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For the weekend golfer, the toughest club in the bag to hit consistently is often the long iron.

As most people know so well, a player's lack of confidence in a particular club is often a self-fulfilling prophecy. Therefore, the very thought of trying to hit a long iron off the tee or the fairway leads many players to swing poorly, causing them to be even more reluctant to hit the same club the next time.

Quite frankly, even the better players struggle to make consistent contact with a long iron, especially when it comes to elevating the ball, and so even with a fairway lie. Put the ball in the semi-rough or rough and a two or three iron is a major challenge for the better players and an almost impossibility for the weekend golfer to hit with any degree of success.

However, the new hybrid wood, a club with a smaller head than a traditional wood and with a club length more in line with the two or three iron, can be just the ticket for turning around the weekend player's game. For most players, a hybrid wood with roughly an 18 degree loft will match a 2-3 iron in typical distance while one with a 22 degree loft matches that of a 4-5 iron. Various manufacturers produce hybrids in lofts of 16 to 25 degrees.

Of course for many players, those distances are relative. If you have seldom hit a 2 or 3 iron well, you likely have little idea about your length with the hybrid wood. But once you hit one of these new-fangled gems a few times, you will quickly learn your yardage and see just how much they can add to your game.

The place most golfers find the hybrids make a substantial difference is in those longer shots from the rough or semi-rough. Whereas a two or three iron can easily get hung up in the grass and cause a massive pull or slice and do so with little distance to show for the shot, the hybrid tends to move more easily through the grass. You simply will not need as much strength to get the wood through as you would with an iron.

Players first find that with a hybrid that they can get the ball elevated more easily. In addition, the weekender is able to keep the club face more on the target line, producing a far straighter shot. That combination allows the person to get far more out of a shot that previously caused them to cringe.

In addition, once comfortable with the club, players will find that with a nice clean fairway lie they will also make more consistent contact, again elevating the ball and keeping it online with the greenside target. Most golfers find the club provides a ball flight much higher than that of the lower iron, allowing for a softer hit and a better chance to hold the green when the ball arrives.

Though there are many expensive models on the market, the weekend golfer would do well to try one of the lesser priced models to see how the club feels in his/her hands. There are still some players who insist that hybrids have done nothing for their games, so investing in a high priced model is not a smart move.

But if you have basic confidence in your woods, especially your ability with either a three or five wood in your hands, then the hybrid will likely be a great addition to your golf bag. In fact, most players find that after just a few swings with the hybrid they can toss their two, three, and four irons aside and use the hybrid for all of their longer shots.

Each year, the weekend golfer sets out to play the game without the time to practice or take lessons. In fact, the goal of the weekend golfer is the exercise and the socialization time with peers that accompanies walking a golf course, not in putting in countless hours of practice time.

However, there are times when the weekend golfer begins to miss-hit the ball. As the poor shots develop, the fun immediately disappears from the game. As a weekend golfer it is essential that you understand that all golfers go through sour periods. But the key is to be able to right the ship and bring your swing back into the fold quickly.

For consistent ball striking, there are three areas that the weekend golfer should focus on. Those three concepts are maintaining proper balance, keeping one's head still, and making consistent contact by limiting the back swing.

Of the three, the most important aspect is balance. This concept is actually critical to virtually every sport but is vitally true in golf. To ensure that you maintain your balance, begin with your feet shoulder width apart, then turn your toes slightly outward and bring your heels slightly closer together. This type of stance will immediately give you greater balance throughout the swing.

As you begin swinging the golf club, focus on keeping your weight between your feet, shifting only from the inside part of one foot to the inside part of the other. Many players move their weight beyond their back foot, or to the outside of their back foot, on the back swing and ahead of their front foot, or to the outside of the front foot, on the follow through. Consistency is developed when you as a golfer are able to keep your weight well-balanced between your feet. Focus on keeping your weight between your feet at all times.

As you work on your balance, also be sure to keep your head still and your eyes down. This proverbial tip is also at the heart of consistent play.

A moving head makes it difficult to strike the ball consistently as your swing plane and angle responds directly to the movement of your head. In addition, a moving head lends to balance issues. Traditionally, the average player's greatest mistake is the raising of the eyes just as the club makes contact. The player is looking to see the results of their shot even before the shot is finished. If you can resist this peeking and keep your head down completely through impact you will develop a more consistent game.

