Divots With Dennis
by Dennis McBride

PGA of America

As a golf enthusiast, I am very excited that the PGA of America is relocating to Frisco, Texas. The new headquarters will anchor a 600-acre mixed-use development with an initial investment of more than $1 billion, and will include two championship courses, a short course and practice area totaling 45 holes, a clubhouse and associated city-owned public facilities. The PGA of America will invest $30 million to build its 100,000-square-foot global headquarters and education facility. More than 300 high school golfers from the Frisco Independent School District will practice at the facility on a weekly basis.

The golf courses are scheduled to open in the summer of 2022. The hotel, convention center and other facilities are expected to open within six months of that date. PGA of America has a vision of bringing majors back to North Texas for the first time since the 1963 PGA Championship. The 2027 and the 2034 PGA Championship will be played there with the possibility of a future Ryder Cup in North Texas. It is an exciting time for golf enthusiasts, like me, to see all the activity coming to North Texas.

A Personal Golf Story

On July 20, 2004, I was invited to play golf with a group of coworkers at our boss’ country club in a member/guest event at the Gentle Creek Golf Course in Prosper, Texas. We were on the 186-yard, par-3 11th hole on the course, and hitting right into the bright sun, so it was hard to see the green from the tee box. I knew I had made a good shot off the tee, and knew it landed on the green but didn’t know what happened after that. We all drove our carts to the green but I couldn’t find my ball – the green was two-tiered, sloping from top to bottom, and we all thought it had rolled to the back of the green and into the rough somewhere. After searching for several minutes, I decided to look in the cup and lo and behold – there was my ball. It was my first hole-in-one. For those who don’t follow golf tradition: if you make a hole-in-one you are responsible for the drinks after the round, and I wasn’t looking forward to picking up the tab for all the guys playing that day. But then to my surprise, the General Manager of the country club picked up the tab – as it turns out, mine was the first hole-in-one ever recorded on that particular hole. Lucky me! On a side note, I have recorded three holes-in-one – but that one is the most memorable.

Training Aid

I think one of the best training aids on the market today is the Swingyde, a lightweight golf training aid designed to correct swing positions. I like the versatility, as you can use it at home or while you practice. Most amateurs – myself included – have a hard time with the correct hinge position at the top of the backswing, and the Swingyde assists with this issue. It also corrects face alignment throughout the swing, which leads to greater distance, better accuracy and hopefully, better scores. Practicing your swing with this inexpensive training tool allows you to learn the proper swing path and get a more enjoyable experience on the golf course. You can purchase the Swingyde Golf Swing Training Aid on Amazon.com.

Dennis McBride is a Marathon Coach Factory Sales Representative, a family man with two daughters and a passionate golf enthusiast. Periodically, Dennis will offer nuggets of wisdom regarding golf and motorcoaching.

Dennis McBride
214-300-5455
[email protected]