Ultimate springtime golf fitness tips for "real" golfers

By Tim McDonald,
National Golf Editor

For those of you unfortunate enough to live in the North, you must be salivating at the thought of the spring golf season.

Hold on, Tiger. You ain't the man you used to be. You can't just jump up and go straight to the golf course after a long winter of sloth and mold.

Now, you will find any number of charlatans willing to sell you their total golf fitness regimens. These sleazoids always assume you're a golfer interested in a cleaner, healthier way of living and golfing. I've seen you out on the course, and I know that's not the sort of thing you're "into."

So here is my total golf fitness regimen for the "real" golfer:

• For God's sake, you have to strengthen your core! This involves eating really hard food, like jawbreakers. Eat a bag of those and have your neighbor punch you in the gut to see if your core is all it can be.

Options: Month-old fudge, Purina Dog Chow, pine bark.

• You also have to really work your obliques, I mean really work the hell out of them. Here's the perfect exercise for that. Lie flat on your back with knees bent slightly wider than your hips. If you have really fat hips, you're either going to have to really stretch your knees like in a cartoon, like The Elastic Man from India, or just skip this exercise. In fact, if you have really fat hips, just skip playing golf, nobody wants to see you out on the course.

Now, you slim-hipped people reach your hands to the ceiling like you're crying out for the Lord Jesus Christ to spare you from your miserable existence. You can hold light hand-weights, or not. What do I care? Lift your head and chest toward the ceiling and rotate to reach both hands just outside of your fat, right knee. Repeat on the left side. Now, take a breather. Ask Christ for forgiveness.

• Breathing exercises: Breathing properly and deeply is critical, especially for those tense moments on the course when normally you would start crying.
This deep-breathing exercise involves attending your local adult movie house, or calling up one of those sites on your Internet browser. Follow your instincts. It's either that or follow mine, and then you're looking at jail time.
• Horizontal abduction/adduction: I can't give you much help here, because I always get "horizontal" confused with "vertical," and I have no idea what adduction is. Who came up with that word, anyway? It's a stupid word and should be eliminated from the English language, if it's even English.

• Standing hip rotation: Don't do this. It makes you look like a girl.

• Alcohol fitness: How many times have you lost $2 Nassaus because while you were getting hamboned, your playing partners were just holding up that bottle of Jack Black pretending to drink?

Well, no need to waste good liquor. You can still drink and maintain your competitive edge. You just need to build up a tolerance. Stand upright in a dark closet, with a wide stance, and suck it down. Keep drinking until your wife leaves you.

• Aerobics: Ha! Don't make me laugh. This is golf!

• Putting: Don't bother to practice putting. Putting in golf is overrated. I play golf maybe 200 times a year and I've yet to meet anyone who can putt. You either make it or you don't. If you miss, just keep putting until the ball goes in the hole. Simple.

• Seniors: As we age, our bodies react differently, so seniors must prepare for golf differently than young punks. An important thing to remember is that there is an inverse relationship of increased ear hair to laughably short drives off the tee.

So keep those ear hairs trim and neat. If you're proud of your thick mane of ear hair, don't sweat it. If you're short off the tee, you're probably small in other areas, and I think you know what I'm talking about.

• Excuses: A healthy psychological outlook is a must for Better Golf. If you can convince yourself that the snap hook you hit into the weeds over there is not your doing at all, you'll retain the confidence needed to excel in the game.

The first time you smack one of your all-too-typical lousy shots, turn to your playing partner and snarl," "Will you stop that!" Look at him, looking all hurt and everything. Who would have thought golf fitness could be so much fun?

• Torque development in the downswing: This is so important, I can barely contain myself. This is vital to any golfer who has ever wanted to improve his score. You could even say it is absolutely critical in terms of reaching your full potential as a golfer and knowing what it is to be truly human.

• Alignment and posture: Face the target squarely and stand erect, with your rump jutting out slightly. Feels a little silly, doesn't it? Can you think of another situation in life where you would position yourself in such an odd manner? I can't.

Missouri Valley Announces Golfers of the Week

This week's Missouri Valley Conference golfers of the week are Todd Obergoenner of Southern Illinois and Missy Linnens of Missouri State. Obergoenner led the Salukis with a second-place individual finish at the ASU Indian Classic, while Linnens placed third in the Susie Maxwell Berning Classic. This week marked the final tuneup for the women's programs as the State Farm MVC Women's Championship is next week (Sunday-Tuesday, April 13-15) in Omaha, Neb.

