Golf Principles

The K Club, Ballybunion, Lahinch, Doonbeg, Druids Glen… the names of the courses may not trip off the tongue quite as easily as those of their Scottish cousins but the quality is just as high. An Ireland golf vacation will introduce you to some of the grandest, most charming, most testing and most Premier European Golf Vacations in the world. You’ll return home with your putter coated in magic and with memories to fill after dinner tales for decades to come.

An Ireland golf vacation is special – unique even – don’t miss the chance to come.

There is no finer place to play golf in the whole world than in Ireland. You might yearn to feel the Atlantic breeze tugging at your sweater as you wend your way between the high sand dunes on a coastal links. Or you may prefer the lush and rich emerald green of an inland pasture studded with silver bunkers and flower banks. All of this and more is here for you if you care to venture on an Ireland golf vacation.

Ireland has always created great golfers and recent Ryder Cup matches have turned on the skills (and, perhaps, the legendary luck) of the Irish. The next Ryder Cup will be played in Ireland and worldwide interest in visiting this most welcoming of islands has never been greater. The Ryder cup at the K club near Dublin promises to be the best organised and most thrilling event on the golfing calendar.

For many visitors to Ireland or Scotland the chance to play on an ancient seaside links course is a large part of the attraction. But links golf does provide a unique experience and will test both your stamina and your golf game in a way entirely unlike anything you might have previously experienced. The wind has the remarkable knack of always blowing in your face – no matter what direction you’re facing.

Links courses rarely allow electronic golf buggies or golf carts. Walking is the rule. This is partly to protect the courses and partly because the terrain would make it impossible to drive a buggy safely. Some of the larger more prestigious courses may have caddies available and most will allow you to pull a simple club carrying golf cart or trolley.

One of the joys of an Ireland golf vacation is that even the grandest of the courses and clubs will welcome visitors. Book ahead to ensure a tee time and visit the website of the club ahead of your visit. Get a feel for local rules about dress and etiquette. Pick a lucky shamrock, warm yourself with a drop of local whiskey and swing away for the game of your life.

The world is full of golf courses but there is no country can boast as many shining jewels as Ireland. An Ireland golf vacation can make your golfing dream a reality. Grab you clubs and bag – lets go today.
You can discover the possibilities of an Ireland golf vacation in more detail on writer Gary Hill’s website. Read about the skills needed for successful golf on a seaside links course. Use the list of courses and website information to plan your trip. Book an all in one Ireland golf vacation package or take the plunge and do it all yourself.

Every golfer that plays the game is going to find himself in tricky situations – in a bunker, behind a tree, in thick brush, in deep rough – from time to time.  It is just the nature of the game, courses are designed to be a challenge to the golfer.   Even the best golfer in the world, Tiger Woods, is not immune from mistakes, and their often-penalizing consequences.

The first and most important part of dealing with an unfortunate lie is knowing what you can and cannot do with a certain shot.  Everyone wants to be a hero, and every golfer wants to make progress toward the hole.  However, trying to move in a straight line towards the hole, regardless of the obstacles in the way, can have disastrous consequences.  Often times, realizing that a certain shot is beyond your abilities is prudent, and that the smart play is to simply chip back out to the fairway.

Below are a few shots that may help you out of some of those tight situations.  Again, you have to know your own game, which means you need to put in the time practicing these shots on the driving range and practice facilities.

If you find yourself off the fairway, and behind a tree, you may want to hit a low hook or a cut around the obstruction.  To do this, use your normal golf setup, with a slightly wider stance.  Align your body to the side of the obstacle, but slightly turn the club in your hand to cause the clubface to make contact with the ball in the direction that you want it to move.  Taking a normal, straight swing, with a slightly twisted club, should produce the action on the ball that you desire.

Another difficult position to be in is in a greenside bunker, at the furthest point away from the hole.  You know these – the one’s where you have more sand to hit over than green to land on.  This shot should be played slightly differently than a normal sand shot, with the clubface not as opened, the body in a more natural golf swing stance, and the shot itself should be taken with a forceful swing.  Remember to finish with a high follow-through.

