Golf lessons are a very wise investment if you intend to play for any length of time. Golf lessons are important to get the basic swing correct and maintain the right grip. Golf lessons are a great way for golfers of all skill levels to be the best they can be on the course. But sometimes it is just too expensive or time consuming to take golf lessons.
Golf lessons should really come in handy, but then it's up to you. Golf lessons are a necessity for anyone who desires to play the game of golf in a competitive fashion, or even for leisure. If you have an inclination to play the game of golf on a regular basis, proper instruction will be needed. Golf lessons from a qualified professional are likely to help any golfer improve on their game.
There are different kinds of golf lessons that are sure to fit any golfers schedule, budget, or needs. Private golf lessons are really a great way to learn golf. You have the instructor all to yourself and he will be concerned about helping you achieve the best in your game in a way that is convenient for you. Private golf lessons are available everywhere if you can afford it. One of the benefits of private golf lessons is that you get one-on-one coaching with golf experts who really know what the game is about.
It's never easy asking for help, but in golf, it is almost a necessity. Unfortunately, we often ask our buddies and partners, when in reality we should take a lesson or two. We think that a Pro would critique harshly, but they are honest, positive and very helpful.
Lessons at the local course aren't as expensive as you might think and they are worth it because your game will improve rapidly and cause you less frustration, making the game much more enjoyable for you.
Of utmost importance, is being honest about your game. The Pro will ask you what you want to start with; driving, chipping, putting or whatever you feel you need help with.
Listen carefully and follow the instructions. You may have doubts if the Pro changes your stance, your grip or your swing; the Pro knows best.
Don't hesitate to ask questions. Don't worry about if the question or concern in stupid-they've heard it all before and will not make you feel like an idiot for asking. If you don't "get it", tell him/her that you're not getting it. You should never walk away from a lesson with unanswered questions.
You can concentrate on one thing during a lesson, or several. You might start with a lesson in driving; get the right grip, the right stance, the right swing, the right follow-through in one lesson, and then practice it. Next time, you might work on your short game, or putting.
Instructional books and DVDs are the next best thing to have. The benefits of having them are as follows. Instruction is provided through the use of video analysis.
Golf lessons can be expensive, but studying with a qualified instructor brings results that are worth the investment. When you leave the program, you'll possess a new understanding and mastery of the game.
How To Choose Golf Equipment
Buying golf equipment can be like dumping money into a money pit, but armed with some knowledge you can save time and money in selecting the right clubs for yourself. As with most things in life, you can spend a lot or you can spend a little several times before you get what you really need. If you are first starting out and not completely sure you want to commit to this addictive game, you should either rent clubs at the golf course, or buy a starter set of clubs.
Buying a set of started clubs enables you to become accustomed to them; enabling you to concentrate on your swing instead of wondering how this set of miss-matched clubs you just rented are going to work out. As you become better at the game, you should invest in a better set of clubs, fitted to you.
Generally, a set includes a driver, one or two fairway woods, 4-9 irons, a wedge or two and perhaps a putter. As you become more experienced and start thinking about new clubs, you may want to consider buying your driver separately. Some players want a driver to give them more accuracy; some need the distance.
There are numerous balls available and the box will usually have a chart on the back and direct you to the right ball for your needs. As you learn the game and get better at it, you should experiment with different balls which could improve your accuracy or distance. Having the right equipment is an important aspect of the game - buy wisely.
Chhosing Your Golf Shoes
Your swing will change, your accuracy and distance will improve with practice, and you'll become deadly with a putter, but you will always do these things while standing on your feet. Your feet need to be comfortable! Have you ever developed a blister while walking or running? It's all you can think about and it ruins the experience. Don't let uncomfortable shoes ruin your golf game. This is one area where you shouldn't let your frugality make the decision for you. You will be wearing these shoes many times and they should be considered an investment.
Comfort should be your biggest concern when buying shoes. Your foot should not move at all on your heel when you walk, yet your toes shouldn't feel cramped. Have you shoes professional fit to your feet and walk around in them before you buy them. Proper golf shoes should be waterproof so that your feet remain dry in damp conditions. Good socks are important too; they will wick perspiration away from you feet, keeping your feet dry and comfortable.
All golf courses prohibit metal spiked shoes in the effort to protect their delicate greens. Purchase shoes that allow you to change the rubber spikes easily, and while you're there, purchase some extras. You never know when you might lose one. Replace the spikes when they become worn. With all the things you have to worry about while playing golf, your feet shouldn't be one of them. When it comes to golf footwear, quality counts.
Buying a set of started clubs enables you to become accustomed to them; enabling you to concentrate on your swing instead of wondering how this set of miss-matched clubs you just rented are going to work out. As you become better at the game, you should invest in a better set of clubs, fitted to you.
Generally, a set includes a driver, one or two fairway woods, 4-9 irons, a wedge or two and perhaps a putter. As you become more experienced and start thinking about new clubs, you may want to consider buying your driver separately. Some players want a driver to give them more accuracy; some need the distance.
There are numerous balls available and the box will usually have a chart on the back and direct you to the right ball for your needs. As you learn the game and get better at it, you should experiment with different balls which could improve your accuracy or distance. Having the right equipment is an important aspect of the game - buy wisely.
Chhosing Your Golf Shoes
Your swing will change, your accuracy and distance will improve with practice, and you'll become deadly with a putter, but you will always do these things while standing on your feet. Your feet need to be comfortable! Have you ever developed a blister while walking or running? It's all you can think about and it ruins the experience. Don't let uncomfortable shoes ruin your golf game. This is one area where you shouldn't let your frugality make the decision for you. You will be wearing these shoes many times and they should be considered an investment.
Comfort should be your biggest concern when buying shoes. Your foot should not move at all on your heel when you walk, yet your toes shouldn't feel cramped. Have you shoes professional fit to your feet and walk around in them before you buy them. Proper golf shoes should be waterproof so that your feet remain dry in damp conditions. Good socks are important too; they will wick perspiration away from you feet, keeping your feet dry and comfortable.
All golf courses prohibit metal spiked shoes in the effort to protect their delicate greens. Purchase shoes that allow you to change the rubber spikes easily, and while you're there, purchase some extras. You never know when you might lose one. Replace the spikes when they become worn. With all the things you have to worry about while playing golf, your feet shouldn't be one of them. When it comes to golf footwear, quality counts.
The Golf Ball Shag Bag - How To Enjoy Your Game
The golf ball shag bag is a very useful equipment to have comfort as a golfer. Any golfer looking to improve needs to get a golf ball shag bag. It doesn't matter if you have a driving range at your home course or not you still need to practice your approach shots and short game around the greens. This little innovative piece of equipment makes things a lot easier to pick up and store the golf balls you use during practice.
These great little bags are skinny and cylindrical in shape. They stand about two feet tall and have a small little tube (usually metal) that runs the full way down the center of the bag. It's just a little wider than a golf ball and has three or four flexible little metal teeth at the bottom or one end so the balls don't fall out. The top part of the tube is covered with the actual bag part of this tool that holds the golf balls in it. There is a small zipper that runs down the side of the bag so you can empty the balls out when you're ready to use them.
What about the balls you ask? Well, just use the old balls in your bag or the ones you've found around the course. Golfers will often refer to a found ball that is in bad shape as a “shag ball” and will use it in their shag bag. You can also go to any store and get some refurbished golf balls really cheap to put in the bag if you don't have enough old ones kicking around.
What you do with the golf ball shag bag is pick up your golf balls after you're finished practicing or hitting them. The top part of the bag will have a handle that you hold on to as you walk around picking up your balls. You simply go over to one of your balls, position the bottom of the tube on top of the ball, and simply push down slightly until you hear the ball click and go into the tube. Go over to the next ball and do the same thing until they're all picked up. It's as easy as that, no effort or bending over to gather them up. The balls will start piling on top of each other and climbing up the tube. As they reach the top of the tube they'll flow over the top and down into the bag.
Golf ball shag bags are very simple to transport as they aren't very heavy. They hold about 50 golf balls on average depending on what size bag you get. They fit easily into the trunk of your car, or the bottom of your locker (if you're lucky enough to have one) at your golf club. So golfers will even keep them with their clubs if they have club storage at their respective clubs. Since a lot of golf clubs (specially the older ones) don't have a driving range these little practice bags come in real handy for practicing short irons or your short game. They're also great if you just want to warm up by hitting a few balls before a round without having to go to an offsite range.
Simply put these golf ball shag bags are great to have around. They will make your practice sessions easier and quick so you don't waste any time. After all, every one has so little time to practice it's important to use your time wisely. If you don't have one of these bags yet, go out and get one and watch your game improve with practice.
These great little bags are skinny and cylindrical in shape. They stand about two feet tall and have a small little tube (usually metal) that runs the full way down the center of the bag. It's just a little wider than a golf ball and has three or four flexible little metal teeth at the bottom or one end so the balls don't fall out. The top part of the tube is covered with the actual bag part of this tool that holds the golf balls in it. There is a small zipper that runs down the side of the bag so you can empty the balls out when you're ready to use them.
What about the balls you ask? Well, just use the old balls in your bag or the ones you've found around the course. Golfers will often refer to a found ball that is in bad shape as a “shag ball” and will use it in their shag bag. You can also go to any store and get some refurbished golf balls really cheap to put in the bag if you don't have enough old ones kicking around.
What you do with the golf ball shag bag is pick up your golf balls after you're finished practicing or hitting them. The top part of the bag will have a handle that you hold on to as you walk around picking up your balls. You simply go over to one of your balls, position the bottom of the tube on top of the ball, and simply push down slightly until you hear the ball click and go into the tube. Go over to the next ball and do the same thing until they're all picked up. It's as easy as that, no effort or bending over to gather them up. The balls will start piling on top of each other and climbing up the tube. As they reach the top of the tube they'll flow over the top and down into the bag.
Golf ball shag bags are very simple to transport as they aren't very heavy. They hold about 50 golf balls on average depending on what size bag you get. They fit easily into the trunk of your car, or the bottom of your locker (if you're lucky enough to have one) at your golf club. So golfers will even keep them with their clubs if they have club storage at their respective clubs. Since a lot of golf clubs (specially the older ones) don't have a driving range these little practice bags come in real handy for practicing short irons or your short game. They're also great if you just want to warm up by hitting a few balls before a round without having to go to an offsite range.
Simply put these golf ball shag bags are great to have around. They will make your practice sessions easier and quick so you don't waste any time. After all, every one has so little time to practice it's important to use your time wisely. If you don't have one of these bags yet, go out and get one and watch your game improve with practice.
Golf Handicap and The Golf Ball
Golf handicaps are a way to keep amateur golfers from becoming too discouraged and giving up the game. The smaller golf handicaps are better to play golf game than the other big handicaps.
For the regular golfer the news on the modern golf ball is all good. The ball doesn't slice or hook anywhere near as much as it did 15 years ago and it goes a lot further. But why hasn't the average club member's handicap dropped. The answer is almost certainly in the golf ball you are teeing up.
Today a solidly hit golf ball doesn't move. The manufacturer's designers have worked the long night hours to make it so. But for most of us the percentage of solidly hit shots hasn't improved that much and the ball, when hit poorly, will deviate from the straight and narrow.
And some balls will deviate more than others. Would you believe that the golf ball a Pro plays with will deviate more than many of the alternatives on the market!
The argument, then, is that most amateur golfers could be playing with a golf ball that will make them straighter but choose not to.
Of course the modern golf ball goes further, by quite some distance, leaving you much closer to the green playing from the rough.
The bad news, for those who pick the ball used by their hero on TV, is that the same golf ball, when hit with a swing speed of only 85mph, isn't going to perform anywhere near its optimum level, leaving you not only further from the Fairway than you'd like, but further from the Green than you could be.
Not the combination that any of us were looking for when we teed up our brand new golf ball and envisioned, in our pre-shot routine, a long, slight draw that leaves us a simple approach from the center of the Fairway.
So, why do less than 20% of regular golfers take the time and trouble to find the golf ball that will marry their swing speed and their requirement for control and feel? Why, when each new golf ball offers a toolbox of technologies all offering different benefits, do we play the golf ball we do?
Spend a little time working out what characteristics your golf ball needs to have to help you enjoy your golf game that little bit more. Be prepared to experiment and remember that you can get qualified advice with your nearest PGA Golf Professional
Players with low golf handicaps are capable of taking advantage of a forward ball position. The advantage for beginners is the fact that they are allowed to play on the course after having taken only a few lessons as golf handicaps are not obligatory. Players with high golf handicaps, on the other hand, need to practice this. Once you have developed confidence in your ability to do so, you will take landing in a bad lie in stride. Players with higher handicaps are allowed to post scores composed of hole scores higher than double bogey. One of the great things about golf is that it allows skilled players to compete with not-so-skilled players on a level playing field, all through the wonderful handicap system.
For the regular golfer the news on the modern golf ball is all good. The ball doesn't slice or hook anywhere near as much as it did 15 years ago and it goes a lot further. But why hasn't the average club member's handicap dropped. The answer is almost certainly in the golf ball you are teeing up.
Today a solidly hit golf ball doesn't move. The manufacturer's designers have worked the long night hours to make it so. But for most of us the percentage of solidly hit shots hasn't improved that much and the ball, when hit poorly, will deviate from the straight and narrow.
And some balls will deviate more than others. Would you believe that the golf ball a Pro plays with will deviate more than many of the alternatives on the market!
The argument, then, is that most amateur golfers could be playing with a golf ball that will make them straighter but choose not to.
Of course the modern golf ball goes further, by quite some distance, leaving you much closer to the green playing from the rough.
The bad news, for those who pick the ball used by their hero on TV, is that the same golf ball, when hit with a swing speed of only 85mph, isn't going to perform anywhere near its optimum level, leaving you not only further from the Fairway than you'd like, but further from the Green than you could be.
