Why You Should Spend More Time at the Driving Range

As Minnesotan golfers, we don’t have the luxury of all-year round golfing.  When the warm weather hits, we try to hit the course as much as possible while there is no snow on the ground. Indoor driving ranges are an excellent way to keep loose and maintain your swing during the long winter months. So, if the indoor driving ranges are so crucial to keeping an effective golf game during the off-season, why don’t we utilize the outdoor driving range while the season is in full swing? Here’s a few reasons why we believe it would be beneficial for you to spend more time on the range:

Save Yourself a Few Strokes

Most of us know that usually the first hole is one of the worst of the entire round. Hitting a driver when you are not warmed up (especially if everyone around the proshop watching your group tee off) is a disaster in the making. Instead of showing up 15 minutes before your tee time, show up 40 minutes early and hit a bucket of range balls to shake off the cobwebs and be ready to impress.

Keep Your Game Fresh

Life is busy- there can be times when you cannot make it to the range for weeks at a time, which ultimately may cause your golf game to suffer. The perfect solution is to hit up the driving range. You may not have time in the day for a four-hour round of golf, but you may have the time to hit the range for 20-30 minutes.

“Practice Makes Perfect”

This is a quote we have all heard a few thousand times in our lives, but in regards to golf it is very relevant. Use the range to fix the biggest and smallest flaws in your game. What sounds better- having to aim 70 yards to the left of the hole so you can play your nasty slice, or being able to aim down the middle of the fairway and have a better chance with your putt?

Additional Workout

We golf because we love the sport, but it is a small bonus that we can get exercise from it as well. Take advantage of the range to stay active, help gain more flexibility and athleticism, and burn more calories.

Don’t overlook the driving range because it may hold the key to unlocking your golfing game to new heights. For additional help at the range and with your game, Blueberry Pines offers group and private lessons that can be booked online or by calling the Golf Shop at (800) 652 -4940 or (218)-564-4653.

Learning the Lingo of the Links

Have you ever been out golfing with someone and found yourself struggling to decipher the things they are saying? You may be encountering a fluent speaker of the “Language of Golf”. The terminology can get funky, but to clear a few things up, here are 7 golf-slang words that you may have heard around the course:

Mulligan
A golfer’s BEST FRIEND! It is technically a “do-over” and is not in the official rules, but it just becomes a natural part of the game when golfing casually with friends. Hit in the water? Mulligan. Hit it in that bush next to the tee box? Mulligan. Hit a house out of bounds? Mulligan…

“Nice Putt Alice!”
If you’ve ever contemplated launching your putter into the pond, you have probably heard this one before. The saying actually comes from the 1963 Ryder Cup, when Peter Alliss terribly missed a 3 foot putt and someone from the gallery yelled the now legendary line, “NICE PUTT ALLISS”.

Shank

Hitting a shank, or having the shanks is a term associated with hitting a
very bad shot or hitting several bad shots. A shank is a shot that is struck by the hosel of the club, and not the clubface, producing a shot that goes to the right for a right handed player. Be warned, however; some of the more superstitious golfers consider it very bad luck to even hear the word around the course.

Slice
Sometimes called a banana ball, hitting a slice is when you strike your ball, it starts out on a trajectory left of your goal, but spins far right of the target area (opposite directions if you are left-handed). If you ever hear someone say they hit a “fade”, that is a shot that slightly curves to the right, making it less drastic than a slice. A slice is a more harsh error.

Hook
A hook is the opposite of a slice- starting its trajectory right of your goal and curving far left (again, opposite directions if you are left handed). Rarely used intentionally, hooking your ball usually indicates an error in your swing, but is sometimes used to get out of a tight space or to curve your shot around obstacles. A hook with a smaller curve is called a draw, and is much more commonly used.

“Time to Put On the Sunblock”
You’d never go to the beach without your sunblock, right? Well, if you’re having one of those days where you find yourself in the sand and hitting it in every bunker on the course, then you better have your “sunscreen lotion” handy!

A Danny Devito
You hit an incredible approach shot and you confidently head up to the green for a short-medium length birdie putt! You grab the putter, read the green, line up the putt, and pray it goes in. Right when you make contact you know you made a huge mistake… You completely misread the putt and your second putt is now farther away. You just encountered a mean 5 footer, “A Danny Devito”.


When a sport has an avid following, there are bound to be a few terms thrown around that are only understood by the die-hard fans of the game, and golf is a prime example. Brush up on a few of these golf terms to be prepared for the lingo of the links on your next golf outing at Blueberry Pines.

The Etiquette of Golf

Spring has arrived, and golf season is quickly approaching. If you are interested in playing golf, you may want to know these seven basic etiquette rules before you take on your first 18 holes.

1. Repair the Green and Bunkers
On the green make sure to repair your ball mark, in the bunker make sure you rake the bunker when finished. If you see other marks on the green or notice that the bunker hasn’t been raked, it’s common courtesy to tidy up those areas as well. Leaving these areas unmaintained can be a nuisance to others.

2. Keep Quiet
One of the best things about golf is that it’s a social game, but you should always show consideration for the other golfers around you. Losing your temper or laughing loudly could disturb other golfers’ focus, so make sure you are quiet during another golfer’s swing.

3. Dress to Impress
Sweat pants and T-shirts may be acceptable for other recreational activities, but when golfing, it is common courtesy to dress appropriately. Female golfers should consider wearing longer shorts and a nice shirt. Men should consider wearing a collared shirt and dress pants or shorts. Guys no tank tops or muscle shirts please.

 4. Step Away from Your Cell Phone
There are three main reasons you should put down your cell phone while playing golf: First you may lose your focus- when continuity is interrupted it could affect the result of your game. Secondly, cell phones interrupt other golfers. When you are using your cell phone, your voice level tends to be higher than usual. Lastly, Cell phones slow down play for both you and others around you.

5. Early is On Time, and On Time is Late!
It is important to be early for your tee-time. Then keeping up with the group ahead keeps the pace of your golf game up to par. If the group behind you starts to catch up, let them jump ahead of your group and play through. If it is busy golf course, letting groups through may not be an option if there are solid groups behind the group behind you, this slows the entire golf course down 8 minutes per group let through. Play ready golf and play with undue delay.

6. Stay Inbounds!
Typically white stakes or lines mark the boundary line on a golf course. If you hit the ball out of bounds, the penalty is a stroke-plus-distance, meaning you add one stroke to your score and count all hits. Constantly hitting the ball out of bounds can cause your group to slow down! If you can, check out the course overview before you take on 18 holes.

 7. Golf Cart Driving
No one likes to see a reckless golf cart driver on the course. Taking sharp turns or parking to close to the green can ruin the grass. To help keep the grass well maintained, utilize the cart path as much as possible. If you absolutely have to drive on the grass, make sure you are steering clear of greens and tee boxes and do not drive too close to water hazards, mounds or bunkers.

Now that you know theses 7 etiquette rules, take the day off and head to the course! Check out our membership options membership options or standard rates, and make a plan for the upcoming golf season!