If you are a new beginning golfer there are a couple of things you should be aware of so you have a good experience. In this article, we will talk about tee times, dress codes and tipping at the golf course.
What are tee times? A tee time or also known as a starting time is when you are expected to arrive at the first tee. Tee times or a tee time can be made in person in the golf shop, you may call the golf shop and some courses will allow you to make a tee time on the internet. Once you have a scheduled tee time, you are responsible for arriving at the course at a time which allows you to visit the golf shop to pay your proper fees, warm up on the practice tee and practice putting green as well as eat in the restaurant or snack bar if needed. Clubs and courses vary on how far in advance you are able to make a starting time. Call the club or course to find out what their rules are. Understand, if a tee time is missed you may be charged a "no-show" fee. Again this is different from golf course to golf course.
When making your starting reservation, also learn the dress code of the facility. Clubs have a wide variety of rules when it comes to their individual dress code. Denim may be clear to wear at one club and prohibited by dress code at another club. Fashion has actually gotten into golf and wearing a Tiger-like fancy mock t-shirt could be accepted at one course and not another. In addition, most clubs only allow soft spikes on your golf shoes. It is the player.s responsibility to be aware of and know the dress code policies of a club.
What about tipping while at the golf course? Again, first check with the club or course because there are some clubs that do not allow tipping. Most do. It is common to tip one to two dollars per bag upon arrival or leaving after your round, if you receive proper assistance with your bag or bags. The restaurant and the beverage cart are typically tipped on basic restaurant guidelines.
Once on the golf course there are some common rules that should be followed. The rules of golf state that there is no limit on how few clubs you can carry in your bag however you are limited to fourteen clubs in your golf bag. In a competitive situation you will be assessed extra strokes for this type of infraction.
Before going onto the golf course, you need to understand how to repair a divot in the fairway or rough. This is important to insure proper maintenance of the golf course. On the green you need to know how to properly repair a ball mark made on the putting green. If repaired properly the turf can repair itself in a few days. If the ball mark on the putting green is not repaired properly, it could take weeks for the turf to repair itself.
Before venturing out to the golf course, use these how-to and rules to make sure it is a great experience.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/golf-course-101-for-beginners-1316663.html
Author: Max Johnson
About the Author
Max Johnson of VGS Golf & Country Club Supplies Click for info on how to Learn How To Play Golf. Click for more Golf Tips.
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Secrets of Hitting it Close out of the Sand Trap
Skull the ball over the Green? Chunk it short still in the sand? Can't get it close?
Well, I hear your pain. After playing and working with dozens of golfers, the sand game is an area where lots of strokes are lost!
SO, I have broken down the secrets to hitting it close out of the sand/bunker below, which will improve your consistency and lower your score immediately:
- Club Face Position: The Club Face should be in an open position (for right-handers this means it will be aimed to the right of your target) as this helps elevate the ball out of the bunker. You should take the same grip as you have on your full-swing.
- Feet & Shoulders: Your feet and shoulders should be in an open position to allow you to swing along your feet line (across and down on the ball). This is a very important factor to having a consistent bunker game - all the great bunker players swing outside to in, along the path of their feet. To ensure proper balance, stabilize yourself in the sand by digging your feet in an inch or two.
- Legs: KEEP YOUR LOWER BODY STILL when hitting from the sand. Having a strong leg drive or weight transfer will create inconsistent contact and result in the problems mentioned at the beginning of this article. Your focus should be on hitting the sand a few inches behind the ball.
- Splash the Sand: Focus on taking a thin divot of sand that starts behind the ball (unlike a shot from the fairway or rough where you hit the golf ball first and the divot follows). You want to imagine "splashing" through the sand with your club.
- Backswing: On a bunker shot, you should take the club back more abruptly than on a full swing. This allows you to generate a steeper angle down through the sand, which will result in the ball flying higher out of the bunker.
- Follow Through: Decelerating and an unfinished swing are the biggest contributors to poor bunker shots. Because you are hitting behind the ball, you need to accelerate through the shot and finish high!
- Practice: There are short-cuts around some parts of the golf game, but bunker play relies on feel and touch. You must practice it to improve, however, it doesn't have to be hours on end. Here's what you should focus on if you have 30 minutes in the practice bunker:
1. Take the time to get the proper setup (mentioned above) and ingrain that into your mind.
2. Draw a line in the sand behind the ball and focus on hitting that line (if it's a shorter bunker shot, open your club face slightly more and hit less sand before the ball – about 1 inch; for longer shots, hit 2-3 inches behind the ball).
