One of the many dilemmas of a golfer is: "Should I spend a lot of money on joining a private club, or do I play at public courses?" There is no right or wrong answer; it just depends on what you are looking for. Both private golf courses and public golf courses have their advantages and disadvantages.

A public course is ideal for the golfer that does not play very often. What's the sense in paying every month for a membership that does not get used? If you don't play more than once a week over the summer, and do not play often during the winter, a public course would probably make more economic sense. Also, if you are all about trying out new courses, and see yourself getting bored playing the same eighteen holes every time you play, then definitely consider a public course.

A private course on the other hand, is best for a golfer that plays multiple times during a week, and frequently plays over the winter. More money would probably be saved in the long run in paying a set amount of money each month on membership and a cart pass, than to pay fifty to one hundred dollars for every round.

A private club is very attractive because of the social atmosphere. Not only can you and your friends go out and play at a familiar place, but you have the potential to meet more people with similar interests. It is also a great place for networking, and making good connections. Many private clubs have weekly leagues and hold special member tournaments that are very fun to participate in. They are often a great way to make friends. Some leagues even have special events where you can play at other courses against players from different courses.

Depending on what you are looking for, and how much money you are willing to spend, both private and public clubs have their ups and downs. It pays to research specific prices; as there are expensive private clubs, and public courses.

PhotoCredit: http://simonperry.org

Sponsored by: http://www.balootisme.com

Author: Savannah Durbin is an avid golfer and aspiring computer engineer. To read more golf tips and articles, visit: Golf Enthusiastic's Golf Tips.

Private Golf Courses vs Public Golf Courses

We all know that without rules and regulations there is no game. Every game has its own rules and regulations. The rules of golf {2} {3} are internationally standardized and are jointly governed by the royal and ancient golf club of St.Andrews, which was founded in 1754 and the united states of golf association. After the agreement with R&A, USGA jurisdiction on the enforcement and interpretation of the rules is limited to the United States and Mexico. Canada has the separate royal Canadian golf association, but generally follows the lead of the two larger bodies. The rules of golf continue to evolve, and every four years, the amended versions of the rule book are published. Any brand of Golf Equipments can be used. But it is better to go in for Good brands of Golf Equipments

The rules are made keeping in mind “fairness”. There are few statements stated “play the ball as it lies”, “play the course as you find it”, and “if you can’t do either, do what is fair”. Some rules that are stated:

• Every player is entitled and obliged to play the ball from position where it has come to rest after the stroke, unless a rule allows or demands otherwise

• A player must not accept assistance in making a stroke.

• The condition of the ground or other parts of the country may not be altered to gain an advantage except some cases defined in the rules.

• A Golf ball may only be replaced by another during play of a hole if it is destroyed (rule 5-3), lost (rule 27-1), or unplayable (rule 28), or at some other time permitted by the rules. The player may always substitute balls between the play of two books.

The decisions on the rules of golf are based on formal case decisions by the R&A and USGA and are revised updated every other year.

Amateur golfers:

There are strict regulations regarding the amateur status of golfers. Anybody who played golf for money or who has ever received payment or compensation for giving instruction in golf game will not be considered an amateur. He may not be allowed to participate in competitions limited only to amateur only non-cash prizes won in competition may be accepted within the limits established by the rules of amateur status.

Golf course architecture and design:

There are many kinds of golf courses. Each country has one kind of golf course. It varies according to the climate, etc.

The different kind of golf courses:

• Link courses
• Parkland courses
• Heath land
• Desert courses
• Browns courses
• Sand courses
• Snow courses
• Par 3 courses
• Executive courses.

1. Links courses: this is the most traditional type of golf course. It is located in the coastal areas, on sandy soil, often amid dunes, with few artificial hazards and few trees if any.

2. Parkland courses: this happens to be in typical inland courses, they often resemble British parks.

3. Heath land: this means less manicured and more open area. They often feature gorse and heather and typically less trees.

4. Desert courses: this course has been recently started in Australia and parts of USA and Middle East. It’s a new invention.

5. Browns courses: akin to sand courses, but not much involved in terms of using layers of tar and gavel below the sandy surface layer, to give firmness and support and ensure a consistent bounce/roll.

6. Sand courses: instead of heavily irrigated green, the players play on sand unlike most golf players. Holes are less involved than browns courses. And are only for the casual golfer.

7. Snow courses: can be played in arctic or sub arctic regions during winter. This is a recent invention. Golf is played on snow, typically with an orange colored or any brightly colored ball.

8. Par 3 courses: this course consists entirely of holes with par 3. These are considered a good test of iron shot precision and short game, as the driver is rarely used.

9. Executive courses: the course is generally smaller than the typical 18 hole course.

Author: Acario Daire Author profile: Author is a Golf player he has been playing Golf since 15 Years. He is experienced in choosing the right Golf Equipment. He has been Experimenting with all brands of Golf Equipment. Visit http://www.golfgophers.com

Rules and Regulations of Golf

Golf Training Aids – Good for a New Golfer?

