Rocklege Golf Club

Welcome back golfers, it’s Thursday afternoon and the weather is perfect to hit the links. There’s not many days left in the year for golf, so make sure you’re out there playing as much as possible. Today’s blog is focused on Rockledge Golf Club in West Hartford, Ct, located on South Main St. As you drive down S. Main St. the course is right there on the street, you look out onto the course and can see a few holes from the parking lot, and right away you know this course is going to be special. Rockledge was one of the nicest courses that I have visited and played at in awhile. Even in the fall season the fairways were perfectly cut, and the greens were rolling beautifully. It’s a little wet on the course right now from all the rain we’ve been getting but the course was still playing very well.

The first four holes of the course are par 4’s and are relatively short, so make sure you capitalize on these holes for birdies and par’s and you should have a strong round.

The first hole is 351 yards from the championship tees (also known as the blues or blacks) and is a straight shot to the green. Driver is the club to hit here with the fairway wide open and no trouble like hazards or water to worry about. The first green is rather large sloping downhill and right to left. There are bunkers on the front left of the and behind the green, so make sure you either come up short or are on the right side of the green. This is hole is a great way to open up with a birdie.
Most of the fairways on this course are large and fairly wide open. There are not as many trees as Pine Valley which makes this course a lot easier to play. If you find yourself hitting the ball into the rough and trees you should be able to find it and play your shot. The greens are also rather large have many slopes to them.
The second hole is a very short par 4 measuring only 292 yards. Driver might be too long off the tee so go with a long iron or wood. The green is set up on a hill and has bunkers on the left and right. Your second shot to the green will probably be less than 140 yards so this is another hole to birdie. The third hole is the hardest hole on the course coming in at 435 yards and is par 4. When standing on the tee box and walking the fairway I couldn’t really understand why this hole was the hardest. You can crank your driver off the tee here the fairway is wide open, there is a bunker on the left side of the fairway in drivers reach so make sure you play a fade and keep it in the middle of the fairway. Your second shot will travel over a storm ditch that runs across the fairway, but if you hit the right club that ditch won’t be in play. Again, this is another big green with out of bounds about 30 yards behind the green. The green is pretty flat but large so make sure your accuracy hitting to the flag is on, because if not your put could be over 30 feet from the hole. There are two bunkers one on the left and one on the right of the green. If you get par or lower on this hole that’s a great job, if you bogey or worse don’t panic there is plenty of holes left to fix that score. The fourth hole is the third hardest on the course but is a short par 4 measuring 404 yards. This is a straight hole, safe to hit driver off the tee watch out for out of bounds left and fairway bunkers on the right side. The bunker is short in the fairway so if you hit a solid tee shot the bunker should not come into play. Another big green sloping downhill with a bunker short left. Hopefully after the first four holes you were able to start strong; this course I believe is setup perfectly to be under par going into the last part of the front nine. The fifth hole is the first par 3 measuring 189 yards. Its wide open to the green with only out of bounds on the left side, but you really have to hook it good to go OB. There are bunkers on the left and right of this green. This green is very narrow and is longer than wider like the other greens on this course. Keeping the ball below the hole is the best way to make birdie or par because it’s more of an uphill put with fewer breaks. The sixth hole is another first as this hole is a par 5. The fairway is large and wide open so again if you are struggling off the tee you should be alright on this hole. Driver is definitely the club to hit here. The fairway is up hill and is a blind shot over the hill. The fairway moves slightly to the left over the top of the hill so if you hit a nice fade your ball will be in prime spot for your second shot. There is no danger in the sixth fairway and is very short measuring only 486 yards. This hole is perfect to try and go for an eagle. You will have a short second shot to this green and it’s worth the risk to go for it. This green is smaller than most greens on the course and has bunkers left, right and behind it. If you are not scoring well this hole can help turn your round around. The seventh hole is a short par 4 measuring only 342 yards from tee to green. This tee box is raised about 30 feet above a very narrow fairway. Going left will get you in more trouble than if you hit right off the tee box. It is probably safer to hit a long iron or wood off this hole since it is so short and narrow, driver may put you in a bad spot. This green is tough to hit to because there is a hill that runs through the middle of the green and balls roll left and right off the green. There is a bunker right in front of the green and behind the green it slopes downhill for about 25 yards right into water. Your second shot has to be accurate or you can get yourself into a lot of trouble around this green, leaving you with a tough third shot. Eight is another par 3 measuring 188 yards over water right in front of the tee box. This green is also very hard to hit because it is a leveled green. When I was there the flag was in the back of this green, when you play and it’s in the same location make sure you take enough club to get onto the second level of this green, if you come up short your putt uphill is going to be difficult. There are bunkers on the left and right sides of this green. Nine is a great hole to finish the first part of your round. It’s a 505 yard par 5 and is fairly open, driver off this tee is safe make sure you stay away from the fairway bunker on the right side, which is in drivers distance so stay left of that. This green can be hit in two but there are a few things you are going to want to consider before hitting your second shot. I suggest that if you are struggling and are not scoring well then take the risk and go for it, because this could be a momentum booster before you start the back nine. However, if you are playing well I suggest you lay up and play it safe and hit the green in three. The reason I say this is because there is a water hazard short right of this green so if you decide to go for it take enough club because you want to be long instead of short on this hole. If you layup, the spot to aim for is around 100 yards, that will give you a prime third shot to the green.

