From the Golf Pro 1/2

Bunker Renovation Project

The construction team will be working each week (weather permitting) Monday-Saturday.

Currently Holes #4, #5 & #8 are closed. 

Holes #1, #2 & #3 are now open – The bunkers and the surrounding new sod are roped off as Ground Under Repair. If your ball comes to rest in any of these areas, please do not play from within the marked GUR, but instead take relief at your nearest point, no nearer the hole with no penalty. We appreciate your cooperation as we need to allow the new sod to root in before we can play on it. Let us know if you have any questions.

Posting Golf Scores  

Although we will not be playing a complete 18-hole round of golf, posting scores will still be required during the duration of the Bunker Project per the USGA/NCGA protocols for maintaining a valid handicap…Golfers will need to post their scores on the USGA/GHIN App/Website or via the Villages Posting Computer in the Posting Room as such:

1. Hole by Hole Posting will be required – you cannot use the Total Score Option for posting scores for the duration of the project.

2. Post your score for each of the holes played that day and leave the holes not played blank.

3. The USGA Handicap algorithm will automatically fill in the holes not played to derive an “18-Hole” score for your record.

4. The Pro Shop Staff will be more than happy to assist you with posting scores during the project. Stop by the Pro Shop if you need any assistance at all.

Winter Weather & Daily Golf Course Conditions—Remember that at this time of year, weather becomes a daily factor and the resultant golf course conditions can affect play. Some things to be aware of are potential frost delays if it’s cold, potential cart paths only status if conditions are wet and rainy, and in extreme weather or wind conditions course closure if a storm creates an unsafe atmosphere to play in (rare but not impossible). 

Please call the Maintenance Hotline at 408-223-4663 each day for an update on golf course conditions

And remember that the flag at the driving range will indicate the golf course status for the day:

Green Flag = Open for Play

Yellow Flag = Frost Delay

Red Flag = Carts on Paths Only

Black Flag = Golf & Practice Facilities Closed

January Golf Schedule

Saturday, January 11 – Men’s Club Frost Bite Open 8:30 a.m. Shotgun – Open Play 1 p.m. Shotgun

Monday, January 20 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day – Holiday Schedule – Open Play 7:30 a.m.

Winter Rules—From now until further notice we will play Winter Rules defined as 6-inch relief, Pick-Clean-Place, no nearer the hole everywhere including the rough.

Please Check in for Golf—Please remember to check in to the Pro Shop when you play golf. It is often difficult for the Pro Shop staff to see all the players who are teeing off on the first hole of the day. This is especially true now that we are starting play from Hole #10 during the Bunker Renovation Project. Checking in can be as simple as poking your head into the Pro Shop and saying hello. Checking in helps us immensely to know who is here in each group. And checking in especially helps mitigate billing errors. So please let us know you are here and ready to go play some golf, we always enjoy seeing you!

2025 Golf Events Calendar—The 2025 golf calendar of events is now posted and available to view on the Website Resident Portal. Keep in mind that this is a live document and is subject to change – any necessary changes will be updated on the Resident Portal as they occur.  

Tree Trimming— There is some necessary tree trimming being conducted on the golf course on Holes #4, #5, #8. Please be aware and safe and not enter any safety zones or roped off areas.

Fall Maintenance Schedule—Fall Overseeding will continue through the end of January.

Tips from the Pro— Control Issues…Relax and Use Your Wrists for Power

With our demographic at The Villages, our students often ask us how they can get more distance. One thing I see a lot during my lessons are golf swings that lack a wrist hinge. When I ask, “Why don’t you hinge your wrists at the top of the backswing?” the answer is always the same: “Because I will lose control of my swing.” But the truth of the matter is that the wrist hinge is essential to maximizing distance. One has to be comfortable with letting go of their control issue, and creating a burst of speed with their wrists. Remember that the wrists are a 360 degree joint so it’s key to use them properly, as improper use of the wrists can cause clubface issues. The proper use of the wrists in the swing is an up and down hinge not a left to right hinge. This is called Radial Deviation and Ulnar Deviation. Think of hammering a nail with the up and down hinge of the wrist. How effective would it be to hammer a nail without using your wrists…it would take all day. Another similar thought is the casting of a fishing line…using the wrist to throw the line. This hinge and unhinge of the wrists will add that snap of power that you are looking for and if you trust it, it will not sacrifice your accuracy and control. So in order to hinge properly, one needs to let go, relax the hands, wrists and forearms, and use those small muscles and wrist angles properly for that extra snap at impact. 

Drill– a great way to facilitate the proper wrist hinge is to stand in your golf stance and extend your arms in front of your chest so the arms and club are straight in front of you. Then hinge the wrists only so that the club points straight up to the sky. Then turn your left shoulder under your chin. This will create the proper wrist hinge position at the top of the swing. If done properly, your thumbs should be under the shaft, and the club should point down the target line. 

Look up pictures of Phil Mickelson, Lexi Thompson and Angel Cabrera to see how their wrists hinge for power. Try to emulate these positions at the top of your swing for more power and distance. 

Let me know how these tips work. To sign up for a lesson with me, email ssteele@the-villages.com