The world of golf certainly has its share of rules and etiquette. If you play much at all, you already know that. But you should also know that, unless you are taking part in tournament play, there can be lots of wiggle room regarding some of the stricter procedures. [Read more…]
Avoid Eating These 4 Foods During Your Round
When it comes to a round of golf, there was once a time when people would make their way around a course without eating or drinking anything at all. Maintaining your energy level with small snacks and staying well hydrated on the course was alien to those who preferred to smoke a pack of cigarettes over the 18 holes. Thankfully, those days are gone, for the most part. [Read more…]
Play These 5 Courses Before You Die
As morbid as it might sound, golfers take great delight in compiling their bucket-list courses. Rankings and wish lists are universal conversations amongst golfers and inevitably reflect who you are, how traveled you are and your standard of golf. It’s a favorite pastime over a post-round beer to ask others about their golfing dreams. Having undertaken this conversation many times, here are the five most common responses: [Read more…]
Do You Really Need a Range Finder? 5 Reasons You Do
Distance measuring devices have transformed the game of golf. Since they were first added to golf bags, devices like laser range finders, GPS watches, applications and other range finders have been aiding in game improvement and enjoyment for golfers around the world. [Read more…]
Eat This Meal The Night Before You Play Golf
When it comes to having the proper nutrition protocols in place for playing a round of golf, it is still a relatively new process for a lot of people. [Read more…]
What’s More Important — Further Or Straighter?
This has long been a topic that’s been greatly debated in the world of golf. Is it better to be able to hit the ball farther or straighter? [Read more…]
4 Drills To Do EVERY Time At The Range
As the saying goes, “practice makes perfect,” and this applies to many things — including golf. A great place to put in quality practice time is at the driving range, but if you’re like most golfers, your typical range practice may not be as effective as you think. Does your usual range routine consist of working through your clubs from wedge to driver one by one, not moving on to the next club until you’ve grooved your swing? Or even worse, you quickly thrash through your bucket of balls by seeing how far you can hit them with your driver?
If this is the case, and you’re serious about improving your golf swing, then you need a more productive way to spend your time while out on the driving range. One great way to add focus to your practice time is to incorporate some simple drills into your practice routine.
Drills can help your golf swing in many ways, so we’ve put together a list of four drills to do every time you’re at the range.
1. Practice like you’re on the course
Never spend all of your time on the range just bashing away at one club. If you want your driving range practice to transfer to the golf course, then you need to simulate real course conditions. When you’re playing a round, you’ll rarely use a certain club twice in a row (unless it’s your putter), so you shouldn’t be doing this on the driving range.
Alternate between clubs such as 7-iron, driver, wedge, another driver, fairway wood and so on. Or even go one step further and imagine you’re playing a specific course you know. Tee it up on the first hole with the club you usually use and then continue “playing” the whole course, excluding putting. You could even find yardage books for famous courses like St. Andrews or Pebble Beach, so you can simulate a round on one of these to really test yourself.
2. Work on your pre-shot routine
Professional players on tour spend huge amounts of time practicing. But if you have ever watched a pro at the range, either on television or if you’re lucky enough at a tournament, you’ll notice that every shot they take has their full focus. They won’t just walk up and hit a few golf balls, they make sure before every swing that they go through a pre-shot routine. You’ll see them line up behind the golf ball, pick a target and visualize the shot. Then they’ll move into the ball, aligning their feet and body with the target, then use a movement — such as a waggle — to release any stress or tension in the body so they can start their backswing smoothly.
If you don’t have a pre-shot routine, then making one and practicing it should be your top priority on the range. The most important part of your pre-shot routine needs to be consistency. It can be personal to you, but you need to be able to repeat it time and time again on the range or on the course, especially when you’re under pressure.
3. Do a 9 to 3 golf drill
This is one of my personal favorite drills and it’s my go-to as soon as I get on the range. It’s the perfect way to warm up and really groove your swing, either before a practice session or a round.
The 9 to 3 drill is basically a shorter version of your golf swing. You take the club back to 9 o’clock (looking as if your body was a clock face on), waist height parallel to the ground on the backswing, then you swing to 3 o’clock the other side, so waist height parallel on the follow-through. You can use any club ranging from a wedge to a 6-iron. This is a great way to check if you’re swinging on plane and your clubface is staying square. Once you can hit clean straight shots like this, your swing will improve drastically, as this is basically 90 percent of the golf swing. Once the 9 to 3 swing feels grooved and you start hitting crisp shots, move onto your full swing.
