Try this next time you have a chance to work on your putting.  Close your eye closest to the target and hit some putts.  This will be your left eye if you are a right handed golfer.  Think of  yourself as a 'Sharp Shooter' - looking down the barrel of a rifle.  By doing so, you will force your right eye to become 100% dominate and because it is behind the ball, it will be looking more down the line of your putt.  As you look at the hole, your line of sight will naturally stay on the proper line as your chin tilts slightly to the left.  (Reverse the process for lefties)  This will help you aim more efficiently and - in turn - hole more putts. 

Also, don't forget to pay attention to your grip pressure.  Putting well does not require much strength, so instead, focus on generating a smooth controlled delivery with soft hands and forearms leading the way. 

J.Eccleston

We often hear golfers use other famous destinations as examples when they describe what we have to offer in northern Michigan.  Some will call us the ‘Pinehurst of the North’ when comparing our eight courses to theirs.  Others will call us the ‘Myrtle Beach of Michigan’ when referring to the exceptional value of our golf packages.  My favorite is the claim that Bay Harbor Golf Club is the ‘Pebble Beach of the Midwest’, but without those tricky seaside poa greens.   

The truth is, we don’t care what you call us… as long as you do call (800.GO.BOYNE) and answer our one simple question.  What are you up for?

-Jeff Eccleston

Here in the BOYNE Web office we do a lot of traveling, but not in the usual sense. We travel pretty far and wide on the Web researching new trends, seeing what our neighboring resorts are up to and sometimes we stumble upon things too good not to share. The video below is one such example- hot on the heels of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Some of you may have seen the picture to the right before. It's Stein Eriksen, Wayne Wong long-time friend of BOYNE doing one of his famous flips at Boyne Mountain. 

-Dan

(source)

Actually, we are still here.  As the fall colors gave way to the grip of old man winter, our golf pros took on their annual metamorphic change into winter roles.  We become boot fitting gurus, goggle and helmet experts, event coordinators, marketing specialists, zipline adventure guides and ski/snowboard rental aficionados.  We teach our golf lessons indoors on a simulator and practice our grip, stance and waggle amidst a sea of cold weather base layers and face masks.  In fact you may not even recognize us as being leaders in the golf industry because of our vast knowledge and expertise in the snowsports arena.

But, with the groundhog comes the golf show season and we slowly begin to get the itch for greener grass just like everyone else.  Our poles turn to putters and our skis to spikes.  We experience the thrill of the holiday season all over again as we open boxes of shiny new equipment and the season's hottest fashions to display in our golf shops for you to take home.  Our attention shifts to ensuring your golf package is the best ever and your lessons help to take your game to the next level.  Come see our pros March 5, 6 and 7 at the Michigan Golf Show in Novi for a preview of the excitement.  Book your package, take a lesson and get your gear for the season as we bring the BOYNE show to town!

The 2010 season will open on May 1st, so we have a little ways to go and still have plenty of great snow for spring skiing and riding.  Also, stay tuned for information on the re-birth of the Hemlock Open sometime in April.  A unique golf and ski competition this spring! 

-Jeff Eccleston

Have you noticed all the helmets on the slopes lately? Visit the hills or peruse the rest of the BOYNE website and you’ll see them everywhere. Boyne Country Sports listed their Facebook topic of the week as “Helmet or No Helmet?”.  The responses were plenty and all but one (who was going for a laugh) were HELMET!

Not too long ago, even hats were considered too constricting.  People went sans hats, or wore little headbands so they could let their mullets and feathered do's fly free. 

Helmets were out of the question. They were heavy, limited your field of vision, made it tough to hear. Plus, they looked really dorky.  Not exactly a winning combination- unless you were getting shot out of a cannon.

So what changed?  Are we a new generation of sissies and dweebs with no hair pride?

Try one of these new lids on for yourself and it will quickly be clear that a lot has changed. Helmets are the way to go.

Like Wearing Nothing
The first thing you’ll notice is that there isn’t much to notice. Snow helmets are lightweight and have well-designed fitting systems that make it is easy to forget you’re wearing anything. Field of vision is completely unobstructed and you can hear clear as a bell.

