Posts tagged "First Tee"

A perfect start to the year for Ogilvy

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Chicken Soup: Conversations For The Golfer’s Soul (2007)

Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Gary Player: true champions, who carry the spirit of sport, share their incredible stories of teamwork, sportsmanship, and humility they’ve experienced on the links. And in uplifting, candid interviews, get to know professional golfers Nancy Lopez, Jarrod Lyle, and Fred Funk as they reveal their secrets of success. From the big drives to the small putts, these lessons from the greens will inspire you to give your best in golf and the game of life.Special Feature(s)Over 2 1/2 Hours of MP3 Audio Tracks Featuring Golfer InterviewsThe LPGA-USGA Girls Golf ProgramRemembering Payne StewartHelping Kids: The First Tee FoundationInvention of the Sand Wedge with Gene SarazinThe Gary Player FoundationArnold Palmer Children’s Hospital and Medical Center171 Minutes

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Golf Etiquette: A Very Important Part Of The Game

If you are a novice golfer you need to be aware of the importance of golf etiquette within the Official Rules of Golf. For the inexperienced player, golf etiquette can be a minefield so it pays to get to grips with the appropriate way to behave if you want to remain welcome on the course.

Golf etiquette 1
If you book a tee-off time ensure that you arrive punctually at the first tee, and do not take practice swings on that or any other tee, always take them to the side of the tee.

Golf etiquette tip #2
Always stand to the right of a player taking a shot and never directly behind. Do not get ahead of anyone who is playing a shot.

Golf etiquette tip #3
If you take a divot replace and always repair pitch marks on the green.

Golf etiquette tip #4
If you think a ball may be lost get used to playing a provisional shot so you do not have to return to the tee. If the ball is lost, you are allowed five minutes to look for it but do be aware of people playing behind you and, if necessary, allow them to play through.

Golf etiquette tip #5
Keep up a good pace when walking between shots so as not to hold up play. If a gap opens up between your group and the group in front of you then be prepared to call the players behind you through if they are having to wait for you.

Golf etiquette tip #6
If you land in a bunker rake it when you have finished. If there is no rake available then use your clubhead.

Golf etiquette tip #7
When you are playing up to a green make sure the players ahead of you have finished putting and are well clear of the green. Never put your bag or cart on the green but leave them to the side, preferably near the point at which you will leave the green to get to the next tee.

Golf etiquette tip #8
Never tread on your opponent’s putting line and if you have to mark the position of your ball do so by placing a ball marker or coin directly behind the ball (unless it will interfere with another player’s line, in which case mark it to the side) and always replace your ball exactly where you picked it up from.

Golf etiquette tip #9
When tending the flag hold it so it doesn’t flap in the wind and make sure you do not cast a shadow over the hole. Lift the flag out slightly so that you can remove it with ease as soon as your opponent has struck his putt. When you have finished on the green exit it quickly and do not stand around marking your scorecard.

Golf etiquette tip #10
If you hit a ball that looks like it might hit somebody or if you hit it over trees towards another fairway that you can’t see you must always shout “fore”. If you hear another player shout “fore” do not stand there looking around to see if the call was for your benefit, just cover your head with your arms and crouch down to make yourself as small a target as possible.

Golf is a fantastic sport and if you follow these guidelines you shouldn’t go too far wrong so just go out and have a good game!

LISA DAVIES
http://www.articlesbase.com/golf-articles/golf-etiquette-a-very-important-part-of-the-game-136840.html

Another joke fo the golf course?

A group of office workers with a regular four-ball are hanging around the break room one Friday afternoon discussing the upcoming game on Saturday.

"What will we do?" asked Frank, "If John can’t play this week we’ll be a man short and that screws up the betting"

As the guys try to think of a possible replacement the office’s beautiful, young secretary strolls in. Alwas keen to chat up the girl the guys try to get her into conversation. Upon hearing about their plight the girl offers to play!

"You ever played golf before?" asks Frank. "Nope" says the girl, "But how hard can it be? I’ve seen it on TV an it looks easy! Don’t worry, I’ll play"

The guys all think she’s being a bit foolish but with no other options they agree to let her play.

Come Saturday the guys are all standing on the first tee and the girl shows up looking hotter than ever in her golf skirt and fitting t-shirt. By the third hole though it’s obvious she’s beautiful but has no talent for the game with her shots going all over the place.

