Better Putting on Bumpy and Hairy Greens(2)

Don't Putt unless Necessary

If you are playing with a team partner, and he or she has already achieved the best score possible for the hole, pick up your ball rather than putt it. Nothing erodes your confidence faster than missing a putt that you would expect to make under normal conditions. Only putt if you have to.

Putt to an Imaginary Hole

A common problem with slow greens is leaving the ball short of the hole. The distance may appear near, but the length of the grass means that you have to hit the ball harder than you usually would.
The way to overcome this deception is to imagine a hole beyond the actual hole and putt to this as you would do under normal conditions. The actual hole becomes an intermediate target rather than the actual target.

Reduce the Allowance for the Break

On slow greens your ball will break less than on fast greens. When the putting surface is extra slow, you can reduce any break considerably. In fact, it is often not a bad idea to putt straight.

No-one likes to play when the course is not at its best. However, the reality is that the green keeping staff has a job to do and their maintenance work entails periodic work on the greens, bunkers, and fairways.

Better Putting on Bumpy and Hairy Greens(1)

Here are some ideas to help you get the best from your putting when faced with patchy conditions:

Chip from off the Fringe

When greens are sanded or where the grass has been left unduly long, always chip rather than putt when on the fringe, especially when you are far from the hole.

Position the ball towards the back of your stance with your hands forward, and chip with an eight iron. It is easier to judge the distance with a low chip than trying to bang a long putt over a slow surface.

Retain a Positive Attitude

You can't play to your potential in any sport with a bad attitude. As soon as you let the adverse conditions get to you, you will follow a destructive spiral of complaining and losing your cool. This will undermine your ability and lessen any enjoyment of the game. Accept that things are not perfect and make the most of the situation. Alternatively don't play at all.

Lower Your Expectations

You should always give every putt due attention. However, when the roll of the ball is untrue, you should realise that each putt becomes somewhat of a lottery. Well-struck putts can bounce off-line or come up short. If your putt misses, forget about it. Just focus on the next putt.

Best Golf Players(2)

Tiger Woods

If there is one name that makes a mark in the modern day golf players that probably is Tiger Woods. Who else do not know this guy?

Woods has become the most recognizable person in golf today. He has turned professional in 1996. Woods is perhaps the most marketable and recognizable athlete of all time. He dazzled in the golf world at an early age and caught new and young golf enthusiasts. His track is very identifiable.

The golfer is looked up to as a role model of hard work and determination. He is also into a charity helping the underprivileged who dream to become the best golf players someday.

Annika Sorenstam

Golf is not just for men. Sorenstam is an icon in women's golf winning her first tournament in 1994. Sorenstam is the highest golf earner. She had won 10 major championships and eight "Player of the Year" recognitions. She also had played in men tournaments. Sorenstam continues to hold the title of being the greatest female golfer of all time.

Jack Nicklaus

Nicklaus is the world record holder for the most victories in the world championship. He has won 18 major championship awards. Nicklaus turned professional at the age of 21 and had already won every major golf tournament by the time he was 26. Despite his fading career he still involved himself in the game through the golf related businesses he owns and runs.

Golf can be anyone's game, it just takes a good strategy to strike and a good will to succeed. Now chose your golf carts with good golf car parts and golf cart accessories and hit the course. Who knows, you might be included in the greatest golf players of all time soon.

Best Golf Players(1)

Golf is generally a game on a large outdoor course with series of nine or 18 holes distant from each other. The objective is to propel a small hard ball with the use of clubs into each hole the few strokes possible.

The game is engaging that sports enthusiasts often debate on who's the best player among the many who played golf. Here are some of those who had made their name in the sport:

Arnold Palmer

Palmer learned golf from his father. He won his first trophy in a professional tour in 1955. He had won 93 other tournaments including seven majors. He was distinguished because of his marketability and impact in the game of golf around the world. He is truly a global golf icon.

Palmer loves golf so much that he just can't live his life without it. He has passionately thrived in the world of golf. He even put up the first golf course in China to create an interaction in the game and do other stuffs beneficial to the sport where he had established his name.

Ben Hogan

Ben Hogan dropped out of high school and became a pro golfer in 1930. He won his first professional tournament a year after. He was tagged with many names such as "The Hawk" for his implausible will and determination and "The Wee Ice Man" for his daunting stare and quiet appearance.