Miller, Hood Take MVC Golfer of the Week Honors

This week's Missouri Valley Conference golfers of the week feature a pair of medalists. Illinois State's Drew Miller earned top honors at the rain-shortened Branson Creek Invitational, helping the Redbirds to a second-place team showing. And Southern Illinois' Braidy Hood won the Saluki Invitational, helping SIU to a 17-stroke team victory.

MEN
Competing for Illinois State as an individual at the Branson Creek Invitational, Miller took individual-medalist honors at the 12-team, rain-shortened event hosted by Missouri State. Miller carded a two-day-total of 143 (73, 77) on his way to a one-stroke victory at the par-71, 7,036 yard Branson Creek Golf Club. Miller’s second-round 70 was the low mark of the tournament’s second round, and helped him claim his first-career victory. Miller is currently tied for the team-lead with 23 rounds played this season and improved his stroke average to 75.1.

Branson Creek Invitational Results -- at bottom of page.

The Evansville men's team competed at the rain-shortened adidas Hoosier Invitational. Matt Hunsaker finished sixth in the field of 88 after two rounds in Bloomington, Indiana. The junior put together rounds of 75 and 70 to finish in the top ten for the Aces. Results: http://golfstat.com/2007-2008/men/mtoursp08/M4522.htm

The Wichita State men's golf team turned a two-stroke lead after 36 holes into a nine-stroke tournament victory in Tuesday's final round at the 2008 Diet Pepsi Shocker Golf Classic, which was held at the Wichita Country Club. Ryan Spears led the Shockers with a three round total of 212 (69-69-74), and finished in third place. Dustin Garza and Ty Sanders were each four strokes back with identical scores of 216, and finished tied for ninth. Results: http://golfstat.com/2007-2008/men/mtoursp08/M4931.htm

WOMEN
Junior Braidy Hood won the 2008 Saluki Invitational after shooting an SIU record low 67 in the second round of the tournament. Hood's 67 broke the previous SIU record of 68 for an all-time low 18-hole score. Hood finished the first day of the tournament tied for first with a 72. Hood's total of 139 broke the Saluki Invitational record for 36-hole score, which was previously 145. Hood broke records on her way to the tournament win despite the Salukis moving their home tournament to Crab Orchard Golf Club due to course conditions at their home course, Hickory Ridge Golf Course. Hood also had to battle wet and windy conditions at the tournament.

Saluki Invitational Results -- at bottom of page.

Elsewhere, the Wichita State women's golf team placed ninth in the University of Cincinnati Spring Invitational, which concluded Saturday at the Plantation Inn and Country Club in Crystal River, Fla. The Shockers were paced in the 54-hole event by sophomore Krista Hrdlicka, who notched a 19th-placed finish with a score of 235 (77-80-78). Results: http://golfstat.com/2007-2008/women/wtoursp08/W0202.htm

Branson Creek Invitational, Branson Creek, Hollister, Mo., Par-71, 7,036 yards


Fin Team                     Scores
  1 Missouri St. U.          289  294    583   +15
  2 Illinois State U.        285  300    585   +17
  3 UMKC                     299  291    590   +22
  4 Drake University         294  300    594   +26
  5 Murray State Univ.       292  304    596   +28
  6 Eastern Illinois U.      301  296    597   +29
T  7 Oral Roberts Univ.       295  303    598   +30
T  7 Tennessee-Martin         297  301    598   +30
  9 Creighton University     294  315    609   +41
 10 Northern Iowa, U. of     300  311    611   +43
 11 Southern Illinois U.     305  310    615   +47
 12 Bradley University       323  337    660   +92

