When most people think of Chicago, they usually think of a big city, lots of tall buildings, maybe Oprah. That’s accurate, but did you know that Chicago is the home to dozens of golf courses?

Chicago was designed as “Urbs in Horto”, the City in the park. There are plenty of golf courses in Chicago for all skill levels, from beginners to championship level golfers. Here are several courses to consider:

Chicago Park District Golf Courses

The Chicago Park District has 6 golf courses, 3 driving ranges and 2 miniature golf courses. Jackson Park Golf Course was the city’s first public golf course. This 18-hole course has mature trees lining the fairways. The Sydney R. Marovitz Golf Course, formerly Waveland, is a 9-hole course right on Chicago’s lakefront in Lincoln Park. The Chicago Park District’s newest course is Robert A. Black, a 9-hole course. This challenging 2,339 yard, par 33 layout was designed by the renowned Dick Nugent. For more information, go to http://www.cpdgolf.com/

Cook County Forest Preserve Golf Courses

There are 11 Cook County Forest Preserve golf courses. One of their courses, George W. Dunne National, is the Forest Preserve’s premier 18-hole course, 6690 yards par 72 with a renovated practice facility. It has tree-lined fairways and eight lakes, which come into play on most of the course’s holes. For more information, go to http://www.forestpreservegolf.com/

The Green at Grant Park

Want to practice your short game? You can, right downtown on Monroe Street near Lake Michigan. The Green at Grant Park is an 18-hole putting course, featuring true-to-golf greens surrounded by lush gardens. For more information, go to http://www.thegreenonline.com/

Harborside International Golf Center

Are you a serious golfer? Play at Harborside International Golf Center, Chicago’s upscale championship golf facility. It has two 18-hole courses, the Port and the Starboard courses, designed by Dick Nugent on the site of a landfill. This award-winning course has often been compared to traditional treeless Scottish golf courses. They also have a prairie style clubhouse was designed in the Frank Lloyd Wright tradition. It’s located near Lake Calumet on the far south side of Chicago. For more information, go to http://www.harborsidegolf.com/

Cog Hill Golf and Country Club

Ready for another serious golfer’s challenge, but with tree-lined fairways? Cog Hill was founded by golfer Joe Jemsek in 1927. This family owned facility has four 18-hole regulation golf courses and a state-of-the-art driving range. Course #4 is the nationally ranked Dubsdread course where the Western Open has been played since 1991. Cog Hill is located about 30 miles southwest of Chicago. For more information visit http://www.coghillgolf.com/

Raynay Valles, creator of Chicago Golf Courses Resource Center, which celebrates Chicagoland golf by listing courses, reviews, resources and more. To visit it now go to http://www.golfcoursechicago.com

Golf originates from a medieval game played on the coast of Scotland during the 15th century. Golfers would hit a pebble instead on a ball around the sand dunes using a stick or club. As time passed, stones were exchanged for man-made balls, the earliest of which were thin leather bags stuffed with feathers. The gutta-percha ball was not invented until 1848 and could be hit a maximum distance of 225 yards. In 1899 rubber balls were invented that could reach distances of 430 yards. Golf sticks evolved into carefully weighted golf clubs, and in the 1880’s golf club bags first became fashionable. The caddie, a servant who carted all the player’s gear aound the golf course, had his burden lessened by the invention of the golf car in the early 1950’s.

The first golf car manufacturers were E-Z-Go, Pargo, Harley Davidson and Cushman. The price was astoundingly high for this era, $1200, but as more manufacturers entered the field it dropped to $600, still high in terms of inflation. E-Z-Go still manufacturs golf cars today. There are hundreds or golf car manufacturers listed on the internet, and most of these companies specialize in these small vehicles, and do not make larger cars.

The first golf cars were gas-powered, but recently the market has shifted to more battery-powered models. Golf carts can be customized just like cars, and lift kits and ATV wheels are sold to golfers who want to stand out on the course. There are companies which specialize in creating entire custom golf cars, or miniaturized versions of full sized cars, such as the Humdinger (Humvee), mini Jeep, Rolls-Royce, Cadillac or Mercedes-Benz.

