If I asked you where the oldest golf course in the world was what would you say? Scotland yes, good guess so far. But where in Scotland?

When pressed most golfers eventually say St Andrews, but they re wrong. Golf was played at Musselburgh near Edinburgh at least ten years before any recorded games at St Andrews. Local records suggest that golf was played on the links land near the shore at Musselburgh from around the year 1567.

The old course in Musselburgh is still there today and retains much of its original layout. It has nine holes and can be played by all comers. Seven of the holes were laid out before 1830 (and probably much earlier) and the two new holes were added in the mid 1800 s.

The British Open golf tournament was held at Musselburgh on five occasions between 1874 and 1889 and the first ever golf competition for women was played on the course in 1811. The club members still compete for the Old Club Cup, which dates back to 1774.

Even the holes in the greens are significant at Musselburgh. In 1829 the members decided to buy a mechanical device from a local blacksmith to cut the holes on the green. By chance he made it with a diameter of exactly four and a half inches. Golf holes at the time could be any size that the members wanted there was no rule about it. In 1893 the Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St Andrews who by this time wrote the rules of golf for the game worldwide decided that all golf holes should be the same size as the ones at Musselburgh and the decision has remained unchanged to this day.

For a course of such historical importance, access is remarkably easy. You can simply pay and play if you wish and there is a small shop selling special souvenirs. Memberships are available for both local and overseas members the latter might make a particularly unusual golf gift. Each overseas member receives a welcome pack with a history of the club, a special bag tag, special golf balls and tees and is welcome to join in any competitions if they come for a holiday in Scotland.

This truly is golf at it s most authentic and in its most historical setting. Come try it you will really feel the history of the place.

About The Author

Gary Hill lives and works near Edinburgh in Scotland.

You can visit his website at www.vacation2europe.com and read more about golf vacations to Scotland and Ireland at www.vacation2europe.com/ireland-golf-vacation.html

Vijay Singh for example uses weighted medicine balls to work his golf core muscles throughout the whole week of the tournament. In fact his caddie is his rainier. How convenient! The best of both worlds!

But hearing the phrase golf core exercises and knowing what your core is are two different things entirely. As a fitness professional it’s easy for me to throw out that phrase often to impress would-be clients or customers to my golf fitness training products.

But that’s not the case. Understanding what your core is and how it plays a critical role in producing maximum power; injury prevention and even stability is very important. Once you know you’ll soon realize this may be your missing link to a great game.

This area (core) starts roughly at your belly button and goes up to the bottom of your sternum. It is the engine of your body and awareness of your core affects golf the most. Think of it as the link in the chain that needs to be the strongest, not the weakest.

Two simple golf core exercises that will quickly strengthen your core is ab crunches and back extensions. These would be your initial exercises to give you the strength to move onto rotational exercises that put a little more stress on your spine if the muscles aren’t conditioned enough.

Once you’ve accomplished the above exercises, you can move on to a crunch with a twist and a back extension with a twist. This will hit your rotational strength right away…which will quickly equate to greater power output and distance.

You can then progress up to standing on your feet doing several different variations of rotational movements with a single dumbbell, standing upright and also in your golf posture.

Now that you have a basic understanding of golf core exercises you hopefully will see how important it is in your overall golf improvement plan.

So next time you hear the phrase on the television you’ll know what golf core exercises are.
About the Author

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds and manual at his golf swing trainer site - Perform Better Golf.

They have had a vision of going into the local gym and being intimidated by the “muscle heads.” It can also be overwhelming to decide what plan of action to take and if it will be worth the time and effort. I have listed three myths about strength training for golf and the truths about them as well.

“I will bulk up too much and that will hinder my golf swing.”

Golf conditioning specific for golf will not result in muscle gain that will alter your swing mechanics. To increase muscle size, involves lifting increasingly heavier weights with lower repetitions, increasing your calorie intake dramatically, and spending a couple of hours per day lifting weights.

