Guide for Beginning Golfers

The measurement of skill to attain the desired results in the game of golf is determined by fractions of inches so anything you can do to minimize any variance from proper golf techniques and practices will aid in improving those results. Most golfers take for granted the teeing of the golf ball after all “What is there to it?” you might ask. The golfer can just take the tee and ball, set the tee in the ground and place the golf ball on top, Right? That is correct to some degree, but the depth of the tee in the ground and the height of the ball above the top of the golf club when it is grounded, especially for the driver, can make a significant difference in the results of the stroke. 

When teeing the golf ball for the Driver, the rule of thumb for height of the tee and the ball in relation to the club is as follows: Approximately 1/2 of the diameter of the golf ball should be above the top of the Driver when the Driver is grounded adjacent the tee and the ball. This setting will allow the golf ball to be struck on an upward path so as to get the ball in the air more readily and thus achieve the maximum distance possible, which is the goal for the Driver, the least lofted club in your bag. If the ball is teed at an incorrect height, either too high or too low, it will increase the chance for the ball to be mishit, dribbled off the tee, or hit too high in the air, all of which will result in a substantial loss of distance, accuracy and add unnecessary strokes added to your final score.

TIP: Since the optimum desired tee height may vary somewhat for each individual golfer I would suggest to try and find a real grass driving range in your area and practice setting the tee at different heights as close as possible to the guidelines noted above. You can even mark your tees with a marker and set them in the ground to the height that you marked. This will allow you to acquire a feel for the desired height that works for you above the top of the Driver when it is grounded and thus achieve the best results and consistency off the tee.

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The winter is quickly approaching and I have been pondering how to extend the golf season if the weather turns cold and nasty prematurely up north in Sayreville, New Jersey where I reside. My favorite golf and vacation destination on the east coast is Myrtle Beach so why not schedule a quick getaway there? There are more expensive and exotic locations to play but you cannot beat the value for your dollar for pure golf and family fun. Also, the flight is only an hour and fifteen minutes in the air so you don’t waste a majority of your trip crammed in a seat on an airplane. I have better ways to spend my free time, like on the links which is my favorite place to be.

Being that as it may, my significant other and I are planning an early December trip. No frills, just a long weekend down south and hopefully the weather will cooperate. We have planned prior trips to Myrtle Beach as early as mid to late November and hit some pretty severe temperatures for the middle south, 40’s in the morning and mid fifties in the afternoon and windy to boot. Not exactly what one would expect when the temperature up north at home was about the same. But that is not the norm for Myrtle Beach where the weather generally, even into early December, ranges from the high 50’s to the mid 70’s or above at that time of year if you hit it right. In a few weeks we’ll be packing our clubs and golf gear and crossing our fingers that the weather will be in our favor for both travel safety reasons including little or no delays and to have a more enjoyable time while playing golf upon our arrival. I have in the past and will still play golf in severe weather and low temperatures but my significant other cringes at the thought of 40 degrees or less. I sort of understand now that I’m a bit older and the weather affects me more than in my younger days. The temperature usually isn’t the main problem, it’s the wind that accompanies the cold at that time of the year which magnifies the conditions ten fold. Needless to say, we will be packing a variety of clothing to address any conditions we may encounter on our arrival on the Grand Strand, as the strip of beach running north to south and centered on Myrtle Beach is so fondly called. Cold, Schmold – no matter what we may find upon our arrival we will enjoy the experience just the same as we both love the game and playing golf in our eventual retirement location of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

