What Is Airsoft and Why You Should Play

Airsoft can refer to a variety of things but what I am going to be looking at is the sport aspect. It is the activity of experiencing tactical warfare through battle simulations with airsoft guns. These airsoft guns shoot out plastic bbs at a speed that is not dangerous to a human life yet they do travel at a fast enough speed to sometimes cause the person to experience a sting. Airsoft has become a much more popular sport as of recently but it is still under the radar. Not many people are involved in this activity either because they do not know about it or they simply do not want to try it out. Most of the people I talk to about airsoft do not know what it is. Others do not want to try it out because there is a possibility of experiencing pain. Regardless of the reasons people do not participate in this activity I’m going to explain why you should give it a try.

It is FUN!

Imagine running through the woods with a semi-automatic pistol in your holster. You have an automatic rifle in your hands as you sneakily try to capture the enemies’ flag without detection. One of your teammates starts to create a distraction by providing suppressive fire. You move forward towards the enemies’ flag but all of a sudden you see a tango to the right about to take a shot at you. Thankfully your teammate has a sniper rifle and takes him out before he can tag you.

Ok you can stop imagining! Keep in mind nobody is getting killed! It is all done in a safe environment with plastic bbs that do not break the skin. If this does not sound fun to you Fair enough… do not try it but honestly if you are like me you are probably thinking about what happens next! It might also be a chance to shoot your friends without killing them. Sounds great am I right?!

Exercise

Playing this game will cause you to run, stay down, move fast, and your heart will race. This is a very physical game and a great way to get your exercise in! I do not think I have ever met an airsoft player who has claimed otherwise (unless you are sniper… in which case I guess it is ok to be a fatty).

Training

Airsoft is often also used for real combat training. It allows people to get a feel of the weight of their weapon and trigger grip. It helps them improve their aim as well as safety practices. If you are training for home defense purposes please also invest in a home security system. Smith security provides excellent services! Check them out.

So yeah! Go get an Airsoft gun, safety gear, and find a few friends and play! Do not play in public places because most of these guns look real and the general public may panic. Play either in the woods, private property (with permission of course) or at an airsoft field (which are hard to find). Remember to always practice safety first!
About the author:

About the Author: Jose Rodriguez is a writer, gamer, and comic book fan. You can follow him on Twitter!

Airsoft Gun Maintenance

When anyone plays airsoft I doubt they are thinking about all of the filth getting into their gun as they crawl on the ground to avoid enemy fire. How about the mag that may fall to the ground as you insert another mag? There are a variety of ways our airsoft guns can get damaged and dirty. I would like to explore the ways we can all better maintain our arsenal of airsoft weaponry and it will not cost you much to do it!

Cleaning

Many of you may have heard that when cleaning your airsoft gun you want to use silicone oil. That is false. All silicone oil does is lubricate the parts within the gun as well as the barrel. When a doctor wants to sterilize something he does not shout “quick we need to lubricate this” because that would be pretty dumb. Use alcohol to clean and sterilize your gun. If a gun has a hop up chamber you will need to expose it and clean it with alcohol. After it has dried THEN you can use silicone oil to lubricate it. Same thing with the barrel; clean the barrel with alcohol and then lubricate it with silicone oil. Most guns come with a barrel cleaner to stick down the barrel; others may not. Whatever you use to enter into the barrel make sure it isn’t something sharp and dirty. We want to avoid damaging the airsoft gun. If you feel the need to purchase a real gun cleaning kit feel free to do so. You can use toilet paper if you do not have anything else available. You also do not want to use too much alcohol when cleaning any of the airsoft gun parts. In addition to cleaning the gun this way you will also need to clean the mags that you insert into the weapon. You may also want to clean where the mag goes into the gun.

Battery

If you are using an AEG you will need to maintain your battery to keep it at its peak performance. How do you do this? You do this by simply charging it correctly. Certain batteries can drain if you charge them too long. You will need to research what type battery you have, the capacity it can hold, and also what kind of charger you are using. This will help you determine how long you need to charge your battery before using your gun.

Battle

When you are actually playing in an airsoft battle be mindful of your gear. Don’t use your gun as a baseball bat. Just use common sense when you are out on the field. Try to avoid putting it in danger.

With all that being said make sure you practice your safety precautions when playing airsoft. Play on private properties and avoid whipping out your guns in public. If you are using airsoft for tactical training for later use of a real gun keep in mind that a real gun can only go so far. If home defense is the reason why you may be training I would also invest in a home security system. Smith security provides excellent services! Check them out.

About the Author: Jose Rodriguez is a writer, gamer, and comic book fan. You can follow him on Twitter!

Trent Jones Golf Trail Video

The Trent Jones Golf Trail is a series of clubs in Alabama that include 26 golf courses. Check out this previous post on the blog about the trail. The video below includes a simulator (not actual footage) of three of the trail's golf courses. They are The Judge at Capitol Hill, Links at Grand National and Cambrian Ridge.

Famous Golf Course Architects

A few of the most famous golf courses in the game were inspired by a group of renowned golf course architects. Golf course architects that have combined bunkers, lakes, trees, hills and other natural vegetation for some enthralling golf holes and courses. These are a few of the more famous golf course architects.

MacKenzie

MacKenzie golf courses are among the most famous in the sport of golf. The most notable of them is probably the Augusta National golf course, which is host to the annual

Masters golf championship. This golf course has 7,435 yard course which has some famous holes such as 12th par-3 hole that includes Rae's Creek. The course is renowned for its diversity of trees and shrubs, which include tea olives, flowering peach, magnolia, pampas, camellia, holly and more besides.

Cypress Point golf course, at Pebble Beach, is another of Mackenzie's famous golf courses. Cypress Point is one of the top ranked golf courses in the United States. The course is located on the Monterey Peninsula, and plays alongside the Pacific Ocean. It has a great collection of par 3 holes, including a 231 yard par 3 that requires a tee-shot across the Pacific to land on the green.

Trent Jones

Trent Jones has a variety of golf courses. In actual fact, almost 500 golf courses in the United States. Trent Jones combines some of these golf courses along the Trent Jones Trail. The Trent Jones Trail includes a collection of championship calibre courses within Alabama.

Most of the Trent Jones courses are public golf courses, and among the more notable is that of SpyGlass. The SpyGlass golf course is one of the Pebble Beach Resort courses, and is ranked among the top public golf courses in the United States. This is a course that plays alongside the Pacific Ocean, and some of its holes also wind through parts of the Del Monte Forest.

Dye

Pete Dye courses include some famous PGA Tour venues. At the Kiawah Island Resort there is the Ocean Course, an extensive course which is some 7,873 yards. The Ocean Course has an Atlantic coastline, and plenty of coastal holes. It has hosted the PGA Championship, as well as the 1991 Ryder Cup.

