Golf is a challenging sport, with many obstacles faced by men and women alike. But even women who enjoy playing with men report that learning new skills is sometimes best accomplished with the support of other women.
That’s what The Player’s Club for Women is all about—a refreshing new focus on topics identified by women and programs designed for women. As this is the first year of our affiliation with the LPGA through “Girl’s Golf”, these opportunities will be available to our junior girls as well.
After dozens of conversations with women about what they really want to better their skills and enjoy every round, here are the most often mentioned ideas by women of all skill levels. These topics, and others, will be the pillars of The Player’s Club for Women.
Health and Physical Fitness
Help with general physical fitness, stretching and nutrition that is golf centric
How to continue improving in the face of injuries, loss of flexibility and other age or health-related issues.
Advanced: strength and conditioning and nutritional plans for competitors; stretching, hydrating and eating during matches
Equipment
How to know what balls to use
Selecting the right clubs and what’s up with club fitting
Advanced: wedge fitting, training aids and use of launch monitors for practice.
Tee shots
Hitting with good distance but staying out of trouble
Using your God-given flexibility to hit it further, and if you’ve lost some of it, how to go with what you’ve got!
Advanced: shot shaping and trajectory control
From the Fairway
Make solid contact, and yes, confidence to hit the ground with those irons and hybrids!
Confidence when hitting from uneven lies
Advanced: shaving strokes when using long irons, fairway metals and hybrids
Approaching the Green
Know your distances—how to “dial in” each club
Getting the ball higher in the air for softer landings on the green
How to “spin” the ball with chips and pitches so it will stay on the green (yes you can!)
Advanced: improving proximity to the hole with scoring clubs (8-wedges)
Around the Green
Thinking outside the box—new and different ways to pitch and chip like a rock star.
Get me outa here! Greenside bunkers de-mystified
Advanced: embracing your creativity; making something from nothing
On the greens
Better green reading for fewer 3 putts
Make all those short putts
Advanced: games for improving both distance as well as putts inside 5 feet
Trouble shots
How to get out of the rough in one shot
Stop fearing fairway bunkers
Advanced: trajectory control into the wind, downwind and cross-wind; fairway bunkers
The “Mindside” of the game
How to make your own plan so you don’t have to ask your husband or other friends what to do now
How to be confident with others watching
How to pleasantly tell people that you’re just fine without their advice!
Advanced: fixed vs. growth mindset; examining the roles of “chaser” and “closer” in competitions; implementing “error-based” learning and improvement
Miscellaneous, But Important!
How to relax, enjoy your friends and still maintain the right pace of play
Simplify those golf rules and use them to your advantage
Advanced: Keeping important stats without working too hard; how to debrief those numbers to determine the very best practice sessions.