If you somehow do not manage to straighten things out by taking care of these balance and head issues, then try shortening your back swing. The average player tends to take a full back swing and then decelerating and limiting their follow through lending more inconsistency to their ball striking. The opposite is far better - take the club back only to mid-swing but then be sure to complete the swing with a full follow through.

This technique will bring straighter hits as your swing plane and the club face will be more in line during contact. In taking this step you are likely to lose some distance although many players see almost no change. If you are a person who loses some length, simply adjust your club selection accordingly. If you are a five-iron from 150 yards out, shorten the back swing and take a four or even a three-iron. Shortening the back swing serves to immediately straighten out many swing problems for the average golfer.

Golf can be a great activity for each of us. The opportunity to walk a beautiful course, basking in the sun and fresh air, can be an exceptionally positive experience. In addition, the game offers ample time for socialization within your foursome as you progress around the course.

Keeping the aforementioned basics in mind will ensure that golf is not only a healthy activity but also an enjoyable experience for everyone, no matter what caliber player you are.

With today's golf courses growing fancier and longer, many clubs now mandate cart use during the busy play hours at a minimum, all day at a maximum. For those who see golf as a chance to get some exercise, such courses are not all that desirable.

By the same token, even if walking is allowed, many of today's longer courses can leave the average person exhausted by the time they hit 12th tee. Once tired, your swing mechanics disappear, and the mishits begin to come in earnest.

For those wanting to walk, especially those with a modest level of skill, an executive length course can be just the ticket. In addition, because the course will be generally easier, you will find yourself less likely to over-swing, the most common error for the weekend golfer.

An executive course will generally differ from a par three in three basic ways. First, most par three golf courses will consist of holes measuring 75 to 150 yards maximum. You definitely will not need any woods on a typical par 3 course. In addition, most such courses will be without sand traps or water, making accuracy even less important. Finally, there will be little variation in the tees, making the holes pretty much the same, a disappointment if to play 18 you need repeat the same nine holes a second time.

Executive golf courses will generally consist of holes in the 100 to 300 yard range, with an occasional course having a 400 to 425 yard par five. With par fours totaling 300 yards, you will definitely get to use those woods, perhaps you may even get to hit a fairway wood at times. Many will feature sand traps to protect the greens while the nicer editions will have ponds that render shot making more meaningful. Fianlly, most will have at least two different sets of tees that will likely bring the water more into play on one hole, force you to bend a shot around trees on another.

Generally, executive courses will have smaller greens making chipping and short iron play even more important. Most such courses alternate the holes every other hole, a par four, a par three, etc., seldom with two tough holes back-to-back.

Having played a lot of golf, I still find two of my favorite golf holes are on executive golf courses. One, on the coast of Maine, has a 115 yard, par three, to a three-tiered green, with the entire shot playing over the water. There is only five yards of grass between the green and the rocks that hold the water at bay. Three different tee positions also exist, with the most difficult making the hole about 140 yards.

A second is from a course that has since abandoned the hole. The tee features a comfortable looking, gentle, 275 yard, banked hole, with the right side much higher than the left, with a wide open fairway for the first 200 yards. However, once you reached the 200 yard marker, the hole began to narrow. By the time you reached the green there was no more than 5 yards of grass left, right, or behind the hole, with trees all around the five yard semi-circle. The woods were thinned so that almost every ball was still playable, and with many gorgeous birch trees, chipping back onto the green could be quite a beautiful experience. But every kind of errant second shot could be exceedingly painful if you came to rest behind a tree that blocked your way to the hole.

When it comes to executive courses though, the best aspect is you can easily walk such a course, playing 18 holes without exhaustion setting in. Moreover, executive courses are a great place to sharpen your game while you improve your fitness in a manageable way.

There is probably no more commonly used phrase than the one that compares the importance of putting to that of ball striking. But in a game where the last 30 feet can take as many shots for the average golfer as the first 400 yards, the statement "Drive for Show, Putt for Dough" truly puts the importance of the game on the strokes used upon the surface of the green.

There are three reasons why you should develop your putting skills. The first is of course to develop confidence in that aspect of your game - if you are confident with your putting stroke, the hole looks quite large. Developing your putting stroke will enable you to stand over four to six footers thinking positive thoughts, believing you have a better chance of making the short one than you have of missing it.