The TPC at Sawgrass is another famed Dye golf course. This Florida golf course is a regular venue for the Players Championship. It includes the Island Green hole which is a 132 yard par-3 with a green surrounded by water. Both the Ocean Course and TPC at Sawgrass are great championship courses.

Nicklaus

A record-breaking golfer, Nicklaus has also designed a variety of golf courses around the world. Approximately 299 Nicklaus golf courses were open in 2005, mostly in the United States, but also in Europe and Asia. Among the top ranked Nickluas' courses is that of Shaol Creek Country Club which is located in Alabama. This has been the host for a number of PGA golf championships, including the PGA Championship, and has some great holes such as the 446 yard 18th finishing hole.

These course architects have constructed hundreds, possibly thousands, of golf courses. They include great PGA Tour championship courses, and resort courses which you can also play at. Vist the Ocean Course, SpyGlass, courses along Trent Jones Golf Trail and Turtle Point which is also at Kiawah Island.

Santander Golf Course Video

There are a number of exciting and scenic golf courses in Spain. Among them the Santander golf course in Madrid. Santander is now rated among the top golf courses in Spain, and stretches some 7,500 yards. The golf course has thousands of shrubs and trees along its holes. Check out the Santander video below.

Great Championship Golf Courses

The game of golf has the four major championships which are the U.S. and U.K. Open, Masters and PGA Championship. Overall, the great championship golf courses are those that have hosted such championships. Here are a few of the most notable.

Augusta

Augusta is perhaps one of the best championship golf courses. It exclusively stages the U.S. Masters with the best of the PGA Tour coming to play each season. The golf course has a great history and some fine holes such as the 12th hole, which includes watered creek in front in front of the creek and the Ben Hogan Bridge. The course itself is 7,000 + yards in total distance, and has some fine landscape.

St Andrews

The St Andrews' championship course is one that has hosted the U.K. Open a number of times. Aside from this major, other championships such as the Dunhill Cup have also been staged at St Andrews. It's a links style golf course which has some deep bunkers as on the 11th and then the great 17th hole. Today the Old Course is golf's homeland.

Carnoustie Golf Links

This golf course has hosted the UK Open several times, with great Open championships and winners including the likes of Hogan and Player. The Championship golf course is a links course that includes relatively short signature holes such as the 13th which has a heavily bunkered green. Overall, it is a great course.

Pebble Beach

Pebble Beach golf links has been a great venue for the U.S. Open and other championships. Overall, it has staged the U.S. Open four times with a further scheduled. Pebble Beachhas also hosted the PGA Championship, and other championships such as the most notable U.S.Amateur Championship. The golf course runs alongside the Pacific coast, with signature holes such as the short seventh and the longer finishing hole. It is a par 72, and approx 6,800 yards overall.

The Country Club Open Course

The Country Club is a historic American club with a great championship golf course. Today the Open Course has staged two U.S. Opens while the Main Course has also staged one other. In addition to this, the U.S. Amateur Championships five times with a further scheduled. The 1999 Ryder Cup was also staged at the Country Club. Overall, the course is more than 7,000 yards with some small greens and a great final hole.

Overall, they are a few of the great Championship golf courses. Golf courses such as St Andrews, Augusta, Carnoustie, Pebble Beach and the Country Club have staged great major championships such as the U.S., U.K.Open, Masters and PGA Championship in addition to the Ryder Cup.

Royal St George's Golf Course

Royal St George is a golf course in England that stretches some 7,200 yards. This is a great championship golf course that has hosted a variety of U.K. Open championships. Check out this video tour of Royal St George.

The top Five Golf Resorts in North America

There are some great golf resorts in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean Islands which have a variety of golf courses. Golf Digest has its own golf resort rankings for North America. These are the top five golf resorts in their rankings.

Five: The Greenbrier White Sulphur Springs

At fifth place in Golf Digest's rankings is that of the Greenbrier Golf Club. At the Greenbrier resort there are three unique 18-hole championship golf courses. These include the Greenbrier Course, The Old White TPC and The Meadows Course. The Greenbrier Course dates back to 1927, and was later redesigned by Nicklaus. This wooded course is the only resort course that has hosted both a Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup. The longest of the Greenbrier resort courses is that of the Old White TPC which is some 7,274 yards long.

Four: Sea Island Golf Resort

The Sea Island resort is located along the coastal waters of Sea Island, in Georgia. The resort includes three 18-hole championship golf courses to play at: The Seaside Course, The Plantation Course and the Retreat Course. The Seaside Course is a classic links golf course which has been ranked among the top 100 U.S. golf courses. The Plantation Course has expansive fairways and is located beside the Atlantic Ocean. Sea Island's Retreat Course also has an exciting combination of bunkers and slopes for an enthralling round of golf.

Three: The American Club

The American Club is located in Kohler in the United States. This resort includes four great Pete Dye championship golf courses. The River Course and Meadow Valleys Course are at the Blackwolf Run, and the Irish Course and Straits course are at the Whistling Straits. Visitors to the resort can stay at either the American Club hotel or the Inn on Woodlake.

Two: Pebble Beach Resort/Inn at Spanish Bay

The famed Pebble Beach Resort, on the Monterey coastline of California, is second in Golf Digest's golf resort rankings. This resort includes the Pebble Beach golf course which is usually ranked among the best golf courses in the United States, and has hosted five U.S. Open championships among others. It includes a great finishing hole with a fairway that runs alongside the Atlantic Ocean. Other notable courses at the resort are the SpyGlass Hill Golf Course, Links at Spanish Bay, Peter Hay Golf Course and Del Monte Course. As such, there are plenty of great golf courses at Pebble Beach Resort.

One: Bandon Dunes Golf Resort

Golf Digest's top ranked golf resort in North America is that of the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. It is here that the Pacific Ocean meets the rugged shoreline of the Oregon coastline. This is a resort with four classic links golf courses: Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails and Old Macdonald. These are great coastal courses that include pristine native dunes alongside the rippling fairways. In addition to these courses, a fifth course is also set to be added to the resort which will have thirteen par-3 golf holes.

These are five golf resorts to visit for your next golfing vacation. Bandon Dunes, Pebble Beach Resort, The American Club, Sea Island Resort and The Greenbrier White Sulphur Springs have a great collection of courses and variety of packages for golf vacations.

Scrawney Guys Guide to Building Muscle

Tired of going to the club for drinks with your male friends to meet girls and being passed over by your well built muscular friends. Do you sit there watching attractive girls talk, flirt, and dance with your friends and wonder why not you. So what if they have broad shoulders and trim abs, doesn't personality count ?

When your sitting on the beach with your friends don't you wish you could build up more muscles. Your male friends are tanned and toned strutting their stuff while your just sitting there. Often your left on the blanket to watch everyone's belongings while they take off with girls to swim or buy some refreshments.

When you work out or exercise do you wish you could take a safe supplement for muscle growth without any side effects? TestRush Testosterone Booster is a nautral dietary product that helps build muscles, firm up the stomach, and increase energy and stamina. When you work out or exercise the results will show without the harmful side effects of hormones. It is not used for just body builders but men with low testosterone levels.

