Liberty Country Club News and Views   Vol. 1-3

We have it on good authority that Spring will follow Winter this year!

As we woke up to what will hopefully be the last snowfall of the season, winter weather certainly continues to hold on this year. And, as another golf season rapidly approaches, we hope that you will join us at the Liberty Country Club as often as possible. Our plan is to post a regular newsletter as a link on facebook, through our e-mail system, and on our website libertycountryclub.com. If you are a regular facebook user please like us at Liberty Country Club or send Bruce Gregory a friend request and you will be able to link to the newsletter each time it is posted. 

April 1st will be the date the clubhouse will open on a daily basis in 2013. Please call ahead for clubhouse opening times prior to the 1st. We have been, and will continue to open as the weather permits until the 1st of April.

 

Dues are Due 

A minimum of 1/2 of your dues are due by April 15th with the balance due by May 15th. If you have already paid your 2013 dues, thank you! At $565 for a single membership we think we offer the area's best golf value.

New in 2013 for those age 24 and under

The millennial card is what we will be calling a new offering for young adults age 24 and under. It will be offered in addition to our offerings of $280 for college students without a parent member ($100 if parent is a member).

Young adults who wish to participate simply purchase a card for $35. We will give you a punch card good for 10 buckets of range balls and you will be entitled to $10 green fees throughout the season. If you would decide to join later in the year, we will credit you up to 1/2 of the dues due based on the number of $10 green fees you paid. As an example, you purchase a millennial card in April and by the end of May you have played 10 times ($100 in green fees) we will credit you $50 toward your dues membership should you choose to join for the remainder of the season.  

 

Let us help you improve your golf game.

In each of these newsletters we will post links to articles that others have posted that may be of interest to your golf game. Below are 5 of the most recent.

Top 5 issues killing golfers over 50
Hip rotation help
Short Game Tip
How to Execute a few Short Game Shots
Mental game putting tips

2013 Standing Tee Times

There are some changes to the weekend starting schedule in 2013. If you had a standing tee time in 2012 we have attempted to keep it the same or within a few minutes of what it was. Please check with us to see what it will be for the coming season.

The changes that have been made will enable us to offer more open times on Saturday and Sunday mornings and reduce the number of front nine / back nine times that alternate each week. Generally, if you have a starting time before 8:00 am you will alternate front to back as you have been doing. If you have a standing time after 8:00 am you will always start on the front 9. And, depending on the afternoon outing schedule, there will be open times at either 10:00 am on the front 9 or from 8:00 am to 9:00 am on the back 9 each week.
There are still some standing tee time available, please see us if you want one or won't be using yours in 2013.

What is the best time to play?

Will you play your next round in the morning, or will you take advantage of the extra hour of sunlight and play in the evening? Is there an optimal time to play?
To maximize your performance and lower your scores, we’re offering the following tips.

Dobson Ranch Golf Course in Mesa, AZ, at sunrise.

Early to Bed, Early to Rise…Early to Golf?
Gary Player once said, “If there’s a golf course in heaven, I hope it’s like Augusta National. I just don’t want an early tee time.”
But not everyone agrees with The Black Knight’s perspective. In fact, many golfers prefer early morning tee times – and often have no choice, due to their work schedules.
For some golfers, the positives of morning tee times are obvious: lower temperatures and humidity, less crowds, and improved course conditions. But there are some negatives to playing at the break of dawn, too.
According to The New York Times, Dr. Charles Czeisler, professor of sleep medicine, Harvard University, believes golfers should not play early in the morning.
“From a circadian rhythm standpoint, 6:30 in the morning is the worst possible time to play golf,” said Czeisler. “You will be less flexible, your coordination will be off a little, your judgment will not be as good, and your short-term memory would be affected.”
The circadian rhythm, your body’s “internal clock” so to speak, is influenced by darkness and light over a 24-hour period. This natural rhythm, which helps to control humans’ activity levels, leads to peaks in mental and physical capability, varying according to the time of day.
Consequently, during an interview with Golf Digest, Darrel Drobnich, the former chief program officer for the National Sleep Foundation, recommended that golfers either play between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., or later in the afternoon.
“There are two periods of the day when the body has less alertness,” Drobnich said. “One is midnight to 6 a.m. (and) the other is 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.”
According to The New York Times, Czeisler agrees, advising golfers to begin their rounds either around 9 a.m., or 4 p.m.

