Golfing Eighteen Blog

Golf may look simple, but it is a complex sport requiring drive and determination. There are three dimensions that create a complete golfer: a solid mental game, technical skill and physical fitness.

Gary Player, professional golfer and winner of golf’s career grand slam, advocates mastering these three dimensions to improve your golf game. He has partnered with BoomerTowne.com to provide advice to anyone, especially the 9 million baby boomer golfers like himself, who strives to improve their score.

Mental Game

“The most important dimension, mental game, is often the most overlooked and least practiced,” says Player.

A lot of golfers buy into the phrase “grip it and rip it.” They assume the game of golf only requires one to grab a club and swing away. The truth, however, is that without a solid mental game a golfer will never reach his or her true potential, no matter how great the swing is or how physically fit the person.

Player reminds golfers, “By simply making the effort to start something, you will be miles ahead of almost everyone else, and after that, success lies in your determination.”

One way to improve a mental game is to visualize success. Before beginning a round, or even while practicing, visualize the desired outcome. See yourself hitting the perfect shot, reading a complicated break on the green and sinking the putt or hitting the approach shot to within a few feet of the flag.

Technical Skill

Before a golfer can succeed at golf, he or she must understand and implement certain fundamental techniques.

Often it is a lot easier, and more effective, to learn the proper golf swing from a professional golfer right away rather than try to unlearn the wrong swing and bad habits.

“Ben Hogan was a great inspiration in motivating me to practice and develop a balanced swing technique. He always said the “secret was in the dirt,” says Player. “What I understood that to mean, and still believe to this day, is that the harder you practice, the luckier you get. Better said; nothing worth achieving comes easily.”

With that in mind, make sure to get out on the practice range and do exactly that - practice! Start warming up by hitting with a middle-iron, a 5- or 6-iron works perfect, and then work your way through your entire bag. Focus on past instruction and really concentrate on making a good, consistent swing.

Physical Fitness

Golf requires a sound base of physical strength and flexibility. This becomes very apparent when you consider that in the course of walking 18 holes, one can cover over a couple of miles while carrying a 20- to 30-pound golf bag. There is no doubt that the physical fitness aspect of the sport is the most difficult for golfers to sustain.

A great place to get going with a good physical fitness routine, and low budget effort, is stretching. Before hitting the range or playing a round, make sure to stretch out and get loose. Swinging a weighted club or swinging two or three clubs at a time effectively accomplishes this. Start by taking the club back and hold it at the top of the backswing. Then swing through and hold again at the finish. Doing this will effectively stretch out the muscles used when golfing.

For more golfing advice and wisdom from Gary Player, please visit www.BoomerTowne.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

That Tiger Woods is a force that is capable of steering off his fellow competitors out of green is an established fact right now! What we are actually looking forward to see whether he is going to touch the standard set by Jack Nicklaus in the years ahead.

With grabbing the PGA Championship he made it to at least one major for the third straight season taking his career total to 13 and this is what precisely soared up his fan’s expectations.

Woods concluding a dramatic finish (he finished at 8-under 272), now has more majors up his sleeves than the rest of the world’s top 10 golfer combined. Woods is now 31, and already he has beaten Nicklaus in pace - Nicklaus won his record 18 professional majors and he was 35 when he won his 13th. He is also ahead of the pace set by the Golden Bear.

This is the fifth time of the year that Tiger woods bagged another win. He remains the only one in the circuit who has won more than twice! The game for the second straight week, culminated into an eight-shot victory in the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone. This has been a special win after coming in second at the Masters and the U.S. Open.

On the emotional front this victory was quite different than the previous others - this championship did not see the great Golfer throwing himself in the arms of his father or his mother cheering on his win. This time it was his two months old baby daughter in the arms of her mother who came to congratulate him on his two-shot victory. No wonder, the baby Sam Alexis was all red when she met the winner. It was a grand surprise for the golfer - this was Elin and Sam’s first trip to a tournament and Woods was totally unaware of their coming to the course.

“It’s a feeling I’ve never had before,” Woods said after concluding victory over Woody Austin in the final major of the year. “Having Sam there and having Elin there, it feels a lot more special. And it used to be my mom and dad. And now Elin, and now we have our own daughter. So it’s evolved, and this one feels so much more special than the other majors.”

