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In golf, the driver is also known as the 1 wood. Normally it’s the longest club in the bag and has the largest head. This club is used to hit the ball off the tee out of the box, which is where the ball is teed up to start playing a hole. Of course, on a short par 3 hole, the driver would be left in the bag, and another club would be selected, unless the golfer just had a hankering to fly the green and blow any chance at making a birdie or par.

Now, it should be noted that the club known as the driver is not something that can be used to literally drive someone around. If anyone put this club behind the wheel of their car and climbed into the back seat expecting to be chauffeured to a specific destination, or just driven around in general, they will have a very, very, very long wait. After all, it is a golf club, not someone who gets paid to drive cars. It does not have arms or legs, nor does it have eyes or ears. You will note there was no mention of a brain, but that is because there are so many people on the road who also do not appear to have a functioning brain while they are driving.

On the other hand, a driver (the golf club) is a great way to get the ball down the links on the golf course. A well hit ball can travel more than three hundred yards. However, this kind of driving power is most often seen on the Professional Golf Association (PGA) tour. The average golfer is doing well to hit the ball two hundred and fifty to two hundred and seventy five yards off the tee and these are not drives to be ashamed of.

There is no set average distance for holes on the golf course, which makes driving on different courses a major challenge, in some cases. Some par 4 holes can be as short as two hundred and eighty five yards, while others can be closer to five hundred yards in length. Either way, a well hit drive is required to do well in the game of golf.

The basic idea of driving the golf ball is to keep the ball in the fairway, out of the rough, avoiding sand traps, and most definitely staying away from any water hazards the course may have to offer. This concept, though, is easier said than done. After all, the least little thing can affect the golfer’s concentration. This can result in the ball being, toed, or hit off the front of the driver, or heeled, which is when the ball is hit off the back part of the driver. Those are bad things.

Toeing a drive will send the ball sharply to the right if the golfer is right handed, or to the left if the golfer is a southpaw. Consequently, a drive hit off the heel of the club will go left for the right handed player and right for the lefty.

Tags: Golf Traing, Golf Club, Golf Course

You can have any number of personally detailed golf accessories. Customized golf equipment, accessories or paraphernalia is a wonderful gift ideal for the golfer in your life. It is also a wonderful purchase for your own golf needs. Golf clubs alone have some original accessories that are easily found and made more special with personal touches.

The idea of personalizing golf equipment can begin with the gold bag that carries the precious cargo of your clubs. Monograms stitched into the leather or canvas is an unobtrusive way to show ownership and also to personalize. Using monogrammed golf towels or using golf balls with your name on them is a great way to personalize the golf scene without being tacky or presumptuous. And you never know when a large bag of discount personalized golf tees could really come in handy.

Golf clubs with the owners name engraved in them is the beginning of a long list of wonderful personalized and customized golf equipment. Needing golf clubs that vary from the ordinary in height, length or strength is what customizing is all about. You will discover there is a whole retail world out there that thrives on customization. Golf clubs are indeed just the beginning.

Golf apparel is no exception to the personal side of golf. Comfortable and affordable clothes, shoes, hats and umbrellas are just a few of the enormous choices available for personalized golf. With discount and wholesale golf apparel shops offering every affordable style is made available to the golfing public there is no reason not to be original in your appearance on the golf course.

So many great gift ideas come to mind when you think about customizing and personalizing golf equipment. Head covers can boast the family crest or they can even be a knitted gift from your teenage daughters for your birthday. Either way they are equally cherished for their unique sentimental value.

Customizing your vacation to include a home rented in advance in Augusta, Georgia for a personal view of the Masters can be an amazing way to show your loyalty to the sport of golf. Being up close and personal to such an event is something planned well in advance and could be in some cases a once in a lifetime occurrence. Customized and personalized can go hand in hand and need not be so expensive. Creating your own tournament for a good cause is always a fun project for the entire family or helpful organization.

Customizing your golf accessories can range from the practical to the outrageous. Installing seat warmers or air conditioners in your golf car might seem a little extravagant to some people. If you are serious about your golf these accessories and customizations are deemed a necessity. A seat warmer or range finder may seem trivial in comparison to some extravagant examples. Golf cars that look like the SUV in your driveway may seem a little excessive. If you have the money to indulge in such luxuries than so be it. Who said a Rolls Royce golf car was over the top?