The buried sand shot – or “fried egg” – is not really as hard to play as it looks.  To make the shot work, you must get under the ball, which usually means choosing an area to for the clubface to enter the sand may be about two inches behind the ball.  You should take a forceful forceful, downward swing, with a lot of power in right (push) hand.  Because of the angle and force of this swing, there will not be much follow through on your swing, there will likely be less sand flying out with the ball, and the ball will have virtually no spin on it.

Tiger Woods arguably the best golfer ever to have graced the sport.  One of the noticeable advantages Tiger Woods had was the fact that he started playing and training at a very young age.  Many children are becoming interested in the sport also because of this and are starting to learn the game of golf at a very young age.  Children may start to play courses with their parents and there is a rise in children’s golf lessons being offered at courses throughout the world.  Schools are adding both boys’ and girls’ golf to the roster of available extracurricular sporting events that are available.

For children who are interested in golf, the first step is to get a set of clubs.  Because children are smaller, their golf clubs will also be smaller.  The same clubs will be used in the golf bag, the most important being a driver, fairway woods, irons, wedges and the putter.  Most golf supply stores carry smaller sized golf clubs designed specifically for children.  The golf clubs can also be made, creating the shaft at a length that is ideal for the child’s heath.  As the child grows, they will be able to use standard sized clubs.

As with any sport, the only way to get better at the game is to practice.  A child should first have a fundamental understanding of how the game is played and the rules.  If a child is playing at a golf course, they should also be educated in the etiquette of the game including any particular rules found at the course in which they are playing including dress codes and acceptable behavior.

The basics of the game should be practiced with the use of drills.  While this may not be as exciting as a full round of golf, it will help the child hone skills so that when they are able to play, it will be more enjoyable for them and less frustrating.  Practicing swings at a driving range can be just as fun as playing a full round of golf.

For children, the emphasis should be on fun, especially if they are younger children just getting interested in the game.  Parents can look for day camps and private coaching opportunities at their local courses.  This is a great way to spend some time in the summer teaching skills and having fun.  As the child progresses in the sport, more practice and detailed lessons may be advisable to get them ready for more competitive play.

Practice makes perfect, they say, and the more you practice your putting, the better you should become at it.  The other saying that rings true is, “Drive for show and putt for dough”.  You may get the ego boost of being a long hitter, but at the end of the day, it’s those eighteen greens that you putt on that will have a bigger impact on your scorecard than those ten tee boxes that you were able to launch monster drives from.

The key to becoming a better putter is developing a consistent putting stroke that you can rely on every time you reach the green.  Putting is one of the few shots in golf that should not change significantly based on distance and ball lie.  The best part about practicing your putting is that it can be done virtually anywhere, whether it be on the course, on a practice putting green, on a practice turf mat, or even on the carpet.  Though the surfaces you practice on may be different, and may cause the ball to roll differently, there is no replacement for the muscle memory that your body will gain with each practice stroke.

If you watch the pros putt, you will notice that they are perfectly still over the ball, and their heads do not move.  A good drill to help you keep still is to lean your head against a wall while you take some putting strokes.  You should be able to feel your forehead move against the wall if you are not perfectly still.  This perpendicular alignment to the wall should also show you if you are taking the putter head on a straight line back and forth.

Playing a game called “golf ball bocce” is another good practice drill, and one you can play at home.  To play the game, take out about five or six golf balls, including a colored ball.  Putt the colored ball a distance away from you, and then try to hit the colored ball with the other white balls.  This is a good drill to gauge speed and distance on flat surfaces, but it gets really fun on practice greens that have undulations that will force you to read the break of the green.

Another good drill is called “around the world, and it should be played on a practice green.  Take four golf balls and place them at equal distances around the hole (start at three feet away).  Putt around the hole from the same distance until you can sink all four balls from the various points surrounding the hole.

