Myrtle Beach is the best of both worlds for every golfer, QUALITY and QUANTITY. The Grand Strand has over 120 courses designed by the best in the game: Dye, Jones, Nicklaus, Palmer, and Fazio to name a few. Over 1 Million golfers played there in 2004. You will find the largest assortment of quality courses to test your game, both mentally and physically.

Ten years ago, our group of relatives, friends, and friends of friends, began our now yearly trek to this golf capital of the world. Although our line-up of players and courses alters slightly from year to year, one constant remains, that is the great golf bargains we have found in this golf mecca. Planning for the next years trip begins even before we putt out on the 18th hole of our final day. We don't want it to end, and we can't wait for the next trip to begin.

Living in the northeast, we play some great courses in PA, MD, and VA throughtout the year. But to us, it is all is just a warm-up to our late August mini-tour of this South Carolina beach town. With most of us approaching our late 40's or early 50's, it's the one time of year the wives let us indulge in a week of golf heaven, and we really get to be boys again (it pays to have picked the right mate). Since we have already fulfilled our families' summer vacation obligations, and the yard work is winding down, late August is the perfect time for our trip to paradise.

Playing Myrtle Beach in late August finds courses 1/2 to 1/3 of their premium peak season rates. Along with the lower hotel fees for this late season visit, we easily justify the trip. Crowds are low, most kids are back in school, and there are times when we are literally the only golfers on the course. Play is fast and cheap, so we have to go 36 holes!

We play combinations of "related" or "sister" courses like True Blue & Caledonia. Or, Tidewater & Grande Dunes. Many combinations like these provide substantional discounts for same day play, some even offer discounts for playing both in the same week. Complexes like the Legends or Wild Wing, have numerous courses on the same property where after a quick shower and lunch at their fantastic facilities, we are well tuned for a second 18 holes. Tee Times are in abundance for most of these top quality courses, we rarely run into a problem getting on a course. These are some of the best courses in the world. Where else can you play a TPC course for a replay rate of only $40-$50? The fee includes the same friendly accommodating staff, cart, practice range, full use of the facilities, locker room, restaurants, bar, and of course, the COURSE! All for a fraction of the peak season rates!

Private Membership courses are available for play as well. For example, stay at the "Caravelle", and Tee Times are available at "the Dunes" Golf & Beach Club. Newly renovated by Rees Jones, this course is a spectacular play, and former home of the PGA Senior Championship. Play it again the same day and pay less than you would for your regular muni-course back home.

Intimidated by the courses? Don't be, 4 or 5 sets of tees are available on most courses to accomodate almost all levels of play. Still not sure? Call the course. We have found the staff at any of these facilities always willing to help in providing information on any of the courses in the Grand Strand.

Check the local paper daily, as specials and bargains on golf are advertised regularly. Most hotels even have their own golf coordinator to assist you with tee times, course selections, and even transportation.

When you are finished with your golf for the day, you will find the restaraunts and nightly attractions as equally accessible and outstanding as the golf courses.

Lose a few balls? Break a club? Run out of tees? No problem. There is more than an ample supply of quaint little golf shoppes and massive bargain golf stores up and down the Grand Strand.

Three things you need to consider when taking advantage of these great golf bargains this time of year, and we have experienced all of them at one time or another. First, is the heat an humidity. Although it is typically not bad in the morning rounds, we experienced a few afternoon rounds which were quite uncomfortable. Second, it is hurricane season. In the past 10 years we were only pulled off a course once to evacuate.

However, most courses were open the next day. Third, the "Dupont Amateur", one of the largest amateur golf tournaments in the world. There are still more than enough courses, but you may have to avoid a few. The schedule of courses used for this tournament is listed daily in the local paper, (We simply plan our trip one week earlier. Although it really isn't necessary, we are just anxious to get there and "tee it up".)

Myrtle Beach in late August is a truly great golf bargain. A large quantity of quality courses to suit every golfers game and budget. We'll be there!

Ice Golf - only the coolest need apply!

Want to try the ultimate golf challenge on a course where you'll have no trouble staying cool over even the most testing putt? You should consider taking up Ice Golf - the most amazing development that the golf world has seen for decades.

Every year thirty six golfers (or lunatics, depending on your viewpoint) gather in Greenland to play in the World Ice Golf championship. This year's event takes place in late March and early April. The course is marked out on the ice of the frozen fjord and you can expect icebergs or the occasional polar bear for company! As the organisers say: "if you've played on the greens of Europe, then you'll find the "whites" of Greenland rather special."

The World Ice Golf Championship was the brainchild of Mr. Arne Neimann, a local resident and hotel proprietor on a small island called Uummannaq, off Greenland's North West coast. He and a friend designed the first course in 1997 and the sport took off from there.

The world championship is played on the ice in years when the conditions make the ice fields safe and predictable. Players compete over two days and play thirty six holes of stroke play. There is a "warm up" tournament the day before although "cool down" might be a more applicable phrase to describe the effect it has on the golfers. In March, when the world championships are held, the average temperature is minus 13.9 degrees Celsius, but temperatures as low as minus 25 can occur. The dry climate and the strong sunshine can make it seem slightly less cold than that - but not by much!

The organisers also try to keep the golf course open and accessible for several weeks each year for other open icegolf tournaments.

The greens are white and the balls are red. The "whites" are defined by a small wall of snow or by a red line on the ice. Players are allowed to use a scraper to smooth the snow on the white in front of their putt - the only time in golf that a player can legitimately improve the line of his putt. The snow and ice conditions underfoot vary from hole to hole and contestants need to wear polar ice gloves, artic boots and countless layers of clothing. Anti-glare sunglasses are also a good idea.

One contestant a few years ago quipped that "the only hole in one I scored was when one leg disappeared through a seal's breathing hole in the ice." There is also a local rule to deal with the unlikely situation of a polar bear interfering with your ball!

The organisers are looking for a new sponsor this year but in previous years the Drambuie liqueur company took the lead. Players and spectators were able to warm themselves by sampling some of the sponsor's finest product. As always however, even that feature has a twist to it. Rather than ice cubes in the drink, the drink was served in "ice cubes" or glasses carved out of ice to be more exact. Trophies were presented from tables carved out of ice and the scorer's tent was to be found in an igloo!

If you get the chance to visit Greenland for a game of ice golf then sieze it with both hands. It'll be the most unique game of your life.

The oldest golf course in the world...

If I asked you where the oldest golf course in the world was what would you say? Scotland – yes, good guess so far. But where in Scotland?

When pressed most golfers eventually say St Andrews, but they’re wrong. Golf was played at Musselburgh near Edinburgh at least ten years before any recorded games at St Andrews. Local records suggest that golf was played on the links land near the shore at Musselburgh from around the year 1567.

The “old course” in Musselburgh is still there today and retains much of its original layout. It has nine holes and the golf course can be played by all comers. Seven of the old course holes were laid out before 1830 (and probably much earlier) and the two “new holes” were added in the mid 1800’s.

The British Open golf tournament was held at Musselburgh on five occasions between 1874 and 1889 and the first ever golf competition for women was played on the old course in 1811. The club members still compete for the Old Club Cup, which dates back to 1774.

