Do everything with a purpose. That sounds pretty simple. The reality is that is a lot harder to do than one might think.

My short game coach, Tracy Phillips, help create an incredibly productive environment for me when I was a Junior Golfer. The truth is: you have to practice with a different sense of urgency depending on what your schedule is. My preparation during the off-season was geared towards helping me get ready for the Spring Season or the beginning of the Tour Season. My prep work during the middle of the Season when I only had a week off between events was quite a bit different.

There is one constant between the two: you are preparing yourself to compete and ultimately, to win.

Some of you may be thinking what is the difference? I would tell all of you that my training and prep work during the Off Season was a lot more stringent and longer than my “maintenance training” during the Season.

I had a system that I knew worked for me. I would set my competition schedule at the beginning of the year and base my training and prep work on my tournament schedule. I based my gym time, practice time and my on course time relative to when I was playing so I could keep myself fresh and ready for events. I knew during the Off Season I could train more and spend more hours on course because I had more time for recovery before I started competing.

A typical day for me was hitting 500 balls a day, 500 putts a day, and 250 chips a day. Then, I would go play at least 9 holes. If I had a chance to do it all over again…I would modify that practice schedule quite a bit and spend a lot more time on course and playing. My schedule would look more like: hitting 200 balls a day and spending an hour and a half on short game. Then that would leave plenty of time for me to get onto the course and play and plenty of time for the gym as well.

Another thing I would recommend focusing on is a sense of purpose for every practice or playing session. Set an obtainable goal each day and work towards achieving that goal. If you want to work on your distance control with your wedges, set your wedge practice up to achieve that goal. Set up range ball buckets or other targets in 10 yard increments from 20-80 yards. Challenge yourself and make sure that you work on controlling your distance and changing your targets frequently to work on distance control. You will see the improvements in your wedge game and in your scores quickly if you challenge yourself with productive drills like this wedge drill.

Many of you may already feel like you practice with a purpose. If so…that is awesome. Keep doing it and push yourself to fine tune your practice regiment so that you continue to improve. If you feel as if you have not had a good focus and have just been practicing to practice, then I suggest you pencil out objectives for you to work on in your practices and I assure you that you will see results soon.

Have fun, play great and fairways and greens,

Kelli

One of the best decisions of my life was making the choice to attend The University of Texas and play college golf for the Longhorns in the early Fall of my Senior year…it was 1995. My days at Texas were some of the best days of my life and they continue to be a huge part of my foundation at the ripe age of 36. I have come to the realization that I still bleed burnt orange and I am proud to say…I always will.

I had every intention of following my two big brothers, Trip and Hank, and attending Oklahoma State University. I had always been with my brothers, and college was going to be no different. I took my recruiting trip, toured the facilities, told my Mom and Dad that I was going to OSU and all I had to do was sign on the dotted line. I wasn’t interested in taking any more recruiting trip to any other schools. It was a done deal. My Mom and Dad encouraged me to take my time in making my decision because ultimately, it was my decision to make.

There was one coach in particular that I had developed a great relationship with throughout the recruiting process that I had address. Her name was Susan Watkins and she was the Head Women’s Golf Coach at the University of Texas. I took my parent’s advice and scheduled my recruiting trip to Texas. The ironic thing is: I knew the minute I stepped foot on campus that I was destined to be a Longhorn. I know that probably sounds crazy…but there’s no other way to explain it…it hit me like a ton of bricks. I loved everything about Austin and The University of Texas. I loved the city of Austin, I enjoyed the culture, the food and night life were and still are amazing. Susan was the driving force in my decision to attend The University of Texas.

There was one other person in particular that sealed my fate as a Longhorn. Her name was Tina Bonci. She was and still is the Head Women’s Trainer and the Associate Athletic Director at The University of Texas. Ultimately, my relationship with Tina is one of the things I value most in my life to this day. She taught me how to take care myself, my health and address challenges to make me a better person.

I am a Type 1 Diabetic. I have been for 26 years. I took two shots a day for 11 years and have been on an insulin pump for 15 years. I was diagnosed at age 10 and have been lucky enough to work with some of the most educated people and doctors in the country. Tina was one of those people. She is also a Type 1 Diabetic. We have forged a friendship that very few people will ever understand based on the daily trials and tribulations and successes of dealing with this disease. Tina brought a humor to things that most others wouldn’t understand firsthand. She taught me a grace and humility that I didn’t know existed. I am incredibly grateful for Tina’s friendship and influence throughout the years.