Golf carts come in 3 forms: manual push/pull carts, electric motorized carts, and electric or gas golf cars that hold passengers as well as gear. Push/pull carts have 2 or 3 wheels and a vertical support for a golf bag. They are basically manual dollies with clips and holders especially adapted for golf gear, and sell for $50 to $100. Moving up a level in sophistication, motorized golf caddies cost approximately $500 all the way up to $1000. Golf cars, which resemble dune buggies in size, start at about $1800 for a small basic model.

Ebay has a large selection of both new and used golf carts at low prices but service can be a problem with small vendors.

Manufacturers are also expanding their sales by renaming carts “Electric Utility Vehicles” and suggesting alternate uses for them, such as hauling lawn equipment and travelling around rural properties.

Please see our website http://golf-carts-2006.info

Frank Vanderlugt
http://www.golf-carts-2006.info

When it comes to arming yourself with the right clubs, you ought to be honest with yourself about your playing level, the quality of your swing, and exactly what kind of player you are.

Not only will this help you pick irons and woods that match your game. You’ll also end up saving yourself money. For instance, you an save hundreds if you are a beginner golfer, realize this, and buy a cheap starter set of clubs.

To match your golf equipment with your skill level, determine first which category of player you are. There is the low-handicap, mid-handicap, and high-handicap golfer. So you know, a handicap measures how well you typically shoot compared to the average par of an 18-hole golf course.

Experts classify a low-handicap golfer as somebody who shoots, on average, less than an 82 on an average course. That equals 9 or few strokes over par, or a handicap in the single digits

A low-handicaps player has a single-digit handicap, meaning he or she generally scores less than 10 strokes over par, or an 82 or less on a par-72 course. If you’re in this camp, you’ll want to pack your bag with high-performance clubs that can maximize your abilities.

Such golf equipment includes a driver and at least one other wood, such as the 3 wood. Pack your low irons, too, such as the 3 or 4 iron. Players with your skill can accurately hit these normally difficult-to-it clubs, and these clubs can make reaching the green from 200 plus yards out a cinch.

You can best manage mid-range approach shots with the high trajectory irons, your 8, 9, and pitching wedge. Of course, you’ll want your sand wedge, as well, in the unlikely event you sail one onto the beach.

Mike Long is the successful web publisher of Golf-SuperGuide.com providing valuable tips, advice, and info about a multitude of relevant topics including golf equipment.

Ways to cure the slice:

Firstly, make sure your body alignment is correct, your shoulders, chest hips and feet should all be parallel to each other as well as parallel to the ball to pin line. If your body is not aligned correctly and is aiming too far to the left, the upper body can not and does not rotate properly. This leads to an ‘out to in’ swing which means that the club will not be hitting through the ball but instead will be moving from outside the ball to inside the ball as the impact takes place. The consequence of this is side spin being generated on the ball and the dreaded uncontrollable slice follows.

Even if your alignment, swing and grip are perfect, the positioning of the ball in the stance can make a good straight shot into a shot that slices wildly out of play. This occurs when the ball is placed too far forward in the stance.

Once again the slicing of the ball occurs because the club face is no longer square on at impact with the ball. This is because the club face has come past square and is moving in from the ball to pin line, this again generates side spin resulting in the ball slicing again.

Ideal ball placement is different for every club, but this is a rough guide:

For woods and long irons, the ball should be placed inline with the inside of your left heel (opposite for left hand players), for short irons place the ball in the centre of the stance, for medium irons the ball should be placed between two positions mentioned above.

Posture should be checked as weight distribution can also have an affect. Having your weight too far forward can encourage the slice so be wary of your weight distribution.

If all else fails, try strengthening your grip. Do this by moving your hands slightly clockwise around the club, then adjust your grip so you’re holding it more in your fingers and lighten the pressure, this should help reduce the affect of the slicing.

Happy golfing!

Discover amazing free golf tips and secrets to help you take your game to the next level and shave a minimum of five shots off your best round. Visit:
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As a world-famous golfer, Arnold Palmer won a majority of his 92 championships on the U.S. PGA tour. The only “major” he never won was the PGA Championship, although he finished second in three of them. Probably most noted for being the first pro to win four Masters Tournaments, it’s not surprising to find that he started playing golf at the ripe old age of four. He worked hard at developing his golf game throughout most of his life, and it shows with some of the prestigious awards he’s won including: the 1960 Hickok Professional Athlete of the Year, the 1960 Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year, and even Athlete of the Decade for the 1960s in a national Associated Press poll. The awards culminated in 2004 when President Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a ceremony at the White House.

