How To Keep Your Head Down and Eyes On The Ball

by: Izaruls

Even after playing the game for years you never know what's going to happen each time you step foot on the golf course. Personally speaking, it is this “unknown” aspect of golf that makes the game the most exciting sport to play, and nerve wracking too! I try to hit a full round at my local course at least three times per week and every game I play is an entirely new experience altogether.

Because of the hundreds of unexpected shots that golf brings you, it is imperative that you take advantage of your practice time. Regular practice is the only way that you can experience some of the irregular situations your golf ball may get into. And speaking of practice, the best advice that I can give is to start utilizing unconventional approaches to your golf game.

What Does Unconventional Practice Mean?

Far too many players spend the majority of their time hitting long distance shots at the golf range, with a small percentage attacking their basic short game shots. Either way, neither one of these approaches practiced 100% of the time will present you with the opportunity to make those strange and undesirable shots that a real golf game will inevitably give you.

Look Away

To give you a perfect example of an unconventional practice shot, here is a lesson that can help you keep your head down and eyes on the ball when initiating your swing when your ball is in a troubled spot.

Step 1: First take your stance to the right side of the ball if you are left handed, and to the left side of the ball if you are a righty. Now face away from the target. Not looking directly at the target may seem awkward at first, but go with it, relax, and loosen up your body.

Step 2: Now hold the club (whichever you like) with it extended downwards from your most dominant hand. The blade should be pointing towards the ground, directly at your feet.

Step 3: Next, place the blade of your club behind the golf ball and turn your head slightly back in order to properly aim your shot.

Step 4: Pull the club upwards while extending it forward. Then swing the club down and along your target line as best possible. Follow through as far as you possible can.

Step 5: Resist the urge to turn around to see the end result. Simply concentrate on following through and getting the ball back in to play towards the green.

We “older” golfers tend to forget basics, and/or ignore them…. Don’t, it’s always a good idea to get back to them regularly.

Ballyliffin Golf Club's History of Success and Failures

Ireland is a bastion of golf course, whether be it parkland or links courses, and they have more than enough for its 4 million population to accommodate many other golfers from all over the world. Blessed with beautiful land and scenic views, vacation golf spots in Ireland are a definite must-play and should provide a wondrous time whether you are just a beginner or a seasoned golfer.

To those who have already gone and played at the Ballyliffin Golf Club, they have been blessed of having a chance to play at two great golf courses adjacent to each other. Both straddles the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and provides a challenging game as the wind constantly blows erratically swaying the flight of the golf ball.

Either the old links or the Glashedy links provide a relentless pursuit to providing a fun yet unpredictable day of golfing with the best of the old and new provided to its members and visitors.

Before the Ballyliffin Golf Club enjoyed its vast popularity today, it has experienced a number of success and failures that have shaped it to be one of the more exciting golf links Ireland has to offer.

The concept of starting a golf club in Ballyliffin started out in the later part of the 1940's after the Second World War. By then, a group of people interested in the idea banded together and leased lands and converted it into a 9-hole golf course. The club itself prepared the greens before playing, doing the menial tasks of mowing the grass and checking the area.

But the development of the club and the course itself was a slow and painful process. With such a small club that doesn’t have really any resources at all, frustrations and doubts on whether the club should be continued at all flourished. Then the impending end of the lease also was hanging over their heads and the future of their club was slowly darkening.

But the sun shone the little golf club from Ballyliffin when the landowners agreed to extend their lease. The club's association with the Irish Christian brotherhood has also helped it recruit more players and improve their revenues. By the time the 1960's were ushering in, the confidence of its members soared and the prospect of owning the land was getting brighter.

Then by the late 60's problems with the land arose again as the owners weren’t keen on renewing the lease once again. This prompted the club to look for a larger area to lease and convert into a links course.

By 1970, the Ballyliffin Golf Club transferred to a much bigger area and construction soon started. Barely three years after 18 holes were ready to be played.

But problems soon arose again. Financial concerns plagued the club and the seawall was being eaten up by the sea as more gravel were being removed for the construction. A masterfully planned charity, bazaars and concerts saved the club from financial disaster and the stopping of construction by the sea saved the property.

Soon, more members joined the club and green fees were rising with its new found fame adding more finances to the club's coffers. A new clubhouse was now opened and more facilities and amenities were being put up.

