December 11th, 2019
For much of the country, this time of the year is difficult on golfers. Courses are closed, indoor facilities are busy, the temperatures drop lower and lower, and precipitation is a normal occurrence. Here are a few ideas to help keep your game sharp during the winter.
Work on Your Grip
Even when the outdoors is wet or cold, you can always practice one of the most important aspects of the golf swing. After you’re shown a proper grip, practice holding the golf club correctly. Repeat the process of holding the club properly until it’s ingrained in your muscle memory.
Maintaining a good grip is important to good shots, allowing golfers to control the clubface more easily. Since the ball will head in the direction the clubface is pointing at impact, a good grip help maintain a stable clubface, assisting in producing more consistent good shots out on the course.
You can take a golf club and practice this at any time. For instance, while watching TV, practice your grip while sitting down. Grip the club, take your hands off, and re-grip the club. By the time golf season swings by, you’ll have one more element in your swing down pat.
Putt for Dough
A 300 yard drive straight down the fairway counts the same on the scorecard as a putt, and getting the flatstick going is an essential part to any good round of golf. You can build a solid putting foundation by practicing indoors. Using a putting mat or just your carpet, golfers can repeatedly work on their stance and stroke. You can also improve aim and start line by introducing a target to your putting practice. If you’re on using carpet, a mug can suffice as an appropriate target. You’ll be able to make those testy little knee knockers look like gimmes, and hopefully lower your scores!
Fitness and Strength
Winter is the perfect time to build the muscles and flexibility in your body. The time you would use on the practice green or driving range can be spent in the gym. With the amount of literature available on golf fitness, you can find the information to tailor your workouts to your specific needs. The benefits of spending time in the gym are plentiful. Improving your strength and flexibility can lead to longer shots. Who doesn’t love hitting a long drive past their playing partners? The benefits of your winter workouts will show up in the spring, leading to more fun out on the links.
Professional Help
Attend one of the winter PGA Junior Golf Camps at participating locations! You’ll be able to have fun and learn golf under the expertise of a PGA Professional!
July 18th, 2019
WIN A WEEK OF GOLF CAMP!
Summer is in full swing and we want to see your best photos from golf camp! Be sure to tag us and you could win a free hald day camp session!
Show off that improved golf swing, sinking a long putt, new camp friends or PGA camp swag and we will pick a winner at random to receive a golf camp credit to use on a future camp!
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
(Camps are subject to availability)
Check out these photos from camp so far this summer!
July 18th, 2019
Victoria Elizabeth is the camp director at TPC River’s Bend located outside of Cincinnati in Maineville, Ohio. As a lifelong golfer who has experienced play on the largest stages in junior golf all the way to winning LPGA events, Victoria is dedicated to passing along the game of golf to the next generation of female golfers.
With Team USA’s recent win in the Women’s World Cup of soccer, I can’t think of a more exciting time for women in sports. I find it amazing that so many Women’s Golf Scholarships go unused, actually the most of any sport. According to The National College Athletic Assn. (NCAA), every year 200 college golf scholarships for young women go unclaimed. Too few girls compete in the sport to qualify for these scholarships, which means many young women are missing an opportunity that could make all the difference to their education, their income and their future.
My path to a golf career was not traditional, as I moved to Florida at the age of 12 to attend IMG academy for both golf and tennis, soon focusing my efforts on golf. As such I was able to play in countless junior tournaments and had the good fortune of working with incredible coaches. I was online homeschooled and my days were dedicated to practicing and working out. I traveled across the US to play on the AJGA, FCWT and many other junior tours. I reached 3rd in the Golfweek Junior Girls Rankings before qualifying to play on the Symetra Tour at age 16, foregoing college and turning professional at 17. I went on to play 4 seasons on the Symetra Tour before earning my way onto the LPGA tour where I would play another 4 seasons with my last being in 2016.
The skills developed while playing golf have translated into amazing opportunities off the course. Golf teaches us so many lessons about personal character, integrity, work ethic, respect for the rules, honesty with our self and others, skills we don’t realize we are developing, but that translate into highly desirable traits among humans and employers alike. Sure, if you want to go to college, there are many opportunities to get a scholarship, develop life long besties, and obtain your degree while playing the game. It is a great way to get your degree. Employers appreciate seeing college athletes come through their ranks who have an excellent work ethic and personal goals/drive. It also helps to have a strong player on staff for those corporate golf events! I embraced the entrepreneurial aspects of the golf industry and am building my own teaching business. Golf is so much more than we give it credit for. Some people are not as dedicated to the sport as I am, and I have found a way to align my passion and career, so I feel extremely blessed. Being an ambassador of the sport has always been part of who I am. The business of golf includes so many different things, player, teacher, general manager, sales representative, club fitter, technical aspects such as software for training and course management… and much more.
You don’t have to be a tour level player to work in the industry. Being great at golf is hard work, there is no question about it. But I encourage everyone to play. It is a rewarding and enjoyable sport that can be played alone, with family, spouse, kids, friends, or total strangers. You can be as good as you want, or just capable of making contact with the ball. To parents, my advice is to keep it fun for the kids. Some won’t want to practice for hours a day like I did, and that is okay. Sometimes just going to the putting green for 15 or 20 minutes is time well spent, for skill development and having time with them developing a love of the game. Having structure is really important for consistent development, such as a practice plan which I put together for my students, ask your children’s coach, or reach out to me for some ideas! Keep it in the short grass and HAVE FUN!
Interested in getting your junior golfer registered for a PGA Junior Golf Camp? Click here to see the camp dates led by Victoria or click here for a full list of the over 140 camp locations!
July 16th, 2019
As the PGA Tour rolls on, you might recognize some locations that run PGA Junior Golf Camps. Imagine the excitement your junior golfer would feel when they see the same championship level course that they have played on showcased on TV. Here’s a list of tour locations that also run golf camps!
