Chipshots – 25 August 2017
Posted on: 24 August
COURSE AND NEW CLUBHOUSE NEWS
This week at the clubhouse site the builders have been working on pouring additional slabs and footings that are required to support sections of the ground floor that extend past the footprint of the lower ground floor. A steel supply issue has been holding up work on the ground floor, though this has now been resolved and they are once again working towards getting the ground floor slabs poured.
The plumbers have been working on the sewer connection and have now progressed from the connection point at the old 7th tee, to the middle of the old 6th fairway. They are optimistic that this work will be completed towards the end of next week.
The gas connection to the clubhouse has now been completed. There is still some tidying up required around the area which was trenched. The old 11th hole will return to a Par 4 for Saturdays competition.
During the week a few additional areas on the western side of the course were turfed including the reshaped fairway on what will be the new 7th hole, and the new drainage area on the left of the old 10th fairway. There are still areas which will need to be turfed, though this will happen once the sewer line is completed and Flemmings are able to reshape and level the old 4th and 6th fairways.
On the eastern side, the new 10th and 14th greens were seeded, and most of the surrounds and fairways in this area have now been turfed. Further work is still to take place in this area to finish off the tee complexes and the wetland area. Below is a video showing these new holes and the irrigation system in operation.
Since last week Flemmings have also begun work on the new 13th green which is being built where the old 3rd/16th tees were located. Within the next couple of weeks this work zone will be extended and the old 2nd and 14th greens will both be taken out of play. This will not happen until the new greens on the western side of the course come into play.
COURSE WORK ZONES
Due to the clubhouse construction and course renovations there are a number of work zones all over the course. These are all designated and roped/fenced off. Please refrain from entering and walking through these areas. It can either be dangerous with machinery operating in these areas, or may do damage and impact on new course works.
COURSE VOLUNTEERS
Another reminder that we have scheduled the big project of repainting the bridges on either side of the old 8th fairway for Friday 1 September. This will be followed by a bbq with the green staff at the greens shed. There is also a bit of work that can be done in preparation for the painting, such as sanding of the handrails and cleaning the trusses.
If you would like to volunteer, please express interest to the office, or by email to brendan@strathfieldgolf.com.au
OUTSTANDING TROPHIES
Currently there are quite a large number of trophies, especially pewters for Monthly Medal winners that have not been collected. If you have not yet collected a trophy that you have won, please do so in the next few weeks or they will be forfeited.
GOLF AUSTRALIA EXPRESS
GOLF AUSTRALIA NEWSLETTER
GOLF TIP
Stop Blading Shots: Our Data Will Help You Hit It Pure
Put your game on your shoulders – Zach Lambeck (GolfDigest)
Pure shots feel way different than mis-hits, obviously, but what exactly is the cause of all those bladed shots and weak grounders?
It’s probably your shoulders.
Shoulder tilt is the inclination in relationship to the ground. Looking at the illustrations above, if you drew a line across the top of my shoulders, it’s the relative angle you’d get. On the left, my shoulders are tilted more toward the ground. On the right, they’re nearly parallel to the ground.
Whether you start with decent shoulder tilt and lose it during the swing or never establish it, you make it really hard to keep the bottom of your swing within a consistent range. And when you can’t put the bottom of your swing consistently in the same place, you’ll struggle to routinely center the clubface on the back of the ball and launch the shot at an ideal trajectory.
To improve your tilt, you first need a frame of reference to establish the correct feel. Get in your stance and hold a club across your chest with the butt end facing your target. Now mimic a backswing. When fully turned, the grip should be angled toward the ground, not level with it. That’s good tilt.
As the data shows (below), there’s a significant difference between how much high-handicap players tilt and what tour players do. It’s one of the most direct relationships between body position and scoring we’ve measured from the 90 million swings GolfTEC has collected.
In other words, as the shoulders go, so goes your ball and your handicap. Which means you need to get tilting.
INCLINED TO PLAY BETTER
Amateurs with Handicap Indexes of 20 or higher average 25 degrees of shoulder tilt at the top of the backswing. Tour players tilt at least 40 percent more. The lesson for you? Get that lead shoulder lower at the top for better contact with the ball.
WEEKLY GOLF RESULTS
