This is the 200th post on Amateur Golfer! Now it's time to celebrate, or at least browse the blog archives. Below I have selected, and added links to, a few of the more notable posts on the blog. Remember that you can also browse the blog's archives on the right.
The First Golf Club and Course in North America
"Golf came to North America during the 19th century in 1873. Then Scottish colonialists arrived in Montreal to establish the very first golf club on the continent. That was the Royal Montreal Golf Club...."
Best Golf Courses Video
"Which are the best golf courses? This video includes a great compilation of some of the world's best golf courses. Check it out...."
Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail
"Robert Trent Jones is a famous golf course designer. The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama is one of the largest golf construction projects attempted. The 11 golf clubs stretch from the Lakewood Golf Club in the south, to the Shoals in the north. In total, the trail extends 384 miles...."
A Brief Guide to the Wedges
"The wedges are a group of iron clubs which have the highest lofts. They are fairly essential golf clubs to have in your bag, so you'll need to bring at least one of them out on to the course with you. Overall, there are four primary wedge clubs which are ideal for short play...."
The Highest Golf Course.. Anywhere!
"Apparently there was a golf course at Tuctu that rose some 14,000 feet above the sea. That's some altitude, and needless to say it was the highest golf course with fairways that flirted with the clouds. However, now that it has been abandoned since the '90s, with the former course overgrown with vegetation and weeds other mountainous courses lay claim to the highest golf course altitude record...."
The 1,410 feet Tee-Shot
"Yup, that's right, this par-3 hole includes a tee at the top of a mountain with a 1,410 feet elevated tee-shot. Check out the video below for further details...."
Desert Golf Courses
"There are a variety of desert golf courses. Courses that are not only in the deserts of America, but merge some desert elements into the courses. And they are also sweltering during the summer. These are a few desert courses that are worth noting...."
Night Golf
"Well it’s November, and that means shorter daylight hours. However, who says you cannot play night golf? In actual fact there are numerous floodlit golf courses which are lit up when daylight visibility diminishes...."
Golf Holes With Lots of Water
"A number of the world's more famous golf courses have golf holes that are surrounded by water. These are holes in which you can lose your balls, in more ways than one, when they fall down into the water. Water holes can be located alongside expansive lakes, creeks or perhaps even the sea and oceans. These are a few of the great golf holes in which you could take a swim on...."
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Golf Summer Vacation Destinations
When the summer comes, golf resorts can be a good summer vacation destination. Summer is the best season for golf, as you can be sure of greater distance on the dry summer grass. The best golf summer vacation destinations are in the United States, Mediterranean or the Caribbean which have some of the finest golf resorts on the coast and further inland. These are a few great golf summer vacation destinations to visit.
Pebble Beach Golf Resort
The legendary Pebble Beach Resort is one of the best golf summer vacation destinations. This golf resort includes four renowned golf courses which play alongside the Monterey coastline in California. Among them are Pebble Beach Golf Links, the Links at Spanish Bay, Spy Glass Hill Golf Resort and Monte Golf Course.
As it is usually ranked among the top 10 golf courses in the United States Pebble Beach Golf Links is probably the most famous. This fantastic ocean-side golf course has hosted five U.S. Opens, and includes some famous holes. Holes such as the short par-3, a little over 100 yards, which has a green located beside the Pacific Ocean. The 18th hole is also considered to be one of the best finishing holes in golf in which the ocean runs alongside the left side of the hole. When combined with the other great courses at the resort, you can be sure that this is one of the hottest golf summer vacation destinations.
Kiawah Island
On the east coast, Kiawah Island is another of the great U.S. golf summer vacation destinations. Kiawah Island is a barrier island in South Carolina, and includes five top-class golf courses such as the Ocean Course, Osprey Point, Coughar Point, Oak Point and Turtle Point.
Of the four courses, the Ocean Course is the championship course that has hosted PGA Tour golf championships. It has also hosted the Ryder Cup, and will be the venue for the 2012 PGA Championship as well. Like Pebble Beach, this golf course includes a variety of seaside holes. In actual fact, there are approximately 10 holes which run alongside the Atlantic coastline.
Sandy Lane
With a tropical climate the Caribbean also has some great summer golf vacation destinations. Take note of the Sandy Lane golf resort in Barbados on the Platinum Coast. As such, the resort also has great nearby beaches with unique coral reefs. This is ranked 10th in Golf Digest's top 10 North America golf resorts.
Currently, Sandy Lane has three golf courses including the Monkey Course, the Country Club Course and the Old Nine. Of these, the Country Club Course includes some long 600 yard plus holes, and the Old Nine is the oldest of the courses which date back to 1961. The Old Nine is a nine hole course which has some narrow fairways and small greens.