A golf conditioning program incorporates moderate weight, with medium (12-15) repetitions, and in a time frame of 30-45 minutes. This type of program is designed to improve your golf specific strength and endurance, not build muscle.

“I will lose flexibility if I lift weights.”

In fact, the opposite is true! Weak muscles are also tight muscles. When you do resistance training, you are increasing blood flow, working through a functional range of motion specific to golf, and strengthening the tendons and ligaments in every joint of your body. In conjunction with a stretching program, strength training will improve flexibility, not hinder it.

“Weight training will cause me to lose feel.”

By strengthening your muscles specific to golf, you will have better control of your body. A sport specific program trains your body specifically for your golf game. When you improve functional strength, you have more control and balance, which will improve your feel. Strength training involves body awareness, muscular control, and coordination. These are all key elements for enhanced golf.

So in summary, golf conditioning can be done when you are in your early teens (with supervision), or into your late 80’s. I have personally worked with people in there 70’s and 80’s who increased their strength 100%. This was partly due to the initial level of fitness being so low.

My point is, that it is never too late to start. Search out a fitness professional or golf conditioning specialist to design a golf specific program and you will play better than you ever imagined!

Start now on your golf conditioning program!

About the Author

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf conditioning experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several online golf fitness sites. Check out his new golf conditioning products at http://www.performbettergolf.com

Golf clubs: Reviews and tips #1: Try the TaylorMade r5 dual TP which is a new driver that is made with revolutionary technology.

Golf clubs: Reviews and tips #2: The Nike Ignite features the hottest and strongest titanium ever created.

Golf clubs: Reviews and tips #3: Try the Callaway Big Bertha 484 if you want to maximum your drives.

Golf clubs: Reviews and tips #4: The Titleist 905S is a driver that has a deep face and will also allow for the higher speed or higher spin player who is looking for more trajectory.

Golf clubs: Reviews and tips #5: Take care of your golf clubs, keep them clean.

Golf clubs: Reviews and tips #6: Carry a towel with you when you are on the course. You can use the towel to clean your clubs if you encounter mud, sand or water while golfing.

Golf clubs: Reviews and tips #7: Don t keep your golf clubs in the trunk of your car or in an area where heat, cold and humidity can affect them.

Golf clubs: Reviews and tips #8: Buy headcovers for your woods and also for your putter. You might even consider headcovers for your irons.

Golf clubs: Reviews and tips #9: Every few rounds inspect your clubs for shiny areas on the grips and worn or cracked places.

Golf clubs: Reviews and tips #10: If you are golfing and it rains you should always clean your clubs as soon as you are done playing.

Golf clubs: Reviews and tips #11: Take care of your clubs and they will take care of you!

About the Author

Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Golf-Swing-Improvement.com. He provides more golfing tips, putting tips and golf swing instruction tips that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

So you’ll want to start with a visit to pro shops and sporting goods stores first. Try out as many brands and styles as you can. Continue refining your search until you’ve found the clubs you want. Make a mental note of the price, but know that you are not going to pay nearly that much.

Your Fingers Do The Walking

Now you’re ready to shop the internet, where you can find some the lowest prices on the best clubs.The billions of web pages of the internet makes for a fiercely competitive environment among online retailers. To compete with each other, and to muscle out their brick-and-mortar competition, online retailers have to sell their wares at rock bottom prices.

Plus they not only want to give you a good price, the lower operating overhead allows them to do so. For you, that can mean great deals on your golf clubs, as well as golf bags, balls, clothing, and anything else you need for your game.

Cyberspace Pirates

Be aware, though, that the internet is a refuge for crooks and thieves hoping to take your money. The internet abounds with scam artists who set up fake auction ads or entire web sites with the sole purpose of stealing your hard-earned cash. Once you send it to them, you can kiss your money good-bye. If you see unbelievable prices on golf clubs, the old adage “too good to be true” probably holds.

