Guest Post

Tips To Help You Shoot A Better Score

When Playing in Bad Weather Growing up in Britain, as I did, you get used to playing in bad weather. It's a routine matter, often changing every couple of hours, so golfers play in it. Even if you're lucky enough to live in a warm weather state, you will still have the occasional round, or club tournament, that falls on a poor weather day. For those who live up north, trying to squeeze in a few rounds in spring or fall will create some weather related challenges. The types of conditions we are referring to are cold, wet, and wind, or possibly a combination. Of these the most common is wind, and it's arguably the most challenging.

The first, AND MOST IMPORTANT step is getting over the mental challenge. This involves lowering your scoring expectations. If you doubt this look in to scoring averages on the PGA Tour when it is very windy, the scoring average goes way up. The other big metal barrier is to embrace the challenges of the day, and relish it. Playing in strong wind, or other adverse conditions, requires being much more creative with your club selection, course strategies, and modifying your stance and swing to fit the given shot.
This is why it can be a lot of fun, creativity keeps things fresh and interesting. Again though, if your expectations are unreasonably high and you fail to be creative and make adjustments you will struggle, and likely won't enjoy it. Lets deal with these three conditions separately. Cold weather is a lot about preparations and equipment choices.

Today's technology offers some light weight, breathable types of garments that allow you to layer but maintain the ability to swing relatively freely. It is also vital in cold weather to factor in that the ball will not travel as far as it normally would. This happens for several reasons, a cold ball doesn't compress as easily, a cold body is not as mobile, and the extra clothing further limits mobility. Wet weather is similar. Dress accordingly, and do anything necessary to keep your equipment dry. Also, play conservatively. A wet ball, club, and soggy ground make it more challenging to control the flight of your shots. As I said earlier, most common condition we face is wind.
There are several keys here. Vary your club selection considerably in a strong wind. A tour pro that hits their 7 iron about 175 yards may drop to anything from a 4 iron to a pitching wedge in to or against a lot of wind. Amateurs rarely adjust more than a single club. In a cross wind don't just play for the amount of curve you anticipate, but remember that after the ball lands it will roll sideways, especially on the green. This applies to chips and pitches as well.
Lastly, balance is harder to maintain in the wind, so swing at pace that fosters good balance. Work on these principles, and remember to have fun when you face these playing conditions!

About Author: Adam Bazalgette is a teaching professional that grew up in London, England, where he learned to play golf. Adam has been teaching the game of golf to all skill levels since 1992. Adam worked for David Leadbetter and in 1994 was promoted to the Director of the Leadbetter's Naples facility. Adam currently holds the position as Director of golf at The Club at Mediterra in Naples Florida. 

Guest Post

Hello,

I work with Callaway Golf and I wanted to let you know about a great deal I think the users of your site would like to see. You already have a ton of great information, and I think this would be the perfect fit for your readers.

We’re offering 15% off Fairway Woods at the callawaygolfpreowned.com store until November 30 with the code V15OFFW. You can already find great deals on the Certified Pre-Owned site, and this coupon makes the deal that much sweeter! Your readers could use this coupon on the popular Diablo Edge Tour Fairway Woods, which can be found here:

http://www.callawaygolfpreowned.com/fwoods-diablo-edge-tour/fwoods-diablo-edge-tour,default,pd.html

Please feel free to share this coupon code and link on your site. You can go to http://www.callawaygolfpreowned.com/clubs/why-buy-cgpo,default,sc.html to find out more about the Pre-Owned store, or just email me back if you have any questions about the coupon.

Sincerely,

Logan Baker

Callaway Golf Interactive
preowned-marketing@callawaygolf.com

Jack Nicklaus Golf Museum

A fantasic museum, if your travels take you to Columbus Ohio, you have to see this one.

Childhood memorabilia

Arnie and Jack...still better than Keegan and Mickelson!

Putter that won the majority of his Majors

6 degrees of seperation hole in one

Recently, my Uncle-inlaw holed a par-3. According to the laws of seperation, I should drink a beer to this hole in one....technically now...I can say I've had a hole in one too!

http://www.nationalholeinoneregistry.com/myholeinone.php?id=25789

For all those aspring and finally hitting that magical shot, this is a registry to log this event in perpetuity.

I'd like to know where I can play a course without a collared shirt.

Good on ya...you pisser!

Keep it in the short-grass,

JFB

Golf From An Early Age

 

 

Golf has long been a civilised, noble and respectable sport.  It breeds a calm and serene personality, and encourages forward thinking and concentration.  Who wouldn’t want these traits to be features of their children’s character?  These benefits are all by products of an enjoyable and healthy way to stay fit and active, whilst having more than a little fun also.  I personally think that this all comes together to make a good case for getting your kids into golf at an early age.  They’ll thank you for it someday.

 

Mini Golf and Crazy Golf

These activities seem custom designed to achieve this purpose.  Crazy golf will be an instant access for a young child; with loops and bright colours, squirting water and moving parts.  Crazy golf requires timing and ingenuity to master and it’s a great way to start close range putting.  Don’t expect a great surface, but expect a great day.

Mini golf should be considered as a natural graduation from its wackier little brother.  Mini golf does away with a lot of the parts of the course considered more ‘fun’ or ‘crazy’ and instead opts for more skill and golfing know-how.  Curves and hills are introduced in a strategic sense, rather than for enjoyment.  Many mini golf courses are now also featuring an artificial turf equivalent of ‘rough,’ in which you incur a penalty for entering.  This is a good way to highlight the horror of disappointment when landing in the rough!

