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:
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. ”
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.
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.
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:
Fisher hauls in a 61 30 Jul 2010 at 1:38pm England's Ross Fisher stormed into a three-shot lead at the halfway point of the Irish Open after a 10-under-par second round 61 in Killarney. The 29-year-old had six successive birdies for a front…
Lee in hunt at Killarney, Howell tops leaderboard 30 Jul 2010 at 1:01pm KILLARNEY: New Zealand's Danny Lee has started strongly in the Irish Open at Killarney, his first-round 67 leaving him three shots off the pace. Englishman David Howell's seven-under 64 topped the le…
Tseng stars at Royal Birkdale 30 Jul 2010 at 12:53pm Australian Katherine Hull, who had shared the first round lead with Tseng, slipped back with a two-over 74 and is bracketed with LPGA money list leader Jiyai Shin, of Korea, who shot another 71 for tw…
Tseng opens four-shot Open lead 30 Jul 2010 at 12:43pm Yani Tseng shot a second successive 68 to open up a four-shot lead at the British Women's Open at Royal Birkdale.The 21-year-old from Taiwan sank five birdies and only one bogey in drizzly conditions …
Spokesman says Police Chief’s ties to drug trafficking suspect only golf 30 Jul 2010 at 10:50am SANTO DOMINGO.- National Police spokesman Nelson Rosario denied Friday that his boss Rafael Guzmán is a friend of the Spaniard Arturo del Tiempo, who’s being held in his country on drug trafficking…
Incoming Presentation student killed in golf cart accident 30 Jul 2010 at 10:48am An incoming Presentation Academy freshman died Sunday afternoon after a golf cart she was riding on with three other Louisville teens rolled over while going down a hill on a road in Falls of Rough.
European Tour chief has lofty expansion goals 30 Jul 2010 at 10:38am DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The head of the European Tour says there is great potential to expand into Eastern Europe, Asia and even South America as several countries step up their construction of…
Fisher shoots 61 to take early 2nd round at Irish 30 Jul 2010 at 10:36am (FSY) of England shot a 10-under 61 to take the early second-round lead in the Irish Open on Friday, narrowly failing to become the first golfer in European Tour history to make 59 in a tournament rou…
Fisher leads after blistering 61 30 Jul 2010 at 10:32am (CNN) — England's Ross Fisher has a three-shot halfway lead at the Irish Open after charging to a second round 10-under 61 at Killarney Golf Club in County Kerry.
Paying to play disc golf at Kaposia Park 30 Jul 2010 at 10:14am Now that disc golf at South St. Paul's Kaposia Park is no longer free, some players are headed elsewhere. Others appear to be committing vandalism in protest.
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.
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.
It’s interesting to see that Golf isn’t being left behind as technology develops. In fact, as with most other areas in life, inventors are striving to make life as easy as possible for golfers. There are now golf balls with built in tracking devices which can be found using a handheld gadget, this must surely be a super cost saver when it comes to golf balls. This in-built chip can also measure your distance and direction. WOW! Another exciting gizmo which has taken the internet by storm is a device which helps you find golf balls in the rough. It looks similar to Mister Spocks tricorder from Star Trek and is sure to intimidate your opponents. Another fantastic futuristic golf aid is the swing tempo checker which works mush like a musician’s metronome and keeps you in the beat. Long gone are the days of hitting the links with a leather bag filled with wooden “woods”, iron “irons” and basic balls. We now live in an age where we try to make everything easier than it was in the past. And with this new-fangled technology comes the pride of being able to do things which would normally be out of your scope. What a wonderful age we live in where the fool can be king with the use of simple smoke and mirrors. I know that there is a body patch to alleviate everything now including “Stop Smoking” patch “Lose Weight While You Sleep” patch “Make My Kid Less Hyperactive” patch but I eagerly await the “Eliminate My Slice” patch or the more desirable “Eagle Every Hole” patch. Until then I guess it’s off to the driving range and putting green to do some old-fashioned hard practice. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
One of my favorite parts of the game of Golf is the short shot around the green. These can make or break your scoring and need just as much practice as your drives, long irons and putts. Let’s imagine the scenario that you have had a sweet drive which whistle-sailed from the tee and landed square in the middle of the fairway. You then extract a mid-range iron from your bag and drop the ball just short of the green. Upon reaching the ball you realize that it’s one of those hairy short shots that can be very hard to decide which route to take. You have landed a few inches from the edge of the green in grass that is a little too long to allow the use of a putter. It’s time to make a crucial decision. Â
1. Do I Pop and Drop? Â
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2. Do I Chop and Roll?Â
These are two distinctly different types of shot using two very different clubs. One must also take into account the condition of the green. Â
Is it flat or bumpy? Is it wet or dry?And if it’s wet, how wet is it?Or adversely, if it’s dry, how dry is it? How far away is the pin?How much green is there behind the pin?Â
So having taken all the factors necessary into account, it is now time to play the shot.Â
1. The Pop and Drop.Â
The Pop and Drop is played using a sand wedge with the face of the club as open as possible. Your stance should be a little lower than a normal swinging stance and a little more like a putting stance. The shaft of the club will be leaning back at about an angle of 60° which may feel a little awkward for a while, but once you get used to it and see the results it brings, it will quickly become more comfortable. Now, the backswing and follow through for this shot should be of equal length depending on the distance of your shot while retaining the 60° angle with the club at all times. This shot gives a lot of height and little roll after the ball lands. In fact if played properly there should be almost no roll, hence the name.Â
