Basic Golf for Beginner - Part 1

The golf popularity has increased drastically over the last fifty years, giving us champions like Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman, and off course Tiger Woods.

Why golf become so popular? It’s the opportunity to be outside, to get a good whole body workout, network with friends or business colleagues at a leisurely pace, and to play a game that you can never perfect.

Your scorecard, over time, shows your improvement, which keeps you playing again and again.

Here is a very basic golf for beginner: Golf is played on an eighteen-hole course; each hole has its "par", which is the number of tee shots (drives), fairway shots, chips (short hits as you approach the green), and putts.

The par number is based on the length and difficulty of the hole. Pars range from 3 to 6. If you get the ball in the hole in five shots on a par five hole, you "made par." If it took you six shots, it’s called a bogie, if you made it in four, it’s a birdie.

There are usually "hazards" of some sort on all the holes. Bodies of water, sand traps, and trees are strategically placed to make the hole more challenging. Beginner golfers should seek to find courses to play that are easier to play, with fewer hazards.

Each player keeps their own score, marking the number of total number of shots for each hole. At the end, each person adds their scores-the lowest number is the winner.

It is important for beginner golfers to not take themselves too seriously. It takes a long time to get good at this game. Even though the professionals make it look so easy.

Take a lesson or two at the onset; it will help you develop a proper swing and help you get off to a good start.

Remember that it’s just a game. Have fun and look at the big picture-you’re outside and you’re not at work!

5 Affordable (Cheap) Golf Vacations

What's better than smashing a fairway wood over a large lake to a tiny green and then sinking a 20 footer for eagle?

How about saving hundreds of dollars on your next golf vacation. With some intrepid research on the Web, there are lots of great golf deals to a wide array of destinations these days.

In my travels, I've found several that are a bit easier on the wallet.

Here are my top 5:
 

New Mexico--Golfers usually race through New Mexico to visit golf meccas like Las Vegas or Scottsdale. For those who bother to stop, you'll find uncrowded and affordable courses in dramatic mountain and high desert settings with affordable green fees. The "Golf on the Santa Fe Trail" marketing alliance features eight golf courses along a 100-mile swatch of the Rio Grande River Valley with green fees starting at $52 on weekdays and $65 on weekends. All of the courses are high quality layouts that are situated within a two-hour drive of each other. Some of the more noted courses on the Santa Fe Golf Trail include Black Mesa Club, Paa-Ko Ridge and Twin Warriors.
 

Ireland--While Scotland dominates most golfer's international destination wish list, Ireland is a slightly cheaper alternative. It has affordable flights through Air Lingus to Shannon and Dublin, a wide range of pubs and restaurants with agreeable prices and a superb menu of courses. Green fees are typically around 1/3 less in the shoulder season in Ireland (April and October) and you tend to get a little more bang for your buck with the exchange rate. (Scotland has the pound and Ireland the Euro). If you've already crossed St. Andrews and Scotland off your bucket list, I definitely suggest playing golf in Ireland. Better still, the friendly and accommodating people in Ireland will thoroughly enhance your experience on and off the course and that's all free.
 

Orlando, Florida--The theme parks will shake you down for admission tickets in the $100 range, but you won't get skewered on green fees in Orlando. There are more than 125 courses within a 45-mile radius of downtown Orlando. Some of my best value favorites include Red Tail, Eagle Dunes, Eagle Creek and Highlands Reserve. Green fees drop as much as 60% during June, July and August. You'll find great deals at Golfnow and Golfpac Travel, a highly respected Orlando-based golf packager, has some exceptional Orlando area golf travel packages.

Puerto Rico--One of my favorite places to play golf in the Caribbean, Puerto Rico is often overshadowed by Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. While the green fees in Puerto Rico aren't necessarily all that much cheaper than their competition, flights to the island (city of San Juan) are plentiful from a variety of destinations and you can generally find some great deals. Moreover, Puerto Rico has a great menu of 20 courses in various beautiful settings. 

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina--If you want lots of bang for your golf buck, you still can't beat this place where the competition is fierce with more than 85 golf courses vying for your presence. You receive excellent value for your money, too, with more than 50 Myrtle Beach area courses with a 4-star designation from Golf Digest. Allegiant, the budget happy airline with rock bottom fares, has non-stop flights to Myrtle Beach from destinations like Orlando, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Akron. The money-saving continues at the variety of restaurants, shopping complexes and amusement parks that compete with each other with all sorts of deals and coupons. The best place to start in your package planning is the highly efficient Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday site, which easily guides you in creating a money-saving package.

Are You Ready For Fox Sports and the U.S. Open?

Don't worry, you won't see John Madden coming out of retirement and bellowing "Boom!" and "Bam!" every time someone launches a 350-yard drive or sinks a 30 footer.