4. Do target practice
However frustrating and difficult golf can be, remember that it’s also a sport — so try to enjoy it. Making up challenges or games on the range can be fun and help you practice with a purpose. If you are with a friend or playing partner, why not try picking targets on the range and challenge them to see who can hit each spot first? This is a great way to practice your alignment and aim, and also to help you deal with competition and pressure on the course. If you’re practicing alone you can still try this; pick some targets and give different points to each target depending on the difficulty of hitting them, then set a number to beat or try to beat your last high score.
Were any of these drills useful to you? Let us know in the comments. Also share if you have any other drills you do every time you’re at the range. Now get out there and get practicing!
— Joseph Mills
Why You Always Want a Divot
Should you take a divot? Most average golfers don’t take one, and some do but before the ball (a fat shot). But you shouldn’t fear the divot, as taking one a few inches in front of the golf ball is a trait of all the greatest ball strikers. You should be making a divot with every club in your bag, with the exception of your driver and putter, and in some cases your fairway woods. [Read more…]
8 Things You Should Never Do On The Golf Course
Want to put your best foot forward on the golf course? Here’s a list of the eight things you should never do, no matter how tempting.
1. Never take a call from your stockbroker/plumber/hairdresser.
Mobiles are prohibited on most public and private courses for a reason. At best it’s irritating enough for others to listen to your conversation and at worst, it can put your playing partners off their game. The best you might manage is a discreet peek at your phone while others are busy teeing off. In this intense digital age, why not relish the opportunity to go off-grid, focus on your game and be “in the moment.”
2. Never take bathroom relief unless it is a medical emergency.
Urinating on the course can, at times, be tolerated. We turn a blind eye for the guy who, through old age or poor planning, needs to duck behind a tree. However, any other type of pit stop is just not acceptable, people. Check the course map or ask the pro shop about bathrooms on course.
3. Never cheat.
We’ve all been faced with that opportunity to improve our lie away from the prying eyes of playing partners. However, one of the fundamental and beautiful truths about golf is the commitment we share about honesty, so while you might think about it — don’t do it!
Once, from the corner of my eye, I saw a good friend tap down a divot in front of his ball. He assumed we were all busy with our own shots. Sadly, each time I play with him I see him miraculously locate lost balls and scramble super-human shots from what appears to be impossible lies when I could have sworn the ball was caught in deep rough. His one misdemeanor many years ago has permanently affected my playing relationship with him. He’s still a great guy but I can’t trust him on the course, and feel that I have to watch over his play.
As P.G. Wodehouse said, “Golf… is the infallible test. The man who can go into a patch of rough alone, with the knowledge that only God is watching him, and play his ball where it lies, is the man who will serve you faithfully and well.”
4. Never look for lost balls when dangerous wildlife abounds.
A sliced ball off the first tee in Western Australia many years ago reminded me of this “never.” We were like kids in a candy store… a cache of near-new golf balls had congregated in the very same spot and we squealed with delight as yet another ProV1 turned up in this patch of rough. Our delight turned to terror as the starter raced towards us shouting “snakes, snakes.” We had failed to see the small sign advising to stay out of the rough.
The Copperhead Course at Innisbrook abounds with alligators but was especially memorable for their size and desire to sunbake on the fairways. These guys might look docile and uninterested, but they can turn on a dime and pick up speed. And while strictly speaking cactus are not wildlife, beware the jumping chollas at Dove Mountain, Arizona. Any nearby movement will activate their ability to fly through the desert air and embed themselves on any part of your body that presents as fair game!
5. Never swear.
I am no prude and can launch an f-bomb when appropriate. The golf course is just not that place. Despite taking another demoralizing 3 putt or shanking it into the drink – backing up with expletives at volume does little for your game or those around you. In part, the art of golf demands a certain “zen” and your game will benefit from a cool head and an ability to roll with the punches.
6. Never walk away from a divot or pitch mark without making some attempt to repair it.
Perhaps you’re ball has never settled in front of an unrepaired divot that is sitting up like a lost hairpiece. Replace, repair, hack down and/or fill with sand, as per local expectations.
