Golf Apparel
When it comes to golf apparel, you really have many choices available. What to wear isn’t always first on the golfer’s mind, but choosing the right golf apparel can make a difference in playing well and playing not so well. It’s true!
Many golf clubs have rules as to what golf apparel is acceptable on their course. This usually means no tank tops or short shorts, all players must wear shirts with collars, and no jeans are allowed. Other courses are less restrictive in their clothing and you can choose what you want to wear as long as it is tasteful.
Generally male golfers will wear khaki pants and a collared polo shirt. In warm weather, fitted shorts are generally permitted as part of the golf apparel. Most men will also opt for a hat to keep the sun out of their eyes.
Golf apparel for women, however, can run the gamut. Golf skirts are very popular for female golfers because they are less restrictive, but others opt for shorts or loose pants. Polo shirts are also worn by women – some sleeveless polos are also allowed on upscale courses. Women tend to opt for visors to keep the sun away although hats are another option.
When choosing your golf apparel, you should take care that the clothing is not too restrictive. You will want plenty of room to move around because your golf swing depends on your body moving in a fluid, smooth motion. There’s nothing worse than clothing that is too tight – especially on the golf course.
When choosing pants or shorts, it’s convenient to have pockets. Many golfers like to have pockets so they can carry golf tees, divot fixers, ball markers, and even extra balls, although we don’t recommend the latter as it can throw off your swing quite a bit.
You will want to choose clothes that are made of lightweight, breathable fabrics – especially if you golf primarily in cold weather. Many manufacturers of golf apparel know this and keep it mind during production, so it shouldn’t be difficult to find clothing like this.
You can find adequate golf apparel in many places. Golf course pro shops will carry specific lines of golf clothing that will conform to their dress code, but they will be a bit more expensive than buying them in a store. Find a golf store and you will find a great selection of golf apparel to choose from. Finally, you can get some great deal on golf apparel on the Internet in many, many places, often at discount prices.
Golf Memberships
Most golf club offer memberships to players making them part of the club. Having a membership in a golf club can be very advantageous both monetarily as well as socially!
A golf membership will give you access to certain things non-members won’t have. Your greens fees may be reduced or, more often, included in the membership. That means you can play as much as you want and not have to pay greens fees. Most golf memberships don’t include the use of a cart, so you’ll probably pay extra for that.
Having access to programs with your golf membership is another great perk. That might mean reduced fees for league play, free entry into tournaments, and access to the club’s facilities for other events like meetings, dinners, and more.
There are a lot of golf courses that won’t let you play unless you have membership with them. These are called private clubs and allow members and their guests only to play. That means without a golf membership to that club, you have to know someone who is a member in order to get on the course.
Even small, public courses offer golf memberships. This is a great way for them to generate more play as well as make some guaranteed money. They will offer up some of the other advantages that private clubs do in the form of free or reduced greens fees, etc.
Sometimes, golf memberships can be quite steep. For example, one of this author’s local golf clubs sets membership fees at $700 per year for a single membership. The course is run by a Senior PGA pro and it is a beautiful place to play. When you consider the amount of golfing we do, we have paid for our membership in just a few weeks just by saving on greens fees since we don’t pay to play as a member of the club.
When we speak of a golf membership, we can also refer to membership in a golfing organization. You have to be a pro to join the PGA, but amateurs can join amateur organizations. Most areas have regional golf organizations where you can buy a membership to become part of them. These associations often hold sanctioned tournaments and can really help get your name known at least locally as a good golfer.
If you’re an avid golfer, you really should consider buying a membership in your local golf club. It can be a very good move and can save you tons and tons of money while allowing you to enjoy the game you love!
Golf Ball
Casual golfers don’t give a lot of thought to choosing the right golf ball. They think of the golf ball as simply a tool that really isn’t important. After all, you’re just whacking it around the course, right? Wrong! Having the right golf ball can gain you distance in your drives, make it easier to pull off finesse shots, and so much more!
