After a long winter break, your golf game probably isn’t in the same shape as it was at the end of last season. This is completely normal, so here is our suggestion to get your scores back to normal as quickly as possible.
 

Eliminate Penalty Shots
Penalty shots are going to be difficult to avoid at times. Your shots may be going farther right and left than when you were at your best, and they also will have a bigger variability in distance (fat and thin shots) as well.
By going to the range a few times before playing, see where your golf shots are going. If you are having a difficult time hitting your longer irons and woods, maybe laying up short of the water on that short par 5 would be a good idea until you start striking it better.

With golf clubs being limited in how fast the golf ball can bounce off of the face, the best way for you to get more distance off the tee is to get custom fit for your golf swing. If you are launching your driver too low, or have too much spin on your drives, a well fit driver will go farther for your swing.
What to expect when you book a fitting at Golf Burnaby.

Pre-Fit Interview

Before coming down for the fitting, we will get a little bit of information about you and what you are looking for. This will help in our preparation to ensure that the right equipment is ready for you to test.

Day of Fitting

Find a hole that is 10 paces on the green.
Place 5 golf balls in a line away from the target. Space each golf ball one yard apart.
Chip each golf ball with your PW and log your results.
Setup the golf balls in the same way, but place a towel 5 steps from the pin (Half way between the flag and the edge of the green).
Chip each golf ball with your highest lofted golf club. Each ball must land past the towel.

Scoring
Birdie: Ball finishes within 6 feet of the pin

Par: Ball finishes within 9 feet of the pin

Bogey: Ball finishes outside 9 feet of the pin
OR the golf ball did not land past the towel

Track your score, and try and beat your personal best! Remember the fastest way to lower your scores is to hone in your short game!

Hone in your short game with this quick and easy drill that will track your progress. Start by chipping 3 balls to the same target, with 3 different clubs.

• The first ball, is hit with your highest lofted hybrid.
• The second ball, is hit with your Pitching Wedge.
• The third ball, is hit with your highest lofted wedge.

Score as follows:

• Score a Birdie if your ball finishes within 6 feet of the pin.
• Score a Par if your ball finishes within 9 feet of the pin.
• Score a Bogey if it finishes outside of 9 feet of the pin

Hazard Play

Using the poles at the end of the range as your guide, try and hit the golf ball as close to the line as possible without going right. Everything hit to the right would be considered in the hazard. Hit 1 shot with every club in the bag and track your results.

Scoring

Birdie (green)
Ball lands between the selected pole, and one to the left

Par (Yellow)
Land the ball between 1 and 2 poles left of the selected pole

Bogey (red)
Land the ball more than 2 poles left of the selected pole, or right of the selected pole

Repeat with the same rules, but reversed (must land to the right of a selected pole)

Breaking Putts: The High/Low Drill
High and Low: Start with one golf ball 20 feet from the hole. Place a tee 2/3 of the distance between the ball and the hole on the line you think the ball should take to get to the hole.

Pitching Control

Hit 3 shots to each flag on the driving range.

1. On your first shot, try and hit the ball as close to the target as possible without having the ball stop short.

2. On your second shot, try and hit the ball as close to the target as possible without having the ball stop long.

3. On your third shot try and hit the ball as close to the target as possible.

The next step is to log your efforts. This is how you will be able to find out which ball ended up the closest to the three targets. The most proven way to lower your scores is to hone in your short game. Everyday is a good day to visit the Driving Range to improve your skills!

Shield the weather and stay connected to the golf club with Rain and Winter Gloves

Rain Gloves: With quick-dry knit material along the back of the hand and fingers, assures optimum breathability, flexibility and quick-drying comfort. The knit palm provides an unmatched grip in wet or humid conditions, conforming to both your hand and clbu for a sercure grip and maximum control

Winter Gloves: The water resistant grip palm provides a soft feel and consistent fit with a secure grip during cool weather conditions. The extended knit cuff keeps whe warmth in and the cold out. With a waterproof structured nylon and weather-sheild foam fleece on the back of the glove which helps retain warmth and resists the cold.

We will soon be deep tine aerating and sanding all 18 holes for both Burnaby Mountain and Riverway golf courses as per the following schedule:

Burnaby Mountain

• October 18th holes 10-18 closed for sanding and aeration. Holes 1-9 played twice.
• October 19th holes 1-9 closed for sanding and aeration. Holes 10-18 played twice.
• October 20th Burnaby Mountain Driving Range closed for sanding and aeration until 2pm.

Riverway

• October 25th holes 10-18 closed for sanding and aeration. Holes 1-9 played twice.
• October 26th holes 1-9 closed for sanding and aeration. Holes 10-18 played twice.
• October 27th Riverway Driving Range closed for sanding and aeration until 2pm.

As golfers, we get so immersed into hitting the ball high, straight, and far enough, that we sometimes forget where we are trying to send the ball. Picking the right target is more than just where we want the ball to go. We have to factor in where your ball might end up going, on a slightly missed hit shot. I can't think of many events that would frustrate me more, than to hit a decent shot that ended up in a severely challenging situation.

In the image, the black lines represent the line between a range mat and one of the poles at the end of the driving range. from the perspective of a 125 yard shot, hitting the ball 1 pole to the right of your target (the trampoline) you will be 6.5 yards right of your target.