Let’s start with some exciting golf or the Midlands:
First, two brand new golf facilities are set open in Lexington County. One will be called Solena Golf Club, and the other is The Scrambler at Tsunami Bar Sports (720 Chris Dr.).

Solina Golf Club (200 Indian River Dr.) is a regulation golf facility near Red Bank that previously operated as Indian River Golf Club and has now refurbished. It could open in October or November.

The Scrambler, located in West Columbia, is set to offer a six-hole short course where the holes range in length range from 15 to 45 yards.
I’ll have more on these in the next few weeks.

There is also fall family-junior, family junior advanced, youth and ladies golf clinic programming through each of the local recreation entities. The Lexington Recreation and Aging Commission will host the family junior beginner and advanced series. There are also ladies and adult clinics so visit sports.bluesombrero.com/lcrac to find out more.

Brian Harmon wins Open with ‘boring golf’

The Open Championship was quite enjoyable for several reasons.
I have watched the “Champion Golfer of the Year” since he was a junior golfer. My first conversation with him took place in an equipment trailer at Harbor Town. He got a special invitation to the 2004 Heritage for his USGA Junior championship win the previous year. I can’t remember details of that particular conversation, but I left the trailer with two takeaways

- He absolutely loves the game with passion that was contagious.
- This young superstar must have extraordinary skill because he couldn’t have been taller than 5’5” or weigh more 135 pounds soaking wet after a huge meal!
He was small, but he had grown-up club speed. He wasn’t PGA Tour-long but compared to most, he pounded the ball.

Brian Harmon’s playing style is old-school. It’s what I would call “boring golf”: down the middle, on the green and in the hole with few off-line shots. His expression while competing is workmanlike, a bit unique compared to others.

It seems to me like he’s worked overtime on emotional control during his junior college, amateur days and early professional years when he was quite animated over his mistakes. Back then, everyone knew when Harman wasn’t happy!

During this past week’s Open Championship, his game was so good. Mistakes were so infrequent, and he didn’t show much emotion.

He ran away from the field in a major championship without mind-boggling club speed or heroic shots. This hasn’t been done recently.

The announcers seemed amazed at his driver’s 109-miles-per-hour club speed. But to me, he was employing what all school veterans have always preached: when it’s breezy, swing easy.

With rain pouring for much of the event, Harmon performed great because he played controlled golf. Wet grips can inspire less effort, which could (or should) lower club speeds, keeping spin rates down while increasing ball control in windy conditions.

So here is this week’s first golf tip: in the wind, try swinging easy and hitting much more club than normal.

From world golf to local junior golf

The Tri-County chapter of the SGCA traveled to Persimmon Hill last month, where Chapin High’s Owen Myllykangas got his first victory. He won the boys 15-18 age group by scoring a 73.

“I had a personal best 34 on the front nine and this included my first-ever eagle,” Myllykangas said. “This is also my first win ever. I hit a lot of good putts, had a lot of good up and downs, and overall, just a lot of fun!”
James Pollard of Swansea was runner-up in the boys 15-18 age group.
Brooke Burgess of Lexington was a medalist in the girls 13-18 age group, while Karys Clampitt was runner-up.

Cooper Raley was a boys 10-12 age group medalist, while Luke Caughman was runner-up. Grace Shelly was the girls 10-12 medalist.