Even the holes in the greens are significant at Musselburgh. In 1829 the members decided to buy a mechanical device from a local blacksmith to cut the holes on the green. By chance he made it with a diameter of exactly four and a half inches. Golf holes at the time could be any size that the members wanted – there was no rule about it. In 1893 the Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St Andrews – who by this time wrote the rules of golf for the game worldwide – decided that all golf holes should be the same size as the ones at Musselburgh old course and the decision has remained unchanged to this day. Just measure the cup size on your local golf course if you don't believe me.

For a golf course of such historical importance, access is remarkably easy. You can simply pay and play if you wish and there is a small shop selling special souvenirs. Memberships are available for both local and overseas members – the latter might make a particularly unusual golf gift. Each overseas member receives a welcome pack with a history of the club, a special bag tag, special golf balls and tees and is welcome to join in any competitions if they come for a holiday in Scotland.

This truly is golf at it’s most authentic and in its most historical setting. Come try it – you will really feel the history of the place.

Try Ireland for a golf holiday full of emerald green magic!

Ireland is, without doubt, one of the world's friendliest countries. If you take a golf holiday in Ireland then you are certain to return home with memories to treasure for the rest of your golfing days.

The Irish landscape is full of history and steeped in legend - and it has a truly magical and mysterious quality that you simply don't find elsewhere in the world. Each little village will bewitch you with tales of it's past - while entertaining you richly with its beers, whiskies and food. This is hospitality at its simplest and best. Your golf holiday in Ireland will be truly unique.

Holiday golf in Ireland lets you choose from some of the world's best links courses and the softest, lushest inland fairways and greens. No excuses then! This really is the place to make all your golf holiday dreams come true.

For many golf holiday visitors to Ireland or Scotland playing on an ancient seaside links course is a large part of the attraction. But links golf will test both your stamina and your golf game in a way entirely unlike anything you've previously experienced. Links courses rarely allow electronic golf buggies or golf carts. Walking is the rule. This is partly to protect the courses and partly because the terrain would make it impossible to drive a buggy safely. Some of the larger more prestigious courses may have caddies available and most will allow you to pull a simple club carrying golf cart or trolley.

Be prepared too, for what is often the most unique and challenging feature of golf on a seaside links course – the wind! You should brace yourself (sometimes literally) for the fact that it is going to blow very hard and – by some remarkably twisted freak of nature – in such a way that it always seems to be in your face, no matter what direction you are headed in! No golf holiday in Ireland would be complete without almost being blown over as you line up that last tantalising three footer.

The fame of the golf links of Scotland – just a hop over the waters of the Irish Sea – has meant that the golf courses of Ireland remain relatively undiscovered. Ireland's golfers have been long-known and respected around the world but - for more than a hundred years - her golf courses have hidden quietly under the emerald green petticoats of their homeland. But not any longer! Names like Royal Portrush, Royal County Down, Portmarnock, Ballybunion, Mount Juliet, Druids Glen and The K Club are now reaching the lips of discerning players the world over. If you visit you will find that they are well worthy of the accolades they gather.

Treat yourself to the golf holiday of a lifetime - and may some of Ireland's magic rub off onto your putter!

Gordon Cameron is a doctor based in Edinburgh, Scotland.

When he's not busy saving lives he likes to hop over the Irish sea and attempt to save par on the golf courses of Ireland.

You’ve come home from work dead tired. You grab the mail on your way in and notice your new copy of your favorite golfing magazine is in the pile. It puts a slight smile on your face as a picture of you on a couch with an adult beverage suddenly pops into your mind. After getting into your evening uniform (sweats and slippers) you make your way to your favorite reclining device with that drink and a snack in hand to make that vision on the couch a reality. You get all settled with the TV on for background and you finally enter the “Jell Zone” to enjoy that golf magazine and your well-deserved relaxation period.

You go straight to the table of contents to see what is the most interesting article and there it is, swing advice from the winner of the last major tournament. “This is just what I need,” you say to yourself as you flip to the correct page knowing that your club tournament is 2 months away.

The article has one of those swing-sequence photo frames. It has some quotes from other pros. It has a sidebar from the “Top instructor of all time” with his ideas of the perfect swing. The second page of the article is dwarfed by an advertisement for the greatest swing gadget ever created by a human and endorsed by sixteen instruction schools in five countries. The author talks about how he “remade” his swing prior to winning that major but that his best buddy on tour is struggling using the same method and swing guru.

The captions on each of the swing-sequence photos point out the minute details of where parts of the body of the pro are at 10 different positions during the swing and which of those are “technically not correct”.

You don’t want to give up on the article, since you really do need the swing advice, so you go to your dressing room mirror and check a couple of your body parts with some of the pictures in the article while attempting to freeze your swing at the same points as the stop-action photos. “I got it!” you tell yourself when you match a couple of these positions and then practice them outside with your real club. You congratulate yourself and then sit back down in your easy chair to get back to the business of relaxing.

A little later in the evening, you flip to the Golf Channel and instead of the usual tournament from 1994 there is a lesson program from a pro instructor. Lo and behold, he teaches that the move you worked so hard on an hour ago was the prevailing instruction of the 1980’s and has since been proven to be “unreliable in competition”.

You jump out of your chair to go check your favorite golf sites about this guy on the show and it seems that he is everywhere when you do a search for him. A couple of articles you land on say he has the best golf instruction this side of the border and a couple more take pride in picking him apart. The instructor’s own website is loaded with testimonials from his students on how well his program worked for them so you keep surfing for further info.

This leads you to golf discussion boards, blogs, ezines, and untold numbers of websites that say that they have the secret to how to swing correctly. 3 hours later, you wake up from your golf web-surfing trance, realize you missed your bedtime an hour ago, and are now more confused than you were when before you opened that magazine in the mail.

You found more advice than your mind can process on a weekend day let alone a day that you had 3 meetings, your best employee quit, and your boss said something like: “…if you can’t (blah blah blah)…. we’ll find someone who will”.

Ok, that story was a bit exaggerated for most people (truth for me), but the point still stands:

There’s just too much instruction and tips on golf out there and we just don’t know what to do with it all!

And worse, you can find a lot of it that is exactly the opposite from one instructor (or pro) to the other. Many of you are well aware of this fact but still get caught up in something seemingly new that gets printed or posted that could potentially be hazardous to your game. And it’s not just us amateurs that get lost in this maze. Sports psychologists make a pretty penny on their touring professionals teaching them how to “Simplify” their swings and thought processes and “Focus” on what works for them.

So, what should we do about this problem? It’s very simple: just realize that more is not better for golf instruction and to continue to read and listen to golf tips with a very discriminating eye. Over the years, I have now come to the realization that most published golf instruction is designed for the better player and that a tip that works for the 5-handicapper could be a waste of time for a 20-handicapper. Not that it isn’t good advice, but the 20-hdcp should stop looking for more advice and start to work on something that will give him the greatest reduction in score for the time spent.

I know, I know, an article in a major magazine about “practicing good alignment” isn’t going to sell many copies even if it is 90% of all amateur golfer’s biggest problem. But the inescapable fact is, if you really wanted to get better at golf, you should read a basic instruction book like Ben Hogan’s “5 lessons The Modern Fundamentals of Golf.” And, only read one section at a time and work on what was taught in that section until it becomes a regular part of your game. And don’t read any further until you don’t have to think about it to do it correctly.