How To Make A Safe Purchase

Still, there are many legitimate sellers on the web and, by following safe internet buying practices, you can get a great deal without being robbed.

Once you’ve found the clubs you want at a fabulous price, proceed with caution to make your purchase. Never provide any personal information to someone over e-mail. Provide it only on a web site if the site is secure. You can tell a site is secure by checking the web address for https instead of http. The extra “s” stands for secure. Some sites have a little key symbol in the browser to let you know it’s safe.

Next, check out any retailer on the web before you purchase from them. See if they have a phone number and a real address. You can even go so far as to research on a comparison site like MySimon.com, or on the Better Business Bureau’s site.

This small amount of effort pays off in the long run, because you’ll get the golf clubs you want at the best possible prices.

About the Author

Visit Golf Gear to learn more. Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer. Copyright 2005 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact.

That doesn t necessarily mean that you have to spend a lot of cash on custom-fit golf clubs, though. While custom golf clubs are one way to go, you can probably find what you are looking for at a good golf store. But there are some things think about.

Though the length of the club is important, it s not all you need to consider. Professionals say that the size of the grip of your club should be comfortable in your hands. For this reason, clubs for younger players and women usually have a smaller grip.

If you decide that a set of custom-fit golf clubs is the way to go, there are some things to know. The aim is not just to make sure that the golf club reaches from your outstretched hand down to the ground, but also to make the most of your body and build as well. Getting a set of golf clubs custom fit is a process that takes some time.

A proper fitting session should occur both indoors and out. The best custom-fit golf clubs should be tailored so that the way swing is considered. This can become a costly endeavor.

Although many golf club manufacturers will charge a high fee for the fitting session, many offer this service on a complementary, if you buy a set of golf clubs from them. While custom clubs are more expensive than a general set purchased from a shop or elsewhere, the cost will be worth it when you see the immediate improvement in your golf game.

Think about the shots that you have been making since you started playing golf. If you re taller or shorter than the average golfer, custom clubs can make all the difference.

You might be wondering how long it takes to get a set of custom golf clubs in your bag. Many manufacturers of custom golf clubs can offer delivery within a few days, or often no more than a few weeks.

There are few negative aspects of getting custom-fit golf clubs. If you want to buy them for someone as a gift, or resell them someday, custom clubs are probably not the way to go. More than likely, the golfer who is going to receive the custom clubs will be surprised enough to get the fitting session, and most who go to this expense and trouble don t usually sell them.

Investing in custom-fit golf clubs is entirely up to you. If you want to perfect your swing and are planning to buy a new set of clubs, custom clubs might be the best investment you can make!

About the Author:

To get more tips about playing golf visit http://www.discovergolfsecrets.info

Read more articles by: Ken Snowie

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About the Author

Glenn Boulton is webmaster and publisher of Golf-Swing.Sportz-Online.Com
He presents reviews, information, and tips for improving your game on his website.

WOODS: woods are the longest clubs in the golfer’s bag used for driving the ball off the tee for the opening shot of each hole. They are the clubs with the large, bulbous heads designed to send a golf ball sailing hundreds of yards with a single swing. The further you are from the hole, the more you’ll be using your woods.

IRONS: these make up the majority of your club set. Irons are designed for all types of tasks. Some can hit a ball nearly as far as a wood, while others are capable of sending the ball a short distance in a high, arching trajectory.

PUTTERS: putters are built for finesse shot. They are strategically designed to help guide a golfer’s aim and steady his hands, sending the ball rolling in to the cup from a short distance away.

There are three parts to every club, which I’ll review beginning from the side closest to the ground, called the head. The head is the part that actually hits the ball. Wood and Iron refers to the type of club head. Then there’s the shaft, which is the long part of the club connecting the top and the bottom. The part of the club you hold is called the grip, which is discussed in more detail below.

