LOCATION, DATES ANNOUNCED FOR U.S. CUP



Painted Desert Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nevada, will host the 2024 United States Golf Teachers Cup on Monday and Tuesday, October 7-8. It marks the second consecutive year that the U.S. Cup returns to America’s capital city of fun and excitement. Registration is now open for the U.S. Cup and can be accessed at https://www.usgtf.com/uscup. 

The Luxor will once again serve as the recommended host hotel, and those interested in making early reservations can book at https://book.passkey.com/event/50719407/owner/4939/home. For more information on Painted Desert Golf Club, please visit https://painteddesertgc.com.

EDITORIAL – USGTF 35th ANNIVERSARY – MEMORIES, HISTORY AND FUTURE VISION

When the USGTF was founded in 1989, it was much-needed in filling a void in the golf instruction realm. Thirty-five years later, much of the promise of the USGTF has been fulfilled with bigger and better things in store in the future.

In the beginning, all USGTF classes and instruction were held in-person at a few locations nationwide. These gatherings routinely drew 40-50 candidates to each certification course, proving the USGTF was vital to the golf industry. As the computer age became an everyday reality, online learning supplemented in-person sessions in the form of earning Associate Member status.

CEO and president Brandon Lee’s vision for the future includes a more rigorous and involved certification program to keep up with the ever-growing body of knowledge needed to teach the game effectively, while at the same time making the program accessible to more people. A vital goal of the USGTF is to involve younger candidates to assure long-term growth and health of the organization. Since virtually everyone under the age of 30 has grown up knowing computers and artificial intelligence technology their wholes lives, programs tailored to their expectations are being developed to further the goal of federation health and growth. The 21st century certainly belongs to the USGTF and WGTF.

EDITORIAL – INTRODUCTION AND IMPLICATIONS OF THE NEW VIRTUAL GOLF LEAGUE BY TIGER WOODS & RORY MCLLROY


In August 2022, the formation of the TGL was announced in partnership with the PGA Tour. Tiger Woods’ and Rory McIlroy’s joint company would run the new virtual, indoor golf league, using a giant simulator and a real-grass putting green and chipping area. Six teams of PGA Tour players would compete in prime time at a specially built facility in South Florida with a capacity to seat 2,000 fans.

All that came crashing down – literally – this past fall when a power failure caused the inflatable roof and ceiling to collapse. As a result, the start of the new golf league has been pushed back to 2025.

TGL (what the initials stand for is unknown, but a good guess is Tiger Golf League) is attempting to take advantage of the ever-present technology encroaching on every aspect of modern life. It is also an attempt to appeal to the Topgolf crowd that may never set foot on an actual golf course but enjoys hitting balls with their friends in an exciting atmosphere. TGL certainly promises that.

The end result is anything new and exciting concerning golf is a good thing. And anything in golf with Woods’ involvement draws eyeballs. Whether the new league will survive long-term remains to be seen, but at present it seems like a refreshing new take on the old game.

EDITORIAL – RYDER CUP & PRESIDENTS CUP – THEIR DIFFERENCES AND THEIR STORY


The Presidents Cup competition between Team USA and the International squad (excluding Europe) started in 1994 as a way to get the game’s biggest international stars – most notably Greg Norman and Nick Price – into a team competition. Also, the Ryder Cup had, by this time, morphed from a ho-hum event that had little buzz to a must-see all-out war.

While the Ryder Cup is somewhat fairly evenly matched, Team USA has completely dominated Team International in the Presidents Cup. Various theories have been put forward as to why this is, but the most compelling is that Team International simply lacks the firepower that Team Europe has. Another important aspect is belief, and pro golfers are not immune from this. Simply put, Team Europe expects to win the Ryder Cup in Europe, and Team USA expects to win every time the Presidents Cup is contested.

Thirty years after the first playing of the Presidents Cup, it has nowhere the passion or interest that the Ryder Cup does. Will this ever change? Probably not soon. Team Europe in the Ryder Cup has a camaraderie and connection being from a common continent, while the International squad in the Presidents Cup hails from all over the globe with little in common. However, should Team International win a Presidents Cup or two, interest is sure to rise dramatically.
EDITORIAL – HOW CAN WE UNDERSTAND “GOLF GAME” FROM THE SCORE OF BRYSON DECHAMBEAU SHOOTS 58 ON 10TH LIV GOLF TOURNAMENT?

EDITORIAL – HOW CAN WE UNDERSTAND “GOLF GAME” FROM THE SCORE OF BRYSON DECHAMBEAU SHOOTS 58 ON 10TH LIV GOLF TOURNAMENT?