Not the combination that any of us were looking for when we teed up our brand new golf ball and envisioned, in our pre-shot routine, a long, slight draw that leaves us a simple approach from the center of the Fairway.
So, why do less than 20% of regular golfers take the time and trouble to find the golf ball that will marry their swing speed and their requirement for control and feel? Why, when each new golf ball offers a toolbox of technologies all offering different benefits, do we play the golf ball we do?
Spend a little time working out what characteristics your golf ball needs to have to help you enjoy your golf game that little bit more. Be prepared to experiment and remember that you can get qualified advice with your nearest PGA Golf Professional
Players with low golf handicaps are capable of taking advantage of a forward ball position. The advantage for beginners is the fact that they are allowed to play on the course after having taken only a few lessons as golf handicaps are not obligatory. Players with high golf handicaps, on the other hand, need to practice this. Once you have developed confidence in your ability to do so, you will take landing in a bad lie in stride. Players with higher handicaps are allowed to post scores composed of hole scores higher than double bogey. One of the great things about golf is that it allows skilled players to compete with not-so-skilled players on a level playing field, all through the wonderful handicap system.
Ballyliffin Golf Club's - Success And Failures
Ireland is a bastion of golf course, whether be it parkland or links courses, and they have more than enough for its 4 million population to accommodate many other golfers from all over the world. Blessed with beautiful land and scenic views, vacation golf spots in Ireland are a definite must-play and should provide a wondrous time whether you are just a beginner or a seasoned golfer.
Getting a booking in the old course of the Ballybunion Golf Club can be quite difficult especially in the peak season. A long list is filled up months before the season and most of them are seasoned golfers looking forward to the difficult yet very relaxing links. But if you don't get the chance to have some tee time on the old course, you may find that the Ballybunion Golf Club Cashen course, its new course, can be quite as challenging and some might say its more challenging.
Designed by Robert Trent Jones SR., the Ballybunion Golf Club Cashen course features spectacular yet difficult long links dotted with enormous sand dunes, which means you have to make the ball fly when you play to the number of greens that has been elevated in these treacherous course.
To those who have already gone and played at the Ballyliffin Golf Club, they have been blessed of having a chance to play at two great golf courses adjacent to each other. Both straddles the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and provides a challenging game as the wind constantly blows erratically swaying the flight of the golf ball.
Either the old links or the Glashedy links provide a relentless pursuit to providing a fun yet unpredictable day of golfing with the best of the old and new provided to its members and visitors.
Before the Ballyliffin Golf Club enjoyed its vast popularity today, it has experienced a number of success and failures that have shaped it to be one of the more exciting golf links Ireland has to offer.
The concept of starting a golf club in Ballyliffin started out in the later part of the 1940's after the Second World War. By then, a group of people interested in the idea banded together and leased lands and converted it into a 9-hole golf course. The club itself prepared the greens before playing, doing the menial tasks of mowing the grass and checking the area.
But the development of the club and the course itself was a slow and painful process. With such a small club that doesn't have really any resources at all, frustrations and doubts on whether the club should be continued at all flourished. Then the impending end of the lease also was hanging over their heads and the future of their club was slowly darkening.
But the sun shone the little golf club from Ballyliffin when the landowners agreed to extend their lease. The club's association with the Irish Christian brotherhood has also helped it recruit more players and improve their revenues. By the time the 1960's were ushering in, the confidence of its members soared and the prospect of owning the land was getting brighter.
Then by the late 60's problems with the land arose again as the owners weren't keen on renewing the lease once again. This prompted the club to look for a larger area to lease and convert into a links course.
By 1970, the Ballyliffin Golf Club transferred to a much bigger area and construction soon started. Barely three years after 18 holes were ready to be played.
But problems soon arose again. Financial concerns plagued the club and the seawall was being eaten up by the sea as more gravel were being removed for the construction. A masterfully planned charity, bazaars and concerts saved the club from financial disaster and the stopping of construction by the sea saved the property.
Soon, more members joined the club and green fees were rising with its new found fame adding more finances to the club's coffers. A new clubhouse was now opened and more facilities and amenities were being put up. Five decades after the original group members decided to start the Ballyliffin Golf Club, a new course was now added. By 1993, the construction started on the new course beside it and was finished two years after. Many professional and golf enthusiasts that the new championship links course was stunningly beautiful and was well designed.
While scores of golfers from all over the world flock to Southwest Ireland for the old Ballybunion Golf Club course, local golfers tend to prefer the new Cashen course. Many low handicapped golfers have also expressed their preference for the new course, but the old still remains as a must go to and play course for all golfers, for maybe at least once.
The Ballybunion Golf Club Cashen course has traditional links and like the old course, it is exceptionally unique, and is set with the greatest sand dunes found in golf courses world wide. Both are also designed along the Atlantic Ocean offering a calming back drop.
The Ballybunion Golf Club Cashen course is also a private members only club like the old course, but they do sometimes allow limited public access during weekdays. Limited guest plays are also allowed but must always be accompanied by a member.
With the success Ballyliffin Golf Club has experienced, and the failures that has made it what it is today, you can be sure that a golfing trip to this eventful course would be well worth the long trip from across the globe. When it comes to golf courses, the Ballybunion Golf Club has more than a century of experience in the industry, whether it's the old or new, you can be sure that you will get one of the more satisfying golf vacation trips in Ireland that you'll ever have.
Getting a booking in the old course of the Ballybunion Golf Club can be quite difficult especially in the peak season. A long list is filled up months before the season and most of them are seasoned golfers looking forward to the difficult yet very relaxing links. But if you don't get the chance to have some tee time on the old course, you may find that the Ballybunion Golf Club Cashen course, its new course, can be quite as challenging and some might say its more challenging.
Designed by Robert Trent Jones SR., the Ballybunion Golf Club Cashen course features spectacular yet difficult long links dotted with enormous sand dunes, which means you have to make the ball fly when you play to the number of greens that has been elevated in these treacherous course.
To those who have already gone and played at the Ballyliffin Golf Club, they have been blessed of having a chance to play at two great golf courses adjacent to each other. Both straddles the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and provides a challenging game as the wind constantly blows erratically swaying the flight of the golf ball.
Either the old links or the Glashedy links provide a relentless pursuit to providing a fun yet unpredictable day of golfing with the best of the old and new provided to its members and visitors.
Before the Ballyliffin Golf Club enjoyed its vast popularity today, it has experienced a number of success and failures that have shaped it to be one of the more exciting golf links Ireland has to offer.
The concept of starting a golf club in Ballyliffin started out in the later part of the 1940's after the Second World War. By then, a group of people interested in the idea banded together and leased lands and converted it into a 9-hole golf course. The club itself prepared the greens before playing, doing the menial tasks of mowing the grass and checking the area.
But the development of the club and the course itself was a slow and painful process. With such a small club that doesn't have really any resources at all, frustrations and doubts on whether the club should be continued at all flourished. Then the impending end of the lease also was hanging over their heads and the future of their club was slowly darkening.
But the sun shone the little golf club from Ballyliffin when the landowners agreed to extend their lease. The club's association with the Irish Christian brotherhood has also helped it recruit more players and improve their revenues. By the time the 1960's were ushering in, the confidence of its members soared and the prospect of owning the land was getting brighter.
Then by the late 60's problems with the land arose again as the owners weren't keen on renewing the lease once again. This prompted the club to look for a larger area to lease and convert into a links course.
By 1970, the Ballyliffin Golf Club transferred to a much bigger area and construction soon started. Barely three years after 18 holes were ready to be played.
But problems soon arose again. Financial concerns plagued the club and the seawall was being eaten up by the sea as more gravel were being removed for the construction. A masterfully planned charity, bazaars and concerts saved the club from financial disaster and the stopping of construction by the sea saved the property.
Soon, more members joined the club and green fees were rising with its new found fame adding more finances to the club's coffers. A new clubhouse was now opened and more facilities and amenities were being put up. Five decades after the original group members decided to start the Ballyliffin Golf Club, a new course was now added. By 1993, the construction started on the new course beside it and was finished two years after. Many professional and golf enthusiasts that the new championship links course was stunningly beautiful and was well designed.
While scores of golfers from all over the world flock to Southwest Ireland for the old Ballybunion Golf Club course, local golfers tend to prefer the new Cashen course. Many low handicapped golfers have also expressed their preference for the new course, but the old still remains as a must go to and play course for all golfers, for maybe at least once.
The Ballybunion Golf Club Cashen course has traditional links and like the old course, it is exceptionally unique, and is set with the greatest sand dunes found in golf courses world wide. Both are also designed along the Atlantic Ocean offering a calming back drop.
The Ballybunion Golf Club Cashen course is also a private members only club like the old course, but they do sometimes allow limited public access during weekdays. Limited guest plays are also allowed but must always be accompanied by a member.
With the success Ballyliffin Golf Club has experienced, and the failures that has made it what it is today, you can be sure that a golfing trip to this eventful course would be well worth the long trip from across the globe. When it comes to golf courses, the Ballybunion Golf Club has more than a century of experience in the industry, whether it's the old or new, you can be sure that you will get one of the more satisfying golf vacation trips in Ireland that you'll ever have.
Golf For Beginners 3
We now continue from Part 1 and 2 of this tutorial on golf for beginners. We shall first of all look at putting in golf.
Putting
"Drive for show, putt for dough" is the lesson we've all seen and learned from watching professional golfers in every tournament and championship. The masters of golf can drive a ball from here to eternity, but it all boils down to how many strikes of the ball it takes to put the ball in the hole. The long accurate drives don't amount to anything if you're unable to putt accurately.
Choosing a putter is important, but using whatever putter you have consistently is more so. Putting takes lots of practice. Typically, we drive the ball eighteen times in a game, but putt at least double that number. Doesn't it stand that we should practice our putting at least twice as much as driving? If you can't get to the practice green regularly, practice on your carpet at home.
Keep in mind that no ball can make it into the hole if it doesn't have enough power behind the ball to get there. Take the time to get down and look at the path from your ball to the hole; does it slant one way or the other? Is it uphill or downhill?
Stand with your feet spread for balance and line up the putt. Keep you hands, arms and shoulders completely still; imagine that you are a "bobble head" but you move from just below your chest. Keep your head directly over the ball. Pull your club back; keep your hands, wrists, arms and shoulders steady-the movement comes from your chest. Hit the ball, following it with your club. Learn from each putt and remember the lesson. Practice, practice, practice!
Golf Etiquette
Golf is a dignified game of rules and manners, and it's important to know the basics before you play for the first time. Whether you are playing alone, in a twosome or a foursome, you must wait your turn. You must keep aware of the group on the next hole and wait until they are well ahead of you before hitting your ball.
It's never cool to "push" the group in front of you. If you are playing with others, wait for your turn to hit the ball; never hit at the same time as another player. While you wait for your turn, go to your ball and determine what club you'll need and how you are going to hit it. This is called "ready golf" and keeps the game moving. Don't rush, just be ready.
If your team is holding up the players behind you, let them play through. You would simply wave them through, or if they are close enough, ask them if they'd like to play through. You will never make an enemy in doing this. When someone is making a shot, you should be behind them and you shouldn't make a sound! It is so distracting to be ready to tee off and just as you pull back, someone decides to jingle in coins in their pocket or noisily unwrap a piece of candy.
Replace your divots. When, in the fairway, you hit the ball and a clod of dirt and grass goes flying, replace it. On some courses you just put the clod back and step on it to press it on; on most courses, there is a sand/seed mixture on your card to put into the divot. If your ball makes a deep impression when it lands on the green, use your divot tool to repair it.
As soon as you have completed a hole, replace the flag and leave the green so that the next players can play. Count your score and write it on the scorecard when you're back at your cart.
Of course, there are many more rules of golf, but these simple ones will enable you to get through the course without coming to blows with anyone. We must all keep the game dignified.
Putting
"Drive for show, putt for dough" is the lesson we've all seen and learned from watching professional golfers in every tournament and championship. The masters of golf can drive a ball from here to eternity, but it all boils down to how many strikes of the ball it takes to put the ball in the hole. The long accurate drives don't amount to anything if you're unable to putt accurately.
Choosing a putter is important, but using whatever putter you have consistently is more so. Putting takes lots of practice. Typically, we drive the ball eighteen times in a game, but putt at least double that number. Doesn't it stand that we should practice our putting at least twice as much as driving? If you can't get to the practice green regularly, practice on your carpet at home.
Keep in mind that no ball can make it into the hole if it doesn't have enough power behind the ball to get there. Take the time to get down and look at the path from your ball to the hole; does it slant one way or the other? Is it uphill or downhill?
Stand with your feet spread for balance and line up the putt. Keep you hands, arms and shoulders completely still; imagine that you are a "bobble head" but you move from just below your chest. Keep your head directly over the ball. Pull your club back; keep your hands, wrists, arms and shoulders steady-the movement comes from your chest. Hit the ball, following it with your club. Learn from each putt and remember the lesson. Practice, practice, practice!
Golf Etiquette
Golf is a dignified game of rules and manners, and it's important to know the basics before you play for the first time. Whether you are playing alone, in a twosome or a foursome, you must wait your turn. You must keep aware of the group on the next hole and wait until they are well ahead of you before hitting your ball.
It's never cool to "push" the group in front of you. If you are playing with others, wait for your turn to hit the ball; never hit at the same time as another player. While you wait for your turn, go to your ball and determine what club you'll need and how you are going to hit it. This is called "ready golf" and keeps the game moving. Don't rush, just be ready.
If your team is holding up the players behind you, let them play through. You would simply wave them through, or if they are close enough, ask them if they'd like to play through. You will never make an enemy in doing this. When someone is making a shot, you should be behind them and you shouldn't make a sound! It is so distracting to be ready to tee off and just as you pull back, someone decides to jingle in coins in their pocket or noisily unwrap a piece of candy.