Rivers Edge Golf Course in Needles, Calif., at sunset.

Twilight Golf: The Best Option?
Further evidence has proven that late afternoon and early evening tee times are ideal, when physical performance is optimized to its fullest potential.
The New York Times has reported that past studies have shown athletes’ strength, flexibility, and mental capacity peak between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Meanwhile, according to The Wall Street Journal, Michael Smolensky, an adjunct professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Texas, Austin, has revealed that physical performance tends to rise to its highest aptitude between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. In addition, he has found that muscles and joints are up to 20 percent more flexible in the evening, thereby minimizing the risk of injury.
Of further interest, Boris Medarov, an assistant professor of medicine at New York’s Albany College, has discovered that lung capacity function increases by nearly 18 percent at 5 p.m., when compared to earlier in the day.
But, if you have no option other than early morning golf, Shawn Youngstedt, associate professor, exercise science, University of South Carolina, has realized you can still make the most out of your tee times – by resetting your circadian system.
“There is empirical evidence that bright light in the morning will help adjust the body clock,” Youngstedt said. “It does not take a lot and can affect mood, behavior, and function.”

And ... a parting shot

On occasion, a drain tile clogs or an irrigation line blows that can cause a hole to form. Check out this guy's problem by clicking the link below.

Wow, and we thought some of our tile blow holes were big!

Liberty Country Club News and Views Vol. 1-2

  

It's almost time to let the      Golf Bug Bite!

The forecast indicates warming temperatures beginning next week, March 4th thru 10th. If so, we will be open the latter part of next week. Please call 765-458-5664 or watch for postings via social media for updated information.

We need your help

Sometime in early April we will be asking anyone interested, to attend a focus group meeting at the Club to give us some ideas on how we can improve the Club's operation. Please watch for details in the coming weeks. 

Part of the input we will be looking for is how we can best communicate with golfers and, when possible, make them raving fans of Liberty C.C. Please open the following link for an article explaining one of the processes we are trying to develop. 

Prosumers

Please use great care when bringing non-golfers to the course

While we encourage introducing new or potential new players to the game, it is important we are mindful of the inherent risks for those who are on the course. 

An Outing With Grandpa

June 3, 2011 | Permalink

The Indiana Supreme Court recently issued a decision which tees up the surviving claims for settlement or trial.

In Pfenning v. Lineman, a sixteen year old girl accompanied her grandfather to a golf outing, where she proceeded to drive the beverage cart.  The grandfather, accompanying her at the outset, bailed out shortly thereafter to join a shorthanded group of golfers.   He left her in the custody of his sister, but she, too, opted to play golf, and the girl thereafter was left with an employee.

Sure enough, the girl got clobbered in the mouth by a hooked drive.  The ensuing lawsuit was brought against the golfer, the club, the sponsor of the outing and her grandfather.  The Indiana Supreme Court upheld summary judgment in favor of the golfer and the club, citing the inherent risks of the game, but denied summary judgment for the sponsor of the outing and for the grandfather.  According to the court, there were issues of fact concerning the presence or absence of a windshield and roof on the cart, and exposing the girl to risks when she was unfamiliar with the sport.

Upshot:  golfers can swing with impunity, but those inviting non-playing guests may be responsible for their safety.

Turf Tips

In this blog will attempt to provide some timely tips you may be able to use at your home throughout the growing season. We often are asked our thoughts on lawn maintenance, the article below, from Nebraska turfgrass professionals, describes how to best seed this time of year. Dormant seeding is the 2nd best time of year to seed your lawn, second only to early fall. 