Five decades after the original group members decided to start the Ballyliffin Golf Club, a new course was now added. By 1993, the construction started on the new course beside it and was finished two years after. Many professional and golf enthusiasts that the new championship links course was stunningly beautiful and was well designed.

With the success Ballyliffin Golf Club has experienced, and the failures that has made it what it is today, you can be sure that a golfing trip to this eventful course would be well worth the long trip from across the globe.

Mixing Tradition and Development at the Ballybunion Golf Club – The Old Course

When it comes to the ideal golf vacation spots in Ireland, the Southwest area is riddled with amazing golf courses filled with great links and stunning views. In these parts you will see Ireland's most sought after golf course all eager to line up for some tee time, the Ballybunion Golf Club, particularly its old course.

Many popular names in the world of golf have experienced the wondrous allure of Ballybunion and have continually used it as a warm up course to unwind and relax before The Open. Names like Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, Tiger Woods and Tom Watson has registered in its log book and has provided great reviews and comments to this wondrous and mesmerizing Irish golf vacation spot.

Being the millennium captain of the Ballybunion Golf Club, Tom Watson said that it is one of the best and most beautiful tests of links he has played in, having played there since 1981.

Here in the old golf course, you will find very challenging links where the winds are constant factors and the land is surrounded by the captivating view of the Atlantic.

Opened in August 18, 1893, the Ballybunion Golf Club has had its shares of ups and downs. In its early days, the Ballybunion Golf Club did not enjoy the popularity it does today and has fallen into financial oblivion. Its first 8 years reeled the course to its all time low and was soon revived only by the changing of the officers of the club.

As more developments and land links were laid out, the reputation of the Ballybunion Golf Club grew and grew. By 1926, the course had plans to extend to a full 18 holes, barely a year after, those plans were realized. Its national level of recognition started in 1932 when the Irish Ladies Championship was held there. Five years after, Irish Mens Close Amateur Championship followed suit.

Its first most significant level of competition came at 1957 when the course was chosen as the venue for the Irish Professional Championship. Soon after, waves of other competitions and golf organizations recognized its high quality links and have given it high accolades.

After more than 60 years, the Ballybunion Golf Club finally got the recognition it so rightly deserves and things were never quite the same. Golfers now come in droves from all over the world to experience what the lucky Irish people have had for more than a century now. The Ballybunion Golf Club would always be recognized as Ireland's greatest golf vacationing spot.

But aside from its majestic and amazing rolling dunes, and the mesmerizing backdrop set by the Atlantic Ocean, the tradition and culture that has made Ballybunion Golf Club what it is today is what keeps the people coming in.

Plus, it has world class amenities that can cater to the needs of so many golfers from all over the world. There you would find a newly built clubhouse that has a dining room that can seat 120 persons, two bars and some very relaxing lounge areas. There is also a Pro Golf Shop that carries every golfing needs that you may have. Also, being a championship golf course, you will be able to find some practice facilities such as; Putting Greens, A Sand Bunker Practice facility, Driving Range, and a Chipping Green.

Ballybunion Golf Club is located at Sandhill Road., Ballybunion, Country Kerry, Ireland. For the greatest golf vacation spot in Ireland, this is a century old choice for the pros.

Effortless Distance With Your Golf Swing

by : Jeff O'Brien

Many times when you hear people talking about getting the most distance out of their drives or irons, you probably hear the word timing used as they talk about how to achieve this. Or, when you watch the professionals play (especially in person) the distance they achieve seems to come so effortlessly and smooth. Although a discussion of the entire golf swing isn't within the scope of this article, let's talk about the timing. Timing is a word that is often bantered about when discussing the golf swing and more precisely achieving maximum distance; but timing of what? And how do I achieve it?

In a nutshell, when is comes to getting the most efficient distance out of your golf shot, the timing element is the timing of the release of the stored energy that has amassed during the process of your golf swing.
Again, for the purposes of this article, let's fast forward just a bit to the point where you are at the top of your golf swing. At this point, if all has gone well, your left arm will straight. The relationship between the club and your wrists will be 90 degrees (wrists will be cocked). Your hips will have rotated approximately 45 degrees away from their original address position, while your shoulders have rotated more toward a 90 degree posture. Essentially, you are in somewhat of a 'coiled' position at the top of your back swing.

At this position, you have accumulated your stored energy. Except additional energy that will be stored and released rapidly as your shaft flexes and un-flexes, this is what you have to work with.

