Everyone’s swing is different. But there are some factors most professional golfers show in common. Head position on impact is one of them. Most pro golfers’ heads still stay at the same starting position when they hit balls on impact. This is one of thing I really want to have in my swing.

Today lesson and my practice are mostly focusing on this part. Improving this part, I think is one of the reasons my driving distance increases recently. My upper body and head still open too soon on impact. But it is still better.

I like to try new golf courses, so I don’t mind long distance driving. Coto de Caza is one of the best golf courses in Orange County. Now I know why. I’ve been to many great courses and this is one of the best courses for me. It was really beautiful, but challenging. Well- maintained. Really fun to play here. But FRUSTRATED. 😫

One of my golf buddy, Ciny is the club memeber. She lives in Arcadia, but play every week all the way down here south of Irvine. With traffic, it can be easily more than 2 hours, but we chose a less traffic time at 12 pm and planned to head home after dinner to avoid traffic.

If I counted all shots as I do at Women’s club, I probably hit more than 40 over par on this course. It was another golf world. We skipped some holes and played more holes until dark, so it was not a serious score keeping. I hit many good shots and my driver worked well. Still, my balls didn’t stop on green. Green was so tricky and curvy. On green, balls didn’t stop on downhill putt and went further than the first putt. I know myself Three Putt Master even on easy Rancho Park green. I think the problem on my putting is my nerve. No confidence on my stroke, so I make myself putting and short game so complicated.

Still, today round was great! So challenging, but fun. I liked playing with all three ladies. I should play at a golf course like this. I need more experience. This golf course gives a lot od advantages to someone who played here before and know how the green looks. I can’t wait to play here next time. I will be back!

Tuesday Women’s club day! I scored 94 today. It is a good score for my handicap and I may get a little money prize. 😁Mostly, I liked my shots. I made a lot of good ball contacts.

Still, 41 putts were so painful. Three putts 7 times. 🤪 Time to learn and practice distance control more.

Today’s round was cancelled due to wind. That means, of course, time to practice! I still work on my back swing turns focusing hip and shoulder. It’s been one year. I feel like my coach demands too much turning from an amateur like me. I took a video and it seemed enough.

Today hip and shoulder turned more than last week. But I like last week swing. When I turn shoulder more, my arms go to way backward. I feel my arms should be more my right side than backwards.

Ok! This is my swing. How about my favorite players’ shoulder and hip turns? Nobody knows who is right. All of them have great swings. One thing noticeable is that the younger players are more flexible. Lady players older to younger order.

How about male players?

But the most impressive back swing is!

Tony Finau is one of my favorite PGA players. I like his play and personality. Waste Management tournament this week was super fun. Tony was a 2 stroke leader and I was sure he will be the winner this time until 16th hole.

I still feel it was a mistake for Tony to choose a 3 wood to keep his score on 17th hole, instead of trying to make a birdie. Cautious play was not his normal play style. Tony finished with pars on 17th and 18th, while Webb Simpson made two birdies on those holes.

Tony ended up a runner-up again. 6 times second place during last few years. Just one time PGA winner in 2016, but world ranking number 13 now. He was mostly weak on final rounds while he was one of the leaders. The main difference between Tony and Webb’s play today was putting. Especially putts under pressure. Webb’s putting ranking for last season was 11th, while Tony was 125th. Webb’s putting this season is # 1. Webb made two birdie putts on 18th. Webb always looks confident with his putter. I like Webb Simpson as well, but he won 6 times including US open. I just wished this time was Tony’s turn.

Tony is such a great player. He will have another chance anytime soon.

This article from Golfchannel sounds bitter.

https://www.golfchannel.com/news/runner-once-again-playoff-loss-caps-bitter-week-tony-finau-waste-management-phoenix-open

What I learn today? More and More puttig practice.

The most difficult part for a middle aged lady like me is body turn. It is sooooo hard. My enthusiastic coach wants me to turn more and more all the time during backswing. It’s the part I’ve worked for more than one year. People’s flexibility is different, but he thinks I can do that. This is my swing video I took at the last session.

I know my head falls when I start backswing. That is a big part I want to change as well. But now turning~

This video on last session may be better turning when I turned during backswing today. My coach seemed so frustrated today. I even turn less at the course.

But all professional golfers turn? .. well.. I watched Waste Management tournament today, focusing turning. Some professional golfers don’t turn as much like J. B. Homes and Tony Finau today. They have a lot more parts on their swing mechanisms to make power. Turning may not be the only part to increase distance for a golfer with 22 handicap.

Forget about Tony. When I have a coach, I do whatever he teaches. So it is time to focus my turn!

I LOVE living in LA. The best part of living in LA as a golfer is surely beautiful weather. Mostly sunny days all year, not much rain or wind, but dry. We had warm weather for winter recently. Mostly around 60’s. Today it was 83 degree in Yorba Lina. I felt so blessed playing in such beautiful weather in January.

I lived in Korea for 26 years and winter was my least favorite season. I know so well how it will be in winter. Most golfers have a break time from Nov. to Feb. in Korea or they go to indoor practice places. I don’t think I will have a plan to go back to Korea, as my husband doesn’t want to go back to New York where he grew up. Weather is the main reason living here for both of us

Today the play pace at the course was so slow. Jennie has to leave early, so we skipped two holes where slow players were playing. Still we had to wait for most holes. I regretted skipping holes. We drove for more than one hour to come here. I wanted to do my best for my time here.

