Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Golf In Killarney

As a golfer visiting Killarney you will find an unbeatable combination of thrilling championship golf courses, breathtaking natural scenery and unparalleled hospitality. Acknowledging that golf is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, here in Killarney there have been many developments, which compliment established courses.

The Killarney Golf & Fishing Club with its renowned spectacular settings beneath the watchful eye of the Macgillicuddy Reeks and on the shores of the restful Lough Leane, offers three championship 18-hole golf courses and has hosted the Irish Open. Club hire and professional lessons are available.

Castlerosse Golf Club which has a nine-hole golf course, is set on mature parkland while the course commands majestic views of Lough Leane, Killarney's Lower Lake and the Macgillicuddys, Ireland's highest mountains.

Dunloe Golf Course, a nine-hole golf course is set against the glaciated valley of the Gap of Dunloe, which offers spectacular views of Killarney's lakes and mountains.

Ross Golf Course maintains a unique championship 9-hole golf course, situated a half a mile from the town centre. It caters for groups and golf societies and professional tuition is available.

Beaufort Golf Club is a beautiful and testing 18-hole parkland course.

The ideally located town centre International Hotel boasts old world charm while offering you all the luxuries of the modern day. From the moment you step inside our doors a warm welcome awaits you. There are 90 beautifully appointed bedrooms, all rooms from deluxe to Suites are designed and decorated to the highest standard and offer you the ultimate in luxury and comfort. Our restaurants offer a choice of dining experiences both in classic and contemporary settings. Hannigan's Bar with its glowing hearth and convivial atmosphere is the ideal place to relax after a day of golfing.

For our golfing clientele we offer a Tailored and Personalized Service.

· Discounted Green Fees & Preferential Tee Times

· Golf Club Storage & Drying room Facilities

· Live Music Nightly

· Tailored menus.

· Private rooms for Welcome dinners, Prize Giving's or Drink Receptions

· Snooker Room

· 3D Golf Simulator.

· Gymnasium and Sauna.

Play the 1st Virtual Golf Simulator In The Golf Rich South West!

We are pleased to present the First 3-Dimensional Golf Simulator in the South West of Ireland, which allows you to play World famous courses and you don't even have to travel beyond the hotel's doorstep. It's every golfer's dream. You can play on all the famous courses, using real balls and real clubs. So whether its Pebble Beach or St Andrews takes your fancy - it's up to you!

You can use your own clubs to strike the ball as hard as you would on an outdoor course, directly into a wall-sized image of the world's most famous golf holes. All elements of the ball's flight are tracked by the built-in infrared systems, including flight angle, ball speed and spin. The system tells you where your ball is, what distance it travelled and the remaining distance to the hole.

Features

Play St Andrews, Pebble Beach, Valderrama and other famous courses available.

Latest swing analysis technology

1-8 players can play at any one time

Practise range programme

Lessons arranged with P.G.A professionals on request

Golf clubs can be provided.

Guide To Golf

The first game of golf for which records survive was played at Bruntsfield Links, in Edinburgh, Scotland. In 2005 Golf Digest calculated that there were nearly 32,000 golf courses in the world, approximately half of them in the United States. Golf is one of those games which is unique in having lucrative competition for older players.

When playing Golf at any given point, if the lead is equal to the number of holes remaining, the match is said to be "dormie", and is continued until the leader increases the lead by one hole, thereby winning the match, or until the match ends in a tie. When the game is tied after the predetermined number of holes have been played, it may be continued until one side takes a one-hole lead.

In the case that one team or player has taken a lead that cannot be overcome in the number of holes remaining to be played, the match is deemed to be won by the party in the lead, and the remainder of the holes are not played. The two basic forms of playing golf are Match Play and Stroke Play/Stableford Points scoring. For example, if one party already has a lead of six holes, and only five holes remain to be played on the course, the match is over.

There have been alternative ways to play golf have also been introduced, such as miniature golf, sholf and disc golf. Penalty strokes are not actually strokes but penalty points that are added to the score for violations of rules or utilizing relief procedures. A game of putting a small ball into a hole in the ground using clubs was played in 17th century Netherlands.

Golf Equipment

Golfers wear special shoes with exchangeable spikes (or small plastic claws termed soft spikes) attached to the soles, designed to increase grip on greens or in general wet conditions. A golf ball is also used and when on the green, the ball may be picked up to be cleaned or if it is in the way of an opponent's putting line; its position must then be marked using a ball marker (usually a flat, round piece of plastic or a coin). In addition to the officially printed rules, golfers also abide by a set of guidelines called Golf etiquette.