Golfers have had an ongoing debate for years, “Which is the most important club in the bag?”  The putter usually wins out in the discussion simply because more strokes are attempted with the putter throughout the course of an eighteen hole round than the driver.  However, those that favor the driver in the discussion do have a compelling point – if you are able to get off the tee box long and accurately, it makes it all the more possible to shoot a low score on a given hole.

When setting up to hit the driver, the feet should be slightly wider apart than normal.  They should actually be outside of the tips of your shoulders.  Also, in the setup for a normal golf swing, the back foot is set perpendicular to the swing line.  When hitting the driver, because the feet are wider, you may want to turn the back to outward slightly, to take some of the stress off the back knee.

From this point, the back swing should be similar to any other club.  Don’t be tempted to take the club back faster just because you want to hit the ball far.  Increasing the tempo of your back swing can throw of many other elements of the golf swing.  Club head speed should be generated on the downswing.

It is also important to stay “on” or “over the ball when you take back the club on your back swing.  Do not allow your hips to slide backwards with the club.   The hips should turn, not slide, and that front foot should stay on the ground during the back swing.

The club should be taken back straight and away at to cause a wide arc, but you must stay over the ball.  The weight should be shifted to the back foot without sliding the body.  It cannot be said enough, “turn the hips, don’t slide them”.

The setup and back swing are really the only elements that should be changed between using the driver and other shots.  There are slight differences that will occur throughout the swing based on a wider stance, driver length and a heavier club head – shoulders turn further, chin tucks into chin deeper, down swing is faster – but these are naturally occurring events, and the golfer should not give thought to giving assistance for any of them.  The only caveat to that statement would be to make sure that your arms and shoulders are working in conjunction, and that one is not getting ahead of the other.

It’s a beautiful day for golf.  Before heading out to the course, it is important to go through a checklist of items you will need to ensure an enjoyable round.  Before leaving your home, it is important to check the latest weather conditions, get yourself some cheap golf shirts so you can dress appropriately, and bring any necessary items to deal with adverse conditions.

On a day that conditions are forecasted to be clear and comfortable, it is appropriate to wear a cotton polo and cotton knit pants.  Some players may choose to wear walking shorts if they are allowed by the golf club.  Some sort of hat is always recommended to protect the player’s head from the sun, and golfers should always wear sunscreen.  On a day when rain is anticipated, an umbrella and rain suit is desirable.

A golfer’s bag should be equipped with certain necessities, besides the clubs and balls that may make the day more comfortable.  These items would include cotton towels to wipe away sweat and mud, a rain suit or an extra shirt, a spare pair of socks, and perhaps a snack and sport drinks.  Also, don’t forget your golf shoes.

Now that you have the things you need to spend five hours on the golf course, what should you do once you get there?  It is recommended that you arrive at least one hour prior to the start of your round to prepare and practice.  Immediately upon arriving, head to the pro shop to check in, pay for your round, acquire your golf cart key, and purchase any additional items you may need for your round.  Normally, you can purchase a bucket of golf balls to warm up at the practice range before teeing off.

Most golfers spend 20-30 minutes hitting golf balls before their round.  It is recommended that after stretching your muscles, you hit 5-8 shots with each club, beginning with the pitching wedge and working up to the driver.  After hitting a bucket of balls, you should move to the practice green to work on your putting.  Take three balls and practice work on three identical putts from various spots on the practice green.

Ten minutes before your scheduled tee time, check to see if you want to take a fresh drink onto the course, and you may want to go to the bathroom.  Upon arrival to the first tee, you will normally need to check in with the course starter, who will cue your group in line to begin.  Use this waiting time to make final preparations for your round.  Place a few tees in your pocket, a ball or two, and some sort of ball marker for use on the greens.  When the starter alerts your group that you are next on the tee box, thenn it’s time to enjoy your round.

