May 11, 2008
Are you sick and tired of shanking, hooking, chopping, fluffing or downright missing the ball?
Would you like to practice your golf game but feel that putting in the office just doesn’t cut the ice?
Well, your troubles are finally over, because now you can have the best of both worlds in one very affordable product…..
Introducing…
Dancin’ Dogg Golf Simulator!
This virtual golf trainer enables you to practice and perfect your game in the confined space of your home while retaining the full realistic feel of golfing on the course or driving range.
Dancin’ Dogg Golf Simulator plug and play technology is idiot proof to install through your computers USB port and comes with simplistic instructions which even the most uncivilized caveman could follow and implement.
When you open the box of your Dancin’ Dogg Golf Simulator you will find the following items:
- Dancin’ Dogg Optical Swing Pad
- Dancin’ Dogg Shot Making Simulator Software
- EA Sports Tiger Woods PGATour™ Software
- Practice Balls
- Rubber tee
- Quick start guide
- USB Cable
- Dancin’ Dogg Practice Zone with visual ball flight and shot details
- Dancin’ Dogg Practice Session Statistics
Using special light sensors situated on a synthetic turf mat the Dancin’ Dogg Golf Simulator gives you the chance to play your shot as if you were on the golf course or on the driving range but within the confines of your home. Your body and club movements are recorded and a processed easy-to-read report appears on your computer screen showing you the changes that need to be made to improve your swing.
As if that weren’t enough, this package is also fully compatible and comes complete with EA Games – Tiger Woods PGA Tour software so you can play the worlds most famous courses with family and friends in the comfort of your own home. Can you imagine using your giant plasma screen as the computer monitor and watch the virtual ball fly 300 yards through your sitting room without any broken vases…Sweet!
The one restriction I found annoying about Dancin’ Dogg Golf Simulator was the fact that it can’t be used outside in sunlight because it counteracts the light sensor beams. But hey, if I want to play outside then I go to the links…right?!?
Anyway…this is by far the best virtual golf experience available on the market today!
Visit Dancin’ Dogg Golf Simulator by clicking here…..
February 26, 2008
The first written, laid down rules, come from the year 1744 by the Gentlemen golfers of Leith. The modern golf rules have their origin however in the 1754 established Royal & Ancient golf club of St Andrews (R&A). Today they are published jointly by R&A and USGA and have currently been revised for the end of 2007. A peculiarity in golf is the very large and extensively size of the playing field (the so-called golf course) so the rules must uncover a multitude of conceivable situations. For this reason the control device is more extensive than that of the most other sports and even seasoned players are occasionally uncertain as to which rule to use in any given situation.
Every national golf association (in Germany of the DGV) reproaches an expert commission for this purpose that answers debatable rule questions as far as it considers the circumstance to be unambiguous. If this is not the case then the R&A and/or the USGA is in the end asked for a so-called final “Decision”, therefore an official rule interpretation. These golf rules and also the Decisions are published (on meanwhile more than 800 pages) however they have a comparatively slight practical relevance because they treat mainly specials cases.
So although learning the basic rules is easy, learning the exceptions to the rules can be quite a headache.
February 3, 2008
Whoever plays golf will certainly recognize that it can be rather expensive to buy continuously new golf balls. For this reason many golfers are on the search for used golf balls for their golf bag. On the internet one can finds these so-called “Lake balls” in quite a few Shops for a few cents per pop. One often reaches into ones bag on many occasions and draws out a No-Name ball. When shopping for Lakeballs one can also choose among Lakeballs from the most diverse brand manufacturers. Of course there are also some differences with the prices for the balls here but it mainly depends on how played the golf balls is. The quality varies from store to store depending on where you shop.
In some Shops, a wild mixture of Lakeballs is offered,however one can never know exactly which balls one will get. In other Shops,used golf balls are on display right next to the new balls. With these Lake balls however, one can save over 70 percent of the costs in such Shops as opposed to purchasing new balls. The selection is almost identical to that of the new balls. For instance one finds many brands like Titleist, Pinnacle, Top-Flite, Precept, Dunlop or Callaway.