Tags: Golf Course, Golf Traing, Golf Tips

You and your golf clubs have been through a lot together: the four person benefit scramble, the company tournament and weekends of enjoyment. They become an integral part of your life so it makes sense to take good care of them. Golf club maintenance is easy and adds years of life to your set by simply keeping them clean.

All you will need is a bucket, some mild dish liquid (not the kind used for automatic dishwashers), an old toothbrush, and some soft towels. It helps to do the cleaning outside so you can rinse them with a water hose, but you may choose to clean them in a bathroom or utility room if the clubs are not too dirty.

First, pour a few drops of dish liquid in the bucket. Add warm water and briskly swish your hand back and forth in the bucket to create warm, sudsy water. Don’t fill the bucket too full. You want the water to cover the heads of your golf clubs, but not much else.

Put your irons into the bucket of warm, sudsy water. Use a cloth to “bathe” them. It is that simple! Once you have given the clubs a simple wash down, get the toothbrush and scrub the heads to remove dirt from the grooves. Depending on how dirty your clubs are, this might take a little effort and some elbow grease.

Once you have washed your golf clubs and cleaned their grooves, you will need to rinse them. A sprayer works great so if you are outside, simply hose off the soap and dirt with the outdoor water hose. Indoors, use the shower. You can simply run them under a faucet inside, too. No matter how you choose to rinse the clubs, make sure you dry them well.

Use another clean cloth and dry the club. Make sure it dries completely to avoid spots and damage. Clean the handles and any wood work on the golf clubs with a dampened cloth. It is safest not to ever submerge golf club wood work into water. The water might damage the coloring, protective coat or the wood itself.

While your clubs are out, clean out your bag. A quick wipe down of the bag’s interior with a damp cloth is generally all the inside needs. Follow up with a wipe down using a dry cloth. Spot clean the outside of your bag after each golf outing as needed. Once the clubs have been individually washed and dried, return them to the clean bag.

If you think it is silly to wash and dry your golf clubs, look around next time you are at the course. Make note of how many other golfers are playing with clean clubs. They take care of them because the clubs are an instrumental tool of the sport, just like cleaning a gun after a hunting session or target practice.

When you take good care of your golf clubs after each outing, you’ll be ready to hit the greens for your next tee time!  

Tags: Golf Accessories, Golf Course, Golf Traing

If you’ve been thinking about taking up golf, or if you’re a golfer in search of a better game, you may have considered golf lessons. But are golf lessons really beneficial? And how do you find a pro who will offer good advice?

There are some who swear that lessons are vital and others who say that practice is the only thing that will improve your golf game. The truth seems to lie somewhere in the middle. But before you drop your coach or sign up for lessons, consider what it is that you hope golf lessons will accomplish. Outlining your goals may help you decide whether you truly need lessons or simply more time on the course.

If you play with others who play exceptionally well, you may want to find someone to give you some help with your game. Whether that’s a paid coach or merely a friend who plays well is strictly a personal choice. Getting some pointers and tips may be a good way to ensure that you don’t totally embarrass yourself in front of other players.

If you’re serious about the game, you’ve probably been involved long enough that you don’t need advice on whether to get a coach. But if you’ve only recently discovered the joy of golfing, you may find yourself looking for a way to improve your game. Golf lessons could very well be the answer.

Some people say that lessons give them a set time to practice and an opportunity to completely focus on the game. You’ll typically be less interrupted than if you were playing on your own, stopping to chat with friends along the way. But others say the simple fact of having someone scrutinizing every move and offering constant advice is more distracting than helpful. Decide whether you’re one of those who accept direction and works well in that situation. That’s a major clue as to whether golf lessons are a good idea.

Remember that a golf coach’s job is to teach you to golf correctly. That means that there are some habits that he (or she) will be trying to ingrain and others they’ll be trying to break. While golfing correctly is a terrific goal, many golfers have some bad habits that they tout as benefiting their game. Changing your grip, adjusting your stance or even using different equipment may be among the “must do” list from your coach. You may resist those changes. You have two options. You can do your best to follow the instructions, or you can explain that you aren’t planning to change that particular habit. If you don’t plan to change, you may need to reexamine your decision to take lessons. Without following directions, lessons may become a waste of time and effort on both parts, and money on yours.

Golf lessons are great for some people. It’s a personal decision whether you are one of those who will benefit from a coach – formal or informal. But remember that the most important thing to improve your golf game is simply practice.

Tags: Golf Accessories, Golf Course, Golf Traing

Few things are more important to a golfer than a good golf bag. First off, golf bags come in many styles and a wide variety of colors. You can choose a bag for  style, features or pick a color to match your mood.

