Golf is such a great game, a game for life. It is a game for all ages. Golf is played around the world and doesn't need translation. However, the four teenagers and their two chaperones that visited Taiwan earlier this year were really grateful they had translators when they landed in the Far East.
This has been the fourth time top San Diego Junior golfers have been invited to Taiwan to play in what is now officially called “The San Diego- Friendship Matches”. Founders of the matches, Jack Liu and Ernie Huang, decided to sponsor the event for San Diego County Junior Golf Association’s top players. Huang said, “ We wanted to show appreciation to the organization for a job well done in running its Callaway Junior World Golf Championships.” Huang and Liu, both residents of Rancho Santa Fe, Ca. and successful businessmen have helped Taiwanese players over the last several years adjust to the American way of life when the top players venture over to prepare and play in the Callaway Jr. World Golf Championships. The logistics of getting the kids settled in lodging, the different diet, and the language barrier all can take their toll on these players. “Many wonderful families in the Taiwanese community in San Diego help us out. Jack was really responsible for this support group. None of us could do it alone, but we have joined together to help these youngsters from our native country. It’s a team effort.” Huang said. “The golf part is easy for the kids once you handle all the rest of the stuff.”
The group that went to Taiwan this year couldn’t agree with them more.
Jason Walters, the team captain and the SDCJGA’s Director of Tournaments, along with Carole Duncan, the SDCJGA’s Administrative Manager, were thrilled with the opportunity to take two young men and two young women to Taiwan. “ It was wonderful because we did not have to worry about any of usual traveling challenges. We always had someone with us who could speak the language. Our hotels were wonderful and we had someone who drove us around- he always knew where he was and where we were going. Meals were taken care of. Everything was first class everywhere we went,” Duncan said “These young people will always remember this trip and we all grew as people because of the experience,” Walters added.
Duncan, mother of 15 year old team member Shane Mason said, “It was so much fun to watch the kids experience this extremely different culture and it was equally amusing to see the shocked looks on the Taiwanese as these four Californian kids strolled down the ancient streets of Tainan.” Chris Freeman, 17, the oldest of the players sent over is a senior at Clairemont High School. Freeman, the 2003 Player of the Year in San Diego who has committed to attend and play golf for San Diego State University in fall 2004, was always providing entertainment for the locals as well as his fellow teammates. “Chris had such a great attitude the entire trip and really was a great ambassador. He tried everything and kept us all laughing,” said Walters. Freeman who also has a passion for surfing cruised around in his native attire most of the trip: swim trunks, a towel, flip flops and a casual bucket hat. “I think he enjoyed the contrast of culture he represented,” said Duncan. “Fast times at Ridgemont High” with a Taiwanese twist?
Freeman and Mason made up half of the team while the other half was made up of SDCJGA’s 2003 Player of the Year, 16 year old Amber Lundskog of Scripps Ranch and 16 year old Kimberly Silber of Bonita. All of the kids qualified by being top players in the Championship Division in the 2003 season and by maintaining good grades in school. Lundskog said, “It was absolutely unbelievable! We are so lucky to have had this opportunity. The people there were so gracious. Everyone went out of their way to make our trip terrific!” Walters and Duncan agreed, “The hospitality was phenomenal and every day all of our needs were met. They took time every day to make sure we had some special sight seeing trip. The kids just didn’t see the hotel and the golf course. They saw so much more.”
The group had Paulus Hong as a full time host for the entire 10- day trip. Hong and a private driver took them to the usual museums, temples, culture centers and historical sites of Taiwan, but they also shared the local hangouts, markets and things the typical tourist would never have been exposed to. “I felt really safe on the trip because everything was so well planned,” said Lundskog. “We were able to see so much more than the average visitor.” Mason said, “Even though there were a lot of people, a lot of hustle and bustle, it is more laid back than the States. They take time to socialize more. Meals are times to gather, where we are always on the go.” They were treated every evening to elaborate meals- many with “strange” delicacies. “The boys challenged their palates and were a little more brave than us girls,” said Lundskog. Walters said they were all good sports, “The kids were very polite and respectful when offered things they may have preferred to pass on.” Freeman said, “We tried a lot of new, different foods. I even ate the jellyfish and octopus. It wasn’t that hard for me to eat their food.”
Everyone on the trip found it interesting that McDonalds, 7-11s, Subway restaurants, Gap clothing, HBO and CNN were simple reminders of how small the world is. Somehow they were connected by these common conveniences. During one round there was a long delay between nines, Freeman and one of his playing partners ventured off to a nearby 7-11. “No slurpees though,” Freeman reported. The teenagers all said they saw subtle similarities between America and Taiwan, but were shocked by how different the culture was. They all are also very appreciative that Huang, a native of Miaoli, Taiwan, a small town north of central Taiwan, moved to the United States in 1973. It wasn’t until 1993 that a Japanese business partner introduced Huang to the game of golf. “It must have been difficult to adjust to American life at first,” said Lundskog. The kids agreed that golf was their universal language.
“At the golf course it was fun because they saw 150 Taiwanese junior golfers compete in a four day tournament,” Duncan said. “Something these kids do routinely every summer.” The Friendship Matches were a small part of a tournament put on by the Golf Association of the Republic of China. Huang said, “We try to coordinate the San Diego kids going over with one of Taiwan’s big tournaments so they get a feel for what junior golf is like in Taiwan. Freeman, Mason, Lundskog and Silber, each with the courses’ traditional women caddies, teed it up with their Taiwanese counterparts and watched them as they tried to qualify for a spot on the Taiwanese team that will come to San Diego in July. The four Americans actually played stroke play against four of the top juniors in the already scheduled event. Mason finished the event at four under and he and Freeman beat their new friends William Liu and Henry Lee 589-598. The girls didn’t fare as well, losing to Ruby Tseng and Joann Yeh 609-642, but look forward to seeing them again this summer for a “friendly rematch” at Torrey Pines.