Now that you have all this energy stored up, how and when to release it is on of us golfers greatest conundrum. This power that you now possess is but a fleeting thing, and one must apply it at the proper moment in order to achieve the desired results.
Unfortunately, from this position at the top of the back swing is where the vast amount of golfers goes wrong; and that is the first movement they make back toward the ball is with the hands and arms. If you do this, a vast amount of your stored energy has now been released and not available to be applied to the golf ball. When you do this, you lose the angle created between your wrists and your club. You lose the angle that you have created between your shoulder and your hips. In essence, (among other things) you have begun uncoiling way to early.

Among other things, in its simplest form, this type of action is generally called swinging or releasing from the top or casting the club. Aside from grossly leaking energy from your swing this will cause and outside in swing path, and more often than not produce some severity of slice.

But, let's stay strictly within the confines of energy and timing. If, from the top of your swing, you begin the ascent of your golf swing toward the impact zone from the ground up and maintain the aforementioned angles we discussed much longer, you'll be well on your way to applying the energy of your swing at the proper moment (not to mention your swing path will be much more desirable).

>From the top of your swing, the weight beginning to transfer from your back instep toward your front foot is what initiates the downswing. Not your hands, not your shoulders, not a spinning motion with your hips. As your weigh begins to move toward your front side, your hips will follow by beginning to release (uncoil) from the angle they had attained at the top of the swing. As the hips begin to uncoil and continue to follow the weight shift your shoulders and arms will naturally follow. Note that I said naturally. You shouldn't be consciously firing your arms and shoulders to catch up. If you do, once again, you have just spent more of your stored energy.

As the weight shifts, the hips follow with rotation and the shoulders and arms now begin to follow suit, your wrists should still be in a 'cocked' position in relationship to the club. In other words, this angle is still maintained.
As your left hip clears, this imparts a tremendous amount of pressure for your upper body to catch up. And catch up it will in a big way. With you hips cleared and your belly beginning to point down the target line, you shoulders will follow through the hitting zone and finally your arms and hands will be naturally force to release in a dramatic fashion through the impact zone. As all this happens the shaft of your club will have a pretty fair amount of flex imparted on it. This is easily discernable if you look at a slow motion or still photo view of the club coming into the impact zone.

It is at this point, with the shaft flexed that the right hand begins to release (and eventually pronate) that is the culmination of releasing all this stored energy upon the golf ball with the proper timing.

In a sense, the release of the energy which entails the hips following the initiated weight shift, followed by the upper body responding to the hips uncoiling, that then begins to lead the arms and hands down the target line and through the hitting zone until finally the hands can no longer remain 'cocked' and they release the club naturally as a result of rapidly catching up to the rest of what the body has done.

In summary it is the arms and hands that complete the release of your stored energy NOT initiate it from the top of your swing. As you begin to bring this concept together it may actually feel to you as though your arms and hand are 'trailing' the rest of your swing. And in sense they are... they are waiting for the precise timing. And the great thing is, is that the physics of this will all take place quite naturally once you begin to refine the mechanics of your golf swing with your teaching professional. And with some practice you'll soon be able to let the natural forces and physics of a good golf swing apply the proper timing to the golf ball in a smooth and effortless... longer distance manner.

First Hole In One by Becky Brewerton at British Open

The Women's British Open, currently carrying the official name of Ricoh Women's British Open, has been considered a major championship in women's golf since 2001. The interesting part of this year tournament, Becky Brewerton from Wales had a memorable week on Saturday where she scored her first ever hole-in-one with a 5-iron at the 12th. The five-iron blow was the first ace of her career, and she said: "My first ever hole in one - fantastic! To have it here, at this tournament as well, was brilliant. The shot was great all the way. It looked really good but I couldn’t see it go in. There was quite a big crowd to the left of the green and they all went nuts. I didn’t know what to do with myself." As an amateur, she was a member of the GB&I Curtis Cup Team in 2000 and this week her match play experience will be especially valuable.

Custom Fitting Golf Clubs

Every golfer's physical capability and swing is distinctive. Many of today's best golf clubs can be custom fit for lie angle, shaft type and length, grip type and size. Custom fitting golf clubs involves several easy measurements and a quick self-assessment of your game. This custom golf club has become more than a fad that even not so professional golfers test its waters. Custom fitting is the process for tailoring a golf club to suit your personal swing. Whatever your level, with a custom golf club the aim is to ensure that if you do make a good swing, the club will be square at impact and should produce a straight shot.