The Costa Del Sol
Another fantastic summer golf vacation destination is that of the Costa Del Sol in the south of Spain which includes the famous Valderrama golf course. There are over 60 golf courses in the Costa Del Sol in Malga, Marbella, Santogrande and Mijas. Here you can make the most of the Mediterranean summer at resorts such as the Marbella Golf and Country Club.
The Costa Del Sol, Sandy Lane, Pebble Beach and Kiawah Island resorts are great destinations for golf summer vacations. With fantastic championship golf courses that have great landscapes, sizzling summer climates and a variety of golf vacation packages these golf resorts could be ideal golf vacation destinations.
Pebble Beach Golf Resort
The legendary Pebble Beach Resort is one of the best golf summer vacation destinations. This golf resort includes four renowned golf courses which play alongside the Monterey coastline in California. Among them are Pebble Beach Golf Links, the Links at Spanish Bay, Spy Glass Hill Golf Resort and Monte Golf Course.
As it is usually ranked among the top 10 golf courses in the United States Pebble Beach Golf Links is probably the most famous. This fantastic ocean-side golf course has hosted five U.S. Opens, and includes some famous holes. Holes such as the short par-3, a little over 100 yards, which has a green located beside the Pacific Ocean. The 18th hole is also considered to be one of the best finishing holes in golf in which the ocean runs alongside the left side of the hole. When combined with the other great courses at the resort, you can be sure that this is one of the hottest golf summer vacation destinations.
Kiawah Island
On the east coast, Kiawah Island is another of the great U.S. golf summer vacation destinations. Kiawah Island is a barrier island in South Carolina, and includes five top-class golf courses such as the Ocean Course, Osprey Point, Coughar Point, Oak Point and Turtle Point.
Of the four courses, the Ocean Course is the championship course that has hosted PGA Tour golf championships. It has also hosted the Ryder Cup, and will be the venue for the 2012 PGA Championship as well. Like Pebble Beach, this golf course includes a variety of seaside holes. In actual fact, there are approximately 10 holes which run alongside the Atlantic coastline.
Sandy Lane
With a tropical climate the Caribbean also has some great summer golf vacation destinations. Take note of the Sandy Lane golf resort in Barbados on the Platinum Coast. As such, the resort also has great nearby beaches with unique coral reefs. This is ranked 10th in Golf Digest's top 10 North America golf resorts.
Currently, Sandy Lane has three golf courses including the Monkey Course, the Country Club Course and the Old Nine. Of these, the Country Club Course includes some long 600 yard plus holes, and the Old Nine is the oldest of the courses which date back to 1961. The Old Nine is a nine hole course which has some narrow fairways and small greens.
The Costa Del Sol
Another fantastic summer golf vacation destination is that of the Costa Del Sol in the south of Spain which includes the famous Valderrama golf course. There are over 60 golf courses in the Costa Del Sol in Malga, Marbella, Santogrande and Mijas. Here you can make the most of the Mediterranean summer at resorts such as the Marbella Golf and Country Club.
The Costa Del Sol, Sandy Lane, Pebble Beach and Kiawah Island resorts are great destinations for golf summer vacations. With fantastic championship golf courses that have great landscapes, sizzling summer climates and a variety of golf vacation packages these golf resorts could be ideal golf vacation destinations.
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
Fairway Farm Golf Course Video
Fairway Farms is an 18 hole golf course located in Harwinton, CT. It's a championship course that extends some 6,619 yards. Check out this golf course video tour:
Sunday, May 05, 2013
Golf Digest's Top Five Golf Courses in Canada
1. National G.C. of Canada, Woodbridge, Ont.
2. St. George's G. and C.C., Etobicoke, Ont.
3. Capilano G. & C.C., West Vancouver, B.C.
4. Hamilton G. and C.C. (West/South) Ancaster, Ont.
5. Jasper Park Lodge G.C., Jasper, Alb.
As such, the National Golf Course of Canada tops the rankings. It has also been ranked 17th in Digest's Top 100 Outside USA. This is a 7,235 yard golf course that has undulating greens, and tree-lined fairways. The course architect Fazio has also added the odd pond to some of its holes, such as around the third and fourth hole. On the 13th hole ponds also come into play with a fairway snaking between a pond and large hill.
It pips the St George's Golf and Country Club to top spot, which has been ranked 10th in Golf Digest's Top 100 Outside USA rankings. That's a championship golf course which extends some 7, 025 yards. The golf course has hosted the Canadian Open five times.
They are not exactly public golf courses, but the Jasper Park Lodge is. That's a 6, 600 yard scenic golf course located at the Jasper National Park that includes lakes, waterfalls and mountains. The golf course is situated on the shores of Lac Beauvert.