Silverado Resort and Spa - Host of the Safeway Open
Tiburón Golf Club - Host of the QBE Shootout
TPC San Antonio - Valero Texas Open
TPC Twin Cities - Host of the 3M Open
TPC Deere Run - Host of the John Deere Classic
Whistling Straits - Home of the 2020 Ryder Cup!
TPC Harding Park - Home of the 2020 PGA Championship!
TPC Stonebrae - Host of the Ellie Mae Classic
Casa De Campo - Host of the Latin America Amateur Chamionship
TPC Sugarloaf - Host of the Mitsubishi Electric Classic Tournament
TPC Southwind - Host of the World Golf Championships
Chambers Bay - Host of the USGA Championships
June 26th, 2019
NEWS
Ever wonder what a PGA Junior Golf Camp actually looks like while it’s running? Local television station KHOU in Houston headed over to Sweetwater Country Club in Texas to speak with the PGA Professionals running the camp and see the skill improvement of the junior golfers.
Check out the video by clicking the link below:
REVIEWS
We are constantly looking for feedback from junior golfers and their parents regarding PGA Junior Golf Camps. A mom of a recent camper who had a fantastic camp experience sent in this review:
Hello, my two sons just finished up their camp this week at Cinnabar Hills and I wanted to share what an awesome experience it was. Bill and Don are class acts, and I could not have asked for a better set of instructors for my kids. The facilities were wonderful, everyone was welcoming and friendly, and my oldest son William said “I’ll never forget this place because it’s where I got inspired to be a great player.” You can’t be happier as a parent than to hear something like that from your 7 year old.
We will definitely be back next year! Thanks for putting on a great camp!
We hope you join us for golf camp this summer and have as much fun as William did! Learn more at PGAJuniorGolfCamps.com
June 26th, 2019
SPECIAL OFFER!
Summer is the best time of the year. To celebrate July 4th, register for a camp running the week of July 1-5 and receive 10% off! Choose from the following camp locations:
- Don Law Golf Academy at Osprey Point
- Don Law Golf Academy at Martin County Golf Course
Use promo code USA2019 to redeem. Register today!
(Offer expires 7/6, not applicable to past camp registrations)
WIN A WEEK OF GOLF CAMP!
Summer is in full swing and we want to see your best photos from golf camp! Be sure to tag us and you could win a free hald day camp session!
Show off that improved golf swing, sinking a long putt, new camp friends or PGA camp swag and we will pick a winner at random to receive a golf camp credit to use on a future camp!
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
(Camps are subject to availability)
Check out these photos from camp so far this summer!
June 24th, 2019
It’s time to help your child tune-up their game for the exciting months to come as they venture back onto the course for an upcoming PGA Junior Golf Camp, school tournament or a casual round with friends. However, they’ve likely been cooped-up inside or focused on other sports in the off-season, which means getting back into the game might require a slight transition.
That’s why we’ve asked PGA Junior Golf Camps Co-Director, Ryan Smith, PGA to help us get ready for the upcoming golf season. Ryan has been recognized by U.S. Kids Golf as a Top 50 Kids Teacher for the past two years, so he knows how to help junior golfers get back into the game.
Here are three of Ryan’s top tips that your child can utilize to shake-off the rust from a long layoff and have their best season yet!
Focus on the FUNdamentals
Even though your child may have gripped a golf club thousands of times, a refresher on one of the swing’s most important components is always important.
“A good grip is the first step to controlling the clubface,” says Smith. “If we learn to control the clubface, we learn to control the ball… and we have more FUN!”
So, what should your child think about when they grip the club for the first time in a few months?
“Place the heel pad of your lead hand (left hand for righties and right hand for lefties) on the top of your grip, and wrap the last three fingers of your lead hand around the club, with the thumb on top,” says Smith. “That will help lock the club into place and control it. Finally, use your trail hand to cover up that lead hand thumb and keep both hands close together. Make sure to keep an eye on this grip every day!”
Movin’ on up
It’s easy for your child to over-swing when they’re getting back on course for the first time in a while – they’re excited and want to swing faster, hit the ball farther and see results quickly! But doing too much, too soon can wear your child out before summer arrives and their PGA Junior Golf Camp begins.
“Although it may seem like playing a lot will be the best way to build on improvements made last year, it can really actually hinder your confidence,” adds Smith. “You focus on too many things at once, overthink, overplay and eventually burn out.”
Instead, encourage your child to experiment with other formats than a full 18-hole round. Consider just playing 9-holes at a time or starting each hole from 25 to 50 yards away with a focus on the short game and recapturing their feel.
“Once you can shoot low scores or feel your swing returning, move back to 100-150 yards,” says Smith. “Then 200 yards, and, finally, the actual tee box. By building on the little things each week, you’ll avoid the early season burnout. Why? Because by the time you’ve reached the tee box, you’ll have covered all aspects of improvement and still be mentally fresh to play your best golf.”
Leave the Driver in the Bag
It may be tempting to take out the “big dog” and rip a few drivers on the range, but Smith says to instead focus on two other aspects of your game: feel and touch.
“Concentrate your first few practice sessions on and around the greens, and work on the touch and feel shots for better distance control with your putter and chipping clubs,” he adds. “Those types of shots are often overlooked after a long layoff and require some extra polishing before the season starts. Not to worry… your driver will still be there and a summer full of fairways await!”
Ryan Smith, PGA, is a Teaching Professional at the Marc LaPointe Golf Academy and a Camp Co-Director for PGA Junior Golf Camps at Springfield Golf Club in South Carolina. You can learn more about PGA Junior Golf Camps, held at more than 140 facilities nationwide throughout the summer, by visiting PGAJuniorGolfCamps.com.
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