Golfing has become phenomenally popular over the last 45 years, producing such world-class champions as Greg Norman, Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods. Some first-class courses too have become household names; think of Wentworth, St. Andrews, Augusta and Pinewood.

Why has golf become so popular these days? Its 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 play perfectly.

Your achievements are tallied on your scorecard for all time and the desire to improve your game can encourage you to play again and again.

Here is a very basic lesson in golf for the person who hasn’t a clue about the game.

Golf is played on an eighteen-hole course. Each hole has its own “par” (value), which is the combined number of tee shots (drives), fairway shots, chips (short hits as you approach the green), and putts (on the green) you should need to take.

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, its called a bogie, if you made it in four, its a birdie.

There are usually “hazards” of some sort or other on all the holes. Bodies of water, sand traps, and trees are strategically placed to make reaching the hole more challenging. Beginner golfers should seek to find courses to play that are easier to play with fewer hazards.

Players keep their own score of the total number of shots taken for each hole. After the eighteenth hole, they add up their scores and the one with the lowest is the winner.

It is vital that beginners to golfing should not take the game too seriously, because it takes a very long time to play golf proficiently, even if the professionals on TV make it look so easy.

Take a lesson or two at the start of your golfing ‘career’, because it will help you develop a proper swing and help you get off to a good start.

Related posts:

1. Different Golf Clubs for Different Golf Courses When to use the 9-Iron...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

There are so many reasons why good golfers have low scores. After so many rounds of playing with them, here’s what I found.

So many people buy new golf gear year after year, but they soon realize that it doesn’t help much no matter how many times they change their driver!

The more educated believe that having a great swing is key to a low score. They usually laugh at the people that buy equipment, but these golfers spend money on lessons, practicing, practicing and practicing.

The ultra addicted always practice their short game. It might be the best method but it’s ultra hard to do because it takes so much time! Practice, hitting ball after ball after ball will become routine if you fall under this category.

There some ways that are more easier.

1. Glove – Please. Change them. Old gloves don’t have the gripping power that new ones do. If the club slips, forget trying to hit the ball in the same spot.

2. Spikes – Once you get new spikes, you will see that it is a no-brainer because you no longer slip and lose your balance when you swing. This is especially important during the course where you are on uneven lies!

3. Tees – When I hit my tee shots, I want the ball to hit the sweet spot of the club face every time. Having the same tee height is the only way I can do this (apart from having a repeatable swing).

4. Hydration – In the early days of my golfing career, I would play well and then lose the edge towards the end of the round. After a while of this frustration, I read somewhere that keeping myself hydrated will help me sustain my energy and focus. This means drinking water, Gatorade or some type of liquids throughout the round. Nowadays, it wouldn’t be uncommon for me to drink 2-3 bottles of water during an 18-hole round. 4-6 strokes saved

5. Warm up – Try to Warm up if you don’t want to spend the first few holes figuring out whether you are slicing or hooking. It is also much healthier for your back.

6. Eat Light – Most people say that eating light helps you stay fit but I noticed that it’s harder for me to focus if I eat a heavy meal before or during the round. It’s really the same phenomenon when you feel sleepy after a heavy lunch. If I cannot focus, it’s very hard for me to shoot a low score! 3-5 strokes saved

Related posts:

1. Golf – Misconceptions Disproved There are many people who have misconceptions about golf; surely...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Golfing consists of more than just owning a set of golf clubs and playing the game of golf. It takes knowledge of the game as well as knowledge of your golf equipment, especially the golf clubs or irons and which golf iron is best. The 1-iron is one that has been speculated about for many years. Although, you can still get them, they are very rare and seldom used. 1-irons came about in the 1920s, and were used with some accuracy by experienced golf professionals like Jack Nicklaus or Ben Hogan. The average golfer found the 1-iron much more work than they were worth. Why struggle with a big 1-iron when you can use a smaller iron and get a much more accurate shot was most golfers’ theory.

Lee Trevino, a professional golfer, however, had great difficulty hitting the 1-iron. He had so much difficulty that he is known for holding it up in the air and stating, “If you’re caught on a golf course during a storm and are afraid of lightning, hold up a 1-iron because not even God can hit a 1-iron”. . The development of newer hybrid clubs has made the 1-irons almost extinct today. Some golfers that do still want a 1-iron may have to have it custom ordered.

The 1-iron is not used very much anymore because it is too long and very difficult to use. It is not only difficult to use because of its length, but it is difficult to shoot with any accuracy with the 1-iron. You get a very long shot with the 1-iron, which was effective for games that required long shots, but some of the accuracy was lost. On a 4 or 5-par game, golfers may use a 1-iron to drive the ball over 200 yards.