Replace your divots. When, in the fairway, you hit the ball and a clod of dirt and grass goes flying, replace it. On some courses you just put the clod back and step on it to press it on; on most courses, there is a sand/seed mixture on your card to put into the divot. If your ball makes a deep impression when it lands on the green, use your divot tool to repair it.
As soon as you have completed a hole, replace the flag and leave the green so that the next players can play. Count your score and write it on the scorecard when you're back at your cart.
Of course, there are many more rules of golf, but these simple ones will enable you to get through the course without coming to blows with anyone. We must all keep the game dignified.
Golf For Beginners 2
Following the Part 1 of this article, you should begin to realize that learning to play golf is not a hard task. Now we start with The Long Game.
The long game refers to your drives (shots off the tee) and fairway shots; everything short of the shots you make to get onto the green. Each hole has a different difficulty level, different par and distinctive hazards, so instructing you to use your Driver on every tee would be blatantly wrong. This is something you will learn over time as you learn the various shots you make according to the club, the placement of the ball and your personal swing.
Generally speaking, the lower the club number, the longer and lower your ball will go. A 4-iron shot will travel long and low and will most likely roll, whereas a 9-iron shot will have much more loft and go less distance both in the air and on the ground. The professionals on television make it look so easy; they consistently hit the ball long and straight and never miss-hit the ball making it dribble ten feet, or completely miss the ball.
Driving is very important to the game, and many hours spent at the driving range will help improve your distance. Experiment with the same club to see what works for you if you move the ball forward or backward in your stance. Take a lesson, if possible, and learn the proper swing from the beginning.
Mastering the long game helps you get to the green in fewer strokes, keeping your score and frustration level down. Remember that it takes a long time to learn consistency and remember to have fun.
The Short Game
We've all the seen the long accurate drives of Tiger Woods. The ball flies through the air and lands in the middle of the fairway, 300 yards away.
The green-eyed monster of envy consumes us as we wonder if we could ever hope to drive like that. Fortunately, long drives are not the be-all-end-all game of golf. Enter the short game. Without good short game skills, all the long drives are for naught.
The short game is those shots that get us onto the green from about one hundred feet out, be it from the fairway, a bunker, the rough or a drop zone and includes chips, sand shots and pitches. This is where your higher numbered clubs would be used, as well as your pitching iron, sand wedge or lob wedge.
Most golf courses have practice areas as well as a driving range. Spend some time working on hitting your ball onto the green from different distances. Aim for a ten-foot circle in the center of the green at first. Experiment using your wedges; what works for someone else, might not work for you and your particular swing.
After you get accustomed to doing this drill consistently, it's time to spend some time in a sand trap. Knowing how to get the ball out of a trap will cut your score. Plant your feet firmly into the sand, with your left foot turned toward the hole. Imagine a 4-inch circle around the ball and try to hit the edge of the circle that is away from the ball.
Take lots of sand with your ball and swing completely. Don't decelerate at all when or after you hit the ball. It should pop up onto the green and stop. This doesn't work unless the sand is very soft and powdery. On hard surfaces, you might need to avoid actually hitting the sand.
Like every other thing in life, only practice will help you to improve.
The long game refers to your drives (shots off the tee) and fairway shots; everything short of the shots you make to get onto the green. Each hole has a different difficulty level, different par and distinctive hazards, so instructing you to use your Driver on every tee would be blatantly wrong. This is something you will learn over time as you learn the various shots you make according to the club, the placement of the ball and your personal swing.
Generally speaking, the lower the club number, the longer and lower your ball will go. A 4-iron shot will travel long and low and will most likely roll, whereas a 9-iron shot will have much more loft and go less distance both in the air and on the ground. The professionals on television make it look so easy; they consistently hit the ball long and straight and never miss-hit the ball making it dribble ten feet, or completely miss the ball.
Driving is very important to the game, and many hours spent at the driving range will help improve your distance. Experiment with the same club to see what works for you if you move the ball forward or backward in your stance. Take a lesson, if possible, and learn the proper swing from the beginning.
Mastering the long game helps you get to the green in fewer strokes, keeping your score and frustration level down. Remember that it takes a long time to learn consistency and remember to have fun.
The Short Game
We've all the seen the long accurate drives of Tiger Woods. The ball flies through the air and lands in the middle of the fairway, 300 yards away.
The green-eyed monster of envy consumes us as we wonder if we could ever hope to drive like that. Fortunately, long drives are not the be-all-end-all game of golf. Enter the short game. Without good short game skills, all the long drives are for naught.
The short game is those shots that get us onto the green from about one hundred feet out, be it from the fairway, a bunker, the rough or a drop zone and includes chips, sand shots and pitches. This is where your higher numbered clubs would be used, as well as your pitching iron, sand wedge or lob wedge.
Most golf courses have practice areas as well as a driving range. Spend some time working on hitting your ball onto the green from different distances. Aim for a ten-foot circle in the center of the green at first. Experiment using your wedges; what works for someone else, might not work for you and your particular swing.
After you get accustomed to doing this drill consistently, it's time to spend some time in a sand trap. Knowing how to get the ball out of a trap will cut your score. Plant your feet firmly into the sand, with your left foot turned toward the hole. Imagine a 4-inch circle around the ball and try to hit the edge of the circle that is away from the ball.
Take lots of sand with your ball and swing completely. Don't decelerate at all when or after you hit the ball. It should pop up onto the green and stop. This doesn't work unless the sand is very soft and powdery. On hard surfaces, you might need to avoid actually hitting the sand.
Like every other thing in life, only practice will help you to improve.
Golf For Beginners 1
Learn to play golf and you will discover that it's an interesting game. The popularity of golf has increased tremendously over the past forty five years, giving us champions like Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman, and Tiger Woods, and world-renowned courses like Pinehurst, Augusta National and the Blue Monster at Doral.
Why has golf become so popular? It's the opportunity to be outside, to get a good whole body workout, network with friends or business colleagues at a leisurely pace, and to play a game that you can never perfect. Your scorecard, over time, shows your improvement, which keeps you playing again and again.
Here is a very basic lesson in golf for the person who has no clue about the game.
Golf is played on an eighteen-hole course; each hole has its "par", which is the number of tee shots (drives), fairway shots, chips (short hits as you approach the green), and putts.
The par number is based on the length and difficulty of the hole. Pars range from 3 to 6. If you get the ball in the hole in five shots on a par five hole, you "made par." If it took you six shots, it's called a bogie, if you made it in four, it's a birdie.
There are usually "hazards" of some sort on all the holes. Bodies of water, sand traps, and trees are strategically placed to make the hole more challenging. Beginner golfers should seek to find courses to play that are easier to play, with fewer hazards.
Each player keeps their own score, marking the number of total number of shots for each hole. At the end, each person adds their scores-the lowest number is the winner.
It is important for beginner golfers to not take themselves too seriously. It takes a long time to get good at this game; even though the professionals make it look so easy.
Take a lesson or two at the onset; it will help you develop a proper swing and help you get off to a good start.
Your golf bag
There are many golf bags available, some designed for fashion, some for utility and some that combine both features. There are big bags, bigger bags and bags so big that they would keep everything I need for a long weekend vacation in one of the side pockets.
Generally speaking, you need a bag just large enough to hold your clubs, extra balls, your glove, tees, car keys, extra pencils, ball markers, a ball retriever, sunscreen, a windbreaker and a large umbrella. It is also a good idea to have a packet of tissues, a band-aid or two, and if you play courses where insects are a problem, a can of bug repellent comes in very handy.
A small pack of baby wipes come in very handy; in your bag they get warmed by the heat, so when you get sweaty or a sand trap covered you with sand, a nice warm wipe can be very refreshing.
One item that doesn't need to be in your golf bag is your cell phone. If you must carry it, turn off the ringer as a courtesy to other players. If you must use it, be aware of others who might be taking a swing or putting their ball. Be considerate.
Having these items in your golf bag should provide everything you will need, even in a minor emergency (like a blister) or a major inconvenience, like a sudden rainstorm. Being prepared makes the game a great deal more fun.
Why has golf become so popular? It's the opportunity to be outside, to get a good whole body workout, network with friends or business colleagues at a leisurely pace, and to play a game that you can never perfect. Your scorecard, over time, shows your improvement, which keeps you playing again and again.
Here is a very basic lesson in golf for the person who has no clue about the game.
Golf is played on an eighteen-hole course; each hole has its "par", which is the number of tee shots (drives), fairway shots, chips (short hits as you approach the green), and putts.
The par number is based on the length and difficulty of the hole. Pars range from 3 to 6. If you get the ball in the hole in five shots on a par five hole, you "made par." If it took you six shots, it's called a bogie, if you made it in four, it's a birdie.
There are usually "hazards" of some sort on all the holes. Bodies of water, sand traps, and trees are strategically placed to make the hole more challenging. Beginner golfers should seek to find courses to play that are easier to play, with fewer hazards.
Each player keeps their own score, marking the number of total number of shots for each hole. At the end, each person adds their scores-the lowest number is the winner.
It is important for beginner golfers to not take themselves too seriously. It takes a long time to get good at this game; even though the professionals make it look so easy.
Take a lesson or two at the onset; it will help you develop a proper swing and help you get off to a good start.
Your golf bag
There are many golf bags available, some designed for fashion, some for utility and some that combine both features. There are big bags, bigger bags and bags so big that they would keep everything I need for a long weekend vacation in one of the side pockets.
Generally speaking, you need a bag just large enough to hold your clubs, extra balls, your glove, tees, car keys, extra pencils, ball markers, a ball retriever, sunscreen, a windbreaker and a large umbrella. It is also a good idea to have a packet of tissues, a band-aid or two, and if you play courses where insects are a problem, a can of bug repellent comes in very handy.
A small pack of baby wipes come in very handy; in your bag they get warmed by the heat, so when you get sweaty or a sand trap covered you with sand, a nice warm wipe can be very refreshing.
One item that doesn't need to be in your golf bag is your cell phone. If you must carry it, turn off the ringer as a courtesy to other players. If you must use it, be aware of others who might be taking a swing or putting their ball. Be considerate.
Having these items in your golf bag should provide everything you will need, even in a minor emergency (like a blister) or a major inconvenience, like a sudden rainstorm. Being prepared makes the game a great deal more fun.
Learn To Play Golf
Learn to play golf and you will discover that it is not a difficult thing as is being widely believed. Anyone who is considering golf training will be happy to know that there are plenty of ways to learn how to play the game. Every way from the golf course to the internet, the video store and even the classroom will prove to be beneficial for those wanting to learn how to play the great game of golf.
Prices will vary depending on the type of training method that is chosen, but can often be quite affordable. This is especially true of those who opt for learning at home through the use of videos or internet lessons. A professional golf trainer, however, will likely be the most expensive way to learn golf.
That is why we have compiled very useful resources like books, video and other tutorial materials for you so that you can learn golf at a very fast rate and be a great achiever in the game. The different useful materials are:
The Simple Golf Swing
With the Simple Golf Swing System, you will learn how to hit the ball straighter and further than you ever hit before, hit with greater distance and accuracy every time, hit more greens and get the ball consistently close to the pin and gain a new outlook on golf with greater confidence in your game. Because you're armed with a proven system that actually works.
Official How To Break 80(tm) Golf Instruction Program
Best-selling e-Book and MP3 files for all golf skill levels. Takes you by the hand and tells you exactly how to drop 7-10 strokes from your next round of golf instantly... Legally... And without even trying.
Golf Book
Save $25 on the eBook guaranteed to help add distance to your drives, lower your handicap and have you playing the best golf of your life in just two short weeks.
Golf Fitness Guide
Provides easy tips and techniques to quickly transform your game and add 20 yards to your drives. Provides solution on how to end your frustration, maximize your golf potential, and be the top dog in your foursome. Your golf swing will have effortless power, producing amazingly long and straight drives that blow by your golfing buddies by 30 yards on every hole.
Instant Slice Cure - Golf
Destroy Your Golf Slice In A Matter Of Minutes Using This Revolutionary New System! Success Guaranteed
Amazing Golf Mind Mental Audios
Discover How A Simple, But Little-Known Secret Mental Golf Technique - That Tiger And The Top Tour Players Use - Will Catapult Your Golf Game To The Next Level In Less Than 30 Minutes And Without Practicing
Easy Golf Swing System
Discover How Anyone Can Add 43 Yards To Every Drive - With The Accuracy Of A Snipers Bullet - While Completely Eliminating Their Slice
Renegade Mental Golf
This will help you discover why most golfers NEVER reach their true potential, why practice does NOT make perfect, how to improve any specific area of your game in 45 seconds, the amazingly simple strategies developed by a Stanford Engineer to help war veterans overcome post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)... and how to use these same tools to shave strokes off your game instantly, why traditional positive thinking actually hurts your game and what to do instead and how to eliminate tension on the tee box... especially the dreaded first tee... automatically
The 5 Keys To Distance By World Long Drive Champion Eric Jones
World Long Drive Champ And Pga Golf Pro Eric Jones Provides Detailed Instruction On The Key Swing Elements Of Distance Off The Tee. Includes Video Drills. Very Well-written Book By A Master Teacher. All Golfers Will Benefit From This Book. Best In Class
Golf Fitness Challenge
Learn the Exact Golf Fitness System that Helped Golfers Lose Up to 20 lbs. of Pure Fat, Increase Drive Distance by 30 Yds and Decrease Their Handicaps by an Average of 4.6 Strokes
The Golf Beginner Guide
This publication walks you through everything you ever need to know about Golf, from the total basics to the advanced tips and techniques that will give you the confidence to play Golf as it should be.
Golf Swing Eureka! Groundbreaking & New
A Golfer Reveals How He Discovered An Aspect Of The Golf Swing Known By Only 1% Of Golfers And Knocked 30 Shots Off His Round. Now With Unique Performance Enhancing Software
SloMoDirector. Slow Down Video
Slow Down Video Wmv & Avi. Currently Used To Learn, Music, Languages, Martial Arts, Dancing and Golf.