However despite being at 13, Woods feel “it’s still a long way away.” He said. “You can’t get it done in one year. It’s going to take time. It took Jack 20 years to get it done, 20-plus years. Hopefully, health permitting and everything goes right and I keep improving, I’ll one day surpass that.”

There are really few places in the world that are recognized as being as relaxed and laid back as the state of Florida. It is no wonder that such a large percentage of retirees head there for their golden years, or why so many of us travel there for our vacations. Florida is a warm, friendly, fantastic place that we can travel to which offers a ton of fun and activities.

Florida golf vacations are especially popular, and if you are a golf enthusiast they are the ideal vacation in the sunny haven. There are many different companies around the world that offer these Florida golf vacations at great prices, a few of which will be discussed in further detail here.

Play Florida Golf

This is one company in particular that is definitely worth checking out if you are interested in purchasing a Florida golf vacation. They offer discount golf packages for golf resorts and courses in Orlando as well as a variety of other popular Florida destinations. They even offer an online booking option on their website which allows you to personally design your own Florida golf vacation packages.

This is a wonderful option because it allows you to specify the details yourself, such as how long you want to stay, what amenities you want included, where you want to go, and so on. This ends up saving you a great deal of time and effort and makes the planning process in general a whole lot easier.

South Florida Golf Vacations

Another great company offering Florida golf vacations is the South Florida Golf Vacations Company. They have taken the time to personally select those courses that offer the best service and playing conditions. This includes courses that have been designed by many of the world’s greatest golfers from around the world including Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Arthur Hills and Tom Fazio.

They help you the golfer to find the perfect Florida golf vacation package, so that you can completely enjoy yourself and have everything that you need taken care of before you even reach your destination. The owners and staff of the company all live and play golf in Florida themselves. Not only do you know that they have the firsthand experience and knowledge that you are looking for but they are residents as well, so if you ever have any questions or need more information on any of their services or offering you will be able to get in touch with them immediately.

No doubt, you may at first consider the Bahamas as being the most suitable place to take your cheap golf vacations, but there is another equally interesting destination that you must not overlook and that is taking a golf vacation at the Prince Edward Islands. Yes, it is certainly possible to enjoy cheap golf vacations in Prince Edward Island where the landscape is a sight for sore eyes and where there is something extra for the golfer as well.

Premier Golf Destination In Canada

This part of Canada has earned an enviable reputation of being the country’s premier cheap golf vacation destination and that is not surprising given that there are as many as twenty-six courses that cater to golfers of all abilities including executive and intermediate as well as beginners. The popularity of this cheap golf vacations destination can be gauged by the fact that in 1998 the ‘Skins Game’ featuring notable golfers such as Fred Couples and Mark O’Meara as well as John Daly and Mike Weir was played here and it has since hosted a number of other major competitions including Connection Legends of Golf and The Links.

There is a lot for the executive level golf player and the Prince Edwards Island has virtually one golf course for such golfers in all corners of the Island, with Mill River in the western parts a notable golf course, and this cheap golf vacation golf course that only charges forty-five to sixty dollars for the course is certainly a better option than the more expensive golf courses in the rest of the world.

In addition, there are also courses that suit the beginner golfer and if you want to get your feet wet, then there are many nine hole golf courses in this cheap golf vacations destination which will help you brush up on your golf and which will also let your other family members get some action in as well. A good example is the St. Felix or Forest Hills and even Country View that are ideally suited for beginners, or for those who just want a short game of golf.

According to history, this cheap golf vacations destination is also considered as being the original birthplace of Canada and the Charlottetown conference that took place in 1864 that ultimately led to Canada becoming a confederation took place in Prince Edward Island, which means your golf vacation here will even give you a bit of history as well.

There are many places in the Canary Islands that you can go to for a golf holiday, but when it comes to a family golf holiday in particular, there are some specific locations that you are going to find most ideal. The three main Canary Islands family golf holiday resort areas are Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise and Playa Blanca.

