Feb
8
2012
Spring Break Camps Announced
Jan
28
2012
Titleist unveils four new Golf Balls
PGA Merchandise Show 2012
The PGA Merchandise Show took place in Orlando, Florida last week January 25th to 28th. All of the large golf suppliers use this show to introduce new products for the upcoming golf season. Since we are a Titleist Golf Shop we were interested to see what new and improved Titleist equipment was launched.
Titleist has introduced four new golf balls to its lineup with the unveiling of the NXT Tour, NXT Tour S, Velocity and DT SoLo at the PGA Merchandise Show.
You can watch a video tour created by Titleist “Inside the Titleist Booth at the 2012 PGA Merchandise Show”
“Our golf ball product development process is the same for all Titleist golf balls,” said Bill Morgan, senior vice president of golf ball research and development.“It always starts with golfer testing where we identify performance improvements that will help golfers score better and determine what their preference options are,” he added.“New Titleist NXT Tour, NXT Tour S, Velocity and DT SoLo are the result of that process and deliver the best scoring performance and quality within their respective segment,” he said.
The new products will begin shipping to golf shops in February and since we are a Titleist shop we will be carrying all four of the new golf balls for the 2012 season – NXT Tour, NXT Tour S, Velocity and DT SoLo .
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out when they arrive or stop by the golf shop anytime.
Jan
19
2012
To all parents with little golfers…
Make golf more fun!
Most of us have been around golf long enough to have heard “bend your knees”, “keep your head down”, “keep your eye on the ball”… I have even heard “don’t forget to breathe”. These tips won’t help fast track your child’s passion or learning for the game of golf, so skip them. Instead, do your best to create a fun non intimidating environment for them to play the game and sure enough they will improve fast just by DOING. Here are a few ideas to help create a fun non intimidating environment:
- Play a course that is the right length! You are only doing your child a dis- service by playing a full length golf course. The object of the game is to put the ball in the hole, if the hole is physically far away and might take them 15 shots to get it in, they will feel intimidated and not have much fun. Start them close to the hole. They will want to put the ball in the hole right away and the sense of achievement will make them enjoy the game!
- If they can hit their driver 40 yards don’t start them from longer than 80 yards from the hole. LET THEM TEE IT UP EVERYWHERE. The rules of golf are for competition play, alter them as much as possible to let your child have more fun. Let them take two whiffs and then allow them to throw the ball. Let them keep advancing along the golf hole so they get to their goal FASTER.
Golf should be fun for adults too!
How do we make golf more fun for adults too? This is a great question which needs to be addressed by the golf industry as a whole. With so many rules and so much etiquette the game can appear as NOT FUN to youngsters in the beginning. Make it fun for them, create new games on the fly. For this hole we are only going to use 1 club or the least amount of putts on this hole wins… GET CREATIVE, HAVE FUN and they will love the game just like you!
- James Presnail is a PGA of Canada Teaching Professional with the Golf Institute at Fraserview. He is also the Head Golf Professional at Gleneagles Golf Course in West Vancouver. You can contact James at 604-921-7353 (golf shop), 604-318-0306 (cell) or golf@westvancouver.ca.
Jan
11
2012
Equitable Stroke Control
What is Equitable Stroke Control?
As many of you know Equitable Stroke Control is the downward adjustment of individual hole scores for handicapping purposes. It is used in order to make handicaps more representative of a player’s potential ability. An Equitable Stroke Control chart sets a maximum number that a player can post on any particular hole based on the player’s handicap at that course.
Example of Equitable Stroke in Use
For example, a 20 handicap takes a 9 on the last hole at Fraserview after hitting two balls into Vivian Creek. When that player is entering their score in the computer to track their handicap they must enter an 8 for the 18th hole because they are not allowed any scores more than 3 over par and the 18th hole is a par 5. A second player in the group also scores a 9 on the 18th hole. Their handicap is 35 so they keep the 9 marked on their card as is for handicapping purposes.
Change to USGA method
For whatever reason Golf Canada (formerly the RCGA) and the USGA have been using different systems for Equitable Stroke Control. As of March 1st, 2012 the RCGA will adopt the current USGA method. Golf British Columbia has provided an article about the change and an interview with Matt McKay, Manager of Rules and Handicap with Golf Canada on why the change is occurring.
You can read the full article here.
The changes to Equitable Stroke Control can be found in the chart below:
Jan
5
2012
Here’s to great golfing in 2012!
The team at The Golf Institute at Fraserview would like to wish you a very Happy New Year and a great 2012 golf season! Come visit us in the golf shop to check out some great merchandise specials, lesson promotions and our Winter Golf Card.
Our golf shop is open from 8am to 7pm daily with the driving range opening at 11am Monday, Wednesday and Friday and at 8am Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Our staff is here to answer any questions that you may have and to help you get your game ready for the 2012 season.
Our Winter Lesson Promotion gives you two great options to keep your game in shape! Take either three 30 minute lessons or a 90 minute playing lesson for ONLY $99. Call 604-257-6923 to book today!
Dec
16
2011
Holiday Hours at Fraserview Golf Shop
The team at The Golf Institute and the Golf Shop at Fraserview wish you all a very happy and healthy holiday season! We look forward to seeing you many times in 2012!
