April 15th, 2013 | Article by Guest

The 2013 Masters Playoff: Golf as it Should Be

The sporting world was served a treat on Sunday evening as the 2013 Masters final round made the golf betting news headlines, splitting to a two-man showdown in a gripping playoff between Adam Scott and Angel Cabrera.

After four rounds of scintillating golf on probably the toughest course in the world, Australian Scott and his PGA Tour counterpart Cabrera drew level on eight under to force sudden death.

Those who bet on golf watched on intently as the pair walked back up the 18th to play their first extra hole. Both hit poor approach shots and saw their balls roll off the green down the near banking, but Cabrera pulled off a wonderful piece of mastery to almost chip in for birdie.

His effort pulled wide, however, and he sunk for par before Scott nailed his chip and putt to trigger a second hole.

The tension among Augusta’s gripped spectators was palpable yet the two men with all the pressure on their shoulders appeared the calmest on the course. Both set up birdie opportunities on the 10th hole and it became a scene of winner takes all.

This is how golf should be played: two world-class competitions going man to man for Green Jacket glory. Cabrera may have won the Masters in 2009 but that wouldn’t stop him giving his all to claim a second prize. He knows how much the Green Jacket changes a golfer’s life and a second sends it into the stratosphere.

The Argentinian again went first and his long put came within two inches of dropping in. Scott sensed his chanced and lined up the downhill putt with deft silence in the stands. His effort was firm and traveled smooth across the luscious surface, never dropping pace as it fell neatly into the hole to hand the Australian a maiden major title.

It was golf at its finest.

 

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January 31st, 2013 | Article by GuestPost

Sibling Rivalries in Golf

Harbaugh-Brothers-2013

Harbaugh Brothers

On Sunday February 3rd, San Francisco 49er’s head coach Jim Harbaugh and his
brother, Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, will meet head to head in
New Orleans for Super Bowl XLVII.

What is it about a sibling rivalry that’s so captivating to us as sports fans? Aside
from the fact that there’s probably a better chance of you and your sibling both
getting struck by lightning than there is of making a professional sport and meeting
head to head on national television, there’s something else that seems to reel us in.
Anyone with a sibling can recall a time playing a game of pick up basketball in the
family driveway or having a heated 9-hole match on a late summer evening. The
“Sibling Rivalry” headline in professional sports grabs our attention because for a
brief moment, we can relate.

Golf is a sport in which the sheer odds of making it to the PGA Tour are so low
that the probability of two siblings ever even playing in the same tournament are
virtually zero. As a result, there haven’t been any documented cases of two siblings
actually playing head to head on any professional tour. However, there have been a
number of siblings who’ve played professionally during the same period of time. In
this respect, determining the winner of these “rivalries” can only be accomplished
by measuring their careers. Below is a list of some of the most prominent sibling
rivalries in the history of professional golf.

The Molinari Brothers – The Molinari brothers are without question, what you
think of when you picture siblings in professional golf today. While they’ve never
had any head to head battles (professionally), they’re both former European Ryder
Cup team members and have combined for a total of 14 professional wins. If this
can be considered a rivalry, Francesco holds the edge over Eduardo, as he is 33 rd in
the Official World Golf Rankings and won the WGC-HSBC Champions tournament in
2010.

The Wadkins Brothers – Every golfer is familiar with the name Lanny Wadkins.
A member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, Lanny tallied a total of 20 wins over his
illustrious career, including the 1977 PGA Championship at Pebble Beach. A name
that most golfers aren’t too familiar with is Bobby Wadkins. Brother to Lanny,
Bobby never recorded a win on the PGA Tour but he did finish 2nd six times. He
was however, rather successful on the Champions Tour where he won four times
including a major. Lanny certainly has bragging rights at family dinners.

The Kuehnes – Hank, Trip and Kelli have all had their fair share of the spotlight
over the past 15 years. While Kelli had one of the greatest female amateur careers of
all time, Hank won the 1998 Men’s U.S. Amateur and the 2002 Canadian Open. Trip
is recognized as the most talented sibling of the family and is most well known for
his epic loss to Tiger Woods in the 1994 Men’s U.S. Amateur. While Tiger may have
made Trip the most infamous sibling, Hank undoubtedly boasts a better resume.