His professional career began in 1954, just a few months after he won the U.S. Amateur Championship. The leading money winner in three of the four years spanning his biggest period from 1960 to 1963, Palmer twice represented the U.S. in the international Ryder Cup Match.

But Palmer never let all that prestige and status go to his head. He unfailingly maintained a dry and subtle sense of humor. After succumbing to bad luck on the 18th hole at the Rancho Park L.A. Open in 1961, a newsman asked how he had managed to make 12 on the par 5 hole. His reply: “I missed my putt for an 11.”

Rancho Park became his home golf course for many years. The 20th Century Fox Studios were right across the street, and many times you’d find Hollywood stars mixing with the regular golfing crowd. It’s said that after Palmer once played a round with Frank Sinatra – the famed singer rumored to have been involved with the Italian Mafia – Sinatra asked him, “How do you like my game?” Palmer responded with a straight face, “I prefer golf.”

Palmer even got along with members of the media, laughing at the statement made by one television commentator who noted during a live broadcast that Palmer “seems to be having trouble with his long putt. However he has no trouble dropping his shorts.” That same kindness, understanding and sense of fairness have carried through his life and led to the unofficial creation of Arnie’s Army, a dedicated group of fans that has numbered in the thousands.

The honor and unceasing dedication those fans offer Palmer is well-warranted. His philanthropic efforts, while never highly publicized, have earned him recognition with those who count – the people who know him. For two decades, Palmer served as honorary national chairman of the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation and has played major roles in fund-raising drives for hospitals in both Orlando, Florida, and Latrobe, Pennsylvania, the town in which he was born.

Now in semi-permanent retirement, Palmer splits his time between Latrobe and La Quinta, California. He has numerous business interests around the world and still keeps his hand in his first passion, golf, serving as a consultant to The Golf Channel, designing golf courses around the country, and owning several golf courses, including being part owner of the renowned Pebble Beach course in California.

Famed golf pro, down-to-earth father and family man, quiet philanthropist – all can be used to describe Arnold Palmer. His life in golf has mirrored his life in general. Speaking of golf, he once noted, “I’ve always made a total effort, even when the odds seemed entirely against me. I never quit trying; I never felt that I didn’t have a chance to win.” It seems, however, that it has been those who know him that have been the real winners in this game.

Copyright 2005 Donald Saunders

Golf is a great sport that will not only get and keep you fit, but give you endless hours of pleasure amongst some of the world’s most beautiful scenery. Amongst some of the most interesting golf courses are those at Myrtle Beach golf and Charleston golf

If you’re having trouble with consistency and accuracy – putting the ball in the same general spot you intended, each time you hit it – then you might want to step off the course, grab a bucket of golf balls, and head for the driving range to get some practice in on your swing.

Since you’re probably on your own, unless you decide to take a lesson, just learn this – the secret to improving your swing is to figure out where you might be going wrong and then practice to correct the problem. You want to make all of the major factors affecting your swing consistent, so that you can develop a repeatable swing. Once you’ve got that consistency, then you can fine-tune the little details. What’s so nice about working to improve your swing is that you have such an easy test to see if it’s working – is the ball landing in the general area you planned? If the answer is yes, it’s working. Pretty simple!

Start by reviewing what you are doing now with your stance. If you could place a broom handle on the ground so that it just touched the toe of each shoe, the end heading off towards the green should point directly at the flag. Your shoulders and hips should be parallel to that line and should stay that way throughout your swing. Not keeping the whole body parallel to that imaginary line is probably the most common problem new golfers have with their stance.

Now, we’re getting to the trickier parts of your golf swing – the moving parts. It’s sometimes hard to tell exactly what you might be doing wrong from this point on, so it can help to slow your swing down and have a friend or golfing buddy stand in front of you to explain what they see. Compare that to what you know you should be doing, and take it from there.

The first movement you’re going to look at is your back swing. Make sure you are using a smooth, even motion during your back swing – nothing jerky or aggressive. Remember, your swing won’t get better just because you swing faster or harder, chances are, it will get worse! The most common mistake that novice golfers make on the back swing is to flick their wrists backward right away like they would when swinging a baseball bat. Don’t! Let it be a natural motion instead. Watch any of the pros on the PGA tour – watch Woods, Mickelson, Sorenstam and Kim – most of them begin their wrist break just a little bit before the golf club reaches the horizontal position.