We have booked two of the nicer and more reasonably priced golf venues, Heritage, located on the South Strand and Blackmoor, a Gary Player design and one of our favorite layouts to play when we visit Myrtle Beach. We will be staying at Legends Resort, which is centrally located off Route 501, in a two bedroom unit that includes an efficiency kitchen with a coffee maker so we can enjoy our early morning caffeine fix. The airline is Spirit, who offered some very reasonable rates, but not as reasonable as they first appeared after all the additional fees are tallied. The price quoted starts out at around $100 for both of us round trip, which is a terrific price so we said, “Great, let’s book it” but once the additional fees get added the price more than doubles which is the kicker but still reasonble even though not as advertised. After golf we have our favorite places to visit and restaurants to dine at. Broadway at the Beach and Barefoot Landing are two of our favorite spots for shopping and gifts and Greg Norman’s Australian Grill restaurant located at Barefoot landing is a must stop for us to dine at since we tried it about four or five years ago. The food is usually high quality and very well prepared and although the price is a bit on the high side, the ambiance and setting in both the inside and outside restaurant dining area is worth the additional cost. In the spring and summer months we try to schedule our meal just before sunset so we can relax in the outside dining area adjacent the intercoastal waterway, watch the boaters, jet skiers and fisherman all enjoying their day while we await the setting of the sun after an enjoyable day of golf. After a leisurely meal we head back to the room, put on some relaxing music or watch TV as we plan our next days itinerary. On this coming visit at the beginning of December, Myrtle Beach will be decorated for the holiday season which will make it that much more enjoyable an experience. Cathi and I both enjoy this time of year and we will be sure to take in a few holiday shows during our getaway weekend. I wish you all could join us and if you are planning a trip and need any ideas or information about where to stay and play while at the Beach feel free to e-mail me at mikedeagle@optonline.net and I will reply with my best suggestions for you and your family to have a great time. Happy Golfing to All!

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Since the victory by Phil Mickelson at the the WGC-HSBC  Champions Tournament in Sheshan, Shanghai, China this past weekend (November 5th thru the 8th), perhaps the greatest controversy in modern golf has arisen as the known rivalry between the two best golfers in the world continues. As a golfer myself, who is imtimate with the game and its inconsistent nature, having played for more than 35 years,  it is way too premature to be lauding Phil as a better golfer than Tiger. Both of these players are remarkable and very skilled players and are ranked one and two in the World Ranking and justifiably so. As much as I respect both players, Tiger Woods is in my opinion the better golfer and his illustrious career to date speaks for itself. That does not mean that at any given time and tournament that Phil Mickelson cannot provide Tiger with some stiff competition especially when his confidence level is at full throttle. Since Tiger has recovered from his ACL Knee surgery theoretically he is back in form and healed satisfactorily as even he attests to. Even though he may claim a full recovery which may be a reality as far as his physical health is concerned, I strongly feel his psychological approach has been altered due to the  nine month layoff.  I have watched many of the golf tournaments this season and as well as Tiger has done I have noticed a difference in his game, especially in the Majors. His normally aggressive and “Take No Prisoners” style of play has taken on a personna of a more subdued and strategic nature which was painfully obvious in the PGA when he tamefully succumbed to Yang on the final nine on Sunday. The final nine on Sunday is when Tiger would normally turn up the heat, make his move and do whatever it would take to win the golf tournament in Tiger like fashion when the situation called for it. My opinion on Tiger is that he is off his game to a degree but with some off season work with Hank Haney he will be back with a vengeance next season so Watch Out! While I mentioned he is off his game please take note to his accomplishments this year playing at 3/4 speed. He has won six golf tournaments, he is ranked # 1 in the World Golf Rankings, the PGA Tour’s leading money winner, and has gone undefeated 5-0 in the President’s Cup. As noted earlier I think these statistics speak for themselves but the true gauge of Tiger’s ability is the fact that Jack Nicklaus is the # 1 all time golfer in the world and he set a standard for golfing excellence that only Tiger has been able to rival and soon overtake if he remains healthy. Case closed – Tiger is number 1 in the modern day golf era, at least as of this writing.

I am also a huge fan of Phil Mickelson, who has received a tremendous confidence boost since his putting session with Champions legend, Dave Stockton. If he can continue on this pace he may have a career boosting season ahead and give Tiger a run for the money. Phil has also had to surmount some pretty serious obstacles this season since both his mother and wife, Amy had been diagnosed with cancer and thankfully they are both doing well. If Phil and Tiger can go head to head in some tournaments this coming season it will provide the golf fans with some truly great times that will be recorded in the annals of golf history. Golf fans would be able to relive the Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson rivalry of the 70’s, a truly historic golf era, through these two remarkably talented players. As much talent as Phil Mickelson has, he cannot yet lay claim to being the World’s Best Golfer but who knows what the next few seasons will bring. He has the talent and ability to rival Tiger but he has to “Believe in Himself” as Tiger does so well. So for now Tiger is # 1. I’m really looking forward to this coming season as I think some other golf tour professionals  may also provide a pleasant surprise. Happy Golfing to All!

