The Boulders Romance Package includes:

• Newly-enhanced accommodations for two
• Bottle of sparkling wine
• $25.00 per adult Food and Beverage Credit for every paid night
• Complimentary access to the award-winning Golden Door Spa, including fitness facility, adult pool, steam rooms and Niwa pool.

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Golfers Valentine Refresher
This “action-packed” instruction for golfing couples includes playing the new Pebble Tees with hole lengths between 60 and 200 yards.  This is also appropriate for those who need some help with the all- important approach shots and short game.  The program ends with a margarita in our The Boulders Club sports bar, Bogeys. 

The cost is $259 and includes 3 hours of instruction.

Valentine’s Day
Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Latilla Restaurant
Join us on Valentine’s Day for a special “His & Her” menu. Romantic ambiance, picturesque views of the cascading waterfall and cozy booths, no wonder the Latilla was named one of America’s Most Romantic Restaurants.  The signature dining room features a romantic four-course prix fixe menu, priced at $75 per person, plus tax and gratuity. 

Seating from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM.  Live entertainment from 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM.  For reservations, please call 480.488.7317.

The Grill
Private and romantic, this restaurant is sure to please every couple with its warm fireplace and stunning view of lush fairways.  Enjoy this three-course signature chef menu is $60 per person, plus tax and gratuity. 

Live entertainment from 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM.  For reservations, please call 480.488.9020.

The Boulders Bonus Golf Series is for the avid golfer interested in building consistency.  The series includes seven visits, four golf lessons and three free supervised “tune-ups”.  The Boulders Club is offering this program for $250 per person.

For more information, please call The Boulders Club at 480.488.9028 or email Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Teacher in America and The Boulders Golf Pro, Donald Crawley, at Donald.Crawley@WaldorfAstoria.com.

So the breeze is our natural air conditioning. And remember the low humidity. I digress, this isn’t a weather report. This is a practical golf instruction blog!

Playing in a breeze: Forget the myth that a well struck ball won’t be affected by the wind. Rubbish!  As the ball looses velocity any wind will move the ball in the direction it is blowing.

Let’s visualize a left to right wind, a breeze blowing off of your left shoulder, often called a cross- wind. The wind is blowing across the fairway from left to right. You shouldn’t ignore the wind. Depending on your natural ball flight, here are some suggestions as to how to deal with it.

The Slicer: if your ball tends to slice, it will slice more on this wind. So allow for that slice. Aim down the left side, even the rough line, but align your shoulders along the same line as your feet. Make your best swing trying to square the clubface to your aim. That will start the ball where you aimed and the wind will assist you and blow the ball into the fairway. You may need some courage here as watching the ball start left over trouble can be nerve wracking. Trust your swing and the wind in this case.

The Hooker: someone who curves the ball right to left. Easy here. Aim straight down the middle of the fairway and play your natural draw. The right to left curve of the ball flight will be counteracted by the left to right wind, resulting in a straight shot!

Straight Hitter: doesn’t curve the ball one way or another. Use the wind to your advantage. Aim down the left side of the fairway, grip it and rip it! Let your drive work on the breeze helping add some distance and the ball finishing in the middle of the fairway.

Play the breeze, enjoy it, just don’t ignore it!

The Boulders is in the desert foothills, coming up and out of the valley. Consequently we get gentle rolling slopes around the greens. That means you have some uneven lies with your chips and pitches.

If you can find a January issue of Golf Magazine, you will see a two page ‘ball above your feet’ chip onto the first green of the South course. That article will appear on www.mgolf.com before too long.

If the ball is above your feet the shot is likely to pull to the left. You should aim to the right to allow for that.

Because the club face tends to close and hit into the ground behind the ball, keep your chin and posture up. Definitely grip down on the club. Swing along the slope. Gripping down an inch on the handle will help control all shorter shots.

Aim at the left of the three bunkers that frame the right side of the hole. This will put you in the middle of the fairway with a straightaway downhill second. Hit as much as you like but ‘lay up’ at least 60 yards from the middle of the green. A deep ravine with water at the bottom protects the front of the green omitting any possibility to run the ball up.

It is the approach shot that is quite deceptive. Although you played your second shot downhill, the next is back uphill because the green is slightly elevated from the fairway. I had played this hole many times before I figured that out. It is somewhat an optical illusion. The bottom line is that you will need to hit enough club length and loft to fly the ball into the green on a high trajectory. Some people would prefer to hit that high shot from 100 yards rather than 60. If so club accordingly on your second shot.

Another strategic plan is to make sure you know how far you can carry the ball in the air. You need to know your ‘go to’ distance. The distance you confidently know can fly the ball through the air. Let’s say you miffed a shot coming down the hill and you are left 180 yards to fly the ravine, and remember it is an elevated green. Many people think they can hit a fairway wood that far, total distance, but not in the air. If so the ball would have a watery grave. Suck up your ego, hit a 120 yard lay up shot, short of the ravine, and pitch the next one close to save par.

Keep this ‘on-course strategy’ the next time you come to visit the beautiful Boulders North course.

I had fun and good results helping three ladies on the North course today. We worked on the ‘course or shot strategy’, especially the short shots around the green. Learning to use the correct loft and roll are so important to understand. Know when and where to make the best shot selection increases your chances of getting the ball close to the hole. If the pin is cut close to the front of the green and minimum rolling room is available, you should select a high flying shot that stops quickly. Select your most lofted club, sand or lob wedge. This shot looks dramatic but is a lower percentage shot (unless your name is Phil and you like to ‘flop’).

As a rule of thumb get the ball on the green and lower to the ground whenever you can, and increase your percentages to knock the ball close. If the pin is cut in the middle or the rear part of the green you have more room to roll the ball. Take a lower lofted club, pitching wedge or 9 iron and fly the ball to the front part of the green allowing the ball to run toward the pin. Play the ball in the middle of your stance and lean the shaft an inch forward to help you nip the bottom of the ball creating a little backspin to help the ball brake.