Another option for cheap balls is factory rejects. These are identifiable by the brand name being crossed out with “x”. These are much cheaper than those that passed the tests and those that I have used always work just fine.
Whichever ball you choose you must remember that a bad workman always blames his tools.
Quality Used Golf Balls
January 21, 2008
They say Golf is the easiest game to learn but the hardest game to play…but why?
Golf is actually a simple game. One has a set of clubs and a ball. One whacks the ball into a few holes that were dug into the middle of a big lawn surface. Then after the 18th hole one has the irresistable desire to go into the 19th hole and tell those he didn’t play with that day about his heoric deeds on the course. Most of us play golf for recuperation and because we enjoy nature and looking at great landscapes. But also, of course, because of the athletic Energy and the improvement of our game. Reducing ones handicap is also a part of the Golf game that one should not fail to neglect.
Players like tigers Woods, Ernie Els and Bernhard Langer do exactly the same but are paid millions for their efforts. But they belong to the best pro golfers of the world. For fairness’ sake, one must also add, that it is also necessary to overcome a few obstacles. If I may liberally quote Winston Churchill; “Golf is a game whose aim is to hit a very small ball into a even smaller hole, with weapons singularly ill-designed for the purpose.”
Therefore, golf is the most difficult game in the world: The ball doesn’t move alone and on average there is approximately three minutes between each shot. One therefore doesn’t react to the ball like in most sports. Normally, balls are passed on, thrown, kicked, but in Golf they are struck with a club.
A golf ball simply lies quietly there and asks you defiantly not to lose it. Only a short moment is allowed in most sports in order for one to react to the ball. The movement of the body takes place automatically and the game follows wherever where the ball flies. In Golf the player has too much time to think out what their next move will be. Golf would be much simpler if the little ball could move itself and if the players had to wear roller-skates. But then it would no longer be Golf.
So what is Golf really about?
Simply expressed, golf is about whacking the ball into one hole after the other for 18 holes with as few as possible shots usine a selection of 14 differently angled clubs. After finishing 18 holes and pocketing the ball, the player tots up their results for each individual hole and gets their final score. The score is normally much larger than allowed by the rules. The lower the Score, the better the game. That is Golf. That’s all there is to it. The intriuging thing about golf is the fact that it lasts a long time (Normally between 3-5 hours per round). While one plays one normally develops their strategy as the game progresses while at the same time trying to have as few shots as possible per hole. There are many exterior and even more numerous interior influences that make this adventure so interesting. The best advice that we can give is to develop your game slowly and learn the different angles of the game without thinking too intellectually about every shot. Golf is a game that unconditionally demands the full concentration and complete contempt of the private ego. Try to attain the inner silence of a monk, at least for the duration of the round. Golf is littered with chances for foolhardy shots. But only you alone decides over successes or failures: Does one dare to the hit over the water 220 meters away from the green? Bring all your talents with you and discover the never ceasing fascination of this game that demands so much brain power. And every round has a different result. Most shots will be made to the hole from a distance of approximately 90 meters. Whoever makes shots within this range will improve their result faster than the player whose main goal consists of beating the ball as far as possible. Practise putting, the bunker game and short shots twice as often as the Drives. Those who do this will see their hard work pay off at the end of every round.
January 6, 2008
I thought it might be interesting for my readers to see what the Germans get up to regarding Golf:
“It is not only they wild youth that play Cross Golf. Rather, it is a mixture of all ages and social classes ranging from those with great golf abilities to those who can barely swing a club. It is played anywhere there is enough room and no danger to people or objects exists. There is only one rule for this golf away from the golf course: Safety First!
It isn’t surprising either that it is not played with normal but with soft golf balls. These are lighter and don’t cause any damage if they hit people or objects. Arranging to meet for games is done in the most peculiar way. It is a toss up as to whether mobile phone or internet is the most common meeting point for players. There are also the weirdest of venues used in order to arrange a round of Cross Golf for example:
www.crossgolf-portal.de
Players network here and arrange to meet for Cross Golfer from all over the German republic, Austria and Switzerland. This portal is used in order to talk about new game possibilities, to exchange views or to agree on a common Cross Golf event. It is not important either how well one plays Cross Golf only with whom one plays. So, fun is the priority here and not who has the fanciest car is the parking lot. You can wear whatever comfortable clothing you like and pretentious etiquette exists.
