New updated category for Max’s blog.
One afternoon a few years back I found myself golfing with my brother to test out a new putter I had bought. However, with the new putter I noticed all my putts, no matter where I was aiming, always seemed to pull left. It was after about the umpteenth putt that I had missed left when I began cursing the golf gods and thinking about giving up the sport for good. My brother, who was probably fed up with my complaining, tried to help me rectify my putting stroke.
“How to do grip your putter?” he asked.
“The same way I grip the rest of my clubs,” I replied, showing him my grip on the putter.
Close up of a traditional putting grip. This grip is how most golfers grip the rest of their clubs.
“Ahhh, the traditional way,” he said. “Have you thought about switching up how you hold the putter?”
“There is more than one way to hold it?”
My brother ran through about five different grips styles that he said could help stabilize my left wrist. I guess it was my left wrist wanting to flip that was messing up the alignment of my putt. I was blown away by the sheer number of creative grip styles people have found to improve their putting. After a whole summer of experimenting, I finally found a style that suits my putter and my stroke and I’ve been draining putts ever since . . . kind of.
If you are struggling with your putting stroke or just looking to change a few dynamics of your game, here are five different unconventional putting grips to experiment with this season:
Close-up of a crosshanded or reverse style putting grip. The dominant hand goes on top.
The crosshanded grip is essentially the reverse style to the traditional golf grip, which is why it is also sometimes referred to as the reverse grip. Instead of holding the club with your dominant hand below your nondominant, switch it around and try gripping the putter with your dominant hand above your nondominant. This will give your nondominant hand more control and give you a more balanced swing.
Pros who’ve used crosshanded grip include; Padraig Harrington, Jim Furyk, and Jordan Speith.
Close-up of split handed or hockey style putting grip. The longer the putter the wider the grip.
The split handed grip is essentially the traditional grip style except you unlink your hands to create some space. The nondominant hand steadies the top of the putter against your body while your dominant hand guides the putter shaft. A gap between your hands, however small, is said to increase the control over your putter and allow you to putt with greater accuracy.
Pros who’ve used split handed grip include; Natalie Gulbis, Daniel Chopra, and Happy Gilmore.
Close-up of Tommy Fleetwood’s claw or pencil style putting grip. The dominant hand holds the putter grip like a pencil.
The claw or pencil grip is essentially a variation on the split handed grip style where your dominant hand is almost taken completely of the club. The nondominant hand remains steady at the top of the putter shaft with your dominant hand underneath, gripping the shaft like a pencil. You are essentially only using the thumb, index, and middle finger of your dominant hand to grip the club and bring some equilibrium to your swing.
Pros who’ve used the claw grip include; Tommy Fleetwood, Phil Mickelson, and Sergio Garcia.
Close-up of palm to palm or prayer style putting grip. The palms are aligned and fingers overlap.
The palm to palm or prayer grip as it is sometimes called is exactly as it sounds. Instead of lining your up hands one after another like you would with a traditional grip, you bring your hands closer together by lining up your palms, wrapping your dominant hand snugly around the fingers of your nondominant. With this grip, bring your hands down from the top of the club and more to the middle of the club grip to help fix any wobbles.
Pros who’ve used the palm to palm grip include; Vijay Singh, Paul Dunne, and Matt Wallace.
Close-up of arm lock or braced style putting grip. The shaft of the putter is braced against the lead forearm.
The arm lock putting grip looks like a very unconventional style, but it truly minimizes your ability to move your hands during the putting stroke. This stroke is perfect for those who have the “yips.” To achieve this grip, choke up on the putter. The putter should remain “locked” to the golfer’s lead forearm (nondominant hand) through the entire putting stroke while using your dominant hand to apply pressure forces the butt-end of the grip to maintain contact with your lead forearm.
Pros who’ve used the palm to palm grip include; Bernhard Langer, Soren Kjeldsen, and Jason Dufner.
First Tee Time 9:00 am
We can’t wait to see you back out on the course! We have implemented a new Touch-Free experience at our course. Click below to read more about our new procedures.
Book and pay for your round easily online.