The second reason to develop your putting skills is to take pressure off the other aspects of your game. If you are confident on the green, a poor iron shot or lousy chip will simply not be as meaningful to you. The negative thoughts of those poor shots are more likely to be pushed from your mindset much more quickly if you have confidence with the blade in your hands.

The third reason is one of the fundamental tenets of golf, you will simply use fewer strokes and score much better. Other than chipping, there is no quicker way to waste strokes in a round than to butcher the last 30 feet to the hole.

There are two basic drills every golfer should use from time to time when they go to the course. The first involves the concept of putting the ball in the hole, the second focuses on proper speed, or "lag putting."

The biggest mistake that the average golfer makes is to practice neither of these scenarios. Most golfers drop the ball 10-15 feet from the hole and then try to make the putt from that distance.

The best way to practice is to first take the time to practice the short putts. Start out no more than three to four feet from the hole, drop four balls, and stay there until you make all four putts in a row. The first way to develop confidence is to learn to consistently putt the ball where you aim and you can do a lot worse on the course than consistently making those three to four footers. Again, stay at that location until you make at least four in a row.

Then gradually work your way out from the hole, going first to about six feet, then to seven, and then finally to about eight feet away. Begin by staying at a specific location until you make at least two of the four putts. Once you have achieved that mastery level, move to the next distance and stay there until you make at least two of the four. Do not move further away until you make at least two out of four. If you are unable after two groups of four to make at least two putts, start back at the three to four foot range and make four straight before trying the longer putts again.

Once you get your stroke down, begin to make it your goal to drop three out of four before moving to a longer distance. Do this drill for 10 minutes before you play, every time you play, and you will soon see your putting game come into focus.

After spending ten minutes or so making putts, try to practice another dozen putts, three groups of four, from distances varying from 15 to 30 feet from the hole. In this case, truly change your goal from that of trying to make the putt. Instead, picture a circle around the hole, roughly six feet in diameter (three feet each side of the hole) and focus on "lagging" the putt.

Make it your goal to simply get the ball inside that larger circle, to have the putt come to rest inside the six foot circle. You will be amazed at how much easier it is when you make that your target. Here, the key aspect is nothing more than speed, hitting the ball far enough but not too far, with actual direction secondary, being sure the ball comes to rest in the vicinity of the hole.

If you want to improve your game, focus at times on your putting. Practicing these two drills will immediately pay dividends to any player, regardless of skill level. Any player who can consistently two-putt a green will see his or her confidence soar to say nothing of seeing his or her respective golf score go down quickly.

When it comes to the game of golf, an eight foot putt counts the same as a 225 yard drive. That is why every serious golfer knows that it truly is "Drive for Show and Putt for Dough."

There is an oft-used phrase in amateur sports, that it is better to be lucky than good. But any professional who wins a major championship knows that such a win comes only when both equal amounts of luck and skill are present.

Such was the case with Geoff Ogilvy this weekend at the difficult US Open. The Aussie who is beginning to emerge as a force on the national golf stage was the proverbial last man standing when the difficult Winged Foot golf course made pars analogous to birdies and bogeys analogous to pars.

Heading to the 18th hole, three men all had an excellent chance to win the prestigious event. However, when it came to executing in the clutch, only Ogilvy stepped forward.

First Colin Montgomerie, he of the 0 for 58 in major championships, stepped to the 18th, tied at four over par with Mickelson, one shot ahead of Ogilvy. Monty drilled his tee shot down the middle of the fairway and had only a mid-iron to the green. All Montgomerie had to do was put the ball on the green someplace, lag putt, then tap in for par and he would at worst be in a playoff.

But debating between clubs, the burly Scot elected to go with the shorter one, figuring his adrenaline would be pumping and that he would likely hit it long. Going with the higher iron, the World's 21st ranked player ended up trying to jump on it, pushing the ball wide right and into the rough.

Still he chipped out and had a putt for a potential par, albeit a very long one. Perhaps thinking he needed to make the putt to have a chance of tying Mickelson, Monty appeared to go all out on holing the lengthy shot. That move proved fatal as his potential par saver sailed 10 feet past the hole. Montgomerie promptly missed the comebacker for bogey and settled for a 6 to push him to six over and seemingly into third place.