If you’re only a PGA Tour fan, you may have missed that Bryson DeChambeau shot a 58 at the Greenbrier in West Virginia to win his first title on the LIV Tour. In reviewing his round, it’s evident the skills he’s worked hard to develop paid off.  He famously turned himself into a legitimate long-drive competitor, last year finishing second in the world championship.  Two things stood out when looking at DeChambeau’s 58:  his balance when hitting the driver and how well he putted.
 
His superior balance allowed him to hit long, accurate drives, giving him a lot of short irons and wedges into the greens on the par-70 course. It also helped that the course was softened by rain, as he was able to fire his wedges into the greens like hitting a dartboard. He rolled the putter as well as it could be. DeChambeau remarked how hard he’s been working on his game, and it paid off in perhaps the greatest round of golf that he’ll ever shoot.
EDITORIAL – WHAT IS THE ANTICIPATED IMPACT ON FUTURE GOLF TOURNAMENT SINCE PGA TOUR AND LIV GOLF MERGER

EDITORIAL – WHAT IS THE ANTICIPATED IMPACT ON FUTURE GOLF TOURNAMENT SINCE PGA TOUR AND LIV GOLF MERGER

On June 6, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), announced to the world that the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the PIF agreed to drop lawsuits against each other and work collaboratively for the good of the game.  What does this mean for the future of professional golf?
 
According to Sports Illustrated, “The PGA Tour would control the structure of golf moving forward – including whether PIF’s LIV Tour continues operations, and if so, in what form. The Tour has promised a ‘good-faith’ evaluation of LIV’s viability, though potential penalties for LIV players who apply for PGA Tour reinstatement have already been discussed. The parties have set a deadline of the end of 2023 to reach a deal, and that condensed timeline means that 2024 could be a transition year for the sport. The PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Tour’s assets would all go into a separate company, of which the Tour would have controlling interest. PIF would then be an investor in that company with the right of first refusal for future investments.”
 
Reading into this, it sounds like LIV may or may not exist going forward, and if it does still exist, it’s not likely to be in its present form.  LIV’s current business model includes selling its teams as franchises, and at this point in time there doesn’t seem to be much interest.  It’s no secret the Saudis want to get into professional golf as a major player, and at the moment, LIV just isn’t resonating enough.
 
Going forward and based on what Sports Illustrated reported, since the PGA Tour has assets in professional golf far and above what the Saudis have, it looks like the PIF will provide funding in return for a chance at greater returns in professional golf in the future.  This may include having PGA Tour events in Saudi Arabia, for example.  But the Saudis have made it clear this is a business venture, not a charity, and they expect a good return on their investment.  Time will tell how exactly this will happen.  And part of that certainly will include welcoming back LIV players to the PGA and DP Tours.  
EDITORIAL – THE MEANING OF MICHAEL BLOCK’S PGA PERFORMANCE

EDITORIAL – THE MEANING OF MICHAEL BLOCK’S PGA PERFORMANCE

Prior to the PGA Championship, the only people in golf who knew the name Michael Block were the members and clientele of the course where he works, Arroyo Trabuco in Mission Viejo, California, his fellow PGA section members, and golf geeks. After his performance in the PGA Championship, every golf fan knows his name.

For three days, Block mesmerized the golfing world as he shot even-par each day to land a spot in the top 10 entering the final round, where he would be paired with Rory McIlroy. Block’s dream week continued when he aced the par-3 15th hole, sending everyone into a frenzy, and even received a hug from McIlroy. He finished in a tie for 15th place and secured a place in next year’s PGA Championship.

Block’s epic performance has several meanings, one of which is the seemingly impossible (or at least improbable) may not be so impossible, after all. Although Block somewhat downplayed his accomplishment by saying this is how he normally plays when his mind is free (calling it “Blocky golf”), what he did is remarkable. It also means that those of us who teach golf for a living can really play the game at a level that commands respect from our students – although perhaps not to Block’s ability, but the point stands. It also means that someone with a dream can really accomplish that dream if he or she puts in the blood, sweat and tears necessary. Finally, and perhaps most important, Block conducted himself in such a classy manner that showed you can still have success and be respectful and gracious. It’s a lesson that some athletes and other successful people should take to heart.

EDITORIAL – RULES CHANGE CONTROVERSY…AGAIN?

EDITORIAL – RULES CHANGE CONTROVERSY…AGAIN?