After looking at your back swing, take a peek at what’s going on at the transition – the point at the top of your swing, just before you bring the golf club forward. Most novice golfers don’t allow the club to actually stop for a fraction of a second, and it should. After that brief stop, bring the club back down in that same even, fluid motion you worked on for your back swing. Flicking your wrists forward fast and hard is, again, what we do with a baseball bat. And if you haven’t noticed by now, that little white critter on the tee is a whole lot smaller than a baseball!

Now, you’re at the actual point where you make contact with the ball. Don’t try to power through the ball with your arm and shoulder muscles. You’re probably tired of hearing me say this, but this, too, is how we are used to hitting a baseball. If you do it during your golf swing, though, it only weakens your swing and throws the club head out of alignment. Instead, using your whole torso and even your leg muscles will help correct it, as well as one other common problem novice golfers have – letting the club face close or open up. At the moment of contact, the front and back edges of the club head should perpendicular to that imaginary broom handle you laid out earlier.

Think you’re done? Not yet! You still have your follow through to consider. The biggest mistake a beginning golfer makes is to slow down after they’ve hit the ball. To ensure a full swing, keep your club head near the ground for about six inches on the follow through. This helps you swing through the ball, not stab at it. Again, keep that smooth, even speed all the way until the club head is up behind your head – a full swing is just that; it makes a complete circle from start to finish. Remember, it doesn’t matter whether you have a driver, an iron, or a wedge in your hands; the swing speed should remain the same throughout the entire swing for all of them, and a consistent swing speed will improve your accuracy noticeably!

As you can see, the most common problem most novice golfers have with their golf swing is that they try to hit the ball with the same general motion and muscles that they would use to swing a baseball bat. That’s only natural, since a bat’s probably the main thing most of us grew up swinging. But it’s totally wrong too. Almost everything about a golf swing is different from swinging a bat, and the only way to get it right is practice, practice, practice!

Like Bob Hope once said, “If you watch a game, it’s fun. If you play it, it’s recreation. If you work at it, it’s golf!”

Copyright 2005 Donald Saunders

Once you’ve kitted yourself out and bought all that shiny new golf equipment find yourself a good local public golf course and set about practicing your golf swing

We will discuss categorically the functions of the core and how improvements in these areas can assist in the improvement of your golf swing. Before we begin discussing the functions of the core, let us define it. The core can be defined as an anatomical area of the body. The core is includes all the muscles from below the chest to the hips. Separated out into body parts the core includes all muscles of: the hips (glutes, hamstrings, glutes), abdominals, obliques (side abdominals), and low back. These muscles groups essentially comprise the core region and are involved in the majority of movement elicited by the core.

Now that we have a brief understanding of what exactly the core refers to in terms of a reference point, let us begin to discuss the pertinent connections between the core and the golf swing. We will be discussing the following topics in relation to the golf swing: 1) range of motion, 2) speed of motion, 3) balance, and 4) coordination. All four of these categories are related to the core of your body and have a direct effect on your golf swing. We will first begin by discussing range of motion and move forward from that point.

Range of Motion

Most of us have probably heard of this term before and may have some type of definition for it. Let us first define range of motion. Range of motion is essentially a distance that the body or body part moves during an activity. For example, walking down the street requires all segments of the body to move through a certain range of motion. In addition to the entire body, specific body parts move through a specified range of motion. The knee for instance, when you are walking, moves in a linear range of motion to create movement in the legs.

The golf swing is similar to walking when discussing range of motion. The entire body must move through a specified distance to perform the golf swing correctly. The core as a segment of the body also has to move through a specified distance to perform the golf swing correctly. Relating the core and the golf swing range of motion is very important. It is the primary body segment that allows for the rotation of the body to occur. The back swing, down swing, and follow through require an extensive range of motion to be provided by the core. If limitations exist in terms the distance that the core can "move through," then limitations will occur in the golf swing. On the flip side, a greater range of motion (distance that the body segment moves through) generates greater amounts of power. This gets into what can be termed as the "X" factor in the back swing. The more turn (range of motion of the core) you can get in the golf swing, the greater ability the body has to generate more power.