 

Pitch ‘n’ Putt

This is probably the first real chance that kids will get to taste what real golf can be like.  A lot of towns and cities now have Pitch ‘n’ Putt courses, open to beginners and veterans alike.  These are almost always non-membership (pay to play) courses which offer a scale more similar to that of a real course, but with the gentle learning curve and recreational feel.  The name comes simply from the two types of clubs that you are loaned whilst playing; one for pitching and one for putting.  This is a good way to teach your children the basics of selecting a club and how to use them.  The other players are often patient, and it’s polite to let a waiting group pass you if they are in smaller numbers or are clearly better players.  Breeding this golfing etiquette into children is key if they hope to one day play on membership courses.

 

First Set Of Clubs

When the big day comes and you feel that your kids are ready for a real course, you’ll want to celebrate by buying them their first set of clubs.  Each manufacturer produces different types of clubs and professionals will be able to pick up on the minute differences.  But for a beginner, you should opt in buying them an all-in-one set from a medium level brand.  Go for the hybrid irons and avoid being talked into the big brand names.  By all means dream of your kids appreciating the difference between a set of Callaways and Clevelands, but don’t waste your money on it.  That day will come eventually, and you’ll feel the dent in your wallet when it does!

 

When To Step On To The Course

This is a big point.  Golf courses are exclusive sites and you want to keep the proprietors and other players happy.  Don’t take your kids on unless they can drive the ball well.  A waiting party will quickly grow impatient if they see amateurs in front of them, taking up their time.  Teach your children of a driving range, and then you can teach them putting at home.  An 18-hole course will feel like a very long day if you keep hitting turf.

 

The most important thing is to have fun.  Golf is a sport, after all.  Teach your kids and guide them well, and you’ll likely find that they’ll soon be carried away by the passion of it.  Even likelier is that they’ll be giving you a handicap before long.

 

 

Colin Knight is an avid golfer and father of two budding (and soon to be better) golfing sons.  He currently works for Belmont Lodge, a beautiful 3 star golf hotel on the riverside in Herefordshire.

Charlie Yates golf course

Tucked away in metro Atlanta is a gem of a course that I was able to play last week. Charlie Yates Golf Course is an idyllic 3/4 par course that is maintained suberbly by the same group that keeps up East Lake (home of the Tour Championship).

If you are traveling through Atlanta (or even live here) and have a couple hours to play this course, I would highly recommend it. I walked all 18 in under 2 1/2 hours and paid $29.00 on Sunday morning.

Keep it in the short-grass,

JFB

Guest Post

Why Do We Yell “Fore”? The Origins of Four Common Golf Terms By Scott McCormick

Scott McCormick comes from a long line of mediocre – yet devoted – golfers. He lives in Arizona with his wife Alexis and their two dogs. When not trying to improve his short game on an office putting machine or following his favorite PGA tour pros on Twitter, he works as an online publisher for San Diego Golf .


Golfers are a unique bunch, which is no surprise considering the game that they love is celebrated for its quirks and idiosyncrasies.
The language of golf is equally well known for its eccentricities, and for those us that were born with golf woven directly into our DNA, these peculiar terms and expressions roll smoothly off our tongues, while those uninitiated to golfing vernacular might scratch their heads at terms like “scratch golfer”. And while most golfers possess an inherent understanding and appreciation for the history of the game, the origins of many golf expressions are as bewildering as a sidehill lie and as steeped in mythology as the albatross (see below).
This article will explore some of the roots of well-known golf terms:

Golf
The name of the sport itself has an interesting history and there are several oft-repeated myths about its origins. Despite what your chain-email-sending buddy might tell you, the term golf is not, nor has it ever been, an acronym meaning GENTLEMAN ONLY LADIES FORBIDDEN. This popular falsehood is unfortunate, as it adds to the (hopefully diminishing) perception that golf is by its nature a misogynist sport. In reality, the term golf has been around since the 1400s, and there are a couple competing theories as to its original origin. Perhaps the most prominent theory is that it evolved from the Dutch word kolf meaning stick or club. Others have suggested that the word originated in Scotland, where the game itself was conceived.
 Written references to the game start to become abundant by the 16th century, though as was typical for words in the days before dictionaries and standardized spelling, there were a number of variations including goff, goif, gowf, golf, gouff, gof, gowfe, and golve.

Fore!
In its literal, non-golf definition, fore is a word meaning “ahead”, obviously related to the word “before”. In golf, the term began appearing in the 1870s, and while the exact origins have never been satisfactorily determined, it may have stemmed from a military practice of yelling “beware before!” when artillery units fired shots over the top of marching infantry troops
.
Mulligan
This now-common golf term meaning “do-over” didn’t become widespread until the 1940s, and once again it has proven difficult to pinpoint its exact origin. Some have contended that it comes from a man named Mulligan, who had a penchant for reteeing off when he was displeased with his initial drive – several different Mr. Mulligans have been posited as the original. Another idea is that it is rooted in ethnic defamation, as Irish-Americans were denigrated in the early 20th century; the theory suggests that this familiar Irish surname became unfairly associated with poor golf.

Caddie
The term Caddie comes from the French word “cadet” meaning young boy. The military term “cadet” also naturally derived from this French word, and it has been suggested that it became customary for young military men in France to carry the clubs for their aristocratic elders. Later the term “caddie” became widespread in Scotland for any young man charged with running errands or making deliveries.