Puerto del Carman features three very attractive beaches with long expanses of golden sand and ample bars and cafes. Costa Telguise is a little more upmarket and is considered as being ideal for family holidays, particularly because it has a choice of sheltered family beaches with calm waters and so it is great for children of all ages. This resort area also offers a wide choice of watersports and is ideally close to some of the best places to visit in the Canary Islands.

Then Playa Blanca is also great for a Canary Islands family golf holiday, and again it features sheltered cove beaches, numerous resort amenities and as well a great selection of boat trips and watersports. There is something here for everyone, and so while you are playing golf the children can be out enjoying themselves with other things, which is perhaps one of the best features of these resorts of all.

Gran Canaria

Another area in the Canary Islands that is considered as being idealistic for a Canary Islands family golf holiday is Gran Canaria, and in fact some of the best family holiday resorts across the Canaries are here, particularly the Puerto Rico area to the southwest. The choice of family resorts here is constantly increasing and there is much more of a family bar and restaurant feel here than at any of the other resorts, and there are tons of fantastic activities for the kids to take in, such as sailing, fishing, and catamaran trips to name a few.

West Canary Island

If you have older children then you may want to consider West Canary Island as the destination for your Canary Islands family golf holiday, and it offers good basic facilities, including pleasant beaches, plenty of bars and restaurants, and tons of fun and activities.

The golf courses and resorts in the Canary Islands are unique and favorable, and perfect for any golf enthusiast. It is important when you are bringing your family along on a golf holiday however, that you also take their needs into consideration so that everyone can have fun and enjoy themselves.

There are many different golf tours that go on regularly around the world, and one of the most popular is the Canadian Professional Golf Tour. The Canadian Professional Golf Tour has been in operation for more than thirty-five years now. In the early years the tour actually helped in the development of many future Canadian Hall of Fame members and PGA Tour regulars, including the legendary Dan Halldorson and Dave Barr.

Canadian Professional Golf Tour members have always thrived on the nationwide tour, which is the premier feeder circuit for the PGA Tour, and in successive seasons, many players have come out winning the Alberta Classic just weeks after their initial Canadian tour triumph.

The Deputy Director of the tour is Dan Halldorson, who has been a golf touring professional for more than three decades now. He won twice on the PGA Tour with victories at the 1986 Deposit Guaranty Classic and 1980 Pensacola Open and was elected into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in the year 2002.

A World Of Talent

The Canadian Professional Golf Tour is not one of the six leading men’s professional tours, but it is however one of the three addition tours on which Official World Golf Rankings points are available. The order of Merit winners in the tour are as follows: Ken Duke in 1999, Steven Alker in 2000, Aaron Barber in 2001, Hank Kuehne in 2002, Jon Mills in 2003, Erik Compton in 2004, Michael Harris in 2005, Stephen Gangluff in 2006, and Byron Smith in 2007.

A related tour to the Canadian Professional Golf Tour is the Challenge Tour, which is the second tier men’s professional golf tour in Europe. It was introduced in 1986 and any players who participates in the tour and are successful then qualify for membership of the European Tour in the following year.

The schedule is constantly being updated and the PGA European Tour does not track career earnings on the Challenge Tour. This is basically because a ranking of career earnings would be of little use in terms of being a measure of success, because the objective of the players on this tour is to leave it as soon as possible by winning promotion to the main tour.

The Canadian Professional Golf Tour is one of the most recognized and enjoyed golf tours in the world, and truly brings out some of the world’s finest golf talent to show to the world.

Arizona is a wonderful place to travel to, especially for the golf enthusiast. There are some beautiful golf courses located in the state of Arizona, which any real golf fan would love to try out for themselves. If you are interested in purchasing Arizona golf vacation packages, then you are going to want to first determine which companies offer the best selection and price, so that you can be truly satisfied and also get the best value for your money.

Tucson Golf

This is one option of many that you have which offer Arizona golf vacation packages. They offer the best rates available for all of their golf packages, from a single player or traveler to groups of one hundred and even more. They also always book tee times a few months in advance in order to ensure that your Arizona golf vacation package is exactly what you expect and deserve.

All of their Arizona golf vacations include the very best in accommodations, from hotels, resorts, condos, and even private home rentals. They want to ensure that each of their customers is fully satisfied, and they take every step possible towards making this happen.