The other way to go is to pick an instructor or trainer and stick with them with a full set of lessons. You will need to actively ignore any other golf instruction that has the slightest hint of conflict with your lessons. If you run into something your instructor hasn’t taught you about, check with him/her. That is why golf lessons are spaced at least a week apart. Spaced repetition has long been known to be how we humans best learn things. It’s also why you can’t remember a darn thing about a subject 2 weeks after cramming for test on it.

Do the same thing with any other golf instruction that you find also. Don’t be tempted to jump ahead to Chapter 10 and see how to play a draw from a downhill slope because that ain’t gonna help you. O.k., I’m sorry to ruin your fun with your favorite golf magazine. So go ahead and give yourself permission to read and enjoy it again so long as you promise to yourself that you will stick to your plan of really trying to improve by working what you’ve learned one item at a time. Now get back to that couch and finish up that unwinding session you started. And since I’m already up, how’s your drink? Can I get you another one?

He's not eager to reveal his handicap; Around the truth he would often tap. They told him his game was taking a nap; That it never showed up; it needed a map!

Of his golf apparel he was Oh so proud! But people thought it was just too 'loud'. Often suggesting it needed a shroud; This caused a fight; a rolling dust cloud!

To his heart, golf was the key. It was on the green his soul felt free. He could hardly await the time for 'tee'; But club dues must be paid; this ride's got a fee.

Once in a blue moon he made a birdey; Though he knew much about golf (a little nerdy). About to tee off- his feet stood sturdy; But only took up a divot--brown and verde.

It didn't take long for his eyes to in-take; The path of the ball; the flight it must make. "Easy!", he thought. "This is gonna be cake!" But the fish all braced for it's entry into the lake.

In secret, the rules he would often bend; From his mind, a rationalization he would lend. To him, the means justified the end; Like the fiercest warrior, his handicap must he defend.

Into his 'golf life', sand traps would rain; Bogeys rolled in like some ghastly train. Cancelling out any birdeys he'd gained; "Another golf game", he sighed. "Oh, the pain!"

Shuffling into the house, his face fell. It tapered. His wife smirked, "You lost again, didn't you?" And imagined the caper. With an outstretched hand that 'said', "Pay her!"; Into her purse his $20 went. It vanished like a vapor!

"No dinner for me, thanks. I'm heading in early." "Awww, it's just a game," she said. "No need to be surley." "I'm not", he said. "I need to rise early." "Suuurrre!", she said. "You and the proverbial 'birdy'."

Preparing to tee-off on the par 4 tenth. (Internal dialogue, with a whisper) “Man! I’ve been playing my ass off all day and just barely making par.” You swing, catch a nice one, slightly off center, but very long. Unfortunately, you get a terrible bounce; the ball shoots to the left and nestles down in the spaghetti of the deep Bermuda. (Internal dialogue) “I should have a 100 yard pitch shot to the green, instead it’s gonna take every thing I have just to get it there.” You hit a world-class, Tiger Woods like shot out of the rough. The ball looks beautiful in the air and it's just about pin high. You yell, “Bite!” The ball nearly hits the stick, bounces twice, but unfortunately releases off the green onto the back fringe.

Wow! Even after the bad bounce off the tee shot and the insanely good shot out of the rough you should have a gimme from about three feet. Instead you’re gonna have to negotiate a 40-foot double-breaker just to try to nuzzle it up close. You take a deep breathe hit a nice smooth putt and watch for what seems like 1 minute and a half as the ball tracks toward the hole. (Internal Dialogue) “Man! That thing is tracking pretty well and with good speed. If this thing goes in, I’m gonna love myself so much.” A very humble “Go in” leaves you lips, just loud enough for the rest of the group to hear. The ball rims the cup and spins out about four feet to the left. Aaaauugh!

(Internal dialogue…you summarize) “An amazing 300-yard tee-shot down the middle, takes a bad bounce and ends up in the rough. Then, a freakishly good shot out of the deep stuff almost hits the flagstick but releases some 40 feet pass the hole. To top it off, I hit possibly the best putt of my life. It tracks like a demon, but rims out heartbreakingly. And, the guys are not going to gimme this 4-footer either.” You stand over you putt and confidently pound it into the back of the cup. Par’s always good, but you feel you deserve better.

Whether or not you’re an avid golfer you can relate to this story. We’ve all had times in our lives when we’re trying so hard and executing very well, yet things are not going our way. Just hang in there. Soon, things will seem to magically go your way. You’ll hit the “Zone” of life. You’ll achieve more in just a few months than many achieve in a lifetime. The time will come very soon when your tee shots will have an extra 20 yards on them and straight. Your approach shots will consistently be pin-high, even in gusty wind. And, the hole seems to vacuum your ball on any putt hit even remotely close. It’s coming baby! You’re gonna fly like a birdie.

He wanted golf to be experienced by all, And hoped his daughter would heed the call. "C'mon!", he said. "You'll have a ball!" "Why?", she asked. "Are we going to the mall?"

He'd often take his golf cart to work, And all his co-workers there would smirk. He didn't know why, and thought, "They're jerks!" "How could they belittle such a perk?!"

His swing was big and grand, yet dopey, He cried and cried when he made a bogey. Kids thought, "What's wrong with this old fogey?" He thought, "I'm not old. I sport a goatee."

He loved his old and tattered bag, His caddie thought it was such a drag. But he hated more "golf cart tag", The golfer played with him, when he didn't move the flag!

Forever chasing the elusive par, He'd hit the ball straight and far. In the traps, his ball seemed stuck to tar! He'd still be there, when "parking" had narrey a car!

He loved the smell of the "fresh-cut green", But to him it proved such a fiend. It's favor to him, was always lean! Despite it's beauty, it could be so mean!

The point of golf? To put the ball in the hole. You do that with a "curved-end' pole. But the path, always guarded by a "troll", Or maybe yet, some "ticked-off" mole!

He was never any good in the traps, In fact, his "game" would always flap. But to others, it seemed to sit on their laps, While he was reduced to stomping his cap!

He'd read the "mags" to take his golf game higher. He wanted the best ball--best putter---best driver. Often going to his wife to borrow a "fiver", She wouldn't budge. No matter how hard he tried to "jive" her!

Well, who actually did invent the game of Golf? The question has been asked and argued for many years with no true winner. Many countries have a valid claim to an early game that resembles the game of golf. Some of the countries that make this claim are England. Scotland, China, Rome, France, The Netherlands, Belgium and Laos. The most heated debate over who invented golf definitely comes from Great Britain and Scotland.

The first area to look when deciding the answer to our question must be what actually determines when a game with sticks and balls is golf or another game. Most countries in the world have had games where you hit an object with a stick at some sort of target. Is this enough to be called golf, I don’t think so. If so, then these early games could claim the origin of many sports played today. I think it takes more than just a game with some kind of object being hit by a stick to qualify as the origin of golf.

Holland is believed to be the origin of the name of golf but not the actual game itself. Holland played a game in the 1200s called Colf, which means clubs. This was a form of golf but once again the form of many other sports.

