Ultimate springtime golf fitness tips for "real" golfers

By Tim McDonald,
National Golf Editor

For those of you unfortunate enough to live in the North, you must be salivating at the thought of the spring golf season.

Hold on, Tiger. You ain't the man you used to be. You can't just jump up and go straight to the golf course after a long winter of sloth and mold.

Now, you will find any number of charlatans willing to sell you their total golf fitness regimens. These sleazoids always assume you're a golfer interested in a cleaner, healthier way of living and golfing. I've seen you out on the course, and I know that's not the sort of thing you're "into."

So here is my total golf fitness regimen for the "real" golfer:

• For God's sake, you have to strengthen your core! This involves eating really hard food, like jawbreakers. Eat a bag of those and have your neighbor punch you in the gut to see if your core is all it can be.

Options: Month-old fudge, Purina Dog Chow, pine bark.

• You also have to really work your obliques, I mean really work the hell out of them. Here's the perfect exercise for that. Lie flat on your back with knees bent slightly wider than your hips. If you have really fat hips, you're either going to have to really stretch your knees like in a cartoon, like The Elastic Man from India, or just skip this exercise. In fact, if you have really fat hips, just skip playing golf, nobody wants to see you out on the course.

Now, you slim-hipped people reach your hands to the ceiling like you're crying out for the Lord Jesus Christ to spare you from your miserable existence. You can hold light hand-weights, or not. What do I care? Lift your head and chest toward the ceiling and rotate to reach both hands just outside of your fat, right knee. Repeat on the left side. Now, take a breather. Ask Christ for forgiveness.

• Breathing exercises: Breathing properly and deeply is critical, especially for those tense moments on the course when normally you would start crying.
This deep-breathing exercise involves attending your local adult movie house, or calling up one of those sites on your Internet browser. Follow your instincts. It's either that or follow mine, and then you're looking at jail time.
• Horizontal abduction/adduction: I can't give you much help here, because I always get "horizontal" confused with "vertical," and I have no idea what adduction is. Who came up with that word, anyway? It's a stupid word and should be eliminated from the English language, if it's even English.

• Standing hip rotation: Don't do this. It makes you look like a girl.

• Alcohol fitness: How many times have you lost $2 Nassaus because while you were getting hamboned, your playing partners were just holding up that bottle of Jack Black pretending to drink?

Well, no need to waste good liquor. You can still drink and maintain your competitive edge. You just need to build up a tolerance. Stand upright in a dark closet, with a wide stance, and suck it down. Keep drinking until your wife leaves you.

• Aerobics: Ha! Don't make me laugh. This is golf!

• Putting: Don't bother to practice putting. Putting in golf is overrated. I play golf maybe 200 times a year and I've yet to meet anyone who can putt. You either make it or you don't. If you miss, just keep putting until the ball goes in the hole. Simple.

• Seniors: As we age, our bodies react differently, so seniors must prepare for golf differently than young punks. An important thing to remember is that there is an inverse relationship of increased ear hair to laughably short drives off the tee.

So keep those ear hairs trim and neat. If you're proud of your thick mane of ear hair, don't sweat it. If you're short off the tee, you're probably small in other areas, and I think you know what I'm talking about.

• Excuses: A healthy psychological outlook is a must for Better Golf. If you can convince yourself that the snap hook you hit into the weeds over there is not your doing at all, you'll retain the confidence needed to excel in the game.

The first time you smack one of your all-too-typical lousy shots, turn to your playing partner and snarl," "Will you stop that!" Look at him, looking all hurt and everything. Who would have thought golf fitness could be so much fun?

• Torque development in the downswing: This is so important, I can barely contain myself. This is vital to any golfer who has ever wanted to improve his score. You could even say it is absolutely critical in terms of reaching your full potential as a golfer and knowing what it is to be truly human.

• Alignment and posture: Face the target squarely and stand erect, with your rump jutting out slightly. Feels a little silly, doesn't it? Can you think of another situation in life where you would position yourself in such an odd manner? I can't.