3. Accelerate through the shot every time.
4. Practice hitting to different distances so you can get the feel of how hard you need to swing, how much sand you take before the ball, and how big your backswing is.
Now go out there and get to work! You WILL see a difference if you follow the above tips.
Sean Dainty
Quick-Fix Golf
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/golf-articles/the-secrets-of-hitting-it-close-out-of-the-sand-trap-4534173.html
Author: Sean D
Well, I hear your pain. After playing and working with dozens of golfers, the sand game is an area where lots of strokes are lost!
SO, I have broken down the secrets to hitting it close out of the sand/bunker below, which will improve your consistency and lower your score immediately:
- Club Face Position: The Club Face should be in an open position (for right-handers this means it will be aimed to the right of your target) as this helps elevate the ball out of the bunker. You should take the same grip as you have on your full-swing.
- Feet & Shoulders: Your feet and shoulders should be in an open position to allow you to swing along your feet line (across and down on the ball). This is a very important factor to having a consistent bunker game - all the great bunker players swing outside to in, along the path of their feet. To ensure proper balance, stabilize yourself in the sand by digging your feet in an inch or two.
- Legs: KEEP YOUR LOWER BODY STILL when hitting from the sand. Having a strong leg drive or weight transfer will create inconsistent contact and result in the problems mentioned at the beginning of this article. Your focus should be on hitting the sand a few inches behind the ball.
- Splash the Sand: Focus on taking a thin divot of sand that starts behind the ball (unlike a shot from the fairway or rough where you hit the golf ball first and the divot follows). You want to imagine "splashing" through the sand with your club.
- Backswing: On a bunker shot, you should take the club back more abruptly than on a full swing. This allows you to generate a steeper angle down through the sand, which will result in the ball flying higher out of the bunker.
- Follow Through: Decelerating and an unfinished swing are the biggest contributors to poor bunker shots. Because you are hitting behind the ball, you need to accelerate through the shot and finish high!
- Practice: There are short-cuts around some parts of the golf game, but bunker play relies on feel and touch. You must practice it to improve, however, it doesn't have to be hours on end. Here's what you should focus on if you have 30 minutes in the practice bunker:
1. Take the time to get the proper setup (mentioned above) and ingrain that into your mind.
2. Draw a line in the sand behind the ball and focus on hitting that line (if it's a shorter bunker shot, open your club face slightly more and hit less sand before the ball – about 1 inch; for longer shots, hit 2-3 inches behind the ball).
3. Accelerate through the shot every time.
4. Practice hitting to different distances so you can get the feel of how hard you need to swing, how much sand you take before the ball, and how big your backswing is.
Now go out there and get to work! You WILL see a difference if you follow the above tips.
Sean Dainty
Quick-Fix Golf
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/golf-articles/the-secrets-of-hitting-it-close-out-of-the-sand-trap-4534173.html
Author: Sean D
Monday, April 04, 2011
Play Your Best Golf - Finding Your Comfort Zone
Author: David Wakeman
Discovering how to uncover your comfort zone when enjoying a round of golf can lead to self-confidence, perseverance and lowered scores.
All players in addition to professional golfers encounter those first hole jitters. The big difference is in fact professional golfers can still perform at a advanced level under stress simply because have learned to unearth their comfort zone.
This is the exact converse for many amateurs. You may visit the first hole confidently and have it all slide to the wayside to not ever regain merely by hitting an errant drive.
Then there are occasions when you can approach the first golf tee feeling anxious. However you struck a picture perfect drive which will arrives safely in the center of the fairway. When this occurs you head down the first fairway with a spring in your stride feeling invigorated and ready to take on the golf course.
At that time you will have arrived within your comfort zone without even be aware of it.
So you really have to ask, "How can I find my comfort zone when playing a round of golf?"
Disregard About Your Score - As long as golf has been played, how well you score has long been the main focus. The problem is that worrying about your score has a tendency to create hesitation and also a concern about making a slip-up.
If you want to defeat this it's important to change your focus away from your score and set directly on the steps involved in playing the game. Focus on each and every golf shot and the results you want.