After a fairly easy front nine the back nine can be where you save your round or turn it into one of your best golf days ever (hopefully). The tenth tee box is raised above an open fairway that slopes slightly uphill so you do have a blind shot off the tee, but driver is safe because over the slight hill the fairway is open. The green is large and wavy so being accurate to this green is very important, because you don’t want to leave yourself with a 30 foot putt or maybe longer. Eleven is a dog leg right and is a short par 4 measuring only 317 yards. Hitting a driver is not a bad idea here but you want to make sure you fade the ball, if you hit it to straight you could go through the fairway. So, if you’re not the golfer who hits a good fade, a long iron off the tee is the safest way to go. There are two fairway bunkers on the right side if your drive is long enough they will not come into play. A large flat green with a bunker on the left side you should have no problems holding this green. Hole number twelve is a par 5 coming in at 508 yards, and is an open fairway. Crank the driver on this hole as long as you don’t hook right you will land in the fairway. Another green that can be hit in two and I suggest that it’s worth the risk going for it, because there are no hazards to watch for and the green is fairly large with bunkers located front left and right of the green. Thirteen is a 171 yard par 3, hitting to a big green that slopes right to left. Don’t go long on this hole there are woods right behind the green, if you’re going to miss, miss short. Fourteen is the last par 5 so try and take advantage of getting a birdie here. It measures 529 yards and is an open fairway. Driver is safe off the tee, but you do have a blind shot as the fairway moves slightly to the right. This hole I do not recommend going for in two. The green is not connected to the fairway and there is a large hazard right in front of the green. The best thing to do is layup, and your third shot will be a pitching wedge or sand wedge over the hazard. The green slopes right to left down to the hole, play your shot to the green to the right side so it rolls down to the hole, this will make your putt a lot shorter. Fifteen is a short par 4 measuring only 373 yards. This is another hole that you can capitalize on and hopefully birdie. Fairway is open and moves slightly left with trees on the right side, driver is a safe here and can put you in a prime spot to hit a short chip shot to the green. Sixteen is a par 3 that is wide open to the green, this green is again rather large sloping downhill so make sure you land your ball below the hole so your putt is easier going to the hole. When the green is sloped downhill you always want to keep your ball below the hole, this makes for a straighter putt to the cup. Seventeen is another short par 4 measuring only 390yards. This is a straight fairway with no real danger so again driver is safe off the tee. When hitting to this large green, make sure you come up short if you’re going to miss, going long will put you in the rough or in the second fairway. The eighteenth a par 4, 401 yards, a great hole to end your round on. A straight shot off the tee box, kind of a blind shot since there is a slight hill in the fairway, but no danger over the hill. Green is large with bunkers on the left and right. This hole is a great way to end the round and hopefully you can end with a birdie or par.

I was blown away by Rockledge; the course was in perfect shape the employees in the golf shop were extremely kind and helpful. I would recommend this course to any level golfer; this course can really boost your spirits and at the same time challenge your game to the fullest. Right now the course is in fall green fees so make sure you get out and play this course, I know I will one more time before the golf season ends.

Remember hit it long and hit it straight.

Pine Valley Golf Course

Welcome back to Green In Regulation. This week is about Pine Valley Golf Course in Southington, Ct. Located on Welch Rd. Pine Valley is a public course that is for all level golfers. I played there for the first time about two weeks ago, and I was thoroughly impressed of the layout of the course and how well kept up it was. I’ve played a lot of golf courses over New England and I have to say that Pine Valley was a lot of fun and challenged my game in every way.