Fin  Name                  School      Scores
  1  Drew Miller           Ill. St.     73   70    143    +1
  2  John Cronly           MissouriSt   70   74    144    +2
T  3  Jack Courington       MissouriSt   74   71    145    +3
T  3  Josh Taylor           UMKC         73   72    145    +3
T  3  Luke Joy              Drake        75   70    145    +3
T  6  Damaso Carrera        MissouriSt   71   75    146    +4
T  6  Jeff Kellen           Ill. St.     72   74    146    +4
T  6  Scott Stiles          O.Roberts    71   75    146    +4
T  6  Terance Begnel        O.Roberts    73   73    146    +4
T 10  Cameron Carrico       Murray St.   70   77    147    +5
T 10  Mike Imburgia         E Illinois   72   75    147    +5
T 10  Tommy Bliefnick       Ill. St.     69   78    147    +5
T 13  Alex Hogben           UMKC         76   72    148    +6
T 13  Ben Murphy            Ill. St.     73   75    148    +6
T 13  Bradley Stevens       Tenn-Mart.   74   74    148    +6
T 13  Cole Floyd            Tenn-Mart.   75   73    148    +6
T 13  Jared Wolfe           Murray St.   71   77    148    +6
T 13  Joe Emerich           Ill. St.     71   77    148    +6
T 13  Jordan Weber          N. Iowa      73   75    148    +6


Saluki Invitational, Crab Orchard Golf Club, Carterville, Ill., Par-70, 5,846 yards

Fin Team                     Scores
  1 Southern Illinois U.     299  286    585   +25
  2 Illinois State Univ.     306  296    602   +42
  3 Bradley University       299  306    605   +45
  4 Murray State Univ.       301  311    612   +52
  5 Drake University         312  301    613   +53
  6 Indiana State Univ.      309  305    614   +54
  7 Northern Iowa, U. of     312  304    616   +56
T  8 Creighton University     310  312    622   +62
T  8 Eastern Illinois         319  303    622   +62
 10 Eastern Kentucky         320  315    635   +75
 11 Western Illinois U.      334  319    653   +93
 12 Rend Lake CC             349  338    687  +127

Fin  Name                  School      Scores
  1  Braidy Hood           So. Ill.     72   67    139    -1
  2  Kelly Gerlach         So. Ill.     74   68    142    +2
T  3  Olivia Lansing        Drake        76   70    146    +6
T  3  Tiffany Hockensmith   IL St.       72   74    146    +6
  5  Breanne Smith         Indiana St   72   75    147    +7
T  6  Bari-Lynn Erais       Bradley      75   73    148    +8
T  6  Leigh Sutton          Creighton    72   76    148    +8
  8  Molly Schemm          N. Iowa      73   76    149    +9
T  9  Kayley Bodine         Indiana St   78   72    150   +10
T  9  Laura Harris          IL St.       75   75    150   +10
T 11  Amy Simons            E Illinois   79   72    151   +11
T 11  Becky Allen           W Illinois   76   75    151   +11
T 11  Melissa Rosloniec     E Kentucky   78   73    151   +11
T 11  Rikki Sobel           Bradley      75   76    151   +11
T 11  Stacey Miller         IL St.       79   72    151   +11
T 16  Andrea Downer         Murray St.   74   78    152   +12
T 16  Christine Zoerlein    So. Ill.     78   74    152   +12
T 18  Carrie Riordan        E Illinois   76   77    153   +13
T 18  Lauren May            So. Ill.     75   78    153   +13
T 18  Mackenzie Mack        Indiana St   78   75    153   +13
T 18  Whitney Cox           Bradley      77   76    153   +13

Steve Skinner succeeds founder Lesnik as KemperSports CEO

NORTHBROOK, Ill. -- Steve Lesnik, co-founder and chief executive officer of KemperSports, announced last week at the company’s annual managers meeting that he is turning the mantle of CEO over to President and COO Steve Skinner. “Steve will have complete authority over the day-to-day affairs of the entire company, effective March 1,” Lesnik said.

“We have been implementing a succession plan for several years now and this is a critical milestone. My role in the future will be limited to supporting Steve, who becomes only the second CEO in the company’s 30-year history,” said Lesnik.

Lesnik said that with Steve Skinner assuming the duties of chief executive officer, President Josh Lesnik will continue to focus on overseeing all development, operations, and marketing activities at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort as well as supervising other KemperSports partnerships with Bandon Dunes owner Mike Keiser. Lesnik also will be the senior executive responsible for industry relations and golf competitions on behalf of the company.

KemperSports is entirely privately held. Initially it was owned by Kemper Insurance. It was acquired by Lesnik and co-founder James S. Kemper Jr. in 1983. Lesnik has been the controlling shareholder for the past decade during which time the Kemper family’s shares were repurchased. Recently, both Skinner and Josh Lesnik have become shareholders of the company.

