Learn from Dave Stockton at Four Seasons Orlando

Tranquilo Golf Club at Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort announces an exclusive, two-day golf immersion and an evening event with renowned golf instructor Dave Stockton.

Stockton is an 11-time winner on the PGA TOUR, 14-time winner on the Champions Tour, a Ryder Cup captain, and is known as one of the preeminent short game gurus. His unique mental philosophy developed and honed by his 40 years of competitive golf, and techniques for shots 100 yards and under became a focus of his best-selling book, Unconscious Putting.  He decided to partner exclusively with Four Seasons Resort Orlando due to a longstanding relationship with Rod Cook, Director of Instruction at Tranquilo Golf Club, who has known Stockton for many years.

“I’m thrilled to bring Dave Stockton’s talent to Tranquilo Golf Club at Four Seasons Orlando,” says Cook. “He is a true legend, and the rare opportunity for golfers to be able to hone their skills with him directly and enjoy a golf-focused retreat is going to be a one-of-a-kind experience.”

The Dave Stockton Experience at Four Seasons Resort Orlando will feature two days of golf instruction plus two to three rounds of golf; all meals; a golf amenity package plus transportation to and from the airport and the Resort.

The first Dave Stockton Experience at Four Seasons Resort Orlando will be held March 19-21, 2015. The schedule is as follows:

Arrival Day, March 19
Evening welcome reception

Day One – March 20 - Instruction led by Dave Stockton
8:00 am - Breakfast
9:00 am - Opening clinic
9:30 am - Short game instruction - Station 1: Putting, Station 2: Chipping, Station 3: Pitching
11:30 am - Lunch
12:30 pm - Warm up
1:00 pm - Tee times begin
7:30 pm - Five-course dinner in Capa, the Resort’s rooftop steakhouse

Day Two - March 21 - Instruction led by Rod Cook, Director of Golf Instruction,Tranquilo Golf Club
8:00 am - Breakfast
9:00 am - Opening clinic
9:30 am - Short game instruction - Station 1: Putting, Station 2: Chipping, Station 3: Pitching
11:30 am - Lunch
12:30 pm - Warm up
1:00 pm - Tee times begin
7:00 pm- Three-course dinner in Ravello

Day Three/Departure Day - March 22
At leisure to enjoy the Resort; optional round of golf

This experience includes a three-night stay at the Resort. The fee is $6,000 for one participant or $10,000 for two participants sharing one guest room (note, airfare is not included).  For participants who would like to bring a spouse/guest (as a non-golf participant) to participate in the meals only, this option is available for a fee of $1,000 per guest.

With the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard taking place at nearby Bay Hill from March 16-21, the Resort can assist with tickets for this event, and can extend a special rate for Stockton Experience guests who would like to extend their stay, pre-or-post March 19 or March 22.

A second Stockton Experience will be held April 23-25, 2015.

For reservations, call 1 800 267 1067.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Stockton Scores Again

Wouldn't you like to have a playing lesson with Dave Stockton? After all, the man won 25 times on the PGA and Senior Tours, including five majors and is known as one of the best teachers in the game--just ask Phil Mickelson, Annika Sorenstam, and Rory McIlroy! You may not be able to spend the day with him on the lesson tee or at a corporate outing, but you can pick his brain by reading his latest book, Own Your Game: How To Use Your Mind To Play Winning Golf.

Stockton uses anecdotes from his five-decade career to illustrate memorable points about the things that make a golfer successful--and none of them include taking the proper grip! Instead, he deals with the territory between your ears where the game is actually played. Topics like concentration, confidence, and composure get the full Stockton treatment, complete with helpful practical tips on how to develop them.

I found Stockton's words about visualizing the shot before you hit it to be particularly insightful. He says,

"The art of visualization is picturing in your head exactly what you want to happen and then letting your body go on a kind of autopilot and produce what you see."

Don't stand behind the ball and imagine a 320-yard drive splitting the fairway, he continues.  Instead, make your mind see the shot you normally hit--a good one, but realistic. If you have a ten-yard slice, visualize the ball doing that in the air and figure out where you have to aim to make it end up in the fairway where you want it. It's all about playing the game you have--and enjoying it.

Own Your Game is short and highly readable. It's also a small volume, so you could easily stuff it into your golf bag for a little helpful reading while you're waiting on the tee for the idiots in the group ahead to take six practice swings and chunk the ball another thirty yards down the rough.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf