Beginner Golfer Guide

Well, the Hawaii swing of the PGA Tour is complete. Congratulations to Mark Wilson. Had to play a tough 36 holes of golf on Sunday and with the pack trying to chase him down he hung on to record his third career victory. My hats off to the little guys as he and Tim Clark finished 1-2.

I am amazed and quite impressed with the power these two guys exhibit. They are both little guys by tour standards but it doesn’t seem to inhibit their ability to hit the ball. Mark was playing alongside Steve Marino who is a much bigger golfer than both but Mark was still hitting drives out just as far. Man these guys are good. They can hit that ball.

So, now we have had our first full-field tournament and evryone can get into full swing. I think it was good for some of the established starts to get out and get some rounds in. Now we can see the real players and the rookies really get down to the weekly grind of the tour. i can’t wait.

I know the golfers were happy to be able to get the whole tournament in on Sunday. that way they did not have to wait out a Monday finish. A lot of them are probably heading over to the Bob Hope Classic at PGA West this next week and that starts on Wednesday as it is a five day tournament.

I don’t know how you feel but I am not a big fan of the celebrity tournaments. It is a thrill for the celebrities play with the pros but it seems more like a party than a golf tournament. I like the idea of playing 5 rounds as I would love to do it. But it seems like the TV spends to much time on the celebrities and not enough on the golfers. When the Las Vegas tournament was five rounds I don’t think you saw all of the hype with celebrities.

I feel the same about Pebble Beach. There it seems like CBS is falling all over themselves when they are televising that tournament. A couch on the par three, following around the antics of Bill Murray, Ray Romano and some of the other stars. Doing interviews all over the course. But I will get to that one when it comes up.

Almost time to get some of the big golf stars out for these tournaments. Tiger and Phil should be getting ready to play soon. Will be interested how the come out of the gate. Will they be in midseason form or just getting the kinks out. That to me is when you can say the golf year really starts. I can’t wait.

The European Tour has a big tournament this week in Abu Dhabi. Five of the top 10 players in the world rankings from Europe will be in the field. Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington, Paul Casey and Ian Poulter are all scheduled to play. The Abu Dhabi HSBS Championship should be very interesting this week.

As always would love to hear what you have to say. Anything you would like to talk about? Just let me know, leave a comment.

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Well, I am a day late in starting the blog for this week’s tournament. The Sony Open is the new tournament this week to welcome the new class of rookies to the PGA Tour. I was reading something earlier this week that explained last weeks tournament as a welcoming of the past year’s champions and this week would be like the coming out party for everyone else

It seems like the weather was trying to help me by delaying the tournament at least for the day. Seems kind of funny to have a tournament rained out in Hawaii. I wonder how often that actually happens. From people I have talked to who have actually been to Hawaii the rain is actually kind of nice and warm. Should have been great golf weather even with the rain. Will have to see if they decide to make it a 54-hole tournament.

That is actually kind of funny as I learned to play golf in Alaska and the only time we could get a tee time was on rainy days as no one wanted to play. Didn’t seem to bother us as it did not rain that long and we probably didn’t know any better. I still like playing in the rain but love sunny days as well.

That was a nice display of golf put on by Jonathan Byrd last week. My hat is off to him as he hung on and played the steadiest of the bunch. Not that there weren’t some who made a hard charge at him, Graeme McDowell. Man is that guy the hottest golfer on the planet or what. If he continues like he is playing, he will have people thinking of him like they use to think of some guy named Tiger. Hey, is he still playing golf? No Tiger sightings as of yet.

Will be interesting to see who can emerge from the pack with the weather delay and see just how that affects everyone. As always another week for The Golf Channel to display there golf telecast. Boy I love that channel.

As always would love to hear your thoughts about this tournament, any other tournaments or golf in general. Just leave a comment.

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Golfer Jonathan Byrd took a hard fought of Hyundai Tournament of Champions golf tournament in a playoff with Robert Garrigus. Byrd played a consistant round all week and pulled it out on the second playoff hole.

What a great start to the PGA Tour this weekend. At the picturesque Plantation Course in beautiful Hawaii this was a nice tournament. I guess it would be awful hard to play golf in such prime time conditions. NOT!