When I say that this course was a challenge, I’m talking about every shot I hit was a thinking man’s shot. Everything had to be precise and struck well. Off the tee I had to be precise and the shots to the green were really hard because the greens were small and rolling so they were tough to hit in regulation. This course I would recommend to anybody who wants to go out and really challenge their game. This course will also teach you a lot about yourself and how you play golf.

This course would be categorized as a small course coming in at 3,194 yards from the blues. Even though it’s a little shorter the tightness of the fairways and the layout of the fairways and greens make it a lot harder to play. With water on 6 of the 18 holes you can get yourself into a lot of trouble if you’re not striking the ball right.

The first hole of the course is a par 5 coming in at 510 yards and is fairly straight. There are two fairway bunkers on the right side that come into play off the tee some make sure you stay left. Also the left side is out of bounds so staying right is the best way to play this hole. The fairway is straight but is tight with trees going up both sides of the fairway. If you hit a solid tee shot you can hit this green in two and its worth going for the green in two because there’s not much risk up by the green, just two bunkers one of the front left and one of the right side. The second hole is par 4 measuring 414 yards and bends slightly to the left with trees on the right and left side. I’ll just let you know now, that most of these holes have trees running down both sides of the fairways. These fairways are tight and rolling which makes your shots harder to hit than playing on a flat fairway. After a tough first two opening holes, hole 3 should help you relax a bit. It’s a par 3 measuring 135 yards, which is below average for par 3’s. There are bunkers on the left and right so go right for the flag. This hole is one of the easiest on the course so take advantage. Hole 4 is 365 par 4 and bends slightly right but is a pretty straight hole again with trees on both sides. There’s no real danger on this hole and is short so if you hit a drive 250 yards or longer you’ll have a nice easy approach shot to the green and will give you a great chance for a birdie. Hole 5 is also a par, 360 yards and straight. Again this hole is short so if you hit a good drive you should be set up for another chance at birdie. Holes 4 and 5 can be great holes to help your score if you struggled through the first 3 holes. Hole 6 is a lot tougher. When standing on the tee you look out at the fairway and get nervous (I did), because of the water on the left side of the fairway. It’s 311 yard par 4 but the fairway slopes severely left to right down to the water. The trick on this hole to hit a good tee shot is either hit a draw off the tee box or land it on the top of the slope and let it run up the fairway and away from the water. A strong tee shot will leave you in optimal position to have a short chip shot to the green giving you another chance for birdie. If you go right on this hole it’s going to be a long day. Hole 7 is a 524 yard par 5 with water short right and won’t come into play off our tee shot. This fairway goes right and tightens up the closer you get to the green so if your laying up make sure you keep in right down the middle. Again this hole can be hit in two, and is worth the risk trying because there’s not too much trouble up by the green. Just don’t go long because you’ll be in the woods. Hole 8 is a par 3 and is a nice break after holes 6 and 7. It measures about 155 yards with only a bunker on the left front part of the green. Now you want to finish the front nine on a strong note and hole 9 is the 2nd hardest hole on the course and you need to play this hole carefully if you want to escape with a par. You’re teeing off over water, but will not come into play unless you hit a dud. The hole measures 420 yards and is a dog leg right. When on the tee you have the option to hit a iron or short wood and that will put you in good position in the middle of the fairway but you’ll have a longer 2nd shot. If you decided to go driver you can, just make sure you play it over the right trees and you’ll have a lot shorter shot to the green. If you decide to do that aim left and have the ball fade back in. If you go too far right you’ll end up in the trees. The green has 3 bunkers one to the left, one in the back and one front right. If you really concentrate and strike the ball well a par is a great score on this hole.

The back nine.

