March 5, 2010--The Las Vegas Golf Region is home to more than 50 Las Vegas golf courses, and there are no less than 30 PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, Champions Tour, and Nationwide Tour golfers who have strong ties to those Las Vegas golf layouts. And in the recent Sports Illustrated Golf Plus, two of those Las Vegas golfers, Rickie Fowler and Ryan Moore, were featured prominently, giving Las Vegas golf representation on about 33 percent of the 28-page section, including Fowler on the cover. "This kid is for real," was the tagline adorning the cover next to a full-page photo of Fowler, who moved to Las Vegas in the fall of 2010. Fowler is labeled as one of the best young golfers in the world--he turned 21 in December--and has captured the interest of the golf world both for his style and ability. Fowler is a for-mer motocross rider who now endorses Puma, wearing loud colors and a baseball hat over his ears with locks of hair flowing out, similar to how the motocross stars of the day wear caps. Fowler was featured on the cover, in an ad for Titleist, and in a two-page breakdown of his swing. Continued on Page 4

2010 Issue Mar.

Las Vegas PGA Tour Golfers Highlight Sports Illustrated's Golf Plus

Forward by Brian Hurlburt of golfvegasnow.com

In This Issue >>>

The Official Newsletter of the Southern Nevada Golf Association

1. LV PGA Golfers Highlighted 2. Las Vegas National Golf Club 3. Body Balance for Performance 4. LV PGA Highlighted (Cont) 5. SNGA “FORE” Women Only 6. WSNGA / First Tee 7. MetLife Auto & Home® 8. What’s on Tap?

The Grind

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Misunderstood Rules >>> Rule 24-2 Immovable Obstruction

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An obstruction is defined as “anything artificial, including artificial surfaces and sides of roads and paths and manufactured ice, except: Objects defining out of bounds, such as walls, fences, stakes, and railings; Any part of an immovable artificial object that is out of bounds; and Any construction declared by the Committee to be an integral part of the course. An obstruction is a movable obstruction if it may be moved without unreasonable effort, without unduly delaying play and without causing dam-age. Otherwise, it is an immovable obstruction.” Under Rule 24-2 “Immovable Obstruction,” a player may take relief from an immovable obstruction if the obstruction interferes with stance, lie, or area of intended swing (or lie of play ONLY when the ball is on the putting green). If the ball lies in a water hazard or a lateral water hazard free relief MAY NOT be taken. The proper relief procedures are as follows: THROUGH THE GREEN: If the ball lies through the green, the player must lift the ball and drop it, without penalty, within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief. The nearest point of relief must not be in a hazard or on a putting green. When the ball is dropped within one club-length of the nearest point of relief, the ball must first strike a part of the course at a spot that avoids interference by the immovable obstruction and is not in a hazard and not on a put-ting green. IN A BUNKER: If the ball is in a bunker, the player must lift the ball and drop it either: Without penalty, in accordance with Clause (i) above, except that the nearest point of relief must be in the bunker and the ball must be dropped in the bunker; or Under penalty of one stroke, outside the bunker keeping the point ball lay directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the bunker the ball may be dropped. ON THE PUTTING GREEN: If the ball lies on the putting green, the player must lift the ball and place it, without penalty, at the nearest point of relief that is not in a hazard. The nearest point of relief may be off the putting green. ON THE TEEING GROUND: If the ball lies on the teeing ground, the player must lift the ball and drop it, without penalty, in accordance with Clause (i) above. Whenever one invokes this rule, the ball may be cleaned. Some key points to remember about taking relief from an immovable obstruction: You may invoke this rule anywhere on the golf course except when your ball lies in a water hazard or a lateral water hazard. If taking relief in a bunker, the ball must be dropped at the nearest point of full relief within the bunker; otherwise, the penalty is one stroke. When taking relief on the putting green, the ball must always be placed even if the nearest point of relief happens to be off the putting green. The ball may always be cleaned under Rule 24-2. The General Penalty for Breach of Rule 24-2 is 2 strokes in Stroke Play or loss of hole in Match Play, so be sure to follow the proper relief procedures.

