Entries Tagged as 'Play'

How and Where to Play the World’s Longest Golf Course

How and Where to Play the World’s Longest Golf Course

 

Imagine playing on a golf course longer than the distance from New York to Atlanta or Land’s End to John O’Groats. A new golf course offers a challenge to all keen golfers, but don’t expect to find fancy fairways and manicured greens.

Where do you find this exotic new golf lovers’ destination?

The Nullabor Links is in the Australian Outback and stretches 1365km (850 miles) from Ceduna in South Australia, along the Eyre Highway to Kalgoorlie- Boulder in Western Australia’s Goldfields.

Project Manager Alf Caputo was one of many enthusiastic golfers to tackle the course on the opening day.

“It’s been a fabulous journey,” he said. “It’s been a hell of a lot of fun coming across. We started five years ago with a dream and the dream has become a reality. The idea was to attract tourists and golfers who wanted to experience “the real Australia”. There’s some absolutely amazing scenery and before Nullabor Links there was no magnet to bring people out there to have a look at these beautiful things.”

What’s is the experience like?

If you hit the ball like Tiger Woods or Greg Norman you’ll be in your element. It is a golf course that requires a driver on every hole.

The holes are so far apart you will have to drive or be transported from one to the next and are likely to encounter some native Australian wildlife, including kangaroos, bush turkeys, emus, snakes and flies on your way.

One of the holes is in the middle of a sheep station, complete with shearing shed. The course also passes through wheat farming areas in South Australia.

“You can imagine international tourists, particularly from England, Japan and China, who have never seen anything like it in their lives.” Mr Caputo said.

How long does it take?

You will need to allow 3 or 4 days to complete the par-72 course and you will be awarded a certificate at the end. Driving time between the holes varies from 45 minutes to two and a half hours.

You can stop at one roadhouse, play a hole, then drive on to the next tee, 50 miles or 80km down the road. Some distances are even greater.

The holes themselves are in some rather strange locations.

Some are alongside long featureless stretches of the Eyre Highway and some are positioned near petrol stations.

And they’re not natural grass greens. Like many rural golf courses in Australia, due to the lack of water, a few greens are sand, stabilised with oil. Once you get used to them, they are easy to play on. Other greens are artificial turf.

As Alf Caputo proudly says:

“It’s not just a game of golf, it’s a true Australian experience.”

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How to prevent slow play on the golf course

How to prevent slow play on the golf course

Source article: http://www.helium.com/items/1493942-golf-how-to-do-something-about-slow-playing

One of the best ways to ruin a great game of golf on a beautiful day, is slow play on the golf course. Every golfer has suffered through either being the cause or the one affected by slow play at least once in their golf life, either side of the coin is an uncomfortable spot to be.

A recurring complaint that would walk through the door of my Pro Shop always seemed to be about that one group holding up the whole field on a busy, hot day. With the summer tourist season quickly approaching, what better topic to address in today’s post than slow play. Whether it is your first day on the course or one of your regular weekly rounds, it is always important to be considerate to the other players on the course. The biggest culprits of slow play on the golf course are those with the attitude that they paid a pretty jar of pennies to play golf today and they will take as long as they darn well please. Well, that’s all fine and dandy for him or her and their buddies, but what about the hundred or so others behind you them who also paid the same amount to play, huh?

There are no excuses, pace of play on a normal, full size eighteen hole golf course should never take more than four to four and a half hours. With a little common sense, every golfer should be able to play their round in the time allotted to that specific track. The best piece of advice to give regarding pace of play, is to try and stay within a half to a full hole maximum behind the group ahead of you. As long as the group ahead is in the same position and playing at a decent pace, you should be fine. When a ball cannot be found, a maximum of five minutes looking for a lost ball should be all that is spent. After those five minutes, the ball should be declared lost and the player move on to the next shot.

