Article by Golf Digest
We are only one month away from leagues starting! 
Join us for this Tuesday Night league starting May 3rd! 
Call the Pro Shop to register!
217-528-6600
Is your game lacking some key shots? Perhaps the simplest solution is to have your clubs re-gripped. Our knowledgeable staff can help with the decision making and proper grip choice for your game.
GOLF CLUB REGRIPPING
Meadowview offers a range of quality grips. Ozone, heat, dirt, and oils from your hands all age your grips and cause damage. Grips that are the wrong size, worn out or that aren’t suited for weather conditions can all negatively impact your game. We recommend having your clubs re-gripped once a year or every 30 – 40 rounds depending on how much time you spend on the practice range.
A good grip can improve comfort, consistency and shot distance. You can personalize your grip type, size, color and material to get one that best suits your hands.
A grip should always be replaced if you notice any of the following signs…
• smooth hard surfaces
• cracks
• shiny patches
• worn spots
• loss of tack
GOLF CLUB RESHAFTING
Broken shafts happen and whether it’s an accident or on purpose we can supply and fit shafts from all the main manufacturers. We can simply perform a straight replacement or perhaps recommend a new improved type of shaft that could lengthen your drivers.
We have a large assortment of grips in stock or one day custom ship.
Stop in today to check out the selection.
The Players Championship begins Thursday at TPC Sawgrass, with a wet and windy forecast ahead. The GolfChannel.com writers weigh in with their predictions.
Pick to win and winning score:
Rex Hoggard: Rory McIlroy. Based on his last 36 holes, a horrid run of 8 over to finish a miserable week at Bay Hill, the Northern Irishman isn’t exactly a no-brainer pick. But he does have Mother Nature and history on his side. He won The Players in 2019 with a dominant performance and has always been most comfortable on a soft golf course, which is in the forecast at TPC Sawgrass. McIlroy wins his second Players title with a 13-under total.
Ryan Lavner: Collin Morikawa, 12 under par. Throughout his short but spectacular career he’s proven to be a fast learner, and TPC Sawgrass should accentuate his gifts as one of the game’s premier ball-strikers (take note of his best-of-the-day closing 66 last year). And when the conditions deteriorate over the weekend, he has the perfect temperament and self-belief to handle them.
Brentley Romine: Will Zalatoris. Ball-striking. Ball-striking. Ball-striking. I don’t care that he’s likely going to miss a few putts inside of 5 feet. He’s also going to hit more greens than just about everyone. In red numbers every day here a year ago, Zalatoris shrugs off a closing 79 at the API and gets his first PGA Tour title on the biggest non-major stage. As for the winning score, who knows; things could get crazy with the weather forecast, so I’ll play it safe and go a couple of shots under the over/under: 9 under does the job.
Full-field scores from The Players Championship
Pick to benefit from the wind and rain:
Hoggard: Jon Rahm. The world No. 1’s ball-striking has been sublime this year, but he continues to struggle with his putting. That ball-striking will come in handy when the winds are expected to gust to 30 mph on the weekend and upwards of 4 inches of rain will slow the normally slick greens to more manageable speeds.
Here are 5 stretches you should be doing to warm up before your game!
1. Twisting Stretch- Start with your legs wider than your hips. Rest your right hand on your lower back palm facing away from you. Inhale. With an exhale, bend the right knee and reach your left hand outside your right foot. With an exhale, lift your torso up and switch your hands, placing your left hand on your lower back. Twist toward the left reaching your right hand around the corner. Follow your hand with your gaze to exaggerate the twist. Repeat six times and switch sides.
2. Hip Press- Tight hamstrings tend to put a lot of pressure on your lower back. This stretch will loosen up the hips and hamstrings — releasing this pressure, alleviating back pain and increasing the range of motion in your legs.
Step your right foot forward in a short lunge position with both heels on the ground. Place your hands on your hips or hold onto your golf club with one hand to help with balance. Tuck your pelvis in. Engage your left glute and feel the stretch in your left hip flexor and quad. Inhale. With an exhale, bend your back leg and extend your front leg into a hamstring stretch. Lower your torso while keeping the back straight. Think of arching your lower back to intensify the stretch. With an inhale return to your lunge and repeat. Continue this action six times, breathing through it.
3. Scarecrow Twists- Start with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders. Place your golf club behind your neck and onto your shoulders with both arms over the golf club in a scarecrow position. Bend your knees slightly and inhale. With an exhale, twist to the right, pivoting in the left foot. Look around the corner to intensify the stretch. With an inhale, return to center. Repeat on the other side. Continue this twisting action six times on each side, breathing through it.
