Tip of the Month

By John Pallot
Director of Instruction

November 2007: SUCCESSFUL SURGERY AT THE BILTMORE

A facelift restoring the Biltmore Golf Course to the approximate shape, look and playing character of its original identity was recently completed.

Thanks to the Seaway Corp. and the City our eighty-two year old Grand Dame of Coral Gables golf after six months of nips and tucks, heads for New Year looking pristine, young, alluring. Were he alive today, Donald Ross, world renowned golf architect who created the Biltmore and what's now Riviera C.C. back in 1925, would be pleased.

The redevelopment master plan was prepared by architect Brian Silva who specializes in work on Donald Ross designed courses. His vision: integrate modern agronomy and construction techniques with classical Ross principles of golf course design. Silva’s plan dealt with six main areas:

1. GREEN RESTORATION. The process of recapturing the size, shape, contours, and orientation of original Ross greens and re-integrating them with the movement of surrounding landforms. Original Donald Ross greens were intricately shaped and set at sight angles to define strategic lines of play. Through the years the greens were raised by decades of topdressing and had become much smaller through encroaching native grasses. Silva added 131,000 sq. feet of green and flattened fourteen greens to reinstate firm, fast conditions enabling the ball to run and roll on the ground as Ross envisioned.
2. TREE MANAGEMENT. Because of tree plantings and overgrowth, the Biltmore was growing away from Ross's standards. Many Ross courses have been dramatically overdone with vegetation. To recapture the Ross look we relocated 27 coconut and sabal palms and added 5 Florida oaks. This greatly improved the aesthetic landscaping and playability of the Dame. The extra trees also brought more safety for golfers.
3. RECAPTURE INTENDED LANDING AREAS. Additional length offsets the growing impact of technology on the game. Today, as we all know, golf balls are traveling greater distances than ever before. Innovative golf equipment demands that aging holes be lengthened in order to bring their intended shot values and landing areas back into play. Our new back (black) tees recapture strategic bunkers and reclaim distinct ground features in the original landing zone. Holes 3, 7, 8, 12, 17, and 18 have been lengthened. #17 is once again one of the toughest holes in town.
4. RECLAIM LOST CROSS BUNKERS. Cross bunkers and carry-bunkers exemplify the Donald Ross style. Ross used landforms as an opportunity to place bunkers. Cross-bunkers positioned in diagonal alignments were typically used to expose the movement of the terrain. Although these bunkers were ordinarily well short of play, they added balance and flow to the hole as golfers utilized their visual impact to orient and shape suggested shots in conjunction with the prevailing landforms. Reclaiming his original bunker patterns will help revive the intrigue of thoughtful shot making. Silva added 6 cross bunkers and moved 10 bunkers closer to the landing areas.
5. RESTORE EXISTING BUNKERS. Our existing bunkers have typically lost much of their Ross character due to years of sand build-up, spray, and erosion and the use of mechanical rakes on their edges. Bunker sizes diminish; bunker floors lose their intended depth; their shoulders lose original contours and muscle; and their sand/grass lines lose their edges. Our bunkers were renovated to re-instate the sand/grass lines to their proper size, shape, and depth by scraping away the excess. I really like the new bunkers. The sand is fluffier, but my sand wedge with 12 degrees of bounce is perfect in these conditions. The grass fingers also are a nice touch.
6. RENOVATE PRESENT TEE COMPLEXES. Old tee surfaces typically need to be expanded, re-aligned, laser leveled, and squared off at the corners. Our tee complexes are now perfect! The best in Dade County.

I'd like to also brag about the improvements to the John Pallot Golf Academy. We now have a 16,000 sq. foot lesson tee. A 2500 sq. feet putting green and a genuine Ross bunker. Three sets of target greens at varying distances define our driving range. If you want to simulate a golf hole this is where you need to practice. Our 3 acre short game area has been reconfigured and re-grassed. It remains the best in South Florida. If you need a lesson or just want to improve your short game there is no doubt where you've got to go.

With our new expanded greens lag putting is even more important. Lag putting means rolling the ball within three feet of the cup. Roughly 40% of your score is determined by your putting. This month's tips will help you get the ball closer to the cup and eradicate those costly, annoying three-putt greens. I recommend three drills for exceptional lag putting.

1. THE PRAYER DRILL. This is an excellent drill to add to your pre-shot routine. It helps you feel your arms swinging without wrist action. Wrist action makes good distance control almost impossible. Assume your athletic posture (back straight, eyes directly over ball). Now, without holding the putter, place your hands together with the palms facing each other. Now swing your arm back and through five times. Your arms will automatically tilt your shoulders if wrists are firm and in line with forearms. Your head and lower body must stay still. I use this to check for and eliminate wristy putting.
2. THE BOWLING BALL DRILL. When practicing, bowl a few balls toward the target. Notice how your eyes focus on the target and your brain tells your arms how much swing is necessary to roll the ball toward the target. Try this drill the next time you practice. Bowling the ball requires plenty of arm swing to create the desired pendulum motion.
3. LOOK AT THE HOLE WHEN TAKING YOUR PRACTICE STROKE. A great number of tour pros use this before their putt. I saw Mark Calcavecchia actually putt this way. It's the same concept as the bowling ball drill. Eyes see and sense the target. Body and arms respond. I highly recommend using this exercise as part of your pre-shot routine.

Using these drills and exercises will really help your long putting.

Thanks to Seaway and the City of Coral Gables for giving us back Mr. Ross's rolling greens, squared off tee boxes, and lurking bunkers.