After Ogilvy got up and down for par on the 18th to preserve his five over score, Mickelson, now the leader at four over, proceeded to top the ineptness of the burly Scot. Lefty began by doing the same as Monty, doing so by trying to jump on his driver, sending his tee shot so far left that it ricocheted off a hospitality tent. Then instead of simply playing his second shot back into the fairway, then trying to get up and down for par and a win, or at worse a bogey and tie, Mickelson elected to try to pull off the shot of the century, a wide ranging slice that would hook around the trees and up near the green. As all now know, Lefty's slice traveled a scant 25 yards before it struck a tree limb and fell to the ground, essentially wasting a shot in the process.

Inexplicably, perhaps losing all sense, he then tried to hit yet another spectacular shot, this time over the top of a bunch of trees. Lefty again failed to pull it off, sending his iron shot wide left to a buried lie in a green side bunker. Unable to get up and down from there for bogey, Mickelson also finished at six over with Montgomerie, and in doing so arguably handed the title to Ogilvy.

But lost in the fiasco was the play of the Aussie. First, the 29-year-old chipped in on 17 for a miraculous par save. However, that paled with how he responded on 18 when everything was riding on the tournament.

First he hit a perfect t-shot, splitting the fairway some 300 yards away. However, as luck would have it, the Aussie's ball came to rest in a sand-filled divot. That incredibly bad luck produced a fluffy lie, and though Ogilvy struck an almost perfect second shot, the soft sand helped him come up about a yard short of hitting it stiff to the flag.

Again, seemingly as if all luck was against him, he watched in disbelief as what looked at first like a potential birdie chance, soon became a problem, his ball coming back off the green and rolling back down the slope.

A lesser man would likely have been done in by the second break, but not Ogilvy. The winner of the Match Play Tourney earlier in 2006 showed why he was tough to beat one-on-one, demonstrating nerves of steel as he chipped to about six feet on the rock hard green, then promptly draining a putt that had to feel like putting on cement.

Ogilvy's superb performance seemed to be lost amid the Mickelson and Montgomerie debacles. Indeed those two fine players failed to execute at crunch time, opening the door for the Aussie.

But make no mistake, Ogilvy stepped up and performed when others did not. And also make no mistake, it does pay to be both good and lucky, especially if your sights are set on winning a major championship.

If you are like everyone else who loves to play the game of golf, you will hit several excellent shots during your round. Each of those shots will give you enormous satisfaction, and it you hit enough of them, you will keep coming back to the game to try your luck again.

At the same time, if you are like everyone else who loves to play the game of golf, you will hit some bad shots (more than likely, some truly terrible shots). Those errant mishits can be exceptionally frustrating and if you're not careful, the negative emotions associated with a poor shot can lead to yet another bad hit, leading to more frustration, to yet another mishit, etc.

The simplest way to improve your golf game, and ultimately your score on the course, is to learn to play one shot at a time. In fact, the more you play, the more you will soon learn one of the game's basic premises. The only shot that matters is your next one, the shot you are about to hit.

Though an exceptionally good hit may leave you feeling positive as you approach your next shot, one good hit is simply that, a single good shot. Likewise, though an exceptionally bad shot may leave you feeling negative as you approach your next hit, that one bad shot is simply that, one bad hit.

The key in golf is to focus only on the next shot. No matter what your score is to that point, no mattewhetherer you are coming off a good hit or not, you must put your last shot behind you and focus on the techniques needed for the shot you are about to hit.

The best way to get rid of those snowmen (the dreaded eights on the score card) or worse, is to concentrate on hitting one shot at a time. A duffed drive or a topped fairway iron adds just a single shot to your scorecard. Keeping your anger in check, returning to fundamental swing thoughts, and then focusing only on your next swing is the simplest way to get your round back on track.

The surprising thing for most golfers is that such an approach improves their game and the score dramatically. However, the reason that it is so surprising is that the improvement does not necessarily come from hitting more high quality shots, those times when you hit the ball perfectly in the sweet spot.

Instead, what happens is that the quality of your poor shots improves dramatically. The first thing that will happen is that you will reduce your number of total mishits, those shots where you truly gain very little yardage or worse yet, move you from being in tough shape to being in downright trouble.

You will find that by focusing only the swing at hand you will be first be less likely to top the ball, but even if you do you will still likely get some yardage out of your shot. If you hit an errant shot directionally, focusing in on getting the ball back in the fairway and in a line to proceed towards the hole will yield much better results than the angry swing that many players bring to the location, the rip it and hope philosophy that many get caught up in when their anger gets the better of them.