Your an older man that just doesn't have the energy and strength that you used to to do the things you enjoy. You go golfing with your friends and can't keep up. Lately you would rather be at home watching a Rodney Dangerfield movie about golfing then playing the sport. You wife has a list a mile long of projects for you to tackle that you haven't gotten to. Not only that your love life could use a boost. You want to start eating better and exercising but the list is too long.

Testorone Boosters are natural supplements for men of all ages. Older men with low testerone lose muscle mass, weight, and lack energy. When you add this product to your daily diet it build muscles too giving you a more toned look It will help you with muscular development. Regular exercise and a good diet helps builds muscle when taking this product . Below are some tips for eating properly to build muscle. Nutrition build muscles when exercising or working out.

Eat smaller meals during the day every two to five hours. You should eat a variety of healthy food like protein, grains, fruits, vegetables, carbohydrates, and low fat dairy products. Building muscles is about eating enough calories to gain a few pounds when underweight to build muscle. Eating 40 to 60 grams of protein per meal will help you build muscles. This means eating leans meats, poultry and fish like tuna, and salmon. You can eat eggs, low fat cheese, and yogurt too.

When you drink protein shakes look for ones that have whey, casein or milk protein. A lack of carbohydrates means a lack of energy when you exercise or workout. Eat 60-80 grams of carbs per meal like whole grains, bran, barley, beans, brown rice, oatmeal, pasta, and potatoes. They keep you feeling full and provide concentrated energy when working out.

Learn to like vegetables and eat them with every meal. Yes, those green ones that your mother threw out every night when you were a kid. Vegetables build muscles because they have tons of vitamins and minerals. At least one to two cups per meal . Eat your biggest meal at breakfast and drink protein shakes to supplement the diet.

About the author: 

Kasey Alderman works for the National Health Association and counsels people on healthy eating, living, and fitness.

Golf Digest's Ten Best Golf States

On the Golf Digest website there's an interesting slideshow which includes the ten best U.S. golf states. The states are ranked on the number of great public golf courses per capita. These are Golf Digest's top 10 U.S. states for golf:

1. Hawaii
2. South Carolina
3. Nevada
4. Michigan
5. Wisconsin
6. Colorado
7. Vermont
8. Nebraska
9. Arizona
10. North Dakota

As such, the Pacific islands of Hawaii tops their rankings. Hawaii has up to 46 golf courses among which is the Kapalua. With golf resorts such as Kiawah Island South Carolina is second. Nevada also has some golfing gems such as Shadow Creek, a course that extends some 7,560 yards, and Wolf Creek.

I am surprised that North Dakota, with only six golf courses, is included in the rankings. Dakota is included ahead of California which is a state that has some highly ranked golf courses, such as Pebble Beach and Cypress Point, along its coastline. Check out the slideshow here.

20-Hole Golf Course

How many 20-hole golf courses are there? Not many, but at the Haig Point Club you will find one. It is there that you can play at the Rees Jones Signature Course.

This is a golf course that has 20-holes on which you can play. However, you will only play 18. The golf course includes two hole eights, and a couple more 17th holes.

When you reach the par-3 eight holes you choose to play one of two hole eights. One is a 170 yard par-3 that has a small wetland in front of the green. The other is a longer 200 yard par-3.

The 17th hole is another double. They are also both par-3 holes that have a yardage of up to 196 yards. However, one of the holes includes a short fairway leading up to the green, whilst the other does not. Pick one of the holes to play, and then wrap up the round at the 510 yard par-5 that has marshland and an elevated green.

The innovate addition of an optional eighth and 17th hole certainly gives the course some variety, and increases the number of holes at the course to 20. Check out this page for further details on the Rees Jones Signature Course. Click on the Rees Jones Signature Course Tour link at the bottom which includes maps of each hole.

Royal County Down Golf Course

The great Royal County Down golf course is one of the top ranked golf courses the United Kingdom. This is a 7,204 yard links golf course set alongside the Mountains of Mourne in Northern Ireland. It's certainly an exhilarating setting for golf. Check out this Royal County Down video slideshow.

What if Your Ball Lands in Casual Water?

Casual water is accumulated water on a golf course. It's not the water that's always in the pond, which is surrounded by yellow stakes, but rain water puddles. During the winter more substantial puddles might emerge on the course which can submerge your golf ball in water.  

If your ball lands in one of those puddles you can play it, and get a little wet. You can also drop the ball out of the puddle without a penalty. That's a free drop which must be dropped just behind the casual water.

However, casual water can also build up in bunkers. With heavy rain small bunkers can become flooded with water. If you land in casual water within a bunker you can still drop your ball, no nearer the hole, to another position in the bunker. It will still be a free drop.  

It's worth noting that you cannot make a free drop outside the bunker. Consequently, if your ball lands in a flooded bunker the free drop still has to be in the bunker. If you drop the ball outside of the bunker, as you might have to, then a one shot penalty will have to be added to the scorecard.

If you ask me that's something that should be altered. A flooded out bunker is, after all, still filled with casual water. As there are no yellow stakes around them they cannot be considered the same as lakes or ponds; yet you still have to drop a ball out of them, with a penalty, in much the same way.  

Teeth of The Dog Golf Course Video

The Teeth of The Dog at Casa de Camp is ranked 43rd in Golf Magazine's golf course rankings. This is a golf course that stretches some  7,471 yards from the black tees. It is located beside the Caribbean Ocean, and includes a variety of coastal holes. Check out this video that includes a Teeth of the Dog slideshow. 

 

The Golf GameBook

Digital scorecards aren't exactly new. Those are electronic scorecards which save your scores. However, they do not include official signing options.

The GameBook is a Samsung phone golf scoring application that includes a digital scorecard. Its scorecard is the first to include digital signing. That is thanks to its S Pen which is included with this scorecard app. With that it can be signed in much the same way as a paper scorecard. This ensures that it can be taken to golf championships.

The Golf GameBook and S Pen

The GameBook also has other additional options such as a Live Leaderboard and Game Site. It supports various built-in game formats such as matchplay, Stable ford, Scramble, Best Ball etc. With the Game Manager you can set up your own golf championships. The Gamebook has provided livescoring for numerous golf championship in Europe and the United States

If you have a Samsung S you can add this application to your phone. It is a free app that you can find at the Samsung Apps and the iTunes AppStore. Check out the GameBook website for further details.

Golf Digest Hot List

Each year Golf Digest updates its Hot List. The Hot List is a list of hot golfing gear that you could, and probably should, include in your golf bag. The Hot List includes golf balls, irons, wedges, putters, fairway woods, golf bags etc. Each item included has a gold, silver or bronze medal depending on points that are allocated to them. Check out the Golf Digest Hot List website for further details on some great golfing gear. Below is the Inside 2013 Hot List video that is also on their site. 