The golfer is widely recognized as one of the greatest of all time. He had an incredible career recognized to have the greatest swing of all time so as the best ball striker. Ask Tiger Woods and he'll say the same about Hogan.

Sam Snead

Snead became a golf player at the age of 22. He won five tournaments during his first year as a pro. This World Golf Hall of 'Famer' has the record in winning 11 tournaments in a year (1950). Snead continued to play even at his 70's and was playing for an 18-hole round even at the age of 85. Well in golf, age does not matter as long as you have the courage and the will to strike and make every strike a success.

Snead won seven major championships in his calling. Ironically, he was never able to win the U.S. Open--an interesting fact that leaves a little stain on his career.

Play Golf Really Well(2)

As you already know, you start on the 1st tee and what you do is tee up your ball on a small tee (the wooden 2 1/8 inch variety are best) behind the two markers you will see - do not tee your ball up in front of them because that is against the rules.

Usually you will toss a coin to see who in your group starts off first. You aim down the fairway towards the green your playing, in this case, hole #1. The person with the lowest score on each hole has the "honor" and tees off first on the following hole. You always tee off in the order of the score you got on the previous hole - the low scores go first.

So, if John got a 3, Sally got a 4, Sam got an 8 and Sandy got a 5 on hole #1 - what is the order of teeing off (hitting from the teeing ground) on the second hole?

The order would be John first, then Sally, Sandy and then Sam.

So, what the quickest way to learn how to play golf?

The quickest way would be to just go out and play with your friends, preferably some who have been playing for a while. Starting out on a par 3 course would also be easier because the holes are shorter. You could also take some lessons in person with a local golf pro - look in the yellow pages or just go to or phone a driving range or golf club and ask if they give lessons. Be sure the lessons are from a certified PGA, LPGA or CPGA (Canada) golf professional. Or, use the shortcut beow.

Also, watch some videos, or read some books, on how to start out in golf.

Play Golf Really Well(1)

Golf is a challenging, skillful and exciting game where you use a set of golf clubs (maximum of 14) and golf balls to play. Each golf club (called irons, woods and a putter) has a different length and loft, designed to hit the ball a different distance. The putter is used on the putting green where the hole is located. The main aim is to shoot the ball into a small hole hundreds of yards away, in the lowest possible score.

The game is played on a golf course outdoors that is usually around 5,400 to 7,400 yards in length, depending on which tees (championship, men's, senior's, or ladies tees) you play. A Tee is a designated and marked area (often elevated) where you start each hole.

There are 9 and 18 hole courses. The grass on the main part of the layout (called a fairway) is closely mown and then there is taller grass (rough) outside of that, and of course trees, lakes and sand traps on your way to the green. The green is made of very short bent grass (like a carpet) where you putt (strike the ball with a club called a putter) the ball into the hole.

The holes on a course each have a par of either 3, 4 or 5. The word Par simply means the number of strokes you are supposed to get on a hole. It also means the total for 9 or 18 holes, such as 36 for nine holes or 72 for 18 holes. Most golf courses are par 70, 71 or 72, although a par 3 course has 18 par 3 holes totaling 54. A par 3 course is much shorter and is more for beginners.

A par of 3 means 1 tee shot to get on the green and 2 putts. A par 4 means a tee shot, one more shot to the green (with an iron or wood) and 2 putts. A par 5 means a tee shot, and two more shots to get on the green plus 2 putts.

Of course, you have to be an experienced player to shoot par. Golf pros often shoot at par or better over 18 holes, while top amateurs shoot in the low 70's and most other golfers between 80 and 120.

Regular Practice can Make You a Good Golfer

If you spend your time purchasing expensive equipment or fancy clothes for your golf game, then you can be rest assured that you are ignoring the most important aspect of the game - practice.

What good is having an expensive driver in your hand only if you do not know how to swing the club? What is the point of playing this game if you spend your time trying to launch the ball into orbit when you should simply focus on getting your swing right?

Everything from your technique to your foot position matters in the game of golf. Most importantly, you should be completely relaxed because excessive strain may end up in injuries.

If you are a beginner, then it is best to completely skip the idea of purchasing equipment or getting fancy accessories. Rather, you should focus on the game so that you are good enough to start playing well. Once you are playing very well and once you are confident of competing with your friends and relatives and winning the game, you can easily go in for equipment.

If you are worried that the equipment will be too expensive, then you can always go in for cheap and inexpensive alternatives. Remember, there are many reasons why people sell their golf equipment.