Range of motion is quite a relevant topic when reviewing the golf swing. It becomes quite apparent that a connection exists between the range of motion available to the core and what the end results are in the swing. A brief synopsis would indicate that a greater range of motion in the core results in a more powerful swing, and less range of motion decreases power in the golf swing.

Speed of Motion

Connected to range of motion is the speed of that range. Speed of motion is essentially adding a time component to range of motion. It is connected to the speed at which an object would move.

If you have a large range of motion created by the body over a short period of time, the speed of the motion is fast and power production is high. On the other hand if you decrease the range of motion the body moves through with the golf swing and slow the movement down, power production will be less.

The core is again at the center of this discussion pertaining to the golf swing. At this point, we know that a large range of motion creates a greater "X" factor in the golf swing. This will ultimately result in greater power output. Add into the equation a high speed of motion, and the power component of the swing becomes greater. The point to be made is that range of motion and speed are interconnected in relation to the golf swing. The core is connected to these two entities in that it is the segment of the body that creates the greatest range of motion in the swing.

Balance

Balance is a key component of the golf swing that we hear about quite often. Balance can be defined as the amount of stability within the body during a movement. The greatest amount of balance by the body can be achieved if it maintains a center of gravity around the middle line of support. If you have ever taken a golf lesson you know what the above sentence is talking about. The body including the core must rotate around a center axis in the body. If rotation is moved to far away from this center axis, balance in the golf swing will be lost. As a result of weight shifts in the golf swing, the axis which the body rotates around does move, but movement by certain body segments beyond a certain point reduces stability.

Research indicates that accuracy and consistency is connected to stability in the golf swing. In addition, EMG studies indicate that the core is involved to a high extent in the stabilization of the body in any human movement, including the golf swing. We could probably make the connection that the core is a relevant body part in the ability to maintain balance in the golf swing.

Coordination

The final point of this discussion of the core and the golf swing is coordination. Coordination is essentially the ability of the body to activate body parts in a sequential order to create a desired movement. Go back to the walking example, and the body must coordinate all parts of the body to create this movement. The golf swing is essentially the same. The body must "fire" the muscles of the body in a certain order with the correct timing to create the movement of the golf swing. The core is actively involved in the coordination of the golf swing, as is the rest of the body. The two points to focus upon in terms of coordination are: 1) timing and 2) sequence. Both of these terms are essential for a mechanically efficient golf swing. The sequence in which muscles are "fired" in the golf swing require a certain timing for an efficient swing to occur.

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the website http://www.bioforcegolf.com To contact Sean, you can email him at support@bioforcegolf.com.

Today, we are going to get a little more scientific. So hang with me.

I am going to explain the biomechanics of golf. Biomechanics is the study of human movement.

Using this definition in golf, it is essentially studying how the body moves when swinging a golf club. Biomechanics is the study what the skeleton, muscles, and nerves of the body do when hitting a golf ball. There are actually folks out there that make a living studying these movements, they are called Biomechanists’. And the great thing about golf is that there have been a ton of scientific studies on the golf swing. In addition, this research has allowed biomechanists to create a model of the "optimal" swing in the sport of golf.

All of this research has been beneficial to the golf industry. It has provided club manufacturers, swing coaches, trainers, and players with an abundant amount of knowledge to improve the game in many areas.

Biomechanics of the Golf Swing Stage by Stage

Most biomechanists break the golf swing down into phases.

We will talk about the swing into the following phases: 1) address, 2) back swing, 3) transition, 4) down swing, 4) contact, 5) follow through, 6) finish. I will also relate what the body does during each of these phases, which muscles are active, and any additional information applicable to biomechanical study of the golf swing.

The golf swing begins in the address stage. The address stage is the position that the golfer places their body in to begin the swing. According to Glenn Fleisig MD, the address position is a functional body position which includes the proper grip and body position. A balanced, "athletic" address position, which is consistent swing to swing, will provide the golfer with the correct starting position for the swing. Inconsistency in either how the body is set up or with the grip leads to inconsistency on shot to shot. The body in terms of muscle activity is fairly low at address. The muscles of the body are supporting the body in a specific anatomical position and preparing it to swing a club.