Let the War Games Begin

As civilian war games grow in popularity, so does the demand for more realistic, nonlethal weapons. The most common form of this extreme hobby is paintball. Paintball guns are very unrealistic and toy-like. The enthused hobbyist looking for a sport with more realistic weapons can turn to the world of Army airsoft guns. These weapons are exact replicas of real firearms such as the M15A4 and the M-7. The only noticeable difference is the bright orange tips with which most airsoft guns are equipped. Airsoft guns fire pellets rather than live rounds using compressed gas or even electric and spring driven pistons. Initially, the army airsoft gun was used exclusively for leisure by adrenaline junkies seeking the thrill of taking to the battlefield without the pesky threat of loss of life and limb. Today many federal and state institutions utilize airsoft weapons as a cost effective training tool and an inexpensive substitute for conversion kits for their real weapons.

The extreme hobbyist remains the main consumer of these very realistic weapons and there are many clubs and teams dedicated to army airsoft guns. Some events in Europe may have as many as 2000 participants in a single skirmish. With such stiff competition, these weekend warriors look for anything to give them the advantage over the field of opponents. Airsoft guns can be equipped with an impressive plethora of accessories including compressors, extended magazines and infrared sights. These unusual tournaments began in the 1980s in Japan and their popularity has increased exponentially. The only universal rule among the scores of tournaments available is the demand that safety equipment be used. Participants must wear protective, full-length clothing and eye goggles. A pellet traveling at full speed could result in blindness if it were to strike an eye. They have even been known to leave big bruises on protected skin. Most tournaments have a power ceiling and do not allow weapons with a velocity of more than four hundred FPS.

A good airsoft replica can be purchased for about $100 US though the price tag can inflate to $400 dollars for some of the more advanced weapons. There are also airsoft grenades and land mines to complete the simulated battlefield. These weapons are typically composed of a canister filled with BBs. The landmines are typically hidden in inconspicuous places where they may be triggered by the enemy. Many inventive participants actually construct these makeshift weapons from ordinary household products. For the less creative, there are many manufacturers of these simulated weapons from all across the world and more manufacturers toss their hat into the ring daily as the sport increases in popularity. One of the more reputable companies is the Maniac Hobby complex, a veritable warehouse of hobbies that has everything anyone would need to get into the competitive world of airsoft battles. Their facility is in Plantation, Florida but they deliver all over the continental United States. They even ship orders greater than $99 for free. Their toll free number is 888-83-HOBBY (6229) and it is recommended you visit their comprehensive website at www.maniacshobbhycomplex.com/airsoft-department.html.

The History of the Augusta National Golf Club

The Augusta golf course is perhaps the most famous golf course in the world. This is largely because it is the annual golf course of the Augusta Masters golf championships. The history of this great golf course is therefore intertwined with that of the Masters.

The Augusta golf course is one that dates back to the 1930s. The course was founded by Bobby Jones, and designed by course architect MacKenzie during the early ‘30s. Construction on the golf course began in 1931, and continued up until 1933. As such, the Augusta golf course was opened in 1933.

It was not long before the first Augusta Masters golf championship was to be played at Augusta. In 1934, the first Augusta National Invitational was won by Horton Smith. During the first few Augusta National Invitational championships the second nine holes of the current course were the first nine, and vice-versa. The order of these holes was reversed in 1935.

Pro golfers soon flocked to Augusta for the early Master golf championships. Among them was Sarazen who scored a double eagle on the 15th hole. As such, Sarazen’s Bridge footbridge on the 15th has been named as such ever since.

Among the club’s more famous members is that of President Eisenhower. As one of the Augusta National Golf Club members Eisenhower played a number of rounds on the course. Upon his election as U.S. president, the Eisenhower Cabin was constructed in 1956 which today is one of ten cabins at the Augusta course.

The Hogan Bridge is also another famous Bridge at the Augusta golf course. This bridge is located at the 12th Rae Creek’s hole. After Hogan set new course records during the ‘50s, the bridge was called the Hogan Bridge in 1958. Even though those records have since been eclipsed, it remains as such today.

1959 was the 25th anniversary of the Masters. As such, to celebrate the anniversary the Record Fountain was constructed close to the 17th green. Since then the record fountain has recorded a number of Master golf championship records.

In the postwar era Augusta also began to establish its first TV contracts. The first TV coverage of the Masters golf championship began in 1956. CBS has remained among the foremost broadcasters of the Augusta golf course and championship. Although, the first eight holes of the Augusta golf course were not covered by any broadcaster until the early 1990s.

In more recent years the Augusta golf course has had some further adjustments. In 2001, the Augusta National golf course was approximately 6,925 yards in length. It was then first lengthened to 7,270 yards. In 2006, the Augusta course was further extended to approximately 7,445 yards. As such, the course is somewhat longer today than it was in the 1930s.

Overall, the Augusta golf course has remained among the top ranked golf courses since it first opened in during the ‘30s. It topped Golf Digest’s America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses listings in 2011, and is usually within the top 10 of most golf publication course rankings. Check out the Augusta website which includes further details on the golf course.

Banff Springs Golf Course Video

The Banff Springs golf course is one that has a great setting in the Canadian Rockies. The golf course stretches some 7,074 yards, and is surrounded by coniferous woodland. It includes some great holes such as the fourth par-3 that is located beside a glacial lake. Check out this Banff Springs course video.

When to Select Alternative Clubs for Chipping

Golf chips are those shots made from around the green, or even to lay the ball up onto a better lie. They are flexible enough not to be limited to the selection of just one or two clubs.

The 7-iron is a golf club that is often used for chipping. This is perhaps unsurprising, for it strikes a good balance of possessing a reasonable amount of loft, while also giving reasonable ball roll. As such, for a standard chip shot onto the green from 20-30 yards it might be ideal.

At any rate however, the seven iron will not always be ideal to use. Let us suppose you find yourself more like 10-15 yards within the flag, or even less, without being on the green itself. Here you might find yourself parked up close to the collar of the green, but not quite on it. As such, a 7-iron would not be a suitable club to chip with here.

Wedge clubs, such as the sand wedge, would probably be best to use under such circumstances. They have greater loft, and minimal roll, to ensure the ball will not be chipped so far and stop on the green fairly swiftly. At any rate, you could even just try putting the ball onto the green if the fairway is reasonably smooth. Consider that a long putt from 10 - 15 yards out will roll along the ground, and could be just as effective.

To chip the ball onto a green from slightly longer distance, consider using a longer iron. Let us suppose you are about 30-35 yards from the flag. A 6-iron will provide a good deal more role towards the flag stick than a pitching wedge, but the chip will have a less loft. The roll of the ball is what will give the distance.

Chipping out of longer grass will require shorter club selection. This is because you will need their loft to be able to chip through the longer grass. As such, the wedges can make the best clubs to use under these circumstances. A 9-iron might also give you enough loft to make a chip out of the rough.

