PGA Golf Management Quarterly NewsletterJune 2015

PGA Golf Management

Summer Update from the Directorby Jerry Hogge

Good Morning from a hot and steamy Methodist University. I hope everyone’s golf season is in full swing and rounds and sales are up. First, I would like to congratulate Steve Conley for leading the Methodist Golf Team to their ELEVENTH NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AND BEING NAMED NCAA DIVISION III NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR. Our other Steve, that is Dockery, gets a congratulations on his recent wedding to Kirbie Britt. They are both back

at work after a wonderful week in the Dominican Republic. The staff is very busy this summer reading PGA Work Experiences, visiting tournaments to recruit the next YOU, putting in freshmen schedules, internship travel, and yes an occasional week of vacation. This year we have 180 young men and women doing internships all over the United States and hopefully are gaining the experiences necessary to enter the work force as a PGA Professional someday. As we continue the success of our PGA Golf Management Program I have a special favor to ask of each of our many graduates. I would like for you to consider recommending a young man or woman to our program. You are able to give them THE GREATEST GIFT SCHOLARSHIP which will help in the rising cost of a college education. I hope Methodist University and DOWNBACK was a special place for you during your education and causes you to reflect on the SPECIAL TIMES, AND FRIENDSHIPS YOU MADE. I am always amazed at the SUCCESS of each of our graduates and it is reflected in the many notes and calls I receive every week.

L to R: Jackson Collier - Business Administration (Class of 2018); Charlie Maness - Financial Economics (Class of 2015); Jeffrey Wells - Business Administration (Class of 2015); Coach Steve Conley; Mason Stutler - Business Administration (Class of 2016); Aaron Purviance - Business Administration (Class of 2018)

National Championshipby Steve Conley

As I reflect on this accomplishment of winning another national title, many thoughts run through my mind. Here are a few: Winning Never Gets Old! The Men’s Golf Team won the NCAA D3 Golf National Championship for the Eleventh time May 15 at Grandover Resort in Greensboro, NC. Everyone keeps asking me, “How does it feel to win another National Championship?” My response has been the same, “Winning never gets old!” I have been extremely blessed to have had great players who played great at the biggest event of the year eleven different times! It is just as thrilling as the first one, maybe even more knowing how challenging it is to win this event. Winning is hard. Just getting to the NCAA tournament is an accomplishment, especially at MU. There are 41 teams at the Men’s D3 Championship where teams get in by either winning their conference championship or by being selected as one of the seven “At-large” teams for the entire country. Since we did not win the USA South Championship this year, we had to receive one of those at-large berths. Fortunately, we never finished outside the top 4 in any event this season while winning three events which secured our selection into the NCAA’s. There is also a cut to the low 15 teams after 36 holes on two different courses. You can’t win it if you aren’t in it! All of the guys who were on the team had to make it through fall AND spring tryouts, then go through multiple qualifying rounds to get on the bus for a tournament and then be selected by the coach at the end of the year as one of the top 5 players on the team. It was a very difficult decision this year with ten different players playing in nine varsity tournaments prior to the NCAA championship. MU Men’s Golf has an amazing tradition. The men’s team has been to the NCAA’s now for 35 consecutive years beginning with the first team participating in 1981. The Monarchs have won 29 conference championships! There have been 58 All-

Americans who earned that honor 98 times! There have been 6 individual champions on 9 different occasions. Former coaches Dr. Gene Clayton, Hal Morrison, Dr. Jim Suttie and myself have all contributed to this tradition. It’s my job to keep this tradition going…GO MONARCHS!!!

CongratulationsSteve & Kirbie

Photo Credit Ica Images

Downback’s Offseasonby Steve Dockery

It was a great spring semester, but now the course is empty. My staff and I have been working hard to prepare for the upcoming school year. While the course is closed during the summer, we perform a lot of cultural practices including multiple aerifications to the entire course. This ensures that Downback is in great shape for the fall semester. Each year the course continues to improve and we strive to provide the best playing conditions possible.

It is always nice to see alumni as they travel north. Please stop by and see us. My staff deserves a huge pat on the back for all of the hard work they put in

while I was off getting married and honeymooning. My wife, Kirbie, and I had the privilege of having a mini Methodist reunion at our wedding. We cannot say thank you enough for all the love and support everyone has shown us.

My staff and I look forward to seeing many of you in the fall. If anyone has any photos of Downback from the early years, I would love to see them. My email is sdockery@methodist.edu. Thanks and I hope all of you enjoy your summer.

Center Contactby Robbie Fritz

After watching all of the different swings during the US Open I’m drawn to the common fundamentals. The closer we look at each player the more unique they appear. However, they are all really good at contacting the ball with the center of the clubface. Jim McLean calls center contact the #1 fundamental in golf. As you are teaching lessons, conducting club fittings, teaching junior camps, or working on your own game this summer pay attention to the impact point of the ball on the clubface.

As you can see in the pictures below, the Krick Teaching and Technology Center (KTTC) continues to improve. With all of the advancements in technology, I would like to highlight something very simple that we use in almost every lesson -- face tape. We use face tape so frequently that we even designed our own custom MU impact tape. The other simple tricks commonly used to inspect impact location are foot spray or dry erase markers.

In a golf lesson, the instructor begins like a detective gathering information and shifting the puzzle pieces into alignment. It’s very important to know where the student is contacting the ball on the clubface and how to change the impact location. On off-center hits, the gear effect explains why the ball may fly differently than on center hits. Impact towards the toe can increase hook or reduce slice. Impact towards the heel can increase slice or reduce hook. TrackMan has validated that on a shot that carries 250 yards, if the ball is impacted just one dimple (0.14in.) towards the heel of the driver, the ball will end up 10 yards right of the target line. When conducting clubfittings, it is also very important to know how impact location will influence ball speed, launch angle, and spin rate.

When working with beginner golfers or juniors, center contact is often over looked. I encourage you to use impact face tape with every beginner golfer and at every junior camp. You will be able to watch and measure as they improve. I think it is extremely important for them to see, feel, and hear how impact influences the flight of the golf ball. Many times they are shocked at how well the ball flies with improved impact location. Remember, golf swings are unique like fingerprints, but if you improve their center contact, the distance and direction of their golf shot is sure to be improved.

Women’s Golf Fall ScheduleSept. 27-28 -- Montgomery Country Club-Montgomery, AL., Huntingdon CollegeOct. 5-6 -- Lexington Golf & Country Club-Lexington, VA., Washington and Lee UniversityOct. 11-13 -- Golfweek Fall Invitational, Sandestin Resort, Destin, FL.Oct. 26-27 -- Chick-fil-A Collegiate Invitational, Coosa Country Club, Rome, GA, Berry College.

Men’s Golf Fall Schedule Sept. 12-13 -- Rochester, NY., St. John Fisher College Sept. 28-29 -- Gordin Classic, Columbus CC, Delaware, OH., Ohio Wesleyan University

Oct. 11-13 -- Golfweek Fall Invitational, Sandestin Resort, Destin, FL.October 26-27 -- O’Brian Jensen Memorial Sedgefield CC., Dye Course, Greensboro, NC., Guilford College