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Common Back Injuries in Golf (Continued from Last Month) Spondylolesthesis This is an interesting condition. It is basically a deformity by birth or injury, where the posterior structures of the spine called the pedicles do not form correctly or are fractured. This deformity or fracturing allows slippage of one lumbar vertebra on the one below it. The problem here is that spondylolesthesis can lead to or cause an unstable spine as one vertebra slips on the other. In severe cases it can lead to spinal cord compression. Spondylolesthesis can be progressive, with the slip-page increasing over time and with stress or strain. Extension, or backward bending, is a problem for spondylolesthesis sufferers, as it can increase the forward slippage of the upper vertebra on the lower one. Flexion activities are the treat-ment of choice for this disorder. Once again, muscle imbalances, pelvic girdle imbal-ances, limited range of motion in a hip or thoracic spine puts the lower back under great stress. An unbalanced pelvis causes asymmetrical loading of the lumbar spine and can aggravate the slippage in spondylolesthesis. In golf, the “S” posture at setup will tend to increase symptoms in spondylolesthesis because this position increases the extension of the lumbar spine. Facet Impingement Facet impingement is a challenging diagnosis. The back of the spine has small joints called facet joints. These joints are generally the diameter of your thumb nail in the lumbar spine. The job of the facet joints is to control motion. In the lower back the facet joints allow flexion, extension, and side bending, but are generally thought to prevent lumbar rotation. Once again the “S” posture will be a problem if there is facet impingement. Extension of the lumbar spine leads to compression of the facet joints. This, in turn, causes inflammation of the lumbar facets which is the cause of the pain. Facet pain is generally localized to the affected area of the back with little radiation into the legs. Activities such as standing and walking or backward bending are also a problem with this disorder because they create lumbar extension and increase the facet compression. Typically, there is supposed to be a small backward curve in the lower back. The op-erative word is “small.” The anatomy texts indicate that eight to ten degrees is consid-ered normal lumbar curve. On most of us that amount of curve is not very noticeable. If you were to put your back against the wall with your feet twelve inches from the wall and stood comfortable you should be able to get your finger tips in the small of your lower back. If you can get your entire hand in there, you might be a can-didate for facet joint problems. Sacroiliac Joint Pain The sacroiliac joint is the joint at the base of the spine between the sacrum and the pelvis. The sacrum is a series of five fused vertebra at the bottom of your spine. There are two sacroiliac (SI) joints. There is great controversy about whether or not these joints are capable of motion. Our experience suggests that these joints can undergo a small amount of motion (2 to 4 degrees). When one or both of these joints get irritated they can cause pain in the very lower back that might even radiate into your hip joint area. When out of balance, the muscles that attach to the pelvis, hip flexors, hamstrings, abdominals, and lower back can cause the SI joint to become irritated. If you have SI joint pain you will probably hurt getting out of a chair, standing, walking, or during loading of the hips. In golf this is a real problem because the hips are constantly being loaded when we walk and if we ride a cart and get out of the cart for every shot. This disorder is generally easy to remedy. The remedy only includes restoring normal balance to the muscles of the pelvis and mobility in the hips. It is our experience that the majority of us who have back pain have dysfunction of the SI joint and its associated muscles. The bottom line is that self-diagnosis rarely works. If you have back pain you could have any of these disorders. All of these disorders are aggravated by imbalances in the muscles of the pelvis, hips, and lower torso. Remedying these imbal-ances in most cases will reduce the strain on the structures of the lower back and lead to less pain. If you have questions about your situation, please send me an email at agaspar@fitgolf.com. I will do my best to answer your questions.

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Mike Perpich, a GOLF Magazine Top 100 pro, used words such as impeccable, perfect, and right-on-the-mark in the article which was entitled "Four keys to a super swing." Among the more interesting notes about the swing was the following: "His setup and posture are impeccable, but his hands are positioned un-usually low, probably the result of using clubs that were too long at an early age." Fowler, who plays and practices at TPC Las Vegas when in town, finished as the runner-up at the recent Waste Management Phoe-nix Open to fellow Oklahoma State golfer Hunter Mahan. TPC Las Vegas is known as the home of pro golf in Las Vegas because of the many tour players from Las Vegas who play and practice at the Las Vegas golf course.