7. Never assume that everyone else is slow except you!
Be very aware of your course practices and procedures. Are you ready to play the ball when it’s your turn? Have you left your bag in the best spot to maximize time? The guy who arrives at his ball, locates his glove, puts it on, adjusts his trousers, takes out his rangefinder, tosses loose grass to test the wind and changes his club several times before his practice swing is slowing down play. Friends may be reluctant to point this out but we should all be hyper-aware of our own on-course behaviors that affect the pace of play.
8. Never arrive at the golf club ready for the nightclub or the gym.
Whether you are having a hack at the local public course or taking advantage of a generous invite to a private club – check the dress code. Every club has one. If in doubt, be conservative and don’t be DQ’d on dress! Hop online and check out what the pros wear or, better still, visit the web page of the club and read up on the dress expectations. Some novice golfer friends were recently refused play in Singapore as they were not properly attired. No amount of gentle persuasion was going to convince the staff, and some were forced to invest in expensive golf clothes on the spot in order to get on the tee.
— Nancy Incoll
5 Best Places To Golf In California
California is a mecca for outdoor sports and adventure for a reason. With splendid weather nearly all year long, and a diversity of natural beauty up and down more than 800 miles of coastline, this western state has the will and the way to provide travelers and locals with impeccable golfing experiences. If you’re an avid golfer looking for your next great challenge, or a newbie player looking for the scoop on the best spots to play, we’ve compiled a list for you of the five best places in California to tee-off and perfect your stroke.
1. Pebble Beach
Let’s just get this one out of the way, shall we? It will be no surprise that the celebrated Pebble Beach community in central California’s Monterey Bay area makes the top of the list. Its courses are legendary around the world for their mix of shocking coastal beauty and meticulously manicured greens. Pebble Beach Golf Links, Monterey Peninsula Country Club and Cypress Point Club make up three of the most stunning resort courses of this small but sophisticated golfing community, although there a total of eight public and private courses. The smell of the salty ocean and the shade of a grove of eucalyptus trees are among the natural wonders that keep bringing tourists and golfers here in droves.
2. Pasatiempo
Directly across the bay from Pebble Beach — about an hour’s drive north along the coast of California’s beautiful Highway 1 — sits our number two pick for California’s top places to golf. This semi-private club is generally open only to members and their guests, but in the interest of inclusivity, makes certain tee times open to the public every day. Famous golf course architect, Alister McKenzie, has said that Pasatiempo was his favorite of his own designs, beating out Augusta National and Cypress Point courses. Foggy mornings and sunny afternoons are a mainstay on these relaxed, yet elegant greens. But perhaps best of all, the white caps of the Monterey Bay can be seen in the distance from several of this course’s scenic holes.
3. Riviera Country Club
Next, we take a trip down the coast to the lovely Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. Here, the exclusive Riviera Country Club offers some of the region’s best gameplay, mixed with one of the area’s best “19th holes.” Club members come for the golf and stay for the luxurious lifestyle, food and amenities. The iconic 18 holes are host to high-level championships, from the U.S. Open to the U.S. Amateur Championship, scheduled for 2017. Since opening in 1926 during the golden age of Hollywood, this course has been frequented by movie legends like Humphrey Bogart, Charlie Chaplin and Howard Hughes, as well as contemporary giants of golf, like Phil Mickelson.
4. Bel-Air Country Club
If you love the star power and palm tree-speckled landscape of the Pacific Palisades, then you’ll also find yourself enamored by the famous Southern California beauty found at the famous Bel-Air Country Club. Admittedly, not everyone will get to play these stunning greens, as this club is famous for its exclusivity. Its reputation as a major social club of LA’s very rich population, combined with its exorbitant membership fees and long, opaque waitlist, make this top golf destination an unreachable luxury for most of us. But the sheer creativity, strategy and diversity of shots required to play this elite course means this private club earns its spot on the list of top California golf spots, regardless of its approachability.
5. Torrey Pines
Nearly as far south down the coast as one can go without happening on the Mexican border, the majestic Torrey Pines Golf Course can be found peeking out of the La Jolla cliffs in San Diego county. Frequently called the nation’s premier municipal course, this gorgeous golf mecca boasts two championship-level courses that are both open to the public. The South Course is perhaps most recognizable, as this beast of a course is on the annual PGA Tour. With its jagged cliffs and ocean views, this challenging course is the longest in the tour, making it a popular place to practice your long drive.
— Cammy Pedroja