As your surf the net looking at different sets of clubs from various manufacturers, you’ll notice that the shaft, head and grip are the available in a wide variety of designs and materials. It is this information that largely determines how a club is priced. But no matter how differently they appear in these descriptions, all clubs have a lot of similarities as well because in order to be used in a round of golf or tournament play, they must conform to certain rules established by one of two organizations. In the United States, the rules of golf are established by the United States Golf Association (USGA). The rules of golf for the rest of the world are established by The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of Saint Andrews (in Scotland). Incidentally, the Saint Andrews course is alson one of the most beautiful and highly recommended courses in the world. For the most part, the rules established by these two bodies are the same, though there are some differences.

Now let’s look at the main parts of the club in a bit more detail:

GRIP: The golf club’s grip is very important, as it connects the club to the golfer’s hands. According to the rules of golf, the grip has to be round, without obvious bumps. You’ll see grips made of rubber and grips made of leather with an assortment of small holes, grooves and ridges. All of these qualities are designed to make it easier for you to hold onto the club. There are various sizes of grips to accommodate different hand sizes and grip styles. According to most experts, the ideal material and design of the grip are a matter of personal preference.

SHAFT: The golf club’s shaft connects the grip to the head and, like the grip, must be basically round in cross section. Most modern golf club shafts are made of either steel or a carbon-fiber and resin composite material. Carbon has the advantage of being lighter than steel, but clubs with carbon-fiber shafts also tend to be more expensive. As in grips, shaft material tends to be a personal preference. The stiffness of the shaft is another variable. Most golfers, at least in the United States, seem to prefer a shaft that is stiffer, and manufacturers have obliged. If you swing a golf club like Tiger Woods, your body will coil and uncoil during a golf swing so that you apply plenty of energy to the face of the golf club when it meets the ball. If your swing is this good and if you are this strong, you want a very stiff shaft so that every bit of energy you generate in your swing is delivered to the ball, and none is absorbed in making the shaft of the club bend and vibrate.

However, if you do not have a Tiger Woods swing, then you can get a shaft with some flexibility to do some of the work of sheer muscle with a well-timed “whip” motion that stores energy from the top of the swing in a bent shaft, then releases it in time to deliver that energy to the ball.

HEAD: The golf club’s head is where all the energy of the swing is transferred to the golf ball. There is a lot more variation in the appearance of golf club heads than there is in either golf club shafts or grips, but all the variations fall into one of the three broad categories with which we started this article: woods, irons and putters.

Many golfers say the new forgiving clubs make a huge difference in their game. Variations are available for all levels of strength and experience, but choosing the right club and using it well are up to the golfer.

A poor choice of club and a bad swing can still produce the worst of shots from the best of clubs. And that’s a good thing because it means the quality of the golfer is still of some importance in the game of golf.

About the Author:

Gary Gold has been playing golf for 26 years on some of the world’s best courses. A retired management consultant, he now offers advice to golfers via his website: http://www.golfclbs.com. Visit him there for more tips on everything related to golf clubs.

Read more articles by: Gary Gold

This article is distributed by: www.iSnare.com

Woods have the largest heads of any golf club, and it is that bulbous head that helps Tiger Woods send the ball whizzing towards the green with a single shot. He’s using his driver, which is the largest wood. These large clubs are designed to send the ball sailing 300 yards or more with a single swing. For beginning golfers though, that single swing is sometimes precluded by several misses. Wood shafts are considerably longer than the shafts of most other clubs. This length increases the power that can be transferred to the ball, but it also makes it less likely that the ball will meet the the quarter-sized sweet spot in the middle of the club face. When an off-center hit occurs, the head of the club tends to twist, pointing the face in an unintended direction, and sending the ball the wrong way.