Many golfers take up the game after they retire from more strenuous ball games such as baseball, football, soccer or cricket. I mean after playing in a game were a bowler or pitcher is sending a ball towards you at a high sped and you are expected to hit it out of sight how difficult can golf be?

When you watch it on TV Tiger Woods, Phil Mickleson and Justin Rose make it look so very easy to propel the ball to the exact spot they want to. And lets face it why should it be difficult? The ball is just sitting there waiting to be hit, and you don’t just have one bat to hit it with, you have a choice of fourteen. So it has got to be an easy game, right? Wrong.

You go to a driving range just for a quick practice before launching yourself on your local golf club. And you suddenly discover the game is not quite so easy as it appears. The ball has an annoying habit of not going where you want it too. It may slice to the right or hook to the left; even more embarrassingly it may just roll a few feet forward as you hit your divot further than the ball.

Of course the sensible thing at this point is to book a series of lessons with a club pro. But you’re a golfer now, so commonsense tends to go out of the window. Instead you look through the golf magazines and find advertisements for a whole host of training aids that are going to sort out every aspect of your game.

There are training aids that will improve your swing, stance and your alignment. Nets and buckets that it is claimed will make you the best short game player in your club.

It is fortunate for the manufacturers of these training aids that golfers tend to spend more money on their game than almost any other sportsmen or women. Because training aids do not tend to come cheaply and you can spend a great deal of money on some of these tools and devices.

Golf training aids have a place to play in many golfers development but they should be used after you have learnt the basics from a skilled trainer such as your club professional. Teach yourself golf and you not only have an idiot for an instructor but you will ingrain faults into your game that will be difficult to eradicate later down the line when you want to improve your game.

Author: Dave Bromley has been playing golf for nearly 30 years. In that time he has spent a fortune on golf training aids and lessons but still classes himself as a learner. "We never stop learning at this game". To find out how you could knock shots off your game visit Dave's web site http://www.shotsavinggolftrainingtips.com

Golf Training Aids

When we think about the basics of the golf swing, we usually think about ball position, stance, grip, and so on. In other words, we think about the swing's physical mechanics. That's only natural, because its what most golf pros focus on in their golf lessons and what golf magazines highlight in their articles on the golf swing. It's what I write about the most in my golf tips as well.

But not everyone agrees that these are the true basics of the golf swing. For many, the true basics of the swing are something quite different, something that has nothing to do with the physical mechanics of the swing. For these people, a swing's true basics are four components-plane, centering, radius, and face. Golf instruction sessions focusing on these concepts are as helpful as golf lessons on the swing's mechanics, maybe even more helpful

Plane

Most golfers have heard of the concept of plane, but are confused as to how it applies to the golf swing. Plane is defined by the angle your club creates when it is ground at address. To master accuracy, the club must remain on this plane, especially while it approaches the ball on the downswing. (Actually, two planes-one formed by the takeaway and the other by the downswing-are involved in swinging a club, but the second plane is key.) This plane is the most powerful and direct route to the swing, as I discuss in my golf tips. Coming back to the ball above or below this plane results in pulls and slices.

Centering

Every swing has a center to it, a foundation defined by your head and your spine. If you want to hit accurate golf shots, this foundation must remain steady. Watch Tiger or any of the pros on TV and you'll see how steady their heads and spines remain throughout their swings. This foundation has two angles to it. One is the angle your spine creates with your hips at address. The other involves the lateral movement of your head. Focus on preventing both your head from moving unnaturally one way or the other and your spine from moving up or down, and you will produce better results.

Radius

Radius is the distance between the lead shoulder and the clubhead. You must keep radius intact, if you want to hit good quality shots. The key is releasing your wrists at the right time. Most amateurs release their wrists early, forcing the shaft ahead of the lead arm before impact. An early release causes you to hit the ball thin, or even worse, mis-hit it altogether. If you execute the proper sequence of movements in the downswing, you'll maintain radius.

Face

The ball travels in the direction in which your clubface is pointing at the moment of impact, minus the effect of sidespin. You must attain the same clubface position at impact that you establish at address, which is why you need to align your club properly. The key to doing this is matching the position of your hands at impact with the position of your hands at address. If you grip the club on the right side of the shaft, your hands must be on the right side of the club when you hit the ball; otherwise, you'll mis-hit.

Conclusion

Is one basic more important than another? Not really, as I tell players who take my golf lessons. They all must be executed properly, if you want to achieve a powerful, repeatable swing. Now that you are aware of them and how they contribute to your swing, try filming yourself some day and see how well you maintain them during your swing. Also note how well you hit the ball.

Plane, centering, radius, and face-these aren't the usual basics you talk about when discussing the golf swing, but they are critical. While the physical mechanics of the swing, like ball position, stance, and grip, are key, so are these four components. Master both sets and you'll achieve accuracy and consistency every time, lowering your golf handicap in the process

Author: Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book “How To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros.” He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicap immediately. He has a free weekly newsletter with the latest golf tips, golf lessons and golf instruction. Visit http://www.howtobreak80.com

4 Basics of Any Golf Swing