A wet or dry golf course might also require different use of clubs. On a wet course the ball will not roll so far, so you might want to pick a slightly lower iron than usual. For dryer conditions it will roll further so moving up to a higher iron will reduce that.

Overall, there is some flexibility for club selection with the chip shot. Try not to limit yourself to just one or two clubs for chip shots, and take distance and conditions into account when on the course.

Walsh And Nicholls Call Time

When two of arguably the greatest names in National Hunt Racing get together you know that success is undoubtedly on the cards. Such was the case of Irish jockey Ruby Walsh and Champion Trainer Paul Nicholls who in October 2002 formed one of the most successful partnerships in recent racing history.

In the eleven years that followed, together they achieved unparalleled success enjoying multiple victories in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, the World Hurdle, and the King George VI Chase as well as two triumphs with Kauto Star in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Walsh enviably also partnered magnificent horses including Denman, Master Minded, Big Bucks, Silvianco Conti and Al Ferof to name just a few.

But, it seems, that all good things must come to an end and with his decision to live in Ireland, the vast amount of travelling required for the job of Ditcheat’s stable jockey took it’s toll on Walsh who announced recently that his days as stable jockey to Nicholls had come to an end.

Writing as a columnist for the Irish Examiner, Walsh cited many reasons for his departure not least of which was that his family life was clearly suffering and likened the situation to ships passing in the night.

With a wife, two young children and an over whelming schedule Walsh admitted that getting up at 4.50am, out the door at 5 to be in Dublin Airport at 5.45am for a 6.30am flight and not getting home until 8.15 or 8.30pm that evening meant that by the time the week’s done, he may have only seen his children for a couple of hours.

Understandably it was not an easy decision to make and walking away from a position that enables you to ride in and win the biggest races in the industry as well earn you a very decent living, was always going to be difficult particularly when you love it. But at 34 years of age, Walsh has decided that his family will come first and looks forward to sitting down for breakfast rather than grabbing a quick coffee while running out the door.

So what now for two of the most sought after figures in the world of horse racing? Walsh will strengthen his already existing partnership with Irish trainer Willie Mullins and concentrate on more racing in Ireland, while Nicholls must now take a serious look at his yard and decide which jockey will have the dubious task of filling such enormous shoes.

And Nicholls has his own issues to contend with, only one of which is the departure of Ruby Walsh. For the first time in eight years he lost out to competing trainer Nicky Henderson for the title of Champion Trainer in 2013 when he finished the year on total prize money of £2,924,917 versus Nicholls on £2,375,585.

That was hot on the heels of his very public split with race horse owner Clive Smith, a dramatic spat regarding the retirement of Kauto Star, that was played out in full view of the public via twitter and guest columns.

Shortly after that his long-time assistant, Dan Skelton, decided to start training in his own right and so he too left Ditcheat for greener gallops, leaving Paul Nicholls to no doubt ponder the roller coaster that has been his life for the last twelve months.

But all is not lost for the trainer who finally captured the elusive Grand National title in 2012 when jockey Daryl Jacob romped home on Neptune Collonges. Certainly with a stable yard full to the brim of horses such as Big Bucks, Silvianco Conti and Al Ferof it’s easy to see how a trainer of Nicholl’s quality has turned a small training yard with 28 loose boxes and an uphill woodchip gallop into one of the top establishments for Champion racehorses in the UK.

So from a young jockey and an up-and-coming trainer in 2002, to two of the most well known, successful and respected members of the racing community, they part as friends in 2013, and may even go head to head for the 2014 Grand National.

About the author: 

Paul Warrander is a leading contributor on some of the interest's best horse racing websites. Connect with him on Google Plus.

Be a rugby player - Get rugby boots, kit and then train hard!

Developing muscle really fast is one challenge that may come effortlessly to some. However, for others dedication and training does not always translate into developing muscle mass at a level quick enough. This information piece has been designed with 3 stages in mind. Diet training rest or food, training and restYou'll find a large number of individuals who get the working out aspect right and spend up to five hours a week at the gym but destroy all that awesome work through lousy eating habits. Men and women like this should apply the 60/40 concept whereby every day one looks at their diet as 60% fundamental whereas the exercising being 40% important. Through the use of this way of thinking the person is likely to make enormous progress in muscles tissue gain and size.

Let’s begin with your diet. Eat, eat and eat a great deal. Nevertheless, your food really needs to be the very best food, so bad fats and constant intake of very high calorie foods without protein will not pay rewards. All things considered protein is what builds, shapes and repairs muscular fibres therefore , endless intake of this nutrition type every two to three hours is important. Food is really significant, and truly being strict in one’s process is considered the only way. Daily meals cannot be skipped but sugary foods should not be consumed, it's all about a balance. As you see in the visualization beneath there are additional important things to pay attention to likewise.

Working out. It is important that when working out, all areas on the body are worked frequently. Legs, back and chest will be the 3 essential areas to target. A lot of men and women usually tend to focus just around the chest area and neglect their legs. So why? Because they believe individuals don't look at them regularly enough or they just would like large biceps and a cut chest. The fundamental problem with this is that you result in looking disproportionate and also in extreme circumstances quite silly. Getting out of proportion is not the lone thing to worry about but working on major compound routines most notably deadlifts and squats produces optimum hormonal testosterone that helps muscle tissues get bigger sooner.

And lastly is rest. Rest is very important for the reason that ultimately you're trying to gain weight which means saving as much energy as is possible while simultaneously exercising extremely hard. Walk if you do not have to run, sit if you don’t need stand and take a nap a little more than usual. Getting as regularly as sleep as you possibly can is essential so at the least 8 hours a night would be perfect. I hope you find the infographic useful.

My name is Eddard Blake and I am a freelance writer of Canterbury of New Zealand. If you are looking to get into rugby you're going to need quality rugby boots and rugby gear but you will also need to train extremely hard in the gym to get size. Hope you find this content useful.

Radar Golf Balls

What do you get when you put a microchip in a golf ball? A radar golf ball! RadarGolf have introduced a few golf balls that have small microchips within them.

The addition of the the microchip ensures that golf balls that land in hedges, or around trees, can be found more quickly. When the ball has landed the RadarGolf Handheld will then locate the golf ball. The handheld detects the golf ball by homing in on its microchip!

The handheld includes an LCD display as well as audio tone. The audio tone strengthens as you get nearer to the ball. Consequently, when at its loudest you are closet to the ball.

Nor is the microchip supposed to have a big impact on the ball's distance etc. It's a 2-piece ball that still matches the standard requirements for golf balls. Currently they are packaged in one dozen packs.

At the moment this isn't something that's included on the PGA Tour. But with further expansions on the first RadarGolf System it could be a great golf gadget. For further details on the RadarGolf System and balls, check out this website.

Finding new Golf Balls on the Golf Course

We've all lost a few golf balls right? As such, there's probably millions of lost golf balls scattered around golf courses the world over. That much is a guess, but for the millions that play golf, and lose balls, there has to be.