One of the most common reasons is that they invested more in the equipment than in the game itself. When they end up feeling disappointed and when they feel cheated, they invariably put up their equipment for sale and try to recover the money. You can get lots of discount on these sales.

If you are making use of the internet to improve your game, the first thing that you should focus on is the technique. Reading about golf on the internet may not be the best way to understand the game.

As far as those who have understood the basics and want to proceed ahead, there are numerous audio and video options that will help them understand the game better.

Get the Best Results From Golf Practice

To get the results you really want in your golf game, you have to spend a lot of time on the practice range. Hours of time spent just pounding golf balls may improve your physical stamina and swing but to get the best results from your practice, you also need to engage your mind and imagination.

Timing for your practice sessions is also important if you are serious about improving your game. The professional players all realize one of the most vital times to practice is right after a round, when all your bad shots are still fresh in your mind. This is the best time to work on the shots that are giving you the most trouble on the golf course. You have the shots from your round still fresh in your memory and it is easy to visualize the shot you were trying to make and had trouble with. It's not fun working on the shots that give you the most trouble but that is the best way to show significant improvement.

Before your round is always a good idea to warm up on the range and build up a little confidence but after the round is where you can be most effective at solving your problems. To optimize the results of your practice, you want to visualize each shot instead of just pounding balls. Try to picture the shots you were trying to accomplish on the course and struggled with. Be sure to pick a specific target for each shot and repeat your pre-shot routine for each swing. Going through your full routine on the range makes your shot execution feel natural and will help reduce your stress when you are on the course and have a difficult shot.

Another effective mental practice away from the course, is to visualize yourself playing and work at remembering how it feels to make a good shot. This exercise helps build positive muscle memory and produces surprising results.

A good exercise to further build this muscle memory is to hit some shots on the range with your favorite club and mentally note the physical sensations of each good shot you hit.

How to Overcome the Obstacles With Sand Clubs

The wedge clubs are the best you can use if you want to be successful when it comes to a golf match. These clubs resemble the iron ones very much, but they are heavier and the loft angle is a lot bigger. The pitch-wedge clubs are the most frequently encountered such clubs, their loft angle being of forty-six up to fifty-one degrees.

The wedge golf clubs not only send the ball higher, but the distance is also shorter and they are recommended in the most difficult situations which can appear on a golf court. For instance, you may have to hit the ball from a sand bunker, from a swamp or from mud, from a difficult slope or you may have to overcome different obstacles.

If you hit your ball and it stops in a sand bunker, the easiest way to get it out of there is to hit the sand first and then the ball. More exactly, the club hits the sand and the sand hits the ball.

A good hit with a pitch club can measure up to ninety metres in length and thirty or forty metres in height, while a hit with a sand club can only send the ball about seventy metres away and twenty or twenty-five metres high.

As far as the prices are concerned, you can find such clubs at about one hundred twelve dollars or one hundred sixty-two dollars. They are expensive indeed, but they are also highly performing golf clubs.

The Reasons for I Love Walking the Golf Course(2)

Lower Cost
When golfing four or five days a week, as I do, cart fees can add up very quickly. I figured that, after paying for my first push cart, I avoided costs of $1,000 per year by walking the golf course. I used that money to fund a manual-control electric golf caddy. That investment was paid back in 3 months. Now I've moved up again to a remote-controlled electric caddy, the investment for which was paid back in about five months.

Getting Close on Cart Path Only Days
Taking my clubs to the ball when the course is wet and the "cart path only" rule is in effect brings up an age-old dilemma -- "Which club do I take?" Usually, I'm unsure and hence drag a couple higher irons to the ball, sometimes finding out that a tree is in play and I need a 3 iron to punch the ball out into the fairway. I can't tell you the number of times I didn't want to walk back, took the shot with a 7 or 8 iron and, you guessed it, the ball hit the tree and took a bad bounce - just because I didn't want to walk back to the cart to get the 3 iron.

More Exercise
It's no secret that walking the course provides more exercise. Walking 18 holes gets me an extra three miles of walking. Both the waist line and my stress levels are beneficiaries.

Less Guilt
Golfing takes time - time away from my family and work. When I walk with a push cart, I can better justify the time by saying to myself, "This takes the place of going to the gym."

Weight Control
When I walk the course regularly, my weight stays in control. I munch less on snacks during the round and I'm in far better physical condition.

The Reasons for I Love Walking the Golf Course(1)

For a long time, I motored around the course in a golf cart that carried me as well as my clubs. Then I tried a golf push cart - and I've not gone back to riding ever since.

