Pruneridge Golf Club

2011 Demo Days Preview - PING

2011-03-07T14:00:00.000-08:00

Coming up on Saturday, April 9th, PING will pull their van into Pruneridge Golf Club ready to demo every club in their bag. From 10:00am until 3:00pm, you'll be able to test and get fitted for some of the hottest new products on the market.

In fact, in the 2011 edition of Golf Digest's annual "Hot List" issue highlighting the top products in the game, 8 PING products took home honors.

From the PING release:

"Eight PING products earned Golf Digest 2011 “Hot List” Gold Awards in the magazine’s annual review of golf’s “hottest” products. The results are published in the February issue of the magazine.

The G15 driver, last year’s Editor’s Choice, earned Gold honors in the Drivers category while achieving the maximum five stars for “Performance.” The top-selling driver from March through May* of last year was described by a mid-handicap tester as being “…easy to hit and has a ton of carry. Plus, the look is very classy and it has an excellent sound.” The G15 fairway woods also were awarded Gold honors for the second straight year and were the category leaders in "Performance."

In the three iron categories, PING earned four Gold awards, equaling the most of any brand. The new K15 iron/hybrid blended set, which features a titanium-faced iron, was the category leader for “Performance” and “Look/Sound/Feel” in the Super Game-Improvement segment. One of the testers called it the “blueprint for other super game-improvement irons.”

The G15 iron was one of three models in the Game-Improvement category to repeat as a Gold winner while being recognized by the editors for having the “best custom fitting options in the business.”
The new S56™ and Anser® irons were awarded Gold in the Players category. The Anser, PING’s first forged iron in more than 40 years, was acknowledged as the “Innovation” leader for its multi-metal design.

The S56, a 15-time winner on Tour since its introduction in July, earned five stars for “Performance” and “Look/Sound/Feel.”

PING putters continued a streak of four years of winning Gold honors in both the Blade and Mallet categories. The new Scottsdale™ Series was recognized as the leader for “Look/Sound/Feel” in the Mallet category while earning five stars for “Performance.” In the Blade category, the Scottsdale Series received five stars for “Innovation.”

In total, 15 PING products (8 Golds, 7 Silvers) were recognized on the 2011 “Hot List,” the most of any brand.

* Source: Golf Datatech LLC On & Off Course Retail Market Share Reports (Dollars) March - May 2010."

Find the whole story on Ping's website HERE.

Ping will help us get our 2011 Demo Days off to a great start, and we hope to see you there. This is a great opportunity to test out some of golf's most popular clubs on our full driving range. Try out a new style of iron or have a chance to swing one of those 'hybrid' clubs that you've been hearing so much about. PING representatives and our own knowledgeable staff will be ready to help you place an order or build a set.

Also, don't forget that you can save $50 off of any one PING club on THIS DAY ONLY.

Please contact the pro shop with any questions, and we look forward to seeing you on the 9th.

Tuesday Toppers Recognized for 40 Years at Pruneridge

2010-11-08T13:18:00.000-08:00

This past week, the Santa Clara Weekly wrote a great piece featuring one of Pruneridge Golf Club's longest standing traditions, the Tuesday Toppers. The Toppers is a women's group that comes to the course every Tuesday morning for 9 holes of friendly competition and an afternoon of catching up with friends.

I'll always remember seeing these enthusiastic women come and go every Tuesday morning during my days working the front counter at Pruneridge. They were always smiley and polite, and they had a had a blast getting together with friends to play the game they love. They're a great group, one that we hope continues playing at Pruneridge for years to come. Definitely check out the article (linked below) and contact the course if you want to know more about joining these ladies!

http://www.santaclaraweekly.com/1632.html

Also, feel free to share your favorite memories of the Tuesday Toppers in the comments section below. There must be quite a few stories in their 40 years!

Course Update - Aerating the Greens

2010-11-04T15:39:00.000-07:00

Today, the crew at Pruneridge Golf Club aerated each of the nine greens on the golf course. This sometimes frustrating process for golfers is actually a very important preventative measure taken at courses all over the world.