Lesnik’s philosophy has been to emphasize premier service, grow the company gradually and to keep ownership within active management. KemperSports currently operates in 24 states and Latin America. The sports marketing and public relations firms have been in continuous operation since 1979, when they were founded by Lesnik and his wife Mady, and represent many well-known corporations and sporting events. Today, the company’s orbits of business activity are golf operations, athletic clubs and lodging; sports marketing; and, public relations.

In 2007, the company eclipsed a billion dollars in assets under management.

Skinner has been president and chief operating officer of KemperSports since 2006. He formerly was president of KemperGolf Management, a division of the company focused on third-party management operations. Since joining KemperSports in 1998, Skinner has been charged with various assignments, including piloting the company’s growth initiatives and development operations.

In 2001, Golfweek named Skinner to its annual “40 under 40” list. In 2000, he co-founded along with Mr. Lesnik, The First Tee of Chicago. He is also a member of the Illinois PGA Golf Hall of Fame Committee.

Prior to joining the golf industry, Skinner practiced law with Mayer, Brown & Platt in Chicago and served as an official in the first Bush Administration. He earned his law degree from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from Lawrence University.

Josh Lesnik began working for the company part time as a teenager 23 years ago. He is a graduate of Drake University and has a M.A. in Marketing from Roosevelt University. He is a director of the Western Golf Association, serves on the regional affairs committee of the United States Golf Association, and serves on the boards of the Chicago District Golf Association and The First Tee of Chicago.

Steve Lesnik will continue as chairman of the board of directors. He is also a member of the board of directors of Career Education Corporation (NASDAQ) and has been a member of the boards of many civic and charitable organizations in Illinois, including a term as chairman of the board of the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

About KemperSports

Northbrook, Ill.-based KemperSports operates golf facilities as well as athletic clubs, lodging venues and major sporting events, including nationally ranked courses and tournament venues such as Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Chambers Bay, Harding Park, Dorado Beach Resort & Club, The Glen Club, Desert Willow Golf Resort and the Chicago Park District golf facilities. Affiliate KemperSports Marketing & Communications, a sports marketing, events and public relations agency, has produced and managed major national and international events and communications programs, including the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational college basketball tournament and numerous PGA TOUR events. For more information, visit www.kempersports.com.

Jacobson Renovating East Course at Indian Lakes

Golfers everywhere know about the island green on the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass. Each year during the Players Championship TV viewers indulge in the not-so-guilty pleasure of watching frustrated PGA Tour pros dunk their tee shots into the drink around the putting surface.

It won't be long now until Chicago-area golfers have an opportunity to challenge an island green, too. Golf architect Rick Jacobson is including an island green as part of his renovation of the East Course at the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort in west suburban Bloomingdale outside Chicago.

The new No. 8 hole is Jacobson's new 150-yard par-3 original whose 9,000-square-foot green sits in the middle of a large pond. "It's the kind of hole that will really get people's blood going," Jacobson said. "And it will be a great hole during competition whether it's a professional event, high school tournament, junior golf competition, or a friendly foursome, because on that hole one tee shot can change the match."

Jacobson's new eighth is just one aspect of his overall re-design of the East Course, which will go from the current 18 holes down to a nine-hole championship caliber course.

Jacobson knows his way around Indian Lakes. It was he who transformed the resort's West Course into the highly acclaimed Blackhawk Trace, which re-opened all 18 holes in 2003. "We are very excited to have the opportunity to return to Indian Lakes Resort and complete the transformation of its golf facilities," Jacobson said. "Our goal is to integrate the new nine holes and the practice area with the existing 18-hole Blackhawk Trace course and to provide golfers with a fun, challenging, and aesthetically pleasing experience."

The net result of the current renovation will leave the resort with a top-flight 27-hole golf course and practice facility.

Jacobson said the island green hole, which will play into the prevailing southwest wind, will feature a wood retaining wall and a front greenside bunker.

In order to accommodate Indian Lakes' substantial outing business, Jacobson said the aesthetic look of the new nine holes will be consistent with the character of Blackhawk Trace, which features bunker complexes with dramatic slopes and fingers of turf that "bleed" into the sand. These "Alister Mackenzie-style" bunkers will replace the original 1965-vintage, saucer-shaped bunkers installed by legendary golf course architect Robert Bruce Harris.