The back swing (take away) is when the body begins to move the club. The back swing is the portion of the swing that places the body in the correct position to begin the downswing. During the entire back swing the body begins the recruitment of energy that will be transitioned at the top of the back swing towards the ball. Key points from a biomechanical analysis of the back swing are: as the club moves backwards shear force is applied to anterior portion of the right foot, at the same time a posterior shear force is applied to the left foot (Fleisig, Biomechanics of Golf). This is the beginning of torque development in the body that will be transitioned into the club head at impact. Rotation of the knees, hips, spine, and shoulders continues during the back swing creating additional torque to be translated into the club head in later stages of the swing. The important point to remember in the back swing is that the entire rotation of these body parts occurs around an imaginary axis of the body. EMG activity is moderate during this stage of the swing as a result that the body during this portion of the swing is essentially creating/storing energy that will be released towards the end of the swing.

The completion of the back swing is what is termed the "transition" stage of the swing. The transition point of the swing is where the body finishes its backward movement and begins the forward movement of the swing. The best reference point of when the transition stage of the swing begins is when weight shift onto the inside of the right foot (right-handed golfer) is completed and movement back towards the left foot begins. The transition in terms of a time frame is very short and is completed when weight transfer begins to move forward, and the club completes its movement backwards. Research states that the transition of the swing is where additional elastic energy is stored within the body. This is a result of the lower body moving forward and the upper body still "coiling" backward. Studies show that at the completion of the transition (top of the back swing) the hips are closed to approximately 45 degrees and the shoulders are closed to about 100 degrees (Fleisig, Biomechanics of Golf).

After completion of the transition, the down swing into impact begins. Weight shift continues during the down swing. The generation of torque is created in the lower body and then transitioned up through the body into the club and eventually the club head. According to Fleisig, the majority of torque in the swing is generated by the lower body muscle groups of the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and core region (low back, abdominals, obliques). The torque created in the lower body creates acceleration in the upper body as energy is transferred into the club head. EMG studies indicate that there is moderate activity of the pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi, and rotator cuff muscles (Geisler, Kinesiology of the Full Golf Swing) during the downswing. The downswing is complete at the point in which impact occurs with the golf ball.

Impact with the ball occurs for approximately half a milli-second (Fleisig, Biomechanics of Golf). The purpose of impact is to hit the ball in the correct direction with the chosen amount of force by the golfer. At impact the weight transfer is complete. Shear force from both feet are towards the intended target. Research indicates that at impact the left foot (right-handed golfer) is supporting 80% to 95% of the golfer’s weight (Fleisig, Biomechanics of Golf). Impact again occurs for a very short amount of time (.0005 seconds). Impact is the point at which the potential energy created by the body during the back swing, transition, and down swing is transferred into the club and club head. The potential energy created by the body is then transferred into kinetic energy as club head comes into contact with the ball.

After contact, the impact stage of the swing is complete and the follow through stage begins. The follow through is essentially the deceleration of the body after contact with the ball has been made. This is completed through the body rotating to a completion point where the club head is behind the golfer. Deceleration by the body occurs as a result of the absorption of energy back up through the kinetic chain of the body. Follow through is where the body slows itself back down and dissipates all the kinetic energy create by it, which was not delivered into the ball.

Summary

As you can see, the golf swing is directly connected to the body. And it is the body that generates, directs, and delivers energy to the golf ball. Limitations in the body in terms of flexibility, muscular strength, endurance, or power can create limitations in the swing from a biomechanical perspective. In addition, mechanical inefficiencies in the swing itself limit the potential and kinetic energy outputs of the body. For more information on how to improve your golf game please visit our website www.bioforcegolf.com.

References
1. Fleisig, Glenn MS: "The Biomechanics of Golf"
2. Geisler, Paul MA: "The Kinesiology of the Full Golf Swing"

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the website http://www.bioforcegolf.com

Off to the local driving range I did go, selected myself a golf club and purchased a token for fifty golf balls. Maybe if I had more knowledge on the game, I would have realized the importance of choosing the right size golf club.

Inserting my token into the slot to collect the golf balls. What a nightmare. Well? no one told me to place a basket underneath the shoot. Those balls came flooding out like Niagra falls. I hasten to add these balls did not roll they bounced. Some even higher than me, cursed they were without a doubt.
Doomed from the start, a golf stick to suit Shrek and only twenty balls of my fifty. The rest for all I know could be in Timbukto.
I remember more misses than hits but I was slowly beginning to like and enjoy this so called golf lark.

