What exactly are golfers looking for in a golf course? Golfers typically seek for a golf course that will take him or her to the limit. There is absolutely no better achievement in defeating yourself and getting through the challenge golf offers you. A golf course that will offer not only a fair degree of difficulty, but also offers a breathtaking scenery is a feast for the golfers. Public golf courses that are used for competitions can also provide a good experience for average golfers as they can also undergo what the pros dealt with. After a long pursuit, here are a number of the topnotch courses that a golfer can go to. There are a lot of golf courses out there, but the following courses can offer the very best of the best.
The Old Course, St. Andrews Links: For being around for nearly 6 centuries, who would not totally agree that this golf course is "The Home of Golf"? Golf has been played around this course from 1400 A.D. and is actually the biggest golfing complex in Europe. The fairways carefully managed, the beautiful scenery, and the taunting challenge starting from the first hole could make your round of golf a very unforgettable experience. It could be deceiving when you see images and videos of this golf course on TV or online. The ground might appear flat when viewed on TV or online, but it is actually humped and the bunkers are deep when you are on the course, so it can offer you with the best challenge when you play. You may book beforehand by ballot to this golf course which is situated in Scotland. If you wish to feel what golf really is about, this might be best for you.
Murfield: This is the golf course of The Honorable Company of Edinburgh Golfers - the eldest organization in golf. The design of this course is simple categorized as a masterpiece since 1891. If that history is not enough, this club was regarded as linked to writing the original rules of golf in 1744. This golf course was designed in a way that the holes are situated in a circle that will make certain that the players will need to always adjust with the wind directions. There are times when a player will need to stop and appreciate the amazing view of this course which includes trees, the sea view, and the trees near it. The eye-catching scenery is just a glimpse of what this course actually offer to the players. The bunkers are all around and the greens are small, which challenges the golfer in terms of accuracy.
Oakmond Country Club: If you get the opportunity to play golf in the course, you need to expect an experience worth reminiscing. 210 deep bunkers and greens that slope away await the golfer, and it will be tough as every shot needs to be carefully done. One wasted shot and you might end up on its deep bunkers. The fairways are tight, so accuracy will be the key. This course also cradles a lengthy history, which expands as far as 1903. This course can be viewed as the most hardest to play on as bunkers can be found left and right.
Royal Birkdale (The Birkdale): This is England's top golf course that has a magnificent scenery and awesome golf holes. The fairways of this course is styled in such a way that the ball will rarely go off course. A club house, kind staff, and a fully stocked golf shop are just a number of what this course can provide. However, you have to ready your pocket as the experience can be very expensive. Yet, the course's challenge will make your money's worth more. The wind Birkdale has is really an malefic pressure to cope with, nevertheless the struggle will thrust the golf player to the limits. A fantastic bang for the money.
Shinnecock Hills: Constructed in 1891 and remodelled in the 30s, this course has sponsored four US opens and is a very challenging course to play on. The holes look very easy to make shots with, but steadily gets you scratching your head as it is in fact deceiving. The holes would require a golfer to adapt and be very skillful. The 300-acre course has a clubhouse that's located at their highest point, hence giving an excellent view to the place. The course boasts of winds from the Atlantic, the sandy terrain, and the grasses that border the fairways. After-game cocktails can be availed by the club members besides the game experience they receive.
Turnberry (Ailsa Course), Scotland: The Turnberry Golf Club was established in 1902, then the Turnberry Hotel in 1906 that connects to the nearest railway station. It was even almost destroyed as it was used in the 2 World Wars but it was reopened in 1951 after extensive repairwork. What makes this course distinctive from the others is the lack of dunes on holes near the seacoast, which makes a perfect test for the player. It has stayed a favorite course and has hosted 4 Opens. The view of the British Isles is just a teaser for the game experience and being on the very same holes Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson battled on!
