Debbie McCray
July 12, 2009

Debbie McCrea recorded her 1st lifetime ace on Sunday while playing with Paul Buckingham, Sandy Shannon and Brian Otterbein in the annual Odd Couples Tournament at Blue Mountain Golf & Country Club. Debbie used a 5 hybrid club on the 126 yard, 14th hole. CONGRATULATIONS, Debbie!

EDITORS NOTE:
Debbie and her husband John have been to three schools with the remarkable, Shirley Furlong. Debbie was new to golf when we first met her and she was not sure that this would be the game for her... fast forward a couple of years and Debbie would tell you, that she loves this grand adventure. All that hard work that Debbie has put into her game is paying off! Not only did Debbie make the rarest shot in golf, but she did it in a tournament. Great stuff, Debbie!

Dr. Mike Gelinas
July 12, 2009

Dr. Mike has hit the perfect golf shot (another one). Playing at the Minocqua Country Club, on the 5th hole, Dr. Mike aced the 166 yard, par 3, with a 6 iron, CONGRATULATIONS, Dr. Mike!

EDITORS NOTE:
When we first met Dr. Mike, 4 years ago he was a long-time golfer, having played the game for 20+ years. Dr. Mike was a 30 handicap. Today Dr. Mike is a very competitive 10 handicap and his teacher, Craig Waryan is certain that by the end of this Summer, that he will be even lower. Shots like this will attest to that!

Bret and Candy Van Rensselaer
July 6, 2009

Candy and I are both very excited about our progress since our Bird Golf experience. I went to the school with three expectations in mind.

1) Candy would learn enough to decide that golf was a game she would enjoy playing (she had never golfed prior to the school)

2) That I would learn some techniques to take my game to a new level. (I just started golfing in 2007 and knew that I needed some serious instruction if I expected to become a better golfer.)

3) That if I went to the school I would dedicate the time and effort when I returned home to make the instruction stick with me and be valuable.

I then set two goals: 1 to shoot under 80 this season 2) To be at 10 or lower handicap by the end of the season.

Not quite 3 months have gone by since our school and I would like to update you with our progress. First and foremost all of my expectations were reached.

1) Candy came away absolutely addicted to the game and is crazy about going out and playing with me and going to the range with or without me to practice.

2) Jim changed everything for me: my grip, my stance, my alignment and swing. He basically started me over. All of these were to straighten out the mess I had taught myself and to help me go to a new level of golf. Admittedly this was a difficult if not traumatic change for me. I went from shooting high 80's to scoring high 90's as I went through the process of all of those changes. It was very difficult to not just go back to what I was doing, but I knew that if I stuck to it and kept practicing what Jim had taught me, my game would improve; and it did. It felt slow, but in hindsight it's only been 3 months.

3) I have been on the range a minimum of 5 days a week and many on weeks all 7 days. I have played 3-5 rounds of golf a week all in the effort to put the training to use.

Finally, and most importantly, Candy is hitting the driver 175+ yards right down the middle and is chipping/pitching unbelievably. She is having a tremendous time and gaining daily. Although it's seemed like forever it's only been three months and I reached my first goal today. I shot 78 breaking the 80 barrier for the first time. My handicap has gone from 18 down to 12 and on the next revision will be lower yet. I think in a couple more revisions I will be a single digit handicap!

All I can say is: "Thank you". You have a marvelous program and Jim is a fantastic instructor and we are reaping the benefits of both. We are having so much fun on the golf course that we can hardly think of doing anything else! Thanks again, and look for an email in a month or so with the single digit handicap attached!!!!

Val Weis
June 10, 2009

As a lifelong avid golfer, Val Weis has enjoyed her share of triumphs and tragedies in this grand pursuit.

Val and her husband Mike came to a school with us in March of this year, and her principal goals were to hit her irons, with more distance and accuracy. They worked with one of Bird Golf's Senior West Coast instructors, and teacher extraordinaire, Shirley Furlong.

From L-R Val Weis, Shirley Furlong, and Mike Weis

Val has played golf for most of her life and is a good golfer, having a low round of 74 and an 8 handicap. Val's game, by her own admission, "plateaued" and she knew that she had to make some changes to her swing for her to realize her full potential.

A point of note here should be that it is much harder for someone like Val to make changes than it is for a beginner to learn from scratch. Val is a superb student and during the three days that she spent with Shirley wholeheartedly made the commitment to do what Shirley asked of her.

With her old swing, Val used her arms too much and lost a great deal of power because she did not involve her body during her swing. Her lack of rotation caused her to "steer" or "guide" the ball rather than swing at it. The improvements that Val made were dramatic and even more importantly, Val has stuck to them.

Wonderful moment. Val right after hitting "the perfect golf shot."

Last Thursday, playing on her home course, Echo Valley Country Club in Norwalk, Iowa, Val realized the fruits of her labor. On the 139 yard, 3rd hole of the Ridge course, using a 5 iron, Val made the most treasured of all golf shots; a hole in one. This was Val's first ever "ace", but we are certain that it won't be her last.

Making the occasion even more special was that Val was playing with her husband, Mike and her sister, Virginia Cox and her brother, Robert Mauer, who were able to share the absolute triumph of her wonderful moment.

True to Val's tenacity and spirit, she is already looking for her 2nd hole-in-one! Congratulations, Val, and keep up the great work!

Comment from Shelly Furlong:
Val, CONGRATULATIONS!!! I am so proud of you!! What an awesome moment it must have been for you. Keep up the good swings :)

Shirley