Hole 10 is a par 3 measuring 180 yards which is an average par 3 length. This green is small and surrounded by trees so there’s no room for error. Bunkers are on the right side. Next is a 371 yard par 4 and is a straight hole. Hole 11 only has trees going down the right side so it would be safe to play down the left side. This hole is straight out and can be a good hole to birdie or par. Watch out for the bunker of the right side of the green. Hole 12 is a par 5 coming in at 535 yards and is a severe dog leg right which could be tough hole for righties because you want to play a draw off this tee box. When on the tee box there is water right to the left of you but if you stay right or right down the middle then you’ll stay away from the water. If you are in the fairway after your tee shot the rest of the hole is pretty simple. There are trees on the left and right and bunkers on the front left and right off the green. This hole is tough so don’t be as risky and go for this green in 3 and putt for birdie. The next hole is the hardest hole on the golf course. Hole 13 is a 442 yard par 4 and is a dog leg right. The water on this hole will come into play if you hit your drive though the fairway. The water is in drivers distance. My tip is to hit an iron off the tee box to stay away from the water and then hit a long iron to this green, that’s the safest way to play this hole. The green only has 1 bunker and its behind the green so stay short. Hole 14 is another tough hole and is 490 yard par 4 and bends to the right. There are trees down the right side so stay left. There’s water right in front of the green so your second shot has to be precise. If you don’t hit the ball long enough you could end up hitting into the water hazard and adding a stroke to your score. There’s a bunker behind the green, so the trick on this hole is just to make sure you hit a solid second shot to the green. Hole 15 is a nice break after 2 of the hardest holes on the course. It’s a par 3 measuring 185 yards with a huge bunker in front of the green. If you come up short you will be in the sand so your club selection must be exact. 16 is a par 5 and a short 490 yards. This hole is straight with a fairway bunker on the right side and can come into play on your 2nd shot. The green is set behind 2 bunkers so your approach shot is better off being long. This hole can be hit in 2 and again is worth the risk. Hole 17 is a short par 4 measuring 363 yards with not as many trees as the rest of the course. However the green is surrounded by trees and has a green side bunker on the right. Hole 18 is a par 3 and a great way to end. Its 190 yards which is long for par 3’s but there is not much trouble only 1 bunker and it’s on the front left. This hole can be an easy par, which is a great way to end your round. At the end of the day this course is a par 71, (36 on the front 9 and 35 on the back). If you struggle through the first nine then the back can help you get your game back on track.
Again I recommend this to any level golfer. I had a lot of fun playing this course and I most definitely will be there again. If anybody plays this course let me know how you did and how you hit certain shots. I’m always interested in hearing how people play certain shots.

Remember golf is a game of patience and on this course you need your patience. Be patient and the good scores will come.

Remember hit it long and straight.

Video and Photography done by David Rosenblum.

NO MORE MELTING IN THE RAIN

NO MORE MELTING IN THE RAIN

It’s mid October and the regular golf season is coming to an end. It’s a sad ending to a good year, but it’s alright there’s still a little more time to play some golf. This time of year the weather is unpredictable. It could be in the 60’s one day and the next day could drop down to the 40’s with rain and wind. That shouldn’t stop you from hitting the links. Golf is a sport you can play through any weather except thunderstorms. A little rain and wind never hurt anybody. Playing in all different kinds of scenarios also makes you a better golfer and when you play through certain types of weather you’ll be experienced for when it happens again.

When playing golf on a day when the sun is out and the temperature is warm, you only have to worry about one thing and that’s hitting the ball solid. When the weather changes and it starts to rain, there are many things that you have to be aware of when going to play golf. Playing golf in the rain is a lot different than playing on a nice day. I want to inform you on the things that you need to do when getting ready to play and when playing.

So you made a tee time on Monday for Saturday, you didn’t know what the weather was going to be like you just knew you needed a tee time cause you wanted to play. It’s Saturday and it’s raining. That shouldn’t make you cancel your round, brave the elements and go and play. Before you leave the house make sure to grab a couple extra things:

1. Grab an extra towel or two for your hands and golf grips.
2. Make sure you have a golf umbrella.
3. Along with your regular golf glove, make sure you grab a pair of rain gloves.
4. Have a windbreaker or rain jacket.
5. Extra balls

Why are these needed? From personal experience I can tell you that these extra things will help make your day in the rain a lot easier. When I was in high school, I played through a match in the rain with no extra towel, no rain gloves and no umbrella. I struggled because I was soaked, my grips were wet and I couldn’t keep anything dry. After that round I knew that I needed to change the way I played in the rain. So I had my golf coach give me some tips. Having an extra towel or two is key. One towel is used to keep your hands dry when you take them out of your gloves. The other towel is used to keep the grips on your clubs dry; because once the grips go you can pretty much kiss your round goodbye. If the grips are to wet their going to move around in your hand and you will not be hitting the ball solid. Now most people wear a glove when they golf, it gives them extra grip on the club. When it’s raining out a regular golf glove is no good. That’s why buying a pair of rain gloves and putting them in your bag is not a bad idea. The rain gloves are great because the more they get wet the better grip on the club you will have. So the rain will no longer affect your gloves and how you grip the club. A rain jacket or windbreaker is nice to have because that will keep your dry and warm during your round. Being wet and soggy is no fun and can really put a damper on your game.
This weekend in the New Britain area is supposed to be a wet one. So take these tips and go out and play in the rain. The more you play in different scenarios the better you will get.

Remember hit it long and hit it straight.

