Summer has arrived, the birds are nesting and the splendor of Central Virginia is on full display. That means it’s Tanyard time. It’s time to tee it up at the lovely and affordable golf course at Tanyard Country Club in Louisa. For this golfer, Tanyard is a favored destination. Though thirty miles is not much in the way of a destination, Tanyard is worth every mile of the short drive from … [Read more...]