Nanpao Country Club in Tainan hosted the tournament. “It was a nice club. The greens were a little slower than normal and it was really long- some 6500 yards, so that was tough,” said Silber. “It was cool, very tropical with lots of bamboo,” added Mason. “For the most part the golf was just like golf in the states- no two courses are the same. Golfers have to adjust,” said Lundskog. The teenagers were also shown how different every course could be when they were invited to play the pristine Sunrise Country Club in Taipei on the last day of their trip. “That course was amazing!” said Lundskog. “It was a palace!” said Mason. The Robert Trent Jones Jr. golf course and its 400,000 square foot clubhouse are something these teens will always remember. “It even had a bowling alley and a movie theatre in it,” Lundskog continues.
Huang was not able to make the trip with the San Diegans this year. The Accenture Match Play World Championships were being played at La Costa Resort and Spa and he was being the gracious host at home to the international rules officials and some media while they were in town working the event. “The officials are often the unsung heroes,” Huang said. “This year I had to share the kids’ trip by DVD. They made a really nice disc for me so I could get the feeling of their experiences. I am glad they enjoyed it so much.”
Mason summed it up nicely for the group, “I never would have dreamed up this kind of experience. I think seeing the cultural differences, you become a better person and have a better understanding of other parts of the world. Sometimes in the U.S., we get in our own little world. We think that everything we do affects other people. I don’t think that anymore.” Huang said, “ It is a thrill to be able to provide such wonderful memories. Over the last ten years I have fallen in love with the game of golf and have been fortunate to have met some wonderful people through the game.” Huang gives a lot to others and sees it as a privilege to be able to help others realize their dreams and goals in the game. “More than the game though, I enjoy seeing these young, talented people get an opportunity to see the world with a new perspective. It is special to see them interact with others in a different culture.”
It’s obvious 37 years ago John Brown, Norrie West, and Lou Smith, the founders of the Callaway Jr. World Golf Championships were on to something- when kids from around the world share the language of birdie, par, bogey, no more needs to be said. Volunteers are always needed for this wonderful event every July. Players compete on eight separate courses around San Diego County. Let us be equally gracious and show golfers worldwide how hospitable Americans in Southern California can be.
Jacqui McSorley is co-author of Golf Guide for Parents and Players, along with Johnny Gonzales. She played professionally on the Japan LPGA Tour and currently is an avid supporter of the golf community in northern San Diego county, as she started an LPGA-USGA Girls Golf site.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Your 15th Club
In every sport you hear players talk about “staying mentally focused”, “keeping their head in the game”, or “visualizing the success” among a myriad of other such quotes. These quotes are all different and individual ways to explain the process of mental visualization, which is a product of mental training.
How important is mental training? It has been proven over and over again that the mind is the winning difference. Not only is it the winning difference for top amateurs and professional athletes, but it could be shat is missing from you reaching pinnacles of success at whatever level you strive toward.
First of all, “What is mental training?” Mental training is the discipline of mental practice, imagery, visualization, and positive self-talk; all being used separately and collectively to rehearse your best golf. Mental practice simply means repeating a task in your mind without any movement from your body. Just think about practicing your putting, bunker play, irons, and driver sitting quietly in a room.
Two major reasons come to mind as to why we don’t spend more time doing this. First, many of us have a hard time truly believing psychological practice can as much as physical practice. In recent years this topic has gained more notice. More books and talk show programs have provided more exposure and increased our awareness. I have found that most people just do not understand how to do it, and the discipline it takes to do it.
Second, most of us have a hard time finding the time to sit quietly. The world just seems to get faster and faster. We are always dashing from one appointment to the next. Our schedules are tight, and we have commitments in every direction. We are programmed for action. Go here, do this, hit balls, run errands, etc. Sound familiar? Even with a hectic schedule there are many opportunities throughout the day we could do some mental training. Here are just a few examples: waiting at the Dr.’s office, in line at the grocery store, at the DMV (or any waiting for that matter), first thing in the morning after you wake up, just before you go to sleep (and there is real power in this), in the bath or the sauna, on your way to work in that dreaded traffic (you might find it therapeutic), or maybe just before, during, or after a meal by yourself. Make it a habit and you will reap the rewards.
Imagery is a very specific and a focused type of mental practice and it uses all of the senses to create an experience in the mind. Visualization is just one part of this experience. Close your eyes and picture yourself in the 1st tee of your favorite course. Create your group – who are you playing with? What is the weather like? Can you smell your playing partner’s cigar? See yourself confidently walking up to the tee, bending over and teeing it up, picking out your landing area, taking a smooth relaxed practice swing, then set up, repeat the feel, and then smack!……. an arching drive right down the middle 275-280 yards. It takes some time to create a picture of yourself that you’ll be able to repeat over and over. In the beginning it helps to imitate a favorite player with whom you may identify. Remember the great thing about mental practice is that you are the programmer.
Imagery becomes the key to the learning process. Many athletes imitate or model the actions of other athletes, and use this for their own “mental film”. Imagery is based upon memory and we can create what we want from whatever pieces of memory we chose.
Let’s consider how important the memory is. You have just gotten the fourth tee after “suprisingly” paring the first three holes. You suddenly remember last week you got to this hole and then proceeded to knock two tee shots out of bounds right. Now, what are your chances of making a smooth effortless tee shot here? Your memory, your imagery is not going to be real positive. That is because that’s all you have on your “mental film”. Now if during the last week, you would have reprogrammed your memory and practiced hitting great tee shots off this tee box, your odds have just switched to your favor. You would have a greater likelihood of a successful outcome with the more positive mental imagery in place.
One further note, and just as dangerous of an activity, is the practice of verbalizing a negative experience – and particularly in a repetitive nature. For instance, following the example above in the previous week you probably told someone about your “stupidity”, or “bad luck” and graphically described how “you were even par after three and then proceeded to blow two O.B……etc”. It is human nature that we share all our negative, and we usually are fueling our memory with lots of emotion as we do it. This is very destructive and just increases the difficulty of improving and reinforcing the “good” shots and feelings you are trying to implement.
I strongly recommend you try to avoid the temptation of describing the ugly, and only repeat what you did well. Emotionalize only the positive, and only allow the positive to be at the forefront of your memory. This takes incredible discipline and practice at first, but you will eventually reap the rewards. It will be of much more value than spending another $400 on a new driver. You may not have a lot of time to practice, but if you use what little time you do have wisely, you will hit better golf shots and improve your game.