GETTING OUT OF THE SAND

Hello there fellow golfers. Welcome back to Green In Regulation. In my last blog I was at Stanley Golf Course here in New Britain, I wanted to go back to Stanley and give you a little more information on the course. Now a big part of any golf course is the bunkers. You have fairway bunkers and you have green side bunkers. Both can be very difficult to deal with, but if you have the right stance and take the right swing going into a bunker shouldn’t be scary for you any longer. Many amateur golfers despise bunkers, it’s always a drag when you hit your ball into one, because you have the mind set of never being able to get out. Hitting a shot out of a bunker is very different then hitting off the fairway (which is where you would rather be). At Stanley there is a total of 64 bunkers, which is a fairly large amount, so the chances of you hitting into one are high.

When approaching a sand shot there are a few things you should be thinking about. 1. Hit atleast 1 inch behind the ball so the sand carries the ball out of the bunker for you. 2. Have the ball in the back of your stance. 3. Keep your hands ahead of your club when taking the swing.

Remember hit them long and hit them straight. No longer be afraid of the sand.

Hometown Golf Course

Stanley Golf Course

Hello all my fellow golfers, I hope everybody has been able to get out and play some golf over the past week. The fall is here and it's a beautiful time to be out on the golf course. There’s not much time left to the season so I’m jumping right into the golf courses that we have in this area. Right here in New Britain we have Stanley Golf Course. Located at 245 Hartford Road, New Britain, Ct, it is a delightful place to go and play 9 or 18 holes.

When you pull into Stanley you automatically get the feeling that this golf course is professionally run and is going to be fun to play. They have a driving range on the site for you to warm up and they also have a over sized putting and chipping green to get your short game ready for your round. They are well organized there and every time I’ve played there we never had a long wait. All the employees are very kind and helpful in choosing which course you want to play. Stanley is made up of 3 different courses. The white course which plays at a par 36, the blue course which plays at a par 35, and then there’s the red course which also plays at a par 36. If you’re playing from the tips the white course is the longest coming in at 3,230 yards. The red comes in 8 yards shorter at 3,222 yards and the blue course plays a little shorter at 3,149 yards. So has you can see this course is designed for any level golfer to go out and play and be able to shot a good score.

The first time I played Stanley Golf Course was about 3 years ago when I was a senior in high school. I was entered in a tournament the Junior PGA Championship. It was just another tournament for me but I was still a little nervous because it was a new course and I didn’t know what to expect. I teed off on the white course. The first hole is a par 5 coming in at 511 yards. It’s nice to be able to open up with a par 5 because it gives you the ability to be more aggressive and go for a birdie. It’s a straight hole with trees and bunkers running down the fairway but is fairly wide open. The trouble with this hole is when you come around the green. This green is set behind a hill and with 3 bunkers down the right side of the green and 2 bunkers on the left side of the green. So your approach shot must be right on. The greens are big and soft so if you hit a solid shot you should be able to hold the green no problem. The 2nd hole is a fairly easy par 4 that bends a little right from the position of the t-box. There is out of bounds of the right so aim down the left side of the fairway. There is a fairway bunker down the right side but can easily be driven over for best position in the fairway. The approach shot is welcomed by a big green with 2 bunkers on the left side. So after the first 2 holes you get a break and come to the first par 3 on the course that measures about 165 yards, slightly down hill with 3 bunkers in the front of the green. Again you are welcomed by a large green that slopes right to left and downhill. Keep the ball below the hole and you should be fine. Holes 4 and 5 are pretty similar holes; they both have water on the hole. Number 4 is 377 and 5 is 390. You must keep your drives left on 4 and on 5. If you are having a rough day or playing really well, hole number 9 will be a big help to you. It’s a par 5 coming in very short at 482 yards. An easy hole to hit in 2 and have a chance for eagle. When teeing off on 9 you want to keep your drive on the left side of the fair way to have the best angle for an approach shot. Again you are hitting to a big green with an oversized bunker on the left front edge of the green. It’s a fun hole and could be a good score if played right.

The white course is probably the hardest of the 9 holes of the 3 courses, but all players should give it a try and test their skills. Pushing yourself to the limit makes you that much mentally tougher and a better golfer.

The green fees are manageable at Stanley. For 18 holes it’s $31 and for 9 holes it’s $18.50. I would say it is most definitely worth the money because it’s a challenging course that will make you play smart and really push your skills. It’s well designed and is brings out all parts of your game. It can get kind of confusing finding which hole you’re supposed to be on because there are 3 courses but the signs will direct you with ease. Enjoy playing Stanley.

Remember hit it straight and hit it long.