And how about that Graeme McDowell. This guy was 5 shots off the pace to start the day but blistered the course, he shot a 62,  to put himself in position to win. This guy can really putt. Reminds me of an old Tger Woods when he was just automatic. And if the leaders would have faltered he would have been right there. Will be interesting to see just how his season goes. He is really starting off in great form.

I was really sad to see Villegas get disqualified for a rules  infraction. Especially when it was called in by someone watching the event on television. I guess I don’t have a problem with it but how about if they call it in during the actual round in order for it to count. It was really unfair as Villegas had already signed and turned in his score card. I think he could have been assessed a two stroke penalty for after the fact. What do you think.

Now this week we have the first official full field event with the Sony Open. Again played in Hawaii, tough work guys. Will get a chance to see some of the new class of rookies. Will be interesting to see how well they play. It is a tremendous opportunity for them to get make as much money as they can to hold on to that card.

This starts out what should be an interesting season and one we will be talking about quite a bit this year. Tell me what you think. Would love to hear what you have to say.

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Yes, there will be no 3 straight tournament winner of the Tournament of Champions golf tournament this year as two time defending champion Geoff Ogilvy has withdrawn because of stitches in his right index finger.

He would have joined Stuart Appleby and Gene Littler as the only players to win the tournament three straight years.

It seems he sliced his finger when he grazed a piece of coral reef in the ocean on Monday. He gave it some rest and tried to play but said he could not put pressure on it to make a full swing.

I am sure the guys might feel bad for him but it opens up the tournament to a few more players. Jonathan Byrd has certainly jumped  on it and is playing very well. He is tied with Carl Pettersson after the first round.

You know this is not bad for some of these guys. A win here can be a springboard for the rest of the season. You can pick and choose what tournaments you want to play in because now you have a two year exemption into what tournaments to play in. Even if you are not in the top 125, the magic number

But I wonder what it can do for your psyche. Are you now as motivated to play better and win more now that you know you have you card secured. You would really have to re-assess your goals for the year. Not a bad situation to have to worry about though.

Looks like the course is kind of wet and the winds aren’t blowing to hard right now but if you have watched this tournament before that could all change. Still nice to check out on the Golf Channel though so get some real good coverage.

Lots of unfamiliar names on that leaderboard so far, Byrd, Pettersson, Ben Crane, Bill Haas, but still an opportunity for them and others to get their name more familiar. Only time will tell.

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The PGA Tour gets started to day with the annual Tournament of Champions teeing it up. This is a really good event and I kind of like the way they get started in Hawaii and get all of the tournament champions from the prior year together.

It is a great way for the new champions to feel appreciated and gives the people a chance to see how their games are to start the year. With some first time champions making the visit it gives the look and feel of an official tournament. And the weather is not so bad either. I really like to see those trade winds blowing,

It would be nice if they could actually get all of the prior year champions but some just don’t feel the need to support it. Now I am sure that most have a legitimate reason for not being there but it would be nice if they could arrange their schedule and make it.

There are a number of European players who are past winners who also are not going to be there so, it gives the newer champions a chance to start the year off right. And remember if you win you get to come back next year. What a deal!

Geoff Ogilvy is one who seems to have made it a habit of assuring his return with a win there. I am not sure about him, he seems to have all kinds of talent and plays well early but then it seems he loses focus. He definitely has the potential to b a great player but need to do it more consistently and at bigger tournaments. He has a chance to win for the third time this year joining Stuart Appleby as the only three time winner.

I like the fact that this tournament by being in Hawaii gets to be seen by us on the east coast in the evening time. That way we can kick back, relax and watch some golf. I would normally be rushing home to check out the tournament but can take my time. Looking forward to seeing who has been working on their games so far and who is just showing up to get some play time in.

Don’t really have a favorite so will be fun to watch. Will be checking out that Graeme McDowell to see if this guy is for real as well as Ian Poulter, Anthony Kim to see if he has recovered and just to see if Adam Scott can live up to that high expectation. Did you see all of those putts McDowell was making at Tiger’s tournament? Those are but a few. If you have any favorites, let’s hear who they are.