They get to the 4th, a short par 3 and suddenly the girl connects with one, sticks it stone dead on the green about 25 feet from the hole! She’s jumping around, whooping at her great shot and as they all walk down to the green she declares "The guy who helps me sink this putt gets a BJ"

The guys of course rush to her aid, first guy tells her "It’s uphill, right to left. Hit it firm and aim about 1 foot right"

"Nah, Nah says the second guy, you need to aim about 3 foot right, it’ll break alot!"

The third guy walks up with a big smile on his face an say’s "It’s a gimme!"

One day an Irishman who had been stranded on a deserted island for
over 10 years, saw a speck on the horizon. He thought to himself, ‘It’s
certainly not a ship.’ And, as the speck got closer and closer, he began
to rule out the possibilities of a small boat or even a raft.

Suddenly there emerged from the surf a wet-suited black clad figure. Putting aside the
scuba gear and the top of the wet suit, there stood a drop-dead gorgeous blonde!
The glamorous blonde strode up to the stunned Irishman and said to him, ‘Tell
me, how long has it been since you’ve had a cigarette?’

Ten years,’ replied the amazed Irishman. With that, she reached over and
un-zipped a waterproofed pocket on the left sleeve of her wet suit, and
pulled out a fresh pack of cigarettes. He takes one, lights it, and takes a
long drag. ‘Faith and begorra,’said the man, ‘that is so good
I’d almost forgotten how great a smoke can be!’

And how long has it been since you’ve had a drop of good Irish whiskey’
asked the blonde. Trembling, the cast-away replied, ‘Ten years.’ Hearing that, the blonde reaches over to her right sleeve un-zips a pocket there and removes a flask and
hands it to him. He opened the flask and took a long drink.
‘Tis nectar of the gods!’ stated the Irishman.
‘Tis truly fantastic!!! ‘

At this point the gorgeous blonde started to slowly un-zip the long front of
her wet suit, right down the middle She looked at the trembling man and asked,
‘And how long has it been since you played around?’

With tears in his eyes, the Irishman fell to his knees and sobbed;,

Sweet Jesus! Don’t tell me you’ve got golf clubs in there?

You are on the golf course having the worse game of your life. Can you write an amusing paragraph or 2 or more

that includes these phrases?
1. No, really….WHAT’s your handicap?!
2. I did NOT get a 10…it was a 9….sheesh.
3. Has anyone seen my 7 iron?
4. Please…continue talking….I’m only trying to concentrate!!!
5. If he tells that story of his hole-in-one ONE MORE TIME…..blah,blah,blah.
6. ♫ It’s whiskey sour time,da da da daa dada♫

