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Class Descriptions

Member 2 Member Sessions:

Basic Rules of Golf - FREE

This session is taught by Marcia Whiting, Rules Certified Tournament Official and targets newer golfers, players returning to the game, and any player who could use a review of the most common situations encountered. The format is “on course” discussion and demonstration of basic rules. Topics include relief options from immovable obstructions, penalty areas, abnormal course conditions, and more.

Intermediate Rules of Golf - FREE

Think you know the rules?  Ready for a challenge?

This class is designed for the golfer who has played several years and has a basic understanding of the rules of golf.  You will be challenged to demonstrate your knowledge by responding to several situations.  Can you quickly determine the correct course of action?  Are you able to correct a situation where a mistake has occurred?

This is not a basic rules class.  Marcia will present situations designed to test the golf rules knowledge of an intermediate golfer.  Be prepared for an interactive, informative, and fun evening

How and Why You Need to Establish a Handicap - FREE  

Join this class to find out what a “handicap” is and why you might want to establish one. Kris Corbridge is our in-house expert and official Handicap Chair.  This session will answer your questions related to handicaps as you begin posting your scores. Included in this session: ▪ The What, Why and How of Handicaps  ▪ The Scorecard ▪ How and Where to Post Your Scores ▪ Maximum Allowable Scores.

Match Play Rules & Practical Examples - FREE

If you like the excitement of the Solheim and Ryder Cup matches, then join us to learn the rules specific to golf in match play format with our very own Rules Certified Tournament Official, Marcia Whiting. Match play, the original golf format, is a fun way to play a round with friends of all skill levels.  In addition to the rules, we will discuss the strategy of match play and role play common situations you will encounter during a match.

Classes offered in conjunction with Haggin Oaks Exclusively for LPGA Amateurs:

Classes offered in 2024 instructed by Charlotte Mayorkas Haggin Oaks Instructor

Preparation Is Key

• Learn how to create a practice session with the time you have.
  
• Identify what specifically you need to be working on based on your game and ability. 

Join Coach Char in putting, short game and range drills designed to make practice fun and intentional

Short Game Practice Session

Join Coach Char for a clinic focusing on dialing in your shots around the green

Topics Covered Include:

• High and low chip shots
• The bunker
• Putting drills

Game Improvement

Playing Wet Weather Golf

Keep these key points in mind to ensure you play your best when the ground is wet and muddy.

• When fairways are soggy due to heavy rainfall, the ball has a tendency to settle down into the grass. As a result, you’ll tend to hit behind the ball or fat. To make matters worse, you’ll feel like you’re hitting out of the rough. The ball will not have as much roll.

       SOLUTION: Select one club more than you normally would and stand a bit taller at
       address to promote ball-first contact.

• Play the ball more back than you normally would to ensure that you catch the ball first. For example, rather than left of center for a wood, play the ball more toward the center of your stance.

• With a modified ball position, more club, and a taller stance, you should pick the ball off the turf to avoid the mud-divot factor.

• If course conditions are bad or messy due to weather or outside influences, check with your event coordinator to see if lift, clean and place (also known as “winter rules”) is permitted for the specific event.  This would allow you to mark your ball, pick it up to clean it, and then replace it within a specific area (usually six inches, not closer to the hole).  This practice lessens the chance that you score badly due to uncharacteristic conditions of the course at no fault of your play.

Winter can be the perfect time to improve your golf game. 
Here are some tips from Cindy Miller to help you do just that.

Improve Your Putting During Winter

Most people could eliminate three to five shots per round if they just improved their putting. Let’s say you don’t live near a dome and want to practice at home. What can you do?

1. Practice Your Putting on Carpet

You can purchase a 6-foot piece of indoor/outdoor carpet at a local hardware store. Lay the carpet out on your living room floor, basement, garage or wherever there is room. Place a quarter on the rug as the cup. Having something smaller than a hole will help you become more accurate and the real cup will appear huge to you.

Start practicing from 2 feet away, using your backhand. If you are right-handed, you will putt one-handed with only your right hand. Stand a little open to the target so you can easily see the line between the ball and the hole. Practice making 10 to 100 2-foot putts per day one-handed. (Your goal is to hit the quarter on each putt.)

Once you’re able to make most of the 2-footers one-handed, add your other hand. Be sure you can see the line and can hit the quarter on each putt.

As you become comfortable and gain confidence, move back to 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet and, eventually, 6 feet. You will make more putts when the snow melts.

2. Straighten Your Putting with a Yardstick

While you are at the hardware store, purchase a metal yardstick. Place the metal yardstick on the floor. On one side of the yardstick, there should be an open hole. Place a golf ball on top of the open hole. Practice hitting 3-footers down the yardstick. Your mission is to see how many putts you can roll all the way down the yardstick without the ball falling off. You will learn how to see a straight putt, how to set your clubface square to the target, and how to roll the golf ball on a straight line for 3 feet.

If you tend to open the face, the ball will fall off the yardstick to the right. If you pull it, the ball will fall off the left side.

Practice Your Full Swing Indoors

Most of us would love to hit all shots clean, airborne and straight. If you have room in your home to make half-swings with a short iron, I suggest you do so. You can use the indoor/outdoor carpet you purchased to practice putting to hit shots.

1. Pour a little flour on the carpet about the size of a quarter. Take small swings practicing brushing the carpet on the downswing where the flour is. Learning to make clean contact with the flour as your target without a ball will help you when there is a ball there.

2. I understand you cannot hit real golf balls in your living room. You can, however, purchase some marshmallows. Yes, I said marshmallows. You can practice hitting clean shots in the living room off the indoor/outdoor carpet using marshmallows as golf balls. It might be a little crazy, but at least you won’t hurt anything.

Work on Improving Your Alignment

Many people are unsure how to aim correctly. If you frequently watch the LPGA Tour on television, you will see many caddies standing behind players to help them line up their shots. In 2019, this will not be allowed, and players will need to line up their shots on their own.

The ball goes where the face points, not your shoulders. Learn to aim the clubface at the target and align your body parallel to the left of the target for right-handed players. Your body will be parallel to the right if you are left-handed.

Take a short iron. Find a wall in your house that you could practice setting up along. Pretend you are hitting a ball down that target line. Practice walking up to the ball parallel to the wall. Set up to the shot. The wall will not allow you to aim to the right. You may need to learn how to see the true line you want the ball to travel. It may look way left to you if you are right-handed or way right to you if you are left-handed.

Cindy Miller is a former LPGA Tour Player, a current member of The Legends Tour of the LPGA, a Golf Channel Academy Lead Coach, and 2010 LPGA National Teacher of the Year.

Clinic Materials
2020 Kickoff Putting Clinic PDF