The Golf Swing Test (tm)
Take this Golf Swing Test to see if you have this serious swing fault or not.
HardStyle Golf Conditioning
Use these 5 forgotten Russian “Spetsnaz” special forces strength and flexibility secrets and you will INSTANTLY add up to 70 accurate yards on every Tee Shot, starting with your very next drive without changing your golf swing.
Kung Fu Golf Swing
New Golf Swing Behind Longer Drives & Total Accuracy. Discover How To Supercharge Your Swing With 200% More Explosive Power Adding At Least 70 Accurate Yards To Every Tee Shot You Hit From Here Onwards
Electric Golf Cart Battery Guide
Electric Golf Cart Owners! Discover What You Really Need To Know About Your Electric Golf Cart Batteries. Achieve Maximum Performance And Obtain A Longer Battery Life. This Guide Will Save You Time And Money
Golf Mental Game Coaching
Master the key mental skills that unlock your game. Play under pressure as calmly as you do in casual rounds, gain a fine tuned mental focus, toughness and control, dissolve anger and play with an amazing sense of joy & calm, conquer first tee jitters and erase performance anxiety and shoot the absolute lowest scores of your life.
How To Master The Golf Irons
Discover The Amazing Secrets To Precision Iron Play For Todays Budding Golfers! (For All Golf Skill Levels)
Break 80 Golf Without Practice
Golf Instruction For Those That Are Too Busy To Practice But Still Want To Lower Their Golf Score. Over A Thousand Golfers World-wide Have Done Just That!
101 Stretches For Golf
Is lack of flexibility affecting your golf swing? Find out what it takes to restore the normal range of motion in your hips, back, hamstrings and shoulders so you are feeling refreshed and ready for your next round of golf.
Black Ops Golfer
Covert mind control experts reveal underground, underhanded golf psychology tactics that guarantee your complete dominance on the course by instilling fear, doubt, physical pain and utter emotional distress in your opponents - without them having a clue what you're doing.
Swing Man Golf
Jaacob's Swing Speed Training Programs are the BEST IN THE WORLD and we pride ourselves in helping people gain distance back lost with age & providing professional golf instruction. Become a member of the OTC today and start utilizing the authentic training programs that will have you quickly hitting the ball farther… a lot farther! And under control!!!
Senior Golfers' Guide
A Golf Resource especially for the Senior Golfer. This eBook is dedicated to the needs and abilities of Senior Golfers. No hype about how to do the impossible, just 243 pages of tips and lessons to help YOU, the Senior Golfer, improve your game.
Golf Options: Hit Fairways Your Way
New Golf System That Explains How Setup And Swing Factors Affect Ball Flight And Solutions To Common Golf Problems.
Lady Golfers' Guide
This publication walks you through everything you ever need to know about Golf, from the basics to the very advanced tips and techniques that will give you the total knowledge and confidence to play your best Golf.
Breaking The Distance Barrier
Learn how to use golf science to increase your swing speed and add more distance to your game regardless of your size, shape or strength.
Putting To Win
Tour Pro reveals easiest way to lower scores. The culmination of seven years work, This E-book is packed with information, for anyone who seriously wants to improve their golf scores.
Ultimate Women's Golf Guide
The single most comprehensive guide to women's golf. Offers instruction on all aspects of the game. Discover the insider tips you need to know to play like a Pro – even if you're a rank beginner!
Golf Magic Ebook (R) And MP3's
Get the edge over your golf partners - take 4.6 strokes off your game. Tune your thoughts and tune your game.
Putting Super System
Discover the putting secrets that has thousands of golfers shooting the lowest scores of their lives. It will take at least 7 strokes off your game in less than 2 weeks.
Simple Golf Lessons
This book covers 6 simple lessons of the basics of swing mechanics,chipping,bunkers putting and the correct length putter for you.
Get Paid To Play Golf
Reveals how to play free golf and get paid to play. Plus get to stay in 5 stars hotels and dinners at the best restaurants free.
From The Ground Up: How To Shoot In The 70's
Revolutionary new golf method that works on the premise of teaching the key elements in the proper order.
Professional Golf Caddie Secrets Revealed
Takes you by your hand and teaches you everything on how to become a professional golf caddie and you will start raking in boatloads of cash instantly, legally and your lifestyle will never be the same again.
The Ultimate Golf Fitness Program
With this all-in-one golf fitness program is jam-packed with over 150 pages of cutting edge stretches, exercises and assessments. E-Book comes with 5 bonuses.
Super Golf Attitude Complete Guide
Learn both parts of the game of golf, golf swing, golf mental game attitude etc. The latest unique book for all golfers. The quick and easy way to overcome your golfing frustrations.
Rapid Fat Loss System For Golf
Burn fat, build lean muscle and play your best golf with this exciting new breakthrough. Building a lean athletic body for golf in just 2 hours a week.
Become A Putting Machine
The most imaginative and informative Instructional Book to be written in a narrative voice since Michael Murphy wrote The Best Selling: Golf In The Kingdom.
Online Consistent Golf School
Want to become a consistent golfer and play golf to your true potential? To become a consistent golfer so you can play to your true potential consistently simply follow some proven 5 step Consistent Golf Formula.
Golf's Best Kept Secret
This training manual will not mess with your grip, not mess with your swing, not mess with your stance, line your brain and body up for every shot, give you a new mental approach to the game, teach you pre-shot routines for every shot type, give you complete focus for every shot, allow you to practice on the course not at the range, reduce your playing scores from round 1 and 100% guaranteed to reduce your handicap.
100% Newly Redone! Quick Golf Secrets
You will learn how to save massive amounts of cash by losing fewer golf balls, simple step-by-step instructions on how to swing like a pro & maximize your ball-striking ability, a system of marked improvement in terms of your ball striking & solid contact and videos & tips on how to get the perfect golf swing.
Removing The Gimmicks From Golf
You will learn the foundation of a powerful swing - Correct Grip, guaranteed successful setup and swing, when left grip should become firm, efficiency is built upon 3 things, flawless handling of body weight, three potent movements that bring club to good position at top of swing, a critical point in golf stroke, three explosive means of adding momentum to the swing, astonishing insight into "How to Practice", backspin shot, conquering the game's hardest shots, the foolproof swing for all distances, one paramount quality all masters possess and perfect putting.
Play Your Best Social Golf Ever By Matering The ABC Of Golf
You will be taught the fundamentals of grip, stance, and alignment - the same lesson that a pro will stretch out over two expensive sessions, I give you in a few beautifully illustrated chapters, the secret of unlocking your own golf swing, and using the strengths you have now to improve your game today - and I also show you what to aim for you as you develop your skills as a golfer and the all-important short game.
The Pros Edge-Vision Training For Golf
It's one of the hottest topics in sports today: sports vision training. It has helped professional golfers enhance their games and prolong their careers. And now these golf tips are available for everyone. By using eye exercises and simple visual tips, any golfer can shave strokes off his or her score -- just like the pros! Many people report improvement after only one day using these fast and easy techniques.
Hit The Ball Straight Guaranteed
Introduces a "Special Golf Report" that will teach you why learning the biomechanics of golf swing, golf breathing swing mechanics, right elbow golf swings drills, drills for not swaying in the golf swing, the principles of a golf swing or any other nonsense will NOT help you hit the golf ball any better.
The Ultimate Junior Golf Guide
Discover the fast, fun and easy way to introduce your kid to golf and improve your kid's golf game with “The Secret Formula for Raising the Next Greatest Golf Player!”
21 Dyas To Better Golf
This will help to improve your game as you will be able to sink short putts with your eyes closed, bunker shots will hold no fear for you, hitting the green from 100 yards will be a doddle, driving long and straight will seem easy, no more duffed or chunked chip shots, you will beat your pals in your weekend four-ball and you will get more enjoyment from the game.
Get Fit To Golf - Fixes Your Swing & Golf Biomechanics
Online golf biomechanics analysis and tailor-made golf fitness training program. Fix your golf swing with a unique personalized program that corrects your swing fault based on posture, muscle imbalance and biomechanics to improve your golf game.
Golf Club Repair Made Easy
Contains everything you need to know about golf club construction, repair, maintenance and custom fitting.
Better Golf Solutions
It will teach you hw to accurately chart rounds and figure out what is costing you strokes, how to get a solid grip and control over your own advancement, how to recognize situations that hamper performance, the professional's techniques and strategies and how to acquire the knowledge and skills to improve all facets of your game.
Vision1Golf
Vision1Golf is a method for approaching the game of golf that allows you to score exceptionally well while still enjoying the game itself and maintaining your golf swing.
Chipping Fundamentals Ebook
This will give you almost criminally-clever tricks, tips, and secrets of the pros that give you unbelievable accuracy, breath-taking impact, and machine-like consistency for every shot you make around the green! (where almost 2/3 of your game is played)
Beginner Golf Instruction
This EBook is designed for both beginnners to golfers who want to break 85 or 90's. All broken down to the individual parts so the average golfer has a solid reference for every component of their golf game.
Earn Cash Wrtiting About Golf By Reading The One-Minute Golf Writer
Millions Of avid golfers, teaching professionals, coaches and fans can earn money from their golf knowledge by writing about the sport they love. This E-book program and bonus material is literally their path to a new career as a freelance golf writer.
Long And Straight - Steve Griffith World Long Drive Champion
Steve Griffith - World Long Drive Champion gives his secrets on hitting long and straight. This e-book has Steve's swing videos with detailed instructions. Absolutely the best golf instructional e-book ever written. A must-have for golfers of all abilities.
Golf Club Profits
Teaches you how to create an extra income by buying and selling golf equipment...in your spare time.
Golf Workout/Static Contraction
Proven golfer's workout to add distance to drives with minimum exercise.
Pilates For Golfers
Pilates for Golfers is a step-by-step guide to identify and correct golf swing faults using the Pilates Method. It is 140 pages filled with golf fitness information to assess your golf clients, identify their swing faults and detailed Pilates exercises for golf that will correct the swing faults.
Home Based Recruiting Tips
An inside look at the recruiting industry and how you can develop a business that you can operate from a golf cart, a cruise ship or from your home.
The Perfect Golf Swing
Discover how you can easily create more club-head speed, pumping out monster drivers and all without taking steroids. You don´t even need any golf practice tool, no expensive pro, and no super atheltic body to make monster drives with this step-by-step free instruction.
The Clubface - Golf's Forgotten Fundamental Ebook & Videos
In this hot new Ebook, you will find a step-by-step guide with detailed photos, illustrations, diagrams and over 50 DVD quality video clips that will teach you how to create the perfect clubface position throughout the golf swing.
Sensational New Yard Golf Game And Party - Play Saint Louis Lawn Golf
A step-by-step multimedia guide to turning your yard into a regulation-like 18-hole golf course and throwing the party of the season for friends or family. Absolute winner for golfers, game players, and party givers. Free introductory chapter and video.
Golf Swing Success
This will teach you how to increase your distance and cut your handicap by 7-14 strokes within the next 14 days or get a full 100% refund.
Custom Club-fitting Golf Books That Cut Through The Bull
Series of custom clubfitting e-books written by a PC's certified 'Class A' clubmaker that separate fact from fiction concerning driver heads, shaft fitting, how custom-fit golf clubs help your game, and what makes a true custom clubfitting procedure.
Bunker Fundamentals E-book
You will learn how to pick the right club—and how to make sure it’s right for the sand you’re playing on, the one club you should avoid at all costs and how to “read” the sand – without breaking the rules.
10 Tips For A Successful Golf Outing
This will teach you will teach you how to plan and organize your event to avoid common pitfalls and costly mistakes, quickly and easily pull your event together, including location selection and price negotiation and how to create and orchestrate a smooth running event, with prizes, demos, and fun for golfers of all levels.
Golf Tournament Marketing ... All Access Membership Site
You will learn 24 Golf Tournament Promotion Strategies to insure your tournament is the best it can be, promoted the best way it can be.
How To Play Business Golf
Learn NEW and PROVEN ways on effortlessly increasing your sales, sky-rocket your profits, generate leads or prospects, cut-costs and save money, quickly beat your competition, save valuable time and market more efficiently.
Play Better Golf, The Next Time You Play
This will teach you how to hit the ball cleaner and sweeter and probably longer, the next time you play golf, lose your fear of three and four foot putts! And sink more putts the next time you play golf, be a scratch golfer at putting, averaging two putts per hole or less, consistently! This one may take a bit longer to achieve, play better golf! The next to you play golf, enjoy the game more! The next time you play golf and improve your handicap by at least 10% in three months.
How To Improve Your Golf Game
You will learn working towards attaining a better chipping game, getting a proper grip on your golf club, acquiring the correct mental game that will last through to the final hole, beginning to put your way to a better golf game, driving the golf ball exceptional distances with amazing accuracy and fixing your slices and hooks when driving.
Golf Vacation - Ballybunion Golf Club Cashen Course
Golf vacation here is a perfect complement to the famous old course of Ballybunion. Getting a booking in the old course of the Ballybunion Golf Club can be quite difficult especially in the peak season. A long list is filled up months before the season and most of them are seasoned golfers looking forward to the difficult yet very relaxing links. But if you don't get the chance to have some tee time on the old course, you may find that the Ballybunion Golf Club Cashen course, its new course, can be quite as challenging and some might say its more challenging.
Designed by Robert Trent Jones SR., the Ballybunion Golf Club Cashen course features spectacular yet difficult long links dotted with enormous sand dunes, which means you have to make the ball fly when you play to the number of greens that has been elevated in these treacherous course. While scores of golfers from all over the world flock to Southwest Ireland for the old Ballybunion Golf Club course, local golfers tend to prefer the new Cashen course. Many low handicapped golfers have also expressed their preference for the new course, but the old still remains as a must go to and play course for all golfers, for maybe at least once.