New Course in Maryland Set to Open

On May 1st a grand opening will be held for Lake Presidential, an 18-hole course that winds through the new Beechtree community in Upper Marlboro, Md. Residents and local golfers are anticipating the layout's debut. "The course is going to open at a really good level, and we expect to do almost 4,000 rounds in May," said head pro Nathan Presnal.

In August, the course will host the MAPGA Senior/Quarter Century Championship, and in May 2009 it will host the qualifier for the Maryland State Open. The fact that the course will begin hosting tournaments as early as this summer speaks to its readiness and quality. "It's going to have a mature feel right out of the gate," noted Presnal. "If you look at our trees they're already 60- to 120-feet tall."

The course was created by Landmark Land, a developer that also built Kiawah Island Ocean Course (host of the 1991 PGA Ryder Cup), Oak Tree Golf Club (site of the 1998 PGA Championship), and Doonbeg Golf Club in County Clare, Ireland.

"We knew the very first time we walked the land that this course was going to be special," said Aref Hinedi, vice president of Marketing with Ryko Development, Beechtree's developer. "With the stream valley lake, the rolling topography and, of course, the acres of mature trees, Beechtree is a dream setting for a PGA-quality golf course."

Lake Presidential's clubhouse will open its doors on May 1 along with the course. "The clubhouse is approximately 11,000 square feet, which is a really good size for a public, daily-fee facility," said Presnal. "It's also going to offer amenities not usually associated with public facilities, such as a restaurant with full bar, conference room, and closed-door dining room where you could entertain clients after a round of golf. It gives the feel of a private club experience without having to pay dues."

Presnal will be assisted by three other PGA pros to help players improve their games. "Having PGA members and proven, certified instructors here further speaks to our commitment to quality," he said.

Beechtree community is located off Route 301, about 10 minutes from the Beltway and 30 minutes from Washington, D.C. Over 600 of its 1,200 acres are dedicated to the golf course, a 30-acre lake, woodlands, open space, and amenities such as the Beechtree Swim & Racquet Club, which will overlook the course and lake. Upon completion, Beechtree will boast over $30 million worth of amenities.

For more information about Lake Presidential Golf Club, visit www.LakePresidential.com. For more about Beechtree, visit www.BeechtreeMD.com.

Mulieri Medals As Loyola Takes Fourth At LaCrosse Homes Golf Collegiate

Sunday rally helps Hounds climb four spots in final team standings

March 30, 2008

Baltimore, Md. - Junior Michael Mulieri fired a final round 69 to win the individual title at the LaCrosse Homes Collegiate at Prospect Bay Country Club on Sunday afternoon. Mulieri's charge fueled a Loyola rally as the Greyhounds climbed four spots in the final team standings to place fourth out of 19 teams.

Mulieri opened the tournament with a 75 and ended with a 36-hole score of 144. Senior Chris Derby, who posted a 76 on Saturday, followed with a 74 on Sunday, while freshman Alex Redfearn chipped in with a 76.

Loyola's fourth scorer, freshman Keith Hall, followed his 79 with an 80 to give the Greyhounds a team score of 299 and a tournament score of 609. Longwood won the tournament with a two-round 598 while Liberty and UNC Greensboro rounded out the top three.

For Mulieri, who was named the MAAC Golfer of the Month earlier in the week, the tournament title is his second this spring. He won the Carlton Oaks Invitational to open the calendar year for the Greyhounds.

Loyola returns to action April 18-19 when they travel to Farmington, Mich. for the Golden Fox Invitational.

Final Team Scores
Longwood - 598
Liberty - 600
UNC Greensboro - 602
Loyola - 609
James Madison - 614
Army - 617
Georgetown - 619
Cornell - 622
Navy - 624
St. Bonaventure - 625
Towson - 626
Rutgers - 628
Boston College - 628
Yale - 632
Brown - 632
Siena - 636
St Joe's - 642
LIU - 657 

CAA HONORS TOP WOMEN’S GOLF PERFORMANCES FOR MARCH

RICHMOND, Va. (March 19, 2008) – The Colonial Athletic Association has recognized three women’s golfers for their outstanding play during tournaments in later February and early March.