Happy Golfing!
Jacqui McSorley is co-author of Golf Guide for Parents and Players, along with Johnny Gonzales. She played professionally on the Japan LPGA Tour and currently is an avid supporter of the golf community in northern San Diego county, as she started an LPGA-USGA Girls Golf site.
How important is mental training? It has been proven over and over again that the mind is the winning difference. Not only is it the winning difference for top amateurs and professional athletes, but it could be shat is missing from you reaching pinnacles of success at whatever level you strive toward.
First of all, “What is mental training?” Mental training is the discipline of mental practice, imagery, visualization, and positive self-talk; all being used separately and collectively to rehearse your best golf. Mental practice simply means repeating a task in your mind without any movement from your body. Just think about practicing your putting, bunker play, irons, and driver sitting quietly in a room.
Two major reasons come to mind as to why we don’t spend more time doing this. First, many of us have a hard time truly believing psychological practice can as much as physical practice. In recent years this topic has gained more notice. More books and talk show programs have provided more exposure and increased our awareness. I have found that most people just do not understand how to do it, and the discipline it takes to do it.
Second, most of us have a hard time finding the time to sit quietly. The world just seems to get faster and faster. We are always dashing from one appointment to the next. Our schedules are tight, and we have commitments in every direction. We are programmed for action. Go here, do this, hit balls, run errands, etc. Sound familiar? Even with a hectic schedule there are many opportunities throughout the day we could do some mental training. Here are just a few examples: waiting at the Dr.’s office, in line at the grocery store, at the DMV (or any waiting for that matter), first thing in the morning after you wake up, just before you go to sleep (and there is real power in this), in the bath or the sauna, on your way to work in that dreaded traffic (you might find it therapeutic), or maybe just before, during, or after a meal by yourself. Make it a habit and you will reap the rewards.
Imagery is a very specific and a focused type of mental practice and it uses all of the senses to create an experience in the mind. Visualization is just one part of this experience. Close your eyes and picture yourself in the 1st tee of your favorite course. Create your group – who are you playing with? What is the weather like? Can you smell your playing partner’s cigar? See yourself confidently walking up to the tee, bending over and teeing it up, picking out your landing area, taking a smooth relaxed practice swing, then set up, repeat the feel, and then smack!……. an arching drive right down the middle 275-280 yards. It takes some time to create a picture of yourself that you’ll be able to repeat over and over. In the beginning it helps to imitate a favorite player with whom you may identify. Remember the great thing about mental practice is that you are the programmer.
Imagery becomes the key to the learning process. Many athletes imitate or model the actions of other athletes, and use this for their own “mental film”. Imagery is based upon memory and we can create what we want from whatever pieces of memory we chose.
Let’s consider how important the memory is. You have just gotten the fourth tee after “suprisingly” paring the first three holes. You suddenly remember last week you got to this hole and then proceeded to knock two tee shots out of bounds right. Now, what are your chances of making a smooth effortless tee shot here? Your memory, your imagery is not going to be real positive. That is because that’s all you have on your “mental film”. Now if during the last week, you would have reprogrammed your memory and practiced hitting great tee shots off this tee box, your odds have just switched to your favor. You would have a greater likelihood of a successful outcome with the more positive mental imagery in place.
One further note, and just as dangerous of an activity, is the practice of verbalizing a negative experience – and particularly in a repetitive nature. For instance, following the example above in the previous week you probably told someone about your “stupidity”, or “bad luck” and graphically described how “you were even par after three and then proceeded to blow two O.B……etc”. It is human nature that we share all our negative, and we usually are fueling our memory with lots of emotion as we do it. This is very destructive and just increases the difficulty of improving and reinforcing the “good” shots and feelings you are trying to implement.
I strongly recommend you try to avoid the temptation of describing the ugly, and only repeat what you did well. Emotionalize only the positive, and only allow the positive to be at the forefront of your memory. This takes incredible discipline and practice at first, but you will eventually reap the rewards. It will be of much more value than spending another $400 on a new driver. You may not have a lot of time to practice, but if you use what little time you do have wisely, you will hit better golf shots and improve your game.
Happy Golfing!
Jacqui McSorley is co-author of Golf Guide for Parents and Players, along with Johnny Gonzales. She played professionally on the Japan LPGA Tour and currently is an avid supporter of the golf community in northern San Diego county, as she started an LPGA-USGA Girls Golf site.
A Dream and Vision Fulfilled
At first it was a dream, now it is a vision and soon it will be a reality. Pro Kids Golf Academy and Learning Center in San Diego will soon have a beautiful new 7,700 square ft. clubhouse to call home. The address hasn’t changed, but the old dilapidated, run down 3,000 sq. ft building they called a clubhouse has been replaced with a state of the art dream clubhouse that will be instrumental in helping the kids build their confidence and self esteem. They will be proud to call Colina Park “home”.
Pro Kids was founded only seven years ago, to help get kids off the streets and onto the fairways. A small group of San Diego businessman wanted to expose more inner city children to the game of golf. Colina Park was a city run 18 hole pitch and putt course right in the heart of City Heights, a section of San Diego better known for its’ gangs and drug dealers. Although the gangs and the drugs are still prevalent in the this part of town, Pro Kids Golf Academy is doing its best to educate kids not only about golf – but about life. Chip Bolden, the Director of Golf at Pro Kids sums it up best stating “ It is our mission to give these kids who are not necessarily given many chances to succeed, a safe environment to develop life skills, to set goals, and dream big dreams. We want the kids to excel socially, academically, athletically, and to become productive leaders of society with integrity, strong family values, and a commitment to community.”
Most golfers realize golf and life parallel each other more than we would like to admit. Golf is a sport that teaches honesty, integrity, discipline, determination, patience, and sportsmanship. Kids – all kids – of every ethnic race imaginable, and with no regard to economic status, are provided the opportunity to develop the necessary skills to succeed in all areas of their life.
