In a previous writing I stated that I had been playing golf for about thirty years or so. For the first 13 years of the thirty, I had played the game but never realized the collateral benefits to be derived from the game. I used to arrive at the golf course, set up my bag and clubs on the golf cart, and proceed to go out on the course and beat that little white ball around until it got into the intended hole. Golf was meant to be a fun and delightful experience, not one of frustration or anger because the ball did not respond to your every whim and command. For the new or beginning golfer, who has not experienced the roller coaster ride of emotions and frustrations that you can encounter during a round of golf, don’t be disheartened, you soon will. That is unless you employ the proper mindset right from the beginning and do not take the game too seriously.

I planned my first golf trip in April of 1990 and decided to go to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina ”The Golf Capital Of The World”. My experience on that trip gave me a whole new outlook on the game. I guess you can say it was a Turning Point in my perception of what golf was really all about. You can think of it as just a game, like I did for the first 13 years playing, or you can realize and enjoy the more obscure collateral benefits of the game. What are these benefits, you ask ? Take the time to “Stop And Smell The Roses”. What do I mean by that ? Most golf courses are designed utilizing the natural beauty of the surrounding terrain as a backdrop. Beside the intrinsic beauty of the course itself, you can often see nature at its best. When I started visiting Myrtle Beach and subsequently Florida, the wildlife and surrounding fauna and plant life was incredible. Not to mention the huge sprawling Elms, Oaks and Magnificent Cypress Trees and Palms, whose mere existence and appearance exuded a climate of an exhilirating and at times exotic nature. Speaking of Nature, there have been many a morning that I have ventured out onto a course only to encounter a family of deer meandering across the fairway or grazing in the brush adjacent any particular golf hole. Some of my most memorable experiences, where I have encountered nature at its best, were at Pawleys Plantation ( near Pawleys Island – South part of the Grand Strand and a Jack Nicklaus design ), The Witch ( off of Route 544 south of 501) , and Oyster Bay ( Located in North Carolina ). The first time I visited The Witch ( early 1990′s), it was an eerie but exhilirating experience. I normally schedule the tee time early, around 7:00am, so we can play 36 holes if we so choose. When we arrived at the course, we signed in at the pro shop, saw the starter and were sent out to the first tee. The first tee is a good distance from the clubhouse, which by the way is built in the shape of a witches hat. A few minutes later we arrived at a secluded area at the first tee. It was prior to sunrise and I would guess about a quarter mile or so away from the clubhouse. There was a misty fog hovering over the landscape for as far as the eye could see. It appeared to be everywhere and it blanketed the cart paths and the entire golf course. This added an eerie, almost spooky Halloweenish feeling, but appropriate ambiance to the setting of The Witch. The course was named, The Witch – how more appropriate can you get ? Once the sun rose and the fog burned off, the course returned to its normal beauty and personna. On the next hole we were greeted by an alligator attempting to make some unsuspecting bird his prey. I guess the bird was flying too low over one of the ponds where the gator lived and he was looking for breakfast but luckily for the bird, he got away. I have seen at least a dozen or more gators in my last 18 years or so visiting Myrtle Beach and Florida. Most of the time the gator would be resting peacefully along side the golf hole sunning themselves.  Even though the gator appeared to be sleeping, I would not recommend retrieving a golf ball that may have come within close proximity to them. Although I only mentioned three courses as my most memorable experiences, almost every course has so much to offer in the way of natural beauty and wildlife, not to mention the intrinsic beauty of the golf courses themselves. Many golf courses provide homes to many varied forms of wildlife, including families of turtles, ducks, geese and the like abounding in their ponds and man made and natural lakes and streams alike. Swans, Ospreys, Egrets, Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and so many other species of birds too numerous to mention also abound around the courses in the temperate southern climate of Myrtle Beach and Florida. Since vacationing in Myrtle Beach almost 18 years ago I have enjoyed the experience of golf so much more. The game of golf in itself is a wonderful experience but coupled with the beauty of nature and the associated wildlife and plant life that abounds on most courses, it provides and unbeatable combination, which compliments the enjoyment of the game. While playing a game that I enjoy more than any other on the planet, the exhiliration and experience is now magnified many times since I have learned to “Stop And Smell The Roses” during the course of my round. We all want to play well but the enjoyment of the golf experience should be your first priority and not just what you score on your card. Take a tip from me - the next time you are on a golf trip or visiting your local course, “Stop And Smell The Roses”. It will add a different perspective to the game that you may have never realized or appreciated before.

