2018 Event List @ Chequamegon Bay Golf Club

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2018 Event List @ Chequamegon Bay Golf Club

Believe it or not, golf season is right around the corner. Our 2018 Golf Calendar is just about finished, but in the meantime, before we get that published, we wanted to share a printable event list.

2018 Events Printable

Keep in mind the printable list is subject to changes and additions.

As we get closer to each event, you will find more details both in our “Event Calendar” and on our Facebook Page. These two tools will be your go-to’s for details about each event. Things like Format, Price, Time, Duration, etc… will all be found there.

Our Junior Golf School Dates and Times will be released shortly. We will have more options for juniors this season. We will host our free school, with a paid school option available as well. We will also offer junior coaching in 2018. Our League Start dates will be available soon.

Also, please be aware that simply because we are hosting an event, doesn’t necessarily mean that our golf course is closed that day! Always check the online tee sheet or call the golf shop.

I hope that everyone is as excited as I am to get this golf season underway. Look for more cool stuff coming to you shortly.

Thanks,

Matthew Lindberg, PGA

“Fun & Games” To Improve Your Game

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Fun & Games with Golf

Most of the time we think improving at golf is hard. I don’t think that it has to be. See, most of the time we are in the left side or the logical side of our brain. We ask ourselves questions like: Did I keep my left arm straight? Was my swing on plane? Did I take the putter back straight? And while all of these questions may be legitimate, we fail to ever practice golf in the right side or the reactive side of our brain. This is easier said than done because every time you open Golf Digest you are bombarded by tip after tip, keeping you in the logical side of your brain and over thinking. Well, I am here today to share with you a couple games I use with my students to get them away from thinking during practice and back to playing.

Game 1: No Flagsticks

This was a favorite of Jack Nicklaus. First, you will need to have someone stay a hole ahead of you and remove the flagstick. The objective of the game is simple. Golfers often get into trouble trying shots “above their pay grade”, like going after a pin tucked behind trouble. A golfer will save strokes playing to the middle of the green the vast majority of the time. Be sure to keep the ball in play off the tee and manage the course to give yourself good angles into the green. Aim for the middle.

Game 2: 3 Club Game

Golfers will select 3 clubs, one of which must be a putter, and play at least 9 holes of golf using only the selected clubs. It is highly recommended that a 3/4/5 hybrid, 8-iron/PW, and a putter are selected. When a sand wedge is chosen most golfers can’t reach the green when playing from the fairway and that it can be a detriment around the greens. Most players take 14 clubs out to the course and don’t understand club selection in a given situation nor do they understand course management. The 3 club game forces players to be strategic, thinking from the green back to the tee, avoid trouble, leaving the ball on the far side of the green, etc…

Game 3: Perfect Drive

Golfers will hit their tee shots and regardless of where their golf ball goes, they will then grab their ball and place it in the center of the fairway by the 100-yard marker. Golfers are always on the quest for more distance, a better swing, or better ball striking. What this game shows is that the reason for their scoring deficiencies is not their ball striking but rather lacking skills from 100 yards and in. More often than not, a player’s core will not vary much even after a “perfect drive” because their short game needs improvement. This is a great game to gauge where your short game is at.

Game 4: Eyes on the Hole

This is basically the Jordan Spieth game. Set up a small, medium, and large circle around 1 hole on the practice green. Once setup, select different distances between 15-20 feet. Then hit a series of putts from each spot while only looking at the hole. During pre-shot routine concentrate having eyes on the hole and after setting up, look only at the hole. This game yet again deals with reaction and not logic. It is a great drill for lag putting as you try to get the ball to stop inside the circles using simply feel. This is how Jordan Spieth hits most of his putts from 5 feet and in. He looks at the hole through the entire stroke.

These are four games that, for the most part, are easy to play and can have great benefit to your golf game. They are not swing tips and tricks but focus on the entire game of golf. They focus on course management skills and help to highlight areas in which we need to work on our game both on the course and in practice. Try them out sometime and please send a comment back to me on if you learned something or if it was a waste of time. I can assure you, it’ll be well worth your time.

 

What Does Tiger’s Comeback Mean For Golf?

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What Does Tiger’s Comeback Mean for Golf?

 

As I watched The Valspar Championship last weekend, I could not help but reminisce about the old Tiger. You know, the guy who won 14 majors. The guy who has 79 career PGA Tour victories. The guy who spent 281 consecutive weeks at World #1 and has sat atop that position for 683 weeks of his professional career. The reason that I felt that way and couldn’t help but think about “old Tiger” is because he looks good. His golf swing looks good. Short game looks good. Putting looks good. His attitude looks good. I am of the opinion that he will win again very soon and will ultimately win another major championship if not multiple.