The Ballybunion Golf Club Cashen course has traditional links and like the old course, it is exceptionally unique, and is set with the greatest sand dunes found in golf courses world wide. Both are also designed along the Atlantic Ocean offering a calming back drop. The Ballybunion Golf Club Cashen course is also a private members only club like the old course, but they do sometimes allow limited public access during weekdays. Limited guest plays are also allowed but must always be accompanied by a member.
Being one of the most sought after golf clubs in Ireland and the world, members, guests and visitors are expected to follow a dress code that would met the clubs high standards and should be neat, tidy and clean.
When it comes to golf courses, the Ballybunion Golf Club has more than a century of experience in the industry, whether it's the old or new, you can be sure that you will get one of the more satisfying golf vacation trips in Ireland that you'll ever have.
Designed by Robert Trent Jones SR., the Ballybunion Golf Club Cashen course features spectacular yet difficult long links dotted with enormous sand dunes, which means you have to make the ball fly when you play to the number of greens that has been elevated in these treacherous course. While scores of golfers from all over the world flock to Southwest Ireland for the old Ballybunion Golf Club course, local golfers tend to prefer the new Cashen course. Many low handicapped golfers have also expressed their preference for the new course, but the old still remains as a must go to and play course for all golfers, for maybe at least once.
The Ballybunion Golf Club Cashen course has traditional links and like the old course, it is exceptionally unique, and is set with the greatest sand dunes found in golf courses world wide. Both are also designed along the Atlantic Ocean offering a calming back drop. The Ballybunion Golf Club Cashen course is also a private members only club like the old course, but they do sometimes allow limited public access during weekdays. Limited guest plays are also allowed but must always be accompanied by a member.
Being one of the most sought after golf clubs in Ireland and the world, members, guests and visitors are expected to follow a dress code that would met the clubs high standards and should be neat, tidy and clean.
When it comes to golf courses, the Ballybunion Golf Club has more than a century of experience in the industry, whether it's the old or new, you can be sure that you will get one of the more satisfying golf vacation trips in Ireland that you'll ever have.
Golf Vacation - Ballybunion Golf Club
Golf vacation at Ballybunion Golf Club is a place of mixing tradition and development. When it comes to the ideal golf vacation spots in Ireland, the Southwest area is riddled with amazing golf courses filled with great links and stunning views. In these parts you will see Ireland's most sought after golf course all eager to line up for some tee time, the Ballybunion Golf Club, particularly its old course.
Many popular names in the world of golf have experienced the wondrous allure of Ballybunion and have continually used it as a warm up course to unwind and relax before The Open. Names like Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, Tiger Woods and Tom Watson has registered in its log book and has provided great reviews and comments to this wondrous and mesmerizing Irish golf vacation spot.
Being the millennium captain of the Ballybunion Golf Club, Tom Watson said that it is one of the best and most beautiful tests of links he has played in, having played there since 1981. Here in the old golf course, you will find very challenging links where the winds are constant factors and the land is surrounded by the captivating view of the Atlantic.
Opened in August 18, 1893, the Ballybunion Golf Club has had its shares of ups and downs. In its early days, the Ballybunion Golf Club did not enjoy the popularity it does today and has fallen into financial oblivion. Its first 8 years reeled the course to its all time low and was soon revived only by the changing of the officers of the club.
As more developments and land links were laid out, the reputation of the Ballybunion Golf Club grew and grew. By 1926, the course had plans to extend to a full 18 holes, barely a year after, those plans were realized. Its national level of recognition started in 1932 when the Irish Ladies Championship was held there. Five years after, Irish Mens Close Amateur Championship followed suit.
Its first most significant level of competition came at 1957 when the course was chosen as the venue for the Irish Professional Championship. Soon after, waves of other competitions and golf organizations recognized its high quality links and have given it high accolades.
After more than 60 years, the Ballybunion Golf Club finally got the recognition it so rightly deserves and things were never quite the same. Golfers now come in droves from all over the world to experience what the lucky Irish people have had for more than a century now. The Ballybunion Golf Club would always be recognized as Ireland's greatest golf vacationing spot.
But aside from its majestic and amazing rolling dunes, and the mesmerizing backdrop set by the Atlantic Ocean, the tradition and culture that has made Ballybunion Golf Club what it is today is what keeps the people coming in.
Plus, it has world class amenities that can cater to the needs of so many golfers from all over the world. There you would find a newly built clubhouse that has a dining room that can seat 120 persons, two bars and some very relaxing lounge areas. There is also a Pro Golf Shop that carries every golfing needs that you may have. Also, being a championship golf course, you will be able to find some practice facilities such as; Putting Greens, A Sand Bunker Practice facility, Driving Range, and a Chipping Green.
Ballybunion Golf Club is located at Sandhill Road., Ballybunion, Country Kerry, Ireland. For the greatest golf vacation spot in Ireland, this is a century old choice for the pros.
Many popular names in the world of golf have experienced the wondrous allure of Ballybunion and have continually used it as a warm up course to unwind and relax before The Open. Names like Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, Tiger Woods and Tom Watson has registered in its log book and has provided great reviews and comments to this wondrous and mesmerizing Irish golf vacation spot.
Being the millennium captain of the Ballybunion Golf Club, Tom Watson said that it is one of the best and most beautiful tests of links he has played in, having played there since 1981. Here in the old golf course, you will find very challenging links where the winds are constant factors and the land is surrounded by the captivating view of the Atlantic.
Opened in August 18, 1893, the Ballybunion Golf Club has had its shares of ups and downs. In its early days, the Ballybunion Golf Club did not enjoy the popularity it does today and has fallen into financial oblivion. Its first 8 years reeled the course to its all time low and was soon revived only by the changing of the officers of the club.
As more developments and land links were laid out, the reputation of the Ballybunion Golf Club grew and grew. By 1926, the course had plans to extend to a full 18 holes, barely a year after, those plans were realized. Its national level of recognition started in 1932 when the Irish Ladies Championship was held there. Five years after, Irish Mens Close Amateur Championship followed suit.
Its first most significant level of competition came at 1957 when the course was chosen as the venue for the Irish Professional Championship. Soon after, waves of other competitions and golf organizations recognized its high quality links and have given it high accolades.
After more than 60 years, the Ballybunion Golf Club finally got the recognition it so rightly deserves and things were never quite the same. Golfers now come in droves from all over the world to experience what the lucky Irish people have had for more than a century now. The Ballybunion Golf Club would always be recognized as Ireland's greatest golf vacationing spot.
But aside from its majestic and amazing rolling dunes, and the mesmerizing backdrop set by the Atlantic Ocean, the tradition and culture that has made Ballybunion Golf Club what it is today is what keeps the people coming in.
Plus, it has world class amenities that can cater to the needs of so many golfers from all over the world. There you would find a newly built clubhouse that has a dining room that can seat 120 persons, two bars and some very relaxing lounge areas. There is also a Pro Golf Shop that carries every golfing needs that you may have. Also, being a championship golf course, you will be able to find some practice facilities such as; Putting Greens, A Sand Bunker Practice facility, Driving Range, and a Chipping Green.
Ballybunion Golf Club is located at Sandhill Road., Ballybunion, Country Kerry, Ireland. For the greatest golf vacation spot in Ireland, this is a century old choice for the pros.
Golf Vacation - Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Resort
Talking of golf vacation, this place is worth being considered. It is the melting pot of luxury, service and f course, golf. The Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Resort has been recognized as the number one European resort. Just looking at the pictures of this luxurious place would make anyone agree and have the urge to pack up their bags and go straight to the airport, even though you're not even a golfer.
Set in County Limerick in Ireland, the Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort is a luxurious five star golf vacation spot that has a championship golf course- it is the host of the 2007-09 Irish Open, world class suites and dining facilities, sight seeing, shopping, fishing and numerous other activities that will make your stay here most memorable and pleasant. With the ultimate high standards in facilities and service plus some of Ireland's most amazing views and landscapes, the Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort is a vacation destination that many people will never pass up.
In the Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort 840 acre property, you will find that there is no idle time. Its deluxe castle-hotel provides any visitor with the feeling of being royalty, its Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed golf course can offer the ambience of pro golfing, and the Adare manor Spa, Adare Manor Equestrian Center, cross-country trail, a number of fine dining restaurants and bars will provide round the clock activities you, your family and your friends will truly enjoy.
For serious golfers, the accommodations and the many facilities are great bonuses, but their sights are certainly set on the 18-hole championship golf course that was opened in 1995. Measuring a total of 7,125 yards, the Adare golf course was designed by celebrated golf enthusiast and designer Robert Trent Jones Sr. and this was the last course he designed. Many claim, in an international level, that this was one of his finest designs and creations.
The superb landscape is dotted with glorious mature trees, and Irish flora and a number of aquatic features like a 14 acre man made lake with nine holes alongside its shores.
Setting aside its astounding golf course, although it's a bit hard to do, the first thing you will see and take your breath away is the castle hotel that provides sophisticated settings and exclusive accommodations. Setting your foot inside the manor, you will immediately notice the wood and stone hallways, and the high ceilings covering the sky. As you enter your room, you will definitely gasp in awe as the rich wood furniture and elegant decorations welcome you in. Each room has world class five-star amenities which includes an elegant marble bathroom, cable TV, direct dial telephones, and 24-hour room service for starters.
When you want luxury, sophistication, comfort and a great round of golf each day, a vacation to the Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort would be the best decision you'll ever make in your life. Not every one of us will be able to play like pros and win championships. But we can play in courses that they prefer to play in and live life like the pros. This is what the Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort can give to you, the chance to live like champions.
Set in County Limerick in Ireland, the Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort is a luxurious five star golf vacation spot that has a championship golf course- it is the host of the 2007-09 Irish Open, world class suites and dining facilities, sight seeing, shopping, fishing and numerous other activities that will make your stay here most memorable and pleasant. With the ultimate high standards in facilities and service plus some of Ireland's most amazing views and landscapes, the Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort is a vacation destination that many people will never pass up.
In the Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort 840 acre property, you will find that there is no idle time. Its deluxe castle-hotel provides any visitor with the feeling of being royalty, its Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed golf course can offer the ambience of pro golfing, and the Adare manor Spa, Adare Manor Equestrian Center, cross-country trail, a number of fine dining restaurants and bars will provide round the clock activities you, your family and your friends will truly enjoy.
For serious golfers, the accommodations and the many facilities are great bonuses, but their sights are certainly set on the 18-hole championship golf course that was opened in 1995. Measuring a total of 7,125 yards, the Adare golf course was designed by celebrated golf enthusiast and designer Robert Trent Jones Sr. and this was the last course he designed. Many claim, in an international level, that this was one of his finest designs and creations.
The superb landscape is dotted with glorious mature trees, and Irish flora and a number of aquatic features like a 14 acre man made lake with nine holes alongside its shores.
Setting aside its astounding golf course, although it's a bit hard to do, the first thing you will see and take your breath away is the castle hotel that provides sophisticated settings and exclusive accommodations. Setting your foot inside the manor, you will immediately notice the wood and stone hallways, and the high ceilings covering the sky. As you enter your room, you will definitely gasp in awe as the rich wood furniture and elegant decorations welcome you in. Each room has world class five-star amenities which includes an elegant marble bathroom, cable TV, direct dial telephones, and 24-hour room service for starters.
When you want luxury, sophistication, comfort and a great round of golf each day, a vacation to the Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort would be the best decision you'll ever make in your life. Not every one of us will be able to play like pros and win championships. But we can play in courses that they prefer to play in and live life like the pros. This is what the Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort can give to you, the chance to live like champions.
Golf And Nature
Golf clubs have come a long way from the earliest days when roughly hewn branches many have used to knock around stones or wooden balls. You may have found, to your dismay that your young son practicing the same trick with rocks and stones, only with your new high tech, very expensive set of golf clubs.
Early golf clubs were almost certainly made entirely of wood with the club head and shaft being made of different types, glued together a bound in twine. Hazel and ash were used for the shaft wile apple, beech; blackthorn and pear were popular for the head of the golf club, whether it was used for driving fairway or approach play.
These clubs were satisfactory for use with the “feathery” golf balls but when the “gutty” golf balls arrived in the mid nineteenth century it put a strain on those golf clubs. Towards the end of the nineteenth century the golf club started to look very different, as an alternative wood hickory was used for the golf club shafts, and iron heads were developed to withstand the battering of the “gutty”, as well as to gain extra difference. It was also realized that golfing clubs with different lefts could be used for different shots, and top players began carrying nine or ten clubs, as opposed to three or four.
While the wooden clubs could meet the demands of the “gutty” golf balls of the times, they could not stand up the “Haskell” golf ball, and it was necessary to find new material for the golf club heads. The North American wood persimmon was discovered to be more than ideal for the choice of golf club shafts, but to prevent damage ivory or bone inserts were added to the club face of the golfing clubs.
After World War I, hickory was in short supply, and it became necessary to seek an alternative material for golf club shafts. Manufacturers turned to steel, and so the steel shafted golf club was born. By the 1920's golf club manufacturers had moved out of the hand of individual craftsman and the mass production of golf clubs was in full swing. Golfing club sets now consisted of 14 golf clubs and for the first time, golf players and sportsmen could buy a complete set of clubs that matched each other in style and design.
The steel shafted golf clubs gave extra length and more control to the golf shot, yet manufactures were still taking advantage of constantly improving technology to develop golf club design. Laminated plastic and then light aluminum replaced persimmon for use in club heads and graphite and titanium golf club shafts were developed to enable more movement to the club head through the ball. “Cavity-back” clubs ( irons with the cavity hollowed out of the back of the club head) were also designed and introduced for golfers to give a more exact center of gravity , to provide the golfer with a greater relationship with his clubs.
