It’s time for more golf tips from golf pro, Dave Buettner. The following information will help you improve your chipping and wedging on the course. If you have questions, feel free to visit Dave and the rest of the Talking Rock golf pros at the Ranch Compound.

Patio / Driveway Chipping
Throw an old “welcome” or floor mat down on the concrete. You can use golf balls or whiffle balls. Hit short chip shots off of the mat. This will give you more confidence striking chips off of firm, tight lies (a common shot at Talking Rock). Use a variety of cubs from sandwedge to six-iron. The hard service requires precision and precise contact. If you really want a challenge, grab a few old-fashioned marbles and try to chip those!

Get better acquainted with your wedges
When you go to the range for practice only on cool days just take your wedges. Resist the urge to grab the driver, 5-iron etc. Hit your wedges a variety of distances. Before each shot tell yourself how far you are going to hit it. After you hit it tell yourself how far you did hit it. I watched Tom Kite do this for an hour at the Olympic Club a few years ago. And yes he had it down the yard! You will be surprised at how good you get and you will be teaching yourself distance control – the key to scoring.

Talking Rock is very pleased to welcome new Executive Chef, Richard Saldivar.  Richard has been at the Ranch House for a little over a month, and both members and guests have had great things to say about his work.  Here's what Chef Saldivar has to say about his experiences thus far: 

 

I am very excited about the fantastic opportunity to be the Executive Chef of Talking Rock. My family and I are now officially back in Arizona and loving every moment. After only a month at Talking Rock, I have had the opportunity to meet many of our members and listen to their suggestions and ideas. We have a lot of new ideas to offer our members, and I look forward creating great meals and experiences on Wednesday Theme Nights, Small Plate Fridays and Chop House dinners on Saturday. Our menus will change daily and weekly to offer the freshest ingredients available to us. Please remember to make reservations so that I may best serve and plan for our membership.

 

I am also very excited to jump-start the Culinary Society. We are planning to have the Culinary Society meet on the last Sunday of every month. Members will create some exciting dishes including desserts, dressings and sauces, appetizers, meat butchery and cooking, seafood preparation, side dishes and accompaniments and fresh bread and pastries. If you have any questions or comments regarding the culinary programs at Talking Rock please feel free to contact me at rsaldivar@talkingrockclub.com.

 

Thank you, Chef Salvidar. We're glad you are here.

Spring is here and the Prescott golf season at Talking Rock is right around the corner. In preparation for another great season, we thought you might be interested in a few tips to help improve your game. Golf pro Dave Buettner has provided some of his favorite drills to practice on and off the course.

2 X 4 Putting
Get a couple of standard 2 X 4 pieces of wood about two-feet long. Make a track on the floor approximately one inch wider than the head of your putter. With or without using a golf ball, practice making your putting stroke inside the track. Try not to hit either piece of wood. This drill will help you to develop a “square” putting stroke that stays on your intended target line. It also gives you immediate feedback if you hit the track allowing for you to learn and make adjustments to your stroke. You can do this at home on any surface.

Strike a Pose
Ben Hogan used to spend hours practicing his golf swing looking at a mirror in slow motion. He felt that by making his “ideal” swing in slow motion, he would train his muscles to duplicate the moves at real speed. You be the judge. Use a mirror (full-length works the best) and watch yourself swing in slow motion. Look at it from the front and side. Make adjustments and continue to put your body in the ideal position. You will be surprised at the difference this can make. For an even better effect, I like to use a weighted club adding more resistance creating even more muscle memory.

That’s all for now, stay tuned to the Talking Rock blog for more golf and fitness tips!

Back in September 2009 we began building a five-acre effluent lake within the community. Construction was completed in December and we’d like to take this opportunity to provide you with further information on the project and answer a few questions we’ve received.

What is the purpose of the effluent lake?
A half-million dollar investment in the community, the lake is part of Talking Rock’s water service agreement with the ICR Water Users Association. Water stored in the lake will assist with the irrigation of the Talking Rock golf course during the summer months, thus placing less stress on the wells during that period. Effluent water should eventually provide 100 percent of the Prescott golf course’s irrigation needs.

Where is the water coming from?
The lake is currently being filled with water reclaimed from users living in Inscription Canyon, The Preserve, Whispering Canyon and Talking Rock.

I’ve noticed other construction. What else is happening at Talking Rock?
Dirt recovered from effluent lake construction was used to reshape the practice facility target area. Originally designed as a two-tee range, the facility was updated to a single tee design creating more definition and enhancing view lines for all targets. Recently completed, the reshaping has created more of a “fairway” look. Also, in an effort to conserve water, irrigated turf once used to frame the driving range floor has been replaced by native grasses.