The Experience Insider

This months Golf Tip is provided by PGA Member and Head Golf Professional Chris Souchak from WCI’s Venetian Golf and River Club in Venice, FL.

Play from the Rough

Playing from the rough can be tough for any golfer.  Here are a few tips on how to make a tough shot easier.

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As an avid golfer, you know that you don’t always get to play in perfect weather. When the wind is blowing in harsh gusts, it will do some crazy things with your golf ball after it leaves your club. The following steps will help keep your score down during these windy conditions: Click to continue reading »

Chipping like a pro is easier to accomplish than you think if you follow these simple tips.

Utilize your chipping iron like a putter by raising it on its toe, thus lining up the clubface through the top edge of the club. Eliminate the wrist flip error from your chipping motion or you will inadvertently add loft to the club during your swing. Remember to move close enough to the ball so the club head is standing on its toe with the club shaft as vertical as possible. By doing this, you will eliminate any angle in your left wrist so that your club head won’t drop any lower through impact than it was at the initial ball address.

Place your weight on your left side so you will easily produce the proper angle of attack - a naturally descending motion. Drop your left foot back from the target line and let your weight settle naturally into your left hip. Remember your weight should start, stay and finish into your left side.

Remember that the fringe of the green is unpredictable. Bad bounces can destroy the line, soft turf can slow the ball down and hard turf can speed it up too much. Remember to select a spot at least one yard on the green where you want your chip to land.

Our residents look forward to the calendar of events this season, such as the Holiday Cart Parade the first week of December. Our residents deck their golf carts with all the trimmings for a contest of the most festive golf cart. They also parade throughout the community showing off their decorated masterpieces. It is definitely the most wonderful time of the year!

What are you most looking forward to this holiday season? Are there any events or activities you have planned?

I want to share a handy golf tip with you when using your wedges. Here’s an alternative technique to try the next time you need a wedge shot to fly high and land softly.

Weaken your left-hand grip (for right-handers), turning your hand under the club so that your left palm faces more toward the sky. With your left hand in this weakened position, the clubface will remain open through the hitting zone and your shot will be shorter and fly higher than normal and land like a butterfly with sore feet. Experiment with this shot on the range. You’ll quickly learn that the more you turn your left hand under the club, the higher and softer (and shorter) the resulting shot will be. Swing softly and carry a soft swing!

Do you find this tip helpful? Have you tried this drill on the driving range before?

Our Ladies’ Golf Association had a busy beginning of the season, but they are sure eager to get started. We had our first Ryder Cup/Opening Luncheon and the Ladies’ Match Play Club Championship. We had a great field of players that were also praising the good conditions of the greens and fairways! On behalf of the Golf Club staff we are happy to see all of our members back and also welcoming new ones! I am looking forward to seeing all of our golfers back in the swing of things as we get more into season.

Have you been able to experience the Pelican Preserve golf course? Share with us about your experience.

This is a wonderful time of year while we welcome back our seasonal residents. It is great to see the Club filled with smiling faces and our activities calendar full of new and exciting events for the season. We just kicked off the season with our annual Welcome Back Party - The Pig Roast in mid-November. Residents enjoyed reuniting with old friends and danced the night away with live entertainment from a local band, Hot Topic.

What activity do you most look forward to doing in the beautiful Florida weather?

A lot of golfers struggle with hitting just the right shot to get their ball out of the bunker and onto safe ground to putt it in and get that par. The key to effective bunker play starts with the right club and more importantly, the right attitude. So get out your sand wedge and let’s get started. Click to continue reading »

With pricing now from the $200s at the Marina & Yacht Club and Golf & Beach Club, Lost Key is the place to be found! Have you seen the views of the golf course or Intracoastal from these residences? They are truly awe-inspiring complemented by the open, spacious floorplans and surrounding amenities that make Lost Key the best find in Northwest Florida. Click to continue reading »

You can - with a 70,000 square-feet Town Center, 27 holes of championship golf and homes starting in the low $100s, all at Pelican Preserve. Our residents’ social calendar is jam-packed with cooking classes, nature walks, bus trips, fitness classes, golf rounds and tennis lessons, just to name a few of the activities. A favorite activity of the residents is visiting the Butterfly Garden located within the community, which was built by the residents with help from the WCI Land Development team. The beautiful plant life and elegant butterflies that are speckled throughout the garden create a relaxing retreat for all residents and visitors. You can check out the garden yourself by clicking here.

Come experience what it is like to have it all as a Pelican Preserve resident on an Elite Escape. You will also have the opportunity to receive a personal tour of this unique community.