The Ledges Golf Club - South Hadley

For everyone interested in playing at a great course in the Western Mass area, please head to The Ledges Golf Club in South Hadley. I was able to play there on Sunday and the course was in great condition. The staff is very friendly and the pro shop has just the right amount of necessities to get you ready for your round! The people at the restaurant and bar were fantastic too.


What a great little place. I couldn't believe that more people weren't there. Let's do our part to support this place, it would be a shame to see such a nice course go away, it's good for our area. 


Chris

Chris Austin and Andy Lesenski take the Greenfield Four-Ball in dominating fashion...

It's a grueling weekend of golf. It's days of carefully plotting your way around the golf course and trying to drive the stake into your opponent. It's hard work, but if you play well, it can be four of the most rewarding days for an amateur golfer to win the Country Club of Greenfield's 4-ball.

Every year some of the best players come out to play in this great event. This year was no different.

The big story is always in the Champion Division. Lately, golf in our area has been dominated by the older, more experienced guys. Names like Bergeron, Ruschioni, and Varner. This year it was the young guns turn.

Chris Austin and Andy Lesenski dominated the field over that last four days to win on Sunday 5&3 over Mike Johnson and Max Wolanske. They used their incredible distance and accuracy to bring the golf course and their opponents to their knees. When you can hit your driver and then a short iron into even the longest par 5's, it really plays to your advantage.

I have been able to witness the practice and dedication that has gone in to preparing their games first hand. Both Austin and Lesenski are members at our course, The Crumpin-Fox Club. Lesenski has spent countless hours on the range in the last few weeks, really dedicating his time to improving his already solid golf game. Austin prefers to play side matches and 36-hole rounds in order to prepare his game for competition.

It's really exciting as a golf professional to see these guys playing so well. They are the future of our club, and they are the future of great golf in our area. It also ignites the already fierce rivalry between our club and The Country Club of Greenfield. It should make for some exciting golf come October and the Franklin Cup, an annual match between the best players at both clubs.

Congrats guys, your hard work paid off, enjoy it!

Chris

Dealing with confrontation on the golf course..and using it to your advantage!

A friend of mine showed me a video yesterday of an incident involving Bubba Watson and Steve Elkington from a few years ago at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Watson was complaining about how Elkington and his caddie were walking in his line and talking loudly while he was trying to swing. The two ended up confronting each other and then settling things in the scorers tent afterwards.

I was thinking about all of the people I have been paired with that have made it very difficult to focus and play solid golf.

I used to get very upset and let the people get to me, then I realized that this was their plan all along. It was a form of gamesmanship you could say. Then I figured that I could turn this into an opportunity.

Every time I get paired with someone who is rude, loud, or says things to try to get in your head, it enhances my focus. I have to be able to shut them out completely, and often times it helps my game. It allows me to be even more competitive than normal. Plus, when they hit their ball into the woods, I don't help them look for it.

So next time when someone is being obnoxious in your group, don't let it bother you and use it to your advantage!

Hope everyone has had a great weekend so far!

Chris

Can Phil Mickelson pull it off?

Phil is currently in second place at the Open Championship, with the back 9 still to be played. He is five under par after 9 holes. Darren Clarke is holding on nicely, but one can't help but root for Phil to comeback. Should be exciting. Tune to ESPN for coverage.

Chris

Hometown boy Tom Lewis, tied for the lead at the Open Championship...as an amateur!

There were some wonderful shots played today at The Open Championship at Royal St. George's. There was a hole in one by Dustin Johnson, two monster breaking putts made by John Daly and Rickie Fowler, and some great up-and-downs by some of the best players in the world! There is a story that tops all of that though...

Amateur Tom Lewis, from England, is tied for the lead after Round 1. Lewis shot a five-under round of 65. He made it look effortless. He looked relaxed and confident, and his swing looked in top form. It also helped that he was paired with the man he was named after, Tom Watson. We heard Watson compliment Lewis from time to time throughout the round, and it must have been very special for the young man to hear that come from his mentor.

I hope that Lewis can get past all the media hype he is going to get this evening and come back tomorrow and put together a solid round. What a great thing that would be for an amateur to come in and claim victory over the top talent in the world.

Day one was a great one, and it is only going to get better! Enjoy!

Chris

Tiger Woods will make a special announcement on Monday morning....people are talking!

Tiger Woods said Sunday, that he will sit down with the Golf Channel's Kelly Tilghman on Monday morning and make a special announcement. People in the golf world are speculating what it might be. Most  people are saying that he will take the rest of 2011 off and let his knee and Achilles tendon heal completely. Others are saying he will defend or deny his use of steroids and his friendship with Anthony Galea. Galea is being indicted on transporting illegal drugs across the border for other athletes.

I personally think he is going to retire. Don't hold me to this. But who makes a special announcement to talk about steroids?  Why would he have to hold a press conference and talk more about his knee problems? He wouldn't. This could be his time to retire. I've said it before, he is the greatest player to ever play the game. Jack and Arnold were something special, but no one has brought more attention to our sport than Tiger, especially at a time when golf was fading. Through his work with The Tiger Woods Foundation, he has given children all around the world a chance to play this great game.

The fans should thank him, the other players on tour should thank him, and the media should definitely thank him for everything he has done. If he does choose to retire, I wish him well. I hope I'm completely wrong though.

Tune in and watch! Should be interesting to say the least....

Aronimink Golf Club....what a great place!

This week, the PGA Tour makes it's way to Aronimink Golf Club in the Philadelphia area of Pennsylvania. I have never been down to see the course, but from what I understand, it is one of the best courses on tour. The players love it, the media loves it, and I'm starting to fall in love with it. Adam Scott, after shooting an opening 66 in Round 1 of the AT&T, said that it was an incredible test and that the course was setup very well.

It is an old Donald Ross course. It is a challenging test of golf. It is said to be one of his favorite courses he designed. The amenities and the facilities at Aronimink are wonderful. They provide a great place for an entire family to spend the day!

For more information please visit Aronimink Golf Club

Hope everyone enjoys this great July 4th weekend. Get out and play some golf and enjoy time with the family!

Chris