Pinehurst posted on Twitter announcing it was incorporating a 2” diameter PVC pipe cut to 2.5” in length, then popped into the hole.
While Minnesota golf courses remain closed during this public health crisis, other courses across the country continue to open their doors to golfers. Over the last month, many courses have made many surprising and creative innovations to help golfers stay safe during this pandemic. Courses have asked for pins to remain untouched while either reducing or raising the hole depths to avoid as much physical contact with the hole or flagstick as possible. A few places have even gone and removed the pins altogether.
Either way, courses as a whole are advocating for golfers to avoid touching the pin and leave it in during your putt. Anyways, this whole thing got me thinking! If golfers will be expected to leave the pin in . . . how exactly will this affect their game?
Maybe you are used to putting with the pin in, but realistically this is probably a new phenomenon for most golfers. After all, it was only last year that the USGAchanged its rule on the subject.
Under Rule 13.2a(2) of the USGA rule book, “There will no longer be a penalty if a ball played from the putting green hits a flagstick left in the hole.”
What was once a violation of the basic rules of golf has now been deemed acceptable. This controversial rule change has now given golfers the option of leaving the flag in the hole during a putt. However, this raises a question. Does leaving in the pin help or hurt your putt?
Bryson DeChambeau putting with the pin in.
In the PGA, it is still a controversial topic. Some say it is situational, while others would never dare to pull the pin. Then there are players like Bryson DeChambeauwho swear by it!
DeChambeau was a physics major at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He has been known to apply his knowledge of physics to help gain an edge in his golf game, effectively earning him the nickname The Scientist. According to DeChambeau’s mathematical and statistical analysis, you will hole a higher percentage of putts when you leave the flagstick in.
“The pin in is an easy one. It’s statistically proven to be a benefit in 99 percent of situations. Anything outside of ten feet I’m going to leave it in.” – Bryson DeChambeau
A putt about to fall into the hole with the flagstick in.
According to golf writer, Dave Pelz, the reason behind this philosophy is that a significant amount of energy is lost from a putt’s speed when the ball hits a fiberglass flagstick. The speed-loss allows gravity to pull the slower moving ball straight down into the cup more often than not. The pin is your friend. Even if you don’t hit it dead on, it can still help you.
This summer, we may not get the option to pull the pin. Putting with the flag in may be forced upon us all. However, at least it is nice to know that it could potentially help us drain a few more putts and shave a few more strokes off our score!
We are looking forward to seeing you back out on the course again soon. When we open for play as decided by our state officials, we will have an all new touch-free experience to ensure the safety of our golfers and staff, including new procedures to limit contact and minimize touch points throughout the course.
We hope you all are staying safe and healthy during this time, and we will keep you updated on when we are able to re-open again soon. We appreciate your continued support and understanding.
Sincerely,
Your Friends at River Oaks Golf Course and Event Center
Golf:
Range:
Practice Green:
We appreciate your support and flexibility during this unique time. We look forward to seeing you soon!
As soon as River Oaks is granted permission to open up for the golf season, our course will be hosting and providing several events and activities to keep you and your friends and family occupied this summer. This year we are offering plenty of league options, lesson opportunities, and public events for our guests. Explore below to learn more about our league options, available lessons, scheduled tournaments and exciting events planned for the 2020 season.
River Oaks is offering several different leagues four days out of the week this year for every type of golfer, so finding one that fits you shouldn’t be hard. Below are the leagues we offer and the days and times each league meets throughout the summer, click on each league to learn more. Sign up for a league and spend your summer golfing!
Tuesday morning tee times at 11 AM starting June 16 – August 18.
Tuesday evening tee times between 5-6 PM starting May 5 – August 25.
Tuesday evening tee times between 6-7 PM starting May 5 – August 25.
Tuesday morning tee times between 7-10 AM or Wednesday morning tee times between 6-11 AM starting April 14 – October 14.
Wednesday evening tee times between 5-6 PM starting May 6 – August 26.
Thursday morning tee times between 7-9 AM starting April 30 – September 17.
Saturday morning tee times between 7-10 AM starting April 25 – October 10.
