What Makes a Good Golf Course

What Makes a Good Golf Course


The game of golf is played on a golf course – obviously. But have you ever thought what goes into making a good golf course? I mean, what makes a good golf course, and what makes a not-so-good golf course? While we don’t have the space to go through specific design layouts, we can touch on some of the aspects of a golf course that makes it fun to play yet challenging too.

Like the miniature golf course, a regular golf course should be fun. You really can’t add the fun windmills or other hazards on a regular golf course, but you can use the natural elements of the land to help build challenges into the layout.

Obviously, the first thing you’re going to need is land. I mean, you’re going to need A LOT of land! The golf course must have some long yardage holes as well as some shorter yardage holes. However, most golfers will agree that having mostly longer holes is a great challenge. But they also need those short par 3s for a little ego boost!

Having several sand bunkers is a great way to present challenge on the golf course. Most bunkers are located around the hole, but they can also be placed in the fairway for added headaches! Having to hit out of the sand provides for all sorts of stroke modifications, and golfers love to have the challenge at hand!

Water hazards are another great way to give golfers a challenge on the golf course. Natural lakes and rivers can be found all over the place, but you can also create man-made water hazards by digging out a large area and filling it with water – obviously! Water hazards make a player have to use finesse to avoid them and make a golf course fun to navigate.

The golf course that we play most often used to be a cow pasture. The rolling hills that used to have Holstein’s instead of golf carts make this particular golf course a lot of fun to try and get “up and down” on. Rolling hills cause a golf ball to – take a guess here – roll! You may have a great drive, but if your ball lands on the side of a hill, it will either stick there making your shot hard or it will roll off the side. Either way, this is another way to make a golf course challenging.

Natural trees and woods are also part of the golf course environment. There’s nothing worse to hear on a golf course than the sound of your ball hitting a tree. Then you have the fun task of trying to find out where the ball landed. Did it go further in or did the tree propel it out into the fairway? Either way, you have another great way to challenge yourself with natural elements.

Designing a golf course can be great fun – for both the designer as well as the player. Take in the natural elements of your favorite golf course and then navigate through those hazards with a positive attitude. Then you’ll be having fun!
For more on Golf Visit Denis Kermode at
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This is golfing for the serious Golfer

The Importance of the Golf Grip

The Importance of the Golf Grip

To play a good game of golf its essential to have a good grip. If you are gripping the club incorrectly or too hard, you will end up with your golf ball going to places a golf ball should never go. There is no one exact science to the golf grip, but there are three basic golf grips that golfers use today:

1* The overlapping grip is the most common golf grip used. It is used mostly by male golfers and those with strong wrists and forearms. The little finger of the right hand lies on top of or overlaps the index finger on the left hand.

2* The baseball grip is most commonly used by younger golfers, females, seniors, and those with weaker wrists and arms. The index finger of the left hand and the little finger of the right hand meet but do not overlap or interlock.

3* An interlocking grip will be used by golfers with shorter hands and fingers, those with thicker or chunkier palms, and golfers who have difficulty with the overlapping grip. The index finger of the left hand and the little finger of the right hand overlap each other and interlock.
Here is the basic way to grip a golf club no matter which grip you use. Start by holding the club directly in front of you with your right hand with the club head pointing away from you at about a 45 degree angle.

Next grip the club with your left hand. The club will be mainly in the palm across the pads at the base of the fingers. However, the club will lie across the first section of the index finger. The thumb will be positioned straight on top of the golf club shaft. Relative to the golf club, the thumb will be in the twelve o’clock position.

Now, with your right hand, grip the golf club just above your left hand with the fingers, not the palm, of your right hand. The thumb will be positioned slightly off to the left. Relative to the golf club, the thumb will be in an eleven o’clock position.

If you have gripped the golf club correctly, only the first two knuckles of your left hand will be visible. Also, your left thumb should be completely hidden under your right hand. The index finger position of your right hand will look and feel like a gun trigger finger.
If your golf grip pressure is right, the club could almost be pulled out of your hands, but not quite. A correct golf grip will make you feel as if you are holding the club mostly in the palm and last three fingers of your left hand. Regardless, both hands should hold the club with equal pressure. The correct golf grip will not guarantee a successful golf swing; but its a guarantee that a defective golf grip will almost always result in a failed golf swing.