Please note our holiday hours are as follows:
December 24th 8am-3pm
December 25th Closed
December 26th 8am-3pm
December 31st 8am-3pm
January 1st 8am-3pm
All other days we will be open regular hours which are: 8am to 7pm daily with the driving range opening at 11am Monday, Wednesday and Friday and at 8am Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
Nov
28
2011
Engage and SAVE!
$2 Tuesdays at Fraserview Driving Range
For the winter months the Driving Range at Fraserview is running an online only special on Tuesdays from 8am to 8pm. Connect with us on a social media platform and hit a bucket of 40 range balls for only $2! You can Tweet about us, Re-Tweet one of our messages, Post a note on our Facebook page, or check in on Foursquare or Facebook. Just bring in your phone and show us the post and we will give you a $2 bucket. It’s that simple. $2 Tuesdays every Tuesday this winter from 8am to 8pm.
Not on Twitter?
If you do not have a Twitter account here is how to get one and get the deal…
Phase 1:
1. Go to http://twitter.com
2. Create an account by entering your name, email address and unique password
3. Fill out your Twitter profile and add a photo. You can add as much or little information as you like but the more you add the more likely people will find and follow you.
Phase 2:
4. Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TGIFraserview
5. Every Tuesday look for our $2 Tuesday tweets and Re-Tweet them
OR
Every Tuesday post your own tweet and mention @TGIFraserview
6. Stop in at the Golf Shop and pick up your token for a $2 warm-up bucket of balls to hit
Long Hours
The Driving Range at Fraserview Golf Course is open from 8am to 8pm on Tuesdays so there is lots of opportunity to take us up on this offer. Come on out at lunchtime or on the way home to relieve some work stress. Our golf shop staff is here until 7pm daily to welcome you. Our regular range hours are as follows:
Monday, Wednesday and Friday – 11am to 8pm
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday – 8am to 8pm
Nov
15
2011
Glove or No Glove?
Do you wear a golf glove?
The “glove or no-glove” debate has been around since gloves were invented. Normally golfers wear one glove to gain an improved grip on the club. In hotter months and climates sweat on your hand and the club can make gripping difficult without a glove. Those golfers that do not wear a glove state better feel for the club and club head direction when not wearing a glove. This is why gloves are rarely worn when putting.
Some golfers choose to wear two gloves year round. Reasons might include help with blisters, a feeling of improved grip, or even fashion. But whether you choose to wear no glove, one glove or two gloves there is sometimes a good reason to wear two – and that is the rainy, winter season in Vancouver.
FootJoy Rain Grip Gloves
Winter golf gloves are designed to both keep your hands warm and dry and to provide better grip during your swing. There are many types of winter golf gloves out there. The golf shop at Fraserview is primary a Titleist and FootJoy shop so we carry the FootJoy RainGrip glove.The microfiber palm helps your grip in wet conditions. The QwikDry knit material along the back of the hand helps with breathability and flexibility and is quick to dry after the rain. There are bands on the back of the glove to allow for easy tee access and the gloves are always sold in pairs.
Rain and cloud is no reason to stop golfing. With the right company and the right equipment it can be just as fun as in summer, and you will have less people in front of you on the course. For more information on the RainGrip glove visit the FootJoy website.
Oct
8
2011
Golf Tip – Chipping & Targets
May you hit it where you are looking…
Physical technique aside, picking a landing spot for the ball is something you always need to focus on while chipping. It’s kind of like driving your car to the grocery store. In order to get to the grocery store, you find a secondary target – the parking lot. Similarly in chipping the target destination is the hole, but you should only be trying to imagine a landing area appropriate for the ball to come to rest near the hole. So even if you are trying to sink the chip shot, the hole shouldn’t be where you are aiming. Aim where you want the ball to land!
What is your target?
While I have you on the topic of targets I want you to ponder this: Let’s say I go out for a round of golf and shoot 78. The actual hole is only my target 5-10 times out of those 78 strokes. How is that possible? The hole isn’t my target off the tee, it usually isn’t my target from the fairway, it isn’t my target chipping, and it is very rarely my target while putting, unless the putt inside 2 ft and dead straight. So take the time to think about what your target really is.
If you have any questions about the hole not being your target or any other golf techniques please send me an email at jwpresnail@gmail.com and I would love to chat about it.
- James Presnail, TCCP Level 4, Head Golf Professional, PGA of Canada
Sep
21
2011
Golf Tip – Target Alignment
Target Alignment
So many times in golf we forget that our objective is to propel a ball towards a target. We get so caught up in “trying” to hit the ball that we forget that what is most important is not the ball but the target.
Here is a tip to help you stay aware of the target throughout your full golf swing.
Pick a target either on the range or the golf course. Create a very clear picture of that target in your mind. Your visualization of the target should be so clear that you can still picture it when you look down at the ball. With this picture in your mind take a golf swing. REMEMBER don’t ever lose the picture of the target from start to finish. You may find the golf ball becomes fuzzy to your eye or that you are no longer staring at the golf ball but merely gazing at it. If you can get into this state you are much more attached to the target and your body will eventually react accordingly.
Target awareness is something most amateur golfers have not given much practice, however consider this statement: Most professional golfers stare at the target and glance at the golf ball; most amateur golfers glance at the target and stare at the golf ball. Food for thought!
- Tom Monaghan , TCCP Level 5, Head Golf Professional, PGA of Canada
To learn more from our instructors come see us at TGIFraserview – 604‐257‐6923.
