Scheduling Your 1st Tee Time and Playing Your 1st Golf Round - Part 3
Published by Mike on Tagged Uncategorized
You have scheduled your tee time, arrived at the golf course, checked in with the Pro Shop and starter and are heading to the first tee - Congratulations ! You are ready for the game of a lifetime. Once you are at the first tee there are some rules of Etiquette that should be addressed here. There are different locations of teeing areas ( usually between 1 and 5 placements -check score card for locations of tee and total yardages) set up for players of different skill levels and abilities. The back tees are meant for the advanced player usually with an established handicap of between 1 and 7 and the total yardage is usually between approximately 6500 and 7000 yds. . The next tee box is normally for the experienced player who is between a 7 and 14 handicap and the total yardage is between 6200 and 6500 yds. The next tee location is for the average golfer and can range from 5800 to 6300 yds. and the markers are normally white. Some courses have tee boxes for senior players and then our favorite, the ladies tee location whose markers are normally red in color and are usually the shortest on the course. Not to take anything away from the ladies because many of them can play from the mens tees and can hit just as far and better than many of the male players. If a senior or female player is an experienced player they can choose any tee that is appropriate for their skill level. For a new player or beginner I would strongly recommend the white or senior tees for the men and the red tees for the women. It would allow you to play from a tee location that is reasonable for the new player, novice, beginner, etc. If you find you are scoring well right off the bat, then by all means move back to the next tee box for the next round. By scoring well I mean close to par or better and I personally don’t think many beginners will fall into this category in fact I wouldn’t even keep score for the first few rounds. Give your self some time and ease into the game. It will allow for a much more enjoyable experience and beginning of your journey into the “Wonderful World of Golf”.
Once you have selected your tee location you must defer to the other players who may be in your group and check if they are playing from the same location. If they are playing the tee locations further back then they will hit first, and if they are playing the shorter tee locations then they will hit after you. When a player is on the tee box preparing to hit, the other players should stand off to the side and out of view of the golfer and remain quiet until they have completed their swing. This is one of the rules of golf etiquette and an important one at that. You will better understand my emphasis on etiquette as you become more experienced with the game. Also the ball should be placed between the tee markers and either even with them or behind them away from the golf hole - one of the rules of golf. It is not so important initially but if you ever get into competitive golf you better have some knowledge of the basic rules or you may lose a tournament because your opponent may call you on an infraction of a rule you may not have been aware of. I wouldn’t worry about it right now just go out and play and enjoy yourself. Happy Golfing To All !
For more tips and golf info visit http://guideforbeginninggolfers.com and http://mddeagle1.golfbegin.hop.clickbank.net/
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Scheduling Your First Tee Time - Part 2
Published by Mike on Tagged Uncategorized
As noted in the previous writing, the assumption is being made that all of the proper preparation has been made in order to make your first golf round as enjoyable as possible for you and your fellow players. Some of the aforementioned preparatory measures for golf are worth repeating. For the sake of this writing we will assume you have purchased equipment, including proper golf attire, taken lessons or practiced sufficiently enough to play and acquired some knowledge about the Rules and Etiquette of Golf. That being said, I think you’re ready to play.