At TPC Sawgrass there is the Island Green par-3 hole. That's the one with a green in the middle of a lake. It is said that over 100,000 balls are lost in that lake each year, on just that one hole. Bring some diving gear, a couple of oxygen tanks, and you could probably find quite a few balls in the hole's lake!

The Island Green hole.

I was playing golf yesterday, and discovered three lost balls. Two were discovered in a ditch, with yellow stakes around it, which can fill with rain water during the winter period. After winter the pond becomes a ditch. Nor is that the first time I have discovered lost golf balls in hedges, ditches etc. Consequently, you can find new golf balls on the course!

To have a chance of finding lost golf balls do not go straight across the middle of the fairway up to the green when going up the hole. Stick to the left or right side of a hole, otherwise longer grass, that has trees and bushes along it. That's where lost golf balls usually are, so on your way up the hole you could pass one or two that landed in bushes.

When searching for your own golf ball in bushes, or around trees, you can also discover new ones. Even if you do locate your ball in a bush, so long as there's nobody behind you spend another five minutes checking out some other nearby bushes for lost balls. You might find more than just your own ball.

Of course, you should be sure that it is indeed a lost golf ball, and not one that's landed on the wrong hole. Do not pick up a seemingly lost golf ball from a fairway, or in longer grass close to the fairways. They might not be lost balls.

Famous Golf Courses in California

California is blessed with golf courses. The Californian climate is great for golf, and so there are a number of great golf courses and course designs from renowned golf course designers located in the state. These are a few of the famous golf courses in California.

Pebble Beach

No listing of nationally recognized golf courses in California would be complete without that of Pebble Beach. Pebble Beach is not just the best golf courses in California, but many consider it to be one of the best golf courses in North America. This is perhaps due to its fantastic location along the Pacific coastline of Monterey Bay. On this golf course players play along the coast, with some holes sneaking out towards the ocean. Famous holes, such as the short par-3 seventh, include a hole surrounded by bunkers and ocean. The 18th hole also has an ocean-lined fairway on the left side. As such, it is one America's favorite golf courses, and a recognized venue of the PGA Tour which has hosted a number of US Opens, including the most recent 2010 Open.

Spyglass Hill

One of Pebble Beach's sister courses is that of Spyglass Hill, another one of the highly ranked U.S. golf courses. Spyglass was designed by Robert Trent Jones who included slightly variable terrain with some holes that have sandy seaside dunes, and others passing through majestic pines with elevated greens. Like Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill is a PGA Tour golf course which has some very tricky holes, such as the sixth and eight and a course rating that makes it one of the harder on the PGA circuit. As such, it is a course that has hosted championships such as the AT&T National Pro Am and the Pebble Beach Invitational.

Mountain Course

The Mountain Course is one of the golf courses at the La Quinta resort in California. This course has a unique design, and a great location beside the Santa Rose peaks. The surrounding mountain vistas link to the fairways, while the grassy green holes are in stark contrast to the desert landscape. Overall, the La Quinta resort has plenty of good golf courses, but the Mountain Course is one of its flagship courses that is ranked among the top 100 best public golf courses.

Torrey Pines

Another gem of southern California is that of the Torrey Pines Municipal golf course.  The golf course is a PGA Tour stop, which is up to 7,607 yards long. Torrey Pines has some great coastline views of the Pacific, and was renovated by Robert Trent Jones in time for the 2008 U.S. Open that the course hosted.

These are just four of the best nationally recognized golf courses in California. Pebble Beach, Spyglass, the Mountain Course and Torrey Pines are great courses that have hosted a few of the majors and other PGA Tour golf championships. Aside from being great championships courses, they are also resort courses.

200 Blog Posts!

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...."

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.

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:

Golf Digest's Top Five Golf Courses in Canada

Among the new Golf Digest Course rankings is that of the top golf courses in Canada. Canada has some fantastic landscapes, and some great golf course layouts. These are the top five in Golf Digest's rankings:

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.

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.

Great Wall of China Golf Hole

An exciting fantasy golf course is to be constructed at the Mission Hills Hainan Island Resort. The golf course will include a 400-yard tee-to-green reproduction of the Great Wall, as well as a jungle themed hole, volcano themed par-3, noodle bowl hole and par-5 that weaves through the Mayan ruins. The course architect said:

“Unlike mini-golf on artificial grass, the fantasy course is played at full-scale with standard equipment on real turf. Other regulation courses frame holes with trees, bunkers and lakes; this course will incorporate many unique visuals while still requiring players to execute full shots and hole putts.”

So, this could be a great golf course! Check out this article for further details. This is a video of the Great Wall hole that could be among the more exciting on the golf course:

The El Cardonal Golf Course

You've probably never heard of the El Cardonal golf course, as it hasn't been built yet! But when it is it will be the first Woods, and TWD, golf course. Woods has teamed up with Diamante to construct this golf course.

The El Cardonal golf course is one located in Mexico. Once constructed it will be an 18-hole championship course. The expected yardage of the golf course, which is located within a 20 acre resort, is something like 7,300 yards. "While the Dunes course is reminiscent of a classic Scottish links course, this course is going to remind people of the old-style California courses." - Woods

TWD will merge the golf course with the surrounding Diamante rolling hills. It's not expected to be comparable to the Diamante Dunes course in Cabo San Lucas. Construction of the course has begun in earnest.

In addition to that one, other TWD courses include the The Cliffs at High Carolina. This is expected to be the first TWD golf course in North America. If complete that course will be located at the Blue Ridge Mountains, California, with an altitude of some 4,000 feet.

The Punta Brava is another TWD golf course in construction. That's also a golf course that will be in Mexico,  and will be located alongside the Pacific Ocean. As such, it will be a 6,835 yard coastal course, possibly comparable to Cypress Point etc.

Those make up a triumvirate of TWD golf courses under construction. They could be the first of many TWD golf courses. For further details check out this page.

Great Golf Courses in Western America

Golf courses in the wild west of the USA are among the top ranked golf courses in the sport. The western States, such as California and Arizona, have a number of great courses with a diversity of terrain. The golf courses of western America can include green forests, deserts and Pacific coastlines.  

Pebble Beach Links

Pebble Beach Links is in California, and perhaps the most famous of the Pebble Beach resort courses. The course extends some 7,040 yards across the coastline of Monterey Bay. It's most famous for its scenic coastal landscapes, as a number of its holes play alongside the Pacific coastline.

The seventh, eighth, fifth, fourth, sixth, 17^th and 18^th hole are all located adjacent to the coast, whilst other holes are further inland. Among the most famous of the holes are the seventh and 18^th hole. The seventh is located on the right side of Stillwater Cove, a short par-3 hole of little more than 100 yards that has a green surrounded by Pacific coastline, and plenty of bunkers. The 18^th is one of golf's great finishing holes. It's a 500 yard + par-5 hole that is dominated by the Pacific Ocean on the left side. On the right there's plenty of grass, plus a few fairway bunkers and Cypress trees.