The project also includes:

* Four separate teeing areas on every hole to accommodate various levels of play and provide elasticity in course length. The separate tee areas will replace the original tee box design, which consisted of one long tee box with room for three sets of tees, one behind the other. All tees will be squared-off in order to give them a "classic design" appearance.

* All old greens will be re-graded and re-grassed to recapture original pin placements or create new ones. The existing poa annua greens will be converted to G-2 bentgrass to provide high-quality putting surfaces.

* Adding fairway bailout areas not in the original design.

* Dramatically upgrading all playing surfaces. Original bluegrass tees and fairways will be converted to bentgrass.

* Incorporating fescue to provide contrast, texture, and wildlife habitats throughout the course. "Eyebrows" of fescue lining and defining bunkers will provide continuity with Blackhawk Trace.

* Installing new irrigation and drainage systems to improve overall course conditions.

"During our renovations at Indian Lakes, our goal has been to raise the golf courses to the highest standards of conditioning, challenge, and aesthetics demanded by today's golfers," Jacobson said. "One of the ways to make golf more fun and more interesting is to create holes that are memorable both visually and strategically."

For those familiar with the East Course, Jacobson plans to save hole Nos. 2, 6, 8 (which will be the new 7th), 9, 10, 11, 16, and 17. As mentioned, the island green will be on No. 8 - or No. 26 in the context of the entire 27-hole track.

The new practice area will feature:

* A 10,000-square-foot putting green
* A double-sided driving range with an area for private instruction on the far side of the range
* Five target greens
* A short game practice area for chipping, pitching, and sand bunker practice
* Nearly an acre of turf teeing area on the driving range along with artificial turf tee areas.

Hilton Indian Lakes Resort is located at 250 W. Schick Road in Bloomingdale, about 25 miles west of downtown Chicago and 12 miles from O'Hare International Airport.

Jacobson is known for such heralded 18-hole designs as Augustine GC in Stafford, Va., Bull Run CC in Haymarket, Va., Bear Trap Dunes in Ocean View, Del., and Morningstar Golf Club in Mukwonago Wis. Bayside Resort and Golf Club was named among the top new courses for 2006 by Golf Digest and Golfweek magazines. The course was a collaboration of Jacobson and his former mentor and employer, Jack Nicklaus.

Sad News: For Southern Illinois Golf Association

January 28th, 2008, the SIGA, the Game of Golf, and the World lost an ambassador and a friend. Mr. Phil Heckel, President of Crab Orchard Golf Club, father of Steve Heckel, and friend of many has passed away at the age of 93. Mr. Heckel was a wonderful Husband, Dad, Grandfather, Great-Grandfather, and as we all know, a great person. Our hearts go out to Ruth, Steve, and the rest of the Heckel family and all who knew and were touched by Phil. He was an SIGA distinguished service award winner, a great friend and supporter of the game of golf and the SIGA, and will truly be missed.

DePaul Men’s Golf Takes Fifth Place at Ron Smith/USF Invitational

DADE CITY, Fla. – Senior Will Cumberland carded a two-under-par final round as the DePaul men’s golf team closed out the Ron Smith/USF Invitational on Sunday. The Blue Demons earned a fifth-place finish following three rounds at the Lake Jovita Country Club.

Cumberland concluded a strong three-day performance with a final round of 70, bringing his 54-hole total to an even-par 216. His three-round score matched a career-best while giving him a tie for 12th place in the individual standings. In addition, Sunday’s round saw Cumberland birdie five holes.

Four birdies helped junior Cory Blenkush meet par on Sunday with a final round of 72. He closed the tournament locked in a tie for 20th overall with a three-round score of 219. Senior Matthew McMahon carded a round of 73 on Sunday and finished in a tie for 32nd with a 54-hole total of 222. Senior Nick Martin tied for 38th with a three-round score of 223, while freshman Greg Doherty earned a share of 48th place with a 54-hole score of 224.

The Blue Demons finished the tournament 13 shots over par with a combined score of 877. Middle Tennessee State topped the field of 18 teams with a six-under-par score of 858. BIG EAST Conference rival Marquette shared second place with Florida Southern as each team posted a total of 872.

Mike Van Sickle of Marquette won the individual title with an eight-under-par score of 208.

DePaul returns to competition, March 31-April 1 at the Larry Nelson Invitational in Braselton, Georgia. The three-round tournament is hosted by Kennesaw State at the Chateau Elan Resort.