Florida Golf Monthly - Faldo Institute

The Faldo Institute- Orlando's Faldo Golf Institute Features an All-Encompassing Golf Curriculum.

The Faldo Institure offers a nine-hole practice course. There are times when the man is absolutely maddening. No one can appear as meticulous and focused when ex-ecuting a golf shot as Nick Faldo. When in the "zone," Faldo seems almost robotic, and in a fashion, he really is.

Faldo didn't acquire this near-mechanical manner through DNA, nor did it develop as an inherent personality trait. Rather, Faldo forged his steely approach to play with a work ethic unlike that of most players in the game. Although many will try, few golfers, if any, will be able to follow in Faldo's footsteps, for his singleness of purpose is unparalleled.

While achieving full Faldo focus may elude the masses, some fortunate Faldo followers may be able to obtain a fraction of his phenomenal knowledge when immersed in an atmosphere devised by the man himself for the sole purpose of learning and perfecting the golf swing. Whereas most golf academies function as adjuncts to a golf course, the Faldo Golf Institute at the Marriott Grande Vista in Orlando operates on its own terms.

This is not a nine-hole course where you identify your problem and then proceed to the range to correct the flaw du jour. Oh, no. Here at the Faldo Golf Institute you'll receive the complete, all-encompassing golf curriculum. Students learn the fundamentals according to and used by Faldo, then incorporate these into their game at their individual skill levels. The focus of the program? To develop a sound, full swing with an emphasis on the elements of the short game.

Plenty of practice space provides golfers an excellent opportunity to perfect their swing. Playing strategy ranks among the more important facets of the Faldo mystique taught at the Institute. Reflecting on Faldo's career, you'll note that although there were times when the physical elements of the game may have let him down, rarely has he beaten himself by mismanaging either the course or his game. Faldo Institute students benefit from this strategic approach. They learn how to play smart, take advantage of scoring opportunities and keep the ball in play. A few lessons dedicated to increasing confidence through visualization and understanding oneself as a player don't hurt students' mastery of the mind elements of the game either.

In a sense, this curriculum sounds as though it were derived directly from Faldo's mentor, David Leadbetter. Because the two have been synonymous through the years, you might ask, "why not go directly to the guru instead of the prize pupil?" It's a good question and one that deserves an answer.

"That depends on how you look at it," says Faldo Institute director of golf, Jim Richerson. "Actually David and Nick developed a system together. Here, Nick built a lot of the basics and fundamentals of the game into the program. He's also a golf historian and the program draws on that aspect of Nick. We hope that everyone who comes here will understand and appreciate and share Nick's love of the game and his drive."

Because Faldo views the game from a historical perspective, he appreciates golfers' differing physical abilities and unique approaches to the game. Therefore, Faldo Institute pros carefully tend to these aspects of their students, a tactic that causes the Institute to truly stand out from other programs.

The Faldo Golf Instituta at the Marriott Grande Vista in Orlando is a Golf Junkie's dream. "We don't cookie cut our program," says Richerson. "We try to incorporate Nick's philosophy and tailor it to the individual." In order for this grand plan to work, there has to be a special facility where learning can be maximized. Marriott called upon Lakeland-based golf course architect Ron Garl to create such a facility. Little did they realize they were getting a designer as dedicated to the game and his craft as Faldo is to his. Not only did Garl find himself on the same page as Faldo when developing this facility, Garl actually completed Faldo's book.

"A lot of people have talked about building facilities like the Faldo Institute at Grande Vista," says Garl, "but few are doing it. What we did at the Faldo Institute at Grande Vista was a progression of what we'd done at other facilities in the past. We were fortunate to be able to build a complete facility that encompasses all aspects of the game and then design a nine-hole learning course where the golfers can apply what they learn."

The 35-acre practice ground is a golf junkie's dream. It offers separate hitting areas that eliminate overcrowding. If you're struggling with problems affecting lie and stance, specific areas of the course recreate those difficulties and solve them. Students confront the challenges of sand play in each area as well. Inclement weather shelters allow students to hit without getting wet. This is definitely a golfer's dream come true.

If the Institute still sounds like other golf schools you've experienced, let me point out the primary distinction that sets it apart. As a Faldo student, you actually learn the feel of the short shots in each and every area. Garl has developed what he calls the "Scoring V." It is a system of flags set in a "V" shape in front of you. The first two at the widest angle are set at 50 yards from the tee. The remaining flags are set in 10-yard increments up to 100 yards. Because the flags are set on little "greens" on both the right and left sides of the "V," you never have to change direction and can concentrate on each shot as you go up and down the row. With practice, you'll actually be able to feel the difference between a shot of 50 and 60 yards. Suddenly, you'll watch your scores drop before your eyes as you learn to feel the difference between shots with your hands and thereby begin to fine-tune your scoring clubs.

In addition to the hitting areas where instructors work with students through hands-on lessons and videotape instruction, Garl designed a 27-hole putting course. Upon first glimpse of this course, your mind may swim with strange questions such as, where is the swinging bowling pin, and do you get a free game if your first putt on the last hole goes into the clown's nose?

After the initial shock, you'll see the subtlety of Garl's purposeful design. Not all these putts were designed to be holed. For example, Garl has designed a hole that teaches you how to lag the ball into the right spot. After all, there are times when leaving yourself the proper putt is more important than the high risk of putting to make the hole. Such a lesson on proper putting strategy is something you'll rarely find at any other school. But as was said before, the Faldo Institute is different.

Once you've had your lesson, it's time to apply what you learned in a test run. Think about it. How smart would it be to enter your brand new family car in a NASCAR race? Apply the same logic here. Why would you want to test a new golf swing at Winged Foot? This was the reasoning behind the nine-hole learning course at the Faldo Institute. It's a form-fitting combination of Garl's design and Faldo's philosophy. Rather than start you off with a difficult hole that builds frustration rather than confidence, the easiest hole on the course is the first, and each gets proportionately more difficult as you become more comfortable with the day's swing modification. To ensure you start each hole with the proper mental image, a plaque bearing advice from Faldo on what you should be attempting to accomplish on this hole and a swing thought to help make it happen stands beside each one.

When you think about it, very few golfers practice anywhere close to enough, and most of those who do put in the time ingrain their swing flaws, rather than, make swing improvements. If you're among those who really wants to improve, consider that it might be time to do something more than purchase game-improvement clubs. Perhaps the Faldo Golf Institute can provide you with just the well-programmed, well-designed alternative you need to put you over the competitive edge.