As our family vacation on Amelia Island, Fla. comes to a close, I find myself missing my dad. Over 35 years ago, my father and mother fell in love with this resort and invested wisely in real estate properties.

As the photo shows, my dad was a recreational golfer with some colorful shoes! An avid sportman, he preferred horseback riding and upland game hunting, where he was an expert shot with his Winchester Model 12 shotgun.

I took the photograph in August of 1983 — just before the start of my senior year in high school. Dad is teeing off on the par-4, 10th hole on Oak Marsh at Amelia Island Plantation. Of course, I didn’t know the round would be the last round of golf together.

With a quick analysis of his position at impact, a golf instructor would identify that my father suffered from several swing flaws, including an outside-to-in swing plane that usually produced the ugliest banana ball ever seen. He literally could not aim far enough to the left to hit a fairway.

He played to an 18 handicap, meaning that I — as a scratch golfer — was giving him a shot on each hole. When he was playing his worst, he even negotiated extra shots on the par-5s. Despite the shortcomings in his game, he was a fierce competitor and often halved holes with his strokes from absolutely impossible predicaments. Even though he was an amateur golfer, I inherited his competitiveness and his ability to scrabble.

The 18th hole on Oak Marsh is a par-5 with a salt marsh crossing directly in front of the green. As a junior golfer, I had never hit the green in two shots. On that summer day in 1983, I smoked a drive down the left side of the fairway. From that point, I hit a high 3-wood that cleared the marsh and landed on the green like a butterfly with sore feet. Speechless, my old man didn’t say a word, but after I returned to the cart, he playfully grabbed and tickled my stomach and screamed, “You son of a bitch!”

That 3-wood was the last shot my father ever saw me hit. In February of the next year, he died at the age of 48 in a Memphis hospital from complications of a second heart attack. Several years earlier when he was 42, he had his first heart attack and quadruple bypass surgery. He also became diabetic and required daily insulin injections. Despite his health problems, he led an amazing, full life, and he died “with his boots on.”

Dad missed all of my graduations. He never met my wife Donna. Our son Charlie is named after him. Boy, I wish he was still with us and on this family vacation.

I love you, Dad.

Please take a minute and leave a comment to tell me about golfing with your father, mother, or another family member.

Until next time, enjoy golf, America!

Earlier this week, I wrote about the joy of uncle-nephew golf. As I instructed Alexander and Edmond, my six-year-old son Charlie watched quietly from a shaded spot next to the practice tee.

When I embarked on my quest to play on the PGA Tour, I shared how Charlie is the inspiration for my effort. In his short golfing career, he has never had a formal lesson. Instead, I watch him hit a couple of shots. Then, he stops and watches me take a couple of swings. In any sport, a child can easily mimic a good model. As a toddler, Charlie copied my waggle and most of my preshot routine. Alternating swings also has the added benefit of slowing down the rapid deployment of his ammunition.

For Charlie, his older cousins are heroes. His favorite hybrid is his “Edmond club” since the stick was handed down. Now, he wants golf lessons just like his cousins. Today at the driving range, he explained that he has a bad ten-finger baseball grip and asked for my help.

Generally, I do not recommend individual lessons for most junior golfers until the age of eight. In the early years, the focus should be on the fun of golf and not on the finer techniques of the game. I am also conflicted if a parent should provide formal instruction to his or her own child.

Nonetheless, I offered a simple tip for Charlie to run his left thumb down the grip, which he adopted immediately with ease, and he was content that he just received a golf lesson just like Alexander and Edmond.

If you want to see more photos of Charlie golfing, please visit my Shutterfly Share Site.

Now for your turn: Do you think a parent should instruct his or her child?

Until next time, enjoy golf, America!

My sister, Carol, has two sons, Alexander and Edmond, who are a couple of my biggest fans. As far as my nephews are concerned, I may as well already be on the PGA Tour!

The boys attend boarding schools in Europe and spend summers in Florida. Alexander, the elder at 15-years-old, is a strong and serious student and takes an analytical approach to golf and his other passions, including photography and music. Younger and seemingly more whimsical, Edmond, 12, is nonetheless thoughtful and particularly loves to entertain family and friends with his imaginative sense of humor.