Colf has been traced back to Dec. 26, 1297, in the town of Loenen aan de Vecht in northern Holland. On that day, the local townsfolk played four holes of the game to commemorate the relieving of the Kronenburg Castle exactly one year before. The fact that colf was chosen to mark the occasion is proof that the game was already popular by that time.

Great Britain The earliest traces of golf history has golf being played are said to date back to 1340, where in a sketch from a stained glass window, the Great East Window, in the east wing of the Gloucester Cathedral, England, scenes of the Battle of Crecy in France showed a man apparently preparing to strike a ball in a golf-like manner.

One of the early forms of golf were all missing one important ingredient to their games to truly make the game golf and that was the hole. Scotland is widely believed to be the first country to put all the ingredients together and actually start a primitive form of the great game of golf.

Yes, this will always be a disputed point, who actually invented the game of golf. If you believe some of the claims that the game they were playing was golf and they didn’t have a hole, then you could take this same game and turn it into the origin of many games we still play today. I believe the hole is what separates all the early claims to who originated the game of golf.

Let's examine an aspect of the game that I find par- ticularly fascinating:- The strong emotions associated with this game of golf.

Before I started becoming a fan of this game, I always wondered how a game that looked so bland----and at times down right comatose-----that seemed to take boredom to a whole new level------could possibly have Any emotional appeal.

DID THIS GAME ACTUALLY HAVE A PULSE?!

I mean-------what could be simpler? PUT THE BALL IN THE HOLE, RIGHT?

How could that POSSIBLY produce such strong emotions (both on the green and off).

I see now that it's NOT just about competing to be the best against others, and to better your own game.

But that the game APPEARS to be so deceptively simple. Could THAT be the source of this emotional rollercoaster?

Remember when you first began? How you may have experienced difficulty just gripping the club handle? (Or just being allowed to join the local golf club?) ;-]

But yet you still managed to "putt" the ball in the hole? (A typical case of beginner's luck). You probably thought to yourself, "This isn't so bad. Piece of caKE!"

But then, all the realities of what could possibly go wrong between the tee and the hole came crashing down on your head. (That your instructor was so gracious to point out to you).

Wind direction, contour of the land, sand traps, bunkers, the rough, other players mocking you,...

That temporary NIRVANA of IGNORANT BLISS that you lived in was shattered to pieces forever at the next hole. Now instead of 4 or 5 strokes, it takes 7 or 8 strokes. Then 8 or 9...

You begin to overthink everything. Something that once easily flowed...now becomes mechanical and forced. Your smile and upbeat attitude are gone. Now replaced with embarassment. Nervousness. Irritability.

And finally,---the dreaded FRUSTRATION sets in. TO quit seems more and more like a good idea. (I mean who needs the aggravation?)

But you don't quit, right?The game is like an addiction to you after several weeks. There's something deep within the subconscious of we human beings that enjoys facing down a challenge...even if it's a sport.

THere's a drive to conquer in all of us. Even to the point of conquering our own weaknesses and seeming lack of ability.

It's a tough battle sometimes. If you've ever seen a golfer break his expensive titanium club over his knee, tie it in a knot, then toss it into the nearest water hazard,... Or screaming at the top of his lungs at a golf ball... Or trying to run his caddie over because he forgot to remove the flag in time...you know what I mean.

But the love still remains.

If you've ever seen a golfer drooling over a new bag of clubs in the sporting goods department of a department store... or have known yourself to pay the grounds keeper to let you play just four more holes after hours...Or remembered to bring your clubs on vacation, but left your wife standing in the drive way...you know what I mean!

The highs and lows of this game in the hearts and minds of golfers.

THIS is the emotional roller coaster I was referring to.

Going from one extreme to the next.

Can you see yourself living from day-to-day without this sport for any length of time?

Just think about that for a second...

HMMmm?

Feels like a rather BLEAK outlook doesn't it? ;-] Hm?

This sport has been "knitted" to our souls. We practically live and breath it now. And are always striving to become better. To knock just a few more strokes off.

Just keep punching, and that mountain's gonna fall!

We know that true skill is a "diamond in the rough", that can only be refined through hard work and practice.

Well...

Just keep drivin' fellow golfer! Keep drivin'!

Copyright 2005 by Kevin D. Rolle. All rights reserved.

We all here different opinions of great challenging golf courses around the world, full of history and storytelling of great games and tournaments between the legends of the professional world. Every year we hear of new championship courses opening but in my opinion they have a lot to live up to if they want to stand alongside the old greats.

My favourite world courses with their own individual characters over the years

Augusta - USA Augusta is a stunningly beautiful course located in the American Deep South. Augusta is the home of the world-renowned Masters tournament. Beautifully designed with lightning fast greens, without a doubt one of the world’s best.

Ballybunion - IRELAND Ballybunion is fantastic links course situated in County Kerry southern Ireland. Well known for it’s towering sand dunes and cliff side holes running along the Atlantic. Stunning scenery surrounds this course but it is an unbelievably challenging links course. A fantastic welcome awaits all who visits.

Cypress Point - USA Just a stone’s thrown away from Mayor Clint Eastwood’s Carmel and John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row. A fearsome course for hard men. The Monterey Peninsula on the American west coast is a pictures location but certainly one of the most difficult golf courses to date.

Kiawah Island - USA Kiawah Island was only opened in 1991. Located off the south coast of Carolina. Kiawah was awarded the 1991 Ryder Cup between Europe and the USA. Fabulous Atlantic setting rich in marsh land and sand dunes. A truly terrific links course.

Kingston Heath - AUSTRALIA One of Australia’s greatest golf courses. Located only 25km from the heart of Melbourne and is perfect test for championship golf. If you like bunkers then you will love Kingston Heath. Your sand wedge will be the best club in the bag (even bring a spare). Scoring well here needs you at your best concentration level.

Muirfield - SCOTLAND Muirfield is located of the East Lothian coast in Scotland. A very flat links golf course that allows you play to your handicap. Most championship links courses are designed with only the professional in mind, muirfield is a very popular links course in Britain.

Pebble Beach - USA Simply one of the greatest golf courses in the world. Pebble Beach is located just south of San Francisco. A VERY, VERY challenging golf course. High winds play and important factor on your scorecard. Pebble Beach is adjacent to the rocky Californian coastline. Deceptive on every hole, beautifully designed.

Pinehurst No. 2 - USA A traditional style golf course located in North Carolina. This course has not got the man made features that other golf courses and is not stunningly located. Some people may think what all the fuss is about with this course. A very true saying, “ A good course doesn’t need glitter and glitz, Pinehurst has its unique unspoiled holes and will always be a favourite.

St Andrews Old Course – Scotland St Andrews is the oldest golf course in the world. The home of golf itself. The date for which it was first laid is still up for question but we think somewhere in the early 1300’s. The course was designed around the natural hazards and still remains one of the worlds most challenging links courses today. Home of the Open Championship. St Andrews has four 18 hole courses but the old is still the best.

Valderrama – Spain Opened in 1985 but has become one of the favourites with the golfing world. Set with breathtaking views of the Mediterranean and surrounding mountains. It has become one of the world’s elite in championship courses. As stunning as it may look any wayward shot will be badly punished.