Warm But Not Stuffy
Wind-tunnel design and improved venting systems give you a range of climate control options other than just “put it on/take it off”. Modern snow helmets cycle air through the helmet, keeping everything comfy and fresh. Open some vents and it’s cool as a bike helmet. Close them and everything is toasty warm.

Accessory Containment
Clips for goggle straps help keep the “most lost snow accessory” from disappearing as easily.  Some models come equipped with audio hookups built directly into the ear pads. Just plug in your MP3 and go.  For the seriously digital, blue tooth models eliminate wires.

Statement Maker
Now, looking in the mirror you’ll notice the palette of styles and colors makes helmets the newest fashion statement.  Black, white, pink, nuclear lime, patterned, brimmed, brimless, take your pick. It’s also the ultimate billboard for expressing individuality and personal freedom. Where better to put your favorite stickers?

A Growing Trend
The move to helmets is only going to grow. Some resorts are beginning to mandate helmets for all children in ski school programs.  (BOYNE doesn’t require them, but strongly encourages helmet use and rents them for $10/Day.) Lawmakers are increasingly proposing ski helmet bills. Fortunately, no ski helmet laws exist in the U.S. and for good reason.

Laws and policies may soon turn out to be moot points. Word is getting out that helmets are the most comfortable and sensible headwear option on the slopes.  Bigger still, helmets have assumed cool status. 

Ready for one of your own?  Visit any Boyne Country Sports location or hit SkiGolf.com today. If not, consider this a good stock tip from your friend at the shop.

-JJ

Start with a crisp, clear, calm, and cold northern Michigan morning. Add a manmade snowstorm from dozens of snowmaking Low E guns on the southern ridges of the resort. Finish off with a remarkable temperature inversion.

What you get is a scene right out of the Alps or the Sierras: skiing and riding above clouds which fill the valley below like soup in a tureen.

It all happened on Tuesday morning, December 22, 2009, and it provided the very real illusion that we measure our vertical in the thousands and not the hundreds – and it certainly showed that humans can control the weather, at least on a local scale. The pictures tell the story – scroll down to see them all. A magical holiday season it will be . . .

 Cary Adgate, BOYNE Ambassador of Skiing 

Big flakes pouring from the sky. Low-E Fan guns pouring it right back. Man and nature teamed up today – and for the last week – to create a virtual snow factory. Everywhere you look…white. I cannot remember ever seeing snow pile up this fast in Michigan.

 It was the first day of skiing for Boyne Mountain today, and together with Boyne Highlands, it's now open for the season.

 Today was a neck gaiter day – pretty brisk out – but I was cozy in my new DNA outer gear. I quit only because I had to get home to plow out my captive family – not because I was cold.

OK, skiing was fun in the 60's, I remember that. But it's the stuff today, like snowmaking, modern fabrics and insulation, skis, goggles, you name it – it's the stuff that makes it so much easier to have fun.

I do love this sport.

Cary Adgate, BOYNE Ambassador of Skiing 

I don't often type while wearing ski boots. But after checking out this aerial photo my friend snapped with her cell phone a few hours ago - and looking at the forecast from Accuweather.com -   I figured I'd better start getting my feet used to the dark.

 Yeah, I'm one of those who might be caught in flip-flops when it's 35° out. In my book, they're three-season footwear. But, no longer – it's WINTER, and baby, it's cold outside!

Notice that beautiful little cloud of a snowstorm hanging over the Mountain? 

 I live five miles from Boyne Mountain and I've heard the guns roaring around the clock for a couple days. Looking at the forecast, I'd say the snowmaking crew will be piling up some serious overtime between now and the holidays. Low to mid twenties in the day and mid-teens at night for a far as the eye can see (or the meteorologist's eye, to be sure). Our patience with Mother Nature in November seems to be paying off . . .

 This will be one of those Decembers not to miss.

 Cary Adgate, BOYNE Ambassador of Skiing

photo credit: Deanne Jackson              pilot: Eric Jarema