Custom Golf Club How To's:

To custom fit your golf clubs, you need to know: your gender (male or female); your height in your stockings or socks; the distance from your wrist (where it bends) to the floor with your shoes off; your age; your handicap or skill level; how fast you swing a golf club; what club you use at the 150 yard marker.

Gender is used to put you into the correct fitting scale for custom golf clubs. The golf industry uses different definitions of "standard length" for men and women.

Your height and the distance in inches from your wrist to the floor are used together to determine the length of a custom golf club that is appropriate for you. The starting point for club length can vary up to 3 ½-inch ranging from ladies to men plus 1 ½-inch. A tall person with long arms can very easily require shorter clubs than an average height person with short arms. About 80 percent of golfers are standard length.

Your age, handicap (if you happen to have one), self-assessed skill level, estimated golf swing speed and club you use at the 150 yard marker are all combined to determined the custom golf club's shaft flex that is appropriate for you.

Custom fitting can fix your slice. If you slice the ball it means that the toe of the club is leading into the ball which opens the face of the club. That may be down to a swing fault, but it could be because the club is too flat. So as part of the custom fitting process you can make the custom golf club more upright to help with this. This will mean that the toe of the club will be slightly off the ground at address to compensate.

There are different methods of fitting according to custom golf club manufacturers but ultimately they are all trying to improve your game. To begin with simple measurements such as wrist-to-floor, height and hand size are taken and will point you to the right size club and at what angle it should be to the ground. Then you will take a club and hit some balls. One method is to place impact tape on the bottom of the custom golf club and an impact board on the floor.

As you hit the ball the board will leave a mark on the tape showing whether the heel or the toe of the custom golf club is striking the floor first. The resulting mark will show whether the club face needs to be flatter or more upright. Then things get a bit more advanced. Analysis equipment can measure everything from your club speed to the side spin of the ball so that you can get maximum distance from your shot. You can also measure the launch angle of the ball, how much backspin you generate and impact efficiency - all which affect distance. The angle in which the custom golf club approaches the ball and the sidespin of it can help fix your game too.

Rather than bringing down your old clubs, it might be better to start from scratch. It's a big misconception that custom fitting is only for good golfers. Anyone can benefit. That said, if you plan to upgrade a new set of clubs with the same manufacturer they may be able to adjust your old set to become custom golf clubs.

Custom fitting won't cure all your bad shots. Coaching will sort that out. But if you do make a good swing, then the custom golf club will arrive correctly at impact and should produce a straight shot at your target. That alone will save shots during a round.

Lastly, custom fitting is often free of charge. But it is usually on the condition that you buy some clubs once you've been fitted. So it really depends on what your budget is. If you're prepared to buy a new set of clubs it's definitely worth getting fitted.

Money Money Money

Tired playing golf? Do you want to make some money with your blog? I found a way that you can make money from your blog from blog advertising network. This is what you need to do:

1. Register on a site and add your blog
2. Activate your blog. Activation consists in checking of the blog by a moderator. For this purpose you should place the invisible counter in one of the blog posts. The code of the counter will be given to you after registration
3. After acknowledgment that your blog is accepted, look at the list of offers accessible to bloggers, who have at least one activated blog, and choose what most appeals to you and your goals.
4. Send the invitation to the advertisers (located underneath the offer) and specify the price you are setting for the review.
5. Advertisers will then accept or reject the invitation - or may reply with a counteroffer. Some invitations remain open for a long time, therefore it is better to submit several invitations at once.
6. After your invitation has been approved by the advertiser, attentively study its requirements and write a post in the blog taking these requirements into account. Send to the advertiser the reference to the post.
7. 7. The advertiser will check your work and if everything suits him or her, money will arrive into your account. However, he or she finds any defects, they may ask you to correct them. Advertisers have the right to refuse payment to those who fabricated knowledge about the subject in the invitation or those who didn't research the subject enough to write a proper review with proper grammar and spelling. Should a dispute arise, the definitive decision is determined by the Site Administrator. The basic document for decision-making are requirements of the Advertiser to a review and conformity of a review to these requirements.
8. We pass to point 3 and so on, during your pleasure.

