As Far Down The Center Of The Fairway As You Can

As Far Down The Center Of The Fairway As You Can
By Brad Simpson
Associate Golf Professional and GBC Golf Academy Instructor
Arbutus Ridge Golf Club

There has never been a better time to buy a new driver than now, going into the 2016 golf season. Golf equipment manufacturers commonly say this every year with their marketing of a new and improved driver that promises to deliver your best experience yet. I honestly believe this year is most definitely the time to take the wheel and make your way as far down the center of the fairway as you can.  Normally I personally don’t expect too many gains or whole lot of improvement from year to year with golf equipment in general. However, this year I think manufactures have gotten driver technology dialed in. Particularly, TaylorMade and Cobra the two major brands that we carry here at the Arbutus Ridge Golf Club. Both are major players in the golf arena for all types of golf equipment, more so, both are known for producing drivers that not only perform but are also market leaders for all level of players.

One thing about AGT (Advanced Golf Technology) is that it can sometimes be confusing. There are so many acronyms for AGT like MOI (Moment of Inertia), COR (Coefficient of Restitution), CG (Center of Gravity) that represent a whole bunch of technical jargon that most people can’t be bothered with. Engineers of the top golf manufactures are doing everything they can to be one step ahead of the others.  Bottom line is the features/benefits of the technologies incorporated into today’s drivers will benefit those who are seeking to gain yards and consistency.  However, it is good to have a degree of understanding about this technology, without having the engineering degree that was required to develop it. The following is a brief definition and information session specifically about how CG (Center of Gravity) is of such importance in today’s driver technology.

CG simply, is the where the majority of the weight is concentrated in the club head. The location of CG is very important as it dramatically affects both the feel and performance of the driver. For instance, CG can alter spin rates and launch angle by affecting Dynamic Loft (actual loft in degrees at impact) as well as Closure Rate (rate at which the clubhead closes on the downswing) and MOI (distance consistency on off-center hits).  Also, CG influences how a driver feels in regards to weight. A more forward CG position will feel heavier than a rear CG placement. Also a forward CG placement will make the shaft of the driver feel stiffer. That....was exhausting to write. Glad you made it through it! The wonderful people at www.mygolfspy.com nicely puts together the effects of CG, for those of you who like more details visit their website.

So now we know all about the importance of CG and what it effect it can have on how we set up our drivers let’s talk about altering face angle, finding an optimum loft, and setting a fade/draw bias. Oh, and let’s not forget about matching up shaft with its flex, kick point and torque. Just joking, but seriously, that’s how customizable today’s drivers are. This is of great benefit to you if you’re comfortable with your swing and would like to have equipment that can help make the game more exciting and enjoyable.

On personal note, I myself am excited about this year’s drivers as it is time that I get new equipment. I am going to enjoy going through the fitting process to find out what is optimum for me and will perform the best, allowing me to enjoy the game as much as possible and wanting to play as much as I can. We will again be having our popular Demo Days throughout the spring and summer. I encourage you to join me in the discovery. As we say around Arbutus Ridge Golf Club “suffering is optional”. I also invite you to stop by the Golf Shop to chat if you have any questions and would like to know more.

All the best!
Brad

View our GBC Golf Academy programs here: http://www.golfbc.com/courses/arbutus_ridge/golf_academy
Lessons Vancouver Island, near Victoria on Vancouver Island British Columbia Canada 

Your Golf Ball Questions Answered...

What is the difference between expensive balls and inexpensive balls and why should I play them? There are very technical answers to this question which can be found on the web. If anyone is interested in polybutadiene or Ionomeric casing layers then please feel free to take a look. However for my golf pro brain this really doesn’t mean too much to me, so in Lehman’s terms what’s the main difference? In my mind the major factor is SPIN RATE around the greens. Spin rate is the amount a ball spins backwards after being hit by a golf club. Different golf balls will have different levels of spin even if they have been hit at exactly the same speed with the same club. In this day and age we have robots that we can set to swing a club at the same speed and measure the spin rate of a golf ball.