If you have access to a private golf course or Country Club through a relative, friend or colleague, etc. then by all means take advantage of the accessibility of a golf setting that is not available to many people, especially for their first golf round. Ask them to set up a tee time for you and request them to play with you or have someone accompany you who is available and willing to play with a beginner and who knows the rules and etiquette of golf. If you do not have access to a Private Club and you are scheduling the tee time yourself then I would suggest you stop by at the intended golf course and speak to the resident golf PGA professional and ask him his for his recommendation on when to play. You can also speak to the golf starter who is in charge of sending out the golfers at the appropriate time and place on the course. He can advise you as to when to play so you can enjoy the round without feeling pressured on every shot. Once you have scheduled your tee time the next step is the arrival at the golf course. You should figure to arrive at the course at least a half hour before your scheduled time in order to allow for check in and warm up, and especially if you would like to grab something to drink or eat before you play. As you enter the driveway to the course you will most likely see directional arrows to the Bag Drop. Follow the signs so you can unload your bag at the location nearest the course ( Bag Drop ) so you will not have to carry your bag once you park the car. After you drop your bag make sure to put your golf shoes on ( if you have golf shoes - recommended) and proceed to the club house and Pro Shop to register to play. You will then pay what is called Green Fees ( for either 9 or 18 holes - your preference ) and then proceed to the starter with your receipt so he can set you up to play. Sometime when the golf course is very crowded the starter may elect to start some groups on the back nine so be prepared for that possibility, especially if you are only playing nine holes. It is actually a good idea for a new golfer to play nine holes for his or her first few times out and you can then request that you be started on the 10th hole thereby allowing you this part of the course to yourself. When I first taught my significant other to play, the starters were most cooperative and sent us off regularly on the back nine so we would feel less pressured and we would not hold up the more advanced groups of players. The game of golf is meant to be played with a certain tempo and within a reasonable amount of time. If you are waiting on every hole then you lose your rhythm and will not play as well as you may be capable of. This is an important part of golf etiquette which you will learn as you become more experienced with the game. Well, you’ve arrived at the golf course, dropped your golf bag at the Bag Drop, checked in with the Pro Shop and Starter, warmed up sufficiently and you’re now ready for “The First Tee” ?
Next - “Arriving At The First Tee” Happy Golfing To All !
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Scheduling Your 1st Tee Time !
Published by Mike on Tagged UncategorizedHow to know if you are really ready ? If you think you are ready to schedule your first round on the golf course let’s take a moment to review what you have done in preparation to play. Have you purchased your golf equipment and if so do you have a checklist of all the items you will need to play ? Golf Clubs, Bag, and Golf Balls being the most obvious, but divot repair tool, ball markers, tees and a scorecard and pencil will also be required in order to play. Actually the score card is only necessary as a reference for the distance from each tee location and golf rules for each hole as it is not critical to keep an actual score your first few times out. If you have already acquired some proficiency at the game and you can keep your score within double par or better then by all means mark your score. Although not required by the rules of golf, a golf glove and golf shoes are two pieces of equipment that I would highly recommend. They will add to your stability in gripping and swinging the golf club. Have you taken golf lessons or taught yourself and practiced sufficiently to be able to achieve enough distance and accuracy to keep up with the pace of play required by local rules and course etiquette ? Have you learned about the basic rules of golf and associated golf etiquette ? Have you asked someone to join you who has already played and is somewhat knowledgeable about how to play, golf rules, and golf etiquette ? If you have answered yes to the above then I would say that you are ready to play your first round of golf. One last item that I would like to address is proper golf attire. Most golf courses have a required dress code. I would recommend that you call ahead and find out the requirements so you don’t arrive at the course and be turned away or be asked to purchase a collared shirt and proper shorts or pants. Cut offs, jeans, tee shirts , tank tops, etc., are normally not considered proper attire for the golf course especially by Country Club Standards.
A few recommendations I would make for scheduling your first tee time are as follows: 1. As noted previously ask someone to join you that is familiar with the game and who knows the basic rules and golf etiquette. 2. If you know someone who belongs to a Country Club and can take advantage of it then ask them to schedule a time for you when the least crowded so you will fell less pressured and it will allow some additional time for you to play. If not, drop by your local municipal course and check with the starter or local golf professional to see when they would recommend that you play for the first time. Note: During the week and on weekends there ar certain times that the golf course can be very crowded and not a good time to play for the first time. In the afternoon around 2:00pm to 4:00pm the course play is usually less busy and a much better time to schedule your round. 3. As noted in previous writings the average time for a golf round for the average golf foursome is about 4 1/2 hours or 15 minutes per hole. Do your best to keep up with that pace of play. When you first start playing you may have a tendency to lose more balls on wayward shots and thus require more time to look for them, especially if you are playing a course with narrow tree lined fairways. Do not take more than 3 to 5 minutes looking for a lost ball and if you lose two or three in an a row and there is a group behind you, then just drop a ball with the rest of your group and keep the pace of play moving. This is the main reason for suggesting the tee time to be scheduled on off hours so it will be a more enjoyable experience for you and your fellow golfers. You will also be adhering to an important rule of golf etiquette by extending this courtesy to your fellow golfers. Happy Golfing To All !
