Entries Tagged as 'Golfing'

Golfing the Front Nine at Crooked Creek Near Lincoln, Nebraska

This is actually the second round of golf for the 2007 year and was played on March 30, 2007. I usually play once a week during the golfing year and am around a bogey golfer. I have not ever calculated a handicap as I am not that serious a golfer. I enjoy being out in the open away from everything and getting fresh air. I normally golf with 2 other co-workers who don’t keep score and don’t necessarily follow golfing etiquette or rules.

The first hole is a par 4. We will be using the orange tees, which are one less than the longest blue tees. Later in the year, we will start hitting from the long tees once we get into the season. This hole is about 400 yards straight south with a slight slope down to the green. The handicap on this hole is a 5, so this is the 5th hardest hole on the course. This may be due to the fact that normal winds would be from the south, so you would be hitting into that wind. Today, there is not much wind to speak of at the first tee.

OK, before we tee off, the group ahead of us must be either really bad or just started golfing. The group is teeing off from the blue tees and at least half of them didn’t make it past the women’s tee box. This might be a long round. To show how serious we are, the first joke at the tee goes like this: “After the golfer hit his shot only 20 yards off the tee, the fellow golfer immediately noted the obvious problem. He stated that his fellow duffer was standing too close to the golf ball after he hit it.” Think about it for a second and you will get it.

I used a driver off the tee. I have a discount, clone golf driver that has a loft of 9.5 degree. It was fitted to me, and I finally figured out how to hit it early last year. I drove it right down the center in the fairway about 250 yards. This left me with 150 yards to the pin, down hill. My 8 iron is my 150 yard club, so this was an ideal spot for me. I hit the golf ball pin high, but off the green to the left about 45 feet. I used a pitching wedge to within 15 feet of the golf hole and two putted. This gave me a bogey for the hole. Average for me, but I felt I was in good position off the drive. I had a little draw on my 8-iron and this took the ball off the left side of the green.

Hole number 2 is another par 4 that is a dog leg left. It is about 390 yards long and handicapped as the third hardest hole on the golf course. I used a 3 wood off the tee and pushed it a little to the right off the fairway in the rough. Again, this left me about 150 yards out. I again went to my 8 iron, but ended up short in the sand bunker guarding the front of the green. My sand play is not the best, so I am always disappointed to be in the sand. I again didn’t hit my 8 iron well, but it was on line to the pin. I hit out of the sand bunker with my sand wedge past the pin about 23 feet. I putted to 8 feet, then putted 3 feet past and then holed it on the third putt. This gave me a double bogey, which was really a disappointment, again. I was out in the nice weather, though, so it wasn’t all bad.

Hole number 3 is a short par 4 with a dog leg right just at the end of the fairway and guarded by water on the right in front of the green. It is handicapped at 11 for the course. I used a 3 iron off the tee to stay short of the water and hopefully give myself about 130 to 150 yards to the green. I ended up on the right side of the fairway about 136 yards out. Just what I was planning! This is just right for a hard 9 iron, so that is what I pulled from the golf bag. Unfortunately, I put 2 straight in the water. The third ended up about 40 feet from the hole on the green. I putted to within 2 feet and then putted in the hole. By my calculation, I took a 7 for a triple bogey. Real disappointment, but I played from the tee exactly like I wanted and putted well.

The next hole is number 4 and is a par 3 about 130 yards long. The handicap on this hole is a 17, so plays quite easy. I used a 9 iron and hit the green within 21 feet of the pin. Putted to within 2 feet and putted in for a par! Now things are looking up.

Hole number 5 is a par 5 about 415 yards long and is handicapped at number 9. I used my driver and hit the cart path which gave me a little extra distance. I ended up about 150 yards from the pin, but behind some trees. I used my 8 iron and hit a branch, but ended up in the middle of the fairway about 75 yards out. I used my pitching wedge and ended up on the right side of the green, but on within 26 feet of the pin. Putted to within 7 feet, then putted 3 feet past. Putted it in and took a bogey. I need to get my putting stroke down.

The next hole is number 6. It is a par 4 about 350 yards long. It is handicapped at number 13. I used my driver and muffed it out to the left rough with about 220 yards to go to the hole. I used a 6 iron to about 50 yards out. A sand wedge got me to the left edge of the green and a 32 foot putt. Putted to 3 feet and then in for another bogey.

Number 7 is a 320 yard par 4 and handicapped at 15. I used a driver and hit to within about 50 yards of the green right in the middle of the fairway! A pitching wedge ended up about 2 foot off the front of the green. Putted to within 1 foot of the hole and tapped in for my first par of the round!