The Academy and Learning Center will provide the safe environment kids need to develop. The programs will empower them to dream about their future, establish goals, build confidence and self esteem, help them with family relationships, and create a sense of belonging to a stable community. All of the programs established at Pro Kids enable the kids to develop skills that will help them socially, intellectually, and physically. The kids are truly given an incredible opportunity to develop into adults with a passion for life, desires to help others, and hope for the future.
Pro Kids has had great success achieving their goals in regard to its youth golf programs, and is now a model program for The First Tee, a national initiative of the World Golf Foundation. The World Golf Foundation is an organization dedicated to providing affordable and accessible playing and learning opportunities for beginner golfers. The Tiger Woods Foundation is also involved with Pro Kids in that it donates money that is specifically earmarked for education - namely computer education.
Chip Bolden is quick to point out that the progress they have made over the last six years has been realized because of the incredible generosity, and tireless efforts of many, many, people. The new $1.3 million dollar clubhouse would have been a mere dream if it were not for the $900,000 that BIA Cares of Kids has raised - and donated – for the building expenses. “The Building Industry Association has given us an incredible start, IBM has donated computers for the 20 station computer learning center, and the Golf Writers Association of America has donated the library. Many people have contributed and helped improve our golf center, and now our dream center is under development. Pro Kids appreciates all of the support and will continue to create measurable goals for all components of our programs Improving the golf course will be our next phase of development.”, adds Bolden proudly.
One of the measurable goals Bolden refers to is the return rate. Many children are exposed to the programs through direct outreach programs and elective P.E. programs, but Pro Kids wants to measure if these kids are returning to use the facilities and services on their own. “ It is one thing to choose golf for P.E., just because you don’t want to run the mile and quite another if a child chooses to invest his/her free time here with us. We want the percentage of kids who return to us to use the programs, and then to be certified to move to the next level to grow each year.”, Bolden emphasized.
Colina Park had less than 10,000 rounds being played per year in 1994 as a city run facility. Now, six years after Pro Kids purchased the facility, Colina Park now has over 40,000 rounds per year – albeit most of the 30,000 round increase is not generating revenue because they come directly from the Academy kids. There are now over 5,000 kids enrolled in some aspect of Pro Kids Golf. The programs are open to any kid from around the county. But, the majority of the orientation goes out to the local area kids who are non stereo typical of the golf population as a whole, and are those kids who normally would not be exposed to the sport. The goals have expanded from introducing minorities to the sport, to targeting at-risk kids so that Pro Kids may positively influence their lives in areas outside of sport. Main areas of focus are: staying in school, grades, mentoring, and community leadership.
Parent involvement is encouraged, but Bolden says there are all types of scenarios and kids participating. “There are many kids who have parents who are very active with our programs and we have kids whom we have become their surrogate parents.” Pro Kids are constantly challenged and the can be rewarded in many ways – one of which is scholarship award money. In 2000 Pro Kids gave out about $40,000 in scholarships and there are many Pro Kids alumni now who have returned to the facility to encourage the kids and edify the programs. “One day some of these kids will come back and they will be board members, and that’s awesome!”, Bolden beams.
Jacqui Nicoletti McSorley is co-author of Golf Guide for Parents and Players (Mansion Grove House), along wtih Johnny Gonzales. She played on the Japan LPGA Professional Tour and is currently an active supporter of her local golf community in San Diego, as she started an LPGA-USGA Girls Golf site in northern San Diego County.
Pro Kids was founded only seven years ago, to help get kids off the streets and onto the fairways. A small group of San Diego businessman wanted to expose more inner city children to the game of golf. Colina Park was a city run 18 hole pitch and putt course right in the heart of City Heights, a section of San Diego better known for its’ gangs and drug dealers. Although the gangs and the drugs are still prevalent in the this part of town, Pro Kids Golf Academy is doing its best to educate kids not only about golf – but about life. Chip Bolden, the Director of Golf at Pro Kids sums it up best stating “ It is our mission to give these kids who are not necessarily given many chances to succeed, a safe environment to develop life skills, to set goals, and dream big dreams. We want the kids to excel socially, academically, athletically, and to become productive leaders of society with integrity, strong family values, and a commitment to community.”
Most golfers realize golf and life parallel each other more than we would like to admit. Golf is a sport that teaches honesty, integrity, discipline, determination, patience, and sportsmanship. Kids – all kids – of every ethnic race imaginable, and with no regard to economic status, are provided the opportunity to develop the necessary skills to succeed in all areas of their life.
The Academy and Learning Center will provide the safe environment kids need to develop. The programs will empower them to dream about their future, establish goals, build confidence and self esteem, help them with family relationships, and create a sense of belonging to a stable community. All of the programs established at Pro Kids enable the kids to develop skills that will help them socially, intellectually, and physically. The kids are truly given an incredible opportunity to develop into adults with a passion for life, desires to help others, and hope for the future.
Pro Kids has had great success achieving their goals in regard to its youth golf programs, and is now a model program for The First Tee, a national initiative of the World Golf Foundation. The World Golf Foundation is an organization dedicated to providing affordable and accessible playing and learning opportunities for beginner golfers. The Tiger Woods Foundation is also involved with Pro Kids in that it donates money that is specifically earmarked for education - namely computer education.
Chip Bolden is quick to point out that the progress they have made over the last six years has been realized because of the incredible generosity, and tireless efforts of many, many, people. The new $1.3 million dollar clubhouse would have been a mere dream if it were not for the $900,000 that BIA Cares of Kids has raised - and donated – for the building expenses. “The Building Industry Association has given us an incredible start, IBM has donated computers for the 20 station computer learning center, and the Golf Writers Association of America has donated the library. Many people have contributed and helped improve our golf center, and now our dream center is under development. Pro Kids appreciates all of the support and will continue to create measurable goals for all components of our programs Improving the golf course will be our next phase of development.”, adds Bolden proudly.
One of the measurable goals Bolden refers to is the return rate. Many children are exposed to the programs through direct outreach programs and elective P.E. programs, but Pro Kids wants to measure if these kids are returning to use the facilities and services on their own. “ It is one thing to choose golf for P.E., just because you don’t want to run the mile and quite another if a child chooses to invest his/her free time here with us. We want the percentage of kids who return to us to use the programs, and then to be certified to move to the next level to grow each year.”, Bolden emphasized.