Computerized technology is now helping to advance the design of the golf club more and more today. Golfers - both professional and amateur benefit on the links with golf equipment that makes their golf game ever easier and more enjoyable. Golf is a hard enough game. Why handicap yourself with poor or inadequate golf clubs.
Early golf clubs were almost certainly made entirely of wood with the club head and shaft being made of different types, glued together a bound in twine. Hazel and ash were used for the shaft wile apple, beech; blackthorn and pear were popular for the head of the golf club, whether it was used for driving fairway or approach play.
These clubs were satisfactory for use with the “feathery” golf balls but when the “gutty” golf balls arrived in the mid nineteenth century it put a strain on those golf clubs. Towards the end of the nineteenth century the golf club started to look very different, as an alternative wood hickory was used for the golf club shafts, and iron heads were developed to withstand the battering of the “gutty”, as well as to gain extra difference. It was also realized that golfing clubs with different lefts could be used for different shots, and top players began carrying nine or ten clubs, as opposed to three or four.
While the wooden clubs could meet the demands of the “gutty” golf balls of the times, they could not stand up the “Haskell” golf ball, and it was necessary to find new material for the golf club heads. The North American wood persimmon was discovered to be more than ideal for the choice of golf club shafts, but to prevent damage ivory or bone inserts were added to the club face of the golfing clubs.
After World War I, hickory was in short supply, and it became necessary to seek an alternative material for golf club shafts. Manufacturers turned to steel, and so the steel shafted golf club was born. By the 1920's golf club manufacturers had moved out of the hand of individual craftsman and the mass production of golf clubs was in full swing. Golfing club sets now consisted of 14 golf clubs and for the first time, golf players and sportsmen could buy a complete set of clubs that matched each other in style and design.
The steel shafted golf clubs gave extra length and more control to the golf shot, yet manufactures were still taking advantage of constantly improving technology to develop golf club design. Laminated plastic and then light aluminum replaced persimmon for use in club heads and graphite and titanium golf club shafts were developed to enable more movement to the club head through the ball. “Cavity-back” clubs ( irons with the cavity hollowed out of the back of the club head) were also designed and introduced for golfers to give a more exact center of gravity , to provide the golfer with a greater relationship with his clubs.
Computerized technology is now helping to advance the design of the golf club more and more today. Golfers - both professional and amateur benefit on the links with golf equipment that makes their golf game ever easier and more enjoyable. Golf is a hard enough game. Why handicap yourself with poor or inadequate golf clubs.
Golf Balls - The History
The dynamics behind the flight of the golf ball offers a fascinating insight into the physical inter-workings of air pressure, turbulence, and aerodynamics. When golf was first played in Scotland, most players played using clumsy golf apparatus, with the first golf clubs and golf balls made of wood.
In 1618 the “Featherie” was introduced. It was a golf ball made of feather. This feather golf ball was handcrafted from goose feathers tightly pressed into a horse or cowhide sphere while still wet. After drying, the leather shrank and the feathers expanded, creating a hardened golf ball. As this type of golf ball was specially handcrafted, it was usually more expensive than golf clubs, so that only a few privileged people could afford to play golf back then.
After the Featherie golf ball came the Guttie golf ball. This type of golf ball was made from the rubber-like sap of the Gutta tree found in the tropics, and was shaped into a sphere when hot and eventually into a golf ball. As it was made of rubber, the Guttie golf ball could be cheaply produced and easily repaired by reheating and reshaping.
Comparing the two types of golf balls, the Featherie golf ball was said to travel farther than the Guttie golf ball because the Guttie golf ball's smooth surface prevented it from covering more distance. With this discovery, the developers of golf balls came up with the “dimpled” golf balls that are so predominant in modern golf nowadays. The dimples on the golf balls help reduce the aerodynamic drag. Aerodynamic drag normally affects smooth golf balls and slows them down, because when they sail through the air, they leave a pocket of low-pressure air in its stir thus creating a drag.
By applying dimples to the golf ball surface, the pressure differential goes down and the drag force is reduced. These dimples create turbulence in the air surrounding the golf ball, which, in turn, forces the air to clasp the golf ball more closely. By doing so, the air trails the warp created by the golf ball towards the back instead of flowing past it. This results in a smaller wake and lesser drag.
Dimples were first added onto golf ball surfaces back during the gutta percha phase. Coburn Haskell introduced the one-piece rubber cored golf ball encased in a gutta percha sphere. Then in 1905 William Taylor applied the dimple pattern to a Haskell golf ball, thus giving rise to the modern golf ball as we know it today. After its beginning, dimpled golf balls were officially used in every golf tournament. In 1921, the golf ball took its current form with standard size and weight. Nowadays there is a wide range of golf balls to fit every style, game and condition, with some golf balls offering control, and other golf balls offering distance.
Though a common sight nowadays, the dimpled golf ball is not just a mere element of the sports arena; it is a showcase of physics at work.
In 1618 the “Featherie” was introduced. It was a golf ball made of feather. This feather golf ball was handcrafted from goose feathers tightly pressed into a horse or cowhide sphere while still wet. After drying, the leather shrank and the feathers expanded, creating a hardened golf ball. As this type of golf ball was specially handcrafted, it was usually more expensive than golf clubs, so that only a few privileged people could afford to play golf back then.
After the Featherie golf ball came the Guttie golf ball. This type of golf ball was made from the rubber-like sap of the Gutta tree found in the tropics, and was shaped into a sphere when hot and eventually into a golf ball. As it was made of rubber, the Guttie golf ball could be cheaply produced and easily repaired by reheating and reshaping.
Comparing the two types of golf balls, the Featherie golf ball was said to travel farther than the Guttie golf ball because the Guttie golf ball's smooth surface prevented it from covering more distance. With this discovery, the developers of golf balls came up with the “dimpled” golf balls that are so predominant in modern golf nowadays. The dimples on the golf balls help reduce the aerodynamic drag. Aerodynamic drag normally affects smooth golf balls and slows them down, because when they sail through the air, they leave a pocket of low-pressure air in its stir thus creating a drag.
By applying dimples to the golf ball surface, the pressure differential goes down and the drag force is reduced. These dimples create turbulence in the air surrounding the golf ball, which, in turn, forces the air to clasp the golf ball more closely. By doing so, the air trails the warp created by the golf ball towards the back instead of flowing past it. This results in a smaller wake and lesser drag.
Dimples were first added onto golf ball surfaces back during the gutta percha phase. Coburn Haskell introduced the one-piece rubber cored golf ball encased in a gutta percha sphere. Then in 1905 William Taylor applied the dimple pattern to a Haskell golf ball, thus giving rise to the modern golf ball as we know it today. After its beginning, dimpled golf balls were officially used in every golf tournament. In 1921, the golf ball took its current form with standard size and weight. Nowadays there is a wide range of golf balls to fit every style, game and condition, with some golf balls offering control, and other golf balls offering distance.
Though a common sight nowadays, the dimpled golf ball is not just a mere element of the sports arena; it is a showcase of physics at work.
The Golf Ball Retriever
A golf ball retriever is a tool that every golfer should have to eliminate the need to bend and stoop to locate your ball. While a golf ball retriever is actually very simple, it is a tool that can make your golf game much more fun, much easier, cleaner, and simply more enjoyable. When those that are new to golfing hear of such a contraption they tend to snicker and wonder why in the world they would ever need a ball retriever. After just a few games most golfers have a new understanding and appreciation for the golf ball retriever.
A golf ball retriever is just that, it retrieves balls so that the golfer does not have to go into water, mud, or rocks to retrieve a miss-hit. Ball retrievers often come in very handy when you play on a course that has a lot of ponds, lakes, wooded areas, as well as rock gardens. Of course, you never intend to hit your ball into these areas, but every now and again it will happen and a golf ball retriever will make it a lot easier to get your ball without all of the climbing and stooping that is generally associated with locating ones ball. Because of your golf ball retriever you'll find that you have to buy golf balls less often because you won't just write them off when they land in hard to reach areas.
There are a few different golf ball retrievers on the market. Two of the most well known are the IGOTCHA golf ball retriever and the Golden Retriever golf ball retriever. There are many other retrievers on the market, these two products are just known for their reliability as well as their durability. Because there are these great products as well as others on the market it can be difficult to ascertain which is right for you. The great thing is that all ball retrievers are relatively affordable, so you can go for one of the well-known products of something else on just about any budget.
The IGOTCHA golf ball retriever is also very popular and can be purchased for right around $30 as well. Like other retrievers the IGOTCHA comes in a variety of sizes ranging from 6-18 feet long allowing you to grab your ball with ease from any area. IGOTCHA can grab your golf ball from water, mud, rocks, and soggy areas of green after a rain so that your pants as well as your shoes can stay clean. IGOTCHA has cleverly come up with four different ball retrievers known as the Executive, the Executive XL, and the Biggest. IGOTCHA is definitely a quality product that many golfers can get a lot of use out of.
The Golden Retriever golf ball retriever will usually cost about $30 and will fit into or attach to golf bags with ease. Even though the Golden Retriever comes in 7, 12, and 18 foot the handle is telescopic so that you don't have to lug around a huge ball retriever from hole to whole during your game. This ball retriever can be fully immersed in water or mud should it happen to land in one of these things. The claw like handles will allow you to simply scoop up the ball with one hand and then drop the ball into the other. Because the handle is telescopic you can reach a ball that is in the middle of the pond.
A golf ball retriever is a tool that every golfer should have. If the golfer in your life doesn't already have one, a retriever makes a great fathers day, birthday, mother's day, or Christmas gift.
A golf ball retriever is just that, it retrieves balls so that the golfer does not have to go into water, mud, or rocks to retrieve a miss-hit. Ball retrievers often come in very handy when you play on a course that has a lot of ponds, lakes, wooded areas, as well as rock gardens. Of course, you never intend to hit your ball into these areas, but every now and again it will happen and a golf ball retriever will make it a lot easier to get your ball without all of the climbing and stooping that is generally associated with locating ones ball. Because of your golf ball retriever you'll find that you have to buy golf balls less often because you won't just write them off when they land in hard to reach areas.
There are a few different golf ball retrievers on the market. Two of the most well known are the IGOTCHA golf ball retriever and the Golden Retriever golf ball retriever. There are many other retrievers on the market, these two products are just known for their reliability as well as their durability. Because there are these great products as well as others on the market it can be difficult to ascertain which is right for you. The great thing is that all ball retrievers are relatively affordable, so you can go for one of the well-known products of something else on just about any budget.
The IGOTCHA golf ball retriever is also very popular and can be purchased for right around $30 as well. Like other retrievers the IGOTCHA comes in a variety of sizes ranging from 6-18 feet long allowing you to grab your ball with ease from any area. IGOTCHA can grab your golf ball from water, mud, rocks, and soggy areas of green after a rain so that your pants as well as your shoes can stay clean. IGOTCHA has cleverly come up with four different ball retrievers known as the Executive, the Executive XL, and the Biggest. IGOTCHA is definitely a quality product that many golfers can get a lot of use out of.
The Golden Retriever golf ball retriever will usually cost about $30 and will fit into or attach to golf bags with ease. Even though the Golden Retriever comes in 7, 12, and 18 foot the handle is telescopic so that you don't have to lug around a huge ball retriever from hole to whole during your game. This ball retriever can be fully immersed in water or mud should it happen to land in one of these things. The claw like handles will allow you to simply scoop up the ball with one hand and then drop the ball into the other. Because the handle is telescopic you can reach a ball that is in the middle of the pond.
A golf ball retriever is a tool that every golfer should have. If the golfer in your life doesn't already have one, a retriever makes a great fathers day, birthday, mother's day, or Christmas gift.
Golf Ball Slicing
In order to slice a golf ball (impart a left to right ball flight for a right handed golfer) you have to strike the golf ball in a manner that will cause a clockwise rotation of the ball. The more dramatic the rotation the more dramatic or worse the golf slice.
When defining the golf slice there are a couple of basics characteristics to the ball flight. First, there is the slice that initially may start down the target line then move off line in a left to right movement. This type of slice tells us that the swing path was traveling down the intended target line, but at impact the club face was left open and did not get back to a square position at impact. Usually this type of golf slice doesn't produce as sever of left to right movement of the golf ball since the swing path itself was not cutting across the ball in an outside to inside manner. This type of slicing of the golf ball is more easily cured. And can usually be done so with a bit of work on the golfer's setup, alignment, and or grip.
The second type of golf slice is the one that plagues the vast majority of beginning and high handicap golfer's. This is the type of slice that produces the ‘banana ball' type of flight and is very uncontrollable and frustrating.
The attributes of this type of slice for the golfer are the ball will initially start left of the target line indicating that the swing path is incorrect right from the get go. When the ball immediately begins left of the target line that tells you that your swing path has come from the outside to the inside.
Now, having done that with your swing, doesn't necessarily guarantee that you are going to slice the golf ball but you sure have made much easier for a slice to occur. Now combine the outside to inside swing path with an open clubface at impact and you now have a golf shot that starts left and has the double whammy of a slicing swing path across the golf ball, and an open club face. With these two laws of physics going for you; you have just produced one beautiful slice. One that only a proud parent could love! You know the one I'm talking about. The ball that travels 300 yards total distance, but only about 220 yards further down the course (if you can find it all).
A golfer who is plagued with this type of golf slice is going to require quite a bit more work in order to correct this because their basic swing is flawed and must be corrected. But, it's important to understand what it is in your golf swing and your golf swing mechanics that makes the ball do what it does. Once you understand the 9 rules of ball flight you'll be more able to understand what it is in your swing that is producing the flight of the ball you are seeing, and as such you can more quickly address and adjust to ensure success.