Next Post - Arriving at the Golf Course, Green Fees, and the First Tee Shot. Stay Tuned !
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“Relaxation” - My Key to The Golf Swing
Published by Mike on Tagged UncategorizedI have just finished posts on My Seven Step Swing Checklist. The one KEY ingredient to all of the seven steps is “Relaxation”. It is a natural tendency for most of us to try to muscle or power the ball toward the hole. I did it for many years with sporadic success. I was tired of hitting one good shot in five and not scoring the way I knew I was capable of. I am an avid reader of Golf Magazines and have more than once come across articles stressing the relaxing of the muscles, especially in the hands, forearms, shoulders and chest used during the golf swing in order to attain better results. I decided to go to the range and see if I could try this relaxed method of the golf swing. It was an immediate improvement. Once I incorporated “Relaxation” into my golf swing the percentage of successful strokes increased proportionately with the greater distance achieved. I was amazed at how much farther and accurately the ball traveled with my new found relaxed swing method. Let me pause here for a minute and explain my definition of “Relaxation”. Relaxing during the golf game and golf swing, does not by any means mean to fall asleep while addressing the ball. It does mean however, to rid your self of stressful thoughts and tense muscles to whatever degree possible. It means to let the club drop into the power slot naturally and let the speed of your swing thru relaxed muscles help you to achieve the desired result. I found that the club released and accelerated more on line when I maintained a light grip and little upper body stiffness or tension than if I tried to power the ball toward the target. The only thought that should be in your mind is the proper execution of the swing to produce the desired result for the particular golf shot at hand. Whether it be a drive off the tee or a finesse shot over a bunker to a tight pin placement just focus on executing the shot and achieving the result you want.
I was always very competitive at sports and wanted to hit the ball the best and the farthest in baseball and golf, which is a natural inclination when you are used to competitive play. The tendency for many of us is to try to rip into the ball with all the power we can muster. In baseball you can get away with it more easily, but the speed and timing of a relaxed swing even in baseball will achieve better and more consistent results than tight musles and a forced swing. This is most especially true for the golf swing. “Swing easy and hit hard”, that is my new motto ! There are different methods for relaxing before and during a golf round. During the round I have found that a deep slow breath ( inhale and exhale on about a seven second count for each ) as I line up my shot from behind the target will help promote a relaxed swing for me. I then make one rehearsal swing utilizing that technique and then step up and hit before over contemplating the swing. Too much time over the ball allows negativity and too many thoughts to creep into your mind and almost always results in a poor shot. The player who is confident in his / her abilities will address the ball, perform their set up routine and proceed to swing without taking an inordinate amount of time over the ball. Practicing the various golf shots you will come across during any particular golf round will also help build confidence when that situation actually occurs during play.
Another technique I have utilized as of late to reduce stress and tension is derived from a product called Maxximind. It consists of musical tones and AudiNeuro Technology on recorded CD’s which provide the most relaxing sounds to promote a stress free, relaxed and peaceful mood. It works best with Stereo headphones and a quiet, dimly lit atmosphere with the least amount of outside interference possible. I normally listen to them the night before my golf round or in the early morning before I leave for the course. They work great for me and I would recommend them to anyone who is trying to relax, whether for golf or just to chill out and listen to some soothing sounds to reduce stress and promote relaxing of the body and the mind. All it takes is about 20 to 25 minutes a session and as I am taking in these melodic sounds I visualize myself in some beautiful setting, maybe on a Hawaiian Island, another island paradise or anywhere that promotes a soothing, calm and serene atmosphere for you. If you would like to try Maxximind click on the right side of the page below Blogroll and check out the demo. Happy Golfing and Relaxation To All !
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