Basically, there are three types of balls: balata, two-piece, or a combination of both. Golf balls are constructed with three types of purposes in mind as well: distance, spin, and control. Choosing an appropriate golf ball really depends on what you are looking for in your golf game.
Are you a low handicap player looking for great spin and control? If so, choose a balata golf ball. This is just a softer ball that has a softer cover and allows for more spin. This is the ball that most professionals choose. They are also more expensive than other balls.
Perhaps you have a higher handicap and are looking for more distance and durability. This is where a good two-piece ball will be best. This golf ball has a harder cover which creates less backspin allowing you to hit it further.
Some golf balls are designed for slower swing speeds with a lightweight construction that catches air. They are generally marketed for women or seniors, but plenty of men will play these balls because it gets them extra distance.
Believe it or not the weather you are playing in can make a difference in which golf ball you use. Course conditions can also dictate golf ball choice. Let’s say the course has been deluged with rain. In this case, you will need a ball that will travel father and produces less spin. If you are playing on a rock hard, sun-scorched track, choose something softer that will land soft and spin.
Look at the temperature as well. Balls for men come in two compressions – 90 and 100. When you hit the ball, the ball compresses. Therefore the 90 compression ball will be softer than the 100. If it’s cold, the ball will not compress as much so you will want to play a 90 compression golf ball. If it’s hot out, you will want to opt for the 100 compression.
In general, two piece balls are going to give you more distance and they will be more durable so they will last longer. Solid core golf balls will offer less trajectory and can spin for better accuracy. Even the dimples on the ball can have an effect on your game. Smaller dimples lessen trajectory while larger dimples increase it.
Choosing the right golf ball really is important to playing a good game. There are many, many choices on the market. Explore which golf ball you may want to use and then try it out. Experiment and in time, you’ll find exactly the right golf ball for you.
The History of Golf
The history of golf is a debate as to whether the game was invented by the Chinese, the Dutch, or the Scottish. A game somewhat similar to golf was first mentioned in Dongxuan Records which is a Chinese book of the Eleventh Century. It was also mentioned in the year 1297 in the Netherlands where the Dutch played a game with a stick and a leather ball. Whoever hit the ball in a target several hundreds of meters away the least number of times, won.
However, the Scots are generally adamant that the game of golf was a Scottish invention on St. Andrews golf course. The name “golf” is a derivative of the Dutch word “kolf” however, so as for who really invented the game, we say who really cares!
It really doesn’t matter who actually invented the game, but what does matter is how the history of golf has evolved over the years. Golf courses have not always had eighteen holes. St. Andrews began with eleven holes dictated by the topography of the land the course was located on. Players would play the eleven holes out and then back in to total 22 holes. Later, several of the holes were deemed too short and were combined with each other. That reduced the number from 11 down to 9 so a complete round of golf was comprised of 18 holes.
By 1744, the game of golf had become wildly popular. So much so that a group of men called Gentlemen Golfers decided that a set of rules must be laid out for fair play. They came up with a list of thirteen guidelines on playing the game.
Major changes since the 19th century have occurred in the equipment needed for play. Better mowers made greens easier to play on. Golf balls designs would evolve by using rubber and man-made materials which made the ball fly longer on a drive. The wooden golf tee would make the drive easier.
No discussion of golf history would be complete without talking about the advances made in golf clubs. Metal shafts came about in the 1930s and most drivers were made of wood which is why they are called woods today even though they are most commonly made these days of metal or titanium. The golf shaft design has also gravitated towards graphite which is lighter and makes the club easier to swing.
When referring to the history of golf, we can debate exactly where the game originated, but the game of golf as we know it today, most certainly came about in Scotland. Even if we’re wrong, we do still have this wonderful game – and most of us are very glad about that!