In the short term, this means that the greens at Pruneridge will be bumpy, slow, and quite sandy for about the next week, until the grass heals. Golfers must know however, that this process is essential to the long-term health of the green. I'll refer below to an article on aerification that explains some more of the process.

(From About.com: Golf)
"Aerification achieves three important objectives. It relieves soil compaction, it provides a method to improve the soil mixture around the highest part of a green’s roots and it reduces or prevents the accumulation of excess thatch.

Like so many things, the quality of a good putting green is more than skin deep. In fact, the condition of a green has a lot to do with what goes on below the surface. In order for grass to grow at 3/16-inch, it must have deep, healthy roots. Good roots demand oxygen. In good soil, they get the oxygen from tiny pockets of air trapped between soil and sand particles.

Over time, the traffic from golfers’ feet (as well as mowing equipment) tends to compact the soil under the putting green – particularly when the soil contains a lot of clay. When soil becomes compacted, the air pockets on which the roots depend are crushed, and the roots are essentially left gasping for air. Without oxygen, the grass plants become weaker and will eventually wither and die.

Aerification is a mechanical process that creates more air space in the soil and promotes deeper rooting, thus helping the grass plants stay healthy. In most cases, it’s done by removing ½-inch cores (those plugs you sometimes see near a green or in fairways) from the compacted soil, allowing for an infusion of air and water that brings a resurgence of growth. The spaces are then filled with sand “topdressing” that helps the soil retain air space and makes it easier for roots to grow downward."

http://golf.about.com/od/golfcourses/a/aerification.htm

Mondays with Mike Bricker - Grip: Your One Connection to the Golf Club

2010-10-18T13:51:00.000-07:00

For the second episode of Mike Bricker's golf tips, we focus on the grip. As he says, this is your one and only connection to the golf club, so it is important to be comfortable and consistent.

In the video below, Mike shows us a trick he uses to keep the grip of the club properly lined up in his hand by drawing small marks on the palm of his glove. This guarantees the club will be in the same place in your hand for every swing.

Next, Mike talks about the three different options for setting the bottom hand on the club. First is the 'overlap' grip with the right pinky resting on top of the middle and index fingers of the left hand (for right handed players). Second is the 'interlocking' grip where that pinky is locked in between the middle and index finger, (the grip that I use!). And third is simply wrapping all fingers on both hands around the grip.

If you choose to change your grip, remember that it takes time to become totally comfortable with the new position. Allow yourself a few sessions at the driving range to consistently lock in to the new grip, so much so that you can do it without a club or in your sleep.

Mondays with Mike Bricker - The Difference Between Irons and Drivers

2010-10-11T14:42:00.000-07:00

In the first golf tip featured on the new Pruneridge Golf Club Blog, head teaching professional Mike Bricker shows us the difference between hitting an iron and a driver.

Do you find yourself unable to consistently hit a solid iron shot? It may not be a problem with your arms or hands. Mike shows us that the key to hitting the ball flush - not hitting it fat or topping the ball - has to do with ball placement and weight distribution. He stresses the importance of keeping your weight on your front leg through the swing.

However, this theory is reversed when hitting a driver or wood. Mike shows us a drill to practice keeping the majority of your weight back to achieve lift and greater distance when teeing up the driver.

Watch the video below, and use the comments section to give feedback on the video or ask the staff any questions. Also, stay tuned for more video lessons and golf tips from the professionals here at Pruneridge Golf Club. Good luck!

Welcome to the Blog!

2010-10-07T12:44:00.000-07:00

Thanks for visiting the new blog of Pruneridge Golf Club. We're excited to bring you all sorts of news and information about our course and the game that we are all so passionate about. Keep an eye on the site in the coming days for our first Tip of the Week and other special features. Also, if you haven't already, follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/Pruneridgegolf for up-to-the-minute updates and exclusive offers. See you at the course!