Remember golf etiquette, says Sleepy Ridge pro

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Jul 27, 2006

Devin York

The Links at Sleepy Ridge

High school: Springville High

Years professional: 17

First pro job: Assistant at Hobble Creek

Lessons: $40

Low round: 64 at Hobble Creek

Favorite courses: Pebble Beach at Monterey, Calif.; Cyprus Point at Monterey, Calif.; Forest Highlands at Flagstaff, Ariz.; and Shadow Creek at Las Vegas.

Other members of dream foursome: Sonny Braun, Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan

Memorable golf moments: Spending a month with legendary teacher Ben Doyle at Carmel Country Club during the same time he was working with Tom Kite and Bobby Clampett. Caddying for Keith Clearwater in the California State Am when he was paired with Mark O'Meara. Getting to play Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill for free -- the first tee time of the day on weekdays-- when he had a relative working security for Pebble Beach. "Those days are surely a thing of the past."

Advice for playing Sleepy Ridge: "Don't short-side yourself. The holes here are fair, and every hole where there is trouble there's plenty of room away from trouble to hit the ball. There's plenty of bail-out room." Also, try to keep the ball below the cup on the greens. "If you get on the wrong side of the hole, you're going to face some pretty difficult putts."

Swing tips: Address the ball in an athletic and upright position, so it's easier for your body to rotate, arms swing free and get the clubhead back to where it began. "Most of the players I see have a very bad grip and address the ball with poor posture."

Thoughts on the state of golf: He thinks the PGA is doing a good job of trying to increase interest in golf. "We're always trying to increase the number of players and grow the game." Frustrated with the number of new players in the game who come to the course with a "Happy-Gilmore" attitude and don't respect the tradition and etiquette of golf. "Many golfers don't fix ball marks, don't rake traps and don't replace divots. The guys who are new to the game forget that it's a gentleman's game. I've seen more confrontations on the golf course than I can ever remember. Every golfer needs to remember that we all want to enjoy the same golf course and we all want to have fun."