A funny story about Tina and I: the British Amateur in 1996. It was the Summer between my Freshman and Sophomore year at Texas. I fired my local caddie at Royal Lytham after the 36 hole qualifier. So, my next caddie options were my Mom or Tina…I chose Tina because my Momma is not the most golf savvy person on the planet. The wind was blowing so hard the 2nd day of Match Play that Tina left my Pull Cart off to the side of the green and a gust of wind blew my pull cart into one of those infamous pot bunkers that you have nightmares about. I was putting to win the hole and all of a sudden I hear Tina say, “Jeez oh Man, Kelli.” Then she disappeared for a few minutes. She was trying to pull my Pull Cart out of the pot bunker. That took a while. Hahaha…

A few holes later…she looked at me on the tee and said, “Hit this one straight would ya? I don’t want to go marching around in the high grass trying to find your ball anymore.” I was like…“Uhhh…OK.”

It was as simple as that. We won the 1996 British Amateur. That sealed our bond and it still continues to this day.

I remember signing my letter of intent to The University of Texas. It was a great day. It was a decision that impacted my life dramatically in the best way. Finding the right school can seem like a daunting task…but when you find the right school…you will know. It hits you in the head like a lead balloon. That’s one of the benefits of College Golf Camps of America…you have the opportunity to meet and interact with 20 active college coaches per event. You will find a coach that speaks to you and you will see that you make a connection with one coach in particular and he or she will be a part of 4 of the most incredible years of your life.

So have fun, enjoy the journey and fairways and greens,

Kelli

DALLAS, Texas (January 8, 2014) – The Legends Junior Tour (LJT) is proud to announce College Golf Camps of America (CGC) as its newest corporate partner. CGC will be the title sponsor of the Player of the Year points list as well as the Collegiate Preview.

“College Golf Camps of America is proud to be joining forces with the Legends Junior Tour,” said Kelli Kuehne, CGC – Director of Events. “We share a lot of the same values with the LJT and look forward to providing their members with a valuable tool to reach their goals.”

The Legends Junior Tour awards three Player of the Year awards annually to the player with the highest point total in their respective division. The College Golf Camps of America Points List will include not only Legends Junior Tour championships but also Texas Junior Golf Alliance Tier 2 events and AJGA Open events held in Texas.

The inaugural College Golf Camps of America Collegiate Preview will be held March 10-11 at Ridgewood CC in Waco. The format will be 54-holes of stroke play over two days, which is used almost exclusively in college golf.

“The Legends Junior Tour is extremely excited to welcome College Golf Camps of America as its newest partner,” said David Prinz, LJT Director of Operations. “We are constantly looking for ways to enhance our championships and strategic partnerships like this allow us to do that.”

The 2014 Legends Junior Tour schedule consists of 14 multi-day championships held throughout the state. All championships award AJGA performance stars to the top finishers and are ranked by Junior Golf Scoreboard and Golfweek.

About College Golf Camps of America Developed in conjunction with NCAA coaches, College Golf Camps of America (CGC) is the first privately operated multi-college JuniorGolf Camp in the world. CGC allows college coaches to instruct, evaluate, clinician and interact with junior golfers from all over the world. Operating under strict NCAA guidelines, CGC is a ground-breaking concept that will provide a huge value to junior golfers and parents with goals of playing Collegiate Golf. About Legends Junior Tour The Legends Junior Tour is part of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance; a joint venture between the Texas Golf Association, Northern and Southern Texas PGA and Houston Golf Association. The Tour operates as part of the Texas Golf Association and its Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization. Since its inception in 2005, the Tour has provided over $250,000 to promote junior golf initiatives and exposure to the game to those who might not otherwise have the opportunity across the state.

The Legends Junior Tour is home to such prestigious events as the HP Byron Nelson Junior Championship, Texas Cup Invitational, Jackie Burke Cup and Texas State Junior Championship. – See more at: http://www.tljt.org/cgc-press-release.news#sthash.GQP3A2tu.dpuf

Days of Junior Golf

I look back now at the ripe age of 36 and reminisce about my days as a young junior golfer….I was 10 years old with red glasses (which, ironically, I still wear red glasses) and long pigtails (my hair is still long, just no pigtails). I was adamant that I do and play whatever my brothers played…so that’s how I got into golf. Trip and Hank played, so naturally, I followed suit. It was as simple as that.

I can’t help but laugh as I replay our junior golf days in my head. I remember it like it was yesterday.

A normal day for the Kuehne kids was the three of us lined up on the Driving Range. Trip was always in front, Hank was in the middle, and I brought up the rear in the pecking order. My Momma was usually sprawled out on the back of the driving range, reading a book and working on her tan in the Texas sun. My Dad was always right there in the thick of things: watching, coaching, and giving us his input, whether we wanted it or not. Just the replay of this scene in my head brings a warmth to my heart and a smile to my face.

That is how I grew up playing the game. I had two partners in crime, Trip and Hank…and I wouldn’t have it any other way. This started when I was 10 years old…and it carried me through until I retired from competitive golf 23 years later.

