The Best Public Courses in Maryland

The 2022 KPMG Women's PGA Championship will be held this year at historic Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. The state boasts some amazing golf courses and Marylanders indeed love their golf. With next week’s third LPGA major of the year teeing it up in the Free State, let’s take a peek at some of the best public access golf that Maryland has to offer.

A Sense of Pride: Ryan Peters Finds His Home in the Game

Stetson University junior, Ryan Peters recently posted a 10th place finish at the 2022 PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship. Stetson University is about a driver and wedge away from me, so I thought I would try to catch up with Ryan and learn more about his journey through the game.

Transforming Lives Through Golf

“Seeing the results of what PGA HOPE, PGA Jr League, and our after-school junior program had, and the impact it made on individuals, inspired us to continue this journey in hopes to gain more local community support to help shape the lives of those most in need.”

Brooke Henderson Goes Low with Left Hand

Brooke Henderson is not alone in using the left hand, or lead-hand-low putting method as a way of improving both putting technique and overall confidence on the green. We see this method often as a way of helping countless professionals and amateur golfers alike.

Summertime is for Golf! PGA Junior Golf Camps are Growing the Game

In 2013, at the annual PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Marc Haddad brought an idea to the PGA of America. The idea: create a national summer golf camp platform to help PGA Members grow the game across the country. And now, 9 years later, PGA Junior Golf Camps are providing a fun, educational experience that provides another reason for kids to go outside and play.

Minjee Lee: Ball Striking Genius

It surely doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that solid ball striking comes from solid fundamentals. However, as I work with my students and watch other amateur golfers practice, I see countless, recurring deficiencies with their pre-swing and in swing fundamentals. There are some basics from Minjee that you can copy and adapt to your own game.

How a Match Play Mentality Can Help You In Any Format

When discussing the mental game, and strategy in golf, and having a mindset conducive to scoring our best, experts often say you should have a “One Shot at a Time” mentality. When grinding during a match play event, that train of thought is absolutely one that is often found in a winner.

Critical Things All Parents of Junior Golfers Should Know…

Every so often I hear chatter among parents of junior golfers that gives me great concern. Not just as a coach, but also as a parent myself. Many times the things I hear come from "newbie" parents who are just getting their kiddos going in the game. Other times, it comes from parents of more seasoned junior golfers, which is even more concerning to me.

The Art of the Bounce Back

We see it often: after taking a double bogey or going out in a few over, a Tour professional will suddenly find it within themselves to rebound in a big way. Most at that level have discovered the art of the bounce back. This is actually something measured in professional golf. Bounce Back (also known as Reverse Bounce Back) is a stat that measures how a golfer recovers after a bogey or worse to make birdie or better on the next hole.

Rob Labritz, PGA, is Ready for the Future

Like all PGA Professionals know when working at the club level, the job leaves little room to concentrate on your own game. Somehow, Rob has managed to keep his game sharp. He has won countless professional events over his 20+ year career.

What You Need to Know to Keep Your Game Sharp at 50 and Beyond

For many golfers that have long had dreams of playing at the highest level, age 50 can mean a new beginning. I even hate to call it “Senior Golf” anymore as 50 no longer seems to be a marker of one’s game getting over the hill…quite the contrary in many cases.

Golf Runs in the Family: The Thomas’s, Revisited

With Southern Hills as the backdrop for the 104th PGA Championship, and a wild week of weather, that saw a 50 degree-plus temperature swing, Justin Thomas accomplished the improbable and won his second Wanamaker Trophy. His father and PGA Coach, Mike Thomas, was there every step of the way.

What You Can Learn from the Game’s Best as they Make Final Tune-Up’s

What are the things the pros are focusing on during their prep, and what you can learn from it? Much like I spoke of back in April, at The Masters, each player has a unique and specific way that they lay out their practice schedule. In general terms however, we see many follow a playbook similar to below…

#TeamOf20 Spotlight – One Final Goal for Michael Block

Michael says he truly has been blessed. He set a lot of goals throughout his career and has been fortunate to have checked off nearly all of them. There is one goal, however, yet to be accomplished… and it’s what keeps him motivated and inspired as he continues through his PGA journey. “I only have one more to check off, and that is to be the low club professional in the PGA Championship!”

Public Access Golf is Alive and Well in Oklahoma

The golf world had eyes on the Sooner State of Oklahoma last week as the 104th PGA Championship took place at Tulsa’s Southern Hills Country Club. Oklahoma, which is right in the heart of the South Central United States, boasts some incredible public facilities.

Perry Maxwell: A Masterful Genius of Design

One name that is certainly part of the who’s who in golf architecture is Perry Maxwell, the designer of Southern Hills Country Club, host of this year's PGA Championship. Maxwell was one of the true masters of this important and influential time in American golf history.

The Art of Patience in Golf

Regardless of where your golf game is, you need to learn to exercise the ability to stay patient. Whether you are a world-class golfer, a brand-new adult player or a highly competitive junior, you need to learn to be patient in this game. If you don’t, it is very, very hard to imagine that you will have any kind of real, and lasting success playing.

Stay Committed to the Process

Where players like Marina Alex excel is in their commitment to a process and working a plan to reach certain goals that they set for themselves. If there ever was a “secret sauce” in golf, it is in this fact. To improve your game, you must have a plan to create a pathway to reach the goals you set for yourself. You must work on those things deliberately and diligently, but you must also remember to have fun with it while doing it.

Play to Your Strengths and Accept Your Weaknesses

John Rahm is as consistent as he is because he has complete control of the clubface. His backswing is short, which is a hallmark for consistent ball strikers, and his unorthodox move in setting the club at the top, and how he transitions down from there, allows him to keep the ball in front of him and in play the majority of the time.

Fit Your Footwear to Your Game

Of all the items you wear when stepping out on the course to play a round of golf, your footwear is probably one of the most important. Whether you're playing a round on foot or by cart, it’s critical that your feet are comfortable.

Dressing for Summer on the Course

With summer right around the corner, and days getting brighter and hotter, it’s a great time to talk about how to keep you protected from the sun, as well as staying cool, while on the golf course…from the standpoint of what you wear that is.

Get to Know the Grass: Putting for the Terrain

Like all successful professionals that notch victories, putting well is a theme that rings true for the vast majority. One of the big keys to being a great putter is having the ability to adjust to different green speeds. Beyond being able to figure out the speed, great putters can adjust to different grass types. The three main varieties we hear about are Bermuda, Bent, and Poa Annua.

Free Up Your Mind, Play Better Golf

Have you ever noticed this? While on the course, you drop a second ball, perhaps out of frustration, or maybe simply because you want to try to “figure something out” and you stripe it? A shot that comes off the club like a thing of beauty. Sometimes we call this phenomenon “our second guy/girl.”

Pitch Perfect: Hyo Joo Kim’s Short Game Fundamentals

Kim, like many professionals of the LPGA and PGA Tour’s, relies a great deal on her short game, particularly her pitching and chipping ability. It’s one thing to have a solid short game but to pull off these shots to perfection, in the heat of tournament play, is what separates winners from contenders.