Colina Park had less than 10,000 rounds being played per year in 1994 as a city run facility. Now, six years after Pro Kids purchased the facility, Colina Park now has over 40,000 rounds per year – albeit most of the 30,000 round increase is not generating revenue because they come directly from the Academy kids. There are now over 5,000 kids enrolled in some aspect of Pro Kids Golf. The programs are open to any kid from around the county. But, the majority of the orientation goes out to the local area kids who are non stereo typical of the golf population as a whole, and are those kids who normally would not be exposed to the sport. The goals have expanded from introducing minorities to the sport, to targeting at-risk kids so that Pro Kids may positively influence their lives in areas outside of sport. Main areas of focus are: staying in school, grades, mentoring, and community leadership.
Parent involvement is encouraged, but Bolden says there are all types of scenarios and kids participating. “There are many kids who have parents who are very active with our programs and we have kids whom we have become their surrogate parents.” Pro Kids are constantly challenged and the can be rewarded in many ways – one of which is scholarship award money. In 2000 Pro Kids gave out about $40,000 in scholarships and there are many Pro Kids alumni now who have returned to the facility to encourage the kids and edify the programs. “One day some of these kids will come back and they will be board members, and that’s awesome!”, Bolden beams.
Jacqui Nicoletti McSorley is co-author of Golf Guide for Parents and Players (Mansion Grove House), along wtih Johnny Gonzales. She played on the Japan LPGA Professional Tour and is currently an active supporter of her local golf community in San Diego, as she started an LPGA-USGA Girls Golf site in northern San Diego County.
Back To His Roots
Dave Waymire has come full circle, and everyone at Mission Trails couldn’t be more excited. Humbly, he gives his crew all the credit for the turn around in the course condition, but his leadership has been instrumental in saving this golf course.
It was not a difficult decision for Waymire when he found out that the superintendent job was available at Mission Trails in the fall of 1998. He started his career as an assistant professional at Mission Trails (Navajo Canyon in 1972). His father, Claude Waymire, head professional at Tecolote Canyon at the time, told his young son, “ If you want to make a decent living in the golf business, be a superintendent, grow grass.” Waymire took his father’s advice and started working on the course instead of in the pro shop. Waymire was hired to be the superintendent at a course in Riverside. He spent six years there before accepting the superintendent’s job at Warner Springs in 1990. By November of 1998 he was the General Manager of that facility. “I spent a couple of years as the Director of Golf, and a couple years later I found I was the General Manager of the entire facility. Returning to Mission Trails, and being back in San Diego was part of the reason he jumped at the opportunity, but it was also the pull of “growing grass” again. “I missed the city and I missed being outside. The decision to return to Mission Trails was really a no-brainer. Due to the poor condition of the course, no matter what I did I would be the hero.”
Now that the initial transformation has taken place (grass on the greens and fairways), Waymire admits that they still have challenges, and it won’t be easy to improve the condition in a dramatic manner. “When I first got here I had to set the priorities. The course condition on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being excellent, was a 2. Now it is about a 4.5 or 5. My goal is to raise it to 7. My first priorities were greens and bunkers. Bunkers we could fix immediately, provided we had the financial resources, but greens would take seasons before we could see improvement. I arrived in November and with Bermuda greens in winter, it wasn’t an overnight success. It was summer of 1999 before we could see any visible differences,” Waymire explains.
Waymire wanted to see modifications and improvements in two specific areas. First, were the cultural practices such as airifying, spiking and irrigation control. The second was traffic control because even in its’ worst shape Mission Trails was getting 50,000 – 60,000 rounds per year. This year they are on pace for upwards of 90,000 rounds. Waymire’s third priority was tree trimming. “We desperately needed to cut back trees. The trees needed to be trimmed and shaped so that the mowers could go under and around them. This would also make the sprinkler system work more efficiently”, said Waymire.
Currently, like most other Southern California courses, many Eucalyptus trees are being damaged by the Lerps Psyllid insects. Waymire is hoping a certain mosquito, which is the natural predator of the Lerps Psyllid, will quickly multiply so hundreds of the beautiful Eucalyptus trees on Mission Trails will survive. Recently, a hundred of the specific mosquitoes were released into this area to combat the Lerps Psyllid insects.
Waymire’s next project for Mission Trails is to rebuild the tee boxes. Waymire pointed out, “With poor maintenance over the years, the tee boxes tend to lose level playing surface.” Next on the wish list is a new irrigation system, but he does not see that happening any time soon.
Waymire is not only the superintendent for Misson Trails, but he is also the Regional Superintendent for American Golf, which basically means he helps the superintendents at four other properties in the San Diego area. He visits Tecolote, National City, Eastlake, and Chula Vista, at least twice every month and is responsible for hiring the superintendents at these facilities. “I get all the credit and my guys do all the work. I have a great crew and I have a great support staff in the golf shop. Walt Willows, the Head Professional, Todd Garwood, the General Manager, and Jim Svoboda, my assistant at Mission Trails are an awesome team. It is definitely a group effort at this facility”, applauds Waymire.
Dave Waymire has adopted a philosophy over the years – one that has obviously served him well. “Everything that’s right with the course is because of my crew. The bad stuff is my fault – I take full responsibility. I must not have done my job communicating what needed to be done.”
Jacqui Nicoletti McSorley is co-author to the book Golf Guide for Parents and Players (Mansion Grove House), along with Johnny Gonzales. Additionally, Jacqui played professionally on the Japan LGPA Tour, and is currently a sought-after LPGA Teacher and started an LPGA-USGA Girls Golf site in northern San Diego county.
It was not a difficult decision for Waymire when he found out that the superintendent job was available at Mission Trails in the fall of 1998. He started his career as an assistant professional at Mission Trails (Navajo Canyon in 1972). His father, Claude Waymire, head professional at Tecolote Canyon at the time, told his young son, “ If you want to make a decent living in the golf business, be a superintendent, grow grass.” Waymire took his father’s advice and started working on the course instead of in the pro shop. Waymire was hired to be the superintendent at a course in Riverside. He spent six years there before accepting the superintendent’s job at Warner Springs in 1990. By November of 1998 he was the General Manager of that facility. “I spent a couple of years as the Director of Golf, and a couple years later I found I was the General Manager of the entire facility. Returning to Mission Trails, and being back in San Diego was part of the reason he jumped at the opportunity, but it was also the pull of “growing grass” again. “I missed the city and I missed being outside. The decision to return to Mission Trails was really a no-brainer. Due to the poor condition of the course, no matter what I did I would be the hero.”