2. The Chop and Roll.Â
The Chop and Roll is played using a 7 iron. (”WHAT, ARE YOU CRAZY?” I hear you say. Yes a little, but that’s beside the point.) So, taking an identical stance to the Pop and Drop shot, only this time the club shaft should be tilted forward at an angle of 45°. Again it may feel like advanced yoga for a little while but it takes time to get familiar with these club positions. Remember to keep the shaft at 45° during the shot and again the backswing and follow through should be of equal distance depending on the length of the shot and moistness of the green. (You need a little more gusto on a very wet green as the water acts as a brake mechanism.) The only difference between this shot and the other is that you need to give a little chopping motion against the ball and ground on contact. This must be very subtle and should not be a stop or affect the follow through. I tend to prefer this shot because the chop allows the ball enough height to get over the grass but the ball then rolls along the green as if it had been putted. It’s also worth noting that if I add a little Chop to the Pop and Drop I then get a Chop and Drop which puts some “backspin” on the ball. Â
Once these short shots have been mastered they will become an integral part of your game, reduce your average and bestow a wonderful feeling of satisfaction.Â
I decided to go for a round at the public links course today and came back in a demonic mood and minus a few tufts of hair. (Not that I can afford to lose anymore) The weather was glorious and I was playing above average but the fairways and greens resembled fox-holed battlefields. Recently, we’ve had a really wet spell and it looks like many of the “players” were too lazy to poke their plugs and bung their divots, but now it has gotten very hot very quickly and the devastation has become painfully apparent. Sacrilege at the most sinful level, if you ask me. Drives were landing in moonlike meteor craters, chips on top of grass toupees (or scalps) and long putts zigzagging the greens like drunken ball-bearings in a tilted pinball machine. If this tropical spell continues and the ground dries up even more the damage may become irreparable. I saw a number of attendants and green keepers busily watering and hoeing but I could see from their faces that they were fighting a losing battle. O.K., as I said we had some monsoon weather for the last few weeks but if you are going to play in the rain then at least play by the rules. It may be tempting in a heavy shower to duck under a tree and leave a divot or run to the next tee and leave a plug mark in the green but remember that your fellow golfers will have to play on the course that you leave behind.Â
Whether you want to be the next Tiger Woods, play with some friends on Saturday afternoon or simply go for a leisurely walk while striking a ball, there are a few questions you should ask yourself before you start playing Golf. Below is a list of ten things you need to consider. Â
1. Why do I want to play Golf? Â
There are countless reasons why somebody would want to play Golf. In fact, if you ask any business executive to name the places where a lot of their deals and contacts are made, their Golf club will surely be included in this list. Or if you ask the 80 year old grandfather to explain his reasons for getting up at for a Sunday morning ramble through the fairways he would probably tell you that it helps keep him fit. So why do you want to play Golf? Do you have a reason or is it just a spur of the moment fling? You should think a little while before jumping in the deep end and really be sure that Golf is the right game for you. A good idea is take a pen and a piece of paper and make a list of reasons why you would like to play Golf. Because your neighbor plays every weekend and he says it’s a great game may not be the right reason to partake.Â
2. How much time am I willing to invest?Â
Golf is different from a lot of other sports due to the fact that there is quite a lot to learn before you can really begin to enjoy the game. Unlike other games, it is not really possible to teach yourself 100% from a book or DVD. The basic techniques require a lot of feel and take a while to develop. If you learn bad technique then it can be very hard to change it. Therefore, it is a good idea to join a club and get lessons from a Golf Pro. Having said that, lessons alone are not enough, a great deal of patience is necessary in order to get a feel for the techniques and to put them into effective practice. You need to spend a lot of time at the driving range and putting green before you ever go near the Golf course. Of course, Golf is not unique in this respect. How many guitars now lie in closets, scuba gear in basements and skis hang on garage walls? The bottom line that Golf initially requires more time than other sports but once you have the basics mastered you can invest whatever amount of time you wish.Â
3. How much equipment do I really need?Â
How far down the rabbit hole do you really want to go? Do you want to have a few beers and puck a ball in the general direction of the pin with the boys or play in serious competitions where the extra 10 yards can win or lose a tournament? Do you want a second hand Volvo or a new Ferrari? How much of a budget do you have? I am one of the firm believers that Golf should be a game for everyone regardless of social class, color or creed. So whether you buy your gold plated rocket science equipment from the Pro store or second hand clubs through E-bay, I would still enjoy a round of Golf with you. However, Golf is a game played outdoors and requires a lot of extra accessories to make life a little more comfortable. I’m not going to list everything here but for example if it rains you may need waterproof clothing or an umbrella or if it’s very sunny then you may need a cap for protection or sunglasses against the glare so you don’t lose sight of your ball in midair. But the basic equipment is no greater an investment than for most other sports or hobbies.Â
In general, one should ask themselves these questions before venturing into any sport or hobby, but as those who play Golf know, it is addictive and the more you play the more addictive it becomes and the initial learning phase becomes but a fading memory. So if having considered the above questions you still want to play then I look forward to seeing you on the tee.Â