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This is golfing for the serious Golfer

Benefits of Golf Instruction

Benefits of Golf Instruction

There are many ways you can go about receiving instruction for your golf game. Many of us – even those who have been golfing for a long time – can benefit from some type of golf instruction. The good news is that there are all sorts of options open to getting effective instruction on your golf game.
Most golf clubs have club pros on staff who are more than happy to offer lessons for a fee. The advantage to instruction like this is that you get one on one advice as well as specific fixes to your swing tailored to how your body moves.

Golf seminars and schools are often found in many places around the country. Professional instructors often travel around the country holding week long golf schools on local courses. This type of golf instruction is also advantageous because you are utilizing the skills and knowledge of a golf professional.
A student’s success comes from having an instructor that that he or she can relate to, understand, and can ultimately see improvement in their own game. In some cases students enjoy instructors who are rigorous and demanding while others enjoy an instructor who is patient and pushes the student at a slower rate.
Find an instructor that you are comfortable with and who has the credentials and experience to effectively provide the golf instruction you need. Ask questions before you sign up. Where did the instructor get his or her training? What kind of scores does he or she make on a consistent basis? You will want someone who knows what he or she is talking about so you don’t get bad advice and training.
Believe it or not, you can find some great golf instruction online at various websites in articles published by professionals in the game. These articles address specific parts of the golf game, so if you are looking for a way to improve your stance or get more distance from your drive, you can certainly find it online!
If you want to get better at the game of golf, you can’t go wrong when you seek out golf instruction. There are a lot of people who have learned about the game both in seminars as well as through playing. Above all, the most important part of golf instruction is to get out on the course and test out what you’ve been told. Learning through doing might be the best instructor of all.

For more on Golf Visit Denis Kermode at
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This golfing for the serious Golfers

Joining a Golf Club ( Memberships )

Joining a Golf Club ( Memberships )


Most golf club offer memberships to players making them part of the club. Having a membership in a golf club can be very advantageous both monetarily as well as socially!

A golf membership will give you access to certain things non-members won’t have. Your greens fees may be reduced or, more often, included in the membership. That means you can play as much as you want and not have to pay greens fees. Most golf memberships don’t include the use of a cart, so you’ll probably pay extra for that.

Having access to programs with your golf membership is another great perk. That might mean reduced fees for league play, free entry into tournaments, and access to the club’s facilities for other events like meetings, dinners, and more.

There are a lot of golf courses that won’t let you play unless you have membership with them. These are called private clubs and allow members and their guests only to play. That means without a golf membership to that club, you have to know someone who is a member in order to get on the course.

Even small, public courses offer golf memberships. This is a great way for them to generate more play as well as make some guaranteed money. They will offer up some of the other advantages that private clubs do in the form of free or reduced greens fees, etc.

Sometimes, golf memberships can be quite steep. For example, one of this author’s local golf clubs sets membership fees at $700 per year for a single membership. The course is run by a Senior PGA pro and it is a beautiful place to play. When you consider the amount of golfing we do, we have paid for our membership in just a few weeks just by saving on greens fees since we don’t pay to play as a member of the club.

When we speak of a golf membership, we can also refer to membership in a golfing organization. You have to be a pro to join the PGA, but amateurs can join amateur organizations. Most areas have regional golf organizations where you can buy a membership to become part of them. These associations often hold sanctioned tournaments and can really help get your name known at least locally as a good golfer.

If you’re an avid golfer, you really should consider buying a membership in your local golf club. It can be a very good move and can save you tons and tons of money while allowing you to enjoy the game you love!

For more on Golf Visit Denis Kermode at
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This golfing for the serious Golfers

Golf Schools

Going To Golf School


So you’ve decided to take up golf and think you need to attend a golf school to learn about the game and the mechanics of the game. You will be amazed by the number of golf schools to choose from you may find yourself overwhelmed and unsure which way to turn. Just how do you find the best golf school for your needs?

First, consider the cost. Obviously, you won’t want to “break the bank” on a golf school that you can’t afford. See what they charge and compare that cost to what they offer as well as what’s included in the price. The more perks included in the package, the more valuable the golf school will be for you.

You may want to find a golf school that caters to your specific situation. They do have specific schools that teach only women, only seniors, or only youth. These types of golf schools are located all over the country and can be great if you want someone to specifically address the problems or limitations that your situation might include.

What type of credentials does a particular golf school have? Are they sanctioned by one of the major golf associations? How are their instructors taught? A good golf school doesn’t have to be run by a famous golfer, but it should have instructors who have taken accredited courses on the effective teaching strategies that they need to know.

Class size, practice time, and techniques taught should also be considerations when you choose a golf school. If you will be put into a class of a hundred students, you won’t get as much one on one time with the instructor as if you were put in a class of 5.