Why not try the real thing? a voice called out from the cubicle next to me. Is this not the real thing I asked. No mate, came the reply. You need to be on a course.

Determined to find out why this sport is so popular. I went in search of a course to play the real thing.
Found myself a course with eighteen holes. Now for the real thing.

Taking the first shot and not taking my eyes of the ball, I watched it rotate in and around several humps down a funnel and then swirl in and out of a maze of curves. Bit like the krypton factor but I was desperate to find out about the real thing.
It is 5pm and we are closing the attendant called out. But I am only on hole number three I explained. I am sorry sir, why not come back tommorrow? and that I did for the next fornight.

Because that is how long it took me to finish this particular course.

Pedro (The Attendant) and I had struck up a friendly relationship in all the time I was going back and to. I am afraid Pedro this golf lark is not for me.
Senor this is crazy golf, it is not the real thing. What is the difference I asked. I will need to show you senor? he answered.

Pedro explained that he had a few friends that he would like me to meet up with. He also went onto say that they could help me in my quest to find out what the major attraction in golf is for many thousands of people.

What lovely people Pedro’s friends were. Very informative on the game.Oh and boy oh boy, they sure showed me a few tricks of the trade.
It is was all falling into place now.
Knowing all the rules simplified and made this game more understanding.

Yes? I was loving this new found sport that was to change my whole way of life for the rest of my life.

It was time to leave so I thanked everyone for their expert guidance. Now over to my good friend Pedro, who I grabbed with so much force giving him such a manly hug and shaking his hand at the same time. I could not thank him enough for his time and patience. It was a pleasure Senor, Pedro replied. By the way I did not quite catch your name senor.
Just call me TIGER.

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Maybe using the same type golf balls as the PGA golf pros will improve your game…and maybe it won’t. You need to choose the golf ball that’s right for your own game. Choosing the wrong kind of golf ball can be a bigger handicap to your game than starting at the 19th hole. Choosing the right kind of golf ball can have you feeling like a Tiger, even if you don’t quite have his handicap.

Golf balls come in three styles: 2-piece, 3-piece, and high performance. 2-piece golf balls are designed for improving your distance, while 3-piece and high performance golf balls can typically help with accuracy.

The 2-piece golf balls are especially good if you’re just starting out or if you’ve played just enough to know you really want to give this sport a try. They’re also terrific for high handicap golfers who have been around a while. Hey, we can’t all be pros! These are the most common type on the market and usually less expensive than 3-piece balls. Best of all, the large rubber core provides faster speed off the tee for those of you with a slow swing. In turn, that gives you greater distance.

It could happen that the first time you played, everyone was astounded at the way you slammed that little white ball with the power of a major league batter aiming for a grand slam. But that’s doubtful. Distance is usually developed over time as you develop your swing and find the groove. When you are just beginning, chances are you need to improve your accuracy more than your distance. Once you’ve developed your accuracy, then is the time to choose a golf ball and clubs that will help improve your distance.

If you haven’t developed consistent accuracy – that is, having the ball consistently land in the same “general” area each time – then the 3-piece golf ball probably isn’t right for you. It’s just not as forgiving of miss-hits as the 2-piece golf ball. The same goes for high performance balls. They’re pretty much designed for advanced golfers…and their price bears this out!

One factor to always be considered is cost. Simple, standard 2-piece golf balls usually come in 18-packs and are relatively inexpensive. The cost of golf balls may seem small in comparison to the overall cost of pursuing the sport but the inexperienced golfer can go through a lot of golf balls in a very short space of time!

The key, as with most golf equipment, is to choose the right kind of golf ball for your level of play. Consider your swing and your game, and then choose the ball that will help eliminate your weaknesses and build upon your strengths.

If you don’t choose the right golf ball for your level of play, your golf round might just become what Mark Twain once called it: “…a pleasant walk, spoiled”.

Copyright 2005 Donald Saunders

Newcomers to the world of golf may find choosing the right golf balls a difficult task. Check out the local suppliers in your area and don’t be too tempted by those personalized golf balls or logo golf balls that are all the rage today.