Andrew Rice Golf

Riviera'a Timeless Tenth (Shackelford)

Having had the opportunity to watch the majority of the NBC broadcast over the weekend I was very impressed with the diversity and interest that Riviera seemed to possess in just about each of her holes.  I have never had the good fortune to play or visit Riviera Country Club, but the images of the course on television forced me to make a mental note to get there at my first opportunity. And I certainly don’t need Jack or Sly or Arnold to complete my experience – the course itself appears to be more than enough thank you!

Of the holes that caught my eye none was more exciting or interesting than the 315 yard 10th.  Designed in 1926 by George Thomas Jr. this could be my new favorite hole in golf. A well thought out hole that rewards just the right amount of bravery one day and just the right amount of caution the next – just be sure to get your days matched up.

From therivieracountryclub.com:

Arguably Riviera’s finest hole, the 10th ranks among the world’s great short par fours, its timeless strategic challenge having perplexed golfers for more than eight decades. The key is the putting surface, an angled, extremely narrow target with a dangerous right-to-left slope. Though reachable from the tee, only a perfect drive will hold this green – and a tee ball missed even slightly right will generally result in a bogey, or worse. The smart play is a fairway metal down the left side, but the temptation to go for the green remains eternally tantalizing…

Steve Stricker's Approach on Saturday (Shackelford)

As you study the picture above taken by Geoff Shackelford (who did a fantastic job covering the event in person) on Saturday you’ll notice many of the subtle design features.  As Steve Stricker plays this approach into the green (which is the perfect position to play from!) keep in mind that the green slopes quite aggressively from right to left. This means that if you have a go and happen to miss right, you now have a shortish pitch from the rough to an extremely narrow green that runs away from you. No bargain even from close range.

Should you have a go and happen to hit the low, left quacker (we all know it!) then you’re only faced with a 50-60 yard sand shot. No bargain either.

Jack Nicklaus on the 10th at Riviera:

I love option holes and this one has more than any short Par 4 I know.

Looking Back from Behind the Tenth Green (Shackelford)

My question is this: Where have all the golf courses like Riviera and holes like the 10th gone? Can it possibly be that difficult to build a golf course that incorporated a little thought and planning? Golfers are pleading for interest over torture.

Give me a golf course filled with interest and I’ll play it over a long, torturous monster anyday. I’ll start with the 10th at Riviera, then play the 9th at Harbourtown, then the 4th at Spyglass and follow that with the 6th at Ballybunion……

Golf should be fun and Riviera looked exactly that!

Michael Sim

This man has a very impressive swing and demeanour. I predict he will win at least twice on the PGA Tour this year! His swing is a picture of balance and simplicity and is rapidly becoming my favorite swing on the PGA Tour.

Join his Facebook Fan page here

We have all seen the images before, but here is a wintry primer to help you get through these last 60 days of winter and get you ready for the Masters.

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Here are a few interesting tidbits from the recent PGA Golf Trade Show:

• Loudmouth Golf has definitely gone way too far! Their line is turning into a veritable assault on anybody’s unfortunate retinas. Blatantly obnoxious!

Would you be seen dead in these?

Just in case you were wondering they even have a handy dandy matching jacket that goes with these.

• As much as I don’t  agree with Hank Haney ’s teaching philosophy I do like the latest putting aid he has created (I even like the name they chose!):

The Putting Impact System

This system is available from Eyeline Golf  (enter IMPACTBOOK for a discount).  To putt better the putter face must be square at impact – very true!  TrackMan experts have found that the clubface plays a much bigger role in where the ball goes than the path and this becomes even more of a factor at lower clubhead velocity like in putting. This teaching aid works and I like the ball liner that is included in the package.

• V1 Golf remains cutting edge as they continue to pull tricks out their technology laden sleeves. This year students will be able to not only view their lessons online (this is not new) but they will be able to upload those lessons to Facebook to share with their friends and even download the all new iPhone V1 Golf application at iTunes.

• Another excellent putting aid from Eyeline Golf (enter IMPACTBOOK for a discount) is the Putting Laser+. Use this training aid indoors to get a sense for how the face opens and closes in the stroke while the path should remain on a straight back and through.

The Putting Laser +

• During my time spent walking the floor I saw quite a few golf celebrities including David Leadbetter, the aforementioned Hank Haney, Gary Gilchrist, Dottie Pepper, Duffy Waldorf, Anna Nordquist, Paula Creamer, Nancy Lopez, Mike Shannon, Rick Smith, Mitchell Spearman and Jim McLean. It was almost like being at the Grammy’s….

And lastly, if you are travelling to Orlando and plan on staying in the International Drive/Lake Buena Vista area I would highly recommend the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress. Beautifully refurbished and a steal at the Priceline price of $85 a night! And if you love sushi don’t miss Tiger’s favorite sushi stopover in Amura.

I have just returned from the PGA Golf Show and came back with a very positive vibe. While it is always good to catch up with friends, old and new I feel that the game of golf is doing just fine even without Tiger.

Here are a few notes on what I found to be the highlight of my trip:

• Even though this is their second year at the show I found Swing Catalyst Studio to be the most exciting and positive piece of technology involving golf instruction. Last year I reported on the Swingia Balance Plate, but the Swing Catalyst takes the same idea to a new level.

• The Swing Catalyst Force Plate seamlessly integrates with video analysis software and an optional launch monitor (TrackMan). The force plate is housed in a tee unit covered with artificial turf. 
• The Swing Catalyst Force Plate enables the teacher to view a student’s centre of gravity, stance and pressure distribution both live and recorded, in real time and in slow motion. Additional data on rotational force, tempo and rhythm are also available once the swing has been captured.
• The best feature shows what percentage of a golfers’ weight is on each foot. Many systems have this option, but none go so far as to indicate what part of the foot the weight is located on.

When integrated with a TrackMan system and 300 fps cameras, Swing Catalyst provides the optimal in instructional tools – an upper level viewing experience, all the numbers pertaining to the club and ball flight and now all the numbers pertaining to the body, force and weight positioning.

With integration this really is the Rolls Royce system available on the market today.