Fall is a good time for cycling

Reporter’s prelude: This past winter, I had so much fun trying out and writing about Central Oregon’s popular snow sports that The Bulletin decided to bring back a similar series for this summer. Join me as I explore a number of the region’s cherished summer sports and recreational activities. This week, I try golf.

Summer is finally here. The temperatures are warm, and the sun is shining, which makes this the perfect time to try your hand at golf, if you are so inclined.

Not only is the weather practically perfect, but with 30 courses scattered throughout Central Oregon, you also have plenty of places to play your new sport.

If you have little or no experience with golf, lessons are probably the best way to start out.

“If you want to take up golf, learn from a professional instructor,” says Kenneth Johnson, swing educator at Missing Link Family Golf Center in Redmond. “Stay with them if you can.”

The cost of lessons can vary. For example, junior camps at Missing Link cost $50 for four hours of instruction, while a 40-minute private lesson at Eagle Crest Resort in Redmond costs $69 for adults, and weekly ladies clinics there are just $15.

Wherever you go — and pretty much every golf course in the region offers lessons — Johnson recommends looking for courses that offer good practice facilities such as driving ranges, putting greens and holes that lend themselves to working on your short game.

“That is very critical if you want to reduce your score,” Johnson notes. “If you want to become positive in your game, you’d like to learn from the green back.”

When you are checking out golf courses for lessons, also keep the courses themselves in mind, as you will eventually venture out on them. (That is the point isn’t it?) Some courses, such as those with flatter profiles and/or less yardage tend to be more suitable for beginners than others. So do yourself a favor and begin playing on courses such as Missing Link, the Challenge Course at Eagle Crest Resort or Desert Peaks in Madras before you decide to tackle Pronghorn or Tetherow in Bend or Crosswater in Sunriver.

As far as equipment goes, Johnson advises starting out by renting some clubs. Work on mastering the fundamentals, start seeing improvement and decide you are committed to the game. When you reach that point, Johnson says, that is the time to get fitted for your own set of clubs.

From there, the world is your golf course, as you can spend years to come golfing in any number of locations trying to master the sport.

“Golf is for a lifetime,” Johnson says. “And you’re learning all the time.”

My turn

Prior to a couple of weeks ago, my experience with golf was basically nonexistent: a few rounds of miniature golf over the years and one stop at the driving range about a decade ago. So I had few conceptions about what to expect when I showed up at Missing Link for a lesson with Johnson.

He started me out with some coaching on my golf swing and without having me hit any golf balls, and I spent much of the first part of the lesson trying to get my mechanics down. I have heard that swinging a golf club is a bit of an unnatural movement, and I agree with the observation, but I did work to get the basics down. I found myself growing interested in the complexities of the movement, and I was constantly working on one aspect of my swing, only to find that then I needed to correct something else.

Next, Johnson moved me to the putting green, where I transferred the movements I was learning to the short game. This part of the lesson went especially well, and I performed many of the drills my instructor put me through with relative accuracy.

For the final part of the lesson, Johnson took me to the driving range and allowed me to take full swings at the ball. I would like to tell you that I was immediately able to launch the ball 150 yards with a picturesque swing, but that wouldn’t be entirely accurate. I drove a few balls a fair distance in the air, but that was not the most common outcome of my swing. And, in all honesty, I even whiffed at a few, but I found that more amusing than frustrating.

Overall, though, for my first lesson, I think that I fared pretty well. And though I have not been much interested in golf in the past, I can see now why so many spend so much time and effort — not to mention money — trying to master the game. As I could tell after just a couple hours, every golfer always has some aspect of the game to improve upon, whether a newbie or a major champion.

If you decide golf is for you, you will need to invest in some equipment. Foremost among what you need is a set of clubs, of course, as it probably is not ideal to borrow or rent clubs forever.

Nelson Von Stroh, general manager at Pro Golf of Bend, recommends beginners purchase a starter set of golf clubs. That way, he points out, new golfers who are determining their commitment to the game can start off with a solid set of equipment that should last without spending a lot of money. You can always demo or borrow clubs down the road if you decide you need to add to your collection.

Von Stroh also notes that novices, who tend to not possess a repeating — or consistent — golf swing, should take care to buy properly fitting clubs. Features to pay attention to, he adds, include club length, flex and grip size.

A golf glove for your nondominant hand, though not mandatory, can be useful, Von Stroh says, to protect against blisters.

“Your right hand is just there for the ride,” Von Stroh explains of right-handed golfers. “Your left hand controls the golf swing, so that’s why you wear (a glove) on the left hand.”

While you are out on the course, make sure to mind your feet as you will be walking around on them for several hours.

Von Stroh says today’s golf shoes are similar to running shoes and provide comfort and lateral support. The spikes on the bottom also protect against slippage and help golfers grip the ground when they are swinging the golf club.

As for golf balls, Von Stroh recommends using the same ball — or at least a similar type of ball — each time you play.