Glenn is a very good friend which is strange, as he and I are diametrically opposites. You see he is a black cab driver, in fact he is white but that’s what we call London Cabs or to be more precise, Hackney Cabs, and I was always taught in my early training days at police college, that they were the lowest of the low. However, he has a heart of gold.
We arrived at the golf course at the usual time, 8.30am and decided on the Upper Course. It’s quite hilly, which causes him to lose his breath and also as he is an exceptionally long hitter, he usually has a blow-out on a couple of holes which gives me a chance. We both play off a handicap of five.
‘Now Glenn’ I said to him as I mounted the first tee ‘no speech play, no throwing clubs and watch the bad language, OK’. ‘Don’t worry Pad’ he answered with a knowing smile on his face ‘I am right on form and fancy a sub-par round today. You’re in trouble my son’.
A couple of practice swings later and I was about to tee off when much to my annoyance, Glenn was having a conversation with another golfer. He was doing his amateur ‘professional’ lesson which he is inclined to do. ‘No, really…..’ he said to the other fellow, ‘you’re stance is all wrong. What’s your handicap?’. I watched as the stranger bowed his head and muttered ’28′. Glenn had managed to spoil the others game before he had taken even his first stroke.
‘Please…..continue talking’ I scolded them ‘I’m only trying to concentrate!!!’. ‘Get on with it’ Glenn retorted ‘the green is clear’. I hit a straight shot, right up the middle, about two hundred and forty yards and beamed a smile towards Glenn. ‘Come on’ he joked ‘there are no cameras on you’.
He then began to have about twenty practice swings which he knows only too well that it gets my goat up, but as the day was turning into a beautiful sunny and warm one, I said nothing. As usual, he hit a slight slice over to the trees on the right, and about 310 yards. ‘Don’t worry’ he said ‘I am not going to get excited’.
A five iron to the green gave me a putt for a birdie whilst Glenn once again sliced to the right of the green. He made a fine chip and I gave him the putt. I rolled my ball up but it lipped out. Fours each for a halved hole.
On the next tee, a par three, we had to wait for the four ball who were waiting there. Once again, Glenn went into full flow. I thought to myself ‘If he tells that story of his hole-in-one one more time I am going to tell them about the fifteen he had on the eight two days ago’. After all, the ace was the biggest load of old rubbish I had ever seen on a golf course. It was about six months ago now, and he had thinned a shot off the tee on a par three, topped it down the fairway, through a bunker which luckily for him slowed the ball down, ran across the green as if it was going to run through, struck the pin, jumped about three feet into the air, flopped down and straight into the hole.
‘It’s not how’ Glenn had boasted as he danced around on the tee, ‘It’s how many’. He was right you know, scorecards do not have diagrams on them, merely score numbers. I had to give him that, he got an ace whilst I have never had one in my thirty-five years golfing.
We continued the game with Glenn holding his temper and me holding him to all square. On the dogleg sixth, I pulled my shot into the trees whilst he hit a brilliant shot, clear over the trees with a beautiful draw which took him around the corner towards the green. I took a drop and got back into play with a masterful five iron. Straight to the heart of the green. Glenn had no more than ninety yards to the pin, but my luck was in. Not only did he fluff his chip, but he had a double-hit. He eventually made it in four. A look on his face showed that he was simmering, not quite yet up to the boil.
We continued after he made his putt and I missed mine. Still all square. The seventh was uneventful but when he hit a disasterous hook on the long eight, I knew that I was going to be in front by the time we got to the tea bar beside the eight green.
Glenn had to chip out of the trees on the left, over done it and put himself in all sorts of trouble. Two more shots and he was level with me. I hit a beautiful three wood to the apron of the green whilst this time, he sliced it onto the lower course fourteenth fairway.
I saw him throw one of his clubs and his temper was once again up in the clouds somewhere. A chip and a putt for a birdie put me one up. Glenn was still struggling and as was his wont, he insisted on playing the hole out in order to keep a score. As we made our way to the tea-bar, I casually said to him ‘A big ten, eh’. In actual fact I had no idea whatsoever what his true score was but I was going to wind him up even tighter than he already was. The gist of his reply, ommitting the expletives, was ‘I did not get a ten..it was a nine….sheesh….some people can’t even blinkingwell count’. From that moment on I knew I had him.
After a smoke and cup of tea we made our way to the ninth tee. It is a lay-up and we both usually play a seven iron.
I was just about to hit off when I heard another string of choice swear words ‘Has anyone seen my seven iron?’ he shouted back to the three ball following us. In actual fact we had to stand aside and let them through whilst Glenn made his way back down the other course fairway where he found his club. It was the one he had thrown.
Needless to say, but the game went completely downhill from that point onward. On the tenth tee, and I swear this is true, after he skied his wedge teeshot to the par three, he actually used his wedge as an axe and chopped the wooden tee marker in half with it. I began to walk away and said ‘No, you’ve gone over the top this time Glenn, that’s it, I’m off’. I have never heard anyone being so apologetic before or since in my life. ‘I am really sorry Pad. I’ll never do anything like that again, please………’. I looked around and there he was with the two pieces of the marker, trying to stick them together with spit.
What could I say………………. We just played a casual stroll for the remainder and by the time we reached the eighteenth fairway, Glenn was back to his old self. He was even singing ‘It’s whiskey sour time, da, da, daa, dada’. He was already looking forward to the next game tomorrow.
Live in hope, that’s our Glenn. A man who is capable of beating everyone on the course, including the professionals, if he could just hold that temper of his……………………

Golf Warming Up in Myrtle Beach

When you take a golf vacation in Myrtle Beach, it is important to keep some important golfing tips in mind. One of the most important things to do is to make sure that you enjoy your golf game by warming up. Begin warming up on the putting green. Putting is forty-three percent of golf and the putting stroke is the slowest and smoothest of all strokes in golf. By spending time warming up on the green first, you will not only be prepared for the speed of the greens but you will also be starting the day with smooth, deliberate tempo.