I do not say that lightly as the competition on tour is greater than ever. Guys like Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, John Rahm, etc… are not simply going to roll over and let Tiger take the trophy. But at 42 years of age, and after how many surgeries, including a back-fusion surgery under a year ago, what he did last weekend in my mind is nothing short of remarkable. In a field with some of the game’s greats (just look at the leaderboard) Tiger recorded the fastest clubhead speed in the entire field at 129mph. He was also Top 30 in ALL major “strokes gained” categories and was 11th in the field in total strokes gained. It seems to me like he is back, and I hope for quite some time.

Love him or hate him, what Tiger does for the game of golf is undeniable and unmatched by anyone. If you watched the tournament, you saw his gallery on Sunday. It was massive! Guys about to win major championships often don’t create a gallery that massive. He single-handedly helped NBC grab the biggest non-Masters TV audience since 2015! Everyone, including myself, tunes in to see what Tiger is doing. He has a draw similar to the likes of Michael Jordan or Muhammed Ali. He is simply not one of the greatest golfers ever, but one of the greatest athletes.

It has been a long time coming, but last weekend Tiger provided us a glimpse of who he once was. He provided a glimpse to many young golfers, some of which were too young to remember the Tiger of the early 2000’s who won every time he tee’d it up. But that is the Tiger that I know and cheer for. He provided a glimpse to me, of those Tiger moments from long ago. The moments where he does the unthinkable and cements what makes him so great. The putt on 17 was a perfect example of that. He may look different in doing so, but I’ll say it again, I believe he is back. And in my opinion, that is really good for the game of golf.

He certainly gets people talking about the game. He convinced me way back when that it was cool to pick up a golf club instead of a baseball bat. He made the Nike swoosh popular in golf and not just basketball and football. Most importantly, he tore down a lot of walls and stigmas that golf was only a “Rich Man’s” sport. He did not do all of this alone, but he helped lead the charge. I’m not saying that you need to like the man, he’s made his fair share of mistakes, but if you have time research a little on what the Tiger Woods Foundation has done for underserved youth.

Tiger is scheduled to play this week at Arnold Palmer’s Invitational, an event that he has won 8 times before. I for one know that I will be watching. I’ll watch and hope to see another one of those “Tiger Moments”, with the understanding that he is drawing attention to our game, and maybe inspiring another young boy or girl to pick up a golf club and go play.

Building Relationships Through Local Golf Show

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Building Relationships Through Local Golf Show

We all know how quickly relationships can blossom on the golf course. Like a flower in the spring, friendships grow and flourish through golf year after year. Inevitably each season I will see two members or golfers who did not know each other prior to golf, end up becoming great friends simply by meeting at the golf course each week. There is something to be said for spending 4 hours with a person on the course, and we all know how golf can bring out both the best and worst in a person. These friendships that the game conjures up each season are truly everlasting.

When I talk about the game of golf, I always mention that social aspect. Playing a game that cannot be perfected is often a humbling experience. It can make you look like a fool in front of close friends. However, let me tell you bluntly that it happens to everyone, even golf pros. I’ve had moments of glory on the golf course for sure, but I’ve also had moments of frustration and embarrassment. But at the end of the day, those moments of frustration amongst friends and total strangers builds both character and most of the friendships I hold dear to me today.

So, in evaluating golf from the business side (my job) I value NOTHING above the relationships that we build with each and every golfer that walks through our door. It is our WHY. It’s why we do what we do. It’s so much more than a number on a spreadsheet. We provide an escape for all golfers who choose to spend their precious time with us. So, it is our job to get to know each and every one as best we can.

That is the main reason we chose to visit the Minnesota Golf Show in Minneapolis for the first time this season. It provided us with the opportunity to share our passion with plenty of people, some of which we knew, and some who didn’t even know we existed. In an era of social media posts and blogs, we got the opportunity to speak face to face with over 10,000 people who shared our passion for the game of golf. We got to shake their hands and they were able to feel both our energy and excitement.

I was blown away by the number of people we met from Hayward, Superior, Duluth, and all over the Northland who did not know we even had a golf course in Ashland, WI. Yet every person I talked to is in love with our area, and our Great Lake Superior. They truly look to our area as God’s Country up here and love travelling to golf. With golf on the brain and our infectious energy, I know without a doubt that many of them will come to visit us this season. Not because of an advertisement or social media, but because of the impression we were able to make with them face to face. Just as relationships are built on the golf course.

In speaking with Kevin, director of marketing & events with Twin Cities Golf, I was thrilled by his excitement about wanting to partner with our golf course in 2018. Twin Cities Golf provides golf to many locals in the Twin Cities area. They travel place to place but only go as far North as Big Fish in Hayward currently. Kevin made me aware of the demand for golf up North, so we are happy to welcome them. It was a conversation you could only have in person to understand just how hungry golfers are to play golf in the Northwood’s.

We visited the golf show this year to not simply grow our business, but to build relationships with both our current clients and future clients. I am confident that we were able to do both. To quote the Dalai Lama, “In order to carry a positive action, we must develop a positive vision.” Our vision is clear, and so is our WHY. We’ll see you on the course, happy golfing!