Big Easy Golf

This is another great option that you may want to consider for Arizona golf vacations. They are actually recognized as being one of the leading vacation packages dealers in the world. They offer packages to some of the most beautiful resorts and courses in the state of Arizona, and all at very reasonable prices.

Their Arizona golf vacation packages include tee times at a variety of golf courses in the area and also a wide selection of accommodations in condos, resorts, and hotels. Scottsdale is one of their most popular requests. It is a suburb of Phoenix and has become one of the southwest’s premier golf destinations in the world. The stunning landscapes are truly awe-inspiring and definitely a must-see for any golf lover.

Regardless of where you actually go to purchase your golf vacation package, the most important thing is that you get everything you are looking for included in one package and for a price that is not going to break your wallet. Golf packages are really ideal, as long as you purchase from a legitimate and respectable company, because they include everything that you need from time on the golf course to a place to rest your head at night. By buying a package rather than everything separately you are really doing yourself a world of good and saving time, money and hassle.

You can not compare golf with any other game! In no other game, equipments play such a big role alongside the skill of the player. And among all golf equipments, the golf club is the most crucial weapon in the hands of a golfer.

With the ever increasing popularity of golf, the style and design options of the golf clubs are also expanding each year. Based as they are on latest technologies and come with the guarantee of improved swings - they come with a price tag that is really impressive!

But this is a compulsory investment in your game - which is sure to improve with the right sort of clubs.  Now that the part of investment in a set of golf clubs is over, now is the time for learning how to care for them. A properly cared for golf club will last a lifetime. And the good news is: cleaning and keeping your golf club is easy. Here are a few practical tips on how you can properly care for your golf clubs.

Protect your golf clubs with the right covers
Give your golf clubs proper protection from abrasions with right head covers that are available in variety of materials such as vinyl, fur and wool.

Go for regular cleaning and keep your clubs new
A golfer should ideally clean his clubs after every round of the play. Since there are very few clubs that offer the facilities of cleaning the clubs of the player…a golfer must clean his own clubs.

• To clean your golf club, you will need a bucket full of lukewarm water and let your clubs soak in the water with their heads down for a few minutes.
• Then with the help of any soft-bristled brush scrub out the dirt along the line of the grooves and club face.
• For eliminating stubborn dirt, use mild 0000 grade steel wools. 
• Once the dirt is removed, rinse the head with clean water. 
• Towel-dry the clubface and shaft immediately after this.

Care for the grips
Grips are one of the most crucial yet often underestimated part of golf club care and need a cleaning at least once a month.
You can clean them with such tools as stiff bristle brush, liquid dish soap, and a towel. However, never dip the grips into a bucket of water; using soap and brush, first scrape off the dirt and then rinse it with clean water. Towel-dry immediately after cleaning it.

Store them properly
The storage is an important aspect of golf club care - never forget your clubs outdoors. The exposure to the elements will let rust and moulds set in them. Always store your clubs in the appointed place indoors.

Inspect them thoroughly
Thorough examination of clubs is an important aspect of daily club care regimen. This will help you get at the earliest any signals of dents, scratches cracks or splits.

However, get a professional check up for your lie, loft, grip and shaft at least once a year by your pro shop.

Golf clubs call for huge investment - Iron sets can cost over $2000 or more. Wood sets never come for anything lesser than $1700. Drivers always cost more than $1000. Take proper care of your investment and it can extend the life of your clubs for years. Proper care and maintenance of your club is also essential if you want to improve in your golfing skills.

Be especially cautious when buying used golf clubs, as there may be hidden flaws that can ruin your game or even cause injury. However, for those looking for a top of the line set of clubs, buying used golf clubs may be a less expensive alternative. For the price of a good set of discount clubs, you may be able to pick up a much better set that has course experience.

When looking at a set of used golf clubs there are a few things you should inspect before making the decision to buy them. The first obvious things to look at are the grips on the clubs. They become worn and can become loose which can be a dangerous combination. Grips worn smooth can slip out of your hand when you swing the club and if they are loose, the head of the clubs tends to twist at the moment of impact with the ball. Grips however can be changed with minimal cost relative to the price of the clubs.