Georgia State junior Anna Scott (Consett, England/Durham Sixth Form Centre) received CAA Women’s Golfer of the Week accolades for the week ending March 4. The junior posted a consistent performance at the SunTrust Lady Gator Invitational with rounds of 72, 73 and 74 to finish tied for 12th (219, +9). This was her fourth top-15 finish of the season.

Towson freshman Sara Eichelberger (Rochester, N.Y./Nazareth Academy) claimed CAA Women’s Golfer of the Week honors for the week ending March 11. Eichelberger led the Tigers to its first team title in the two-year history of the program with a score of 162 for a third place finish in the individual standings. The rookie shot an 83 in the opening round and finished the tournament with an 82 in the final round. This was her third top finish for the Tigers of the season.

Old Dominion senior Meghan Schaefer (Union, Ky./Larry A. Ryle) collected CAA Women’s Golfer of the Week honors for the week ending March 18. The senior placed fifth at the Eastern Kentucky El Diablo Intercollegiate with a score of 234 (77-78-79). Schaefer helped the Lady Monarchs to a seventh place finish in the 54-hole tournament. The senior currently leads the Lady Monarchs with a 79.5 stroke average after two events this spring.

By BRANDON SPECK

Following is the Anne Arundel County high school All-County golf team, which was selected based on strokes over par for nine holes in accordance with the Board of Education's formula. Capital-Gazette Newspapers will publish its own All-County selections at a later date.

FIRST TEAM

Josh Eure (South River) .67

Lauren Smith (Arundel) .78

Jon Coe (Broadneck) 2.50

Kenny Cox (Arundel) 2.89

Matt Hardie (Broadneck) 3.38

Chris Gilkey (Arundel) 3.78

Justin Koehler (Broadneck) 3.78

SECOND TEAM

Bart George (Broadneck) 4.13, Marcus Deinlein (Arundel) 5.11, Garrett Harding (South River) 5.11, Kyle Chittum (Broadneck) 5.14, Jamie Lynch (Severna Park) 5.22, Andy Wolf (South River) 5.89

HONORABLE MENTION

Josh Luiza (South River) 6.78, Chris Nelson (Arundel) 6.89

2008 Senior Open Can Boast Of Volunteers From All 50 States

By David Shefter, USGA

Far Hills, N.J. - Ron Diltz and Mike Kelly first became acquainted when their sons began playing high school football in Anchorage, Alaska. They quickly discovered a mutual love for outdoor activities – hunting, fishing and even golf – and their friendship soon extended beyond Friday night games.

Even after Kelly moved back to his native Colorado in 1999, the two remained close. Last year, they went pheasant hunting in North Dakota.

This summer, the get-together will take place a little closer to Kelly’s backyard in Colorado Springs. With the U.S. Senior Open heading to The Broadmoor, Kelly signed up to be a volunteer for the championship. And he thought it would be a neat idea to bring his buddy down from Alaska to share in the activity.

“I sucked him in,” said Kelly. “I only live a couple of miles from [The Broadmoor], so it seemed like the right thing to do.”

Diltz will be one of many individuals making a long trek to Colorado Springs this July to be part of the 3,000-plus volunteer force for the Senior Open (July 31-Aug. 3). In fact, this year’s championship will have volunteers from all 50 states. It’s the first time that a volunteer from every state has participated in the same championship.

Colorado residents understandably make up 78.5 percent of the volunteers, but others have decided to travel considerable distances to help out. Diltz will journey 3,275 miles; Sandra Webb from Kailua Kona, Hawaii has the farthest hike, at 3,309 miles.