River Oaks is offering lessons and clinics for adults, women, and juniors throughout the summer to help individuals improve their game in a fun and friendly environment. Below are the lessons we offer, click on each lesson to find the days and times and find one that fits your schedule. Sign up for a lesson and spend your summer learning a new talent!
These lessons are geared towards anybody that wants to learn golf or get back into playing golf in a non-competitive, friendly, no-pressure environment. Instructors will go through the basics of the highlighted aspect of the game each lesson.
These lessons are geared toward women that have little to no golfing experience but want to get into the great game of golf in a non-competitive, friendly, no-pressure environment. Instructors will go through the basics of the highlighted aspect of the game each lesson.
The next step after our Beginner Clinics are our month-long adult group lessons are geared toward intermediate players who have a grasp on the basics but need to brush up on some fundamentals to get to the next level.
These lessons are for kids ages 6-11 years old and a beginner at golf. Kids will get a chicken tender basket with fries before instructors go through key points of the weekly skill and the kids get to swing their clubs.
These camps are geared toward beginner golfers that have little to no golfing experience and are interested in picking up the game. Instructors will teach the basics of the game starting with putting and chipping and then go through the fundamentals of the full swing with irons and woods.
River Oaks is hosting a handful of tournaments this summer for those wishing to play in a competitive setting. Below are the tournament events we have already scheduled out, click on each tournament to 
learn more. Sign up for a tournament to compete for glory!
Saturday, May 30, 2020, shotgun start at 2 PM.
Monday, July 13, 2020, shotgun start at 8 AM.
Saturday and Sunday, August 22nd and 23rd, 2020.
Thursday, September 10, 2020, shotgun start at 8 AM.
Sunday, September 27, 2020, shotgun start at 9 AM.
River Oaks now has regulation bocce ball courts and bags boards! With our two newly built bocce courts and regulation bags boards, you can expect some tournament events scheduled for this summer. Our bocce courts are open to the public for free when there are no events scheduled. Grab some friends and meet at our patio bar overlooking the 18th hole and the Mississippi River for a fun summer evening. Follow our Facebook page and stay tuned for our upcoming bocce and bags events.
River Oaks is in the process of planning the dates and times for some awesome summer events! Just like last season, River Oaks will host many fun and exciting outings. Expect to see some of our delicious four-course dinners usually featuring a local brewery, winery, or distillery. There will be plenty of golf outings to attend as well, including Glow Golf, Greens and Brews, Green Keepers Revenge Day, and Employee-Member Tournament. Of course, we are hoping to squeeze in some live music events again this season as we did with Dueling Pianos.
Please follow our Facebook page to stay updated with the dates and times of all our upcoming events!
We’ve partnered with Titleist to bring you the best golf gear. Now through 4/22 when you buy 3 dozen of Titleist’s V1, V1x, or AVX golf balls, you’ll get 1 dozen FREE. Skip work. Play golf. Save money.
Fill out our online order form below to order yours today!
The City of Cottage Grove is doing its part to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and unfortunately, that means closing River Oaks until March 29th. It is such a shame that right when it seems that the Twin Cities is at the cusp of what seems like an early golf season we find our selves amid a national health emergency. Most public places are being avoided at all costs, events are being canceled, kids are out of school and people are working from home. It is a rather strange time . . . but what will all this mean for the golf season?
Well, the PGA has closed down in response to the coronavirus and some golf clubs around the nation are following suit. It is even questionable if there will be a Masters this year.
Who knows what this national emergency will look like in two weeks? It could get better or worse, but either way, it doesn’t look like the virus is going away anytime soon. Even when we can all come out of quarantine (whenever that may be) we will still have to practice our social distancing.
The truth is golf is a very low-risk scenario when it comes to spreading the virus, but that doesn’t mean that golf goes without any risk. When River Oaks does officially open up it’s the course for the season it will be good to implement these social distancing practices on the golf course.
Tips for golfing with the coronavirus:
Following these simple tips will further help prevent the spread of COVID-19 once our golf season starts. The golf season will come. Everyone at River Oaks is anticipating and preparing for the day that we can finally open the course, but the health and safety of our customers mean a lot to us and we will work to continue to provide a safe environment and serve the needs of our customers as best as we can.
