Ballantyne Magazine

WINTER 2010

Ballantyne Magazine covers news, events, real estate, restaurants, shopping, health, schools and business in the upscale Ballantyne Area of Charlotte, NC.

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tee it up | BALLANTYNE WINTERIZE YOUR GAME Have Fun Amid the Tough Conditions By Marc Lapointe, Senior Instructor, Dana Rader Golf School PLAYING GOLF IN THE WINTER months — when the temperature drops below 50 degrees and the wind picks up above 15 mph — can be extremely difficult! Rain in the winter months also factors into the game. Golf courses stay wet for several days after rainfall. Extra layers of clothing can also prevent you from making a complete full swing. Winter makes everything harder for the golfer, even finding a partner to play can be challenging. Try my winter rules of golf to continue playing your best this season despite all of the inconveniences, and have fun in the process. First, move up one tee box. The golf course will be playing much longer than usual, and the fairways will provide few rolls off your drives. The colder temperature will affect the distance of your shot and prevent you from impacting the ball like you would in the summer minus your big jacket and long johns. Choose the tee box that will reduce the yardage of the course by at least 300 yards from where you usually play in the summer. You will have more fun even if you can't feel your fingers! Second, fi nd a good lie in the fairway. Don't be scared to move your ball around in the fairway. You should be rewarded for hitting WINTER 2010-2011 a good tee shot because good lies can be hard to find in the winter. Finally, choose the right wedge. During peak season, I encourage most of my students to use a sand wedge (54-56 degree wedge) in the bunker and a lob wedge (58-60 degree wedge) in the fairway. However, in the winter you have to be creative and truly understand the design of your wedges. Most sand wedges will carry a bounce of at least 12 degrees, and most lob wedges a bounce of less than 10 degrees. (The bounce is the angle on the sole of the club, see picture). The greater the angle, the better chance the club will bounce off soggy turf, and prevent a mud bath in the process. The smaller the angle, the better chance the club will splash through the frozen sand. Winter fairways are softer requiring a club with more bounce (sand wedge), and winter bunkers are harder requiring a club with less bounce (lob wedge). Golf courses in the winter play quite differently from courses in the midst of a hot summer drought. Play your best this winter using good strategy and smart club selection. The winter rules of golf should help you make this hard game a little bit easier! CELEBRATING TEN YEARS 2000-2010 BALLANTYNE MAGAZINE 93 14• 8• SAND WEDGE 56• LOB WEDGE 60•

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