The USGA would have a difficult time conducting championships without volunteers' participation. (John Mummert/USGA)

The participation from near and far even had the management company that handles the U.S. Senior Open for the USGA pleasantly surprised.

“It’s very unusual [to have all 50 states represented],” said Jeff Yeager, the volunteer manager for Bruno Event Team. “I would say 40 to 45 states [is normal], but to get over the 45 mark, it’s something of a unique status.”

Part of the lure is this year’s site. The Broadmoor is a world-class resort located in an area where there are plenty of alternative activities when people are not on-site working. Yeager said The Broadmoor, which attracts guests from throughout the world, also solicited volunteers through various means of communication.

“We had started a waiting list of about 100 volunteers, but after looking at a few numbers, we have almost added all 100 of those [people] from our waiting list,” said Yeager. “So it’s been really terrific.”

Some people love being a part of the championship so much that they keep coming back. Arkansas residents Jack Cato and his brother-in-law Bill Foster will be making their fourth consecutive appearance at the Senior Open. They first volunteered at the 2005 event at the NCR Club outside of Dayton, Ohio.

“We’ve made the Senior Open part of our summer vacations so we can get out and see new parts of the country,” said Cato, who is retired. “This will be our first visit to Colorado and I am excited to see the state and the Rocky Mountains.”

In 2005, the two served on the transportation committee. Last year, they were walking scorers. Cato went with Jim Thorpe and R.W. Eaks in the final round. In ’05, Cato said he drove Gil Morgan, Fuzzy Zoeller and Thorpe. He also got to meet Tom Watson. This year, they will be on-course marshals, just like in 2006 at Prairie Dunes in Hutchinson, Kan.

“Especially in transportation, you get to meet a lot of [contestants] because you are right there with them,” said Cato. “When you are working out on the course, you see them but you don’t necessarily get to talk with them.

“But we’ve enjoyed it and it’s been a good experience. We haven’t decided if we are going to do it next year [at Crooked Stick] or not. We’ll probably make that decision after this year’s tournament.”

Of course, having the championship in a smaller market like Colorado Springs, which does not have major sporting events on an annual basis, also adds an element of excitement not found in a major metropolis. The 1999 U.S. Senior Open in Des Moines, Iowa, drew some 50,000 spectators for the final round.

The retired Kelly moved back to Colorado Springs after a working in oil business in California and Alaska in the 1980s.

“You can get lost in places like Denver and Atlanta, but not here,” said Kelly. “An event like this is a pretty big deal for us.”

Just seeing a major golf event in person is a big opportunity for Diltz. Alaska is one state that has never hosted a USGA championship. Outside of the Iditarod dogsled race, the state is devoid of nationally recognized sporting events.

Diltz admitted that his outdoor activities of choice are hunting and fishing. But he does enjoy an occasional round of golf, including an indoor version played on a simulator. Alaska’s outdoor golf season is quite short, so many people play indoors during the harsh winters to keep their swings in rhythm.

“I’m just a weekend hacker,” said Diltz, a sales manager for an office supply company in Anchorage. “But I’m excited … to watch some of my idols. I still don’t know what we will be doing. It probably will be gallery control. No matter what it is, it will be fun.”

Inexperience can lead to golf outing headaches

Helpful hints to aid the search

Keeping it fun

• Find a trusted co-worker or friend who knows his golf to lend a hand with the planning.
• Book a resort or venue that offers activities other than golf.
• Choose a course that is familiar with hosting events and tournaments.
• Don't group players by handicap.
• Plan a social event for before or after the golf outing.

Even on the sunniest of days, putting together a round of golf can be a challenge. For the business owner planning his first golfing event, the logistics can be overwhelming.

"No one realizes how much planning goes into your first golf outing," said Kenn Klarich, golf sales manager at Château Élan in Braselton.

Teaming up with a well-connected sales person at the right golf venue will ensure that a good time will be had by all.

Whether hosting a golf tournament for employees, clients, vendors or a mix, keeping the event low-key can avoid the stresses that come along with a competitive sport.