Now that the initial transformation has taken place (grass on the greens and fairways), Waymire admits that they still have challenges, and it won’t be easy to improve the condition in a dramatic manner. “When I first got here I had to set the priorities. The course condition on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being excellent, was a 2. Now it is about a 4.5 or 5. My goal is to raise it to 7. My first priorities were greens and bunkers. Bunkers we could fix immediately, provided we had the financial resources, but greens would take seasons before we could see improvement. I arrived in November and with Bermuda greens in winter, it wasn’t an overnight success. It was summer of 1999 before we could see any visible differences,” Waymire explains.
Waymire wanted to see modifications and improvements in two specific areas. First, were the cultural practices such as airifying, spiking and irrigation control. The second was traffic control because even in its’ worst shape Mission Trails was getting 50,000 – 60,000 rounds per year. This year they are on pace for upwards of 90,000 rounds. Waymire’s third priority was tree trimming. “We desperately needed to cut back trees. The trees needed to be trimmed and shaped so that the mowers could go under and around them. This would also make the sprinkler system work more efficiently”, said Waymire.
Currently, like most other Southern California courses, many Eucalyptus trees are being damaged by the Lerps Psyllid insects. Waymire is hoping a certain mosquito, which is the natural predator of the Lerps Psyllid, will quickly multiply so hundreds of the beautiful Eucalyptus trees on Mission Trails will survive. Recently, a hundred of the specific mosquitoes were released into this area to combat the Lerps Psyllid insects.
Waymire’s next project for Mission Trails is to rebuild the tee boxes. Waymire pointed out, “With poor maintenance over the years, the tee boxes tend to lose level playing surface.” Next on the wish list is a new irrigation system, but he does not see that happening any time soon.
Waymire is not only the superintendent for Misson Trails, but he is also the Regional Superintendent for American Golf, which basically means he helps the superintendents at four other properties in the San Diego area. He visits Tecolote, National City, Eastlake, and Chula Vista, at least twice every month and is responsible for hiring the superintendents at these facilities. “I get all the credit and my guys do all the work. I have a great crew and I have a great support staff in the golf shop. Walt Willows, the Head Professional, Todd Garwood, the General Manager, and Jim Svoboda, my assistant at Mission Trails are an awesome team. It is definitely a group effort at this facility”, applauds Waymire.
Dave Waymire has adopted a philosophy over the years – one that has obviously served him well. “Everything that’s right with the course is because of my crew. The bad stuff is my fault – I take full responsibility. I must not have done my job communicating what needed to be done.”
Jacqui Nicoletti McSorley is co-author to the book Golf Guide for Parents and Players (Mansion Grove House), along with Johnny Gonzales. Additionally, Jacqui played professionally on the Japan LGPA Tour, and is currently a sought-after LPGA Teacher and started an LPGA-USGA Girls Golf site in northern San Diego county.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Health South
So you just finished reading the latest golf article telling you how to get those extra 20-25 yards? Be careful you may become a golf statistic - and not the kind you read about in the newspaper with multi-million dollar earnings, but the kind Health South looks at to realize it needed to have a therapist that specializes in golfer evaluations.
Health South is a company specializing in physical therapy and is most familiar with sports injuries. It has rehabilitation centers all over Southern California. At the San Diego Kearny Mesa center, golfers can find a specialized program just for them.
Brad Crossley, a native San Diegan and former San Diego junior golfer has been specially trained by Health South to do golf evaluations. Crossley graduated from San Diego State and is both a certified Athletic Trainer and a licensed Physical Therapist assistant. “The golf program is designed to help identify your weaknesses and your strengths. I do an anatomical evaluation to determine what physical limitations one might have that is either 1) causing pain, or 2) preventing someone from swinging properly” Crossley explains. For $65 Crossley will compute a history evaluation including areas of pain, range of motion testing, and manual muscle testing of the cervical lumbar, shoulder, thoracic and hip areas. “Posture is key to healthy golf. We educate golfers on how to properly set up and how to keep their back straight. Typically, men tend to hunch while ladies have better posture.” Once Crossley finds limitations he can set up exercises designed to increase range of motion, strength and flexibility. “Most golf injury problems stem from back problems. Almost 8 out of 10 clients come in with back problems, but these are also the easiest to help with therapy.” Shoulder, elbow and wrist problems are also common for the avid golfer. “Most amateurs or weekend warriors develop bad posture and coupled with bad mechanics it is usually only a matter of time before they will sustain an injury” Crossley explains.
Health South publishes a pamphlet called “15 minutes to healthier golf” highlighting several proper warm up exercises that help prepare the muscles, tendons and joints of your body to maximize performance and to help prevent injuries. All exercise can be preformed with a golf club, a broomstick, or PVC pipe, and can be done in 15 minutes before practicing or playing golf. Crossley’s three most highly recommended exercises for healthier golf are 1) to do some hamstring flexes, 2) to do some sort of rowing motion, and 3) to engage in some kind of cardiovascular workout such as a treadmill workout. “Most injuries are caused by golfers trying to do things in the swing that their bodies are incapable of doing. After a big name player has a big win we get a lot of copy cats trying things they shouldn’t be trying because their bodies are no where similar to that of their favorite new champion. When your physical build doesn’t match what you are trying to get it to do you are asking for trouble. “Most of the time it is a combination of too much body, legs, or arms-injuries occur when you are overdoing it!” says Crossley.
Health South is also dedicated to the professional golfer and it has fitness vans on the PGA, LPGA, and the Senior PGA and this is probably where they learn what works best for golfers. Although the injuries for the professional are mainly from over use instead of bad mechanics the vans are not unlike most college training rooms. The vans can be used by the Pros for workouts and conditioning, but most of the Pros utilizing the vans have some sort of aliment. Just like any of the other Health South rehab centers there are hands on exercise and table exercises that the therapist use to help restore proper function. Health South is right on as it promotes it’s customized exercise programs.