When playing in a group that is falling behind, resorting to ‘Ready Golf’ is the best solution to the problem while suggesting that the others in the group do the same. If you are unsure of the term ‘Ready Golf’, basically this refers to no screwing around. While others are hitting, be thinking about your next shot so when they are finished you are ready to take yours. Clubs, bags, carts, and belongings can also be a huge hindrance to pace of play. Try to always keep equipment closest to the direction you will be heading next, whether it is the green or the next tee-box. All in all, with a little common sense, pace of play should never be an issue, exceptions of course for the odd- bad hole or two that every golfer occasionally encounters on the golf course.

Jessica Tucker is a writer based in southern British Columbia, Canada where she has spent a large majority of her life. Along with the many different facets of Jessica’s interests; writing is her main passion and has been since she was old enough to hold a pen.

http://www.helium.com/users/277591 http://okanaganwildlife.blogspot.com
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Beginners Golf Tips - Play An Excellent Game On Golf Course With This 3 Areas That The Pro’s Use

Beginners Golf Tips - Play An Excellent Game On Golf Course With This 3 Areas That The Pro’s Use

Golf is an exciting game in which, each step you take can boost or decrease your likelihood of winning. Those who envision golf as a tense competition will not be likely to succeed because of the tension and stress that routinely builds up once you come up with the scores in your mind. You have to compete a relaxing game concentrating on your shots not including worrying regarding the results and money. Golf is at ease and fun if you know the three essentials that help you relinquish flawless shots all point in time. You have to focus your attention on all three to participate a decent game on the golf course.

1.    Knowledge on the subject of the course - Before you participate on several course, you have to know with reference to the course. The golf course has sand, grass, and occasionally tall trees. You need to know the geography of the course so that you can set up even prior to you drive the ball. Many golfers have the tendency of hitting the ball harder so that the ball is driven much farther. This is not a pro methodology for the reason that you don’t know what your next shot will be. Sometimes, your ball might be in close proximity the hole or you possibly will end up with a fried egg.

2.    Pre-Shot routine - You might have heard from the experts about the value of a pre-shot routine. This routine is as easy as a victory recipe. Your brain knows what works on behalf of you and when you are on course, you have to implement the recipe to play a victorious shot. The pre shot routine comprises of step by step information that allow you to focus your attention on the ball and followed by swing effortlessly. This can be achieved simply after satisfactory practice.

3.    The real shot - Even though you have a routine, it is the shot that determines your real game play. When you know the course, you know the shot to you have to play. Your mind works sooner to determine pre-shot routine to finish the definite shot. Now, you have to stretch your body and coordinate it with your mind to play the shot. It is next to this point that your body works in harmony with your mind.

Golf requires you to be mentally and physically fit. The above three essentials can help you just if you are fully concentrated on your game. Also, your body ought to be in a condition to pay attention to your mind and function accordingly. When you have your mind on work etc., you cannot concentrate by the book on the game. Even though you play for fun, you ought to devote it your full attention as soon as you play golf.

Physical fitness is equally vital to mental strength. Many golfers complain of problems with their tense muscles when they play. You have to take steps to tone your muscles using golf exercises that consist of stretching and resistance training workouts. If you are geared up physically and mentally, subsequently you have to practice all the shots following the above three steps in so as to order to dominate the golf course.

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A Wealth Of California Public Golf Courses Available For Play

A Wealth Of California Public Golf Courses Available For Play

California’s excellent weather conditions and physical topography make it one of the best spots in the world for locating a golf course, and California public golf courses are ready and available for you to come play a round.  Offering a host of different amenities, California public golf courses are all known for offering golfers a superior day of play on the course and a good time for players at all ages and ability levels.

Los Angeles golf courses abound.  Arcadia Golf course, located in the town of the same name, offers an inexpensive way to play golf.  Greens fees are reasonable, as are cart rental and club rental fees if you do not own your own.  Professional instruction is also available onsite, as is a driving range and putting greens.  Other Orange County golf courses include the Brookside Golf Club and Casta Del Sol Golf Course.  These California public golf courses in Pasadena and Mission Viejo offer email specials for those who go online to book golf tee times.  California’s Brookside also offers money-saving tee time specials.  The thirty-six-hole course was design by William Bell, while Casta Del Sol offers an executive layout featuring the design of Ted Robinson.