Homer Simpson is welcome.
It is not played towards holes but towards goals from the surrounding environment, so it can be a tree, a post or a trash can, for example, that one must reach with the ball. The more spectacular rather the shots and rugged fairways, the more enjoyable it is for the Cross Golfer. For a normal golfer, it would be quite unthinkable to kick the ball out from under a small rock or a park bench, for a Cross Golfer; however, these situations don’t represent any obstacle but only increase the attraction from the point to be able to play a good ball. It is also not really important to finish up with as few shots as possible but more about having lots of fun and realizing your creativity with the game. Here are a few funny situations that can also occur in the life of a Cross Golfer: A 100m shot played with one hand using a putter or to play a shot barefoot from a grassless field. As well, “special points can be awarded for “the worst shot of the day”, the biggest kicked grass tuft” or “the most headstrong swing style”.
Anything goes.
Rules for the Cross Golf are decided individually before each game and don’t represent any manifesto, since fun is the games main objective.
Expensive equipment is not necessary and usually two used clubs acquired on eBay, flea markets or Internet shops are completely satisfactory to meet ones needs. Complete sets incl. Bag can also be had for under 200 € and are becoming continually popular among the growing Cross Golf culture. For approximately 30 € one can obtain a “Starter-Kit” consisting loosely of a 7 iron plus balls on eBay.
Cross Golf is played throughout the whole year, even in the snow, with red balls. It is even played at night in gravel pits with fluorescent or blinking golf balls, in parks and quite often on building sites.
Tournaments are also held for example “Hiking Cross Golf” or “Gourmet Golf” and these are only two of the regularly held competitions. “Gourmet Golf” was played through the Black Forest against a trash can and the “Green Fees” were gourmet dishes that were tasted after the round and points for the food made up part of the final scores. The reports about the tournaments can be viewed on the Cross Golf website.
Since there are not any reception dues or membership rates with Cross Golf, it is something for everyone’s budget. But there are also club golfers that play along at the tournaments or agree to meet Cross Golfers for a casual and stress free round. On the internet platform www.crossgolf-portal.de you can meet like-minded players and begin to exchange views or to agree to get together for a game. If you have any further questions please contact: presse@crossgolf-portal.de. ”
January 6, 2008
The Scotsmen invented this “clean” sport and made it popular. Today, golf played is throughout the whole world and since 1900 is an Olympic sport.
In the course of this development, there were naturally numerous innovative new developments to the equipment that one requires for this sport. One major developement is obviously the present abundance of online Golf stores peddling all sorts of gadgets, equipments and information.
But not only this. Most on-line Golf shops are built to be very informative. One can learn something about the history of the sport, existing golf courses, existing golf clubs, the current golf tournaments and everything which one would like to know about the “white” sport.
The most important thing about online Golf shops is the range of golf equipment of course. And also here there are no borders to hinder the fullness of information and possibilities. One gets everything which one requires on the golf course, the whole nine yards from complete equipment for beginners, up to high-quality individual parts for advanced golfers.
Beside golf clubs (in all variations) individually or, as sets, many on-line Golf shopsalso offer a vast choice of assessories, of course. So, one can also get golf balls in all variations, and for example, clothing, bags and trolleys, books, DVDs and magazines as well as a mountain of other accessories (for example shot counters) span belts, umbrella holders, ball brushes etc.. . Some sites even offer high tech sattellite gadgets for tracking balls and detectors for spotting lost balls in snow or rough. Anything is possible.
If one is really interested in the golf then nothing surpasses an on-line Golf shop. Here, there is nothing, which is not here. Even Golf philosophy. Zen golf being a prime example.
So get yourself to an online store and check them out. The prices and variety of wares available are impecable.
December 23, 2007
US-Golfer tigers Woods succeeded with a victorious years finale. The worlds top-ranked golfer won the Target Challenge in Thousand Oaks seven shots ahead of challanger Zach Johnson.