A golf club designer has to balance a number of factors. A heavy golf club head best resists twisting and therefore suffers the least from a less-than-perfect swing. However, a golfer can generally swing a club with a lighter head at a greater speed, which generates more energy to be transferred to the ball and so sends the ball a greater distance. Over the past 100 or so years, golf club designers have attempted to strike a balance between light and heavy clubs. The large head of a driver and the combination of metals like steel, titanium and bronze that go into various drivers, are all attempts to balance stability with light weight. The shape of the driver head allows designers to move the weight in the head to points that enhance stability. Thee points vary by each brand of club and often stand out as one of the unique selling factors marketed by manufacturers when claiming superiority for their clubs. The driver head shape also allows the head to glide over grass and ground rather than digging into the turf.

Irons, however, are designed to provide a greater variety of shots than woods. While woods tend to be optimal for long and very long shots, the shots made using irons range from 200 yards or more (2 irons), down to 40 yards or less in the case of the various wedges. Club designers are challenged with the same issues in irons as they are with woods, but their shorter shafts and the less exaggerated swings with which they are used have led to different solutions for different types of players.

Only 25 years ago, most manufacturer’s irons looked much the same — a blade-shaped head with most of the weight concentrated low and in the center of the club. This club design provided more emphasis for shots in which the ball was hit with the club’s sweet spot. The heads of these clubs were steel, and most likely shaped by forging — hammering hot metal under great pressure. When a golfer hit the ball off-center with these clubs, there was very little in the club’s design to prevent it from twisting and delivering a disappointing shot.

Since then, designers have developed clubs that have almost the same weight as the older golf clubs but have figured out how to distribute that weight around the perimeter of the club, making the head far more resistant to off-center twisting and therefore much more forgiving for golfers who swing off line by a few millimeters. In addition, modern metal alloys have allowed for larger iron heads, which increases the size of the “sweet spot,” thereby increasing the possibility of good results with a less-than-perfect swing.

Finally, let’s discuss the putter. Putters have a relatively simple job: to strike the golf ball with a face perpendicular to the path of a gentle swing and cause the ball to roll along the ground until it falls into a hole. Easy, right? Twisting is still a concern with off-center hits, but a putter is specifically designed to transfer significantly less energy to the ball than either irons or woods. But for this simple job, golf club manufacturers have designed a huge array of shapes for the heads of putters — blocks, blades, short, long, thick, thin, etc., and the various patterns of lines found on the faces.

The Parts of the Club Head
The head of the golf club has several parts: the hosel, where the head connects to the shaft; the face, which actually strikes the ball; the sole, which is the part closest to the ground; and the back, which is on the side opposite the face. We’ve talked a bit about the design of the back, and there’s not much to say about the hosel, so let’s look at the face and the sole.

About the Author:

Gary Gold has been playing golf for 26 years on some of the world’s best courses. A retired management consultant, he now offers advice to golfers via his website: http://www.golfclbs.com. Visit him there for more tips on everything related to golf clubs.

Read more articles by: Gary Gold

This article is distributed by: www.iSnare.com

The Grip
The grip of the golf club is important because it is the extension of the golfer’s hands. According to the rules of golf, the grip has to be round, without obvious pockmarks which detract significantly from the roundness.

The Shaft
The shaft of the golf club connects the grip to the head and, like the grip, must also conform to accepted roundness rules. Most modern golf club shafts are made of either steel or a carbon-fiber and resin composite.
Now it s about time to explain the concept and the theory behind a golf club component. The operant word is assembly type. It s like playing Lego set. So let s say you want to fit your choice of shaft to the rest of the club components, you ll be running into a vendor that sells a golf component kit. Now you ve got to be careful about whom you trust in this business. It s easy to ruin your investment. It can get scratched or worse, broken. It s not a simple glue or Epoxy situation.

Some unscrupulous golf component vendors use a sacrificial laminate process, involving grinding the outside of the shaft. By cutting the fibers on the surface, energy and feel are lost. Solution: Look for a high grade modulus shaft fiber which results in very little loss of energy from your hands to the clubface.

About the author:
Jonathan Berry has been publishing articles for over twenty years. Enjoy more golf related articles including
merchant discounts at http://golf-clubs-reviews.info

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