Better still, you won't see Jimmy, Howie, Terry, Michael and Curt breaking down video of the world's best golfers.

No, Fox Sports has assembled an eclectic cast headed by Joe Buck, Greg Norman, Holly Sonders and others to bring you the 2015 U.S. Open on television and digital platforms.

Here's a review of the Fox Sports golf line-up:

Joe Buck--I like Buck as a baseball announcer. He's right up there on my favorite list alongside Vin Scully of the Dodgers and Jon Miller of the Giants. Buck is excellent with Troy Aikman on Fox's NFL telecasts, too. That said, he's got a long way to go to equal the excellence of CBS's Jim Nantz and NBC's Dan Hicks. These two silky smooth talking announcers sound like they came out of the womb announcing golf. I know he'll be broadcasting some warm-up events, but the 2015 U.S.Open might just be the biggest challenge of Buck's career. How he sets up Norman and addresses the nuances of the game of golf, will go a long way in determining his ultimate success.

Greg Norman--I've interviewed Norman twice and he's a terrific story teller. I hope he can bring the same color and detail to his presentation on Fox. My concern is Norman has so many other things going on in his life such as clothing, wine and turf businesses that he might not have enough time to fully prepare. My guess is Norman will attack this challenge just like everything else he does and do an admirable job. It's unrealistic to think, however, that he can be on the same footing initially with Johnny Miller, who is synonymous with the U.S. Open.

Holly Sonders--We really haven't seen much of the curvaceous Sonders on Fox Sports golf since she left The Golf Channel last July. Articulate and well-informed about golf, Sonders, a former collegiate player at Michigan State, is knowledgeable and always prepared. She lights up the television screen. Wow, was there anything better than watching her swing a golf club on Golf Academy Live on The Golf Channel. It was about the only time I ever paid attention to whatever swing tips they were doling out.

Filling out the starting line-up for the U.S. Open coverage is former PGA Tour pros Brad Faxon and Steve Flesch as on-course analysts, two-time U.S. Women's Open champion Julie Inkster as on on-course reporter, 1995 U.S. Open champ Corey Pavin as a studio analyst, Irish journalist Shane O'Donoghue as host and former USGA executive David Fay as a rules analyst.

In what appears to be a cast of thousands, others who will participate in the coverage, include Tom Weiskopf, LPGA notables Natalie Gulbis and Morgan Pressel, and venerable Fox broadcasters like Tim Brando, Curt Menefee, Charles Davis and Joel Klatt.

Still others on the Fox Sports Golf coverage team are Shane Bacon, Mark Brooks, Robert Damron, Jay Delsing, Debbie Doniger, Gil Hanse, Buddy Marucci, Scott McCarron, Ned Michaels, Eoghan O'Connell, Joe Ogilvie and EA Tischler.

Fox Sports plans to televise more than 32 hours of the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay. In total, it will air more than 300 hours of golf, including other U.S.G.A. championships and amateur events during the late spring and early summer

I'll watch to see if the Buck/Norman team can perform under pressure. After years, of superb coverage by NBC, it'll be interesting to see if Fox is up to the task. 

To be sure, they certainly have an impressive line-up of on-air talent.

Golf in Italy and The World Expo

NOTE: "I love everything about Italy--the history, great food, friendly people and, yes, its golf courses. Below is a guest post by my good friend Bjorn Jingberger, president of Golf Holiday Italy, a golf travel professional who partners with Italy's best golf clubs and resorts to offer fantastic golf packages. Bjorn is highlighting some of his top golf packages in conjunction with the World Expo in Milan, Italy. Enjoy the post and click to his free e-brochure to check out some great packages. Ciao!"--The Golf Travel Guru.

The World Expo in Milan, Italy is running between May and October 2015. It’s a fantastic opportunity to book a golf break, play a few rounds on selected top golf courses, enjoy world-class food and wine and visit Milan and the Expo, which has many things to do, enjoy and experience. Download this free e-brochure for great ideas and inspiration for your next golf break in Italy and read on for more details.

From May to October,Milan, organizer and host of the 2015 Universal Exhibition, becomes a global showcase where 140 countries and some leading international organizations will showcase the best of their technologies. The spectacular showoffers a concrete answer to a vital need: guarantee healthy, safe and sufficient food for everyone, while respecting the planet and its equilibrium.

On its 1m square meter exhibition area, Expo 2015 will tell everyone out about the world’s best dishes with tasting opportunities, while displaying the best of the agri-food and gastronomic traditions of each of the exhibitor countries.

Outside the exhibition area, located in Rho, a few miles west of centreMilan, the entire city will play an active role with thousands of cultural and recreational eventsorganized throughout the city, such as the largest exhibition so far of Leonardo da Vinci with works of the Renaissance icon borrowed from Italian and international museums.