We played at gold tee, 5600 yards. It was a good play and I had a best drive on 18th hole. Still, I didn’t count my score because we skipped two holes and so rushed at some holes. I couldn’t focus on my play. Let’s take time on the course!

When people learn golf or any sports, they first learn rules and etiquette. People with bad manners ignore the importance of rules and etiquette during play. I sometimes get so upset at people who have bad manners at a golf course.

It was on 4th hole Par 5. My driver ran more than 180 yards, second shot, hybrid, was perfect and now it was the time for my third shot with 9 iron in the middle of fairway. I usually use a wood or hybrid club for a third shot to be on green. I was a happy golfer, holding 9 iron.

Suddenly, a Korean lady in her 60’s in our group shouted to me from a cart path “you can’t take your cart there” with an angry voice pointing a sign “Keep your cart on path” all the way back 150 yard near small maintenance area. I’ve played in this course more than hundred times. That sign was only for warning maintenance area.☹️

She was far from me, so I made a somewhat loud sound telling her what the sign meant. She still insisted I needed to move to the cart path. I pointed signs “ No cart beyond this point” all around 40 yard near green telling her that was the real cart sign protecting near the green. She couldn’t read the sigh where she was because it was far. I was very annoyed by this situation, but suddenly she said unpleasantly in a rude way, “If you love golf, you should take good care of golf courses.” That words made me so upset and offended. 😡

I’ve been proud of myself being a golfer with good manners and etiquette. I didn’t do anything wrong. I even followed 90-degree rule at thag time. That was just her ignorance. If she simply misread and told me that in a pleasant way, it wouldn’t be a big deal. The way she talked to me was so rude and offensive. I couldn’t control my anger and ran closer to the green “LOOK! Those, three signs and ropes ‘no cart beyond this point’ near the green” with high-tempered voice. 😤 She argued with me until she got closer to see the signs. Later, she shouted “ok. I got it!!!” My hands were shaking while I did my third shot. Wow. It landed on green within 5 feet from the hole. “Beautiful shot!” a guy in our group shouted.

Wait! What have I done? 🤔 I argued with a lady at a golf course. I was rude, too. I felt so awful being rude. I don’t have a memory to be so rude to a stranger at a golf course. Before she got ready for chipping, I went to her and apologized in a polite way “I am terribly sorry I was so rude to you. I think I was out of my mind for a few minutes. I really regret what I did to you.” 😅 She gave me a smile and I made 2 putt par.

While we were waiting for our tee shots next hole, she talked to me for a few minute and apologized her misunderstanding. We talked in a friendly way through the round and I had 93 score. 😁 It could have been one of the worst rounds, but turned a great round. I even made a birdie on 14th hole. Putting wasn’t good, still I liked my swing through the round. 🤗

Actully, what she showed first was a bad manner. I replied with the same manner like hers. However, I am glad I focused on fixing what I did wrong instead of what she did wrong. Today thanks to her, I have another goal to be a pleasant golfer with A+ etiquette and manners. That will make me and other players pleasant during the play. Good mood, good play!

Today we saw Hee Young Park at Wilshire club pro shop. Kelly’s played with her twice and she introduced YouKyoung and me to HY Park. YouKyoung and I received her autographs on balls and took a picture. I was so surprised she was so nice and friendly with a beautiful smile. We were so happy.

Is HY Park famous? Not that much. Even most golfers have even never heard her name. But for me, she is a celebrity. I watch golf tournaments on TV like popular TV shows. All LPGA & PGA players are celebrities, but she was one of the special lady players I favor. She was in LPGA for 12 years! She is really pretty. (I like to see pretty ladies on golf tournaments.) I also like her sister Joo Young Park at KLPGA.

Is she still on tour? I knew she didn’t play well in 2019 and she was not qualified to play in 2020 LPGA by her ranking in 2019. I just found out she finished at 2nd position in LPGA Q-school, while top 45 and ties receive LPGA status in 2020. WOW. 32 year old HY Park may have another big year soon.

My friend, Kelly is a member at Wilshire Country Club where LPGA LA Open is held. Wilshire Country Club is a very challenging course, comparing any courses in LA. Very narrow and many obstacles. I like to challenge myself here, but I always feel discouraged after play here.

It was so windy. Weather forecast said it was 18 mph, but we felt a lot stronger. Probably around 20 mph. We practiced at the driving range around 9 am and decided we called it another day. Since we were already at the range, we hit balls. More clubs depending on wind. % / mph. If it is 17 mph wind, I should choose a club to shot 117 yards for 100 yard shot. Around 11 am, the wind seemed calm and we decided to play. Everyone is a such enthusiastic player.

But No No. I felt so tired after practicing at the driving range for two hours with strong wind. Wow! I missed first two drive shots. Well.. I didn’t lose balls, but I felt I could hit better than that. Maybe not today. What was wrong with my swing? So many? I am not sure why I am always so nervous to play with Kelly, one of my best friends. I’ve known her for 9 years. She has 7 handicap and she’s played with several LPGA players. I always tried to show to Kelly I am not that bad, but I mostly show horrible rounds with her. I know Kelly only focuses on her own game. Anxiety is one of the challenging parts I need to overcome and focusing on my own game is one of the parts I need to improve.

High wind started when we were at the second hole. After third hole, it was not fun any more. Struggling with strong wind is worse than rain.

The golf round was gone with the wind. Go Go to Lunch!