Other Los Angeles golf courses you will not want to miss include Chester Washington Golf Course and Coyote Hills Golf Course.  Like many of the top Orange Country golf courses, Chester Washington Golf Course provides golfers with a challenging course that is also nearby downtown for your convenience.  Coyote Hills offers a large course located on approximately two hundred and fifty acres that offerss players a variety of exciting hazzards as well are gorgeous scenery.  

Orange County golf courses that offer a full day of fun include the Diamond Bar Golf Course.  Gentle slopes and many trees line this course, one of the favorite Los Angeles golf courses if you are looking for a course with a long layout.

Another of the fine Los Angeles golf courses that makes it easy for you to get needed practice in is Dominguez Hills Golf Course.  This golf course features a nationally recognized driving range with ninety stalls available for use, as well as a night-lit course for twilight play.

Many Los Angeles golfers also enjoy a round of San Diego golf.  Balboa Park Golf Course offers an eighteen-hole course for a full round, or a nine-hole executive course when you are more strapped for time yet still want to fit a game in.  People who enjoy San Diego golf at this course will also have access to lessons, a well-stocked proshop, restaurant and more.

You can find out more about these California public golf courses by visiting their websites for more information.

Wayne Hemrick writes about-california public golf courses and golf tee times California

When Bill Powell was stationed in Scotland and England during World War II, he played several golf courses there. People weren’t interested in the color of his skin; they were interested in his golf score. But when Powell returned to the US after the war, he was denied access to several US golf courses because of his race. In 1946, he decided to build a course where everyone was welcome. Today, Clearview Golf Club in East Canton, OH, stands as the first to be designed, built, owned and operated by an African-American. Bill received the Distinguished Service Award by the PGA of America, its highest honor, in 2009. He died December 31, 2009. Video from 2001 courtesy Golf Portfolio, CNBC, Correspondent Scott Newell, Videography Jared Manders, Audio Thom Shafer.

5 Golf Courses in Northern France That You Must Play

5 Golf Courses in Northern France That You Must Play

Few places in the world can live up to the sheer density of high quality golf courses you see in northern France. I’ve played in over 40 countries and there are some fantastic places but I keep coming back to Cote d’Opale….Just 110 miles from London. As well as the renowned courses, there are a couple of hidden gems too. Here are five of the best that you must take in on a northern France golf break:

AA Saint Omer Golf Club

The great thing about Saint Omer is that it offers golf for all abilities. The forward tees provide an enjoyable game while even the European Tour pros find it tough off the very back. It’s a pretty, woodland course set over lush, rolling terrain and it offers great views. There are plenty of opportunities for the driver, but be careful as you approach the greens as they are particularly well-guarded. Annual host to the European Tour and now boasting a superior three-star hotel overlooking the 18th, AA Saint Omer is definitely one of the highlights of golf in northern France.

Hardelot Les Pins

This French Open qualifying course is one of my favourites…Anywhere. I’ve played here since the age of eight and the course has never looked better than now. Every hole presents a ‘death-or-glory’ dilemma; whether it’s a corner-cutting driver or a putt on a three-tiered green. Beautiful and brilliant and deservedly a hot favourite. No golf break in northern France is complete without visiting Hardelot.

Le Touquet La Mer

Le Touquet La Mer is an outstanding course - a wonderful golfing experience from start to finish. It’s not for novices and even experienced types may find it quite unforgiving. The secret to a successful round? Be in fine form from the very first hole, always plan your next shot and don’t be too greedy! It’s scenic, it offers some great links-like golf and it’s very close to home - golf in northern France doesn’t come much better than this. We respectfully call it “the beast”.

Arras Golf

Frequent host to the French Ladies golf open, Arras is a “game of too halves”. The front nine are packed with water features and protected greens that make pars (let alone birdies!) hard to come by, whilst the back nine gives you opportunities to make your scorecard look respectable. There’s a nice hotel on site and the historic town is wonderful. Under an hour from Calais, Arras provides nice golf at terrific value.