Golf schools are often affiliated with country clubs and run through them. Some are resort based where students stay at the resort in a vacation setting and receive daily lessons. Some instructors will travel the country making stops at various country clubs where they will conduct week long schools for instruction.

There are many places you can go to when you are looking for a golf school. Many golf publications will feature golf schools prominently in their advertisements and they generally list the itineraries of the traveling instructors. Your local golf club will probably have information about golf schools in the area and even out of the area. Of course, you can also utilize the Internet when you are looking for a golf school. There are all sorts of websites that can guide you toward a golf school that will fit your needs and get you well on the way to a great golf game.

For more on Golf Visit Denis Kermode at
http://golfmastergames.com
This golfing for the serious Golfers

Golf Score, does it realy matter

Golf Score,
does it realy matter


When you are playing golf, your golf scores become both your best friends as well as your worst enemies. Many players live by their golf scores and judge their progress according to what the score card says. While you might think that your golf scores are the best gauge of how you are coming along as a golfer, that isn’t necessarily the case.

The way golf scores are tallied can mean so many things. Just because you shoot an 8 on a par 4 doesn’t necessarily mean you are a bad golfer. It might mean that you had a bad drive and a mis-aimed chip – but it doesn’t make you a bad golfer. So don’t put too much stock into what the scorecard says. Judge your golf game by how you play rather than what your scores are.

Golf scores are only meant to help you keep track of the strokes you take to get from tee box to the hole. They don’t ever take into consideration things like hazards, weather conditions, or anxiety. Sure, you can’t keep track of how you are doing without paying attention to your golf scores, but you still need to keep in mind that there are a million variables that can make your score fluctuate.

Of course, if you’re a golfer, you know all the terminology – birdie, eagle, bogey, double eagle (if you’re really lucky) – but the real story in golf scores lies in how you played the course and navigated the hole. Instead of keeping track of scores, why don’t you keep track of where you were for a particular shot and how that shot came out?

Let’s say, you make a horrible drive on a par 4 and only end up 100 yards off the tee box. Let’s hope it’s past the women’s tee – if you know what I mean! So now you are faced with a long fairway shot. You pick up your favorite club and smack a beautiful flyer right on the green. Who’s going to say that wasn’t a good golf shot? You end up with a par on the hole, but your score doesn’t really reflect that amazing shot now does it?

The point is, don’t put too much emphasis on the amount of strokes on your scorecard. Think about your golf score as a reflection of the amazing shots you’ve made as well as the flubbers you’ve had to live through as well. Then you can find out what kind of a golfer you are and not have to live by the golf score alone.
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Visit Denis Kermode at
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Golfing for Entertainment

Golfing for Entertainment


We live in a stressful world, so it’s only natural that we look for new venues of entertainment to ease our minds. You can get a lot of entertainment when you play the game of golf. Especially if you’re willing to have a little fun with it!

Some people get plenty of entertainment when they simply play the game of golf. But it can be made so much more fun when you put twists on regular games. You can modify the way you play and get a lot more enjoyment from the game.

For example, why not play a game of “monkey golf”. For this game, you put slips of paper in a hat that bears the name of each club in a normal bag. Players pick out a slip of paper and they have to use only that club for the entire round. The entertainment possibilities here are endless as you can imagine a person driving off the tee with a putter or chipping with a driver!

You can find great entertainment in the golf game when you play a little night golf. Golf courses aren’t lighted, but you can get glow in the dark balls and have grease pots on the greens so you can see where you’re going – well, sort of. It’s great fun to drive your ball and then have to navigate in the dark to see where it went! Let’s hope you didn’t slice into the woods!

A friendly game of Wolf is hilarious entertainment. With this game, you have the option of picking players to be on your team based on how they hit the ball. Teams can change often. But the most fun of this game is when a player is putting to win the hole. The other players are allowed to do anything they want as long as they don’t touch the ball. That leaves the field wide open. You can cover the player’s eyes, place obstacles in front of the hole – the possibilities are endless – and great fun!

Some friendly side bets can also increase the entertainment value of the golf game. Try making these bets with dares instead of money. Wouldn’t it be funny to make your opponent play with his or clothes turned inside out if they don’t make that putt? Use your imagination and be creative – however, keep it G-rated. The golf course is, after all, a public place!

Finding entertainment on the golf course is actually quite easy when you think outside of the proverbial box. Just remember that the whole point of a friendly game is to have fun. So go out and do it!


For more on Golf
Visit Denis Kermode at
http://golfmastergames.com/