For more excitement, visit the magnificent gothic Duomo Cathedral, or purchase opera tickets for an event at the famous La Scala theater, or attend one of the more than 140 spectacles during the six-month expo. If you’re a shopping enthusiast, Milan, as a global fashion capital, is near paradise. From the best in value-for-money dining and phenomenal fashions, you’ll find it in the magnificent city of Milan. Football fans will get their treat as well, as both AC Milan and Inter play at home in the city.

To enjoy the Milan good life, don’t forget to stop by Caffé Camparino, just next to the Duomo, for an aperitif. The bar opened in 1915 by Gaspare Campari, the inventor of…well you know what!

 Golf

Why not combine a visit to the Expo with a few days of golf? Northern Italy is home to around 80% of the country’s golf clubs. Discover excellent golf packages, specifically designed to satisfy most interests and tastes, which are available in a free e-brochure you can access here GREAT GOLF PACKAGES IN ITALY

For those who prefer to remain in and enjoy the Milan area there are a couple of golf breaks very close to the centre of the city. Or, in less than an hours drive north you can reach both Lake Como and Lake Maggiore with its breathtaking views and picturesque villages.

Heading east, consider a golf weekend in Franciacorta, the wine region, famous for its white sparkling wine, as well as at the beautiful Lake Garda where a few rounds of golf can be combined with a visit to an Amarone producing vineyard. Alternatively, continuing further east, north of Venice, there’s an interesting golf break combining golf and visits to local coffee and grappa producers.

Golf Holiday Italy acts as a marketplace enabling golf clubs, resorts and golf hotels to reach out to the international golf community.  Through our website, our social media channels and selected media partners, Italian golf structures have access to a cost efficient and easy-to-use platform to market themselves to an international client base.

Golf in Normandy and Western France

A couple of years ago I traveled to Normandy to see the D-Day beaches and bask in the wonderful wine, cheese, art and history lifestyle. Unlike most of my travels, I left my golf clubs at home. I wanted to focus on all things related to D-Day.

That said, I was surprised at how many excellent golf courses there are in Normandy and the western part of France. Golf is much more than a recreation afterthought in this region of France with more than 67 options on the course menu.

Uncrowded fairways, spectacular coastal and countryside terrain and a chilled glass of local white wine at the 19th hole are part of the overall golf experience in Western France.

You won't bust your budget, either. You can tee up at one of the top notch courses in the region with green fees ranging from $50 to $150.

Better still, this region of France is easy to reach by train, rental car or ferry. The most convenient ferry to France from the U.K. is Brittany Ferries.

For logistics purposes, the coastal town of Roscoff is in the northwest corner of the region, Paris and Orleans are on its eastern boundary and Bordeaux is situated in the southern quadrant.

Here are some of the high-profile play options in Western France:

Golf National Albatros--Twenty miles west of Paris, this future Ryder Cup site (2018) is built like a TPC layout with spectators in mind. Built in 1990, this tournament tested course has impressive mounding and strategically place water hazards. 

Golf de Granville Bale du Mont St. Michel--Originally laid out in 1912 then redesigned by Harry Colt in 1921, this 18-hole course is regarded as the only true links course in France. Bump and run shots, unpredictable winds and spectacular scenery are part of the overall golf experience at this layout located four miles north of Granville in Normandy. There's also a fun-to-play 9-hole, par 33, links course at the complex.

Golf De la Bretesche--Routed around a magnificent chateau, which golfers see at the start, middle and end of their round, this Henry Cotton design is an exceptional golf experience exuding distinctive western France sophistication. Impeccably maintained to high standards, it features fairways mown in an attractive cross-hatch, chessboard-style. It's located in the town of Missillac.

Saint-Malo Golf Resort--For those seeking a multi-amenity golf resort experience, Saint-Malo near Le Tronchet in Brittany is a great choice. Framed by the Mesnil Forest and bordering Lake Mirloup, this 18-hole course features breathtaking views and well-bunkered greens. More golf is available, too, with an additional 9-hole, par 36 course.

Omaha Beach Golf Club--Comprised of two 18-hole courses, this popular facility offers a variety of golf challenges and scenic views. The "La Mer" overlooks the sea and Port en Bessin, a quaint fishing village. For a parkland experience, the hilly and heavily wooded "Le Manoir" introduces visitors to lush Normandy terrain.

Golf Club Des Ormes--Located between Saint Malo and Mont St Michel, this course, which is situated near a chateau, has ancient trees, small lakes and beautiful flowerbeds and landscaping.



Image source: Brittany Ferries presents the best golf courses in Western France.