At the conclusion of the golfing year 2007, tiger Woods won the PGA-Tournament in the US-American Thousand Oaks. The worlds top-ranked golfer played the par 72 course on a 68-er leading to the finish and remained 22 under with 266 shots under par. Second place was by secured Zach Johnson, who finished seven shots behind Woods.
“It was one long year, but I’m already looking forward to the coming year” one, said Woods after the victory. Woods gets to donate the 1,3 million U.S. dollars winnings to a foundation of his choice.
November 29, 2007
One of the best ways to keep your visitors informed of Golf news is to place an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed on your website. This will provide your guests with up-to-date info about the Golf world while reading the other useful tips provided on your site. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to set up and is well worth the time. Any extra service you can provide to your readers will be an incentive for them to return and refer your Golf web site to their contacts. Below is an example of an RSS feed:
Swede takes early lead at PGA Championship
Robert Karlsson continued his superlative play in this year's top tournaments by overcoming an ominous start to build an early lead in the opening round of the 90th PGA Championship on Thursday at Oak…
Another successful surgery for PGA
Oakland Hills, the host course for the 90th PGA Championship, is the second Jones redesign to host a major this year. The first was Torrey Pines, a public course near San Diego, where the U.S. Open wa…
Thursday at the 2008 PGA Championship
Phil Mickelson began his quest for a fourth major title this morning at Oakland Hills. Follow him, along with Sergio Garcia, Anthony Kim and other stars at the 2008 PGA Championship.
Good feelings for Europeans at Oakland Hills
BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — When the Ryder Cup was held at Oakland Hills in 2004, the Europeans left with an 18 1/2-9 1/2 victory, the second of their three straight over the United States….
Karlsson showing the way early at the PGA Championship
Robert Karlsson continued his superlative play in this year's top tournaments by overcoming an ominous start to build an early lead in the opening round of the 90th PGA Championship on Thursday at Oak…
PGA Championship Starts Without Defending Champ
August 7, 2008 · The PGA Championship — the golf season's final major tournament — begins Thursday — without last year's champion Tiger Woods, who is rehabilitating an injured…
Boy, 11, fires ace in just his 3rd time golfing
Golfing for just the third time, 11-year-old Allan Saylor was whacking the ball around with a friend, not even keeping score. A hole-in-one? No big deal. The sixth-grader fired the ace Wednesday on th…
Karlsson stumbles back into 3-way tie at PGA
Robert Karlsson of Sweden tees off from the first hole during the first round of the 90th PGA Championship at Oakland Hills Country Club on Thursday.
US PGA Championship scoring
British Open champion Padraig Harrington of Ireland was set to tee off from the first at 6.15pm Irish time with Masters winner Trevor Immelman of South Africa and Argentina's Angel Cabrera. In other …
More worries for Scott
He admitted his swing was 'all over the place' but the Queenslander is hopeful of being in contention on the final day."The course is hard and my game is a bit scratchy. I'm not feeling 100 percent co…
November 3, 2007
What is the ideal golfing trip? Clearly, it will be different for everybody.
For some golfers the ideal outing would be going to a major course and getting to play on it, knowing professional golfers had walked and played over these same greens. What golfer would not want to play the course where the Masters or U.S. Open is held? Most would kill (figuratively speaking) for the chance. These are courses where legends have played - players such as Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods. For others, though, ideal golfing is not so much where they play as what it is like when they play i.e. the weather conditions. Some golfers prefer a day with mild temperatures and a light breeze to help keep them cool, while others want a challenge and will go to the extremes weather-wise. There are those who will play when the temperature hits triple digits or drops well below freezing, just to see how well they play under these extreme circumstances.
And, there are golfers who will play in the snow and at night. There are some specially designed golf balls created for these golfers. The night players can chase their glow-in-the-dark golf balls all over the course, but need to take a flashlight to prevent running into a tree or some other hazard on the course. For those who play in the snow, fluorescent golf balls were created. These brightly colored balls are easy to see against the snow-covered course.
Either way, golfing in the extreme is a challenge, and not one for the faint of heart, or the poor of play. For golfers who play in extreme heat, they need to remember to bring plenty of water to drink and leave all alcoholic beverages alone. Those who play in the cold should have something warm to drink in a thermos to help keep their body temperature up, even if they are walking the course. But, whatever the discomfort and the accommodations they have to make, these people consider these a small price to pay for these ideal golf outings.