Pebble Beach Links is a PGA championship course that has been the venue for some of the majors. Five U.S. Opens have been played at the course, as well as the PGA Championship. It's ranked among the top 10 in the USA.

Cypress Point

Cypress Point is another of California's gems which is also located along the Monterey coastline. The golf course is approximately 6,524 yards, and like Pebble Beach has some exciting coastal holes. This is one that meanders through coastal dunes, combining the rocky coastline with the Del Monte forest.

The most famous hole at this golf course is probably the 16^th. That's a 200 + yard par-3 hole that plays over the Pacific Ocean that separates the tee from green. The par-4 17 also has an exquisite coastal location.

Troon North Monument Course

The Troon North is a long way from the coast drenched courses at Monterey. This is a 7,070 yard golf course located at the Sonoran Desert in Arizona. Cactus plants, rocky outcrops and surrounding sand dominate this golf course's landscape. There's not much water on this one, except at the 16^th & 17^th holes that have a couple of small lakes. For many it's the finest golf course in Arizona, and a hallmark for desert course architecture.

The Stadium Course

The Stadium Course in Scottsdale, Arizona is another of the most exciting golf courses in the wild west. This is where the PGA Tour plays in Arizona. The golf course can stretch some 7,216 yards from the championship tees, but from shorter tees that can be reduced to less than 6,000. The course is famous for the 16^th Coliseum golf hole. That's a par-3 hole which is surrounded by stands for thousands of fans during the Phoenix Open.

The Coliseum golf hole during a championship.

The Lake Course

Another great golf course in California is that of the Lake Course that is located close to Lake Merced. That's a course that expands some 7,170 yards. The Lake Course doesn't have any lakes, but plenty of trees that surround its holes. It has hosted five U.S. Opens to date, and has been ranked some way up Golf Digest's course rankings.

Those are a few of the wild west's great golf courses. From the shorelines of the West Coast to the barren deserts of Arizona and New Mexico, you can have some great rounds of golf!

Great Golf Courses Beyond the United States and Europe

Most of the golf courses are in the United States or Europe. However, there are still some great courses in other destinations such as the Caribbean, Canada, etc. These are a few of the great courses beyond the States and Europe.  

Banff Springs  

Banff Springs golf course, in Canada, is one that has a great setting. The course is located along the Canadian Rockies which provide an illustrious mountain setting. From the black tees the course extends some 7,074 yards, but that can be less than 6,000 yards from other tees. As the course is located at the Banff National Park it has a diversity of wildlife.

This golf course is one that has a variety of world-class holes, surrounded by coniferous woodland, such as the fourth hole. That hole is a 192 yard par-3 that is located beside a glacial lake, and nestled at the foot of a mountain. The hole is ranked as one of the most exciting golf holes.

Cape Kidnappers  

The Cape Kidnappers golf course is among Golf Digest's top ranked golf courses. This a New Zealand golf course located alongside the towering cliffs of the Cape. It's a coastal golf course that plays alongside the shoreline of Hawkes Bay. This is a par-71 golf course that stretches some 7,119 yards.

Casa de Campo Teeth of Dog

The Casa de Campo Teeth of Dog course, in the Dominican Republic, is among the top ranked golf courses in the Caribbean. Golf Magazine ranked it 43^rd within its top 100 golf courses. This is an exhilarating coastal course set alongside Dominican's coral coastline. Several of its holes play alongside the coast, and the golf course expands some 6,989 yards.

Mid Ocean Club

The Mid Ocean Club course is an exotic Bermuda golf course located beside the Atlantic Ocean. The course is approximately 6,548 yards, and a number of the holes are located along the coastline. Others, such as the fifth, play alongside lakes such as Mangrove Lake. That hole is a 433 yard par-4 that swings around the lake, with a bridge crossing connecting the tee with fairway. Golf Digest ranks the Mid Ocean Club among the top 50 courses beyond the United States.  

These are golf courses that have some great landscapes and thrilling holes. They are ranked among the top golf courses in the sport. The golf courses are great destinations for golf vacations in New Zealand, the Caribbean and Canada.

Kawartha Golf & Country Club Video

The Kawartha Golf & Country Club is one of the more exciting golf courses in Canada. It's a 6,464 yard golf course that Golf Digest ranked 24th in its Canada Classic Course rankings. Check out this short course video: 

Sharp clarity on the green with Oakley Radar Sunglasses

Imagine the ideal pair of sunglasses for the golf course, comfortable, resilient and not only protective from the sun but also gives you perfect clarity of vision at all times and you’ll discover it is the exceptional collection of Radar Sunglasses from the optics specialists and global brand icon Oakley.

Each type of Oakley Radar Sunglasses is specially designed for sports use and made with incredible precision and feature the pinnacle of technologies exclusive to Oakley. In particular the Oakley Radar Path Sunglasses are favoured by golfer Rory McIlroy, but both the Oakley Radar Pitch Sunglasses and the Oakley Radar Range Sunglasses are also up to the task of any golfers needs.

The Oakley Radar Sunglasses have a wrap-around frame made from O-Matter which provides a lightweight comfort including impact resistance, but also has integrated surge ports near the temples for a cooling airflow. Each pair also comes with two nosepieces sizes for the best fit and they’re made from Oakley Unobtainium which actually increases its grip when you sweat so they’ll stay put at all times. The Radar frames also make use of the Oakley Three Point fit giving not only increased comfort but also holds the lenses in precision alignment.

Oakley lenses are certainly something to behold, utilising the pinnacle of Oakley technologies like Oakley High Definition Optics for unrivaled crystal clear vision which when combined with the Oakley Polaric Ellipsoid lens geometry allows perfect clarity across the entire lens. The actual lenses are made from Plutonite, another Oakley innovation that protects your eyes from one hundred percent of UVA, UVB and UVC including rays from the blue light spectrum up to 400nm. Incredibly the lenses are interchangeable as well so with a simple and secure swap you can choose the lens suited to current weather conditions, whether it’s the golf specific G30 lenses, clear lenses or Iridium coated lenses to vastly reduce unwanted glare.

You can’t ask for a better pair of sunglasses to aid your game when you are enjoying a round of golf at your favourite green than the Oakley Radar Sunglasses collection consisting of the Oakley Radar Path Sunglasses, Oakley Radar Pitch Shades and Oakley Radar Range Sunglasses.

About the author:

Adam Berryman is a marketing copywriter for Blackleaf which is the UKs leading online retailer for skate, surf and snow clothing and equipment. Head over to the Blackleaf blog for upcoming news and offers!

Great Finishing Holes

When it comes to golf holes, architects usually save the best for last. Many of the most famous are the 18th holes. In the PGA championships these can be the holes in which the championships are won or lost. For any golfer they can be the holes in which you set a new scoring record, or alternatively fall short of your records. These are a few of golf's great finishing holes.  