Hole number 8 is a par 3 about 167 yards long and over a ditch. It is handicapped at number 7. I used a 4 iron into a slight breeze. The tee shot ended up off the right side of the green about 40 yards out in the rough just past pin high. I used a sand wedge and landed on the green about 40 foot from the pin. Putted to within 4 feet and then putted in for another bogey.

The number one handicapped hole is number 9. It is a par 5 playing about 495 yards today. I used a driver and pushed the tee shot out right and ended up in the number 1 fairway with about 320 yards to go to the green. I used a 3 wood and hit to the left edge of the fairway about 100 yards out from the green. Actually, the golf ball ended up about 2 inches into the rough off the fairway. I used a pitching wedge to the middle of the green and about 36 feet from the pin. Putted to 8 foot and putted to 1inch. I tapped it into the hole for another bogey.

By my calculations, I played the front nine at 10 over par. This is about normal for my golf round where I expect to shoot around bogey. Now on to the back nine.

Kevin is the husband of Becky and the father of 2, Nicholas and Kirsten. He is an avid sports fan and over-all good guy. He has taken his love of sports and developed web sites that offer that love of sports to others.

http://www.GolfClubsHome.com

http://collectiblesport.com/golfmemorabilia

Gift Ideas for Your Golfing Spouse

In today's golf crazy world, the odds are good that your spouse is a golf fanatic. If they are not fanatics, they are probably at least regular golfers who spend a considerable amount of time hitting the links. If you indeed have a spouse who is an avid golfer, you may be interested in finding that perfect golf gift for them. The question is how can you find something that is a little different but is still the ideal golf gift for your spouse. There are many items of golf equipment and accessories that you can consider purchasing for your spouse. Let's take a look at some non-traditional golf gifts that you may not have considered.


Does your spouse play different golf courses frequently? Sometimes golfers like to collect golf balls from the many courses that they have played and keep them in a nice wooden collector's case that they can hang on their wall or on a cabinet in their office. If they already have the golf balls, they might love that collector's box to keep them in. If they already have the box and a collection of golf balls, maybe purchase a round at a nicer golf club in your area that they haven't played.


Maybe your spouse has been talking about taking golf lessons. Consider talking to the golf pro at his/her club and have them put together a package of lessons that includes instruction on the range and "on-course" instruction. Many golfers haven't thought of "on-course" teaching but this can be tremendous fun and help them improve their golf game as well.


A lot of people give golf apparel as a gift so it may seem a little common at first. But have you considered a golf shirt or wind shirt special ordered from a famous golf location? Or maybe give them a very nice rain suit, maybe something in Gore Tex. It may be something they wouldn't buy for themselves. There are many golf apparel choices nowadays from online stores that you couldn't find just a few years ago.


You might not normally consider giving golf clubs since it might seem that your golfer has everything, but what about a set of used golf clubs as a second set. What, you say? Used golf clubs? A second set of golf clubs? Well consider this, wouldn't your golfer love a second set of clubs identical to their first set that they can leave at the golf club and only have to carry their clubs with them when they visit a different golf course? Spoil them with this unusual golf gift! And you can sometimes find them for a price you wouldn't believe.


If there are some golf clubs that your spouse doesn't have, you now have a large variety of golf e-tailers online and you can find some great bargains on discount golf clubs. Maybe a special wedge they have been wanting, a new design putter, or a fairway wood to replace those golf irons they can't hit, like the 3 or 4 iron. Or possibly they have their eye on some brand new golf training club or gadget.


If you are willing to spend some big bucks for a special anniversary or birthday, consider buying a golf trip to a special golf location. They may be dying to play at Pinehurst, Pebble Beach, or maybe even St Andrews. You might even want to go along and enjoy the travel and scenery, or ride along in the golf cart. Or you can pick a golf destination that is very close to one of your favorite pursuits.


One golf gift that your spouse may not expect from you is a subscription to a second golf magazine or to the Golf Channel if they don't have that. Most times they wouldn't expect you to encourage them to spend more time watching or reading about golf. But look at it this way, you can give them a golf gift that they love and keep them at home a little more!

David Stargel publishes several golf related websites in addition to writing about all sorts of golf related topics.
The Golf Nut

Information And Advice On Purchasing Used Golf Equipment


Golf is a great sport enjoyed by millions of people around the world. It is also one of the world's most difficult sports, and for people with a tendency to become frustrated when things don't go how they wanted them to, golf may not be the right sport for you.

If you've never played golf before, or played only crazy golf or only played on a small sized pitch and putt course with a seven iron and a putter, a game of golf on a full sized course is a different ball game. Not only do you require more golf clubs, but you require more patience, and also more energy to take you around the full course.