I am incredibly grateful for the memories and the time that I got to spend with my family through the game of golf. It was never about the wins, or the trophies, or anything else. I genuinely loved being outdoors and hanging with my two big brothers. The winning was really fun, don’t get me wrong, but I enjoyed sharing the daily grind with Trip and Hank above anything else.

The three of us have a bond that is unbreakable. I attribute that bond to sharing our triumphs and struggles on the links. We now all live in three different states, we each have our own families and lives to manage, but when we all got together this Christmas to reminisce, there was laughter and stories that traced back to our junior golf days…there always is.

“Play College Golf”

Kelli Kuehne
College Golf Camps of America
Director of Events

So Pumped to have another National Championship Coach at our CGC Dallas event.

thank you coach Jay Seawell!!

See Coach Jeanne Sutherland’s recent blog post.

Today’s blog is simply some sharing of great coaching. Check out this video and article for a sense of what great coaching is all about. You see video at http://12monthsofgolfinvail.blogspot.com/

One thing I liked was what the very best in the world do and how most junior’s and college player’s expectations are out of line with what a good shot is from 150 yards. A favorite line I hear from parents when a kid 3 putts is, “She needs to learn to hit it closer.” They value the skill of ball striking more than putting. That valuation puts more pressure on the ball striking and alleviates the need for performance on the putting green. The best juniors and collegiate players are usually great putters and good enough ball strikers. I watched Nicole Morales paired with Casey Danielson at the Thunderbird last year. It was a fun group to watch. Nicole didn’t hit the ball as well as Casey, but she didn’t make mistakes. However, she made a lot of yardage of putts. She won!

Another funny thing that Foley had to say was his main goal is to not hurt them (great players). That was the advice that Dick Harmon gave me often. Foley said it can happen in three weeks. Imagine if a coach works the wrong direction for four years. Proceed with caution and know your stuff is what I take away.

The second article is about Cameron McCormick’s journey with Jordan Spieth. Here is an excerpt about the same concept.

Golf Magazine: Were you excited to uncover this talent or nervous about whether you were ready to teach such a talent?
Cameron McCormick: “That’s an insightful question. I was excited and had a little trepidation—what if I go about changing his style and he doesn’t hit it as well? I could destroy this ultra-talent. I went to Jerry Smith, the Brook Hollow head pro and my mentor, and explained the situation. His advice was, “Whatever you do, do it confidently and see it through in such a confident manner that you have no doubt that the athlete and the parent will have no doubt.” With a very special player, it’s a challenge. I needed the reassurance. After the lesson, I sent his dad an email and said I’d love to help him. I suggested we get together after his summer schedule and sent him some changes we’d go through to turn Jordan into a better ball-striker and a better putter. He was a poor putter back then, quite frankly.
Fast-forward to when Jordan was 16 and playing in the Byron Nelson. Even then he had the skills-the ball control, the putting and short game skills to win a PGA Tour event. The validation of that was how well he played, finishing 16th. He wasn’t ready, psychologically or emotionally, to win, but he certainly was of the mindset that he could compete.”

I also like that Cameron has helped Jordan be a self-sufficient player instead of a dependent player. Allowing a player to have ownership is the mark of a good coach.

Golf Magazine: What kind of maintenance does he need?
Cameron McCormick: “I’m proud of the fact that he’s developed into a very self-sufficient player. A player who has self-awareness—what’s my body feel like, what does the club feel like and what does the contact feel like-can create a change that allows him to play. Sometimes, he’ll have his caddie shoot video on the range. Sometimes, he’ll email me a video. I went to PGA Championship. He prepared great, took the week before off, but he didn’t play well. He missed the cut and said, “I’m going to play Wyndham next week. Can I get some time?” I said, “Sure, but we’re not going to the range, we’re going to play.” I said, “What I saw out there translated to performing on the course.” We played 18 on Sunday of the PGA Championship and he shot 64 or 65 at Brook Hollow, had great ball control with only a small alignment tweak. The course is closed Monday, but I have the luxury of taking a few people out there. He shoots 29 on the front. I said, “Jordan, this is affirmation for you that things were in place and you didn’t need much more than validation to set your mind free to play golf.” And then he went to Wyndham and lost in a playoff to Patrick Reed.
I’ll go to four or five PGA Tour events next year, and I see Jordan every week he comes home, but he doesn’t require much of an overhaul.”

Read more: http://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/interview-cameron-mccormick-swing-coach-jordan-spieth#ixzz2nrO6SYFy

Posted 21 hours ago by Jeanne Sutherland

Location: Dallas, TX, USA

Winning the US Am’s…

What can I say about winning two US Amateur’s? I remember both wins vividly…I didn’t realize it at the time…but in hindsight…that was the best golf of my career during that 2-3 year span.