18^th at Pebble Beach  

The 18^th at Pebble Beach Links is perhaps the most exciting finishing hole in golf. This is ranked among the top 18 golf holes in the sport by various golf magazines and books. What sets this hole apart is the left-breaking ramble along the Carmel Bay shore, that dominates the left side of the fairway. The hole stretches some 548 yards along the shoreline, and has a green surrounded by bunkers. Few finishing holes can match it, and on this hole five U.S. Opens have been won and lost.  

18^th at TPC Sawgrass

This is the finishing hole of the Players Championship that is played at the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course. After the 17^th island green on the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course comes the 18^th, which has a substantial lake along its left fairway. The water sweeps up to the left of the hole's green. The hole stretches some 447 yards, and certainly makes for a great finale at the Players Championship.

18^th at Harbour Town Golf Links  

Another famous golf course of the PGA Tour is that of the Harbour Town Links. At the end of this hole is the the red-and-white striped Harbour Town lighthouse, and surrounding moored yachts. It stretches almost 500 yards, with out-of-bounds stakes on the right side of the hole, and the marsh of Calibogue Sound on the left of the fairway. Beyond that is the Port Royal Sound. Overall, it's one of the great PGA Tour holes.  

18^th at Doral Resort

The finishing hole at the Doral Resort, Florida is another that is dominated by a lake. This is a 467 yard hole has a lake along the left of its fairway and green. On the right of the hole there are five notable greenside and fairway bunkers. The photo on the left includes the hole's lake fountain.  

18^th at Bay Hill Club

The 18^th at the Bay Hill Club is a 441 yard par-4 hole. The final third of this hole includes a lake along the right side of its fairway and green. When the lake comes into play the fairway narrows up before the green. The left of the green is dominated by sand bunkers, with the lake on the right.  

Those are some of the great finishing holes. The holes are among the most exciting on the PGA Tour.

Rolling Greens Golf Club Video

The Rolling Greens Golf Club course is among the top ranked golf courses in Pennsylvania. It is ranked 10th in the Golf Digest Pennsylvania course rankings, and 78th in Golf Week's top 100 Classic Courses. The course has substantial rolling hills and variable elevations. It also has some extensive holes such as the ninth par-5 which expands some 614 yards. Check out this Rolling Green Golf Club course video:

Ping G25 Irons Compare Sale Prices

The G25 is Ping's latest offering brand new for 2013. The G25 range consists of drivers, fairway woods, hybrids and irons, and one thing is for sure they are all very special - just ask Bubba Watson!

The Ping G25 irons offer the latest in Ping’s game improvement technology and offer more forgiveness, great news for all of us amateur golfers out there, with technology aimed at offering an improved trajectory helping you reach those greens much easier. The irons feature a bigger head size, features a much sleeker profile than the G20 and has a narrower sole, a thinner top line and a moderate offset. The G25 appeals to golfers of all abilities with their features and design.

The longer irons have a wider sole width and offset which helps with getting the ball higher, and helping you hit it longer whilst also offering greater degrees of forgiveness. The soles get progressively narrower as you club down to the smaller irons, which help by offering more versatility and control on all conditions.

To maximize forgiveness in the streamline profile, Ping have thinned the faces of the G25 irons so that the weight is redistributed at the back and base of the club with the aim of offering more power and control. Heal and toe support bars and a low toe weight stabilize the face even more and really helps with distance control. The biggest contributing factor to the improved performance of the Ping G25 irons is the more efficient CTP design. Ping have integrated the CTP structure further down into the sole of all irons, which moves mass down and aligns the support of the CTP directly with the striking area of the iron that improves with power and distance, and also give the G25 irons a real solid feel.

The Ping G25 irons are available in right and left handed models with steel or graphite shafts in both mens and women’s sizes. If you are looking for a full set then you can match these irons with the Ping G25 driver, fairway woods or hybrid clubs. You’ll be able to find the full set of Ping G25 irons- 3 to 9 irons starting at anything from around £600. If you are thinking of treating yourself and upgrading your irons in 2013, then the Ping G25 should certainly be on your shopping list. The irons are a versatile performer suitable for all conditions and all skills of golfer aimed at helping shave those precious couple of strokes of your game.

The Tierra Del Sol Golf Club

The Tierra Del Sol Golf Club course, in Aruba, is ranked as one of the top golf courses in the Caribbean. This Trent Jones golf course expands some 6,811 yards. It is located alongside the eastern and western Caribbean shores, just a couple of miles off Palm Beach. You might even find some lizards on the course. Check out this course tour video of its 18 holes:

Five Putting Pitfulls

Putting is a big part of the game of golf. You will certainly make at least one putt for every hole you play. Indeed, you will probably make more putts during an average round. Lots of putts on the green will inflate scoring, so here are a few of the pitfulls to note when putting.

Select the Wrong Putter

Let us first consider the putter itself. Putting with an inappropriate putting club could raise your putting averages. Putters can come in various shapes and sizes, so make sure that the putter you use is suitable. Overall, the putter will need to be of a suitable size, and not be too heavy.

Not Reading the Green

When on the golf course there are a few things to consider when putting on the green. Before you even step on the green make sure you pay attention to the topology. Do not forget that few greens are exactly flat, and will likely have a variety of upward and downward slopes. If you hit an uphill putt as you would a putt on a flat putting green then the ball will likely not reach the hole, and could even start rolling back depending on the steepness of the slope. A downward putt needs to be a little lighter as the ball will roll further. It should also be noted that longer putts will break towards or away from the hole on more sloped greens. Balls also roll further on dryer greens than wet ones.

Underhit Putts

Even if you are lagging a putt towards the hole, do not underhit the putt so that it doesn't reach the hole. Evidently, an underhit putt will never go into the golf hole. As such, with lag putts you should really try and over hit the putt slightly, so it goes a little past the hole leaving just a short putt to finish. With a degree of luck such a lag putt may even go in the hole! I've put a few longer distance putts in the hole myself. But over hitting the ball a little is more essential for short putting.

Hit lag Putts Like Short Putts

Lag putts and short putts are not the same. While short putts are aimed to go in the hole, this is not necessarily the case with lag putts. Most of your longer lag putts will probably not go in, and so you need to aim to finish just a few feet off the hole (within three feet would be great). As such, accuracy is not so important with these, but how hard you hit the ball, and the tempo of the putt, is more so. While the setup is the same, lags require a longer, sharper putt.

Forget to Remove the Flag

Remember that in the game of golf you should remove the flag before you putt on the green. This is because if you do not, and the ball goes into the hole touching the flag, then you should add a two stroke penalty to your score. So overall, it would be good to remove the flag from the hole!

Those are five putting pitfulls. Make sure you have a suitable putter, read the green, don't underhit putts, do not play longer putts the same as shorter and also remove the flag from the hole before you putt on the green.