The above list of golf courses is from my own playing experience. Of course there are many more out there such as Royal Birkdale, Turnberry, Druids Glen (Druids Glen is based in County Wicklow Ireland and will be host to the Ryder Cup 2006) and so on that should have a mention, however I only speak from experience.

What makes a great Course?

The key factors:

· Good Architectural work to start

· Designed with the input of a professional golfer who knows the game

· To work with nature and include natures hazards as apposed to removing them

· Good accessible location

· Excellent drainage on the land

No matter what your standard of golf is like from high to low handicaps we will share in the same excitement when we enter onto the first tee.

Female golfers, like their male counter parts are looking for quick and easy ways to improve their distance and accuracy. I wish I had the “magic bullet” to accomplish this overnight, but that’s not possible…even if you see it in an advertisement.

I want to ask you a question.

What swings your club? This isn’t a trick question, but the answer is one you need to realize in order to improve your current golf game.

What was your answer? I’ll cut to the chase and tell you it’s your BODY!

Your body swings the club…nothing else!

Do you agree? If so, are you currently working on your body? What I mean is…are you focusing on improving your strength and flexibility specific to golf?

If not, you may be frustrated with your golf game for a LONG time to come. It’s unfortunate, but most golfers (male, female and juniors) don’t take this approach.

Realizing golf is a physical game that requires a tremendous amount of strength and flexibility is your first step to a MUCH better game.

Now the second question is "what is the difference between golf-specific exercises and general fitness exercises?"

You must first look at the required movement.

Golf is performed "on your feet", not sitting down like most machine exercises in your local gym.

Other requirements are stability, balance, coordination and sequence of motion. There is no possible way to address all the above requirements with machine exercises.

The answer is dynamic, golf-specific exercises done mostly "on your feet": but there are many exercises that you can do a stability ball using hand weights, exercise tubing and even weighted medicine balls.

I have heard from hundreds of golfers who have worked out on machines in their gyms and seen no improvement in their game. The main reason why is machines do not require control or stabilization. And they usually isolate one muscle group at a time.

The golf swing requires a sequence of motion, involving many if not all the major muscle groups in the body. That is why it’s very important to strengthen your muscles with exercises that mimic your swing.

With this basic understanding, you will be able to put more thought into the exercises that will improve your game quickly.

Female golfers, like their male counter parts are looking for quick and easy ways to improve their distance and accuracy. I wish I had the “magic bullet” to accomplish this overnight, but that’s not possible…even if you see it in an advertisement.

I want to ask you a question.

What swings your club? This isn’t a trick question, but the answer is one you need to realize in order to improve your current golf game.

What was your answer? I’ll cut to the chase and tell you it’s your BODY!

Your body swings the club…nothing else!

Do you agree? If so, are you currently working on your body? What I mean is…are you focusing on improving your strength and flexibility specific to golf?

If not, you may be frustrated with your golf game for a LONG time to come. It’s unfortunate, but most golfers (male, female and juniors) don’t take this approach.

Realizing golf is a physical game that requires a tremendous amount of strength and flexibility is your first step to a MUCH better game.

Now the second question is "what is the difference between golf-specific exercises and general fitness exercises?"

You must first look at the required movement.

Golf is performed "on your feet", not sitting down like most machine exercises in your local gym.

Other requirements are stability, balance, coordination and sequence of motion. There is no possible way to address all the above requirements with machine exercises.

The answer is dynamic, golf-specific exercises done mostly "on your feet": but there are many exercises that you can do a stability ball using hand weights, exercise tubing and even weighted medicine balls.

I have heard from hundreds of golfers who have worked out on machines in their gyms and seen no improvement in their game. The main reason why is machines do not require control or stabilization. And they usually isolate one muscle group at a time.

The golf swing requires a sequence of motion, involving many if not all the major muscle groups in the body. That is why it’s very important to strengthen your muscles with exercises that mimic your swing.

With this basic understanding, you will be able to put more thought into the exercises that will improve your game quickly.

Womens golf is not much different than mens golf, but there is one issue that comes to mind with women golfers.

Strength!

This is not always the case, but more times than not it is. The reason is…that women golfers don’t focus on improving their strength when it comes to playing better golf. They’ll hit more balls, take more lessons and even buy an instructional video or two.

Does this sound like you?

When you think of the golf swing; it takes a great amount of upper body strength to control the clubhead during the swing. Especially as you get to the longer irons and the driver.

The KEY to hitting longer drives, that go straighter more often is consistent swing mechanics. The ONLY way to duplicate optimal golf swing mechanics is to have a higher level of upper body strength ; especially in the shoulders and upper back muscles.

If you’re weak in the above mentioned areas, you will not be able to set the at the top of your backswing consistently…resulting in mishits and robbing you of valuable distance. Not the outcome you want.

But by doing just a few simple golf-specific strength exercises, your swing can/and will improve dramatically.

I’ve been fortunate to work with hundreds of women golfers and have seen this result time and time again.

Making the most of your valuable time, to improve your golf is a pre-requisite. We are all short of time, so anything we can do to speed up the results is worth looking into.

So don’t keep pounding golf balls and looking for the “magic bullet”. The magic bullet is looking at you in the mirror.

Now make it happen!

If you watch the Golf Channel or read any of the magazines and books on golf, it will be very hard for you to miss the basic theme that "There is a perfect swing and you will do the most for your game by trying to get it". Even when you watch a tournament on TV, you see the commentators participate in this conspiracy by showing us frame-by-frame analysis of the pro and critiquing his/her every move. Now, maybe we can give the TV guys a break because they are just trying for some entertainment value and let's face it, most of us are interested in the details of the swing because we've been brainwashed by years of this theme.

For many years, I too was a "swing zombie" in my quest to improve my golf game. I even participated with a group of golfers that all had our swings videotaped and then we critiqued each other in a classroom setting. The feedback I received from all of us watching my swing ran from "very smooth" to "way off-kilter". Everybody had a differing opinion of many of the swings that we watched and at least for me, it only confused me more.

In my younger years, I had a typical amateur slice swing that obviously came out of my years of playing baseball and softball. In those days, I would just aim for the left edge of any fairway and I could count on the ball moving left to right, at worst ending up in the right rough but usually hitting the fairway. I enjoyed playing golf those days but I always felt that something was missing. So when I could finally afford it,I decided to take a set of lessons from a pro. Of course I told him that I wanted to get rid of my slice swing and he asked me back "are you sure?". This answer kind of shocked me but he was a very good instructor and by the end of the lessons, I was able to hit the ball out of bounds both ways, left and right. I figured that it would just be a matter of time until I "dialed" in to hitting it straight. To make the story short, 5 years later and I was still "dialing" and getting wrong numbers (ob, jail, water,no score improvement, etc.).

Looking back, I honestly believe now that if I had stuck with my old left to right swing and just used the rest of what I learned from the pro, that I would have improved significantly. Why? Because I was a typical golfer and not a 12 handicapper trying to become a single-digiter (a good golfer trying to become a great one). Studies have shown that the overwhelming majority of amateur golfers shoot in the 90's or above for men and it's over 100 for women. If you are in that group, then you really should be working on parts of your game that will give you far more efficient score improvement for the time and effort spent. This would primarily be in the area of the short game and the mental game.

