18 Ways to Play a Better 18 Holes

Imagine calling on Stanford, Yale, and Princeton and selecting their finest faculty to enlighten you on their given area of expertise—and making all that insight and information available for the price of a paperback book. John Steinbreder has done just that for the game of golf by calling on elite PGA club professionals to provide tips on everything from putting and practicing to hitting specialty shots and eliminating the slice. Learn driving from Scott Davenport of Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina; bunker shots from Bob Ford at Oakmont Country Club near Pittsburgh and Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida; and even how to take an effective golf lesson from Suzy Whaley at River Highlands in West Hartford, Connecticut. Gene Mattare of Saucon Valley in Pennsylvania reveals the keys to better chipping and putting, while Brendan Walsh discusses the importance of being fit for your clubs and how to do it. And Darrell Kestner of the Deepdale Club on Long Island demonstrates how golfers can better compete. Not to be overlooked, the book entertainingly concludes with a review of the best “19th holes” at some of America’s most prominent links and the refreshing drinks that are served at them.

By John Steinbreder

Table of Contents Introduction Chapter 1. Driving : Scott Davenport, Quail Hollow Golf Club Chapter 2. Bunker Play: Bob Ford, Oakmont Country Club/Seminole Golf Club Chapter 3. Productive Practice: Jack Druga, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club Chapter 4. Putting: Mike Shannon, Sea Island Golf Club Chapter 5. How to Better Compete: Darrell Kestner, Deepdale Club Chapter 6. Club Fitting: Brendan Walsh, The Country Club Chapter 7. Finding Five: Scott Nye, Merion Golf Club Chapter 8. Iron and Hybrid Play: Eden Foster, Maidstone Club/Calusa Pines Golf Club Chapter 9. How to Take an Efficient Lesson: Suzy Whaley, TPC at River Highlands Golf Club Chapter 10. Chipping: Gene Mattare, Saucon Valley Country Club Chapter 11. Eliminating the Slice: Brian Crowell, GlenArbor Club Chapter 12. Three Building Blocks: Tim O’Neal, North Shore Country Club Chapter 13. Pre-Shot Routine and Visualization: Mike Summa, Stanwich Club Chapter 14. Fitness and Conditioning: Bill Stines, Scioto Country Club Chapter 15. Course Management: Bob Rittberger, Garden City Golf Club Chapter 16. What We Can Learn From the Touring Pros: Paul Marchand , Shadow Hawk Golf Club Chapter 17. Junior Golf: Dave Renzulli, Country Club of Fairfield Chapter 18. Specialty Shots: Billy Anderson, Eagle Point Golf Club Chapter 19. The 19th Hole: Gene Mattare and John Steinbreder Acknowledgements