Some have legs that fold out when they are placed on the ground and stand upright so the golfer doesn’t have to bend down and pick it up. That’s a nice feature in golf bags, especially if the golfer tends to walk the course, as many do. There is plenty of bending to be done when a golfer is trying to remove an obstacle from around his or her ball, or to get the ball out of the cup, so any way to avoid bending over is more than appreciated.

All golf bags have compartments where the golf clubs are to be placed. Each golfer has his or her own way of doing this and putting clubs where he or she wants them. Some golfers, though, are lazy and just stick their clubs in the compartments, grabbing whichever one they want when a particular club is needed. But, some golf bags have tubes to protect the club grips. These are nice to have. With the tubes, a golfer can get his or her clubs out easier. The clubs are never tangled up, and the grips last a lot longer.

Another important factor in choosing a golf bag is the number of pockets it has. Frankly, there’s no such thing as too many pockets in a golf bag. First, one of the pockets will be used to hold the golf bag’s hood. The hood is used to keep the clubs and bag from getting drenched when it rains. Another pocket will be used to keep extra towels (believe it or not, extra towels are important in the summer to keep the sweat off the brow and out of the eyes, along with keeping the hands relatively dry. Then, there is the pocket used for keeping the extra golf tees and possibly the divot tool. Finally, a pocket is needed for the golf balls themselves, and it doesn’t hurt to have a pocket to carry another dozen balls in, just in case.

Some courses are so difficult it is easy to lose a lot of balls during 18-holes of play. This makes having an extra box of balls around a good thing, but there has to be somewhere in the golf bag to keep them, which means another pocket.

Imagine trying to play golf without a bag. The golfer would be constantly stooping over picking up clubs, tees, balls, towels and the divot tool. Then he or she would have to walk to the ball, drop all of the clubs and stuff, select a club, hit the ball, and start the process all over again. It would be a major pain in the neck, and would make it nearly impossible to finish playing a round of golf. So, golf bags are an essential part of the game of golf.

Tags: Golf Course, Golf Vacation, Golf Tips

While some kind of footwear is required on most golf courses, are golf shoes really necessary? This is a question to be answered by each individual golfer as it is his or her feet we are talking about.

Some courses require soft spikes only so the course doesn’t get chewed up with the walking around people have to do when playing, especially if the people are walking the entire course. And, most club houses will only allow soft spikes to be worn inside, to protect the carpet.

Let us be honest with one another, the vast majority of golf shoes are not attractive footwear. But, golf shoes are far from being the ugliest footwear in sports. That honor, dubious though it may be, belongs entirely to bowling shoes. Who, in their right mind, would want to wear red and green shoes, especially that type of shoes? At least golf shoes are designed in a more practical, and somewhat more attractive, manner. But, are they really needed in order for a person to play golf?

No, they are not. The footwear a golfer chooses to wear can be practically anything from moccasins to a good athletic shoe. A golfer’s footwork is more important than his or her choice in footwear.

But, the shoe a golfer wears should be comfortable on his or her feet. There is nothing worse for a golfer than an uncomfortable shoe. If the toes are pinched, or the back rides up on the heel, the golfer will be miserable and will not be able to concentrate on playing golf, which is why he or she is on the golf course in the first place.

So, comfort comes first. After comfort, traction is important. This is because the golfer can’t have their feet turning after they have struck the ball. If this happens, the ball will careen wildly, most likely winding up as a major league slice or hook. The ball, though, will not go where the golfer had planned to hit it.

Should a golfer choose to forego golf shoes for another type of footwear, he or she should think about the type of shoe he or she wants to wear on the links. They should then examine the tread pattern on the bottom of the shoe. If the bottom of the shoe is slick, with no pattern at all, it would be a good idea to leave these shoes behind as there will be little, if any traction, and none at all if the course is wet, either from rain or dew.

What is the best type of tread pattern? Again, this will be up to the individual golfer and his or her preferences. For some, the old tire tread pattern (used on the sole of a lot of boots and sandals) works well. This type of shoe sole will provide traction for the golfer. Some may prefer a circular pattern of sole, while others may like something entirely different.

The most important thing, though, is for the golfer to be comfortable and confident with the shoes being worn when playing. In fact, the less a golfer thinks about shoes when playing is a good thing.