Mickelson Wins HSBC Champions

Phil Mickelson made a birdie on the 17th hole to hold off the charging Ernie Els to win the World Golf Championship-HSBC Champions at Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai, China. It was the first time he won a tournament while playing in the final group with Woods. Tiger Woods played in the final group but struggled to make birdies, shooting and even-par, 72. Woods finished tied for sixth place with Martin Kaymer, who shot 67 in the final round. Lee Westwood and Alvaro Quiros tied for eighth place at 11-under par. Seven players tied for 10th place at 10-under par, including Geoff Ogilvy, Anthony Kim and Retief Goosen. Also finishing at 10-under were Francesco Molinari, Soren Kjeldsen, Pat Perez and Daisuke Maruyama.


Source

Golf in Germany

Golf has become more and more popular over the past few decades. Golf dates back all the way to before the 1400s when it was originated in parts of Europe. The concept of hitting a ball into a predetermined hole the least amount of times possible was played early in the Netherlands, Scotland and England. Everyone from royalty to peasants played this particular sport in Europe. The game of golf ventured over to the United States and made way for the United States Golf Association in 1894. Since then the sport has grown to become one of America's favorite pastimes. With the popularity of golf growing the need for individuals to teach golf is growing as well.

With golfers such as Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus inspiring the young and old alike, it is difficult not to become enthralled with the sport. Both newcomers to the sport and others who have taken a swing at the sport have a vested interest in learning different techniques to improve their golf game. This leaves a lot of room for professionals to step in to teach golf to amateurs. There are numerous ways to go about gaining the experience and proper credentials needed for teaching golf, attending a golf academy being one of them.

In Germany you can try several great golfing academies, where the sport of golfing is just as valued as in the United States. Becoming a student at a golf academy will not only provide you with the tools to teach golf, but it will also provide the necessary course work to obtain experience and skills in various fields pertinent to golf. Students will learn how to manage a golf course or in Germany we called it Golfkurse , repair golf clubs and run tournaments among other important talents. The typical course work includes teaching techniques, how to repair and fit golf clubs properly, the rules of the game, as well as tournament planning. Students attending a golf academy benefit by not only improving their golf game, but they will walk away with a better understanding of the game.

If you has grade from the academy, then you want to focus on golf as your career, I think you need tools to booster your intelligence and play tactic. Nowadays, it's amazing how popular golf has become online; in fact ever since the internet first became a source for all golfers, the game has seen a massive rise in the number of participants. This is greatly due to the amount of online stores available right now around the world. So how do I know which online golf shop is right for me? There are many different types of golf shop both online and offline, so how can we cipher through the bad shop and come up with a list of only the best possible golf shops available to you. Basically every shop is going to be different in some way and most will actually target people who are at different levels in terms of their golf game, however it doesn't mean that you can't find that shop that's right for you. Look for a good Golfshop in Germany which provides all the golfing equipment, many of them supply it all over the Euro countries. These stores are known for making on schedule cheap and reliable deliveries. Go for a golf shop which sells golf products of renowned brands like Adidas, Bridgestone, Nike and Cleveland. You can either purchase online or just go through it, when you are in Germany on your holiday, you can drop in and pick your equipment.

Germany has not only got good golf shops, it is also an ideal place for golf courses because of its beautiful countryside and greenery. Both the metropolitan and surrounding regions in Germany are full of lush green golf courses, thus it is a great place to plan a golf holiday. Berlin, Munich, Hamburg - these and other great cities of Germany provide wide range of golf courses, golf resorts and thus are a great golfing holiday destination.

WGC (HSBC) - Woods and Mickelson Meet Again

Tiger Woods will aim to continue his remarkable record in the World Golf Championships arena when he and World Number Two Phil Mickelson headline an impressive American challenge for the WGC – HSBC Champions at the Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai from November 5-8. The WGC – HSBC Champions will feature an increased prize fund of US$7 million and will bring together tournament winners from all over the globe as well as the best players from the International Federation of PGA Tours.

So what's happenings at HSBC Champions right now:

- Past champions Phil Mickelson, Y.E. Yang and Sergio Garcia and two-time runner-up Tiger Woods were among the featured players at HSBC's kickoff party Tuesday evening at the Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal. The four took part in several photo opportunities, played a game of Chinese chess and even hit red golf balls into the Shanghai River with the breathtaking skyline as a backdrop.

- At the HSBC kickoff press conference, Mickelson looked more like the part of CEO or politician rather than the world's No. 2 golfer, sporting a dark gray and chalk pinstripe suit and black tie.