In 2010 Golf Digest published the spin rates of golf balls hit with half wedges to see what effect the different balls produced. The dispersion of spin rate was significant.The cheaper golf balls spun considerably less, as low as 3000 RPM compared to the majority of more expensive balls that spun at close to 7000 RPM. When they measured the spin rate of golf balls with Drivers the spin rates were far closer together, within 400 RPM from one end of the spectrum to the other. It is a common misconception that players do not swing hard enough to utilize the benefits of the more expensive golf balls. Professionals on the PGA tour use a variety of swing speeds during a round of golf so the ball has to work for every speed or the pros simply wouldn’t play them. In the case of Titleist the difference in distance between their high end ball and low end ball at any swing speed is less than 4 yards! However their difference in spin for half wedge shots is over 3000 RPM. What this means is that the more expensive balls do not fly in the air much further despite your swing speed but they certainly spin more around the greens which will improve everyone’s scoring shots. If you are struggling with balls hitting the green and rolling past the pin then check which ball you are playing.


Another important difference in golf ball design is what the cover is made out of. Expensive balls such as the Titleist Prov1 are made of Urethane which provides a soft feel but tend to scuff up quicker than the less expensive alternative. Cheaper golf balls like a Titleist DT Solo have a Surlyn cover which is a harder compound but lasts longer. So if durability and price is more important than function then stick with the less expensive option.
Practice tip: When practicing your short game use the same brand and model of golf ball that you use on the course. Each ball model spins at different rates which means you will get different results even if you hit the shot exactly the same.


Cheers to good golfing!
Arbutus Ridge Golf Club


More information on the Arbutus Ridge Golf Club: http://www.golfbc.com/courses/arbutus_ridge
Golf Courses Vancouver Island, near Victoria, British Columbia Canada

#8 Drainage

The 1st stage of the drainage project on #8 has been completed for almost 2 months now and what a dramatic difference. What was once our wettest hole, with good portions of the year being unplayable or accessible, is now our driest! Even after some of the substantial rains we've received early this month, 4.1 inches in 4 days, equipment can still access this area immediately following such rainfall resulting in no damage. We are still restricted to cart paths, but below is a couple of pictures from today. 

Dec 5th, my cart is able to drive in the middle of the fairway causing no damage

Vehicle damage to turf before the drain and no damage after the drainage

The next stage is to continue the mainline up and into the bunkers while continuing the slit drains up to the beginning of the approach. Towards the tee in the rough, we must continue to topdress the area with sand to dilute the silt that is present. If we install the slits drains in this area prior to  the build up of the sand, the silt will cover the sand slit and dame the water from penetrating. I've attached a few photo's below going through the installation process:

Mainline excavation - Bill Michiel on the backhoe, Trevor Jones manning the laser lever and Aaron Mansbridge acting as the grader/clean out

More of the mainline excavation

Slit drain trenches - Aaron operating the trencher, Trevor controlling depth, Cam Ralfs cleaning up the spoils and Sam is inspecting the mainline

Cleaning up the trenches - Aaron demonstrating the final grade process to Erik Abbot 

Brock Tingey operating the controls to backfill the mainline trench with fairway sand. Trevor in the background tying in the 2" slit drain tile into the mainline.

Addtional mainline backfilling - Brock on controls, Cam skillfully driving the tractor

Erik and Ray Wynne backfilling the slit drain trenches and Brock is compacting the sand

More backfilling of the slit drains

All trenches backfilled and cleaned up - Sam is performing a final inspection

Sam is taking a break after we're all done a hard weeks worth of work

In the early spring, the mainline will be topped up with soil and seed while the slits will naturally grow over finishing the project. 