Pro golfers have developed the capacity to imagine each golf shot for what it is but not for how it influences their overall score.
Be Well Prepared In advance of Your Round - One of the biggest factors amateurs find it difficult finding his or her comfort zone is due to the lack of necessary preparing. All too often I see a golfer scrambling and rushing at the last minute to make their tee time.
It is an absolute show stopper. Oh there are some that can change from that very last minute rush to utter calm, but it is not normal.
To enable the average player to have any chance to find their comfort zone at the beginning of a round, you will need to prepare yourself by coming with plenty of additional time in order to get your thoughts focused upon golf.
Reach the golf course with sufficient time to loosen up, take some practice swings and a few putts. Get your head thinking about the game and not about the outside world. Whatever you put aside are going to be there when you step from all the closing hole.
Selective Short-term Memory - Disregard a bad shot you experienced and move on. There is absolutely nothing you could do concerning it after the fact. You need to build a discerning short-term memory. Leave the lousy shots in your dust and remember the best golf shots.
Ben Hogan once declared he anticipated having at least 3 or 4 poor golf shots in each round he completed. Hogan understood beforehand there would be a some cases when he'd be experiencing a recovery shot and readied himself emotionally.
You should expect similar. Provided you have prepared yourself to expect two or three errant shots, you're going to be less inclined of having them affect your round of golf. You are likely to remain in your comfort zone regardless that every golf shot isn't exactly what you wanted them to be.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/golf-articles/play-your-best-golf-finding-your-comfort-zone-4529106.html
About the Author
Golf 80% mental and the other 20% is in your head.
David Wakeman
WorldGolfEmporium.com
Discovering how to uncover your comfort zone when enjoying a round of golf can lead to self-confidence, perseverance and lowered scores.
All players in addition to professional golfers encounter those first hole jitters. The big difference is in fact professional golfers can still perform at a advanced level under stress simply because have learned to unearth their comfort zone.
This is the exact converse for many amateurs. You may visit the first hole confidently and have it all slide to the wayside to not ever regain merely by hitting an errant drive.
Then there are occasions when you can approach the first golf tee feeling anxious. However you struck a picture perfect drive which will arrives safely in the center of the fairway. When this occurs you head down the first fairway with a spring in your stride feeling invigorated and ready to take on the golf course.
At that time you will have arrived within your comfort zone without even be aware of it.
So you really have to ask, "How can I find my comfort zone when playing a round of golf?"
Disregard About Your Score - As long as golf has been played, how well you score has long been the main focus. The problem is that worrying about your score has a tendency to create hesitation and also a concern about making a slip-up.
If you want to defeat this it's important to change your focus away from your score and set directly on the steps involved in playing the game. Focus on each and every golf shot and the results you want.
Pro golfers have developed the capacity to imagine each golf shot for what it is but not for how it influences their overall score.
Be Well Prepared In advance of Your Round - One of the biggest factors amateurs find it difficult finding his or her comfort zone is due to the lack of necessary preparing. All too often I see a golfer scrambling and rushing at the last minute to make their tee time.
It is an absolute show stopper. Oh there are some that can change from that very last minute rush to utter calm, but it is not normal.
To enable the average player to have any chance to find their comfort zone at the beginning of a round, you will need to prepare yourself by coming with plenty of additional time in order to get your thoughts focused upon golf.
Reach the golf course with sufficient time to loosen up, take some practice swings and a few putts. Get your head thinking about the game and not about the outside world. Whatever you put aside are going to be there when you step from all the closing hole.
Selective Short-term Memory - Disregard a bad shot you experienced and move on. There is absolutely nothing you could do concerning it after the fact. You need to build a discerning short-term memory. Leave the lousy shots in your dust and remember the best golf shots.
Ben Hogan once declared he anticipated having at least 3 or 4 poor golf shots in each round he completed. Hogan understood beforehand there would be a some cases when he'd be experiencing a recovery shot and readied himself emotionally.
You should expect similar. Provided you have prepared yourself to expect two or three errant shots, you're going to be less inclined of having them affect your round of golf. You are likely to remain in your comfort zone regardless that every golf shot isn't exactly what you wanted them to be.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/golf-articles/play-your-best-golf-finding-your-comfort-zone-4529106.html
About the Author
Golf 80% mental and the other 20% is in your head.
David Wakeman
WorldGolfEmporium.com
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