“The consistency of how the ball reacts to their game — not as important for a beginner as it is for an expert, but it is a factor,” Von Stroh explains.

— Amanda Miles

Quick tips: The essentials

1. Practice a little every day.

Being persistent in your game is one key to improvement.

“You want to pick that golf club up every day and swing,” recommends Kenneth Johnson, swing educator at Missing Link Family Golf Center in Redmond. “You don’t have to be at the golf course to swing it. You can swing at home for five minutes, 10 minutes, just to get the rhythm and finding where the bottom of your swing arc is.”

2. Maintain a proper perspective.

Golf is supposed to be fun. After all, it is a game, right? Keep that in mind when you are out on the links, and do yourself a favor and relax.

“We’re out here to have some fun, and we’re out here just to enjoy the beauty of the surroundings,” Johnson notes. “And you can’t do it, in my own opinion … when you’re either under tension, stress, anxiety, and most of all, the fear of failure.”

3. Slow down your game.

Some of us may have the tendency to try to swing as hard and as fast as we can at that tiny little golf ball. While it may seem a bit counterintuitive, taking a bit of the edge off your swing might actually be more helpful.

“Our brain traps us, and we have a tough time slowing down … letting our core power muscles — which is the hips, the legs, the back, the shoulders — catch up with the fast proactive muscles — the arms and the hands,” Johnson says. “That’s the biggest tip I can give, is to slow down: Allow your core muscles to swing through the ball.”

In The Bulletin

Tee to Green

Check out Zack Hall’s weekly column every Wednesday for all things golf in Central Oregon. The Bulletin’s helpful Central Oregon Golf Guide can also be found online at www.bendbulletin.com, in the lobby at The Bulletin and at many area golf courses.

If you go

Every golf course is different and some are better suited to beginners than others. The following courses are those suggested by columnist Hall for newcomers because of shorter course lengths and flatter profiles.

Crooked River Ranch

Crooked River Ranch Golf Course

541-923-6343

www.crookedriverranch.com

Madras

Desert Peaks Golf Club

541-475-6368

desertpeaksgolf.com

Redmond

Eagle Crest Resort Challenge Course

855-682-4786

www.eagle-crest.com

Missing Link Family Golf Center

541-923-3426

www.missinglinkgolf.com

The Greens at Redmond

541-923-0694

www.thegreensatredmond.com

Gear guide

If you decide golf is for you, you will need to invest in some equipment. Foremost among what you need is a set of clubs, of course, as it probably is not ideal to borrow or rent clubs forever.

Nelson Von Stroh, general manager at Pro Golf of Bend, recommends that beginners purchase a starter set of golf clubs. That way, he points out, new golfers who are determining their commitment to the game can start off with a solid set of equipment that should last without spending a lot of money. You can always demo or borrow clubs down the road if you decide you need to add to your collection.

Von Stroh also notes that novices, who tend to not possess a repeating — or consistent — golf swing, should take care to buy properly fitting clubs. Features to pay attention to, he adds, include club length, flex, and grip size.

A golf glove for your nondominant hand, though not mandatory, can be useful, Von Stroh says, to protect against blisters.

“Your right hand is just there for the ride,” Von Stroh explains of right-handed golfers. “Your left hand controls the golf swing, so that’s why you wear (a glove) on the left hand.”

While you are out on the course, make sure to mind your feet since you will be walking around on them for several hours.

Von Stroh says today’s golf shoes are similar to running shoes and provide comfort and lateral support. The spikes on the bottom also protect against slippage and help golfers grip the ground when they are swinging the golf club.

As for golf balls, Von Stroh recommends using the same ball — or at least a similar type of ball — each time you play.

“The consistency of how the ball reacts to their game — not as important for a beginner as it is for an expert, but it is a factor,” Von Stroh explains.

1. Practice a little every day.

Being persistent in your game is one key to improvement.

“You want to pick that golf club up every day and swing,” recommends Kenneth Johnson, swing educator at Missing Link Family Golf Center in Redmond. “You don’t have to be at the golf course to swing it. You can swing at home for five minutes, 10 minutes, just to get the rhythm and finding where the bottom of your swing arc is.”

2. Maintain a proper perspective.

Golf is supposed to be fun. After all, it is a game, right? Keep that in mind when you are out on the links, and do yourself a favor and relax.

“We’re out here to have some fun, and we’re out here just to enjoy the beauty of the surroundings,” Johnson notes. “And you can’t do it, in my own opinion … when you’re either under tension, stress, anxiety and, most of all, the fear of failure.”

3. Slow down your game.

Some of us may have the tendency to try to swing as hard and as fast as we can at that tiny little golf ball. While it may seem a bit counterintuitive, taking a bit of the edge off your swing might actually be more helpful.

“Our brain traps us, and we have a tough time slowing down … letting our core power muscles — which is the hips, the legs, the back, the shoulders — catch up with the fast proactive muscles — the arms and the hands,” Johnson says. “That’s the biggest tip I can give, is to slow down: Allow your core muscles to swing through the ball.”

— Amanda Miles