Woods are also used and played for long shots from the tee or fairway, and occasionally rough, while irons are for precision shots from fairways as well as from the rough. Golf shafts are used between the grip and the club head.

Golf is one of the few ball games that doesn't use a standardized playing area; rather, the game is played on golf "courses," each one of which has a unique design and typically consists of either 9 or 18 separate holes. A course consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing area, fairway, rough and other hazards, and the green with the pin and cup.

Golf Techniques

A hole of golf consists of hitting a ball from a tee on the teeing box (a marked area designated for the first shot of a hole, a tee shot), and once the ball comes to rest, striking it again.

For a right-handed player, a subtle curve to the left is called a draw. At any given point, if the lead is equal to the number of holes remaining, the match is said to be "dormie", and is continued until the leader increases the lead by one hole, thereby winning the match, or until the match ends in a tie. Sidespin makes the ball curve left or right, and can be used intentionally or occur unintentionally. A golfer who plays right-handed, but holds the club left-hand-below-right is said to be "cack-handed" or "cross-handed". A shot which fades too much, or unintentionally and thus uncontrolled, is called a "slice".

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Reviews - Women's Golf Club

Quality women’s golf clubs and other equipment items allow for greater success within the game. Women’s golf clubs are offered in a variety of styles in part to offer the best equipment for every woman golfer. The various clubs help golfers perform well all over the green.

An effective set of golf clubs is important to every golfer, both male and female. The various styles offered within the women’s golf club market are overwhelming. However, one brand sold at a major supermarkets such as Wal-Mart and Target, may be just what she needs to tee up.

One set of clubs you might want to try is the Wilson Hope Club Club set. This women’s golf club set includes a set of accessories to help any beginning female golfer achieve her fullest potential on the green. The set is color-coordinated including a driver, 3 and 5 woods, 4-SW irons and a putter.

This women’s golf club set has graphite shaft clubs which give a light feel because they are evenly weighted with over-sized heads. While for more experienced golfers, this may cause you to choose a bit of distance. For beginner golfers, this lighter feel helps them to get accommodate to the game.

This ladies golf club set also comes with a matching gray/pink bag as well as a golf towel, glove, visor and golf balls. This incredibly organized and stylish women’s golf club set offers the basics that every female golfer needs to begin the game of golf.

Are you in the market for women's golf clubs? Fore Her Golf carries clothing and accessories with a feminine appeal including polo shirts, skirts, golf shoes, hats and outerwear from top brands - also a great selection of unique golf gifts and memorabilia for the lady golfer in your life. ForeHerGolf.com is your source for women's golf supplies and gifts, products reviews and recommendations as well as game tips and training techniques. For more information on golfing and other recreational activities visit the golf directory.

Teaching Your Child How To Play Golf

More children are learning to play golf today than ever before. A big reason for this is Tiger Woods. He has taken the sport and popularized it among children of all ages. What used to be a boring game for kids to play has suddenly become increasingly popular.

Children are now discovering what many adults already know: golf is a lot of fun! While your children may love hitting golf balls with one of your old golf clubs, how do you begin to develop their skills? Here are a few tips to help you give your children a good head start in the golfing world.

One of the first things you may want to do is enroll them into a golf class. Many of your local golf courses have classes just for children. There is no need to go out and buy a new set of golf clubs for your child. The class will provide the equipment necessary. This will not only save you some money right now, but it will give you time to find out if your child truly enjoys the game of golf or not. You don't want to go out and spend a few hundred dollars only to find out your child doesn't really like golf after all.

The next tip is one that is very important for both you and your child. Be patient. It is so easy to want to see your child start hitting long drives and sinking 30 foot putts. In order for them to want to continue learning the game of golf they need your support. Let your child progress at their rate. The golf classes will help them develop immensely.

When you are on the practice range with them be sure you encourage them, even when they are spraying the ball all over the range. They will pick up the finer points of the game later as they grow older.

When your child has taken some classes and they show a genuine interest in the game of golf, buy them their own set of golf clubs. Be sure you have your child fitted properly. Of course, since they will be growing in height and weight, understand that the clubs you buy today may be too small within a year or two at the most. You can get children's golf clubs at an inexpensive price.

