FORE!!!

FORE!!!

By Gerry Galbo
Columnist

Hello again to all you avid golfers in Chapel Hill and the surrounding towns and counties.

Once again, I find myself sitting inside, wondering when the weather will break and turn, if not warmer, at least more like an average winter. As of this writing, we’ve had some kind of winter precipitation for three weekends in a row, and this week there’s been enough that it’s still visible, if only in the shade.

Most local golf courses have been closed because of low temperatures and the need to cover their ultradwarf Bermuda grass greens. I’m not sure if any courses in our area still use bentgrass greens. Bermuda has largely taken over and truly does provide a better putting surface year‑round. That’s almost universally accepted by golf course operators and owners in the area, so it probably won’t change back.

What can we all do to keep the game in our lives until the snow and ice are gone and the courses aren’t too muddy to play on after everything has soaked into the ground?

Thanks to the PGA Tour, there have already been two exciting and scenic tournaments in Hawaii and California. Who didn’t notice Justin Rose winning the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in La Jolla by a seven‑shot margin? What an inspiration he is for the 40‑and‑over contingent playing professional golf. He beat a field full of younger players — many of them very talented — and did it in convincing fashion.

It was wonderful to watch the beautiful day from inside, with several inches of snow on the ground here. It brought back not‑so‑fond memories of winters in Connecticut before moving to Chapel Hill in 1987 — a move neither my family or I have ever regretted. As I wrote in my first column, there is no better place in the United States for year‑round golf.

How can we stay in golfing shape over the winter and be in midseason form when the weather allows us to get back out there?

I was never a nationally recognized golf instructor, but my friend and boss has been for a long time. He always showed me respect, and for me, that was enough. I do have a few tips that might be helpful.

First and foremost, for those of us north of 50, it’s very important to stay as flexible as possible while stuck inside. Just a few stretching exercises can be a step in the right direction. Of course, if someone wants to get stronger and hit it farther come spring, a gym membership can be very helpful. My goals now are just to maintain the distance I have — but I’m well past 50, so that’s realistic.

I recommend setting goals that are within reach. After all, we all have jobs and responsibilities that take time away from golf.

One thing we can all practice indoors, with complete success, is our pre-shot routine. If you don’t already have one, now is the time to develop it. It will help anyone’s game to have a routine that never varies before every shot — and to be aware of every part of it.

I once watched Payne Stewart become aware of a part of his routine that he didn’t always do, simply because he wasn’t conscious of it when he was truly focused. After working on that with Dr. Richard Coop, Payne went on to win a U.S. Open. I still remember watching him on TV and seeing him follow that routine before every shot.

Hit them well!

Gerry Galbo, PGA LM

Gerry Galbo is a PGA Golf Professional Life Member. Gerry brings decades of playing and teaching experience to this column and hopes to share advice and recount his experiences with golf in our area and North Carolina. “I have been proud to have met many of the past and present players on the PGA Tour and local golf celebrities in golf. This reporter can be reached at: Information@TheLocalReporter.press.