Let me set the stage…I won the US Junior Girls in 1994. I beat Molly Cooper in the final match at Meadow Lark Country Club in Great Falls, Montana. That win inspired me to want to achieve bigger and better things in golf.

1995…The Country Club in Brookline, MA. That was the site of the US Amateur. I remember registering for the event and catching a glimpse of the trophy…it is still to this day the most incredible and beautiful trophy I have ever seen. Then my Mom told me she had the perfect table for that trophy to go on in our house…that was all the motivation I needed.

I remember my first match. It was against Caroline Peek. She was a bomber and could take advantage of the Par 5’. Here’s the thing: her power didn’t faze me a bit. Match play is such a mental thing. You have to keep the momentum steady and never get too high or too low…the second you loose focus is when you start getting beat. It is imperative to stay in the moment and focus on the shot at hand. I hit Driver, 5 wood into the 1^st hole. Caroline hit Driver, mid iron. I made par and was 1up after the 1^st. I kept chipping away at my matches…one match at a time…and I kept winning.

I remember my match against Kellee Booth. She was one of my biggest competitor’s during my Junior Career. She was a very talented and well rounded player. That match went to the 18^th. I won it 1up. That’s when I knew I was going to win my first US Amateur.

I played Se Ri Park (now known as Se Ri Pak) in the semi finals. I beat her 5&4. She paved the way for so many of the Korean players and was inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame in 2007 at 30 year’s old.

I remember my warm up for the final match. I always start my warm up with wedges. Here I am on the biggest stage of my career and my first 3 shots were hosel rockets. My palms started sweating, my heart started racing and I thought, “holy crap…here I am and I have the shanks.” I did the only thing I knew to do…I stood further away from the ball and my “Spanish Fades” disappeared. My final match was against an Australian player name Anne Marie Knight…I won that match 4&3.

Let’s go to 1996…Firethorn Country Club in Lincoln, Nebraska. I was the defending Champion. I took one look at “my trophy” and knew I had to bring it home to go on my Momma’s table. So I did just that. I beat Marisa Baena in the finals and won 3&2.

Here’s what I remember most about my wins…consistency and the will to never quit. Let’s face it…everyone is talented when you get to that level of competition…but the person who wins is the one who stays the most even keeled and doesn’t get ahead of themselves. The one shot at a time mentality is a must.

My advice to any young aspiring golfer: work hard, but most importantly…have fun. Commit yourself to small goals each day and when you achieve your daily goal…leave for the day and do something away from the course. Expect that there will be highs and lows…don’t give the lows too much merit. Focus on the highs and keep building on them…that will do nothing but help develop and build confidence. Confidence is a tricky thing…but it is a vital component to successful golf. And like I mentioned earlier…have fun and enjoy the walk…golf is an incredible game…don’t ever lose sight that it is in fact just a game.

Keep Calm and Play College Golf!!

Kelli Kuehne, Director of Events
College Golf Camps of America

We surveyed all of the junior golfers and parents who attended our College Golf Camps this year. Here are some of the results. #keepcalmandplaycollegegolf

Was the event better than what you expected, worse than what you expected, or about what you expected? 75% say “slightly better to much better” 18% say “about what was expected”

How much of the interaction with College Coaches was useful? 89% say “most to all of it”

How much has your knowledge of College Golf improved because of the information at the College Golf Camps? 95% say “moderate amount”

Overall, were you satisfied with the event, neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with it, or dissatisfied with it? 90% say “slightly to extremely satisfied”

How useful to you and your Junior Golfer was the information presented at the event? 97% say “moderately to extremely useful”

Would you attend College Golf Camps, if you had to do it all over again? 94% say “very likely to definitely”

How organized was the event? 90% say “moderately to extremely organized”

Based on your experience at CGC would you recommend College Golf Camps of America to a friend? 83% say “definitely” 15% say “possibly”

Based on your experience at CGC, are you planning on attending a future College Golf Camps of America event? 77% say “possibly to definitely”

Did the presenters allow too much time for discussion, too little time, or about the right amount of time? 81% say “about the right time”

How many of the objectives of the event were met? 86% say “most of them to all of them”

Do you plan to Keep Calm and Play College Golf? 94% say “highly likely to definitely”

Where did you play college golf? Michigan State University

What is your greatest achievement? Being a D1 student athlete

What is your proudest moment as a coach? Winning our first tournament in 2012 as my first event as head coach.

What trait do dislike the most? Narcissism

What trait do admire the most? Patience

What is your greatest fear? Snakes

What is your favorite place to eat on the road? Anywhere local

Best advice you received as a junior golfer? You are only as good as your next round.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Wish I could hit it 300 yards.

What is your greatest regret? Wish I would have been more involved in non-athletic activities in college.

Favorite colors? Blue and Orange of course

What is your motto? Communication is the key

Talent you most desire in your players? Guts