Golf Ball
Casual golfers don’t give a lot of thought to choosing the right golf ball. They think of the golf ball as simply a tool that really isn’t important. After all, you’re just whacking it around the course, right? Wrong! Having the right golf ball can gain you distance in your drives, make it easier to pull off finesse shots, and so much more!
Basically, there are three types of balls: balata, two-piece, or a combination of both. Golf balls are constructed with three types of purposes in mind as well: distance, spin, and control. Choosing an appropriate golf ball really depends on what you are looking for in your golf game.
Are you a low handicap player looking for great spin and control? If so, choose a balata golf ball. This is just a softer ball that has a softer cover and allows for more spin. This is the ball that most professionals choose. They are also more expensive than other balls.
Perhaps you have a higher handicap and are looking for more distance and durability. This is where a good two-piece ball will be best. This golf ball has a harder cover which creates less backspin allowing you to hit it further.
Some golf balls are designed for slower swing speeds with a lightweight construction that catches air. They are generally marketed for women or seniors, but plenty of men will play these balls because it gets them extra distance.
Believe it or not the weather you are playing in can make a difference in which golf ball you use. Course conditions can also dictate golf ball choice. Let’s say the course has been deluged with rain. In this case, you will need a ball that will travel father and produces less spin. If you are playing on a rock hard, sun-scorched track, choose something softer that will land soft and spin.
Look at the temperature as well. Balls for men come in two compressions – 90 and 100. When you hit the ball, the ball compresses. Therefore the 90 compression ball will be softer than the 100. If it’s cold, the ball will not compress as much so you will want to play a 90 compression golf ball. If it’s hot out, you will want to opt for the 100 compression.
In general, two piece balls are going to give you more distance and they will be more durable so they will last longer. Solid core golf balls will offer less trajectory and can spin for better accuracy. Even the dimples on the ball can have an effect on your game. Smaller dimples lessen trajectory while larger dimples increase it.
Choosing the right golf ball really is important to playing a good game. There are many, many choices on the market. Explore which golf ball you may want to use and then try it out. Experiment and in time, you’ll find exactly the right golf ball for you.
Golf Apparel
When it comes to golf apparel, you really have many choices available. What to wear isn’t always first on the golfer’s mind, but choosing the right golf apparel can make a difference in playing well and playing not so well. It’s true!
Many golf clubs have rules as to what golf apparel is acceptable on their course. This usually means no tank tops or short shorts, all players must wear shirts with collars, and no jeans are allowed. Other courses are less restrictive in their clothing and you can choose what you want to wear as long as it is tasteful.
Generally male golfers will wear khaki pants and a collared polo shirt. In warm weather, fitted shorts are generally permitted as part of the golf apparel. Most men will also opt for a hat to keep the sun out of their eyes.
Golf apparel for women, however, can run the gamut. Golf skirts are very popular for female golfers because they are less restrictive, but others opt for shorts or loose pants. Polo shirts are also worn by women – some sleeveless polos are also allowed on upscale courses. Women tend to opt for visors to keep the sun away although hats are another option.
When choosing your golf apparel, you should take care that the clothing is not too restrictive. You will want plenty of room to move around because your golf swing depends on your body moving in a fluid, smooth motion. There’s nothing worse than clothing that is too tight – especially on the golf course.
When choosing pants or shorts, it’s convenient to have pockets. Many golfers like to have pockets so they can carry golf tees, divot fixers, ball markers, and even extra balls, although we don’t recommend the latter as it can throw off your swing quite a bit.
You will want to choose clothes that are made of lightweight, breathable fabrics – especially if you golf primarily in cold weather. Many manufacturers of golf apparel know this and keep it mind during production, so it shouldn’t be difficult to find clothing like this.
You can find adequate golf apparel in many places. Golf course pro shops will carry specific lines of golf clothing that will conform to their dress code, but they will be a bit more expensive than buying them in a store. Find a golf store and you will find a great selection of golf apparel to choose from. Finally, you can get some great deal on golf apparel on the Internet in many, many places, often at discount prices.
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