This is absolutely true for the average golfer but it may be true for all golfers as well. There is loads of evidence on the pro tours that the ones making the money are those best at chipping and putting. The golf research guru himself, Dave Pelz, actually followed tour players around for years taking detailed statistics and he proved it (see his book, My Short Game Bible). In addition to that, there are too many pros to list that admit that their swing is not "technically correct" or maybe not even very good...BUT THEY WIN TOURNAMENTS! Look at Jim Furyk, 2003 U.S. Open winner. He actually has a big loop in his backswing. Lee Trevino always told people that they should not copy his swing. Even Jack Nicklaus says in his books that he wasn't a very good ball striker. Bruce Lietzke has won tournaments on the PGA and Senior tours playing his left-to-right shot his whole career - And he says he rarely practices! On top of that, the tours are littered with past champions that totally lost their game AFTER they tried to change it for the better. And now they are begging their sports psychologist to help them "find" their old swing.

I have talked to PGA golf instructors that say it's their clients that want the swing advice (just like I did) even when they recommend working some other part of their game first. So maybe it's our own fault in creating the current situation where average scores of amateurs have not dropped one stroke in the last 50 years despite the advances in equipment technology. Now don't get me wrong, if you are a total beginner, maybe you should start out with learning the basics of the golf swing with a lesson. But if you're hitting it solid most of the time, you are good to go for a real scoring quest as more swing advice is not the quickest way for you to drop your score. There is just so much more that you can do, on and off the course, that will pay you back in saved strokes for far less time spent than "fixing" your swing. Most of us have precious little free time that we can work to improve our games so why not work on that which will give us the greatest bang for our (time) buck?

And so, let me be the first to make a pledge to the golf spirit inside me (I always thought that golf is like religion): "I for one, do solemnly swear that I will not pay attention to any swing advice of any sort until I can score in the 70's consistently with the swing I have (and maybe not even then)".

Picture yourself standing on the tee box of your favorite short 4 par. You've got your driver in hand. This hole is designed with risk-reward written all over it. If you hit it long and straight, you can get very near or maybe on the green with your driver to set up for an easy birdie. If you mis-hit it, you are looking at hazards or o/b and a balloon score.

You know the correct play here is to pull out an iron and lay up for a 100 yard shot to the green, but you just can't bring yourself to do it. You say to yourself, "What the heck, I'm going for it".

Because, after all is said and done, the idea behind playing golf is to have fun and if taking chances on the golf course and sometimes beating the odds is your idea of fun, who's to say that you are wrong about that? Myself, I'm more interested in playing for score than going for broke, but hey, that's just me. I will support anyone anytime who wants to go for the difficult tee shot with the possibility of pulling off an unbelievable shot as long as they are willing to gracefully accept the consequences of missing it .

What's the point to all of that? THE DRIVER IS KING of the golf bag! Driving the golf ball long and straight is the holy grail of almost all amateur golfers. Some will even leave a golf course happier if they were satisfied with the way they hit their driver than if they had a great score. Yet, we are constantly reminded of the old saying:

"Drive for show, and putt for dough"

Greg Norman disputes this old saw by saying in his book SHARK ATTACK: "Don't ever sell me on that line. If you can't put your tee-shot in play, the smoothest stroke in the world won't help you enough. To my mind, the most important shot in golf is the drive".

Do you feel better now? I do, because he isn't the only one who has made these types of remarks about driving. Furthermore if you really think about it, the importance of the driver and getting off the tee safely with some distance is probably greater for higher handicappers than the better golfers as the larger portion of their shots are spent in just getting to the green.

So what can we do about it short of another set of golf lessons? Plenty! Start off by getting a new driver, plain and simple. The new technology is light years ahead of the #1 wood of just 3 years ago.

Also, we must be able to direct our mind so that our brain and muscles are in sync and harmony in successfully pulling off this very violent of sports acts with the driving tool.

How to do all of that?

We must first understand how our DESIRE to hit this little white golf ball is translated into the correct contractions of muscles in a timing sequence that moves the driving club in the direction that will contact the ball squarely and with great force to achieve the outcome we want.

It's not that complicated. We are beings uniquely capable of original thought that comes from what we call our conscious mind. We create a thought there that is then communicated to our subconscious mind to make the act happen. What? Our subconscious mind makes the driver hit the ball? Yes! Here's proof:

The last time you rode a bike, did you have to say words to yourself to get your leg to push on the pedal? Did you have to tell yourself that you now have to balance yourself with a thousand small muscles all acting independently? Did you have to tell your left arm muscles to contract and your right arm muscles to release contraction in order to make a left turn? Of course not! You just thought very quickly with your conscious mind what you wanted to do and then it turned the accomplishment of that desire over to the subconscious mind. The subconscious then made it all happen.

This is no small feat to send a zillion electrical impulses out in a precise order in order to cause another zillion muscle fibers to contract or relax at the perfect time. This is the wonder of our bio-computer called the BRAIN.

So, what about all that golf advice about setup, position at the top, swing checkpoints, follow-through, etc? This is what you probably thought you would be reading about right? Folks, it's all good, however, it's sometimes too much for us to handle and causes us "paralysis by analysis". We need to work a plan that will give us maximum return for minimum effort and time. Most of us just don't have the time to go practice the multitude of advice we have been given on the swing and that is the only way you are going to improve if using a mechanical approach to improvement. A better, more time-efficient system, is a MENTAL one:

Remember this:

"The quality of our golf game is determined by the quality of our communication with ourselves."

Our subconscious mind controls all of our involuntary (don't have to think about) functions like breathing and heart rate but it also runs extremely complicated physical motions as long as it has been taught how. Hitting the driver is at the height of complication for the golf swing since we are expecting maximum force and speed coupled with keeping precision. After all, we could have pretty good precision when we have a 1-foot putt right? And we can lift our heaviest weight when we aren't concerned with whether or not we are going to drop it or not. We intuitively know that the harder we exert force on something, the less precision we have in that act. When using the driver in our golf game, we must realize a few key points in order to maximize our efficiency on the tee box.

1. The subconscious mind is the expert at swinging the driver, not the conscious.

If we have hit a great drive in the past, then our subconscious mind knows how to do it again. It knows the correct number and sequence of muscle contractions and nerve impulses required to repeat that great drive. All that is required is a clear communication of the desire to the subconscious mind. This is achieved with visualization prior to the actual swing.

2. The conscious mind tends to get in the way and must be given something to do to keep busy so that it doesn't interfere with the subconscious mind's work.

Once the desire has been communicated, you should think something simple during the swing like maybe singing a song or, a simple count of the actions of the swing as they are happening (ie 1.backswing, 2.top of swing, 3. forward motion, etc.). Or continue with the visualization of the ball flying exactly as you planned it in the middle of the swing. Or, you may be able to utilize self-hypnosis and concentrate directly and solely on that ball to put yourself in a zone-like state for the duration of the swing. Many golfers do this without even knowing it but it can be developed further with knowledge and effort in this area. (my website has free ebook on this).

3. There is a point of exertion of force on the driver that if we go beyond it, then our probability of keeping our precision is drastically reduced.

