ADVICE IN THE DESERT FOR SWINGING-IMPAIRED.

Byline: GREG WILCOX Golf

Ben Theobald, our personal pro, sized up our games with the practiced eye of someone who's seen his share of busted swings. He then issued the mantra that would guide us through the game of golf.

``Remember to keep your left wrist firm through impact.''

``Remember the magic move. Bump your weight forward.''

``Be athletic.''

Then Theobald showed us how, hitting short shots soft and true or sending the ball in a pro-flight trajectory to the far reaches of the driving range.

We immediately came up with a mantra of our own: ``Be like Ben.''

Since we were at PGA West in La Quinta for some serious instruction at the Jim McLean Golf School, we had three days to get it right.

There were five of us and two instructors and we would spend the mornings working on a variety of drills designed to help us fix what was wrong with our swings. In the afternoon, students and instructors took those lessons onto the course, either Pete Dye's Stadium Course, one of the toughest in the world, or to the Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course.

Instruction begins and ends with a videotape analysis of each student's swing, from grip to finish.

``The first thing we need to do is find out what's wrong now, not what you think is happening or what some 20-handicapper has told you,'' Theobald said. ``We have to know for sure and that's why we use videotape. A lot of the time, what you think you do and what really happens is different.''

This kind of swing fix is not inexpensive, especially if flying in from other parts of the country. But it doesn't cost much more than a complete set of high-tech oversized clubs and a dozen premium balls.

Schools are available in one-, two- and three day formats. McLean, one of the game's premier teachers, also has a school at Doral Resort and Spa in Miami.

At PGA West, a one-day session is $380. The price varies for the two- and three-day schools, but a round of golf is included each day. With lodging, the two-day school tops out at $1,060 and the three-day school is $1,600, with breakfast and lunch at the PGA West clubhouse included.

Prices are slightly higher between Nov. 1 and June 1, when the weather is cooler.

All the students in my class were avid golfers whose handicaps ranged from the high single digits to the 20s and agreed it was the best instruction they had received.

Carl Kolts, who is in charge of international marketing and business development for Danbury, Conn.-based UCAR International Inc., said he plans to come back for a second session in a couple of years.

Kolts' goal was to trim about four strokes from his 13 handicap by getting help with the short game.

``I would recommend it for anybody who is interested in better understanding their deficiencies. I was really interested in . . . shaving strokes off my handicap and I think I'm going to be able to do that,'' he said.

Kolts was especially impressed with the drills Theobald gave him to keep his left wrist firm throughout the impact area.

Paul Slinkard, owner of South Central Marketing, a manufacturer's rep for farm supplies in Nashville, Tenn., had seen his handicap balloon to a 10 and wanted to get it back to a 7.

``Before the school I was playing so poorly, and I played my best round ever the other day and I totally related it to the golf school,'' he said. ``I'd do it again and I would recommend it to someone.''

Slinkard plays left-handed and was slicing just about all of his shots before Theobald, who has worked with a number of touring pros, including Len Mattiace, revamped his swing. He told Slinkard to focus on a good weight shift.

``I've concentrated on that. I sliced the ball bad before and now I'm either hitting it straight or drawing it,'' he said.

For Slinkard, the improvement has been dramatic. A member of Brentwood Country Club in a Nashville suburb, he shot a 91 soon after returning from school.

``I didn't know which swing would show up, the before or after,'' he said.

Finally, a week later, the after swing showed up and Slinkard shot a 76.

And Theobald, their own personal pro, has promised to make himself available for telephone consultation if the old swing somehow shows up for a return engagement.

``The goal is for you to leave with two or three things to do to get better,'' he said.

Tickets for Senior Open: ETM Entertainment Network has been licensed to sell tickets to the U.S. Senior Open at the company's machines that are installed in grocery stores and shopping malls throughout Southern California. The company will also sell tickets via the Internet and telephone.

The ticket machines offer a brief video clip highlighting the participants and displays information about the tournament that will be played July 20-26 at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades.

ETM Entertainment is based in Costa Mesa.