"We have some great young players, which I think is critical to the long-term success of the game," says none other than Phil Mickelson in the article about Fowler and his fellow youngsters. "Rory McIlroy is one of best players I've seen at such a young age, along with Ryo Ishikawa. And Rickie Fowler is just as exciting. The level these guys play at is mind-boggling. I couldn't imagine hitting it as long and straight as then do and having impeccable short games at such a young age." Mickelson himself has some ties to Las Vegas golf courses because he works on his swing with Las Vegas resident Butch Harmon, who operates the Butch Harmon School of Golf at Las Vegas golf course Rio Secco Golf Club. There was also a large feature article called "Being Ryan Moore" in the pages of the Golf Plus section dated March 8, 2010. Moore was a 4-time All-American at UNLV, and in 2004 he earned the NCAA individual title in addition to winning the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Publinx in addition to various other high-level amateur tournaments. Many compare his summer of 2004 to the likes of Bobby Jones and Tiger Woods' amateur ac-complishments. Moore now splits time between his native state of Washington and new digs in Scottsdale, Arizona. "Slowed early by a painful wrist injury, the most decorated amateur since Tiger is quietly showing he can play with the big boys, and he's doing it his own way--largely logoless and without handlers or a big-time swing guru," was the intro text to the article which took up four full pages. Moore won last season's Wynd-ham Championship for his first PGA Tour victory, and has been playing very well of late. Part of the credit goes to former UNLV teammate Troy Denton, who now works with Moore on his swing and various drills, but maybe his most important contribution is just being a trusted friend. "We talk golf, how it works; just how we do with life," Denton told Sports Illustrated writer Stephanie Wei. Moore's brother, Jason also says that Moore is loyal and wanted Denton to help him because he was com-fortable with him as a friend first. "Most guys go to big names for their swing methods," Jason tells Wei. "Ryan didn't want to change his game for someone else's swing theory so he could become another clone of theirs. He wanted someone like Troy, who knows his swing, has watched him play forever and won't say you need to swing like Tiger." Moore has already earned more than $7 million on Tour since turning pro, and with a healthy wrist, the fu-ture is bright, just like his former head coach always knew it would be for Moore. "“During Ryan’s Rebels career, he achieved things that no amateur player had ever done before and may never do again,” said Knight last year when Moore won the Wyndham. “After today, he can add PGA Tour Champion next to his name and all of us at UNLV are so proud of that.” Other Rebels playing on the PGA Tour include Chris Riley, Adam Scott, Charley Hoffman, Bill Lunde, Skip Kendall and Chad Campbell. For more interesting articles visit:

Las Vegas PGA Tour Golfers Highlight

Sports Illustrated's Golf Plus Forward by Brian Hurlburt of golfvegasnow.com

Continued from Page 1

The Southern Nevada Golf Association is pleased to invite all SNGA women golfers to play in a fun, 9 hole scramble at

SNGA's home course, Highland Falls Golf Club on Wednesday, April 21, 2010.

Each 4-some will consist of 4 women & 1 female mystery player.

1:30 - 2:30 Short game clinic hosted by Cleveland Golf Srixon 3:00PM - Shotgun Start

After golf, enjoy wine, sandwiches and a raffle.

Space is limited to the first 40 paid players.