I would like to mention another, perhaps, more important collateral benefit of the game. Golf can be a frustrating and delightful experience at the same time. One or two holes you may play well, and then wonder what transpired on the next when you double bogey or worse ? It’s the nature of the game. When I am having a bad day on the golf course I recall a book given to me that taught me some very important aspects of the game. Golf can be a game of enlightment about yourself and about life. I feel compelled to recommend the aforementioned book that I was given as a birthday gift by my sister and mother about a year ago. It is called “Golf For Enlightment” The Seven Lessons Of Life by Deepak Chopra. I had heard of Mr. Chopra before but I am an avid fan of his now. If you take this somewhat spiritual journey with Adam and Leela, Mr. Chopras characters in the book, you may be amazed to see how playing the game of golf could relate to the game of life itself. He can tell it so much better than I and it is a book I would highly recommend for both the beginner and experienced golfer as well. You can visit his website at www.chopra.com or www.randomlargeprint.com It can help you immensely with your outlook of the game, which in turn will give you a much greater chance for success in both the game of golf and maybe life itself. As always, Happy Golfing To All !                                                                                                    

Visit http://guideforbeginninggolfers.com and http://mddeagle1.golfbegin.hop.clickbank.net/ for more valuable info and tips on learning to play “The Right Way”

I may have digressed a bit there myself so back to golf “Etiquette” – What is etiquette, you ask ? Well then I’ll tell you. Etiquette is described in the dictionary as “Any Special Code Of Behavior Or Courtesy” and Golf is a game based on special codes of behavior and courtesies where this would especially come into play. One of the first golfing rules of etiquette and a very important one at that is -”To learn to play properly before going out on the golf course”. I’ve been playing golf for about thirty years or so and there are many who venture out on the course without a clue as to how to play, the basic rules of golf and especially devoid of any etiquette required by the game. The tee times on the golf courses of today are set up approximately 8 to 12 minutes apart, depending on how busy the course may be, and whether a local municipal course, a resort course or Country Club, the play is expected to be maintained at a certain pace. Speaking from an experienced golfers point of view, and you will be there one day, it is not fun to wait extensively for your next shot while the group in front of you is taking as many strokes as they can to get the ball near or into the hole. The rule of thumb of about 15 minutes a hole is a good gauge for golfers and you should try your best to keep up with that pace of play.  This means that the 18 holes would be played in about 4 1/2 hours.  When I first learned and I subsequently taught my significant other to abide by the same courtesies, I was told to take a swing or two and if I was not proficient enough to achieve a certain distance or sometimes miss the ball completely, then be courteous to your fellow players and don’t take an inordinate amount of strokes just for the sake of swinging the club. It is not only discourteous to your fellow players but the improper swing will become engrained into your sub-conscious making it more difficult to correct in the future. The way to observe etiquette is to pick your ball up, and place it at a spot near the rest of your group, and try again. It is no great accomplishment to attain a total of 20 on a golf hole just for the sake of keeping score. You should repeat this process until you reach the green at which time you would putt to the hole. The same principle would hold true here, if you putt a number of times and can’t seem to sink the ball, then pick it up and go on to the next hole. Many of us have been there so it’s only a matter of time before you get the hang of it. A couple of suggestions I can make is to one, try to play with someone with golf experience, especially for your first few times out and ask them to teach you the rules and etiquette associated with the game. If you have decided to take lessons, (which I would highly recommend) then ask your Instructor to advise you on the basic rules and etiquette of golf. Another suggestion would be to schedule a tee time when the course is not so busy, ask the starter at the golf course, or whoever is taking tee times on any particular day, to suggest a time when there is less play so you feel more relaxed and less pressured with less people around.

Some other Rules of “Etiquette” are as follows : Learning the basic rules of golf before venturing out on a regulation golf course and not breaking 90% of them before finishing the first hole - Standing to the side and out of the view of your fellow golfer and remaining still and quiet while they address and hit their ball, especially while on the “Tee Area” , Repairing your Divot (a ball mark or indentation on the putting green) and one or two others caused by a golf ball landing at that spot on the green – Waiting patiently while the player farthest from the hole hits first and being ready to hit when your turn comes - Not stepping in ones putting line while on the green( while it may seem trite, an indentation caused by the players footprint can throw a putt off line and can become a serious problem , especially if there is a wager on the line NOTE : I’m being facetious but some players can get pretty testy about anything that can affect their putts and score, especially where money is on the line) – Not taking an excessive amount of time looking for a lost ball ( 3 to 5 min. max.) – Conceding a short putt, especially for the beginner so as to keep the pace of play moving( Not Allowed by the USGA Rules of  Golf for Professionals in Competitive Play) -Being considerate enough to allow a quick playing group behind you to play through - Not taking more than twice the amount of strokes than noted for Par on any given hole, especially for the beginning golfer – Repair or replace a Fairway Divot( a clump of grass removed in the fairway by the swing of your club)- Not driving your cart on or around the green or tee area – Adhering to the local rules of the golf course – Not marking your score around the green area while another group is waiting to hit up - Having the integrity to write your correct score on the card ( not critical for beginner to keep actual score) – Turning a lost club, by a fellow player, into the pro shop so they can retrieve it after their round – Wearing proper golf attire onto the course because it is after all, A Gentlepersons Game - I think you get the point. There are many more courtesies to be extended to your playing companions and fellow golfers. You will learn them as you gain more experience playing. Observe these simple courtesies and you and your fellow golfers will enjoy the journey all the more. Happy Golfing !

For more tips on “Etiquette” and learning to play “The Right Way” go to http://mddeagle1.golfbegin.hop.clickbank.net/