Yesterday afternoon, I worked with the boys on the driving range. Both boys are thin, wiry, and built like me when I was young. Their individual personalities shine through their golf games with Alexander anxiously wanting to learn everything immediately and Edmond swinging freely without a worry in his mind.

About a year ago, I helped Alexander with his set-up and preshot routine, and I am happy to see that he is continuing to utilize these tips. Having grown quickly over the past couple of years, he is taller and stronger and is now playing men’s clubs. Like many golfers, his swing is quick as he tries to hit the ball hard and far. I introduced him to a couple of drills to eliminate a lunge into the ball, and he quickly learned the correct feeling of releasing the club.

For Edmond, I taught him how utilize a preshot routine to consistently set-up for a full swing. He was standing too close to the ball at address and also had trouble taking his stance. His happy feet made him look more like a dancing Fred Astaire than a golfing Tiger Woods. I also helped him learn how to hold the handle with an overlap grip instead of the ten-finger baseball grip that he needed in his younger days.

Over the years, I have enjoyed watching my nephews mature into young men, and I am a very proud uncle who is amazed by their individual talents.

Question: Have you shared the game of golf with children? Please take a minute and describe your experience.

Until next time, enjoy golf, America!

Drive for show and putt for dough. Without a doubt, good putting is critical to great scoring, and my ability to consistently putt the ball in the hole will be a key to success for my quest to play on the PGA Tour.

To work on my stroke, I took the SKLZ Perfect Plane to the practice putting green at Long Point on Amelia Island, today. The putting arc training board teaches the correct path and sets the putter head on the proper plane throughout the stroke. The product includes guides to teach proper acceleration and develop a smooth pendulum-like swing and can be used at your course, home, or office.

I can tell you firsthand that the SKLZ Perfect Plane is an effective and fun training aid and has definitely helped me. During my practice session, I drained over 100 six-foot putts in a row, and from 15-feet, I sunk 10 straight putts. Talk about grooving my stroke and building confidence!

SKLZ was founded by successful entrepreneurs John Sarkisian and Rick LaPointe in 2002. Beginning with the popular Hit-A-Way baseball swing trainer, the company has quickly built a full spectrum of excellent sports skill trainers for baseball, football, tennis, soccer, lacrosse, and hockey. Now with the assistance of top golf instructor Rick Smith, the company has entered the golf market with a large collection of training aids.

If you have a winning idea for a sports product, SKLZ invites you to submit a product application for consideration. I am considering a submission, and with any luck, you just might see a new product from me in the future!

Now for your take: What is your favorite golf training aid? Please take a minute and leave a comment below.

Until next time, enjoy golf, America!

08.17.09 Update

I just added the entire putter swing sequence to my Shutterfly Share Site. View the slideshow to see how the SKLZ Perfect Plane helps to develop an even back and forward swing and maintain a square clubface throughout the stroke.

Last month, I wrote about Oak Marsh, a golf course on Amelia Island, Fla. where I learned to play the game as a boy.

Today, I am playing Long Point, which Amelia Island Plantation opened on the south end of the resort in 1987.

Designed by Tom Fazio, the course challenges golfers with natural hazards, tight fairways, and elevated greens. The par-72, 6,775 yard track winds through three spectacular and distinctive settings: the magnificent salt marshes, a thick oak and pine forest, and the scenic oceanfront dunes. Many of the holes include natural waste bunkers and large undulating greens, and eight of the holes require shots that carry over water hazards.

Two back-to-back holes on the inward nine are par 3s on the beach. With the Atlantic Ocean on the right and exclusive oceanfront homes on the left, the 15th hole measures 166 yards from the back tee. At 158 yards, the 16th hole is shorter and slightly downhill to a small green.

The golf operation at Long Point is managed by director of member golf Dean Grunewald and resident golf professional Bobby Voelker. The expansive practice facility is home to the Amelia Island Plantation Golf Academy, which is under the direction of golf instructor Ed Bowe.

Ranked as one of the “Top 50 Courses in Florida” by Golfweek Magazine, the course has hosted qualifiers for the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open and is the primary course for the members of the Amelia Island Club.

Now for your shot: Have you ever played an oceanfront golf hole? Please name the course and identify the hole.

Until next time, enjoy golf, America!