Frost delays, a sunny winter day nightmare

With winter on the horizon and having already experienced a few frost delays, I would like to remind everyone for the reasoning of course and/or hole closures. Turf is made up of 90% water and during periods of frost this water freezes in the cell causing the structure of the plant to be very brittle. If turf is walked on under these conditions the cell walls will shatter and can cause the plant unneeded damage and stress. If one walked on a green with frost, it can cause irreversible damage that can potentially kill the turf. 

When frost is present, the grounds team will notify the Golfshop of course conditions and potential openings right away. Once the course is ready for play, the grounds team will once again notify the Golfshop of any temporary greens or hole closures due to persistent frost. The grounds team will periodically re-assess the course throughout the day with hopes of re-opening holes for play. Our goal is to allow golfers to play as soon as possible while playing as much golf on as many regular greens as possible. I've attached a few photos below of frost damage provided by Larry Gilhuly from the USGA. 

 Damaged caused by ducks walking on a frosty green

Damage caused by golfers walking on a frosty fairway

GolfBC Introduces Family-and Beginner-Friendly “Quik Tees”

The GolfBC “Quik Tees”. Painted a vibrant orange colour and placed approximately 150-200 yards from the green, the new tee boxes will shorten the courses to approximately 3,000 yards, while maintaining the established par of each hole.

The new “Quik Tees” will offer an opportunity for golfers of all abilities to play a championship golf course, making golf more accessible and fun. The “Quik Tees” are geared perfectly towards:

• junior or senior golfers looking for a shorter layout
• beginner golfers learning the game
• families looking to enjoy the game together
• avid golfers looking for a different challenge
• golfers wanting to practice their short game
• golfers looking to play a quick twilight round

Getting started in golf can unfortunately be intimidating and difficult for new or young players. GolfBC's new Quik Tees painted "Ricky Fowler Orange" relieves some of that pressure by making the holes a lot shorter, and allowing for an easier, more private tee shot from much closer to the hole. At GolfBC one of the highest priorities is to grow the game, and the Quik Tees will help achieve that goal.
GolfBC courses set up with “Quik Tees” are: Arbutus Ridge Golf Club, Olympic View Golf Club, Nicklaus North in Whistler; Mayfair Lakes in Richmond, Furry Creek near Lion's Bay (coming soon); The Okanagan Golf Club (The Bear and The Quail) in Kelowna and Gallagher’s Canyon (and The Pinnacle) in Kelowna.

We are taking control of our future and evolving what we offer to meet the needs of existing as well as new clientele. The Quik Tees help break down a few significant barriers for golfers and soon to be golfers. In Daniel Coyle’s book The Talent Code (a must read by anyone who coaches) there is a section that discusses what ignites people, and how once ignited they will walk through walls to participate and work to succeed in that activity. The Quik Tees allow everyone to perhaps hit that first green, perhaps make that first birdie and nurture those initial ignitions and maybe even rekindle some.

Golf is an excellent activity that families can enjoy together while getting fresh air and exercise. Our Quik Tees offer junior or beginner golfers an option to play the game in a more relaxed and enjoyable environment, while their more advanced playing partners can still enjoy the challenge of their regular tee.

The GolfBC Group has been dedicated to growing the game of golf since 2005, offering a variety of programs throughout the season. In addition to the new “Quik Tees”, GolfBC promotes “Kids Play Free at GolfBC”, “Family Golf Day”, “Beginner Friendly Certification” as well as “Take-a-kid to the Course Week” and “Get Golf Ready in 5 Days” (in partnership with the NGCOA). For more information on these programs, visit http://www.gbcgolfacademy.com/.

Contact:
Jason Lowe
General Manager, Arbutus Ridge Golf Club
250.743.5100 ext. 34
jlowe@golfbc.com

2012 Arbutus Ridge Open Results

We posted the basic results of our 2012 Arbutus Ridge Open on our facebook page here: www.fb.com/arbutusridgegolf. For those who missed the awards presentation, we will call you shortly so you can collect your prizes!

Toronto Star Features Arbutus Ridge Golf Club, 2012