The game is a lot more fun when you can swing painlessly, and with less effort you can have longer and more accurate drives.
Jacqui Nicoletti McSorley was a professional on the Japan LPGA Tour, and is now a sought-after LPGA Teacher and started an LPGA-USGA Girls Golf Site in San Diego. She is co-author of the book Golf Guide for Parents and Players (Mansion Grove House).
Health South is a company specializing in physical therapy and is most familiar with sports injuries. It has rehabilitation centers all over Southern California. At the San Diego Kearny Mesa center, golfers can find a specialized program just for them.
Brad Crossley, a native San Diegan and former San Diego junior golfer has been specially trained by Health South to do golf evaluations. Crossley graduated from San Diego State and is both a certified Athletic Trainer and a licensed Physical Therapist assistant. “The golf program is designed to help identify your weaknesses and your strengths. I do an anatomical evaluation to determine what physical limitations one might have that is either 1) causing pain, or 2) preventing someone from swinging properly” Crossley explains. For $65 Crossley will compute a history evaluation including areas of pain, range of motion testing, and manual muscle testing of the cervical lumbar, shoulder, thoracic and hip areas. “Posture is key to healthy golf. We educate golfers on how to properly set up and how to keep their back straight. Typically, men tend to hunch while ladies have better posture.” Once Crossley finds limitations he can set up exercises designed to increase range of motion, strength and flexibility. “Most golf injury problems stem from back problems. Almost 8 out of 10 clients come in with back problems, but these are also the easiest to help with therapy.” Shoulder, elbow and wrist problems are also common for the avid golfer. “Most amateurs or weekend warriors develop bad posture and coupled with bad mechanics it is usually only a matter of time before they will sustain an injury” Crossley explains.
Health South publishes a pamphlet called “15 minutes to healthier golf” highlighting several proper warm up exercises that help prepare the muscles, tendons and joints of your body to maximize performance and to help prevent injuries. All exercise can be preformed with a golf club, a broomstick, or PVC pipe, and can be done in 15 minutes before practicing or playing golf. Crossley’s three most highly recommended exercises for healthier golf are 1) to do some hamstring flexes, 2) to do some sort of rowing motion, and 3) to engage in some kind of cardiovascular workout such as a treadmill workout. “Most injuries are caused by golfers trying to do things in the swing that their bodies are incapable of doing. After a big name player has a big win we get a lot of copy cats trying things they shouldn’t be trying because their bodies are no where similar to that of their favorite new champion. When your physical build doesn’t match what you are trying to get it to do you are asking for trouble. “Most of the time it is a combination of too much body, legs, or arms-injuries occur when you are overdoing it!” says Crossley.
Health South is also dedicated to the professional golfer and it has fitness vans on the PGA, LPGA, and the Senior PGA and this is probably where they learn what works best for golfers. Although the injuries for the professional are mainly from over use instead of bad mechanics the vans are not unlike most college training rooms. The vans can be used by the Pros for workouts and conditioning, but most of the Pros utilizing the vans have some sort of aliment. Just like any of the other Health South rehab centers there are hands on exercise and table exercises that the therapist use to help restore proper function. Health South is right on as it promotes it’s customized exercise programs.
The game is a lot more fun when you can swing painlessly, and with less effort you can have longer and more accurate drives.
Jacqui Nicoletti McSorley was a professional on the Japan LPGA Tour, and is now a sought-after LPGA Teacher and started an LPGA-USGA Girls Golf Site in San Diego. She is co-author of the book Golf Guide for Parents and Players (Mansion Grove House).
The Life of a Caddy
Great tour players have great support teams. PGA players must make the shots and ultimately play the game by themselves, but they are wise to surround themselves with people who can help them succeed. Just as a supportive loving spouse can free up a player’s mind, an experienced and competent caddy also can help in many ways.
In the 2001 Buick Invitational, having a good caddy may have ensured Frank Lickliter his first tour victory. A caddy is instrumental in helping a player slow himself down, and to keep things in the proper perspective. Lickliter should have been hitting an iron off the 17th Tee at Torrey Pines and playing for bogey on his third sudden death playoff hole ….. under the circumstances a driver was the last club his caddy should have “allowed” him to hit. This article, however, is not about that situation – only to highlight the importance of a professional and experienced caddy.
Jeff Burwell would never have let that happen. Jeff is a 27 year veteran of the PGA Tour, and this article is about him and the evolution of his profession over the years. Jeff Burwell has caddied for many great players over the years - Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Roger Maltbie, Jerry Pate, Ben Crenshaw, Curtis Strange, Bruce Lietzke, John Cook, Tom Purtzer, Jay Haas, Billy Andrade, and Billy Ray Brown - to name a few of his employers.
Burwell was born and raised in Akron, Ohio. Although he played very little golf, he started caddying at Firestone Country Club while still in high school. Little did he know back then, that three decades later, he would still be traveling the world packing the clubs of the best golfers on the planet.
In the early 1970’s regular tour caddies were not allowed to caddy at Firestone Country Club during the PGA Tour stop, and players drew numbers for house caddies. “ I was picked by Player and, at the time, he was one of the top players on tour”, Burwell remembers.
Burwell didn’t win that week, but he has “won” several times over the years. Burwell said, “Every win is great, and you never take them for granted, but the most special victory for me was my first one with Roger Maltbie at the Memorial Tournament”. Although his favorite tournament is at Hilton Head in South Carolina, he also enjoys the historic tournaments such as the British Open and the U.S. Open. “One of my favorite memories in a major was when Roger Maltbie was in the final group at Augusta. I don’t think you can truly describe the feeling you get being in the last group and walking down those final holes on Sunday. We didn’t win, but that was a very exciting day.”
Jeff Burwell, who followed the tour and used to travel the country by car, admits that the life of a tour caddy has drastically changed over the last several years. Today, good caddies can make a good six figure income. “There is so much more money out there now. The new kids coming out expect way too much and so do their caddies. Very few of them realize what we went through, and there are only a handful of us left. Most caddies fly from one PGA Tour stop to the next, and only a handful will drive. It used to be that almost everyone drove together.”