Use the time that you spend golfing with your children as a bonding time. Enjoy yourselves and the time you're out on the course. You can even use this time to develop a good communication with your child. Talk about other things than golf. You'll be surprised at how the golf course can help you and your children bond together. It will spill over into other areas of your lives as well.

Your child may never grow up to be the next Tiger Woods, or Michelle Wie, but they can grow up loving the game of golf. More importantly, they can grow up enjoying the time spent together with you out on the golf course.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Be More Flexible

Every sportsmen needs to be fit. Like all other sports golf also needs a special fitness program. A golfer needs to perform some special exercises to improve his performance. There are two types of exercises which are performed to improve the game of golf.

The first type of exercise is stretching exercise. Stretching exercises include special rotational movements.

Second types of exercises which are performed by golfers are strengthening exercises. These exercises give more power. For better performance a player has to be consistent with his exercise program. The most important part of the game is swing shot. You can improve your swing by performing exercises which mimic golf swing. It is a good idea to find all the available information about golf biomechanics. You need to understand biomechanics of the game to bring your game to a new level.

Golf exercises do not need special equipment as they can be performed at home with the help of minimal equipment. Golf not only needs exercise but also a proper diet. Diet of a player should include green leafy vegetables, lean meat, fish, poultry and fruits. Green vegetables and fruits contain lot of vitamins, minerals and fiber all these components are needed for better digestion.

It is very important to find the mistake which you make while playing. You can hire a fitness expert who can find your weak points and can plan a fitness program according to your needs. All golf players need to perform special exercises especially old golfers.

Grip a Golf Club

The first thing that is done when you pick up a gold club is to grip it. Learning to properly grip a golf club must be pretty important then, right? Yes, it sure is! The fundamentals of your swing are based around a proper grip. It is therefore very hard to correctly swing a club without a correct grip.

There is more than one "correct grip," and I am going to show you three of them. At first, changing your grip may feel uncomfortable, but that is completely normal. You will get used to your new grip eventually.

The Fundamentals:

The fundamentals to properly grip a golf club are the same for each type of grip. Now, when placing your hands on the club, first place your left hand on the club (for right handed golfers). Now, rest the club on the ground. Your thumb should be pointed towards the ground, and your fingers should be wrapped around the club. Notice that your thumb and index finger will make a 'V'. This 'V' should be pointing towards your chin. Next, place your right hand on the club below your left hand. The palm of your right hand should fit right on top of your left thumb. The 'V' that your right hand makes, should point to your right shoulder.

The Baseball Grip:

As its name implies, with the baseball grip, the golf club is gripped similar to how a baseball bat is gripped. The hands will lie next to each other on the golf club. The pinky of the right hand will lie next to the index finger of the left, but not overlap.

The Overlapping Grip

In the overlapping grip, instead of the hands lying side by side, the pinky on the right hand will rest on top of the space between the index and middle fingers of the left.

The Interlocking Grip

My personal favorite is the interlocking grip. In this variation, the pinky of the right hand, and the index finger of the left hand will interlock.

Make sure to grip the club with little pressure; just enough so that the club does not go flying out of your hands when you swing. No matter what grip you choose, if you are not currently gripping the club properly, than gripping correctly may feel uncomfortable at first. Get used to your new grip at the range. Then once you feel relatively comfortable with it, bring it to the course.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Golf Clubs For Beginner Golfer

If you are just starting out to play golf, you should never buy a new golf club set immediately as you may discover that this game is not for you later on. Furthermore, you are yet to find the type of golf clubs that fits you during the learning stage. The good choice is to start with cheap used golf clubs. And here are some guidelines to help you to hunt down your first used golf club set:

Golf Rental Clubs

First, you may want to play with the rental clubs at a driving range. During this time, don't be afraid to ask your friends or other golfers to try their clubs on the range. This is a good opportunity for you to judge which type of clubs is right for you. After hitting for a period of time at the driving range and you think it is time to buy your own clubs, then ....

Rely on golf expert

When you go out to buy used golf clubs, you should always rely on people who know golf equipment well. You can look for your local pro at your local municipal course as a source of information and advice. Or you can consult the experts at the golf shop or even your friend who plays well or who knows anything about golf clubs. Alternatively, you can search the Internet for used golf club reviews. You can always ask people for advice but keep in mind that what suits them may not necessary prove good in your hands. Therefore, it is more important to identify the golf club set that suitable to your ability yourself.