When defining the golf slice there are a couple of basics characteristics to the ball flight. First, there is the slice that initially may start down the target line then move off line in a left to right movement. This type of slice tells us that the swing path was traveling down the intended target line, but at impact the club face was left open and did not get back to a square position at impact. Usually this type of golf slice doesn't produce as sever of left to right movement of the golf ball since the swing path itself was not cutting across the ball in an outside to inside manner. This type of slicing of the golf ball is more easily cured. And can usually be done so with a bit of work on the golfer's setup, alignment, and or grip.
The second type of golf slice is the one that plagues the vast majority of beginning and high handicap golfer's. This is the type of slice that produces the ‘banana ball' type of flight and is very uncontrollable and frustrating.
The attributes of this type of slice for the golfer are the ball will initially start left of the target line indicating that the swing path is incorrect right from the get go. When the ball immediately begins left of the target line that tells you that your swing path has come from the outside to the inside.
Now, having done that with your swing, doesn't necessarily guarantee that you are going to slice the golf ball but you sure have made much easier for a slice to occur. Now combine the outside to inside swing path with an open clubface at impact and you now have a golf shot that starts left and has the double whammy of a slicing swing path across the golf ball, and an open club face. With these two laws of physics going for you; you have just produced one beautiful slice. One that only a proud parent could love! You know the one I'm talking about. The ball that travels 300 yards total distance, but only about 220 yards further down the course (if you can find it all).
A golfer who is plagued with this type of golf slice is going to require quite a bit more work in order to correct this because their basic swing is flawed and must be corrected. But, it's important to understand what it is in your golf swing and your golf swing mechanics that makes the ball do what it does. Once you understand the 9 rules of ball flight you'll be more able to understand what it is in your swing that is producing the flight of the ball you are seeing, and as such you can more quickly address and adjust to ensure success.
Golf ball divers
Golf ball divers are what we want to consider in this article by East Coast Golf Corp.
The sixty footer
The company I was contracting for had warned me that the lakes on this course were a little darker and deeper than most, since they had made the lakes from the sand dredging process for the construction of the surrounding retirement community. I arrive at the course a little apprehensive since I had never dove for balls in extremely deep lakes. I entered my first lake, it wasn't so bad only fifteen foot deep or so. The water was very dark like I was warned. The lake was also full of many sharp and jagged rocks, so I had to move slowly. On a scale of one to ten the course was a nine in terms of nasty inhospitable water. But that's ok since I had been in black obstacle full ponds many times before. I finished my first dive realizing that this wasn't going to be such a challenging creepy day after all.
The second lake I arrive at is a par three shoot across, should be just full of balls due to the size of the water in between the tees and the flag, no matter which way they missed they would hit the water. I climbed into the lake, to my surprise the visibility was great! for a golf pond anyway. I could see a long relatively steep sloping edge full of boulders large rocks and debris scattered around. I figured wow this isn't a bad lake at all good visibility etc.. I decided to first work the top edge clambering around the boulders, there were many balls, a great top edge to say the least. Within a ten minutes or so I had already filled a bag of eight hundred balls off of the top edge. So I figured if the top edge is this good the bottom edge must be incredible. As I crawled down the edge I noticed it looked very black the closer I got to where I thought the bottom edge was.
The water was already around twenty foot deep by this point. Now this was creepy as I got closer and closer to the black area I realized it was black because the edge just dropped straight off in a vertical manner. I climbed out as far as I could go without falling down looking down trying to gauge just how deep this thing was! I dropped a golf ball and watched it fall...it just disappeared after a few seconds. Now this started to not be fun, I was looking into what looked like a bottomless pit from hell. I crawled all along the edge of the drop off trying to see if maybe it was just that spot, maybe there was some way to descend this thing without just taking a leap. No such luck it was a straight drop all around! I knew that if I didn't go down this thing I would loose so much money because of the amount of balls that would be down there. So I decided to take the leap jumping off the edge, I mean how deep could this actually be its a golf pond! I pushed off hard from the edge so I wouldn't hit the wall on the way down.
First of all I could see then it got blacker, then pitch black. The water got colder and colder as I fell into the abyss, I fell for at least thirty seconds, it felt like hours! I crashed into the muddy bottom, sitting there motionless for a few seconds to catch myself. Time for a quick check, just as I thought there were thousands of golf balls all around me. Next step I needed to find the wall of this thing so I knew where the edge was and didn't get lost in the middle. As deep as this hell pond was, i knew my air would go very quickly and an emergency inflate ascent would be very dangerous. I could get bent or embolise my lungs. This was not a fun place to be. Feeling all around me without moving anywhere I looked for the wall. It turns out I landed pretty close and it was a few feet off to my side.
Good I decided to keep one hand touching the wall at all times so I didn't loose it, also moving slowly was a good idea. As I went along i piled golf balls into my apron, it was filling very quickly. Then all of a sudden my head hit something above it. I stopped, feeling above me, I realized I was actually under an overhang! Great now I know I have who knows how many tons of loose rock hanging over my entire body. I felt my way out to the edge of the over hang it went out three feet or so, i was three feet into this thing. If it should come loose or collapse I would never get out. That was it for me! No amount of money was worth playing around in a pond as hazardous as this one. so I sat in one spot reached all around me until my apron was full. I had been down at the bottom for around fifteen minutes now, figured at this depth my air would be getting pretty lean. Now the next problem how do I get up to the top of this thing! Not only do I have all my gear on but a huge bag of nine hundred or so balls around my neck.
I decided to climb it, hike my way back up. This wall was truly vertical, this was going to be tough! I stood up next to the wall grabbing at some rocks jutting out of the wall pulling myself up onto it, I made it up about ten feet then the rock I grabbed broke loose in my hand and I fell down backwards all the way to the bottom. Now I am getting a little worried. I start again but within a few minutes I fall back down. Sitting on the bottom I ponder the best way to get up this wall, should I inflate and just hope for the best? what should I do. I don't have much time as my air is already getting lean. You know this when the air comes out of the second stage a little harder than before. After thinking for a minute or so I come up with something that should work. If I inflate my BCD so that I am just buoyant enough to rise slowly then I could use the wall as a way to keep my ascent slow enough so it wouldn't be dangerous.
I inflated to where I was slowly starting to rise, I grabbed the wall slowing myself. I kept changing grips along the wall keeping myself rising slowly. After about six minutes of this, looking up I could see the start of the middle edge. Relieved I climbed up onto the middle edge. Releasing the air from my BCD once I was safely on top so I wouldn't rise any more. I climbed up the edge until I was in around fifteen feet of water. remembering my dive training, I stopped and just sat at this depth for around five minutes to decompress. This is called a safety stop, you do this to prevent getting the bends. By stopping in around fifteen foot of water you can gas off or allow the nitrogen build up in your body to dissipate. Since I had no idea how deep I was down, I figured this was the safest thing to do. As I crawled out of the lake I looked at my pressure gauge, sure enough I only had two hundred pounds of air left! which is only a few minutes of breathing time.
When I got back to the cart barn, I found out that the lake was around sixty foot deep. Most divers that worked that course usually skipped it. That was too close of a call for me! I learnt on that day, that no amount of golf balls is worth taking that risk! I will never dive a lake like that again!
The salt water course
I had never been in a salt water course, so when they told me all about it I was excited supposedly the water was clear, it was like an ocean dive. The course was directly connected to the ocean by large twelve by twelve feet pipes. So all the sea life would also be in there. Fun I thought collecting golf balls while watching all the neat stuff swim by. All the ponds on this course have nick names.
The Fish Bowl
The fish bowl, it was closest to the ocean and was supposedly just teeming with sea life. I climbed in it was great crystal clear, fish swimming all around me, sea grass off to my right containing little crabs, small conchs everything you would find in the ocean. Wow I thought this will be fun as I descended the edge there were balls everywhere, top edge, middle edge. Allot of the balls had barnacles growing on them, some of them were just one giant barnacle. Little creatures inside of the barnacles. Great I thought now my apron that usually holds around nine hundred balls would hold much less meaning I would have to empty my apron into rice bags many more times than usual.
Also the sharp barnacles were cutting holes in my ball apron. The edge was very long dropping me down to around twenty five foot at the bottom. There were hundreds of balls along the bottom edge. Some fresh but many with barnacles and snails and coral attached to them. My hands were getting cut and stung as I did the side to side sweep, so I decided to do the see be version of collecting where you don't feel in the mud but just grab the balls you see. This was clearly a course you had to use gloves in. I looked behind me, the water was now pitch black from the dust cloud I had created.
A little ahead of me up higher on the bank a pair of horse shoe crabs were following each other, this was a neat site in a golf course pond! As I crawled along I noticed a sting ray a little bit to the left of me mostly covered in sand to camouflage itself, as I got closer it sped off leaving a huge dust cloud and me blind for a minute. It wasn't a good feeling knowing so much hazardous marine life existed in these ponds I wanted to be able to see. within a few hundred feet I already had three bags of nine hundred balls sitting on the bank! This was a loaded lake. I came to a log submerged beneath the surface under it sat a five or six foot nurse shark which also bolted as I got closer. I continued on my adventure looking above me at giant bluish purplish jelly fish floating by in the current of the lake. The water flowed slowly in the direction of the tides. A grassy area came up ahead it was covered in giant jelly fish the size of bread saucers that had an underside that looked like the weeds. they sat upside down on the bottom. As your hands hit them they stung you and then swam off in giant contractions.
This was great all the views of an ocean dive. If I had gloves this would be a very enjoyable dive. As I slowly moved along the bottom edge I had a weird feeling like something was watching me and darting off whenever I turned in its direction disappearing into my dust cloud. I stopped for a minute to look around and there he was a six foot barracuda, a few feet above me and off to my left. They are very curious fish and like to follow you around. He followed me for the rest of the dive occasionally darting through the bubbles my regulator produced.
Sherwood forest
As I am pulling up to the lake in my golf cart, several iguanas bolt into the water some jump off trees. They swim almost as good as fish. This is the end of a long lake affectionately known as the black hole as it is so deep and black. The part I am about to dive is a slice on the opposite end ,which should catch allot of balls. Getting into the water I wonder why it is called Sherwood forest. The water was clear like the fish bowl, on my left some bushes hung into the water under which dozens of snappers sat in hiding. A few feet down the edge the water got a little murkier, this is when I realized why it was called Sherwood forest. I was in about 20 foot of water there were hundreds of trees cut off around the middle.
This used to be a small valley when they made the lake. Instead of removing the trees they just cut them off mid way. This was neat I was climbing through a forest but under the water. Until of course my dust cloud caught up to me, now I am climbing through a nightmare of an obstacle course. Crashing into tree trunks, getting snagged on branches climbing under half uprooted trees. After fifteen or so minutes of this a branch gets caught under my mask ripping it off my face as I move forward, breaking the mask strap. reaching around with my eyes tightly shut I find my mask and decide to leave Sherwood forest to Robin and his merry bunch.
Salt water crocodile
After tying my mask strap in a knot so i could continue diving I get to a par 3 shoot across known as the Croc Shot. This lake is deep with a steep edge, a little dark but clear. This lake is one of the furthest from the ocean, so the water is more brackish than salt. Not too much wild life exists here. As i climbed down to the bottom edge, sliding mostly as it was so steep I found channels of balls hundreds lined up one on top of each other. This was great by the time I made it to the bottom edge I already had a bag full. I climbed back up through my dust cloud picking up renegade loner golf balls along the way.
I was right in front of the green mask on my forehead dumping my catch into a rice bag when a golf ball hit the water right next to me sending water flying so hard it actually felt like needles piecing into my face. I looked up to see more golfers teeing off. I quickly put my mask back on and got under the water so I did not get hit. Judging by how hard the drops of water hit me, that ball would have really hurt me if it hit me. After a few minutes I surface to see the golfers standing on the green close to me. Close one a chap in standard golf attire said, I just smiled and threw him back his ball which I picked up while I was lying under the water. I finished tying my rice sack, as I looked up I spotted an alligator under the tree branches not too far from me. But this alligator looked a little strange it wasn't like your standard alligator. I couldn't pick out what it was he was just different. Around seven foot in length sitting on the bank under the trees.
Oh well I thought crawling back in finishing my dive with great success. As i climbed out of the lake a maintenance man said to me I cant believe you went diving with that thing. I just smiled and said we dive with them all the time, they don't bother you. He said Crocodiles? That's when my eyes widened. Crocodiles are extremely dangerous and allot more aggressive than alligators. Turns out this course is part of a natural preserve and one of the few places in Florida that actually contains crocodiles. I made a mental note not to dive in that lake again.
Tarpon Alley
This was another lake in the back of the course, mostly brackish water deep and dark like the Croc Shot. I did a quick scan just to make sure I wouldn't be sharing water with man eating crocodiles. After climbing in I could not believe the amount of sea life in this lake schools of snappers whipping by, crabs every where, what a fishing spot I thought. Climbing down the edge I felt something huge whoosh by. What the hell was that?? Looking up I saw at least twenty huge four to six foot long shiny fish swimming by. Wow I have to check this out, after climbing up to the middle edge I realized they were all giant Tarpon which grow to as large as six hundred pounds. So many of them swimming slowly not even remotely bothered by my presence. They let me get really close I just sat there for awhile watching these beautiful fish swim by. Thinking to myself :- stuff the golf balls where's my fishing rod?!?
Jelly fish lane
I found a shoot over nestled in some mangrove swamp. The water was very shallow waist deep at best. Sea grass covered the bottom, there were hundreds of large saucer shaped jelly fish every single inch of this lake. It was connected to the ocean by a short eight foot pipe. So this was truly like an ocean dive. I climbed in a little freaked out by the thousands of jelly fish everywhere, I knew I was going to get stung to hell. See bees only I thought. There were golf balls every where I looked. An extremely strong current was moving by the pipe connected to the ocean. The tide was going out half an hour or so till low tide. The water was shallow so as I propelled my self along with my tank sticking out of the water mashing through hundreds of jelly fish stinging my hands and face I started to contemplate whether I liked this job any more. The balls were under the jelly fish on top of the jelly fish just surrounded by these big ugly stinging creatures. work was slow its hard to move with your tank sticking out of the water. As the tide got lower and lower I could no longer crawl along the bottom it was too shallow. I took off my gear leaving it on the bank and walked along the swamp picking up golf balls. The ball apron in my right hand being dragged behind me. The whole time I had to keep a clean eye out for golfers shooting across. I felt like I was on a firing range constantly dodging balls. I learnt that high tide is the time to work this lake!