The entry fee is $40.00 per person & includes; clinic, golf, cart, range balls, tee prize, sandwiches and wine

For Tournament particulars and to sign up, go to:

Southern Nevada Golf Association

2625 N. Green Valley Pkwy. Suite 100

Henderson, NV 89014 Phone: 702-458-4653

Southern Nevada Golf Association

SNGA “Fore” Women Only Event

The season has officially begun! The first Fun Day event took place Monday, March 08, 2010 at the beautiful Dragon Ridge CC. Although the weather was unseasonable cool and

windy the gals enjoyed the day on the magnificently manicured golf course. Fun Day events allow you to make your own foursome or have the committee pair you. There is an

individual buy-in offered to those that are interested, or you can just enjoy the day with friends without any cash on the line. All in all Fun Days are a great chance to get out to play on a different golf course and meet up with friends as well as make new friends. This event marks the return of the WSNGA Fun Day and it must

have been missed these past few years, as we had a full field with an extensive waiting list! Kudos to Sherry Jackson, our tournament director, for re-establishing Fun Day events. Our next Fun Day will be July 26, 2010 at Bears Best.

Watch the website for information and entry forms.

Are you looking for other fun golf events to enter? WSNGA’s website now has a link to provide you with information about a variety of invitationals being held throughout Southern Nevada. Volunteer opportunities are available as well.

Check us out at: www.wsnga.org.

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Southern Nevada Senior  

Amateur May 3‐4, 2010 

Boulder Creek GC www.wsnga.org 

CHILDREN OF NATIONAL GUARDSMEN AND RESERVISTS WELCOMED AT THE FIRST TEE OF SOUTHERN NEVADA NO COST PROGRAMS Las Vegas, Nevada - (March 10, 2010) – In 2010, The First Tee of Southern Ne-vada will offer golf instruction combined with character and life skills education to children of National Guardsmen and Reservists. The initiative is made possible as part of a two-year agreement between The First Tee, a nation-wide youth de-velopment program, and the Department of Defense. “We are honored to have the opportunity to introduce our positive youth development programs to children of those serving in our Armed Forces,” said Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., chief executive officer of The First Tee. “The First Tee Life Skills Experience teaches young people core values such as honesty and respect as well as important life skills such as managing emotions, goal setting, interpersonal communication and effective conflict resolution. The program goes far beyond teaching fundamental golf skills.” Trained coaches and staff at more than 200 Chapters of The First Tee offer a progression of lesson plans that create a fun and safe learning environment. The curriculum fosters curiosity about the game of golf and teaches how the posi-tive values inherent in the game can be used at home, in school and in other areas of everyday life. The free program aims to positively impact children of Guardsmen and Reservists that reside in 200 civilian commu-nities across America. New sessions start throughout the year and dates and times vary by location. A parent from the military family can sign up at The First Tee Chapter, 2625 N. Green Valley Parkway, Suite 100, Henderson, NV, or download a voucher at www.thefirsttee.org/military “Parents, teachers and communities have embraced our mission after seeing firsthand how the core values associated with the program help young people succeed,” said Barrow. “We expect to have a similar level of meaningful impact on the children of service members. When you think about the sacrifices being made by the men and women serving in the defense of our country, supporting this group of young people and military families with these types of pro-grams is tremendously important.” Over 7,800 volunteers, board members and coaches are engaged in teaching and mentoring participants of The First Tee. Independent research findings since 2003 outline longitudinal evidence of the effectiveness of The First Tee life skills programs, and indicate that participants demonstrate desirable qualities such as confidence, character, judgment and perseverance over time.

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A Big Thanks to SNGA’s Elite Corporate Sponsor

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“If you wish to hide your character, do not play golf.” ~ Percey Boomer

thoughts... final

Las Vegas National Golf Club Site of the 2009 SNGA Season Opener

What’s on Tap >>>

SNGA Sunrise Vista Veterans Charity Classic

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2625 N. Green Valley Pkwy. Suite 100 Henderson, NV 89014

702-458-4653 www.snga.org

The SNGA returns to Sunrise Vista to pay homage to the Military Veterans at our annual Sunrise Vista Veterans Charity Classic. A portion of the entry fee will be donated to the Veterans and additional opportunities will be available to pledge support to our troops, past and present. The event is April 17th and 18th at Sunrise Vista and the entry fee ranges from $125.00 to $150.00. Come enjoy the beautiful spring weather, play some golf, and help support our military personnel. Visit www.snga.org for more info and to register.