Take a close look at used golf clubs at the point where the club head attaches to the shaft for any sign of cracks or indicators that the head may separate. A small crack can lead to big problems if you swing the club and the head flies further than the ball.

Minimal Shaft Twist For Straighter Shots

With one hand, hold the grip of any used golf clubs you are looking at and the head of the club with the other hand and twist back and forth. The more the head twists the more likely you are to hit the ball off line as it will twist when it impacts the ball. The less twist there is to the club shaft, the better your odds are of hitting the ball straight.

To check for whip, hold the grip with both hands and make very short back and forth motions to see how far the club head whips in both directions. Some used golf clubs will have more whip than others even some new clubs, especially those with large heads, may whip more than an individual golfer can handle.

When inspecting a set of used golf clubs look at the shafts for signs of rust which could indicate a lack of care by the previous owner but above all else, ask why they are getting rid of what may be claimed as being a good set of used golf clubs. Upgrading to a better brand is the best reason you can hope for, but depending on the seller, any good excuse may be acceptable for a good bargain.

A passionate golfer never minds soaking up the summer sun as it comes to teeing it off in the green!

Golf is fun when you stay healthy. But there are those deadly, stealthy UV rays that conspire against your health - they weave the plots to pin you down and you don’t come to realize their silent attack until it is too late.

In the USA, women play an average of 50 to 60 rounds of golf each year. Taking five hours per round in an average, it amounts to at least 250 hours of intense sun exposure.

As a matter of fact, it is the creed of the golfers that belongs to the highest risk group of skin cancer. And so you can see, why a special skin care regimen is imperative for all you  lady golfers.
Going through the right skin care regimen ensures that you have a long and successful golf life. So here are some basic guidelines to help you tee off safely this summer.

Here is what an ideal beauty regimen of a female golfer should comprise of:

1. Your skin requires protection as well as repair of the previous damages. So go for the product that combines protection and repair in one.
2. Sun exposure is one of the main reasons behind aging and drying of skin and to replenish the moisture level of your skin you need to go for facials. A golfer’s face pack should comprise lots of antioxidants and vitamins.
3. The whole day in the green lets your body accumulate enough grim for the day and at the end of the day you will need some good scrubs to get rid of them. Once the surface of the skin is free of the layer of dirt, it will allow the moisturizers to get absorbed more easily.
4. A spa visit is recommended for receiving cooling and hydrating wraps that will help you beat the heat while you bang around in the fairway.
5. All these should be topped up by regular massage session.
6. A golfer’s beauty products should include such natural ingredients as aloe and other herbs and plants and fruits like strawberries, cucumbers and oranges for their soothing effects. The rose water and camphor are two other natural ingredients that may help you remain cool while you measure up your next hole.

Find the product that works

It is not always easy to find out the right skin care product. However golfforwomen.com has made the thing easier for you; they have just organized skin-care awards and on the recommendation of top five dermatologists they have listed the best of sunscreens, moisturizers and anti-aging products, all designed to protect, repair and nourish vulnerable skin. Click on this URL to get a full glance of all the listed products: Golf for Women

Even after you grab the best skin care product, don’t give these little details a miss:

• Never hit the green without putting on tightly woven, sun protective clothes that provide an UPF 15 or more. Also cover your both hands with gloves; giving protection to your poor hands is more important than showing off the up-market manicuring wonder. 
• Use high quality sun glasses and wide brimmed hat covering face and ears.
• Invest in the best sun cream with SPF of at least 15. Use waterproof varieties for better comfort. Also apply lip bum with SPF at least15.
• Make it clear to your partner that you will prefer a ride in a covered cart over walking all the way for less sun exposure.
• Rush to the shades in between tees or when the play has stopped.
• Keep your inside hydrated by loading plenty of water. Don’t believe them who inform you that chilled beer would cool you down; on the contrary it works for more dehydration.

Keep these skin care tips in mind and also don’t forget your dermatologist; make it a point to visit him at least once in a year.
Now that you have all the secrets to snub the sun off hit the green with confidence and swing it off to your heart’s content.