Tags: Golf Club, Golf Vacation, Golf Course

One thing every golfer will agree on is no golf course is ever the same. While playing different courses is fun and challenging, playing ones home course, no matter how many times it is done, is always going to be different.

Yes, it is the same course, nothing has been changed, except for the position of the cup on the green, but no golf course is ever exactly the same two days in a row, or, for that matter, the same day.

Will Smith in the movie “The Legend of Bagger Vance” told his protégé how the grass follows the sun, which means a putt that broke one way in the morning will break in the opposite direction in the afternoon.

Another thing that makes the same course different every day is the weather conditions. Weather plays a big factor in golf, and how a course plays. A wet course will play slower and the ball will not travel as far after hitting the ground. On a dry course, the ball will roll farther after hitting the turf.

A course will also play differently in hot or cold weather. Colder weather keeps the ball from traveling as far, while a well hit ball will go further on a warm or hot day. Additionally, if an area has been dry for any length of time, the fairways, unless they are watered heavily every day, will become as hard as concrete and provide extra distance once the ball hits the ground.

Then comes the golfer’s attitude. Yes, the frame of mind a golfer is in will have a direct affect on how well he or she plays and reacts to the course. Golf is a game requiring a calm, focused mind, so the player can concentrate on what he or she is trying to do on any particular shot.

One other thing that will make the same course play differently is how the grounds are kept. If the fairway is allowed to grow a little long, balls will not be able to roll as far, whereas, if they are kept trimmed close to the ground, the ball will roll further.

The rough is a whole other problem, as are other obstacles on the course, such as sprinkler heads. The rough is always going to be thick and hard to play out of, but a heavy, wet rough makes it almost impossible for a golfer to do much more than simply attempt to chip back onto the fairway. Sprinkler heads, which are positioned all over the course, will have an adverse affect on a ball that happens to hit them.

Believe it or not, who a person is playing with, or if he or she is playing alone when he or she normally plays with someone else will affect the way the course is played. So, this only goes to show how the same course, no matter how many times a person plays it, is never the same course twice.

Tags: Golf Course, Golf Training

Tags: Golf Tips

What is the ideal golfing trip? Frankly, it will be different for everybody, and not necessarily the same for an individual.

For some golfers the ideal outing would be going to a major course and getting to play on it, knowing professional golfers had played over this same course. What golfer would not want to play the course where the Master’s or U.S. Open is held? Most would almost kill (figuratively speaking) for the chance. These are courses where legends have played - players such as Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods. (Yes, Woods can be considered a legend of golf based simply on the fact he has won so many tournaments at such a young age.)

For others, though, the ideal golfing is not so much where they play as to the weather conditions. Some golfers prefer a day with mild temperatures and a light breeze to help keep them cool, while others want a challenge and will go to the extremes weather-wise. There are those who will play when the temperature hits triple digits, or drops well below freezing, just to see how well they play under these circumstances.

And, there are golfers who will play in the snow and at night. Specially designed golf balls have been created for these golfers. The night players can chase their glow-in-the-dark golf balls all over the course, but need to take a flashlight to prevent running into a tree or some other hazard on the course. For those who play in the snow, fluorescent golf balls were created. These brightly colored balls are easy to see against the snow-covered course.

Either way, golfing in the extreme is a challenge, and not one for the faint of heart, or the poor of play. For golfers who play in extreme heat, they need to remember to bring plenty of water to drink and leave all alcoholic beverages alone. Those who play in the cold should have something warm to drink in a thermos to help keep their body temperature up, even if they are walking the course. But, these people tender to consider this to be ideal golf outings.

For most golfers, though, the ideal golf outing is simply the chance to go to their favorite course with a few friends and chase golf balls all over the pasture, just having a good time and not taking the game too seriously. This is the most prevalent type of golfer, and these players can usually be found playing in couples and foursomes. They will chide one another on a bad shot, while complimenting one another on good shots and putts. The final score rarely matters (unless they tend to be serious golfers), as they are on the links to have a good time and get away from the stresses of every day life.

Oddly enough, there are golfers who prefer to play the game by themselves. The solo golfer will most likely walk the course, getting to know the feel of every tee box, fairway and green with his or her feet.

Whether you’re looking to travel to new courses every chance you get, to find extreme challenges, hoping to improve your game, or just enjoy the drive, the putt and the satisfaction of a completed round of golf, it’s up to you to define your ideal golfing experience. All that’s left after that is to go out and make it happen.