Belle Dune Golf Club

Try not to get too drawn in by the beauty of the place because this is a rather tricky course with real teeth if the wind blows. The layout follows a walk through one of Europe’s largest nature reserves so there is plenty of space and great scenery. But the design is seriously good too. The small clubhouse belies the fact that this is a “big course” in the best sense. Belle Dune is golf in northern France at its most charming.

Given the courses are so close to England, there’s absolutely no excuse for British golf enthusiasts not to enjoy them. Whether you take a long weekend, or spend the whole summer there, a golf break in northern France is a must for any serious golfer!

Morgan Clarke is the Managing Director of French Golf Holidays, a company that has been providing bespoke golf holidays for over 25 years. They are experts in the best places to play and stay, offering northern france golf breaks and throughout the rest of the country.

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Las Vegas Golf Courses, and the “Losers” Who Play Them

Las Vegas Golf Courses, and the “Losers” Who Play Them

It should come as no surprise that some of the most expensive golf clubs in the country are found in and around Las Vegas. It’s just not as easy as you might think to keep a lush green in the middle of a desert! That said, many private golf courses in the area don’t even list rates, so one can only guess how steep the rates actually are. But there are still a number of private and public courses where you can go and play a great round of golf - and still leave the green with some greenbacks in your wallet.

I lost at blackjack last night but I still have left…can I play golf, or should I just head over to the slot machines instead?

Well, I guess that all depends on just how lucky you feel. But if you are tired of giving the casinos all of your money, and want to take advantage of the great golf courses Las Vegas has to offer, then you are in luck…maybe. A growing concern for those wanting to play on the golf courses in the Las Vegas area is the fluctuating rates. Hey, we’re all used to rates changing due to seasons, lighting conditions, reservations…the works. But some of the golf courses in Las Vegas have divided the seasons up in ever-more-imaginative ways, that seem to try and squeeze every last possible dollar out of the green. However (and this is subject to change, so DEFINITELY try to book some green time as far in advance as possible), the following golf courses can be played for or less: Craig Ranch, Los Prados, and Eagle Crest.

I managed to escape the casinos with 0…golf anyone?

If you have been able to squirrel away a Ben Franklin, then a lot of the golf courses Las Vegas offers will gladly put you on the green. Now again, the rates at some golf courses are changing by the day, it seems - so be sure to check before showing up with only Ben. Those officially posting fees of 0 or less during the winter months are: Desert Rose, Las Vegas Golf Club, Painted Desert, Highland Falls, Palm Valley, Las Vegas National Golf Club, and the Rhodes Ranch. Oh, and for those not “in the know”, rates tend to be higher for golf courses in Las Vegas during the winter months, as the heat can be downright brutal during the summer. Oh yeah, Las Vegas is in the middle of a big desert, isn’t it?

I really need to stretch my golfing funds as much as possible…what options do I have?

No worries, my friend - sometimes the cards just aren’t rolling. You can save anywhere from -15 by walking golf courses instead of driving the carts. Not a great option during the heat of the summer months, but an option that can help stretch the dollar a little farther.

Twilight rates are another way to save money, but they can be very confusing. What is most confusing about the golf courses Las Vegas has to offer is that their twilight rates are not necessarily offered in the dying light. During the summer months, and due to the extreme heat, twilight hours tend to start in the late morning and early afternoon. In the winter, however, twilight hours occur at the end of the day, and it is not uncommon for golfers to not get in an entire 18 holes.

While Las Vegas does have many exclusive golf clubs, with prices so steep that they refuse to post them, there are a number of reasonably priced golf courses that offer some great greens at prices even the worst of gamblers can afford. Plus, if you are wise and plan accordingly, you can get those low prices even lower - and maybe even get in another round of golf to keep your mind off those lousy cards for a few hours longer! After a great round on the green, I can promise you that you will not leave Las Vegas feeling like a “loser” - even if your wallet tells you otherwise.

Albert Medinas has developed and maintains the website Best Golf Courses, which answers the most common questions players have about Golf Courses. Please visit us at http://www.bestgolfcourses.net today.

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