For the full Golf Digest Canada course rankings click here.
Wednesday, May 01, 2013
Golf tips for Club Selection
Golf club selection is largely a matter of club distance. However, different clubs are required for short play and long play, and some can be more accurate than others. With up to 14 golf clubs to select from there can be a few clubs that may be suitable for tee-shots. Here are a few noteworthy golf tips for effective club selection.
Tee-shots
When selecting your club for tee-shots the club that will get you closest to, or on, the green is usually the most suitable golf club. This is certainly the case for par-3 holes where you can make it onto the green from the tee. Select an iron club that best matches the distance required, and note that you can potentially over-hit on short par-3s. If the par-3 has a fairway then it’s better to under-hit.
However, for longer holes the longest club is not necessarily the best to select. Note that these longer clubs are also the least accurate, so if there are lots of areas on a golf hole where you could potentially lose a golf ball it could be better to select a shorter more accurate golf club. This could potentially save you a penalty-stroke.
Short Play
For shorter play there are a greater number of golf clubs to select from. For starters, your club selection can depend on whether you’re pitching or chipping from off the green. In some cases it may well be possible to either chip or pitch onto the green, in which case always go for a chip as a better alternative to a pitch. This is especially the case when there is more wind, as pitching will be all the less accurate.
You can chip with a number of clubs from off the green. Again, the longer the club the further the chip will go. Note that the roll of the ball will cover most of the distance, and the ball will roll further on dry golf courses than wet ones. So, if it’s wet you should consider chipping with a slightly longer club than you might do from the same distance if it were dry.
When the course is very dry, and if you are not too far away from the green, then putting onto the green can be more effective than chipping. Just so long as you’re on the fairway you can putt the ball up to the flag with the putter. Even if you are in longer grass around the green you may still be able to putt onto it, and close to the flag.
The Rough
When in longer grass around the fairways and greens more lofted golf clubs are the most effective. As such, the wedges such as the sand and pitch wedge are among the best golf clubs to select for short play from longer grass. With these you can chip and pitch your way from the longer grass onto the green.
From further distances consider the 7-wood if the grass is not too long. The 7-wood is the shortest of wood clubs, and so it also has the most loft. With a 7-wood you can shoot your way out of the rough from over 100 yards.
These are just a few tips for golf club selection. Consider selecting shorter clubs for longer holes where you could potentially lose your ball from the tee, select the putter for chipping on dry courses, chip with longer clubs if the course is wet, and select shorter golf clubs with more loft if you are in longer grass.
Tee-shots
When selecting your club for tee-shots the club that will get you closest to, or on, the green is usually the most suitable golf club. This is certainly the case for par-3 holes where you can make it onto the green from the tee. Select an iron club that best matches the distance required, and note that you can potentially over-hit on short par-3s. If the par-3 has a fairway then it’s better to under-hit.
However, for longer holes the longest club is not necessarily the best to select. Note that these longer clubs are also the least accurate, so if there are lots of areas on a golf hole where you could potentially lose a golf ball it could be better to select a shorter more accurate golf club. This could potentially save you a penalty-stroke.
Short Play
For shorter play there are a greater number of golf clubs to select from. For starters, your club selection can depend on whether you’re pitching or chipping from off the green. In some cases it may well be possible to either chip or pitch onto the green, in which case always go for a chip as a better alternative to a pitch. This is especially the case when there is more wind, as pitching will be all the less accurate.
You can chip with a number of clubs from off the green. Again, the longer the club the further the chip will go. Note that the roll of the ball will cover most of the distance, and the ball will roll further on dry golf courses than wet ones. So, if it’s wet you should consider chipping with a slightly longer club than you might do from the same distance if it were dry.
When the course is very dry, and if you are not too far away from the green, then putting onto the green can be more effective than chipping. Just so long as you’re on the fairway you can putt the ball up to the flag with the putter. Even if you are in longer grass around the green you may still be able to putt onto it, and close to the flag.
The Rough
When in longer grass around the fairways and greens more lofted golf clubs are the most effective. As such, the wedges such as the sand and pitch wedge are among the best golf clubs to select for short play from longer grass. With these you can chip and pitch your way from the longer grass onto the green.
From further distances consider the 7-wood if the grass is not too long. The 7-wood is the shortest of wood clubs, and so it also has the most loft. With a 7-wood you can shoot your way out of the rough from over 100 yards.
These are just a few tips for golf club selection. Consider selecting shorter clubs for longer holes where you could potentially lose your ball from the tee, select the putter for chipping on dry courses, chip with longer clubs if the course is wet, and select shorter golf clubs with more loft if you are in longer grass.
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