Tags: Golf Vacation, Golf Trip

Tags: Golf Tips

Anyone who has seen the movie “Tin Cup”, starring Kevin Costner, will understand the importance of the seven iron – the perfect golf club.

A golfer can literally shoot par on just about any course using nothing more than a seven iron and a putter. Granted, driving with a seven iron will not get the golfer drives of three hundred yards, but, then again, this club was not designed to hit the ball that far. But, depending on how strong the golfer is, a good shot with a seven iron can be anywhere from one hundred and seventy five yards to two hundred and twenty five yards, and those are not distances to sneeze at.

Following the drive with the seven iron, the golfer would then make his or her approach shot. Depending on the length of the hole, the golfer will either want a full swing, or to cut their swing, thereby adjusting the distance the ball will travel. And, again depending on distance and weather conditions, the golfer may want to put the ball either in the front or back of their stance. This will give the ball more loft or keep it low, depending on which stance is taken.

As the golfer approaches the green, the seven iron can be used as a wedge to chip the ball onto the green. By closing the stance and hitting the ball in back of the stance, the golfer can flip the ball onto the green. Of course, the golfer will want to cut his or her swing or they will fly the green, which will result in a lost stroke, possibly a lost ball, and almost definitely them losing their temper.

Once the ball has been chipped onto the green, the seven iron’s usefulness is pretty much over, unless the golfer has incredible courage and wants to use the seven iron as a putter. This, too, was done in “Tin Cup”, but isn’t advisable for the average golfer.

On short, par 3 holes, the seven iron is again the perfect club to use. Once again, the golfer can tee the ball up and hit out of the back or front of his or her stance. Depending on the length of the hole, the ball could be teed higher for more loft and less distance. Granted, it does feel awkward to have both feet in front of the golf ball, but it also prevents the golfer from getting too much of a swing and flying the green. It will, however, allow the ball to be hit higher and with more control.

And, a well hit seven iron is a thing of beauty to watch. The ball takes off in a majestic arc, following a predetermined flight plan (if properly struck), flies beautifully through the air and lands gently on the turf, bringing the golfer one step closer to his or her goal – the cup.

A seven iron is also handy to have around the house, as it is long enough to allow a person to reach behind a couch, from one end or the other, and drag something out that is in the middle.

Tags: Golf Club, Golf Tips, Perfect Golf Club

Tags: Golf Tips

Aside from the seven-iron, the club every golfer absolutely must have, without question, is the five-iron. This is because the five-iron can be used easily, well and in a wide variety of situations.

Though not as versatile as the seven-iron, the five-iron is still a very versatile club. The angle of the club head allows the golfer to get plenty of elevation on his or her shot, while not being angled so steeply as to prevent the golfer getting a great deal of  distance on his or her shot as well.

The five-iron is a great club from about two hundred yards and in. For most golfers the maximum range with their five-iron is about one hundred and eighty yards, no small distance on the links, and that is for sure. Yet, this club, this wonderful club is absolutely perfect for the distance. It allows the golfer to address the ball confidently, knowing if he or she strikes the ball properly it will hurl majestically through the heavens toward the promised land of the green.

The five-iron is also of particular use in getting out of the rough and back into the fairway, depending on how deep the rough is. If the rough is four to six inches deep, the best thing a golfer can do is grab a wedge and chip the ball back into the fairway. Sure, it will cost a stroke, but one lost stroke is better than several, and this could happen if a golfer attempted to power the ball out of the rough with their five-iron.

The five-iron is an easy club to control. Its length is just about perfect and the feel of the club is a wonder in itself. The five-iron is a marvel to swing. Why is this? This is a good question, and here is the answer.

The five-iron is a mid to long range club for use two hundred yards and in, depending on how strong the golfer is and how well the golfer uses the club. Getting the reverse “C” of Arnold Palmer is a breeze with the five-iron and a golfer can generate a considerable amount of speed with the club head. The speed of the club head determines how far the ball will be hit, much like bat speed in baseball.

Because of the club’s length, it is easy to control, unless a golfer is playing without gloves and has sweaty hands. Sweat will allow the club to turn in a golfer’s hands, resulting in something bad happening. Usually the something bad is the club head turning as it meets the golf ball, with the ball careening almost one hundred and eighty degrees from the golfer. This is why golfers wear gloves.

A well hit five-iron shot will, in all likelihood, go where the golfer expects it to go, and can look like a shot seen on a televised golf tournament. It will also cover a great deal of territory in a short time, getting the golfer closer to his or her desired location, the green.

Tags: Golf Club