Golf beginner's half set

As a novice golfer, you are advised to learn with a half set of clubs with all matching iron of the same model. The half-set could be made up from a few combinations of clubs. In general, the half set combination consists of five iron clubs, including 4, 6, 8, pitching wedge and sand iron, in addition to 3 and 5 woods plus a putter. The driver is not recommended in the beginner's half set because it is the hardest club to control. Majority of beginners would achieve better results using a 3 wood on the tee box. Likewise, 1, 2 or 3 irons should be avoided at the early stages of the game, as each of these long irons requires an accurate strike from the middle of the clubface with plenty of club heads speed in order to achieve good results. In contrast, a 5 wood with distance almost equivalent of the 2 iron - the ball can still travel a fair distance despite being hit off-center. Besides, a lofted wood is more forgiving than the thin blade of an iron club heads.

The half set combination not only sufficient for most novice golfers on the golf course for every situation but also makes club selection much easier. It is a good combination of clubs to help the novice to improve their swing technique until they are good enough before they advance to the full set golf clubs. Therefore, you have to make sure to select a golf model for your half set from a reputable manufacturer that can be added to at a later stage.

Golf Feels

The best way to purchase a used golf clubs is to actually hold them in your hand and swing them to get a feel for what you want. The feel of a golf club clearly seems to be all-important. But, what is 'feel'? There is no scientific formula that defines it. In general, feel can be described as the way a golfer feels a club when he or she swings it depends on its swing weight and the flexibility of its shaft.

Iron Club head

Look for club head that made of stainless steel and avoid inexpensive alloy heads. For beginner, you should select the 'heel-and-toe' (or, perimeter-weighted) club head design, cavity backed (hollowed out in the back) and over-sized golf club. You should get bigger club heads because they are more forgiving with enlarges 'sweet spot' that can produce maximum distance even with off-center contacts.

Golf Shafts

Graphite shafts is ideal for beginner even though it is more expensive that steel shafts. Its lighter overall weight allows beginner to swing the club faster even with enlarged clubhead.

Golf Grips

If you have purchased used golf clubs where the condition of the grips could be less than perfect or the grips don't fit properly for you, then make sure you replace them. Grips are fairly easy and inexpensive to change by a pro or club repairman. Ensure all the grips are replaced with same size and design.

Finally, if you are just starting out with golf, chances are your swing is more likely to let you down rather than the golf clubs itself. Having said that, it is still important to try out the golf clubs before buying them in order to find a golf club set that suits your swing, body and game. Most importantly, makes you feel confident when you use it.

Baja California

Baja California

The Baja Peninsular goes up to the US / Mexico border and has the Pacific Ocean to the west. Baja California means Lower California in Spanish. The Mexican state has a population of almost three million and Mexicali is the state capital. Most residents have American Indian and Spanish roots but there are some people descended from Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. The main sources of income are from tourism and manufacturing.

Mexicali is the thirteenth largest city in the country and plays an important part in Mexican politics and the economy. Sitting on the border results in many people trying to cross over into the US illegally. There is a large Chinese community here and a thriving Chinatown with many fine restaurants. The Plaza Calafia is the venue for bullfights and national and international championships take place at the professional 18-hole golf course. The most populous and biggest city in Baja California however, is Tijuana and it also sits on the border. It is a favorite destination for tourists and a lively area for nightclubs and shopping. The beach is very popular in the summertime. The positive aspects of the city are unfortunately marred by a reputation for drug abuse and prostitution. Culture plays an important part in life here, with various festivals, opera productions, dance schools and art galleries. There are also two bullrings and the Tijuana Wax Museum. Sports teams represented are basketball, baseball and soccer.

San Felipe attracts a lot of people who want to retire here and is also frequented by young people looking for a fun weekend. The young like to party on the beach, where they set up camp, and to ride their dirt bikes in the sand dunes nearby. Tourists like to come and take photographs of the giant cardon cactus that grow here. The young of Baja California also like to come to Playas de Rosarito, where there is a stretch of beautiful beaches and dance clubs. Their claim to fame is that the movie, Titanic was partially filmed in the nearby Fox Studios. Some sets from the filming are on display in the museum there. Ensenada has the only deep-water port in Baja California and the commercial fishing trade is important for the economy of the area. It also receives cruise ships. Tourism is also significant and there is a lot to do and see here. Visitors like to see the local geysers and it's a popular spot for surfers and windsurfers. There are also tours of the area's vineyards and trips to see the migrating gray whales.