So if you're going to play on a full sized golf course and don't have any clubs, what do you do, you can either:

A: Go to your local golf shop, purchase the most expensive clubs you can find and when you find out you can't play like Tiger Woods with them wish you'd have bought some cheaper ones.

B: Rent some clubs or borrow some from a friend.

C: Buy some reasonably priced used golf equipment from somewhere.

If you have never played golf before and are not sure you'll like it, it is recommended that you borrow a set of clubs from a trusting friend who will need much reassurance they will come back in one piece. If however you have played golf before and you like the game, you may wish to consider purchasing some used golf equipment.

Simply because you are playing on a full sized golf course, this doesn't mean you need the full amount of clubs. For beginners, a 3 or 5 woods, a 3 iron, 5 iron, 7 iron, sand wedge and a putter should suffice. As for other equipment a second hand golf club bag with a shoulder strap, or if you prefer, a set of wheels will be ideal for a days golfing.

When purchasing second-hand golf clubs it is important that the face of the clubs don't have many dents and deep scratches in them as this can affect the course of the ball. Also be sure to check close to the grip and the head of the club on the shaft to ensure there are no signs of rusting, and finally, look down the clubs like a telescope and twist them to ensure they aren't bent or warped.


Cobra Junior Golf Clubs


It's never to early to get a youngster started playing the world's greatest game. Maybe not as early as two years old, when Tiger Woods started playing, but by the age of six there is no reason why children can't be out on the golf links. Tiger Woods actually shot a 48 over nine holes, at the Navy Golf Club in Cypress, California, when he was three years old.

Cobra Junior Golf sets ate a great way to give junior golfers a good first golfing experience.

These days, junior golf clubs are not just cut down versions of the adult models, but individual and complete sets of quality golf

clubs. While the shafts are naturally shorter, another major difference is swing speed. Children aren't as strong as adults and,

therefore, swing the golf club slower.

The more flexible shaft compensates for the slow swing by whipping the club through the ball at a faster than a normal driver, fairway

wood or iron. While it is hard to produce a truly flexible shaft when the golf club is so short, the folks at Cobra golf have found the

technology works in every club in the junior's bag.

However, unlike Tiger, junior golfers really don't need every golf club in the bag. The primary focus should be on developing a good swing, not a great score. It is much better to hit a good 9 iron short of the green than a poor 3 iron that happens to bounce along the fairway and end up on the green. A great way to start is simply by hitting a seven iron in the back yard. Then add a driver, a fairway wood or metal, a wedge and naturally, a putter. When your junior begins to score well with those clubs, then consider filling out the complete set.

Junior golf clubs come in three or four basic age categories. Three to five years old for the Tiger wanna- be's. Six to eight, which is a good age to start playing golf. Nine to eleven and eleven plus. There are also height guidelines if your junior is a little larger or smaller than average.

When buying junior golf clubs, make sure to purchase a junior bag. Junior bags are smaller and lighter. Lugging a too heavy golf bag and clubs around the golf course is a great way to discourage even the most ardent junior golfer.

Cobra Golf offers an excellent junior starter set that is custom designed for juniors in both the six to eight and nine to eleven age groups. Just like the adult models, each junior golf club is engineered with computerized design and high tech materials that match the juniors size and strength. The J/Speed Cobra set includes a King Cobra 300 cc driver and a King Cobra Baffler utility fairway metal. The irons are a stainless steel 7 iron and pitching wedge. An IM Series mallet putter rounds out the set. The bag is a lightweight stand model with dual carrying straps

Cobra even throws in a J/Speed hat to round out the junior golfer's image..

Don't forget to purchase the correct golf balls. Look for junior golf balls or ladies golf balls. Both are designed for lower swing speeds.

The good news about junior golf clubs is they are designed for youngsters. The bad news is, youngsters grow up. The shelf life of a set of junior golf clubs is only a few years, unless there is a younger brother or sister waiting in the wings.

If price is an important consideration, another option to consider is used junior clubs. An Internet online store is a great place to find Cobra and Callaway, Nike, Ping, Taylor Made and other brands of junior golf clubs. Used drivers, irons, fairway woods, metals and putters and complete sets of junior golf clubs are available at a cheap price.

Our favorite is Austads. Austads is a premium online store that offers junior golf clubs. Their price points are excellent. Take some time to compare offers and brands and select exactly the right junior golf club set for your junior Tiger Woods. And all from your computer room.

If you liked this article, you can learn more about king cobra junior golf and get discounted prices on cobra clubs by visiting King Cobra Golf Clubs


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