Royal County Down Golf Club: Having one of the best front nines amongst the world's courses, this is worth the trip. Located in Northern Ireland, it rests nicely at the foot of the Mourne Mountains and is welcomes the golf player with an impressive view of the Bay of Dundrum. With its spotless conditions for a challenging game, this course surprisingly haven't hosted a single Open. Although the course has an incredible surrounding, it could give you major frustration as the wind can be quite unpredictable. The wind is strong enough to topple a trolley, bend the ball in flight, or bend the flagstick. The difficulty of the course will challenge a golfer to the limit, not only because of the winds but also with its number of blind drives also. The challenge it offers simply deserve a spot in the top ten of the world.
Augusta National Golf Club: Being the host to the annual Masters, this dream course is situated in a dream-like setting, and even getting to play here is also dream-like also. This course has a high exclusive status with its green fees and the list of its members aren't available to the public. The popularity of the course is all over, with lots of other courses that tried to imitate the course design. Designed by Bobby Jones and Alister Mackenzie, anyone can easily say that it is an ideal duo that created a perfect course. Usually, every after concluded Masters, changes are done with one or two holes to incorporate variety to the playing experience. It's no wonder that it will get closed to every 6 months and nobody can just simply list up to get to play the tee. The scenery just comes second with the good standing of this course, the playing experience and with the unique status. If there is an opportunity to play, a golfer will undoubtedly not refuse.
Cypress Point, USA: This golf course has surely the largest water hazard of all which is the Pacific Ocean on the third tee. It is a longshot to even get the chance to play on this course that even the late J. F. Kennedy was declined admission to the restaurant and has only a few members which ranges from actors, political, and corporate giants. The course still maintains it historical traditions, being a walking-only course, no yardage markers and even the lockers can make you feel that it's still 1920. Its parking lot is not even more than 15 stalls and does not have that much players in a single day. It is really an advantage for the course to have not so many players as it will help the course to be kept pristine in its condition and one of greens that is so smooth without bumps, ball marks, nematode patches, or sand from nearby bunkers. Simply one of the best courses that anyone will get to play on if given the opportunity.
Pine Valley, USA: This was a brain child of Philadelphian hotelier George Crump, who passed away a year ahead of the course's completion. It opened on 1919 and players had a difficult experience accomplishing the course in 70 strokes, effortlessly gaining the popularity as the amazing golf challenge. Each hole mocks you with a different challenge, with one bunker 10 feet deep. Missing the green will mean a lot, since there are sloping greens and the holes are wrapped in pine-covered heath - not a good place the see the golf ball go. It can be a massive pain the moment you get a mistake in your shot. Having the chance to play in this superb course is very rare, so don't decline an invite. There is no golf course that is visually inviting and hard as Pine Valley. It greatly justifies why golfers rank this as No. 1.
Certainly, there are numerous other courses around that doesn't require membership. However, being able to feel the real challenges of golf lies in these courses, so don't let an opportunity to play in these courses pass by.
Check out great golf advice and other useful golf information by visiting our site on Golf Swing Tips over at Golf Swing Tips HQ
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6019970
A popular job for college students during the summer is to work with the maintenance crew at a golf course. A very physical job which of course includes a lot of mowing. The primary mowing is done with a hand mower. The tee boxes and the greens are mowed this way. The greens specifically are mowed every single morning starting around six AM. It is a tedious and precise process but if done correctly can yield beautiful results for those playing that day. This is a seven step process to aid in the green mowing process.
1. Choosing where to park the trailer and cart - The specialized hand mowers are transported in a trailer hitched to a maintenance cart. Choosing where to park is a critical first step so you can properly unload the mower and be able to easily load the mower back onto the trailer when done. One must also keep in mind not to block any pathways and try to avoid parking on grass that looks to be worn down due to constant traffic.
2. Unloading the mower and preparing to cut - One must make sure to delicately unload the mower and not damage the blades. These mowers cost over ten thousand dollars according to my golf course superintendent. Damaging the blades would be a highly costly mistake. There are detachable wheels that you must remove from the mower. Their only purpose is so one can transport the mower. I've seen people try to mow with them still on and they don't exactly get anywhere. Let alone all the flack you'll get from fellow workers. Once the mower is unloaded and the wheels are removed one can start the mower. It involves turning a switch near the mower to ON and pulling the starter cord. One must then turn on the blades and the roller drum that the mower moves on.