Still time left to dormant seed

Feb. 24, 2013
Turf areas that did not green up before winter are likely dead and will not recover in the spring without reseeding.
Seeding now will enable the seed to absorb water and then start the germinate process as soon as soil
temperatures warm. Waiting to seed in the spring risks critical delays due to soils that are too wet and conflicts
with other spring clean-up and maintenance tasks. Much of the north central Great Plains is covered in snow, but
applying seed directly over snow risks seed loss by wind and/or flowing with melting snow. We much prefer to
apply the seed directly to the soil if possible. Be careful with herbicide use following seeding because most herbicides will negatively affect germination or establishment. (See Link Below for Crabgrass germination timing) 
 Following is a summary of points to maximize success of dormant seeding.
Soil preparation: Though simply broadcasting the seed and allowing it to work into the soil naturally
through frost-heaving can be effective, it is better to improve seed-soil contact with aerification, powerraking, tilling, power-overseeding, or some other form of cultivation. Wet or frozen soils will likely
determine which cultivation is best for each situation, but maximizing seed-soil contact is essential for
successful dormant-seeding.
Species: Kentucky bluegrass or tall fescue work best, but avoid perennial ryegrass since it may germinate
in a mid-winter warm-up only to die in ensuing cold temperatures. Buffalograss can also be dormantseeded.
Seed rate: Our typical recommendation is to seed at 10-25% higher rates than normal to account for seed
loss via erosion, animal feeding, etc. Seed Kentucky bluegrass at 3.0 lbs/1000 sq ft, tall fescue at 10
lbs/1000 sq ft, and buffalograss at 3.5 lbs/1000 sq ft on bare soils. These rates can be cut by as much as
one half if overseeding into existing stands with thin turf. We have research studies current underway to
further define seed rates for dormant seeding.
Mulch on bare soils: Mulch is likely not required, but may reduce potential erosion or seed movement. A
tackifier may still be required on the mulch to minimize wind loss before spring. Hydroseeding can be
used on bare soil if air temperatures are warm enough to apply. Erosion blankets or sod should be used
on highly erodible areas.
Fertilizer: Starter fertilizer should be applied as the seedlings emerge. Apply 1.0 to 1.50 lbs P2O5/1000 sq
ft depending on soil test levels. This same fertilizer and same rate should be applied again four to five
weeks after emergence and maybe again at eight to ten weeks after emergence depending on the density
of the new stand.
Irrigation: Dormant-seeded areas will need irrigation after seeding just like any new seeding. Once soil
temperatures reach 50F, irrigate as often as needed to maintain moisture in the top ¼” of soil, which may
mean irrigating once or twice per day. Irrigate less regularly and in larger volumes as the seedlings
establish. However, dormant-seeded areas may need irrigation all summer as these relatively young
plants will not be mature enough to withstand drought stress.
Mowing: Early mowing on any newly-seeded area encourages lateral spread and quick fill-in. On most
areas, set the mower 10-20% lower than the regular mowing height for the first 3 to 5 mowings to
encourage the most rapid fill-in. Mow as soon as the first few leaves of the seedlings reach the mowing
height and mow regularly thereafter (in spite of only apparently affecting a small percentage of the
plants) to maximize fill-in.




When will crabgrass germinate?


Just my opinion, but I would consider not putting any herbicides down until late fall if you are doing any seeding this Spring. Yes you will most likely have some weeds, but you should easily be able to clean the stand up this fall and next spring with some properly timed herbicide applications. Don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions.

For those of you inclined to work on your golf fitness  

With the golf season rapidly approaching we thought the following article on a little pre-season fitness might be in order.

Fitness Friday: Be A Multi-Plane Athlete

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013COMMENTS (0)

Walk into any commercial gym in your neighborhood and spend a few minutes watching people exercise. Forget about the people on cardio machines, and pay no attention to sloppy form or unusual grunting sounds. What I want you to observe is how people are exercising. See any common threads?

You might not notice it at first, but almost all gym goers do exercises that move the body up and down or backward and forward. While no one would ever question the validity of doing lunges and push-ups this way, if you aren't moving your body in other planes of motion, then you are really missing key components of total-body fitness. This is especially true if you are training for golf.

Not only does the body move in straight lines back and forth and up and down, but it also moves from side to side and it can rotate. Think of your golf swing and how your body winds and unwinds. How your hips shift. How your trunk turns back and through to the target. How your knees flex and straighten. Knowing this, does it make sense to only exercise in straight lines?

Ben Shear, a rock star of golf fitness, trains his elite-level players on the PGA Tour (Jason Day, Luke Donald, Webb Simpson) to move their bodies in multiple planes. You can take almost any exercise that is done linearly and add other planes of motion. One example would be jumps. You should jump forward, jump up, jump to your side and jump and rotate into another direction all in the same workout.

Another thing to consider this coming season

Click on the link below for an article on proper game management. In other words, think before you act.

manage your way around the course to lower your scores
 

And finally a few golf related jokes:

Golf Jokes

We look forward to seeing you soon!