- From the "Maybe-They-Know-Something-We-Don't" department: Caddies in the Wednesday Pro-Am all wore red and white (HSBC colors) helmets with an oversized hard plastic sun visor.

- The bunkers on the practice range at the Sheshan International Golf Club are filled with red carpeting.

- For those discounting the magnitude of World Golf Championships events, this week's tournament in China marks the first time the world's top two players (Woods and Mickelson) will compete against each other in Asia. A total of 15 of the world's top 20 in the Official World Golf Ranking are among the 78 players on hand this week to battle for the $7 million purse.


- Plenty of time was spent on the range breaking down NFL and Major League Baseball action. Jerry Kelly (lamenting the Green Bay Packers and Brett Favre's move to Minnesota) and Sean O'Hair (willing the Philadelphia Phillies to a World Series title) were among the most outspoken. O'Hair was especially inspired by the wonders of TV in China -- he managed to catch the Phillies' Game 5 victory over the Yankees in his hotel room (Tuesday afternoon here). No truth to the rumor that the game pre-empted the highly rated game show, "The Super Terrific Happy Hour."

Source

Karnataka Is Developing 'Golf Tourism' Packages

The state-owned Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC), in an effort to attract high-end travellers from India and abroad, is developing ‘golf tourism’ packages. It intends to launch a new tourism circuit for avid golfers in the next couple of months. For a start, the corporation will promote Bangalore, Mysore, Belgaum, Chikmagalur and Madikeri as preferred golf tourism destinations. Click here for further info.

The Floppy - Indoor Practice Golf Ball

For golfer out there, you've no doubt risked destroying your possessions in order to practice your chipping indoors. Thanks to The Floppy Indoor Golf Ball, that will never be a problem again.

It may look like a delicate ball, but this indoor golf ball is a woven covered pliable ball that can take lots of kicks in the behind. There's no need to worry about putting too much muscle power in a shot.

The practice ball reacts well off the face, seems to spin quite realistically and feels like it has a nice weight to it when you make contact. The best part is you can bounce shots off the wall, the sliding glass door, or other various things about the house without fear of shattered glass. And because it feels, rolls and spins like a real ball it will help build muscles and develop a proper swing during the off seasons.

FYI, Floppy Indoor Golf Ball was featured in the New York Times. To order- and learn more click here. It will give you the same feeling and feedback of a normal golf ball and it will probably spare you the trouble of paying for your neighbour's damaged windows again.

Stung by a bee

A group of golfers were approaching the first tee when they noticed a woman being given first aid. One of the golfers asked what had happened and he was informed that the woman had been stung by a bee and was having a reaction.

"Where was she bit?" he asked. "Between the first and second hole." was the reply.

He then replied, "Wow! She must have been standing right over the hive."

Phil Mickelson and Nick Watney Take Control!

Americans Phil Mickelson and Nick Watney lead by four strokes going into the final round of the WGC-CA Championship in Florida. Watney had four birdies in his opening six holes but had to save par on the 18th to stay on terms with Mickelson.

Watney suffered his first bogey of the tournament at the 11th before birdies at the 12th and 16th put him back into contention.

Mickelson recovered his composure on the back nine with three birdies in a row from the 12th and although he drove left at the 17th, eventually ending up with his third bogey, he parred the last to finish with a 69.

The beautiful Tiara Melaka Golf & Country Club in Malaysia

Its 27-hole championship golf course, however, is built like an old school, exclusive member's club, where guests are slain by the course's many difficulties and the members, having unlocked the layout's secrets through hundreds of rounds, clean their clocks.

The golf course was designed by the global architecture team of Nelson, Wright & Hayworth, which has an extensive Asian portfolio that includes projects in Indonesia, China and Vietnam. Their design at Tiara is a bold one, full of water carries and split fairways, offering multiple routes to the hole.

The most difficult hole here is No. 8 on the Meadow nine. It's long, at 410 meters, but also plays uphill, dog-legging tightly through trees on either side and requiring a long carry over water off the tee. And watch out for the tree in the middle of the fairway. To negotiate this tree, It's almost a guarantee you'll have to shape your approach shot in some way - or at least hit a low ball - to reach the green.

Chipping Technique

A technique for chipping can be very simple and extremely effective. Below are some tips that you can use to improve you chipping technique.