The game of golf is a game of skill and endurance, but there is also a mental component to the game that can separate a successful round of golf from a nightmare.  The ability to clearly think through each and every shot, without becoming distracted or frustrated, is critical throughout the course of a five-hour round of golf.  Most important, you have to perform self-therapy several times per round to keep your mind clear and focused.

The first, and perhaps most important thing to remember is that each shot must stand on its own.  There is nothing you can do about the last bad shot that you hit, so do not dwell on it.  Conversely, you can’t think too many shots, or holes, ahead.  You must play with the mindset that the most important shot of your entire round is the one you are preparing to hit.

It is important not to dwell on bad shots, but you should take ownership of your mistakes.  Bad breaks can arise that are outside of your control, but you shouldn’t be upset that a ball took a bad carom off of a tree, you should accept that a good shot on your part would not have hit the tree in the first place.  You need not go through the five phases of death – anger, denial, bargaining, regret and acceptance – you should just go straight to “acceptance”, and prepare to hit your next shot.

If you do hit a bad shot, you should spend the time walking or riding to your next shot thinking about what it was that you did to hit the shot poorly.  Once you have analyzed your mistake, make a mental note of it, so you won’t make the same mistake again in the future.  Throughout the course of a round of golf, a golfer should also make mental notes of mistakes and aspects that he can work on at the practice range in between rounds of play.

Finally, remember to have fun.  A day at the golf course is a long one, there is plenty that can go wrong from the very first tee box, but stay focused on why you are there – to enjoy the day and play a game.  It is a fun game to play, and even more fun when you are playing the game well, so remember to put in the hours of practice required to improve your game.  If you have not taken the appropriate measures to prepare yourself for success, then you should lower your expectations of your performance, and play just to enjoy the day with good company.

A good set of golf clubs is the weapon of choice for the advanced golfer.  A complete set of clubs consists of woods, irons and a putter.  According to the rules of golf, as set forth by the United States Golf Association (USGA), a golfer’s bag may hold 14 clubs.  Most golfers will carry a driver, two fairway woods, 7 irons, 3 wedges and the putter.

A driver is a long-shafted club with a full head used to strike the ball that is set upon a tee.  The club head does not have much lift to it, to achieve maximum distance off the tee.  The fairway woods have club heads that are slightly more lofted than the driver, and are used for long shots when the ball is lying on the ground.  Most brand name drivers cost between $200 and $400.  Fairway woods normally retail from $150 to $300.

Golf irons are the essence of a set of golf clubs.  Two thirds of the shots in a normal round of golf will utilize an iron.  Irons are used to hit the golf ball off the ground from distances of 125 yards to 225 yards.  Each iron is assigned a number based upon the loft angle of the club head.  The 9-iron has the most loft, and is used to hit short, high shots.  A 2-iron has very little loft, and is used to hit low, long shorts.

Wedges are normally included in the purchase of a set of irons.  The most common wedges are the pitching wedge, the sand wedge and the lob wedge.  These golf clubs are used for short, controlled shots, normally very close to the putting green.  Some golfers may choose to remove one of the wedges in lieu of a 2-iron.  Also worth noting, there are two primary types of irons available.  Forged irons are precision clubs that can give experienced golfers a greater ability to shape their shots.  Cavity-back irons are considered to be more forgiving, with a larger sweet spot and primarily for golfers who want to focus on hitting straight shots.  A set of 10 irons can range in price from as little as $250, to as much as $1,500.

The final and perhaps most important golf club, is the putter.  The putter is also known as the “money club” because it is the club used to tap the ball into the hole.  The purpose of the putter is to roll the ball, so there is no loft on the club head.  There are many varieties of putters in all shapes and sizes.  Some of the putter shafts are so short that the golfer grips it near his knees, and some are so long that they are gripped at the golfer’s chest.  Many golfers spend their entire lives changing putters to find the one that feels right for them.  Simple putters can cost as little as $20 but some of the more exotic putters can cost as much as $300.