Golfer's Guide 3/25/23 TEL/EDW

And Where to Find Them

Golf Courses in Madison County

6 ways to improve your putting skills

Golf requires master y of a wide ar ray of skills. Many novice players focus on improving skills related to t heir swings Yet t hey shouldn’t over look t he impor tance of improving t heir shor t games as well.

In golf, shor t game ref ers to t he golf shots golf ers must make when t hey’re near or on t he green. According to Golf Distiller y, a golf play infor mation and tips site, shots like bunker shots, c hips and putts are par t of t he shor t game. Improving t hese skills can go a long way toward better ing one’s game.

1. Lear n “green-reading” tec hniques. According to a Golf Magazine-sponsored study t hrough Pinehurst Golf Academy, 65 percent of golf ers under-read t he break on a typical putt. Incorrect reads can add to many lost strokes. Reading t he green involves deter mining t he cor rect slope and distance. Golf ers who take dept h-perception tests and continually practice t heir skills at reading bot h t he distance and t he slope can improve t heir putts.

2. Change perspective. Dif f erent putts require dif f erent perspectives in order to assess bot h distance and slope, according to Todd Sones Impact Golf Sc hools. If t he putt is downhill, Sones suggests reading it from behind t he hole. If t he putt is uphill, read it from behind t he ball.

3. Practice consistent putter travel distance. While t he total lengt h of a

putt stroke depends on t he lengt h of t he putt, many golf instr uctors recommend consistency wit h t he distance t he putter head travels. Keep t he same distance on t he bac k stroke as on t he foward stroke. This will help create a nice, even roll. Most beginners tend to shor t t heir bac k strokes and increase t heir for ward strokes, resulting in less ball control.

4. Focus on an imaginar y c hannel. When putting, imagine a t hree- or four-inc h c hannel from t he ball to t he hole. Rat her t han star ing at t he ball, golfers can trac k t heir eyes down t hat imaginar y line, suggests t he exper ts at Golf Digest. Keeping a simpler focus rat her t han over t hinking t hings can improve putting.

5. Keep a steady head Instead of following t he ball wit h one’s eyes, a golf er should hold t he focus on t he star t of t he putt to foster a more steady head.

6. Change ball placement. Tr y moving to position t he ball just for ward of t he center of t he stance. This helps t he putter make contact at t he r ight moment to ac hieve t he slight lif t needed f or a successful putt.

Practicing at home or wit h a golf instr uctor is a good way to improve putting skills A strong shor t game can be t he key to improving your overall game.

SCAN THE CODE TO SEE WHAT IT ’S ALL ABOUT

Edwardsville getting 95-acre development hub featuring The Complex

The Com plex will of f er golf, dining at Par k N or t h

are pleased wit h t he developer ’s continued level of investment in our community.”

This group plans to open The Com plex, f eatur ing an upscale restaurant wit h a local, c hefinspired menu, a spor ts bar and an expansive outdoor patio area. The f acility will center around an 18-hole putting course inspired by ot her PGA venues and 40, climatecontrolled hitting bays of f er ing t he newest in gaming/golfing tec hnology and will welcome ever y level of golf er. In Febr uar y 2020, a Hilton Garden Inn and Travel Plaza, was announced.

Char les Bolinger, S t af f Wr it er

From Ma y 27, 2022 Int elligencer

A group of local and national investors is br inging a new golf and enter tainment com plex to t he easter n edge of Edwardsville.

Scott Ploc her, president of Ploc her Constr uction Com pany, Inc., and Chr istopher Byron, managing par tner f or t he Edwardsville-based law fir m Byron Car lson Petr i & Kalb, LLC, have f or med Par k Nor t h Development, LLC (“Par k Nor t h”).

Par k Nor t h will f eature 95 acres of pr ime hotel, office and retail development space available f or immediate build-to-suit purc hase or lease, located at t he sout hwest cor ner of Interstate 55 and Route 143.

“

We are excited by t his development, as t his will be anot her amenity in our city f or our residents t hat of f ers recreational and dining oppor tunities,” Mayor Ar t Risavy said. “It is a com plimentar y use to Plummer Family Par k and we

The Com plex will be located nor t h of Edwardsville’s Plummer Family Par k and will be t he first of many new developments in Par k Nor t h. As par t of t he development, Spor ts Par k Dr ive, whic h enters Plummer from Goshen Road now, will be extended t hrough Par k Nor t h to a new intersection at Route 143, whic h will become t he gateway to Par k Nor t h and Plummer Family Par k , eliminating t he need f or Interstate 55 traffic to circle around on Ridge V iew and Goshen roads.

300 Tricentennial Ct, Cahokia, IL (618) 332-6944

prairiesgc.com

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