7 Iron Run
A great place to use this shot is when you are close to the green and don't have rough or a hazard to go over. Use the basic stroke technique play the ball in the middle of your stance, allow for lots of roll and hit the ball almost like a putt.

Pitching Wedge
Use this shot when you have rough or a hazard to go over and still have a lot of green to work with. Using the basic chipping stroke technique, play the ball about 3/4 forward in your stance. You might use a little more wrist here to get the ball to pop up faster. Play for more height and less roll.

Sand Wedge
This is the perfect shot to use when you are faced with a hazard to go over with little green to work with. Use the basic chipping stroke with your sand wedge, open your stance a little and play the ball off your left heel. Use a little extra wrist here and pull down and through with your left hand and the ball will pop right up and land softly with minimum roll.

Lob Shot
Basic ChipHave you ever had a shot you thought was impossible? You had a huge bunker to go over with no green to work with or you had a tall tree to over with almost no room to maneuver. The lob shot may be the answer for you! This shot is challenging to learn but with just a little practice you can master this shot and master your short game. Start by opening your stance and your club face of your sand wedge to give you maximum loft. Slope your shoulders so that your right shoulder is lower than your left.

Round 1 of LPGA Thailand - Jin Joo Hong takes Lead

Jin Joo Hong of South Korea emerged as the surprise first-round leader Thursday after shooting a 6-under 66 at the $1.45 million LPGA Thailand. The Korean made an eagle, six birdies and two bogeys to open up a two-shot lead over Sweden';s Helen Alfredsson and a quartet of Americans - World Number 3 Paula Creamer, Angela Stanford, Kristy McPherson and Brittany Lang.



1st Round Leaderboard as Follows (Par 72, 6477 yards) :-

1. Jin Joo Hong 66
2. Kristy McPherson 68
2. Angela Stanford 68
2. Paula Creamer 68
2. Helen Alfredsson 68
2. Brittany Lang 68
7. Nicole Castrale 69
8. Sophie Gustafson 70
8. Hee-Won Han 70
8. Yani Tseng 70
8. Morgan Pressel 70
12. Juli Inkster 71
12. In-Kyung Kim 71
12. Mi Hyun Kim 71
12. Leta Lindley 71
12. Young Kim 71
12. Natalie Gulbis 71
12. Lorena Ochoa 71
12. Karrie Webb 71
12. Ai Miyazato 71
21. Christina Kim 72
21. Karen Stupples (Eng) 72
21. Teresa Lu 72
21. Jane Park 72
21. Seon Hwa Lee 72
26. Minea Blomqvist 73
26. Mika Miyazato 73
26. Inbee Park 73
26. Se Ri Pak 73
26. Candie Kung 73
26. Na Yeon Choi 73
26. Eun-Hee Ji 73
26. Jee Young Lee 73
26. Ashleigh Simon 73
26. Allison Fouch 73
26. Katherine Hull 73
26. Laura Diaz 73
26. a-Moriya Jutanugarn 73
39. Giulia Sergas 74
39. Cristie Kerr 74
39. Ji Young Oh 74
39. Sun Young Yoo 74
39. Lindsey Wright 74
39. Meena Lee 74
39. Melissa Reid (Eng) 74
39. a-Thidapa Suwannapura 74
47. Louise Friberg 75
47. Shiho Oyama 75
47. Stacy Prammanasudh 75
47. Jiyai Shin 75


Source : USA Today

Tiger Wood Is Back! Return Of The Jedi!

Tiger is back! It's been way too long. Tiger Woods is excited about returning to competition next week after an eight-month injury break but has a slight concern over how his game will stand up to the rigors of tournament golf. John Cook, who practiced with Woods at their home course in Orlando, said the former No.1 was hitting full shots with ease and is all geared-up for the tournament. It's sure good to have him back.

Source : OrlandoSentinel

Golf Putter - What To Look For?

By: Lee Macrae

There is such a wide range of putters today that it can become very difficult to know which one to choose. And yet a golf putter is a very important part of a golfer's arsenal. In fact, in many ways the golf putter could possibly be the most important club in your bag. Most golfers will take two thirds of their total shots within 100 feet of the hole. And your putts take up a large part of those shots.