For most golfers, though, the ideal golf outing is simply the chance to go to their favorite course with a few friends and chase golf balls all over the pasture, just having a good time and not taking the game too seriously. This is the most prevalent type of golfer, and these players can usually be found playing in couples and foursomes. They will chide one another on a bad shot, while complimenting one another on good shots and putts. The final score rarely matters (unless they tend to be serious golfers), as they are on the links to have a good time and get away from the stresses of every day life.
Oddly enough, there are golfers who prefer to play the game by themselves. The solo golfer will most likely walk the course, getting to know the feel of every tee box, fairway and green with his or her feet. But these golfers are in the minority.
By and large, golf is a social game. And, though it is a competitive sport, most golfers will tell you that their favorite part of the day, is the pints or drafts they share with their buddies on the 19th hole in the Club house at the end of a fulfilling round.
August 28, 2007
So you think that Golf is easy?
O.K., So I toss a little white ball on the ground and puck it with a fat-headed metal stick till it falls in a hole…..how hard can that be?
The Journey Begins:
A friend of mine contends that every round of Golf is different even if played on the same course on the same day in the same conditions and I agree with him 100%. Golf is one of those sports with so many factors involved so as to make it almost quantum and chaotic by nature. I have often felt like a sea captain, driver in hand standing two meters behind a teed ball and overlooking the sea from the port as I prepare to launch my vessel on a fantastic journey. Bending to the ground to remove a pinch of grass between thumb and forefinger then standing erect to momentarily survey the terrain before tossing the light green strands skywards to get some indication of the winds movement. This ancient ritual alone bonds me with my long dead ancestors who lived before our advanced tools of navigation. Watching the grass gives the golfer and idea of the winds strength and direction. Do these current wind conditions allow me to drive straight or should I play right and let the ball be carried back around by the strong breeze? The Golf game now enters the realm of applied mathematics or physics. Each Golf club representing a different distance and height depending on the stance one takes, the individual grip and swing of the golfer (and strength thereof) and the pivot or openness of the golf club face etc. Another factor could be the mental or nervous stress. Are you playing alone or in a tournament? The patience of a vicar and the courage of a G.I. can also be invaluable assets in your Golf arsenal. Relatively happy with your drive you leave the safety of the tee and the voyage begins.
In Full Sail:
Personally I find electric Golf carts a nuisance and distraction unless of course you are handicapped or elderly but Golf trolleys are fine in order to avert back damage through long years of carrying Golf clubs for hundreds of miles. So being in a good health condition is also a requirement for the game of Golf. Striding down the fairway you reach your golf ball and it is plugged in sponge-like ground. Taking out your archeology tools you begin to excavate. Then enters the new aspects of law and conscience as fair play and sportsmanship are required dropping the Golf ball the prescribed distance in accordance with the rules of the game. How good is the new placement and how far away from the green are you? Has the wind changed? Oh! Oh! A wide bunker and tall tree stand in the trajectory path so I need to play a high Golf shot. I don my aviators cap and prepare for flight. Having plotted in a course both long and high the Golf ball leaves the grass runway and sails high out of the metaphoric airport. Pausing momentarily I watch as it lands safely on the green.
Reaching Your Destination:
The adventure so far has proved rather predictable leaving you with a comforted feeling of smugness. Arriving at the green you prepare to enter the next phase of this multi-personality game of Golf. Bending to one knee you survey the grooves and texture of the landscape like an experienced engineer. Walking the distance between Golf ball and pin to check for any obstacles that may be laying on the surface the physicist/mathematician returns to calculate the angles and force need to complete the journey. The putter strikes the ball firmly and the echoing hollow plink sound closes a chapter in the days book.
Epilogue:
True, you may be familiar with every ridge, nook and cranny of a course which you regularly frequent but the constantly changing conditions such as weather, seasons, personal fitness/mental level, course upkeep (pin position/tee distance changes), skill level, playing style, Golf club brand etc. can make each round of Golf a unique experience.
Back To Top Of Page