This falls under the Law of Diminishing Returns and is best explained by this analogy: how many cooks can you put in a kitchen before they start bumping into one another and actually start reducing their output as that number is exceeded. This point is different for everyone, but, most importantly: This point is at LESS FORCE than you think for most golfers who have trouble with their driver. In other plain terms...hit it solid first and then harder second.

Everything written thus far was with the intent of convincing you of this inescapable fact of hitting the driver. If you aren't convinced, then you won't take action. The actions required don't take any of your time but they do require consistent effort throughout your day. Golf is unforgiving to the lazy person but generous to the focused one.

So, make every effort this month, or this week if you have an upcoming round you want to get ready for and repeat to yourself (communicate with your subconscious mind) that you first and foremost always hit the driver square and on the sweet spot.

Say it to yourself at least one hundred or so times in a week (this is a lot easier to do than you are thinking right now). Picture in your mind what it would look like, how it would feel to have your drives go straight every single time. Zoom in on your driver about to make contact with the ball in your mental movies. Do this everywhere, anytime, but especially before falling asleep. Keep doing it on a consistent basis. Isn't that what we are striving for in golf - consistency? We have to build it into our way of thinking for it to happen out on the course.

There are many ways to effectively communicate with your subconscious mind. Basic affirmations and visualizations just described is the simplest. Once your subconscious accepts the idea as internal truth (and it must if you are persistent in convincing it), you will see dramatic improvement off the tee.

When it comes to choosing a new set up of golf clubs, you are obviously going to want the best, but more importantly you are going to want them at cheap prices. This is why manufacturers have decided on the idea of clone golf clubs. They not only play the same but are almost made to look the same as well. Customers are going to see that the prices are lower and that they are just as good as the “very, very best” which is why retailers capitalize on this.

I cannot see why a player cannot go out and beat a fellow player who has the so called “big name brands”. It makes perfect sense. People may look at cloned clubs and say that you have to own the best if you want to play the best but honestly this is not the case. I know this may sound off the mark but if Tiger Woods went out with a set of cloned clubs, its not as if he is going to drop dramatically in his play. Can you see where I am coming from? I hope this makes sense to you and I really think it does.

Cloned clubs are made to give beginners or whoever wants to play a chance to buy clubs at a lower cost and to get them into the game. Did you know that you could be saving several hundreds of dollars when buying clone golf clubs, which to me is very impressive. One key thing to know is that, the reason the price is lower is through savings on marketing and overheads rather than the materials used.

I hope you now see why clone golf clubs are worth buying and the fact that they are just the same as any set of clubs. So if you are buying a set of golf clubs then you should really consider cloned clubs, they can provide you with everything that you need but at a fraction of the cost!

Golf instruction is critical in understanding the mechanics of the golf swing. I am a firm believer in golf instruction. However, golf instruction is not the ONLY component to optimal golf performance.

I believe the BEST combination for maximizing your golf potential is golf instruction, mental golf AND the physical (fitness) side of golf.

You see, golf is a very demanding and stressful sport on your body.

To stand in a somewhat stationary position, while swinging a 3 foot long club at over 80 miles an hour, takes a tremendous amount of both strength and flexibility.

Do you agree?

I mean, how many times have you fallen off balance during your swing? Be honest. I’ll bet more times than you can count.

Why do you think this happens?

Mainly, because you’re swinging beyond what your body is physically capable of, while maintaining adequate stability.

The result is mishits, shorter distance on all clubs and even injury.

What’s the answer?

Get your body in shape, to take advantage of your lessons and optimize your potential. Taking this approach will result in the quickest transformation of your game. No doubt.

Here’s just one example of taking a lesson and not being physically capable of doing it.

Your golf instructor noticed you have a restricted backswing and tells you, you need to get a 90 degree shoulder turn with only a 45 degree hip turn.

That’s the optimum position for power and distance.

You try and try and can’t do it. Now you get frustrated that you’ve taken a golf lesson, but can’t do what your golf instructor wanted you to do.

Try as you might, unless you address the physical limitations that are keeping you from attaining that ideal position, you’ll NEVER get it!

So continuing to take lessons and not address “your” limitations is fruitless.

So the morale of the story?

Work on your BODY and your swing will get BETTER quickly!

Golf is an amazing mirror of life. Yes, other sports provide life lessons as well, but golf happens to be my favorite sport and the one I understand the best. It is an addiction, a mystical experience, a test of character, an escape, a source of rare joy and excruciating pain. No psychological test will tell you as much about a person's character as a round of golf. With the arrival of spring, here are some of my observations about golf and the game of life:

1. Expectations & Flexibility. Golf, like life, is not mastered in a season, and it is particularly frustrating if we approach it with stiff and inflexible expectations. Great golf begins with stretching, bending, loosening up, and matching my desired outcomes with the realities of a body grown lazy over the winter. A sense of humor, and a sprinkling of humility go a long way!

2. Clarity of Purpose. Many golfers never stop to think about why they play the game. To win? To have fun? For social reasons, or for the challenge? For the exercise? Just as striving to become rich and famous often creates frustration and disappointment, few will ever play professionally, and striving for perfection is a setup for "failure". Know why you play the game and where you find your satisfaction and joy in it.

3. Equipment. Most golfers play with clubs that don’t fit them, or that no longer suit their games. Graphite shafts and new club designs have revolutionized golf. Active golfers should have their clubs checked for loft, lie, and length, and have them re-gripped every season. Almost any job is easier with the right tools.

4. Solid Foundations. Golfers go to extremes. Some take lesson after lesson, trying to fix the tiniest flaw in their quest for the perfect swing. Others, ignore the classic foundations of grip, stance and swing in their eagerness to "do it my way." Success is usually found in a healthy balance of learning from the wisdom and experience of others, while celebrating your unique style and approach to the game.

5. Profitable Practice. On the day of a big tournament, I often go to the practice green and watch skilled, dedicated golfers practice missing putts. With a small crowd milling about, they quickly hit putt after putt, destroying their rhythm, timing and confidence. Then, in frustration, they wonder what ever happened to their carefully honed putting stroke! In golf, and in life, practice smart. Practice for success!

6. Smart Preparation. Tour players always play practice rounds. Ben Hogan used to walk the course at twilight before a tournament to learn all it’s hidden tricks and traps. Top players rehearse every shot in their imagination before going to the course. They prepare in advance so they are ready when the moment of truth arrives. It pays off.

7. Show up. The biggest challenge for many Nike Tour and other young players is to play their best golf without a nickel in their pocket, often lonely and far from home. They have reasons to be distracted. What are your excuses? Ram Das said, "Be here now." In golf, and in life, it’s hard to win if you don’t show up, or only show up for every-other swing!

8. Warm up. Every great athlete, the ones in the best physical and mental shape, respect their bodies enough to loosen up, stretch and rehearse before competition. Unfortunately, most amateurs don’t go to all that trouble. We jump out of the car, grab the clubs, and head for the first tee. Before any important event, arrive early, walk around, relax, and warm up to the task at hand.

9. Focus on Results. Every golf stroke creates a result. Sometimes the ball goes in the hole; sometimes it goes out of bounds. Golfers tend to focus (1) on the result they would have preferred, which is merely wishful thinking, or (2) on beating themselves up for being so "stupid", which is painful. Learn from every swing. Observe the results you actually get. Life never lies!