So what exactly should you be looking for in a golf putter? The first thing you'll notice is the number of different putter shapes that are available. The blade putter is the traditional style used for many many years on golf courses around the world. The blade putter is narrow from face to back and long from the heel to toe. Many people feel more comfortable using one of these standard, classically shaped putters. The more modern shape is the mallet putter. But even then these new putters can come in a variety of shapes although they are all typically just as deep from front to back as they are from heel to toe. You can find square shapes, triangular shapes and just about everything in between. Through the use of these different shapes, along with a variety of materials, a higher moment of inertia can be achieved when manufacturing the head. The moment of inertia is simply the ability of the putter head to resist twisting when you hit the ball. This twisting can send the ball off target.

There are also a variety of materials used for putter heads these days. You can get a putter that is forged, cast, milled or crafted from aluminum, copper, brass, titanium, nickel, beryllium, plastics and a number of other materials. You can get them with various face materials and various inserts, again crafted from various materials to give different feels, striking surfaces and moments of inertia.

When you think of all this variety, the smartest move is to go to a golf shop or sporting goods store and check out the various types of putters and see how they "feel" when you take a shot. That will help you determine what exactly will work for you in a putter shape and material. you'll also note that some putters include some type of alignment lines to assist in lining up your putts. some will have lines, some have notches, some will even have a system of lines and arrows to assist you in making the shot. Will these help pr hinder you?

Also keep in mind that you don't need to keep the grip that comes with the putter. You can always have a club fitter change it to a better grip for you if you find a putter that is perfect in every other aspect. Never settle for less than the best in your putter.

But the most important thing to remember when you're trying different golf putters is that one of the largest parts of a professional's putting stroke is confidence. If you have confidence that your golf putter will strike the ball firmly without twisting, that the face is milled properly to give you a consistent striking surface then you have won half the battle. You can concentrate completely on sinking the putt.

Golf Tees

One of the main components of golf is the tee. On its basic concept, golf tees are those used as stands that holds the golf ball during the player’s “first stroke” in each hole.

Tee is also used to unofficially refer to the area from which the player hit his or her primary stroke. It is formally known as the “teeing ground”. Such that when a player is said to play on the golf course’ ninth hole, the player is said to play from the “ninth tee” to the ninth green.

Consequently, the first shot hit by the player from a “teeing ground” is known as a tee shot. For lengthy holes, tee shots can be done using a driver; while for shorter holes, it is best to use an iron.

Typically, using tees while on the verge of hitting the ball is not allowed after the tee shot has been done. However, there are instances wherein some rules of golf allow this kind of technique known as “teeing the ball.”

Too complicated? Read on.



Information on golf tees may range from the simplest to the most complex information. This is because the term “tee” is being used to refer to many things in a golf game.

Therefore, for people who wish to know more about tees, here is a list that can be used in order to understand the concept and importance of tees in golf.

1- The act of teeing is beneficial for drive shots.

Teeing, on its basic idea is considered as advantageous for players who do drive shots. In this case, teeing is allowed most of the time.

Alternatively, teeing is not allowed after the tee shot has been delivered. Any shots where tees are used will be considered illegal.

2- Tee shots can be executed without the use of tees.

As mentioned, tees are used when the first shot is played on the hole of the teeing ground. If in the event that the first shot is considered as a chip, a short “approach shot” of low flight usually strike from next to the green, the player can have his or her tee shot without using a tee.

3- Normal size of golf tee

The typical size of a golf tee is 2.125 inches in length. However, tee sizes may vary depending on their length, and on how they will be used in the game.

4- Forward tees are best for beginners

It is highly recommended by experts that forward tees should be used by beginners. Forward tees are usually used by high or middle handicap seniors and women.

5- Three different set of tees with three different functions

There are three different set of tees available in golf. These are the back tees, middle tees, and the forward tees.
Each set of tees has its special function.

In choosing which set of tees are appropriate for a certain type of player, it is best to consider the player’s handicap, or the amount of strokes that he or she must subtract from his or her real score. This is usually done to initiate players who have different capabilities to contend on an equal level.

Hence, for those who are low-handicap, it is best to use back tees, also known as championship tees. For middle to high handicap men, long-hitting or low-handicap seniors, and low-handicap women, it is best to use middle tees.

On the other hand, forward tees are best for beginners and low-handicap seniors and women.

With all of these things in mind, every golfer should realize by now how important tees are in the game. Without these tees, the game cannot officially start with the first hole.

Therefore, even if it is relatively complicated to understand the basic concept of tees, still, it is important for a golf player to know its concept and the rules that surround it in order to achieve something in golf.