On this I day discovered that while a salt water course tends to be allot more hazardous to dive in, but on the same token it tends to be a very interesting to dive. Many sights to see and all in all it was a fun day.
East Coast Golf Ball Corp is currently seeking experienced black water divers for subcontract golf ball diving. If you are intererested visit
East Coast Golf Ball Corp http://www.ilovetogolf.com
for contact information.
The sixty footer
The company I was contracting for had warned me that the lakes on this course were a little darker and deeper than most, since they had made the lakes from the sand dredging process for the construction of the surrounding retirement community. I arrive at the course a little apprehensive since I had never dove for balls in extremely deep lakes. I entered my first lake, it wasn't so bad only fifteen foot deep or so. The water was very dark like I was warned. The lake was also full of many sharp and jagged rocks, so I had to move slowly. On a scale of one to ten the course was a nine in terms of nasty inhospitable water. But that's ok since I had been in black obstacle full ponds many times before. I finished my first dive realizing that this wasn't going to be such a challenging creepy day after all.
The second lake I arrive at is a par three shoot across, should be just full of balls due to the size of the water in between the tees and the flag, no matter which way they missed they would hit the water. I climbed into the lake, to my surprise the visibility was great! for a golf pond anyway. I could see a long relatively steep sloping edge full of boulders large rocks and debris scattered around. I figured wow this isn't a bad lake at all good visibility etc.. I decided to first work the top edge clambering around the boulders, there were many balls, a great top edge to say the least. Within a ten minutes or so I had already filled a bag of eight hundred balls off of the top edge. So I figured if the top edge is this good the bottom edge must be incredible. As I crawled down the edge I noticed it looked very black the closer I got to where I thought the bottom edge was.
The water was already around twenty foot deep by this point. Now this was creepy as I got closer and closer to the black area I realized it was black because the edge just dropped straight off in a vertical manner. I climbed out as far as I could go without falling down looking down trying to gauge just how deep this thing was! I dropped a golf ball and watched it fall...it just disappeared after a few seconds. Now this started to not be fun, I was looking into what looked like a bottomless pit from hell. I crawled all along the edge of the drop off trying to see if maybe it was just that spot, maybe there was some way to descend this thing without just taking a leap. No such luck it was a straight drop all around! I knew that if I didn't go down this thing I would loose so much money because of the amount of balls that would be down there. So I decided to take the leap jumping off the edge, I mean how deep could this actually be its a golf pond! I pushed off hard from the edge so I wouldn't hit the wall on the way down.
First of all I could see then it got blacker, then pitch black. The water got colder and colder as I fell into the abyss, I fell for at least thirty seconds, it felt like hours! I crashed into the muddy bottom, sitting there motionless for a few seconds to catch myself. Time for a quick check, just as I thought there were thousands of golf balls all around me. Next step I needed to find the wall of this thing so I knew where the edge was and didn't get lost in the middle. As deep as this hell pond was, i knew my air would go very quickly and an emergency inflate ascent would be very dangerous. I could get bent or embolise my lungs. This was not a fun place to be. Feeling all around me without moving anywhere I looked for the wall. It turns out I landed pretty close and it was a few feet off to my side.
Good I decided to keep one hand touching the wall at all times so I didn't loose it, also moving slowly was a good idea. As I went along i piled golf balls into my apron, it was filling very quickly. Then all of a sudden my head hit something above it. I stopped, feeling above me, I realized I was actually under an overhang! Great now I know I have who knows how many tons of loose rock hanging over my entire body. I felt my way out to the edge of the over hang it went out three feet or so, i was three feet into this thing. If it should come loose or collapse I would never get out. That was it for me! No amount of money was worth playing around in a pond as hazardous as this one. so I sat in one spot reached all around me until my apron was full. I had been down at the bottom for around fifteen minutes now, figured at this depth my air would be getting pretty lean. Now the next problem how do I get up to the top of this thing! Not only do I have all my gear on but a huge bag of nine hundred or so balls around my neck.
I decided to climb it, hike my way back up. This wall was truly vertical, this was going to be tough! I stood up next to the wall grabbing at some rocks jutting out of the wall pulling myself up onto it, I made it up about ten feet then the rock I grabbed broke loose in my hand and I fell down backwards all the way to the bottom. Now I am getting a little worried. I start again but within a few minutes I fall back down. Sitting on the bottom I ponder the best way to get up this wall, should I inflate and just hope for the best? what should I do. I don't have much time as my air is already getting lean. You know this when the air comes out of the second stage a little harder than before. After thinking for a minute or so I come up with something that should work. If I inflate my BCD so that I am just buoyant enough to rise slowly then I could use the wall as a way to keep my ascent slow enough so it wouldn't be dangerous.
I inflated to where I was slowly starting to rise, I grabbed the wall slowing myself. I kept changing grips along the wall keeping myself rising slowly. After about six minutes of this, looking up I could see the start of the middle edge. Relieved I climbed up onto the middle edge. Releasing the air from my BCD once I was safely on top so I wouldn't rise any more. I climbed up the edge until I was in around fifteen feet of water. remembering my dive training, I stopped and just sat at this depth for around five minutes to decompress. This is called a safety stop, you do this to prevent getting the bends. By stopping in around fifteen foot of water you can gas off or allow the nitrogen build up in your body to dissipate. Since I had no idea how deep I was down, I figured this was the safest thing to do. As I crawled out of the lake I looked at my pressure gauge, sure enough I only had two hundred pounds of air left! which is only a few minutes of breathing time.
When I got back to the cart barn, I found out that the lake was around sixty foot deep. Most divers that worked that course usually skipped it. That was too close of a call for me! I learnt on that day, that no amount of golf balls is worth taking that risk! I will never dive a lake like that again!
The salt water course
I had never been in a salt water course, so when they told me all about it I was excited supposedly the water was clear, it was like an ocean dive. The course was directly connected to the ocean by large twelve by twelve feet pipes. So all the sea life would also be in there. Fun I thought collecting golf balls while watching all the neat stuff swim by. All the ponds on this course have nick names.
The Fish Bowl
The fish bowl, it was closest to the ocean and was supposedly just teeming with sea life. I climbed in it was great crystal clear, fish swimming all around me, sea grass off to my right containing little crabs, small conchs everything you would find in the ocean. Wow I thought this will be fun as I descended the edge there were balls everywhere, top edge, middle edge. Allot of the balls had barnacles growing on them, some of them were just one giant barnacle. Little creatures inside of the barnacles. Great I thought now my apron that usually holds around nine hundred balls would hold much less meaning I would have to empty my apron into rice bags many more times than usual.
Also the sharp barnacles were cutting holes in my ball apron. The edge was very long dropping me down to around twenty five foot at the bottom. There were hundreds of balls along the bottom edge. Some fresh but many with barnacles and snails and coral attached to them. My hands were getting cut and stung as I did the side to side sweep, so I decided to do the see be version of collecting where you don't feel in the mud but just grab the balls you see. This was clearly a course you had to use gloves in. I looked behind me, the water was now pitch black from the dust cloud I had created.
A little ahead of me up higher on the bank a pair of horse shoe crabs were following each other, this was a neat site in a golf course pond! As I crawled along I noticed a sting ray a little bit to the left of me mostly covered in sand to camouflage itself, as I got closer it sped off leaving a huge dust cloud and me blind for a minute. It wasn't a good feeling knowing so much hazardous marine life existed in these ponds I wanted to be able to see. within a few hundred feet I already had three bags of nine hundred balls sitting on the bank! This was a loaded lake. I came to a log submerged beneath the surface under it sat a five or six foot nurse shark which also bolted as I got closer. I continued on my adventure looking above me at giant bluish purplish jelly fish floating by in the current of the lake. The water flowed slowly in the direction of the tides. A grassy area came up ahead it was covered in giant jelly fish the size of bread saucers that had an underside that looked like the weeds. they sat upside down on the bottom. As your hands hit them they stung you and then swam off in giant contractions.
This was great all the views of an ocean dive. If I had gloves this would be a very enjoyable dive. As I slowly moved along the bottom edge I had a weird feeling like something was watching me and darting off whenever I turned in its direction disappearing into my dust cloud. I stopped for a minute to look around and there he was a six foot barracuda, a few feet above me and off to my left. They are very curious fish and like to follow you around. He followed me for the rest of the dive occasionally darting through the bubbles my regulator produced.
Sherwood forest
As I am pulling up to the lake in my golf cart, several iguanas bolt into the water some jump off trees. They swim almost as good as fish. This is the end of a long lake affectionately known as the black hole as it is so deep and black. The part I am about to dive is a slice on the opposite end ,which should catch allot of balls. Getting into the water I wonder why it is called Sherwood forest. The water was clear like the fish bowl, on my left some bushes hung into the water under which dozens of snappers sat in hiding. A few feet down the edge the water got a little murkier, this is when I realized why it was called Sherwood forest. I was in about 20 foot of water there were hundreds of trees cut off around the middle.
This used to be a small valley when they made the lake. Instead of removing the trees they just cut them off mid way. This was neat I was climbing through a forest but under the water. Until of course my dust cloud caught up to me, now I am climbing through a nightmare of an obstacle course. Crashing into tree trunks, getting snagged on branches climbing under half uprooted trees. After fifteen or so minutes of this a branch gets caught under my mask ripping it off my face as I move forward, breaking the mask strap. reaching around with my eyes tightly shut I find my mask and decide to leave Sherwood forest to Robin and his merry bunch.
Salt water crocodile
After tying my mask strap in a knot so i could continue diving I get to a par 3 shoot across known as the Croc Shot. This lake is deep with a steep edge, a little dark but clear. This lake is one of the furthest from the ocean, so the water is more brackish than salt. Not too much wild life exists here. As i climbed down to the bottom edge, sliding mostly as it was so steep I found channels of balls hundreds lined up one on top of each other. This was great by the time I made it to the bottom edge I already had a bag full. I climbed back up through my dust cloud picking up renegade loner golf balls along the way.
I was right in front of the green mask on my forehead dumping my catch into a rice bag when a golf ball hit the water right next to me sending water flying so hard it actually felt like needles piecing into my face. I looked up to see more golfers teeing off. I quickly put my mask back on and got under the water so I did not get hit. Judging by how hard the drops of water hit me, that ball would have really hurt me if it hit me. After a few minutes I surface to see the golfers standing on the green close to me. Close one a chap in standard golf attire said, I just smiled and threw him back his ball which I picked up while I was lying under the water. I finished tying my rice sack, as I looked up I spotted an alligator under the tree branches not too far from me. But this alligator looked a little strange it wasn't like your standard alligator. I couldn't pick out what it was he was just different. Around seven foot in length sitting on the bank under the trees.
Oh well I thought crawling back in finishing my dive with great success. As i climbed out of the lake a maintenance man said to me I cant believe you went diving with that thing. I just smiled and said we dive with them all the time, they don't bother you. He said Crocodiles? That's when my eyes widened. Crocodiles are extremely dangerous and allot more aggressive than alligators. Turns out this course is part of a natural preserve and one of the few places in Florida that actually contains crocodiles. I made a mental note not to dive in that lake again.
Tarpon Alley
This was another lake in the back of the course, mostly brackish water deep and dark like the Croc Shot. I did a quick scan just to make sure I wouldn't be sharing water with man eating crocodiles. After climbing in I could not believe the amount of sea life in this lake schools of snappers whipping by, crabs every where, what a fishing spot I thought. Climbing down the edge I felt something huge whoosh by. What the hell was that?? Looking up I saw at least twenty huge four to six foot long shiny fish swimming by. Wow I have to check this out, after climbing up to the middle edge I realized they were all giant Tarpon which grow to as large as six hundred pounds. So many of them swimming slowly not even remotely bothered by my presence. They let me get really close I just sat there for awhile watching these beautiful fish swim by. Thinking to myself :- stuff the golf balls where's my fishing rod?!?
Jelly fish lane
I found a shoot over nestled in some mangrove swamp. The water was very shallow waist deep at best. Sea grass covered the bottom, there were hundreds of large saucer shaped jelly fish every single inch of this lake. It was connected to the ocean by a short eight foot pipe. So this was truly like an ocean dive. I climbed in a little freaked out by the thousands of jelly fish everywhere, I knew I was going to get stung to hell. See bees only I thought. There were golf balls every where I looked. An extremely strong current was moving by the pipe connected to the ocean. The tide was going out half an hour or so till low tide. The water was shallow so as I propelled my self along with my tank sticking out of the water mashing through hundreds of jelly fish stinging my hands and face I started to contemplate whether I liked this job any more. The balls were under the jelly fish on top of the jelly fish just surrounded by these big ugly stinging creatures. work was slow its hard to move with your tank sticking out of the water. As the tide got lower and lower I could no longer crawl along the bottom it was too shallow. I took off my gear leaving it on the bank and walked along the swamp picking up golf balls. The ball apron in my right hand being dragged behind me. The whole time I had to keep a clean eye out for golfers shooting across. I felt like I was on a firing range constantly dodging balls. I learnt that high tide is the time to work this lake!
On this I day discovered that while a salt water course tends to be allot more hazardous to dive in, but on the same token it tends to be a very interesting to dive. Many sights to see and all in all it was a fun day.
East Coast Golf Ball Corp is currently seeking experienced black water divers for subcontract golf ball diving. If you are intererested visit
East Coast Golf Ball Corp http://www.ilovetogolf.com
for contact information.
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