If your truly want to improve your golf game, simply play your round one shot at a time. Tell yourself before each swing that the next shot you are about to execute is the only shot that matters.

If you can gain such a focus, your enjoyment of the game will grow immensely and your score will see a steady downward path.

Once the weekend golfer begins to realize that a chip from just off the green counts the same as a 220 yard drive straight down the middle, that each count as one stroke on the score card, he or she learns the importance of having a solid short game. In fact, as every avid golfer knows and the weekend golfer soon realizes, the best way to improve your golf score is not necessarily to improve your golf swing, it is to improve your short game.

The first aspect of improving one's short game is to realize that what you see the pros do on television takes literally years and years of practice. The flop shot that Mickelson handles with relative ease is one of the most difficult shots in golf to execute, and it is simply beyond the weekend golfer's ability to execute.

For the golfer who wants to quickly improve his or her short game, there are two simple tips that will help immediately. The first involves the stance, the second involves the swing.

There are essentially two mistakes most weekend golfers make in the short game. The first is to try to shift his/her weight during the chipping motion, something that is difficult to properly time for such a short shot. Second, most take a pronounced back swing, then decelerate the club near impact, often with almost no follow through.

To help reduce potential issues with improper balance and weight shift, try standing with your feet close together with your front foot opened slightly towards the hole. Once comfortable, move your weight onto that front foot, and keep your weight there throughout the chipping motion. Be sure that during your one or two basic practice swings you keep your weight on the front foot, your eyes on the impact target point.

Then advance your hands so that they are slightly ahead of the ball and begin your swing by taking the club back a very short distance, being sure to do so without breaking your wrists. Then simply swing the club forward, your eyes focused on striking the back side of the ball, right at ground level.

When executing this movement, be sure not to decelerate the club - allow the club head to move forward through the shot so that you follow through towards the hole. Also, make the movement of the club through the point of impact crisp, staying under control, but being firm.

The mistake that most weekend golfers make is to mimic the soft, elongated swing of the pros.
Instead, by being short and firm, you eliminate the chance of the club digging under the ball and hitting a chunker, one where the ball barely advances. In addition, a shorter swing will cut down on the distance that a blatant skull will traverse should you fail to stay down on the swing.

Lastly, try the same motion, over and over, taking the club back the same distance each time, then following through a similar amount but begin trying the same motion with different clubs. Try the motion with a five or six iron or seven iron. Notice that the ball will go lower and roll further with these clubs. Then try the same motion with a nine iron or wedge, either a lob or sand wedge. Notice that the ball rises up and goes much less further in both the air and upon the ground.

The keys are simple: take your stance properly, feet close together, front foot slightly open, and put your weight entirely on the front foot (be sure it stays there throughout the swing). Advance your hands, then take a short, firm stroke without breaking your wrists during the swing. Do not swing softly, and do not decelerate the club at impact.

Using this approach you will soon learn that a chip from the fringe may be played exactly like a chip from forty yards away, with the variation being only the club selection and a slightly longer back swing.

If any avid golfer is looking for a different vacation spot where he or she can still be surrounded by golfing atmosphere, look no further than World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Florida. The World Golf Hall of Fame is found here as well.

Yes, this is the same St. Augustine that is the oldest city in the United States. It's the same St. Augustine where Ponce de Leon is said to have discovered the fountain of youth. If you have some off-time from your golfing, you can even take a sip from that fountain and enjoy a tour of St. Augustine. In addition to the fountain, try one of the museums, the Castillo de San Marcos, and the Mission of Nombre de Dios. Those are just a few of the attractions found within minutes of the World Golf Village.

The World Golf Village is found south of Jacksonville and less than ten miles from St. Augustine. Travelers who are driving will see the exits while traveling along Interstate 95. You will be taking exit 323 onto International Golf Parkway. (Yes, everything in this area is indeed geared toward your passion, everything golf related!) If you are flying to this area, JAX (Jacksonville International) is about 40 minutes from the Golf Village and DAB (Daytona Beach Regional Airport) is about 55 minutes away. If you will be coming to the World Golf Village from a vacation to Orlando, take Interstate 4 to Interstate 95. Your drive will take an hour and a half to two hours depending on the traffic conditions.

Certainly you will want to do more than to just walk around and see the museum, so there are two championship golf courses here. They are called "King & Bear" and "Slammer & Squire." The courses are tournament ready and are par 72. You may be interested to know that King & Bear was designed by Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. And yes, that is where the unique name came from, Arnold "The King" Palmer and Jack "The Bear" Nicklaus!

