Scott Rushing's blog

We were talking on th ecourse the other day about how we were missing many putts just lipping out.  And it dawned on me, for the beginning golfer, there's an opportunity to speed up play by having a larger cup installed in the green, say in a completely different area - perhaps a FLAT area - while the standard player cup is cut somewhere else.   I think this might be an interesting idea to try.  For the higher handicaps, you have an easier putt with a larger cup so more putts are holed out.

http://espn.go.com/golf/story/_/id/13018754/no-matter-score-tiger-woods-...

DUBLIN, Ohio -- They surrounded the 18th green at Muirfield Village Golf Club, spectators lined several rows deep, the leaders hours away from even teeing off Sunday, let alone getting to the finishing hole of the Memorial Tournament.

So I'm getting ready to hit the links in Myrtle Beach for the annual guy's golf trip. 9 guys from work heading down to play for 3 days. There will be lots of friendly ribbing and chastising at the unbelievable golf shots that will take flight. My game has been a roller-coaster lately, feast or famine. I could shot 78 one day and 87 the next. And if the round starts off poorly, it can take it's toll on my mental game. So this year, I am arming myself with a custom yardage book, that has absolutely NOTHING to do with the golf courses we will play.

An extract from: - The Successful Golfer - Golf Psychology Book

The Successful Golfer | Golf Sport Psychology BookThe pre-shot routine is a physical and mental sequence of actions to help golfers remain focused on the task at hand to play shots consistently well. Though the best golfers in the world might differ in the style of their swing, you will notice a similar sequence of actions for every shot. For instance, they will have a certain number of practice swings before setting up to the ball followed by a specific number of glances toward the target.

From: Michael Bamberger and Mike Walker

Dustin Johnson is serving a six-month suspension from the PGA Tour after testing positive for cocaine, a source has told Golf.com.

According to the source, Johnson has failed three drug tests: one for marijuana in 2009 and two for cocaine, in 2012 and 2014. He was previously suspended for the 2012 failed test, but that suspension was never made public. Under the PGA Tour’s drug-testing policies, the Tour is not required to announce any disciplinary actions against players who test positive for recreational drugs.

The fade is a great shot to have in your arsenal of shots for your next round. Like most golfers, I started out hitting a fade - ok - many times a slice, but through the years and the advent of new technology on the clubs, I'm now hitting the baby draw most of the time. But many of the courses I play have holes intended for the left to right ball flight. So I've been trying to figure out, in the day of draw-bias drivers, the best way to hit a controlled fade off the tee. After trying several different things, this is what seems to work the best for me:

Sunday will mark the six-year anniversary to the day of Woods, hobbling around on a left knee ripped to shreds, defeating Rocco Mediate in a playoff at Torrey Pines to earn his third U.S. Open. We know this anniversary will come and go without a repeat performance this week because Woods is again injured—this time to the second most-important part of a golfer's body.

With its roughless, sandy framing, sea of pine straw and shaved green complexes, Pinehurst No. 2 has a radically different look than any other recent U.S. Open venue. That means you'll see tour players hitting a variety of less-common shots during championship. As the Pinehurst Golf Academy's director of instruction, top-50 teacher Eric Alpenfels has lots of experience both on No. 2 and hitting the shots Donald Ross' historical showpiece requires.

http://www.golfdigest.com/blogs/the-loop/2014/06/3-signs-that-pinehurst-...

PINEHURST, N.C. -- If you've paid any attention this week, you know the hype: Pinehurst No. 2 looks amazing with its rusticity and absence of snooze-inducing Bermuda hay. Old Donald Ross' handiwork is playing as tough as anything the flatbellies have seen and will provide some unprecedented entertainment value in the form of artistic (or not) recovery shots.

1. The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island, S.C.
2. Pine Valley (N.J.) G.C.
3. Oakmont (Pa.) C.C.
4. Spyglass Hill G. Cse., Pebble Beach
5. Bethpage State Park (Black), Farmingdale, N.Y.
6. Whistling Straits (Straits), Haven, Wis.
7. TPC Sawgrass (Players Stadium), Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
8. PGA West (TPC Stadium), La Quinta, Calif.
9. Winged Foot G.C. (West), Mamaroneck, N.Y.
10. Pinehurst (N.C.) Resort (No. 2)
11. Butler National G.C., Oak Brook, Ill.
12. Shinnecock Hills G.C., Southampton, N.Y.

By Mike Stachura

There are 1,308 balls on the USGA's conforming list, but a Golf Datatech study suggests despite all the alternatives, most consumers aren't interested in switching what they play.

The firm's semi-annual study of serious golfers shows 97 percent use their favorite ball brand more than half the time. Moreover, three of four typical golfers play their favorite more than 80 percent of the time. That's an increase from 66 percent when the same question was asked in summer 2012.

There are a lot of easy to use personal swing analyzers (PSA) on the market now. Some have devices that attach to your club, like 3BaysGSA PSA which attached to the tip of the grip. Others attach to the shaft of the club or the glove on your hand. Those provide detailed statistics on your swing along with visual displays of the swing path. They also allow you to compare your wings and some allow you to add in pro swings for comparison.

I'm a whistler. Some people are, and others are not. I whistle throughout the day, whether its while I walk from office to office, or meeting to meeting. I whistle as I walk through the stores on Saturday doing my weekend errands. I also whistle on the golf course. Whistling, beyond the musical entertainment aspect, actually impacts the physical and emotional and mental characteristics of the whistler. Beyond being excellent exercise for the lungs, whistling reduces stress and tension and calms the mind.

The Best Golf Warm-up Exercises
The Perfect Pre-Round Warmup
Lower your golf score and hit more explosive, powerful shot when you warm up with these 6 dynamic exercises

By Amanda Junker

Arnold Palmer once said that the whole secret to mastering the game of golf -- and this applies to the beginner as well as the pro -- is to cultivate a mental approach to the game that will enable you to shrug off the bad days, keep patient and know in your heart that sooner or later you will be back on top."