It makes no sense to visit the range first and get stretched out and limbered up for the opening drive, then stand for fifteen minutes nearly motionless on the putting green. Spend the first five minutes putting to a tee or a coin from twenty, thirty and forty feet and from a variety of angles. Watch the ball and pay attention to how much the ball rolls. Speed control is critical in putting and time spent judging pace will pay off on the course. Many students often complain that the greens on the course are not the same as the practice greens. The only difference between the two is the pressure to perform. The practice green is cut at the same height with the same mower and is usually constructed in the same manner as the greens on the course.

Then you can spend another five minutes rolling putts to a tee or coin from ten feet in to three feet. Do not putt at the cup. You never want to see the ball miss the hole, so just use a tee or coin. In addition, if you roll putts at a small target like a tee or coin, the hole will seem huge and, therefore, your confidence level will be high. Confidence is vital to good putting. Proper warm up is essential for peak performance in any sport. If you attend any professional sporting event you always see athletes going through a pre-game warm up, and pro golfers are no different. Most amateurs get warmed up by dashing from their cars to the pro shop to check in, then running to the first tee, all within five minutes or so. Usually this is followed by unsteady play for the first five holes and ends up with another disappointing round. In my opinion, with this style of warm up, golfers are making bogies before they ever step on the course.

Also, make sure that you do not feel rushed, so allow time to complete this entire warm up period at a leisurely pace. Remember, your warm up routine sets the tempo for the day, so move slowly and relax. I recommend that you arrive at the course a minimum of one hour before your tee time. You can also spend a few minutes hitting twenty-five six-inch putts that run straight up hill. You will make all twenty-five in a row and this will set you up with the perfect image: the ball rolling in the hole every time.

For more information about Golf Vacation or even about Golf SC follow these links, you could also find useful stuff about Myrtle Beach Golf

Groshan Fabiola
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/golf-warming-up-in-myrtle-beach-103688.html

Are You Ready For A New Golf Caddy (long enough joke for 18 holes)?

Sam approached the clerk behind the counter in the pro shop and said, "I would like 18 holes of golf and a caddie."

The clerk behind the counter says, "The 18 holes of golf is no problem, but all of the caddies are out on the course. What I will do for you is this. We just got 8 brand new robot golf caddies. If you’re willing to take one with you out on the course and if you will come back and tell me how well it works, your round of golf is on me today."

Sam anxiously accepted the man’s offer.

He approached the first tee, looked at the fairway and said to himself, "I think my driver will do the job."

The robot caddie turned to the man and said, "No sir. Use your #3 wood. A driver is far too much club for this hole."

Hesitantly, Sam pulled out his #3 wood, made good contact with the ball, and the ball landed about 10 feet to the right front of the hole on the green. Delighted, turned to the robot and thanked him for his assistance.

As Sam pulled out his putter, he said, "I think this green is gonna break left to right."

The robot then again spoke up and said, "No sir. I do believe this green will break right to left."

Thinking about the last time the robot corrected his prediction, he decided again to listen to the machine. He made his putt and birdied the hole thanks to the robot and his advice.

His luck didn’t end there, his entire game was the best game he ever played, thanks to the assistance of the new robot golf caddie.

Upon returning to the clubhouse, the clerk behind the counter asked, "How was your game?"

Sam excitedly stated, "It was, by far, the BEST game I ever played. Thank you very much for letting me take one of your robots. See you next week."

A week passed, and excited, Sam returned to the pro shop.

Upon entering the pro shop he turned to the man behind the counter and said, "I would like 18 holes of golf and one of those robot golf caddies, please."

The gentleman from behind the counter turned to Sam and said, "Well, the 18 holes is no problem. However, we had to get rid of the robots. We had too many complaints."

Confused, Sam cried, "COMPLAINTS? Who in the hell could’ve complained about those robots? They were incredible!"

The clerk sighed and said, "Well, it wasn’t their performance. It was that they were shiny silver metal, and the glare from the machine was blinding to other golfers on the fairway."

Sam said, "So then why didn’t you just paint them black?"