Remember Chevy Chase tying the recently deceased Aunt Edna to the top of the family truckster in National Lampoon’s Vacation? Like Clark W. Griswold, I am loading our car for an end-of-summer trip. The vehicle is loaded down with a roof carrier and three bicycles hanging off the back bumper.

Our destination is Amelia Island, a barrier island northeast of Jacksonville, Fla. where my Mom lives. My family started vacationing at Amelia Island Plantation over thirty-five years ago. Originally started in 1971 by the Sea Pines Company of Hilton Head Island, SC, the resort is a sprawling 1,350 acres that has been meticulously preserved and includes a mile of pristine beach on the Atlantic Ocean.

I spent many of my summers as a junior golfer learning the game on Pete Dye’s original golf course. The layout features tight holes with small greens with a premium for accuracy and short game wizardry. Now, the resort includes three other courses: Ocean Links designed by my friend Bobby Weed, Long Point — one of Florida’s best courses by Tom Fazio, and Royal Amelia built by Tom Jackson. The facility is also home to the Amelia Island Plantation Golf Academy, and I am looking forward to catching-up with Director of Instruction Ed Bowe. I call him the Google of Golf Instruction because he can diagnose and correct a swing flaw within five minutes of working with a student.

In addition to championship golf, amenities include beach and pool activities, recreation programs, and nature tours. A renowned tennis center features 23 Har-Tru courts. The spa offers luxurious spa and salon services. Anglers are invited to try deep water, inlet, and lagoon fishing. Bikers can explore seven miles of bicycle trails. A quaint village awaits shoppers with several boutiques, and diners have numerous appetizing options.

Amelia Island is like home to me and is an ideal destination for vacations as well as meetings and conventions.

What is your favorite golf resort or vacation destination? Please take a minute and leave a comment.

Until next time, enjoy golf, America!

While the new school year doesn’t begin for a couple of weeks, my son Charlie has enjoyed a great summer vacation. In addition to playing golf, baseball, and other sports, he has also been enrolled in other programs like reading, piano, and art. And today, he finished a two-week day camp conducted by ESF (Education, Sports, and Fun) at Georgetown Preparatory School in North Bethesda, Md.

ESF Summer Camps was founded by brothers Michael and Bill Rouse in 1982. Over the past 27 years, these successful entrepreneurs have grown their business from one to 10 locations from Maryland to Connecticut.

The camp celebrates time-honored traditions that become woven into the fabric of each child’s experience. From pow-wows and pep rallies to the gratitude rock and the family night, the special programs are memorable and cherished for a lifetime. A scout in the Chippewa tribe, Charlie has memorized the camp song by singing along to a CD during the morning drive, and he has learned to swim, which is a life-changing ability that makes being in water more safe and fun .

As a member of the golf team at Wake Forest, I was the director of the Jesse Haddock Golf Camp. A legend in college golf, Coach Haddock always referred to the camp as his summer team, and he developed lifelong relationships with the campers and their parents. The counselors — members of the golf team — had a passion for golf and for working with kids. We, too, had our own special traditions like tournament day. I still remember the overall spirit of the camp as well as the growth of individual juniors as golfers and young people.

Donna and I are so grateful to ESF for providing a rich experience for Charlie during his summer vacation.

Did you or your children ever attend a special summer camp? And if you attended a golf camp, tell me about your favorite experience.

Until next time, enjoy golf, America!

This week, Golfweek reported that Buick is terminating its sponsorship of the Buick Open after 51 years. An official announcement is expected to be made after the tournament crowns a 2009 champion on Sunday.

Last month, I wrote how the automaker shelved its popular Buick Clubhouse, where I performed golf exhibitions and demonstrations, at the AT&T National and other PGA Tour events.

With its recent bankruptcy, GM has canceled the majority of its golf marketing efforts, including its nine-year relationship with Tiger Woods. The other players have suffered, too, as the company ended a longstanding program of providing courtesy cars at PGA Tour events. A couple of years ago, the Buick Scramble — a local and national competition for teams of PGA golf pros and amateurs — was sunsetted. And locally, the once ubiquitous Buick Hole-In-One program has disappeared from community charity outings and other golf events due to the automaker’s struggles.