I love walking the course! Here are my top ten reasons why.

Better Scores
My number one reason why I love walking the golf course is that I score better. Really, I do. Studies have shown that, golfers who use a golf push cart score three strokes better, on average over nine holes, than those who ride in a cart. And my experience bears that out.

Focus
I focus on the game in a more relaxed way, reviewing my last shot and planning the next shot.

Better Club Selection
No more saying to my partner "Drop me off I'll just keep these clubs; you go on to your ball," only to find out I need an eight iron instead of the seven iron that I kept.

Getting the Bag Close to the Green
Many times, on my approach shots, I'm just off the green and need to chip on (hopefully in). My game calls for chipping with any one of four different clubs depending on distance and how much roll the ball will need. With a riding cart. I'm usually left with the dilemma of "Should I take four clubs (plus a putter) to the green or take a chance with fewer clubs?" With the push cart or an electric golf trolley, I can get up- close and feel confident with my club selection.

Less Time Pressure
When riding, I'm always tied to my riding partner and sometimes that results in frustrating waits while he or she wipes the last blade of grass from a club. Or I've got to hurry up and hit my ball so that my partner can get his/her shot off. When I use the golf trolley, I'm free to move independently of my golf buddy.

How to Purchase a Golf Set for Your Child

One sport wherein children will really enjoy while having their body exercised is golf. Aside from having fun and exercise, children can also learn a lot with regards to discipline and proper posture. If you want your kids to get involved with this kind of sport, then it is necessary to have a youth golf set to be used by your kids when playing the game.

Previously, in order for the golf set to be used by children, people tend to cut or shorten the shafts of the regular adult sized clubs. These days, there are already specific golf club sets for children's use. There are lots of venues where you can buy a complete set of youth golf set. You can look in sports shops and internet sites as there you will find different kinds of golf sets for youths and adults. You may also try checking garage sales as these places can offer you the cheapest prices when it comes to buying items.

When buying a youth golf set, there are several things that need to be considered first. First off is your budget. In order to get the most out of your budget, it would be best to first do a thorough research and compare the prices of different shops. You should consider getting the best ones out of the budget that you have. Next, you should consider getting quality ones. This ensures you that the golf set that you will be getting will last for a very long time and will provide your children with good results and performance.

You should also consider purchasing a youth golf set that is suitable for the height of your children. This is necessary in order for children to hit the golf ball accurately when swinging the golf club. Using a golf club that has a short shaft may result to your child hitting the air instead of the ball, while having a club that has a very long shaft may result to your child hitting the ground or the grass instead of the ball.

Driving to Improve Your Golf Game

Crosswinds - dealing with wind that is cutting across the fairway is more difficult to predict than a headwind or tailwind.

When playing crosswinds you have to determine how strong the wind is and whether the wind is a cross headwind, a cross tailwind or a direct crosswind (90 degree).

Narrow Fairway - There will be times when you will be faced with a narrow landing area in the fairway. When faced with this challenge you need to seriously consider sacrificing distance for accuracy.

In times like this you need to leave your driver in the bag and play a club that gives you better control of your outcome. For some golfers that will mean using a long iron and other golfers will use a 3-wood, 5-wood or maybe a hybrid.

Head Winds - Tee your golf ball a bit lower when you are playing into a head wind. Your ball will tend to be pushed higher by the wind when you are driving into it. By teeing your ball lower than normal you can reduce the effect of the wind with a lower trajectory.

Depending on how windy it is, you may need to consider using a long iron instead of your driver to keep the flight of the ball low.

Doglegs - There are going to be holes on every golf course that are going to have a dogleg, a hole that moves from right to left or left to right from tee to green.

When dealing with this type of golf hole, you need to be concerned with driving the ball through the fairway. You will need to be able to control your distance in these situations.

By choking down on your club a bit you can still take a full swing and avoid driving the ball through that fairway and into trouble.

You can also work on taking 5 or 10 percent off your backswing to reduce the distance your ball will travel. For many golfers, this is the more difficult approach.

If you have played golf at all you recognize that everything in golf has variables, even when using the same discount golf clubs. The best solution is practice. This will help you to understand the results you can expect from adjustments you may need to make during a round of golf.

No matter the situation that you are faced with when you step up to the tee, take time to determine what the best approach is for that shot. Then commit to any adjustment before setting up and executing your shot.