Pace of Play Tip of the Month:
When you and your group reach the green, below are a few suggestions to help shave some more time off of your round in order to maintain a proper pace of play in golf:

1. As you are approaching your golf ball on the green, go ahead and start reading the breaks, any slope changes, grain change, etc.
2. From here, mark your ball, clean it and be ready for your turn.
3. When it is your turn, you have now read the breaks and know exactly where you want to hit it and the speed you want to put on it.  So, replace the ball, make a practice stroke if needed, and putt the ball keeping the process under 30-40 seconds.
4. In the odd chance you have missed and left yourself a manageable distance, and you are not in anybody else’s putting line, do not mark the ball and wait until your next turn because you are not the furthest from the hole;  Go ahead and finish the tap in! 
5. If you are the first one to hole out the putt, grab the flag and be prepared to replace it in the cup as soon as the last person has finished.  Then, take it to your carts for any further conversations as you roll on to the next hole!

 
Golf Tip of the Month:
In order to manage the windy conditions of “Island Golf,” the key is to have a consistently lower trajectory that you can be confident in!  In order to do so, you certainly can play the ball back in position of your stance or use a stronger club and try to swing 50% instead of 100%.  This will accomplish your goals if executed correctly but these are not the most reliable and easier methods to control trajectory. 
Next time you are on the range and working on controlling trajectory, try this:
                *Limit the height of your hands on the follow through – the lower the hands on the finishing position in the golf swing follow through the lower the ball flight will be!
 
**If you find yourself having trouble with controlling trajectory into these “Island Winds,” stop in and see one of your Golf Professionals as they would be happy to assist!**

 
Rules Question of the Month:
You have found a bunker on the course that does not drain to the best of our standards, after a substantial rain storm, and is completely filled with casual water.  What are your options?
The Player would have two options with this scenario and they are as follows:

1. Without penalty, Under Rule 25-1b(ii), the player may drop the ball in the bunker at a point that provides maximum available relief.  In order to remain without penalty, the ball would have to be dropped in the bunker no closer to the hole in a position that offers the maximum available relief from the condition (that is if your ball was in say 5 inches of water and the best you could do is drop it in 1 inch of water than this would be considered maximum relief.)
2. Under penalty of one stroke, the player may lift and drop the golf ball outside of the bunker keeping the point where the ball lay directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the bunker the ball may be dropped.

So, if you find yourself in this situation, which option would you choose?!