At River Oaks, we are so much more than just your average municipal golf course. Golf is just one of the many different things we offer. Over the past few years, we have made numerous improvements and changes to offer our guests a much different and unique experience. Here is a list of five things you may not have known about our golf club.
Believe it or not, we offer winter recreation! During our off-season, when the snow has hidden the fairways of the golf course, the city of Cottage Grove grooms miles of snow trails for cross country skiers and snowshoers. These trails are open every year and are free to use. We do not offer ski or snowshoe rentals, so athletes must bring their equipment.
If you only come to River Oaks to golf, then you may not be aware that we are open year-round. The Eagles Bar and Grill is open every Friday and Saturday from 3 pm to 9 pm. At the Eagles, we honor neighborhood and community by offering a place for family, friends, and neighbors to come together for wonderful cocktails and delicious food all year.
Also, our event center hosts numerous public events throughout the fall and winter months to get you and your friends and family out of the house. We host annual events such as our Friendsgiving, Santa Bruch, Annual Beer Tasting, and Lenten Fish Fry. We also run musical events and dinner parties throughout the season. Follow us on Facebook to stay up to date on all of our events.
River Oaks now has bocce ball! This year we will be including two newly built and regulation-sized bocce courts. Our courts feature an amazing patio bar overlooking the Mississippi River on the 18th hole. The courts are open to the public for free when there are no private events scheduled. The new bocce courts and outside bar can be rented out for private events such as your next birthday party, retirement party, family reunion, team building, wedding party or anything you can think of! Stay tuned this summer as we are putting together event and tournament packages for our guests.
River Oaks has its very own custom made and regulation size cornhole boards. Like our bocce courts, our bags boards are free for the public to use when there are no private events scheduled. Also like our bocce courts, our bags can be rented out for private events! Stay tuned this summer as we are putting together event and tournament packages for our guests and are even considering league options.
Last year we ditched the old dinosaurs our golfers were driving around in and invested in updated and 
more contemporary golf carts. Our state of the art golf carts are equipped with course maps and GPS tracking allowing you to look up yardage. These carts also include Bluetooth speakers, so you can listen to your favorite music and USB charging ports for charging your devices. They have direct communication with the clubhouse, so you can order food right from your cart making for an easy and comfortable ride.
With New Year’s resolutions come New Year’s renovations! River Oaks received the green light earlier this month to undergo some extensive refurbishing and decorating. In truth, the River Oaks Club House and Event Center is over 20 years old and is overdue for a more contemporary makeover. This past month, what started as an idea of freshening the walls with a few coats of paint has ultimately led to a complete redecorating of our bar and event center.
In our banquet room, we have updated our color pallet by freshening the walls with paint. In addition to the paint, we have updated the walls with picture frame molding for a more polished look. Not only does the picture frame molding give the room more texture and depth, but it also makes the room look taller. Furthermore, we have done a complete overhaul on the lighting by adding hanging crystal chandeliers to offer our guests a more elegant experience. The ambient light they provide provides the space with a much more decorative and relaxing feel.
We didn’t stop at the banquet room. We have also redecorated our bar and grill with a fun and exciting new look. New cabinets and a new countertop were installed in our dining area for more storage and utilize the existing space. Like the banquet room, the bar was also coated in fresh paint with a new color! Come check it out for yourself.
There are even new additions planned for when the golf season starts. Come springtime, our outdoor patio area will highlight the addition of comfy new patio furniture for a more comfortable and relaxing time while you take in the beautiful views of our golf course. Stop in and check out the patio this spring and you will find some other exciting features.
Going beyond the patio, our grounds crew will also be working on the addition of a new bocce ball court as soon as the ground thaws. If you didn’t get the opportunity last year to try our bocce ball court, this 
season will offer even more space and opportunity for the sport.
A lot is going on here, but stayed tuned for future renovations because we are not stopping here! We have plenty of other ideas moving down the pipeline on ways to make improve our already beautiful course into something even better.