If you need to sharpen your skills, the resort at World Golf Village also offers lessons at the PGA Tour Golf Academy. If you want to take golf lessons any time in life, this is definitely the place to consider.

Since World Golf Village houses a few resorts, you will not have to look too far for accommodations and dining. There is an IMAX (r) theater and a spa on site. If you want to do some shopping, consider St. George Street in St. Augustine. Antiques shopping is excellent in this area. Also in St. Augustine proper you will be able to take a cruise on the Matanzas Bay or go across the bridge to Anastasia Island where you will find lovely Atlantic beaches with a stately lighthouse overlooking the area.

The Renaissance Resort in the Village offers a huge conference center of more than 85,000 square feet of meeting space. The resort is lush and beautiful and is situated on more than 6,000 acres. There is a large atrium with a waterfall and palms. Don't worry about leaving the Golf Village when you get hungry because there are excellent restaurants available. Guests have access to baseball diamonds, soccer fields, a couple of playgrounds for kids, basketball courts, tennis courts, and pools among other things.

If there are non-golfers in your travel party, don't be afraid to still book a room at the resort. There is a fitness center with sauna, billiards room, trails for hiking and jogging, and tennis courts. Guests to the resort are close to the World Golf Hall of Fame and the IMAX (r) Theater. If you stay at the Renaissance Resort, be sure to try the indoor golf simulator called Full Swing Golf for "practice" on more than 20 top courses.

You will have many options for dining. A few of these include:

Caddyshack (serving an American grill menu and created by Bill Murray and his brothers)

The Cypress Pointe Restaurant (found in the garden atrium. Cypress Pointe serves continental cuisine and is open for all three meals)

Hall of Fame Cafe (casual type of gourmet deli for salad, sandwich, dessert, etc.)

Legacy Steakhouse (upscale dining with impressive wine list)

Marvin's Steaks & Barbecue (barbecued sandwiches and meats)

The Links Lounge (sports lounge)

Plus a grille restaurant on each of the courses offering breakfast and lunch

By Christina VanGinkel

I have subscribed to several golf related magazines throughout the years, including Golf, Golf Digest, and Golf for Women, and my current favorite, Golfweek. Each of these magazines offer a different perspective on the world of golf than the others do, though there is some overlapping of course, due to the tight knot community that the world of golf is. I must say that I enjoyed each one for the variety that they offered though.

Golf for Women

Golf for Women always has something that intrigues me, be it an article on an up and coming woman or young girl in the world of pro golf, or a list of tips that is sure to include just what you have been in search of. It might just as well contain a look at the latest fashions to wear on the course and in the clubhouse, along with reviews of the tools needed to make sure that the game you are playing is being backed by the best there is to have. On the other hand, even where to find the perfect place to set up a new household if golf is the lifestyle you want to live. Golf for Women is much more than just another golf magazine. It is a golf magazine that covers much more than the fluff side of golf. It is a true sport minded magazine for any woman who loves the sport. It is for every woman who wants to take her game to the next level, and who wants to know where the best courses in the world are located. It is for any woman who golfs, who enjoys the game, or just wants to learn a bit more about one of the hottest sports on the market today.

Golf Digest

Golf Digest has articles with titles such as 101 Secrets to Great Golf, alongside all of the latest tour news. Golf Digest covers everything from the PGA to the LPGA, right alongside amateur news. They feel that no matter where your interest in the sport of golf lies, it is their duty to make sure they bring you the latest news on the subject. Golf Digest was one of the first golf related magazines that I ever read. A friend passed on to me a whole year of back issues, and after reading every tip, comments, and article within the pages that I could, I ordered my first subscription. Several years alter I am still a subscriber.

Golfweek

This week's issue of Golfweek came out of my mailbox with an intriguing cover shot of Wie, with the word 'Almost' in big letters, referring to her miss at getting into the Open. It has an article on the memories of the U.S. Open when Greg Norman was at his finest. It has every bit of news one could be interested in about the PGA, The PGA European Tour, College news, Ranking in both points and dollar wise, and even news about the business end of the game. It often lacks the high gloss portraits of courses that are out there just for the rich and famous which are always fun to read about and dream over, but it still contains more than enough to keep me reading from the first through the last page. I love the Who's Hot and Who's Not column, along with the Watchdog list and the On the Air listing to keep me up to date on when I can catch this favored sport on television. This feature alone keeps me from having to waste time poring through my online television listings or some antiquated paper guide.

