"IF YOU LIKE GOLF"
weekly online golf column
by
Chris Dortch

October 14, 2003

There are still fall tournaments to play and an entire spring schedule remaining, but UTC’s golf team is showing signs of becoming a competitor in the rugged Southern Conference.

After Tuesday’s second-place finish in the Sonic/Chattanooga Intercollegiate at Signal Mountain, the Mocs now have three top-five finishes in as many starts. A different UTC player has finished third individually in all three tournaments, showing the team’s newfound depth of field.

"We’re starting to come together," said assistant coach Mark Guhne, who put in a lot of work recruiting many of the newcomers who have energized the team. "We’re beginning to shoot some low numbers. That’s how you win golf tournaments."

The Mocs began the season with a fifth-place finish in the Gulf Coast Collegiate Classic as junior-college transfer Thomas Smith tied for third after a final-round 4-under-par 68. That was the low round of the tournament.

Next, UTC traveled to Chicago for the Blue Demon Invitational and finished second in a field filled with solid Midwestern programs. Matt Brock finished tied for third thanks in large part to a second-round 70.

This week, the star was freshman Bryce Ledford, the long-hitting former McCallie standout. He tied for third in the Chattanooga Invitational after rounds of 68-67-73 for a 5-under 208 total.

Is UTC finally becoming a golf power, something for which its supporters have long hoped? Athletic director Steve Sloan has given the program unprecedented support and would love to see the Mocs contend with East Tennessee State, Furman and Georgia Southern, the SoCon’s established powers.

"We’re working as hard as we can," Guhne said. "You get good players and work hard and good things can happen."

• Jack Nicklaus once wrote that the only way to buy your way to a better score was to add a sand wedge to your bag. Of course, that was written well before the days of oversized titanium drivers, which have worked magic with the tee shots of seemingly everyone, from pros to hackers. But I’ve always remembered Nicklaus’ advice about the sand wedge. That’s why I carry four wedges in my bag.

I’m hardly one for dispensing advice, but for the uninitiated (read: higher handicappers), this is pretty sound stuff. One day last year I decided to assess how many times a round I used each club in my bag. I didn’t have to agonize over how much I hit the 3-iron. I play with copper irons, and it’s obvious which ones get the work and which ones don’t. The 3-iron looked like a new penny in comparison to the rest of my clubs.

Thinking back, I realized the only time I pulled out the 3 was when I needed to hit a punch shot from underneath tree limbs. Fortunately the need for that particular shot has diminished as my handicap has decreased. Thus, a snap decision was made. The 3-iron was banished, to be replaced by a wedge.

I already had a 60-degree wedge in my bag, which has become my favorite club. It’s useful out of bunkers, for approach shots from as far as 95 yards, chipping, and all manner of improvised flop shots, pitch and runs, etc.

I also carried a 52-degree gap wedge and a 47-degree pitching wedge. My decision to include a 56-degree wedge was easy.

To make the four-wedge system work, you have to know how far you hit each club. And the degree of bounce in your wedges should be dictated by your particular swing, or the courses on which you play.

Who needs a 3-iron?

Long irons, in fact, might well be placed on golf’s endangered species list. I recently purchased a utility club that has 19 degrees of loft and all sorts of technological advances that, without getting technical, make it easier to hit than a long iron. The club is so good I was sold after one swing.

Like my 60-degree sand wedge, this utility club has all sorts of practical applications. It can be used off the tee on tight driving holes, can be hit out of fairway bunkers, tight lies, and deep rough.

Just as Nicklaus said many years ago, golfers can buy their way to better scores with the proper equipment. The flop wedge and the utility wood are much more serviceable for handicap players than a 2 or 3-iron.

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