This is done by turning two separate levers located near the base of the mower. The mowers have a clutch system on them in which you must keep a handle depressed in order for the mower to move. This handle also has a safety lever. You must push forward the safety lever and feel the handle easily come back engaging the mower. Once the mower is engaged you can move into position. One must keep in mind that the mower blades must be kept off the grass by pushing down on the handle so as to elevate the blades off the grass avoiding cutting something that should not be cut. A good tip is to avoid turning on the blades until you are in position to cut but everybody has their own preference.
3. Choosing a pattern - Golf greens are mowed front to back, side to side, left to right and right to left. The left to right and right to left cuts are angle cuts. Envision a square in which you start at the bottom right corner and move to the top left corner. That is known as a right to left and cut and vice versa for a left to right handed cut. Often the superintendent will tell everyone what the direction is for that morning. It is always the opposite of the previous cut. If yesterday the greens were mowed side to side, then the next day they will be mowed front to back.
4. Finalizing position of cut - Once the direction of cut is chosen, one can properly place themselves to start cutting. The best way that I have found to start cutting is to either start at the edge of the green or the corner depending on the cut. For instance if a front to back cut is necessary then starting at the edge of the green and creating a straight line is the easiest way to go. If doing an angle cut then starting at a corner of a green and working across is typically the best bet. Every golf course is different in determining what the direction of cut actually is. At my golf course we are instructed to find the 150 yard pole and create a straight line from the pole to the green. With this straight line set up then all the cuts and can be based off that imaginary line.
5. The actually mowing itself - With the position of cut determined the mowing can begin. The first line is critical to get right as all the other lines will be based off the first. It is a back and forth process that ultimately comes down to effectively turning the mower. This can be done in a variety of ways. Most people choose to hold onto the mower with one hand and let the mower pivot around them, thus turning the mower around for then next line of cut. I choose to keep two hands on the mower which is a slower process but I am more comfortable with. It is all preference but the key is to keep the clutch engaged and mower moving. If one were to let go of the clutch then the mower comes to a halt and that's not fun as one will most likely walk right into the mower.
Cutting of straight lines is not an easy task. It requires focus the whole way through. Some people choose to look ahead as if they were driving and pick a point ahead of them which they focus on while walking completely straight. Another method is to look at the previous line mowed and focus the edge of the mower on that line while keeping a slight over lap. Overlapping is another key of getting a great cut. If you miss a sliver of grass between the cuts it sticks out like a sore thumb and you have to go back and re-cut that line. Overlapping and walking straight with the mower are two of the biggest things to keep in mind while mowing.
6. Checking for grass build up in the bucket - There is a bucket attached to the front of the mower which catches the cut grass. It is critical to keep an eye on this bucket while mowing. Often one will have to stop at least once while mowing a green to empty this bucket. If it becomes too full then it will starting pouring grass into the blades which dulls them down. Maintaining a sharp blade is key to getting such a close cut that mowing a green requires.
7. The clean up pass - The last step in mowing a green is to do a clean up pass once one has completed all the back and forth passes possible. The clean up pass requires following the edge of the collar around the green with the mower. The collar is the strip of grass generally around two feet in width that boarders the green. It is key to keep an eye on the edge of your mower and make sure not to cut into the collar itself resulting in unsightly grass areas. Two clean up passes must be done.
The first following the edge of the collar then a second in which you follow the outside edge of your first cut but in the opposite direction that you made the first cut. For instance if one were to make the initial cut in a clockwise fashion then the second cut must be down in a counter-clockwise fashion. The clean up cuts get any grass that was missed on the edges due to having to pick up the mower early so as not to cut into the collar and to be able to properly turn the mower for the next pass. It is the finishing step in mowing a green. Once this step is complete you can step back and enjoy your handy work!