Golf magazines, in general, are a great way to keep up with the never-ending news and trivia about all your favorite golfers and the courses they golf on. All right alongside information on the tools of the trade that will help you to play the best game of your life, or at the least, keep you looking like you are playing the best game of your life. If you live in a climate where you cannot golf year round, any of these magazines are also a great way to keep up your interest in the off periods throughout the year.

By Christina VanGinkel

My husband golfed when I first met him years ago. One of our first dates was spent on a local golf course, doubling with a couple that was friends of his. They both golfed regularly too. I had never swung a club before that day and had not a clue what to do. When I was handed a club, I swung, and missed. No one laughed, they just all sort of looked down at the ground, while my future husband to be attempted to show me what I was doing wrong. Well, as I was doing everything wrong, from standing to holding the club, to how I was swinging, he was not having much luck teaching me how to connect. He was not having much luck at all, as I swore I was never golfing again after that embarrassing try. I had thought before going, that just how hard could it be to hit a small white ball with a big long club? My answer was sadly that it could be quite difficult, especially if you were I!

Years passed, and while he continued to golf, I would make excuses for why I could not go with. I was busy with work, then kids, I had a project that needed starting, or finishing around the house, I even had phone calls to make. Anything that was even slightly plausible was enough to get him out the door and keep me home. At one point in time, I even made a position of telling him that golf should just be his guy thing, a place for him to go relieve his stress of the workweek, surrounded by all of his guy friends. None of the excuses flew though, and he never gave up on getting me back out on the course. After all, I was great at picking out the perfect set of clubs, or choosing the perfect shoes to wear out on the course, (FootJoy wins by a mile!). I even enjoy watching golf on television, and I subscribe to Golfweek magazine. What you have to understand is that I do like golf, I just do not like to golf. I tried it after that first embarrassing go round, swinging at so many balls that surely I could have hit one. In addition, I did, but never consistently, or enough that I would put myself back out in public where I could once again be humiliated for not being able to do what so many people take for granted.

While we do not live anywhere near a major golf course, we are in the midst of numerous smaller courses, some even that people will actually head to for vacations. One smaller golf course is right at the end of the road we live on, and I cannot even go to town without passing the sign at the entrance. It has been a constant reminder throughout the years, just what a failure I was at this seemingly popular sport. Then two years ago, this same golf course was sold, and has had a major makeover. They actually created a complete summer style retreat, with a bigger restaurant and bar, white water rafting (the course is adjacent to the areas largest river known for white water rafting), and various other forms of entertainment. To mark the opening and to let everyone just how to find this little wonder tucked away in the north woods, they also installed a new sign. It sits along the highway and has a 3D golf ball the size of which King Kong could easily use. If that were not bad enough, my son commented one day while passing it that there was a golf ball that was big enough that even I could not miss it! This comment came after years of his listening to me make excuses on why I was too busy to go golf with my husband.

A few weeks after the new sign was installed, I headed to the hairdressers to get a cut and style. In talking to the woman who cuts my hair, she told me about a vacation her husband and her were heading off to in just a few weeks. They were going to South Carolina for a week of golf lessons. When I asked what else they would be doing, she replied that was it. No sight seeing, no other plans, just golf, morning, noon, and night. Now, I have known her for years, and I have known her to golf for all of these years. Why would she need lessons? Just for fun, she replied. Her husband and her golfed every week through spring, summer, and fall, weather permitting, and they just wanted to pick up a few tips to make the game as good as it could be.

If none of this golf talk were enough, my best friend calls me and tells me that she decided to get a part time job for the summer. She already has a job, and is finishing a return to college to get her degree. Where and what sort of job could she possibly fit into her already hectic schedule? You guessed it; she opens the golf club that is just down the road from her house a couple mornings a week. With all of this sudden influx of golf, no matter which way I turn, I thought that maybe I am missing something, besides the ball that is, so I have vowed to go the next time my husband asks me. Time heals they say, so maybe after all this time, I can find that groove to allow me to at least connect with the ball. I have no grand illusions of becoming the best golfer on the green, but maybe good enough that I could make it a complete round without embarrassing all those with me. Well, that is unless the phone is ringing, or the dog needs walking, or...

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