They will still have a couple hundred yards to go, so they are better off switching to a wood instead. One reason for this is the 1-iron may have delivered the ball 200 yards across the golf course, but it may not have landed in the same direction the golfer had intended. This, in addition to his awkwardness, is another reason why golfers stay away from the 1-iron-inaccuracy

The situation mentioned above would be better handled with a 3-wood club, which will get the ball on the green and in the correct direction. One mistake that individuals inexperienced in golf make is to believe the game is all about hitting the ball the farthest. The closes analogy to this is, once again, a baseball game. It doesn’t’ matter how far the batter hits the ball if he keeps on hitting it in foul territory. The 1-iron is great for distance but often will hit the golf ball in “foul” territory, thus costing the golfer more unnecessary strokes.

This is not to say that the 1-iron is totally useless. Many use it when they are way in the rough and have no idea of how to get out without a powerful swing. Of if, they want to vent their frustration from a bad game. If you’re going to smash a club, it may as well be your 1-iron.

Related posts:

1. Different Golf Clubs for Different Golf Courses When to use the 9-Iron...
2. The Unneeded Golf Iron Most golf enthusiast will agree that the seven iron is...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Most golf enthusiast will agree that the seven iron is the “perfect” golf club. Many will say that they can do without their five and eight iron. Then there is the ever important putter that is hard to replace. The least useful of all clubs, and of any pieces of equipment in your golf bag is the one iron. Lee Trevino, a pro golfer even said that God couldn’t hit a good shot with a one iron.

The one iron is the longest golf iron and therefore the hardest to consistently hit the ball where you want it to go. If for some reason you are drawn to use the one iron then you are probably wrong.

For example, if you’re 200 yards from the green you may be tempted to use the one iron but since it is so hard to control the distance and aim, the three wood would be a much better choice. Depending on your strength you could definitely get the ball on the green and since the three wood is easier to hit with and control, it clearly makes better sense.

So what is the one iron really good for? Well most golfers, even experienced players will tell you that they never use it to play golf. There are many jokes surrounding the one iron and you might get some jokers who will give you alternate uses for this golf club. You could use it to hack tall grass if your ball gets lost and you need to find it. If you come across a wild animal or someone tries to mug you, you could use the long one iron to cause injury.

Some will even tell you stories of destroying their one iron out of frustration. Others will tell you that they use it around the house to retrieve things under the couch or in hard to reach corners. You could even use it as a cane or splint if you get injured on the golf course. If there’s anything that can be sacrificed in your bag it is the one iron. Everything else has a purpose; even the nine iron isn’t totally useless.

Next time someone (usually a novice golf player) asks you what you use the one iron for, make up some creative story and have fun with it. And don’t waste your time practicing your golf swing with the one iron. It’s pointless since you won’t be using it; for golf anyway.

Related posts:

1. Your Golf Club Makes Your Golf Swing Golfing consists of more than just owning a set of...
2. Different Golf Clubs for Different Golf Courses When to use the 9-Iron...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

There are many people who have misconceptions about golf; surely these people have never played golf. Golf is a game that carries a stereotype that it’s for older adults, it’s slow moving, provides little exercise, and requires a lot of money to enjoy. This is simply not true; in fact, in many cases it’s just the opposite.

Since pro golfers tend to be graceful and slow moving some think that there’s not enough competitive spirit. Golf is a game mixed with competition and patience which may seem like a contradiction. Some enjoy the sport for the completion factor, some for the relaxation factor, and most for a mix of both. Either way, it’s a sport that’s anything but boring.

Some people categorize golf with other less popular sports such as billiards or bowling. Golf has a fan base that is much bigger and more enthusiastic. In fact, if you’ve met a serious golf fan, then you probably know that they are just as enthusiastic (if not more so) than a baseball or football fan. Many would be surprised that televised golf tournaments bring in a lot of viewers, especially the larger tournaments.

There may not be as many young viewers as other more popular sports but that is changing. The increase in popularity of the sport and young pro players such as Tiger Woods has brought young life to the game. Golf groups and tournaments have started to cater to junior golfers since they know that the game can’t survive without young blood.

Golf has less exercise involved but it can be more physical if you choose to walk between swings instead of taking carts. If you play golf regularly then you’re bound to loose a few pounds just from moving around. Being a less physical sport is good since the sport doesn’t require players to be in top physical strength. Therefore, those who want to take up the sport don’t have to hit the gym before stepping on the green.

Golf is a very challenging sport. Not only does it take a lot of practice, training and knowledge about the game but no two golf courses are the same so there’s always a challenge.

The game is open to young and old, male and female. It was, at one time, a sport for those with enough money to afford the club and green fees but things have changed. With the popularity of the sport it has become more affordable and the class distinction is fading away.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.