Not every Dominican all-star is round on a baseball diamond. Golfers can still discover some on the Caribbean island, and a brand new heavy hitter has just been added to the lineup. Half of the holes at the Punta Espada Course at Cap Cana Resort edge the Caribbean Sea (and you can see it from every hole). The course is designer Jack Nicklaus’ equivalent of a bases-clearing blast to the upper deck. Located on the eastern tip of the island, the brand new, 37,000-acre resort and residential development will ultimately have three Nicklaus Signature courses, but the Bear is going to have to work hard to top his maiden effort, which opened this past summer.

The layout incorporates bluffs, beach and jungle in its 7,396 yards, and wildlife abounds throughout, from the iguana that lives in a rock outcropping near the first fairway to roosters that strut around the grounds. The ultimate camera moment comes at the 13th, a 249-yard home run that plays directly over the ocean. But don’t worry if you only have warning-track power: there’s a bailout area to the right.

Golf Magazine

Do you actually type with those hands?” I want to say it was Vijay Singh who dropped that one on me, shortly after he performed a few minutes of community service as part of this Pet Shots series. During the past year, some of the world’s best golfers have demonstrated in this space what makes them special, either by re-creating a memorable career swing or by reaching into their bag for a club that feels most comfortable at crunch time.

The good news for Vijay, Phil, Ernie, Tiger and all that gang is, this class is over. School is no longer in session (though my editors have other amusements in the works for me). The bad news is, the status of my game has not veered very far from quo. All these guys witness golf futility every week they play on the PGA Tour because they all participate in pro-am events, often with high-handicappers. But the “ams” can be famous doctors, CEOs or movie stars. They aren’t media types who can’t play a lick yet are paid to write critiques about people who can.

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“How can you spend so much time around great players and still play like you play?” inquired Justin Leonard. “After I go to a concert, does it mean I can sing?” I replied. He fired back, “Never mind. I’ve seen you try to hit a ball. I don’t want to hear you try to hit a note, too.” My lasting impression of the Pet Shots series is: There really is no such thing as trouble to PGA Tour players. I’m not sure they know anything about fear, either. Sergio Garcia stood over a long bunker shot like he was about to brush his teeth. Greg Norman’s 247-yard 3-wood from a divot lie, over water, into the wind wasn’t a risk to him. It was a challenge. And when Tiger Woods attempted to explain how he supinates his wrist at impact, it reminded me of listening to Ted Williams talk about how to hit a baseball, or Wayne Gretzky talk about how he passed the puck behind his back, to a teammate he couldn’t see.

Duty compels me to report that, throughout Pet Shots’ lifespan, several players whom I didn’t originally request to witness my spasms actually volunteered to partake. “Only if I can have pictures of you trying the lob shot,” said one wiseguy. I call that piling on, but don’t ever say these guys have no sense of humor. ‹› For the complete Pet Shots series—featuring Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia, Justin Leonard, Davis Love III , Phil Mickelson, Greg Norman, Adam Scott, Vijay Singh, David Toms, Mike Weir and Tiger Woods—please see golfdigest.com/petshots.

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By: Verdi, Bob. Golf Digest, Jun2006

THE SITUATION
Your ball is on a hairy uphill lie a few yards off an elevated green with the pin cut up front.

THE PLAY
Using a wedge is too risky because there’s no room for error, and the longer grass could grab and jam your putter. A fairway wood, meanwhile, will tend to pop the ball out of this lie, skipping it up the hill. The mass of your driver ensures the club sweeps unimpeded through the rough and rolls the ball low and true.

HOW TO DO IT
Use your normal putting grip and choke down so that your low hand is at the base of the grip. At address, deloft the clubface by leaning the shaft forward [above]. This will close the face slightly, making your driver’s clubface more like a putter. Play the ball back in your stance and keep your weight forward as if you were playing a punch shot. Use your normal putting stroke and the ball should scoot smoothly up to the green.

By: McGowan, Pat, Golf Magazine, 10565493, Jun2006

Fault No. 1 You lean too far left HOW YOU KNOW
You consistently slice the ball

WHAT GOES WRONG
When you set up with your weight heavily favoring your left side it forces your shoulders and hips open, and you’re destined to swing back too steeply and chop down on the ball.

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The fix
Take your address position with a teed ball, then put the grip of your driver against your chin and let it dangle [right]. The clubhead should point at least 4 inches behind the ball, and that’s where your weight should be centered. Keep your upper body steady and return the club to address. Your right shoulder will be lower than your left and it will be easier to set your weight behind the ball as you swing back. This leads to a shallower swing and an end to that chop slice.

Fault No. 2 You’re too far from the ball HOW YOU KNOW
You consistently hit the ball on the toe

WHAT GOES WRONG
Your relationship to the ball causes you to overreach and slouch toward the ball with a rounded back. This gets you up on your toes and makes you lose balance during your downswing.

The fix Stand with your arms extended out in front of you and the club pointing straight up in the air.
Now bring your upper arms down so they are touching your chest. Keep that same angle, and bend from your hips to lower the club down to the ball [below]. You should still feel your arms in contact with your chest at address, which will eliminate your reach and correct your posture. From this position you should have no trouble sinking the ball into the center of the clubface.

By: Suttie, Jim, Golf Magazine, Jun2006

THE GOAL Hit a draw

THE THOUGHT THAT WILL LET YOU ACHIEVE IT Feel like your left arm stalls as the clubhead approaches the ball.

HOW IT WORKS By slowing down your left arm, you give your right arm and the shaft time to catch up so that the toe of the clubhead passes the heel, squaring and closing the clubface. Energy is passed through the shaft to the clubhead, adding speed and making it easier for you to turn the face over.

If there is tension in your left arm at address, there usually will be even more tension at impact. This restricts the rotation of your forearms and the clubface, making it difficult to draw the ball. Relax your left arm at address, and you will get the face rotation necessary to draw the ball and pick up a few more yards off the tee.

By: Hall, Martin, Golf Magazine, Jun2006