Basically, caddies are self employed, and get paid a salary for the week averaging anywhere from $700 - $2,000. They can also earn from 5% - 10% of the purse should their player win. They must pay all of their own expenses, except when required to travel cross-country or internationally - only then do the players pay for their airfare. Burwell attributes his longevity in this exciting but different career to a motto most good tour caddies must master. “If you are to survive out here you must SHOW up, SHUT up, and KEEP up. You must ALWAYS be on time!”, Burwell says. Burwell also emphasized that you can’t get caught up in all the hoopla, “You must treat your job seriously and remember it is a job that requires you to wear many different hats. It is my job to help my player stay under control in difficult conditions. Depending on the player, I am a psychologist and at other times I am a valet. These players depend on us to be where we are told to be, and if you are not, you won’t last long on tour. You must be accountable and trustworthy.”
Burwell only works 20 – 21 events a year these days. He has the luxury of setting his own schedule about a month in advance. When he is not on the fairways, Jeff enjoys being on the sea. He loves fishing and to work as a first mate on a friends boat. He is looking forward to caddying more on the Senior Tour next year, where he gets to use a cart and there is no cut. He is also hoping to be chosen as one of the caddies for the Ryder Cup. “I would like to go with Curtis Strange to this event – it’s part of history!” When Burwell started caddying, only 40% of the players out on tour had full time caddies, but about 90% of the players coming out on tour these days have them, predominantly hiring their college friends or relatives.
Remember, an experienced caddy can be an incredible asset though ..…. just ask Frank Lickliter.
Jacqui Nicoletti McSorley played professionally on the Japan LPGA Tour, and is now a sought-after teacher. She avidly supports the growth of golf in San Diego area, as she started an LPGA-USGA Girls Golf site in northern San Diego county. She is co-author of the book Golf Guide for Parents and Players (Mansion Grove House).
In the 2001 Buick Invitational, having a good caddy may have ensured Frank Lickliter his first tour victory. A caddy is instrumental in helping a player slow himself down, and to keep things in the proper perspective. Lickliter should have been hitting an iron off the 17th Tee at Torrey Pines and playing for bogey on his third sudden death playoff hole ….. under the circumstances a driver was the last club his caddy should have “allowed” him to hit. This article, however, is not about that situation – only to highlight the importance of a professional and experienced caddy.
Jeff Burwell would never have let that happen. Jeff is a 27 year veteran of the PGA Tour, and this article is about him and the evolution of his profession over the years. Jeff Burwell has caddied for many great players over the years - Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Roger Maltbie, Jerry Pate, Ben Crenshaw, Curtis Strange, Bruce Lietzke, John Cook, Tom Purtzer, Jay Haas, Billy Andrade, and Billy Ray Brown - to name a few of his employers.
Burwell was born and raised in Akron, Ohio. Although he played very little golf, he started caddying at Firestone Country Club while still in high school. Little did he know back then, that three decades later, he would still be traveling the world packing the clubs of the best golfers on the planet.
In the early 1970’s regular tour caddies were not allowed to caddy at Firestone Country Club during the PGA Tour stop, and players drew numbers for house caddies. “ I was picked by Player and, at the time, he was one of the top players on tour”, Burwell remembers.
Burwell didn’t win that week, but he has “won” several times over the years. Burwell said, “Every win is great, and you never take them for granted, but the most special victory for me was my first one with Roger Maltbie at the Memorial Tournament”. Although his favorite tournament is at Hilton Head in South Carolina, he also enjoys the historic tournaments such as the British Open and the U.S. Open. “One of my favorite memories in a major was when Roger Maltbie was in the final group at Augusta. I don’t think you can truly describe the feeling you get being in the last group and walking down those final holes on Sunday. We didn’t win, but that was a very exciting day.”
Jeff Burwell, who followed the tour and used to travel the country by car, admits that the life of a tour caddy has drastically changed over the last several years. Today, good caddies can make a good six figure income. “There is so much more money out there now. The new kids coming out expect way too much and so do their caddies. Very few of them realize what we went through, and there are only a handful of us left. Most caddies fly from one PGA Tour stop to the next, and only a handful will drive. It used to be that almost everyone drove together.”
Basically, caddies are self employed, and get paid a salary for the week averaging anywhere from $700 - $2,000. They can also earn from 5% - 10% of the purse should their player win. They must pay all of their own expenses, except when required to travel cross-country or internationally - only then do the players pay for their airfare. Burwell attributes his longevity in this exciting but different career to a motto most good tour caddies must master. “If you are to survive out here you must SHOW up, SHUT up, and KEEP up. You must ALWAYS be on time!”, Burwell says. Burwell also emphasized that you can’t get caught up in all the hoopla, “You must treat your job seriously and remember it is a job that requires you to wear many different hats. It is my job to help my player stay under control in difficult conditions. Depending on the player, I am a psychologist and at other times I am a valet. These players depend on us to be where we are told to be, and if you are not, you won’t last long on tour. You must be accountable and trustworthy.”
Burwell only works 20 – 21 events a year these days. He has the luxury of setting his own schedule about a month in advance. When he is not on the fairways, Jeff enjoys being on the sea. He loves fishing and to work as a first mate on a friends boat. He is looking forward to caddying more on the Senior Tour next year, where he gets to use a cart and there is no cut. He is also hoping to be chosen as one of the caddies for the Ryder Cup. “I would like to go with Curtis Strange to this event – it’s part of history!” When Burwell started caddying, only 40% of the players out on tour had full time caddies, but about 90% of the players coming out on tour these days have them, predominantly hiring their college friends or relatives.
Remember, an experienced caddy can be an incredible asset though ..…. just ask Frank Lickliter.
Jacqui Nicoletti McSorley played professionally on the Japan LPGA Tour, and is now a sought-after teacher. She avidly supports the growth of golf in San Diego area, as she started an LPGA-USGA Girls Golf site in northern San Diego county. She is co-author of the book Golf Guide for Parents and Players (Mansion Grove House).
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