Mowing a golf course green may look easy but in fact involves many steps, in which none can be forgotten about. It is rewarding when completed as you can admire your straight lines for the rest of the day. It is also a great form of exercise. At my golf course we walk an average of 5 miles every morning in mowing alone!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5977095
As a golf enthusiast I have spent some time looking at many different golf simulators available today. Some are reasonably priced while others are extremely expensive. It appears that a big jump in spend comes from the inclusion of a projector which makes the experience so much more realistic. Others have more advanced software that will allow you to evaluate and custom fit each individual club in your bag right through to the putter!
Originally golf simulators required large expensive equipment that was out of reach for the average home user. Over the last few years with advancement in sensors and computing technology they have become smaller in size and more affordable every year. With lower pricing more and more golfers are opting to set up simulators in their homes.
People around the world living in areas where golf is impossible to play due to winter conditions are keeping their golf swings grooved through the use of golf simulators. Not only can you play on some of the most famous golf courses in the world but you can invite your friends around and challenge them to win the US open for a fun and social evening. Most simulators come with a few golf courses loaded and optionally you can purchase additional courses for a moderate fee.
Some of the more upmarket devices come with swing and club evaluation. We have started to see some of the major golf club manufacturers using advanced golf simulation to aid fitting and selling new equipment. Local golf professionals have also jumped on the bandwagon using advanced simulators to demonstrate swing errors aiding their customers visually, with the golfer being able to compare his swing to other top players who are the same height and have similar swing characteristics.
The question remains, however, how accurate are modern simulators? To find out we have to visit the driving range with a simulator set up. We can literally hit the ball and visually check for distances to compare with the simulators results. So far, some of the cheaper units are fairly inaccurate and would suit people with smaller budgets for entertainment use only. The more expensive units are fairly impressive with surprisingly accurate readings. Measurements include spin rates, angles of attack, backspin and topspin generated.
In conclusion I would say every golfer would have hours of fun and most likely improve their golf games with the readings and information gathered. The only negative for home use is the need for a large enough space to set everything up. It is recommended to make an area available in your home and leave the unit permanently set up to avoid spending time re-calibrating the machine each time you want to use it.
For more information on golf simulators click the following link P3Proswing Review
Check out Golf Club Fitting for more information on fitting golf equipment.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6558133
Sensor Technology:
Sensor technology really breaks down into, how the raw data from the swing is collected and communicated to the system to determine how the golf ball was hit and how it is shown on the course. This breaks down into three major categories of sensors: Radar, Camera and Infrared based systems. In my personal experience infrared and camera based systems tend to be more accurate and will give more feed back through the swing analysis software.
Radar:
The data is collected in much of the same way a radar gun collects its data. In my option it is not very accurate and is poor for giving feedback for a swing.
Camera:
Camera technology can be great due to the fact all of the data is collected when the ball passes through the view of the cameras (a small area) and requires no sensors in the ground. I would recommend this system to the people who cannot dedicate the floor space to an infrared based system (sensors in the ground or walls).
Infrared:
Infrared systems will give the best feedback for club fitting and swing analysis. I have found the best simulators use infrared based technology and I prefer an in-ground sensor. The data for a swing analyzer is most accurately taken at the point where the club meets the ball, again advantage in-ground infrared. The in-ground sensors make putting much more realistic. The draw back is the floor space which is required for these types of systems.
Putting:
Putting can be the most frustrating part of playing on a golf simulator, much of this is due to the placement of the sensors. On a radar based system the sensors are usually placed above the ball striking area. Many golfers' upper body will block the sensors and this tends to lead to miss reads by the sensors. Camera and infrared systems are the best for putting, but beware there are many simulators where the sensors will impede the path of the putt. Again creating errors and misreads, better have those mulligan's ready. Be weary of systems which have any sensor on the putting surface, the ball will not travel over the sensors accurately. The best system for putting is an in-ground infrared based system.
Sensor technology will have a major impact on the overall performance and playability of your simulator.
There are also two more articles on the topic of "Three Main Factors in Choosing a Golf Simulator" Please feel free to contact me through the website if you have any questions on golf simulator sensor technology. My company, Sports Entertainment Specialists, Inc., sells and services golf simulators for TruGolf and Visual Sports. We offer many different options in the exciting world of simulated gaming. http://www.sportsentertainmentspecialists.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3183867