For more valuable golf tips and info visit http://www.guideforbeginninggolfers.com and check out a new book Golf “Fore Ever” which will provide the new golfer with some very useful information on how to get started to play “The Right Way”

A few weeks ago I recounted my experience at Brentwood Country Club on Long Island. My significant other and I had such an enjoyable time we decided to play there again this past weekend. We arrived at the course around 9:00am, checked in and were ready to tee off by 9:30 give or take a few minutes. We were paired with two middle aged gents who were friendly and experienced golfers. The group who teed off right before us consisted of two golfers who knew how to play fairly well and two beginning golfers who were inexperienced and not versed at all in golf “Etiquette”. On the very first tee they took two shots each because they were not satisfied with the result of their first attempt and justifiably so as they did not reach the fairway which was only about 30 yards ahead. In fairness to them many golfers will sometimes play what is called a “Breakfast Mulligan”which is an extra tee shot on the first hole when a player has not had a chance to warm up or hit range balls before his or her round. For comparisons sake an average tee shot, even for an new golfer, can minimally range between a 100 and 150 yards or more which would at least get the ball in play. At that point we knew it was going to be a long day especially after they took about six or seven practice swings on each shot and hit more than one ball for the same stroke on a number of other occasions during the round.

When I first learned to play I was schooled in the courtesies of golf etiquette. The meaning of “etiquette” is “Any SPECIAL code of behavior or courtesy,” similar in some respects to following decorum or protocol, both implying in a more general way the standards to be observed by one who makes claim to good breeding. My emphasis on etiquette may appear to be over the top but you will be there one day and my reasons will become clear as to why. I in turn emphasized the importance of golf etiquette when I undertook the task of teaching my significant other to play. To this day we both observe these courtesies and are not pleased when we observe other golfers on the course devoid of any golf etiquette. With golf there are many courtesies to be extended to your fellow golfers and one of the most important rules of golf etiquette is to manage your pace of play to keep up with the group ahead of you or at least within a reasonable distance behind. By the time we reached the turn or 10th hole there were at least two or three golf holes open in front of the group ahead of us. Golf is meant to be played and enjoyed by all so if you are just learning to play have consideration for the next golfer and maintain a reasonable pace of play by keeping up with the group ahead. On many golf courses, especially at resorts, there are rangers who monitor the course and when the course starts to back up they will courteously ask the players who are causing the hold up to kindly pick up the pace and keep things moving. We were so held up that by the 16th hole we called it a day even though we were playing well to that point.

On our last visit to Brentwood a few weeks before I shot an 85 which is not a particularly good score for me at this golf course. This past weekend on Saturday I made a minor adjustment in my swing path and it meant a world of difference in my game, which consisted of an eagle on the 4th hole par 5 and two birdies on 8 and 16. My front nine total was 38 and at the 16th when we quit on the back I was at 28 which meant if I bogied the last two holes, a par five 17th and par 4 18th I would have scored 39 on the back giving me a total score of 77 which was more in line with my expectations at Brentwood. Cathi also played well  and would have easily been in the mid nineties had we finished play. We had an enjoyable time again and look forward  to our next golf round. Remember to observe Golf Etiquette and enjoy yourself all the  more. Happy Golfing to All!

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To all my Readers and Subscribers – I am pleased to announce that I have completed writing Golf “Fore Ever” – A Guide for Beginning Golfers, a book for golfers beginning to learn the game and its rules and Golf Etiquette. Blog readers and subscribers may purchase the e-book via the BUY NOW button on the right sidebar.

Taken from the Back Cover of Golf “Fore Ever”

Golf “Fore Ever” provides some helpful information to the novice or newcomer to the sport. The information provided in the following book will make golf an even more enjoyable and rewarding experience for you and help you avoid the pitfalls encountered when first learning to play.
Golf “Fore Ever” is a guide for beginning golfers taken from the experiences of Mike Deagle from over 30 plus years of experimenting and playing golf. This guide will provide you with enough information to help you start to play golf “The Right Way”. Along your journey you will discover the delights and frustrations associated with the game of golf. Golf can be a roller coaster ride of emotions, from euphoria when you hit a career shot to a tight pin placement, to complete dismay when your ball finds the water or goes out of bounds on the very next hole. It is up to you to determine whether you will enjoy the ride and not let the game get the better of you. This guide will truly help you on your journey into the Wonderful World of Golf for it is well worth the price of the ticket! Read more…