Midlane Golf Resort and Suites

3/10

Spring is Sprung!

Ok, well not officially, but if there is a “meteorological” Spring, I will go for that!

Soon we will see the earth again, I mean the grass. And then, we will see days that are a little longer and warmer! And then, soon, someone will say “hey, lets go play 9 holes!” You are going to think, “where are my clubs?” Well, once you figured out where the clubs are you are going to want to hit some balls? Sounds about right. There are several options, check out the area dome's and there are a few driving ranges that use forced heat as well.

Starting off to practice in the Spring is no different then practicing any other time of the year. Start with the sand wedge or pitching wedge and hit half shots to begin with. That is to say swing the club back half way and through half way. This is the only method I have seen good players use in my entire life. After you have hit a few balls and made descent contact you can then begin to make bigger and faster swings. Feel free to begin to climb the “ladder”, I mean move up to your 9 iron then 8 iron and so on. A great tip to remember, if you begin to mishit go back down a club or two until your contact is good again.

The Spring was always and easy start for me. I was excited to be outside again! I was thrilled to be at a golf course or driving range and have a club in my hands again. It didn't matter to me how I hit it, it was Spring and it felt good. Don't be to hard on yourself in the beginning, you have all Summer to do that! Seriously, give yourself a break early on and try in find some kind of rhythm to your swing. I think that is a big part of it for me, I am just trying to make contact and don't have a thousand thoughts going though my head!

The club will be open soon and we look forward to seeing everyone again.

Bill Eldridge

PGA Professional

Midlane Golf Resort

12/09

Winter Golf Blues

Not looking forward to a long Winter? No golf until Spring! Want a great tip? I have used the month and a half between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve to wind down my golf enthusiasm. I have found the six weeks at the end of the year a good time to put down the clubs and do some other hobbies. Nothing like abstinence to make the hart grow fonder for the game of golf.

The winter break allows me a needed down time from the game. It also allows me to get some different forms of physical activity. I enjoy basketball, bowling and when the winter isn't too brutal walks in the forest preserve's. Although not as active as summer the preserve's are full of wildlife and plenty of native animals to watch.

The time between the holidays seems just about right for me. Just as the new year passes the PGATOUR starts up again in Hawaii and I not only start thinking about golf again I can't seem to resist the temptation to plan a Spring trip down South for a few days.

I hope you enjoyed the tip and come back to catch up with me soon.

Happy Holidays,

Bill Eldridge

Head Professional