The clerk nodded sadly and replied, "We did. And then four of ‘em didn’t show up for work, two filed for welfare, and the other two robbed the pro shop."

LMAO. hahahahahaha… ohhh you’re in trouble, you’re a wanted guy with them blacks. LOL, still stalking you, LOL..

How Not To Start Your Round Of Golf

Do you warm-up before you play golf? More importantly do you warm-up correctly?

In all sports, it is essential that you warm up properly to attain the best performance. If you go to any professional or even amateur sporting event, you will see competing athletes doing pre-game warm-ups. Golfers, especially those in the professional level, are not different from them. When tour professionals are about to begin their first tee, they would have made full warm-ups to be able to make their best swings.

However, most amateurs have their “warm-ups” done by racing from their autos to the golf shop and check in, then dashing to their first tee, in just about five minutes. Most of the time, this is followed by an unsteady and inconsistent play for the first holes, ending up with another lackluster golf round. The result: Disappointing golf scores.

Here are some tips to improve your golf score:

1. First, go to the golf course as early as possible. You need time in taking care of your matters in the golf shop, in using the restroom, changing clothes and shoes, among others. It is crucial that you do not feel pressured or rushed, allowing you to get warmed up at a relaxed pace. Remember that your warm-up time sets your mood and tempo throughout the day, so just relax and move slowly. A minimum of an hour or two before you begin hitting your first tee would probably help you get a nice and relaxed warm-up.

2. Start your warm-up routine on the putting green. By starting your warm-up on the putting green, you will be ready for the speed of the greens. More importantly, you will start up your day with a nice, deliberate, and smooth tempo.

3. Spend about 10 minutes or so trying to hit the chips around the green using a tee as your target. First test the greens’ firmness to see how much or less the golf ball will roll. In general, the ball tends to move more on hard greens than the soft greens. In addition, there are various kinds of rough which make the ball move differently when it touches the green. Spending some time around the green helps you visualize some shots on the green during your round, and also, the spots where you are landing the golf ball on the putting surface.

4. Next spend about 20 minutes on the golf range. Make sure you properly stretch before hitting any golf balls. You want to start hitting half-wedge shots and progress up to your driver hitting 3 or 4 balls with each club. I personally start off with my sand-wedge, 9-iron, 7-iron, 5-iron, 3-iron, 3-wood, and then my driver, which turns out to be about 30 golf balls. Remember the reason for hitting golf balls is to get your body warmed up. You’re not there to practice your golf swing so don’t get a large bucket and pound out 100 golf balls before you play.

5. Next go back to the putting green and putt for 5 to 10 minutes. Take 3 balls and from 3 feet and hit them until you make 3 putts in a row. Repeat this from 6 feet and then from 10 feet. Don’t worry if you don’t make it through all the distances in the 10 minutes because the importance is getting your confidencence up on making putts.

Remember: If you do not get enough warm-up, you should not expect to have an optimal performance, and consequently, a good golf score. So do yourself a favor and make the warm-up a regular part of your golf game to give yourself the best possible outcome at the end of the day.

anonymous
http://www.articlesbase.com/golf-articles/how-not-to-start-your-round-of-golf-80912.html

How do you prepare for a round of golf that you really want to play and score well in?

If you have 2-3 hours to prepare how do you do it?

I like to stretch out at home for 15-20 minutes before I head off to the course. Then I get there about 1 hour prior to my tee time. I will chip and putt for about 30-40 minutes to make sure I have a really good feel for the greens. Next I will hit about a half a bucket of balls to really get my timing down (about 15 minutes). With the last 10-15 minutes I do a little extra stretching that kind of loosens me up and gets rid of any tension in me. While I loosen up I go over course strategy in my head so that I have a general game plan for each hole. I really like to get to the first tee focused on the mental aspect.
How about you?

Arrive an hour early, generally just try and get that ‘chill’ feeling – not rushed. Hit some short shots like chips, pitches and flops focusing on making solid contact and distance control. Hit a few long lag putts, a few medium putts from both sides of the hole (right to left / left to right), then a few short putts keying on a positive accelerating stroke.

Head to the range and hit some 100 yard sand wedges, a few 7 irons, a few 5 irons, then a few rip drivers. Focus on my targets and working the ball a bit – hitting ‘shots’ and not obsessing about mechanics. End on a good shot.