Can they take 10?

Pinehurst Resort is launching a web series tomorrow, called "Take 10 Challenge," taking two regular Joes and putting them through the Pinehurst Golf Academy to see if they can shave ten strokes off their games in four days. Here's the preview of the series:

 

Hmm... looks like it could be fun. Here's the press release:

Two men. Four Days. Ten strokes. With famed Pinehurst No. 2 as the backdrop. 

That is the scenario facing Bill Friese and Mike McClanahan in Pinehurst Golf Academy’s “Take 10 Challenge,” a weekly web series that launches today with a teaser video at www.pinehurst.com/take10. The first of six full, weekly episodes will be posted to the site on Wednesday mornings, beginning tomorrow, January 4. 


The two mid-40s, high-handicap golfers (Friese 20, McClanahan 18), who have had limited lessons and have never attended a golf school, are challenged to shave 10 strokes off their first-round scores following four days of instruction at the Pinehurst Golf Academy. “I always felt like I could be that really good golfer,” said McClanahan. “But I realized that I needed help. It was a real thrill attacking the challenge, and I hope people enjoy watching our journey.”

They both took different journeys to the Challenge. The 44-year-old McClanahan is a real estate agent from nearby Greensboro, N.C., while Friese is a hospitality executive from Montana. The series, produced by GoTV Entertainment, follows the ups and downs, the exhilaration and frustration, of working to improve their games. An opening-day round on Pinehurst No. 2 sets the stage for four days of intense instruction at the Academy, which is run by Eric Alpenfels, one of GOLF magazine’s top 100 instructors. The series concludes February 8 with a pressure-packed final episode, during which the two again tackle No. 2, which will be home to the 2014 U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open Championships.

“It was a challenge for us, as much as for Bill and Mike; we wanted so much to help them shave 10 strokes,” Alpenfels said. “Golf’s an intense, frustrating game. But I think the series shows how much fun it can be when you have the time, opportunity and environment to really work on improving.”

As a complement to the series, Alpenfels and the Pinehurst Golf Academy team will participate in a weekly Q&A session on Pinehurst’s Facebook page. Followers can ask questions of Alpenfels, who will respond with tips and info related the previous episode. Connect with Pinehurst Golf Academy’s Take 10 Challenge at www.pinehurst.com/take10 and www.facebook.com/PinehurstResort, and on Twitter @PinehurstResort with hashtag #Take10.