Matt Weinberger, Author at High School Golf

4 Rules of Golf every high school golfer needs…

August 31, 2021August 31, 2021
by Matt Weinberger

Reading Time: 2 minutes

As someone who has played, coached, and run high school tournaments, I can easily tell which coaches and teams emphasize teaching their players the Rules of Golf.

When we think about instructing high school players about the rules, the biggest thing I preach is approaching it as support them and not treating it like a quiz or scolding them for not knowing what to do (this is especially true for rules officials that treat high school events like the PGA TOUR). I have found the best way to learn the rules is by teaching the basics and then playing golf and helping players get around the course implementing the proper rules. From there, it’s all repetition. Once the players have a good understanding of the rules and begin understanding the advanced nature, that is where they can use the rules to help benefit their score.

Let’s review the 4 Rules of Golf every high school golfer (and coach) needs to know

Areas of the Course – Before you start diving into specifics, it’s important to know the 5 Areas as rules often apply based on which area he or she is in – Teeing, Bunkers, Putting Green, Penalty, and General Areas.
Taking Relief from Free Relief vs. Penalty – A helpful thing to remember when starting out is when getting free relief let’s say from Ground Under Repair, it’s typically a 1-club relief area. If you are penalized and is taking relief, it’s generally a 2-club relief area.
Cart Path Relief – Cart path relief is one of the most common relief practices that I see performed incorrectly (even by coaches). It’s also one of the most often needed rules since it happens to many golfers at least once a round. Learn how to take Cart Path Relief.
Play Two Balls – If you are not sure what rule should apply or don’t have a rules book simply announce to your partners you are playing two balls so you can ask a PGA Professional or rules official later on. Always remember to identify which ball is your preferred ball of the two you are playing.

The USGA also does a great job expanding on these on their “15 Rules Every Golfer Should Know.” If you have questions about the Rules of Golf shoot me an email and I would be happy to help (mweinberger@pgahq.com)

August 3, 2021

How to order golf bags for your high school…

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We receive questions frequently from high school coaches seeking guidance for how to order custom high school team golf bags. Here are 3 easy steps to keep in mind as you prepare for your next order.

1. Plan ahead – Customizing golf bags can take longer than you think. Whether your team competes in the spring or fall, planning ahead of other coaches will save headaches of backorders or slow lead times. Many coaches wait until 2-3 weeks before the season to start the process when it can take multiple months.

2. Working with the right person – Developing a relationship with the person you are ordering with is essential so you can communicate throughout the ordering process. Work with your local Titleist authorized PGA/LPGA Professional so you can learn about the high school team program pricing which will greatly help your team fit expenses within your budget. Find your local authorized PGA Professional by completing the form on the Team Bag Program page.

3. Order with new players in mind – One of the most common mistakes I hear from coaches is forgetting to order for incoming freshmen or not ordering for unexpected new players. If you are ordering bags with the logo and the player names embroidered, I suggest ordering a few extra bags with just logos (no names) so you can get them embroidered locally.

Titleist and FootJoy are the Presenting Partners of the NHSGA. You can learn more about the Team Bag Program and check out other equipment and apparel deals available for your team by completing the form. Feel free to email NHSGA Manager Chris Noble at Chris@highschoogolf.org

Posted By: Matt Weinberger

August 25, 2020

High School Golf Pace of Play Best Practices during…

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COVID-19 has impacted all of our lives and also has affected golf courses in many different ways – both positive and negative. Since the initial shutdown, courses have followed Back2Golf guidelines and gone through the re-opening phases.

During the initial re-opening of golf courses, I played courses that took strategic approaches to ensure all guidelines were followed. During the process, I found almost all courses were able to create a great pace of play and I believe some of these practices will help going forward as new phases are entered, even as courses enter the final phase. Knowing high school golf can struggle with the pace of play, I’ve outlined the below pace of play best practices during COVID-19 for high school golf administrators:

Intervals – Some courses had as many as 15 minutes between tee times (as opposed to a typical 9 or 10 minutes). One of the first things I noticed was how well we were distanced and how much that helped with pace well under 4 hours (even walking). As courses have lessened gaps to 12 or back to 10 minutes I think it is valuable for courses to reevaluate the pace of play vs. revenue per day based on the number of tee times weighing it against the experience of the golfers if they can play faster. For high school golf matches, encouraging longer intervals and gaps between groups can be a big help for a better pace of play during the round.

Putting with the flag in – I know this can be a hot topic for some Saturday regulars, but there is no doubt that keeping the flagstick in speeds up play. Many groups have make this the norm ever since quarantine started even though the USGA new Rules of Golf allowed for it as of 2019. I think we will see many high school golf matches plays with the pin in for the fall season. This simple rules adjustment will not only help limit the spread of germs, it will help speed up the game for years to come.

Walking & Shuttles – When courses only opened for walkers, I found I was able to maintain an even better pace of play compared to riding in carts. Of course walking is dependent on the course layout, but choosing to walk is something I will continue to do after being forced to do so during quarantine. As it relates to high school golf, some courses are “walkable” versus other golf course are not meant for walking. Ensuring you have coaches or parents for shuttles during the long walks between holes on those “unwalkable” courses is a must if you want to maintain a good pace of play during a high school golf tournament.

We all play a part in ensuring pace of play best practices are followed even as courses open up and enter new phases. If you have other stories of how you have improved your pace of play during Covid share it with us on Social Media (NHSGA Twitter). If you need help or have additional questions regarding the rules of golf, pace of play, or advice for the upcoming fall high school golf season, please send me an email at Matt@highschoolgolf.org.

Posted By: Matt Weinberger

May 18, 2020

How to set standards on high school qualifying procedures…

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Developing consistent standards for match or tournament qualifying procedures is one of the most important things a high school golf coach needs to do. High school teams can vary greatly in size and talent level, but all players benefit significantly in an environment in which they understand how they can qualify and ultimately compete for their team. Here is a coach’s checklist for setting standards for high school qualifying procedures:

Set a team schedule that is conducive to the size of your team – Many states have restrictions for total match count throughout the year (e.g. max of 19 matches). Of course it’s important to provide enough competitive experiences for your top golfers, but it’s also important to ensure your mid-level and beginner golfers have opportunities to compete, learn, and improve. Ensure your qualifying process for each of these matches or tournaments are clearly communicated as it impacts all of the golfers.

Structure qualifying to be repeatable and understandable – I have heard a lot of high school “horror stories” of coaches allowing players to compete solo or allow golfers to attempt to qualify on different days with different conditions. Although some exceptions need to be made, ideally players have the chance to qualify on the same day with as big of a sample size as possible.

Keep track of player averages and think about what stats matter – As a high school coach, I kept track of 9-hole match averages, 18-hole tournament averages, strength of competition, and difficulty of course and conditions played. Figure out the right balance for you as ideally if you have a big enough sample size, you can place some of your top players as “exempt” for particular events. The key thing when you place exemptions for tournaments is to clearly communicate who and why so players understand how many spots they are playing for during qualifiers.

Collect a big enough sample size of qualifying prior to events – For top team members it’s better to have 36 holes or more for high level tournament qualifying. 18 holes is typically enough to help fill final spots for tournaments and 9 holes can be useful especially for JV or mid-level tournaments.

Already have your lineup set? Here are some great on-course practice drills to help get your team tournament ready.

Posted By: Matt Weinberger