Golf courses gei a grip on soft spi Andrew McCredie Editor andrew@nsnews.com TREAD softly and carry a big stick and you will go far. That’s the message Seymour Golf and Country Club is spreading to its members this summer. The semi-public North Vancouver course is promoting the use of non-metal spikes, specifically the brand Softspikes (as to e big stick, club management has vet to “on a monster driver. They leave that up to you). Golf prides itself on tradition, so the very thought of telling players to shelve part of the traditional wardrobe may seem an invitation for anarchy on the links. Yet the reception the kinder, gentler shoes has received from Seymour members has been, according to head golf pro Dale Schienbein, far from hostile. “There are very few changes we can make at the golf course that don’t raise concerns, but the only concern we've heard from members is about how the Softspikes are in the wet,” Schienbein reports. “They’re all looking for- ward to the improvements on the greens.” The pursuit of smooth greens is precisely why professional golfers like Jack Nicklaus have endorsed non-metal spikes. “The biggest benefit is cut on the course,” says Schienbein, adding that at this time of year Seymour averages close to 300 rounds a day. With that much traffic in metal spikes, greens can resemble a furrowed field by sunset. Seymour launched their Softspike campaign in mid-July, supplying the new spikes to mem- bers for free and charging the public $6 and change to install the spikes (that offer contin- ues to Aug. 16). Next March, no metal spikes will be allowed during member days. Schienbcin is unsure as to what the policy will be for the public. “Right now we're just getting people used to playing in them,” Seymour’s pro said. Side benefits of non-metal spikes include less wear-and-tear on the clubhouse carpet, asphait parking lot and grecnskeeping equipment. Schienbein says six or seven times a year a loose Swing destiny in the hands metal spike damages a lawnmower’s reel. big test for non-metal spikes will come in the fall when Seymour gets slicker, and trac tion becomes a bigger issue than it is during the dogs days of summer. Across the road at Northlands, course man- ager Laurie Craddock says the traction issue is precisely why the hilly public course won't fol- low Seymour’s lead. “We don’t make them mandatory because if the course is a little slick — trom morning dew or a light rain — we'll have people sliding all over the place,” Craddock said. The three- handicapper wears non-metal spikes, but says for the winter he'll probabiy switch to rubber boots with metal spikes. Northlands is currently replacing metal spikes with non-metal spikes at cost. Over in West Vancouver, Gleneagles. shop assistant Rod Janzen said he understands the value of non-metal spikes in terms of keeping greens in good shape, but says the up-and- down nature of courses on the coast call for metal spikes just to get over and around the track. The uphill third hole on Gleneagles — the infamous Cardiac Hill — is a good example of a hole where soft spikes combined with morn- ing dew could have golfers sliding down the iil. “We don’t really have a big problem with chewed up greens here,” Janzen reports. “And a fot of our members are older and are used to using metal spikes.” He added that the nine-hole recreational course doesn’t attract the hard core golfers, and that “many of our players use running shoes.” Capilano club pro Jeff Adams says the pri- vate club hasn’t considered such a measure since the course gets much less traffic as do busy courses like Seymour. According to Schienbein, non-metal spikes are stil very much in the development stage, with different plastics and designs constantly being tested. . Don’t be surprised if in che near furure golf relegates the metal-spiked shoe to the same closet as wocden-shafted clubs, leather balls and plus-fours. DEAN Kutz, of the Seymour Creek Golf Centre, steps lightly ina pair Oo j me spike golf shoes. Down the road at Seymour Golf & Country Club the use of kinder, gentler shces is being promoted to members and the golfing public. Canadian Tour leaders | THE following is the current top money earn- James Legaitt Contributing Writer STARTING the swing motion sets the tempo for the entire swing. When standing over the ball on the first tee, every golfer holds their destiny in their left hand. You have choices. You can start the swing slowly or quickly. You can initiate the backswing with your left or right hand. The backswing should always have the fecling of a slow, smooth motion. Taking the club back slowly enables you to have the proper weight necessary to gain a pow- erful swing. The problem with most golfers is thar they try to get power at the start of the swing. The result is a quick and jerky swing. Try to think of throwing a ball orthe coil of a slingshot. It is important to get the bigger muscles involved — the hips, chest, back and shoulders. Since these muscle groups are larger than those of the wrist and arm they react more slowly. The result is a lack of weight shift and a subsequent loss of power. Next time you’re watching rour golf, study the pre-shot routines of the players. They are very relaxed and deliberate. Some waggle the club or continually release and wiggle the fingers. Others do their own interpretation of the cha-cha with feet and toes, These are stress releases. All golfers need them. The longer you hang over the ball the more apt you are to become tense. In a right-handed golfer, tense swings are the result of the right arm and wrist dominating. This usually creates an upright swing with no shoulder turn and little fol- low through. The result is a “Fore Right” caused by holding the club too tightly and dominating the swing with the right hand. Imagine the left hand and shoulder starting the swing. Try hitting a few balls with just the left hand. All nghr-handed golfers need to build strength here. The right hand is only along for the ride. The left is the tractor and the right is the trailer. (Likewise, lefties should work on their right hand strength) James Legault isa CPGA Certified, Level 4 Inseructor at Seymour Creek Golf Centre. er list for the Canadian men’s tour (includes: player’s name, hometown, earnings and aium- ber of events played): 1; Brian Kontak, Tempe, Arizona, $82,791 (9) 2: Mike Grob, Billings, Montana, $60,441 (9) 3: Perry Parker, Dana Point, California, $50,022 (7) 4: Ian Leggatt, Cambridge, Ontario, $50,000 (8) 5: Paul Devenport, New Zealand, $39,251 (9) 6: Ian Hutchings, South Africa, $38,092 (2) 7: Ben Walter, Madison, Wisconsin, £35,288 (8) 8: Jay Hobby, Ashburn, Georgia, $30,572 (7) 9: Derck Gilchrist, Sacramento, California, $34,546 (7) 10: Scott Wearnc, Australia, $29,072 (7) 11: David Morland, Aurora, Ontario, $25,584 (8) 12: Todd Fanning, Winnipeg, Manitoba, $25,148 (9) 13: Steve Woods, Pleasanton, California, $22,469 (8)