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When it comes to buying the equipment you need to play golf, the two most important words to remember are:

Comfort & Fit

When you watch professional golf players on the television using a certain brand of clubs, you may think that the specific brand is the best one to have. But in reality, these professional players are getting paid a lot of money to use and endorse these particular brands.

Therefore, if you are having difficulty hitting the ball well using the type of clubs that your favorite player use, you either need to improve on your swing or find a different club.

When choosing the right putters, irons, and drivers, how they look and what style the clubs come in is not nearly as important as how they feel when you grip and swing them. In other words, your goal should be on function first with aesthetic eye appeal second

Swing Tips: Not Enough Distance (A 5-Step Drill)(Rewrite This)

Do you want to know a common trademark of golfers who have the knack for sending the ball flying with phenomenal distance? It’s the turning of the hips to the left during the downswing, while at the same time extending the right arm through the swing.

Here is a quick drill that can help you accomplish this:

1. Start by teeing up the drive in your normal stance.

2. Now set the ball down off of your left heel (and/or opposite of the left armpit).

3. Without moving your stance, reach down and slide the ball towards your target at approximately the same distance of the grip.

4. Tee up your ball at that very spot, which should be 10 to 12 inches closer to the hole. Your address for the ball should be back where your normal position was at.

5. Now to finally hit the ball you will have to move the hips to the left so your arms will be able to “reach” the ball. This will invariably cause your right arm to extend.

This drill should be practiced at least 30 times before hitting the ball in its normal position. By that time you should have made significant improvement in your distance

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With 14 total clubs allowed in your golf bag (USGA Rules), part of the fun of golf is deciding which one of them to use on any given shot. Variables of the golf course can change at any moment which heavily influences the type of club you will use.

For example, a 3-iron and a 5-wood will knock the ball at approximately the same distance, but the 5-wood will hit the ball much higher and cause it to land softer and roll a shorter distance than the 3-iron.

Another example would be if you were heading towards the green on a perfect day, with absolutely no wind whatsoever. Your choice would probably be to use your 5-wood. However, on the same shot, but with windy conditions, the 3-iron would be a better choice because it has a lower trajectory ball flight.

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Do you want to earn the respect of your fellow players on the golf course, as well as have the favor returned back to you?

One-way is to be courteous enough to fix all of your divots on every hole. In addition, be sure to do your best to take care of the ball marks as well.

When using your iron to make a shot, it is unavoidable to occasionally send a small piece of turf flying through the air. If left unattended to, the bare spot could leave players that come behind you facing a possible lie.

Nothing can be more frustrating than making a perfect shot and then having the ball and up inside a torn divot mark. The solution is easy: Simply place the divot back into the spot it was chopped out from and then step on it with your foot. Within a few days, the grass will reroute and all will be fixed.

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I have tried a number of times to start a golf blog. With each time I have not been able to follow through and let it sit by the wayside. I think I have it together now and will give it another shot. I will know how good it is by whether or not you find it interesting and want to come back to see what I have to offer.

I want this blog to offer advice, hopefully some tips and other useful information. I would like it to be interactive and hope you will join in and offer your perspective to golf subjects from all over. I want to talk about men’s and women’s golf and all of the golf tours.

Since we live in an age with the Golf Channel, one of the best TV channels of all time in my opinion, we have an opportunity to check out golf from around the world. That means we get to see some of the best golfers in the world.

That has tilted to the European side for the time being but I think that is good for golf. If nothing else it should get the Americans interested in proving that they are just as good. But  let’s see, they own three quarters of the Grand Slam trophies and they did win the Ryder Cup this year.

But those are the kinds of things we can discuss here to go along with the latest equipment trends, fashion and share helpful tips.

Unfortunately I am now living in the Mid-Atlantic which means we are experiencing winter weather right now. Luckily not a lot of snow but still not able to go out and play a round of golf. So, I can only talk about it now but in about three months if not sooner…

I will tell you though, I am a golf junkie and if I could, which I think we would all say, I would be playing everyday. I think that is one of my ultimate wishes, 36 holes a day ould not be to much.

So welcome to my golf blog. Please excuse my ramblings. Hope you find it entertaining and want to come back and see what I have to offer. Let’s make it fun.

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