The rumours of the imminent demise of Liv Golf have been all over the media. They have been denied by everybody at Liv, but the Public Investment Fund is clearly looking to cut costs. The war in Iran and the resulting crude oil price uncertainty is not helping.
Liv was certainly very disruptive to the golf world, and it may even have had some benefits, but one must question the wisdom of spending $5-billion on a new golf league.
The only outcome seems to have been to make some wealthy golfers even richer. I don’t know if having a bigger jet and a second yacht really benefits the planet. Surely the funds could have been spent on something more deserving and sustainable.
When Liv implodes, there are going to be some very interesting conversations between their current players and the PGA.
Drive for show, putt for dough
The saying goes that you drive for show and putt for dough. Putting seems to be every amateur’s Achilles heel. We all want to be better putters, but do we put in the practice time? This is the usual practice routine: One hour before the game we go to the range and try and get our swing sorted. Particularly our driver.
If it is working, we pound as many as possible because it feels great. If it is not working, we try everything to sort it out. On a good day we leave ourselves 10 minutes to chip and putt before we tee off. So, an average of 5 minutes of putting before the game, just to get a feel for the greens.
Honing your putting skills
Even on the days we manage to put aside a few hours for practice, how much of that time is spent putting? And when last did you visit a putting coach? Clearly not the answer to honing your putting skills.
My son Luke Brown is a professional golfer on the Sunshine Tour. He is a good putter, as you must be, but not the best on tour. His schedule is very tight, what with travelling and playing, but he still squeezes in at least four hours of dedicated putting practice every week.
This consists of precise and regimented putting drills, first working on his stroke using a mirror and alignment tape, then on speed, using a circle around the hole with steadily increasing distance. He will then practice line reading, giving himself increasingly difficult putts.
I don’t know if you have ever tried concentrating on putting for four hours, but I can tell you it is exhausting. As a child he would just walk up to his putt, have a brief look, and send it on its way. He was a brilliant putter in those days, relaxed and confident, as are most children.
It is only as the consequences of a missed putt become important that our thoughts get in the way. “Golf is a game of inches. The most important are the six inches between your ears,” so said Arnold Palmer when asked about putting.
The quickest way to lower your golf score is to practice your short game, particularly putting.
- Rob is an amateur golfer, with a best handicap of 10 and has not beaten his son Luke in straight stroke play since he was 12 years old. Luke turned pro at 18, with a handicap of plus 7, and won his first Sunshine Tour tournament at Blair Atholl in 2021. He finished last season 16th on the order of merit, and is currently 588 in the World Golf Rankings.
- Rumors about Liv Golf's imminent collapse are widespread but officially denied; however, cost-cutting by the Public Investment Fund amid geopolitical tensions is evident.
- Liv Golf disrupted the golf world but raised questions over the $5-billion investment, seemingly benefiting wealthy golfers rather than the sport or environment.
- The article emphasizes the importance of putting in golf, noting that most amateurs neglect putting practice despite its critical role in scoring.
- Professional golfer Luke Brown dedicates structured, intensive weekly putting practice to improve his game, contrasting with typical amateur routines.
- The quickest way to lower golf scores is by focusing on short game practice, especially putting, highlighted by the saying and expert insights.