For now, the Buick Invitational remains on the 2010 PGA Tour schedule. The PGA Tour is expected to announce a new tournament to replace the Buick Open, perhaps an event at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia. For me, I hope the new event is an open tournament and not a limited field invitational that does not offer an opportunity for open qualifying.

In a show of loyalty to Buick as well as to the Grand Blanc community, Tiger is playing in the final edition of the Buick Open, this week. Other pros have expressed their gratitude for the automaker and the fans. Certainly, Buick has been a major sponsor of the PGA Tour and golf for many years.

Until next time, enjoy golf, America!

08.05.09 Update

This morning, the AP reported that Buick has also announced that the company will no longer serve as the title sponsor of the Buick Invitational in California. The Century Club of San Diego, which runs the tournament, is already looking for a new title sponsor and will hold the 2010 event regardless of sponsorship.

Last month, I wrote about Eagles Nest, where I was enrolled in my first junior golf clinic at age 9.

During my childhood, my family spent most summers on Amelia Island, a barrier island northeast of Jacksonville, Fla. In order to receive practice and playing privileges, I picked the driving range and worked in the cart barn at Amelia Links on Amelia Island Plantation.

The resort’s Oak Marsh course, a classic Pete-Dye design, was built in 1972 shortly after the famous architect completed Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. Featuring tight fairways and small greens, the par-72, 6,500-yard track meanders along serpentine salt marsh creeks and through moss-draped heritage oaks without a single parallel fairway. Constructed with a strategy to preserve the natural environment, the course features native plant life, habitats for wildlife, and the use of coquina shell for distinctive cart paths. Listed in Golf Digest’s “Top 75 U.S. Resort Courses,” Oak Marsh recently played host to National Golf Association’s Hooters Professional Golf Tour.

As a kid, I spent hours learning the game on the practice facilities and course. At the time, the director of golf was Buddy Antonopoulos, who is now the head pro at Greg Norman’s Medalist Golf Club. Golf broadcaster Steve Melnyk — then playing on the PGA Tour and living in a home just off the 10th green — offered an occasional tip and wrote a personal recommendation letter to Coach Jesse Haddock during my college recruitment at Wake Forest.

Undoubtedly, pitching and putting became a strength of my game due to the creativity needed to get up and down on the small greens on Oak Marsh. Back in the day of persimmon woods, forged irons, and wound balata golf balls, I also learned how to work shots left and right to navigate the tight routing of the holes. Unfortunately, length of the tee was not a priority, and today, my driving distance probably suffers as a result.

I actually experienced a life-threatening incident on the 17th hole of Oak Marsh. When I was 14, I was playing alone and searching for a golf ball in the marsh that fronts the green. With my eight-iron, I innocently disturbed a beehive lodged in the grass and reeds. I was stung 48 times. Within a couple of minutes, I was experiencing a deep loss of breath and itchy hives over my entire body. I somehow managed to walk back to the cart barn, where my friend Blaine loaded me on a golf cart for a quick ride to a nearby security gatehouse. Then, an ambulance drove me to Baptist Medical Center in Fernandina Beach for emergency care. Months later, I underwent a desensitization program with a long series of venom shots administered by an allergist, and today, I am alive and bee allergy free!

With family living on the island, I still return to the resort for vacations as well as the annual member-guest tournament. My playing partner is Rocco Marsicano, an original resident who still plays golf into his 80’s. I always enjoy looking at the silver plate in the trophy case which signifies the junior club champion and includes my name twice. Today, the professional golf staff includes friends Robert Dugger, Dean Grunewald, Bobby Voelker, Barry Richardson, Broc Nell, and Ed Bowe, who is the new director of instruction.

Where did you learn to play golf? Please take a minute, and share a favorite story.

Until next time, enjoy golf, America!

Last week, Aaron Brazell, who set-up this blog, announced that he has signed a contract with Wiley Publishing to write the WordPress Bible.

Scheduled to be published in Spring 2010, Aaron has an October deadline for writing the 700+ pages. A new addition to the Bible series, this book will be a huge reference for the entire WordPress community. Now, everybody will be able to benefit from Aaron’s immense knowledge and talent. The book already has a placeholder on Amazon.com, and you can sign-up for an email alert when the book is available for pre-order.

Congratulations, Aaron!

Thanks to Depraved Librarian on Flickr for the photo of Aaron.