4. Standing Side Stretch- Standing up straight, plant your golf club into the ground with your right hand. Cross your left leg over the right and reach your left arm up and over toward the club. Then, open your chest and look at the sky. Allow your hips to go slightly to the left and feel the stretch in the left side of your body. Use your club as a balance point. Hold here for 3-5 breaths and switch sides.
5. Shoulder Flossing-Stand with your feet hip-width apart and grab your golf club with each hand. Lift the golf club over your head. With an inhale, begin to floss it behind you until it becomes parallel to the ground. With an exhale, return to your original position. If you want to intensify the stretch, inch your hands closed together; to simplify the stretch, move the hands wider apart. Repeat 6 to 8 times, breathing through it.
It’s been an incredible season of golf and it’s not over yet!! We experienced an abundance of wonderful golfing weather! We saw many new faces, all the regulars and we’re forever grateful for it after being so closed off the year prior. If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that we don’t take advantage of the great outdoors and what a little fresh air can do for us all. It’s so important, and with a sport like golf — you get to multitask — spend time outdoors, soak up the sun, enjoy the fresh air and relax while playing a sport you thoroughly enjoy!
As we enter into cooler temperatures & begin prepping the golf courses for winter conditions, here is what you can expect to see during your last few rounds of golf this year.
WINTER PREP
For the Oaks Golf Course:
We’ll begin overseeding the front nine fairways, trimming the trees along the tee boxes to enhance playability, applying a new surface road to the entrance road and upgrading some of the irrigation throughout the course!
For Meadowview Golf Course:
We’ll begin overseeding all the fairways and doing some bunker renovations, too!
WHY DO WE OVERSEED?
In golf, overseeding is a maintenance process. Grass seed is spread on top of the existing grass to promote new growth or to swap out seasonal turfs, essentially replacing once type of grass with another.
Because various grass types go dormant in the winter, it is essential to overseed with a grass that doesn’t do this so that grass continues to grow throughout the fairways regardless of season. In the Spring, the process will be reversed; we’ll begin overseeding the fairways with the regular season grass so that it can grow throughout the Spring & Summer seasons.
This ensures the health of the fairways & overall playability for all.
While we’re sad the regular season of golf is coming to an end soon, we’re excited to begin prepping all the golf courses for Winter so that come the Spring, they’re in their BEST shape for yet another beautiful season!!
Give us a call or visit the pro shop to register! 217-528-6600
Must register and pre pay by October 20th!
Unless you’re superhuman, you may not have been born with superb golfing skills like the rest of us.
With that being said, getting the hang of properly swinging the golf club may not come as natural to you as you would hope.
Does this sound familiar? Swing. Miss. Swing. Dig up the green. Swing. Flies to the left. Swing. Flies to the right. Swing. Got it! But then the next time you go to hit the steps repeat themselves.
So what do you do?
- You can always get lessons. Highly recommended! What better way to learn how to improve your swings than to have someone observing you and teaching you all the fundamentals?
- Make sure your clubs fit you! Having clubs which are too short or too long can really impact your body positioning which will impact the direction the ball takes flight when you finally hit it 😉
- Speaking of body, remember that the power of your swing comes from your entire body, not just your arms. Focusing on swinging with your body will help you become more consistent and have more control over the depth of your shot.
- Even though your body controls the power, don’t forget you have arms and let them bend or “chicken wing” after you make contact. Follow through with your swing. Commit to the end.
- Practice, just like we’ve been told since we were younger. If you want to improve your swing, it may take you a few games to catch on, understand your body positioning and start to gain consistency.
- Have fun and remember that everyone starts somewhere.
Have you ever driven by a golf course and thought to yourself, “Wow, I really wish I golfed, but I have no idea where I would even start?” or reminisced with your friends and thought, “I wish I knew this before I started!”
Well, we decided to poll our golf courses through social media and find out what the golfers wish they knew before they started or what their best advice for new golfers were and here are some of the responses:
Stick with it! Be patient and have fun!
Practice and enjoy the game and remember that it is only a game.
Accuracy over distance!
Golf is a game that cannot be beat, remember that and have fun!
After your game, go relax and talk over things you could have done differently to improve your strokes.
The ball is not going to go straight every time you hit it. Don’t get frustrated, and focus on your next swing.
Play your ability and not your ego! So if you need a little bit of assistance, take it.
Don’t give up too easily, even the professionals have off days.
Tee the ball to the correct height. Tee high for drivers and low for irons.
Take lessons at your local course.
Ask questions!
And last, but not least, always remember that a bad day of golf is still better than a good day at work.
I guess what we can gather from all the responses is that golf is a game of fun, relaxation and time with friends, family and those we love (even if we want to beat them on that scorecard). Always remember to hold your head up and swing with meaning, because even if you miss the green it’s better than sitting at work.
