The new golf balls, club heads, and club shafts in the right combination make the ball go farther than ever.

After we discovered Chris Novak hit a drive well over 440 yards, Kevin Pilipczak hit some monster drives while playing in the Dr. Steven Oristian Golf Tournament Sunday at Dutch Hollow. Pilipczak was playing in a group with Mike Lesch, Patrick Carbanaro, and Jason Lesch when he unleashed a drive on the 10th hole, a 368-yard par 4, where they found the ball over the green. On No. 8, a 512-yard par 5, Lesch hit a sand wedge to the green for his second shot from 105 yards. Then, on the seventh hole, a 367-yard uphill par 4, the ball was 30 yards short and in front of the green. On all these holes there is a lot of carry involved to get the ball those distances.

Today's game is a whole different game from the days of persimmon drivers and soft balata balls. The giant hollow spring face drivers on the end of lightweight, new-age graphite nano-technology golf shafts give the young, strong flexible players an unprecedented chance to produce these long drives.

But everyone can prosper.

There are demo clubs to try at just about every course that has a PGA pro, and at practice facilities where ever you go. No matter what your age or skill level, you can gain distance and accuracy and shoot lower scores. With a little practice anyone can turn their game around.

The team of Tom and Cheryl Lee and Tom and Sue Giltner won the June 1 edition of the Dutch Hollow He-She golf tournament with a four-person, one ball out of four scramble gross score of 32. The team of Gary and Nancy Hart and Tico and Nancy Mazzeo won the net division with a 23. Second-place gross went to Ed and Colleen Myers and Bill and Rosemary Cholette with a 36. Second net went to Carl and Kristy Weber and Faith and Mike Brigandi with a 24. The team of Lee, Lee, Giltner, and Giltner had an 18 net score.

There is nothing more elusive than the image of a golf swing. Those that understand the mechanics and who are able to apply those things to their natural way of doing things are the ones who “hit it good.”

As we hit the busy part of the golf season in full swing, remember to fix as many ball marks as you can when you are waiting to putt on the green. Fixing ball marks makes the putting surfaces smooth. Remember, too, to play “ready golf” as often as you can. All this means is that you are ready to play when it is your turn, or play when you can as long as it is safe and nobody is in you path or line of fire. Keep pace with the group in front of you and don't worry about the group behind you. And show consideration for other players on the course. We are all in a hurry to do everything these days, but try to avoid moving, talking, making unnecessary noise, or driving your golf car, or letting your cell phone ring as other players are playing. A good rule of thumb is to treat other players as you would like to be treated yourself.

What is the “course record” at your facility? It would be great to be able to measure the relative difficulty or different courses in the area. Email me with the record at your course.

See you on the links!