THIS WEEK`S TOURNAMENTS

PGA TOUR 

Memorial Tournament

Dates/Site: Today-Sunday at Dublin, Ohio.

Course: Muirfield Village Golf Club (7,163 yards, par 72).

Purse: $2.2 million (Winner's share: $396,000).

Television: ESPN (Today, 1-3 p.m.; Friday, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.) and ABC (Saturday, 1-3 p.m.; Sunday, noon-3 p.m.).

Last year: Fiji's Vijay Singh won the rain-shortened tournament, closing with a 5-under 67 for a two-stroke victory over Greg Norman and Jim Furyk. Singh had a 14-under 202 total.

Last week: Tom Watson won the Colonial at Fort Worth, Texas, finishing with a 4-under 66 for a two-stroke victory over Furyk. Watson, 48, a 34-time PGA Tour winner, had a 15-under 265 total.

Notes: Watson won the 1979 and 1996 tournaments. . . . Tiger Woods is coming off a 12th-place tie two weeks ago in the Byron Nelson Classic. He won the BellSouth Classic on May 10 to end a 10-month winless streak on the PGA Tour. . . . Jack Nicklaus, the 1977 and 1984 winner, designed Muirfield Village. . . . Tom Lehman set the tournament record in 1994, shooting four 67s for a 20-under 268 total. John Huston set the course record of 61 in 1996. . . . Five-time British Open winner Peter Thomson is the tournament honoree. . . . The Solheim Cup women's matches will be played at Muirfield Village on Sept. 18-20. . . . The Kemper Open is next week at Potomac, Md.

LPGA TOUR

Rochester International

Dates/Site: Today-Sunday at Pittsford, N.Y.

Course: Locust Hill Country Club (6,162 yards, par 72).

Purse: $700,000 (Winner's share: $105,000).

Television: ESPN2 (Friday, 12:30-2:30 p.m.; Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-noon).

Last week: England's Laura Davies won the LPGA Skins Game at Frisco, Texas, finishing with 10 skins and $270,000. Australia's Karrie Webb was second with $140,000. . . . Tammie Green won the Corning Classic, closing with a 7-under 65 for a tournament-record 20-under 268 total. Emilee Klein and Brandie Burton tied for second, seven strokes back.

Last year: Penny Hammel closed with a 4-under 68 for a one-stroke victory over Green, Dottie Pepper and Nanci Bowen. Hammel had a 9-under 279 total. Pepper, the 1996 winner, missed a 2-foot par putt on the final hole.

Notes: Patty Sheehan has a tournament-record four victories, winning in 1989, 1990, 1992 and 1995. She set the tournament record of 19-under 269 in 1992. . . . The Michelob Light Classic is next week at St. Louis.

SENIOR PGA TOUR

Pittsburgh Senior Classic 

Dates/Site: Friday-Sunday at Sewickley Heights, Pa.

Course: Sewickley Heights Golf Club (6,781 yards, par 72).

Purse: $1.1 million (Winner's share: $165,000).

Television: None.

Last year: South Africa's Hugh Baiocchi won his first senior title, parring all six holes of a playoff with Bob Duval. Baiocchi closed with a 6-under 66 to match Duval at 10-under 206 at Quicksilver in Midway.

Last week: Jay Sigel won the Bell Atlantic Classic at Avondale, Pa., beating Spain's Jose Maria Canizares with a birdie on the third hole of a playoff. Sigel, who shot a 10-under 62 in the second round, closed with a 69 to match Canizares at 11-under 205.

Notes: Arnold Palmer is making his eighth senior start of the year. Palmer, 68, a native of Latrobe, Pa., finished 75th last week in the Bell Atlantic Classic with rounds of 78, 75 and 77. He is 94-over par in 21 rounds on the senior tour and 49-over in eight rounds on the PGA Tour. . . . The tournament moves to Sewickley Heights after five years at Quicksilver. . . . The Nationwide Championship is next week at Alpharetta, Ga.

CAPTION(S):

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BOX: THIS WEEK`S TOURNAMENTS (see text)