10. Review and Adjust. If you aren’t getting the results you want, find the reason. You can trust the ball; it goes where you hit it. If you want a different outcome, change your setup, routine, or other actions until you get the result you prefer. Someone said, "Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is a mark of insanity." Successful people learn quickly; others learn eventually.

Senior golf is accepted by the golfing community as a decline in performance that is inevitable. I’m here to tell you that’s incorrect! In no way does this have to happen.

For the senior golf player it may be more difficult to maintain a high level of performance, but not altogether impossible. You see, your body is the only factor that ultimately speeds up or slows down your performance as you get older.

It’s a fact that physical decline takes place as we age; and for some of us, it’s much quicker.

The senior golfer usually thinks it’s a flexibility issue, and it may very well be. But I’m here to tell you strength declines just as rapidly.

The solution is a golf fitness program geared to your needs and your current level of fitness. Starting at a point that is beyond your limits will result in failure and the never-ending pursuit for the “magic bullet”.

The aspects you should regard are: Strength, flexibility, endurance and even nutrition. These are the components of a total golf performance program, and should all be addressed. If one is left out, it could delay progress indefinitely.

This may sound overwhelming, but it really isn’t. With golf fitness becoming so popular now, there are books, videos, and even golf fitness trainers at your disposal.

Your first step is to get an evaluation to determine your “current level” of golf fitness. This is critical to your success. Realizing your starting point, will put you on the path to a MUCH improved golf game.

Once you’ve exposed your limitations, you can now get on a program to improve them and stop wasting valuable time on things that don’t. Even taking a golf lesson should be put off until you have improved your fitness specific to golf.

I have seen and heard of so many golfers (mostly senior golfers) who take a lesson, only to be more confused and frustrated because they can’t apply what they learned. This doesn’t have to be. Work on your BODY first, and your swing will improve automatically.

Doesn’t that make sense?

Now you may be thinking to do this new and exciting golf fitness program, you’ll need a gym.

Wrong!

All you need is a stability ball, hand weights, and some exercise tubing and you’ve got your new golf fitness home gym for under $50. No fancy, expensive equipment required.

This should be a relief to hear you can do this in the convenience of your home, with minimal equipment. This not only saves you time but money. The only thing left now, is to do it!

Don’t put if off for another second!

Procrastination will get you nowhere quickly. This IS the missing link to your best game ever!

Senior golf is accepted by the golfing community as a decline in performance that is inevitable. I’m here to tell you that’s incorrect! In no way does this have to happen.

For the senior golf player it may be more difficult to maintain a high level of performance, but not altogether impossible. You see, your body is the only factor that ultimately speeds up or slows down your performance as you get older.

It’s a fact that physical decline takes place as we age; and for some of us, it’s much quicker.

The senior golfer usually thinks it’s a flexibility issue, and it may very well be. But I’m here to tell you strength declines just as rapidly.

The solution is a golf fitness program geared to your needs and your current level of fitness. Starting at a point that is beyond your limits will result in failure and the never-ending pursuit for the “magic bullet”.

The aspects you should regard are: Strength, flexibility, endurance and even nutrition. These are the components of a total golf performance program, and should all be addressed. If one is left out, it could delay progress indefinitely.

This may sound overwhelming, but it really isn’t. With golf fitness becoming so popular now, there are books, videos, and even golf fitness trainers at your disposal.

Your first step is to get an evaluation to determine your “current level” of golf fitness. This is critical to your success. Realizing your starting point, will put you on the path to a MUCH improved golf game.

Once you’ve exposed your limitations, you can now get on a program to improve them and stop wasting valuable time on things that don’t. Even taking a golf lesson should be put off until you have improved your fitness specific to golf.

I have seen and heard of so many golfers (mostly senior golfers) who take a lesson, only to be more confused and frustrated because they can’t apply what they learned. This doesn’t have to be. Work on your BODY first, and your swing will improve automatically.

Doesn’t that make sense?

Now you may be thinking to do this new and exciting golf fitness program, you’ll need a gym.

Wrong!

All you need is a stability ball, hand weights, and some exercise tubing and you’ve got your new golf fitness home gym for under $50. No fancy, expensive equipment required.

This should be a relief to hear you can do this in the convenience of your home, with minimal equipment. This not only saves you time but money. The only thing left now, is to do it!

Don’t put if off for another second!

Procrastination will get you nowhere quickly. This IS the missing link to your best game ever!

Every golfer wants to know the secret golf tip to improve their distance. The secret, is there is NO secret. It’s common sense, and treating golf like a sport. The golf swing is not for the weak and feeble anymore.

Any golf tips you hear to improve distance should somehow be directly or indirectly related to the physical side of the golf swing. I mean…don’t you think the swing puts a tremendous amount of pressure on your body, especially your lower back?

To alleviate this pain and quickly improve your distance takes strength and stretching, specific to your body and your golf swing.

So the quick fixes (band aides) you hear in all the magazines and on the golf channel are short-term fixes. You won’t be able to consistently duplicate it until you improve your physical limitations.

So let’s get to these simple, yet valuable tips.

Tip #1:

Perform a dynamic warm-up prior to the first tee. Don’t ever skip it. It is more important than hitting balls before you play. How many times do you see a professional athlete go on the field and start playing? Never. That’s my point.

A Simple Warm-Up could be some arm circles, toe touches, squats with your club, and standing twists holding the club out in front of you chest high.

That’s it! Simple yet very effective to prepare your body for that LONG drive on the first tee.

Tip #2

Stretching on the course will keep your body nice and loose to make that FULL backswing, generating high clubhead speed and consistently LONG drives. There are just a few KEY stretches specific to your swing, that can keep your body relaxed for 18 holes.

One stretch I’ll tell you is the backswing/shoulder stretch. It’s a very simple stretch that will maintain a full and fluid backswing.

All you do is get in your golf posture, with your arms hanging naturally in front of you. For a right-handed golfer, you would take your right hand underneath your left, so the back of both hands are touching each other.

Now gently apply pressure from the back of your right hand against your left and pull your upper body all the way in your backswing and hold. Hold it for 15 seconds and repeat once more.

This stretch should be done on almost every hole to get the most out of it.

Tip #3

Improve your core strength and rotational speed. This one is done “off the course”, and can even be done in your home with minimal equipment. Now this is just one tip (exercise) of many you can do to dramatically explode your drives “on the course”.

Since the simple golf swing is a turn back and a turn through, it is rotational in nature. Then why wouldn’t you do many exercises to improve your rotational strength and flexibility?

If you’re serious about your game, you will now!

One simple golf exercise is the Seated Twist with a dumbbell. It’s very easy and can be done with a 5 or 8 pound dumbbell.

While sitting on the ground, grab a single dumbbell with both hands and hold it out in front of you.

Now lean back putting tension on the abs. Your legs will be bent at a 90 degree angle in the knee, and together.

Start rotationg side to side, only with your upper body. Try keeping your lower body as stable as possible.

You will do 3 sets of 20 repetitions to get the full benefit of the exercise. Again, this is just ONE exercise of many that will strengthen your rotational muscles of your core.

I’ve just showed you 3 quick and easy golf tips to dramatically increase your distance. Now go out and make it happen!