 

Starting January 1, 2010, a new grooves regulation was enacted by the USGA and R&A because they thought the then-current grooves spun the ball too much. Club manufacturers found a way to actually make better grooves, which meant the rules change was useless but meant many competitive golfers had to buy new irons. In 2016 came the infamous “anchored putting ban,” which is still a sore spot with many today.

 

In 2019 the USGA and R&A completely overhauled the rules, the two most drastic changes being hitting the flagstick with a putt was no longer a penalty, and all drops were taken from knee height. After a long adjustment period, golfers accepted the changes. And now comes the latest controversial rules proposal, a Model Local Rule for “elite” golfers where they would play a distance-restricted golf ball. The rules makers deem this necessary because, in their own words, elite golfers hitting the ball too far “undermines the core principle that a broad and balanced set of playing skills should remain the primary determinant of success in golf.” They are also worried about courses supposedly “having” to increase yardage to handle all of this.

 

People who say, “Why don’t they just make the courses tougher” are not understanding their position. It’s not a matter of score; to them; it’s a matter of angles and what club is being hit into the green. There is also an element who want to return to the days of long irons into par-4s and where going for the green in two on a par-5 was a big deal. But those days are gone.

 

I recently went to the Korn Ferry Tour in Savannah, Georgia, and they played a course that measured just over 7,000 yards, and I did not see anyone making a mockery of the course. There are also practical problems with implementing a shorter ball: When do promising players switch over? In high school? In college? It would also be tempting for less-honest players to cheat by using the longer ball. It’s also not a given the PGA Tour will adopt the new rule, either, so what would be the incentive for ball manufacturers to even make such a ball? If that happened, the new rule couldn’t even be implemented. In short, while the USGA and R&A will almost certainly put the Model Local Rule into place and will follow it for their championships – as likely will the Masters – if the major tours don’t adopt the rule, we will have a big mess on our hands. And even if they do adopt it, there will still be a mess, albeit a smaller one.

EDITORIAL – TIGER WOODS – WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

EDITORIAL – TIGER WOODS – WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

Tiger Woods returned to official tournament competition this past February after a 7-month absence, and his return was typical Tiger since his car accident two years ago. He made the cut and then shot a stellar 67 on Saturday before a pedestrian 73 on Sunday.

Tiger says he only plays if he believes he has a chance to win, but his performance highlights a dilemma that no one has really talked about: Tiger needs reps to contend, but is playing so rarely due to his physical condition that he cannot get the reps he needs to contend. Now, before anyone says in years past that Tiger played well the first time out after an extended layoff – which would be correct – Tiger is no longer young. From personal experience, I can tell you the older you get, the more you need the reps. And no, I’m not comparing myself to Tiger in terms of skill, but I’m not the only one who has gotten older who has made this observation.

So now the question is, will Tiger make an effort to play more in order to be sharp for the majors? Because if he doesn’t, or his body doesn’t let him, then to make the climb to the top of the mountain one more time may not be possible. Yes, even for Tiger Woods, who has, since 1997, made the seemingly impossible happen.

Editorial – What is a Good Age for Juniors to Start Learning Golf?

Editorial – What is a Good Age for Juniors to Start Learning Golf?

Golf Instruction Before my current tenure as a teaching professional at an indoor studio with all the latest in video and launch monitor technology, I hadn’t really taught that many junior players. That all changed when I took my current position some six years ago.

 

Parents will ask me, “What is a good age to start learning golf?” Based on my experience, the best answer I can give is, “When they express a desire to be better at golf and they’re at least 5 years old.” By then, they should be used to learning in a school environment so that should translate over. When it came to my own kids, now 15 and 14, believe it or not I never gave them one bit of instruction for years. Sure, I put a golf club into their hands at early ages, but they never once asked me any swing advice. A few years ago, they attended USGTF professional Graham Lewis’s junior camp where I was also teaching, and I farmed out their instruction to another coach who did a fine job with them.

 

I’m currently teaching an 11-year-old who is the #1-ranked junior player for his age group in the Hilton Head, SC/Savannah, GA area. He has a younger brother who, at age 3, had a near-perfect swing. And still at age 6, it’s incredible. I told his dad I would not teach him because he’s such a natural and that if he develops any bad habits, I’ll step in. But so far, so good.

 

It cuts me up to no end when I see parents tell their kids, “Keep your eye on the ball!” Or, “Swing easy!” Not once have I ever said this to any kid or any adult, because they are old myths that one amateur tells another. Then again, we as teaching professionals exist for a