The Harmon Brothers – All sons of the late Claude Harmon Sr. (1948 Masters
Champion), Butch, Craig and Bill are all considered to be among the top golf
teachers in world. While all three can be found on Golf Digest’s Top 50 Teachers in
America, Butch certainly holds the edge. He has either helped or officially coached
most of the best players in the game including Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Adam
Scott and Fred Couples. While Butch has laid claim to the best golf coach in America
for the better part of the last 20 years, Craig was named the PGA Professional of
the Year in 2005 and Bill is considered to be among the best teachers in the state of
California.

The Villegas Brothers – While most golfers are familiar with the young star
Camilo Villegas, not many have heard of his little brother, Manuel. Both attended
the University of Florida and at this point in time, are considered two of the best
Columbian golfers in the world. While both have had their struggles on the course
of late, Camilo undoubtedly has the edge as he has amassed three career PGA Tour
wins.

The Hill Brothers – Though they have both long since retired, Mike and Dave Hill
spent the better part of the 60’s and 70’s grinding it out for bragging rights on both
the PGA and Champions Tour. During their PGA years, Dave certainly had the upper
hand in this rivalry. In addition to winning the prestigious Vardon Trophy in 1969,
he tallied a total of 13 wins and had a 2nd place finish at the 1970 U.S. Open. Mike on
the other hand, was only able to win three times during this stretch. However, when
they joined the Champions Tour, the tables turned. While Dave had a successful run
in his 50’s by winning six Champions Tour events, Mike was able to tally 18. By the
end of their playing days, Mike surpassed his brother’s 25 professional wins with
27. This rivalry truly is a toss-up.

This is a guess post by Katrina Warner of blog.grips4less.com. Grips4less carries the
largest selection of golf grips, shafts, club-building, accessories and more.

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November 29th, 2012 | Article by Alex Johnson

Best Winter Golf Courses in UK

Winter is definitely on its way, but falling temperatures and dark mornings do not mean that you have to sacrifice time spent on the golf course. There are plenty of golf courses in the UK which are still suitable for winter play, and here is our pick of the best for golfers not afraid of a bit of frost.

The Belfry, West Midlands
The Belfry is a prestigious venue which has hosted the Ryder Cup four times. The PGA National course at The Belfry was built back in 1997 and boasts a number of lakes and large-scale mounding, making it an exciting and interesting challenge for even the most experienced player. This course is ideal for winter play and The Belfry resort also has spa facilities and an on-site club for post-play fun.

Delamere Forest, Cheshire
This historic course dates back to 1910 and is ideally set up for winter play as it drains incredibly quickly even after a substantial downpour. The course was the brainchild of world-famous golf course designer Herbert Fowler and many golfers find the shortest hole, the 6th, the most challenging due to the accuracy it demands.

Forest Pines, Lincolnshire
This inland course, noted for its stunning scenery, is home to the English Golf Union and was designed by the late PGA Tour player John Morgan. This 27 hole course is split into three loops of nine – Forest, Beeches and Pines. If you’re looking for a challenge combine Forest and Pines. Watch out for the seventh water hole – according to the golf course the record number of balls fished out the water in one year is a whopping 6,000.

Fairmont, St Andrews
St Andrews is the home of golf and this Scottish town boasts a number of great courses. Fairmont offers great winter play and you can sooth your cold and aching limbs with a visit to the amazing spa at the course’s five star hotel. It offers all sorts, from Swedish massages to hydrotherapy pools. There are plenty of pubs around to keep you warm come evening too – try the Jigger Inn, popular with many visiting golfers due to its own brand of ale.

Ganton Golf Club, North Yorkshire
The historic 18 hole course at Ganton, which was built back in 1891, is noted for the all year round quality of its greens and in its illustrious history has hosted both the Ryder Cup and the Curtis Cup. This course mixes links and heathland, and also features a number of interestingly placed bunkers. Ganton is ranked among the top 30 Europe Championship courses and is a real winter treat.

This post was provided by Snooper. Snooper’s range of Shotsaver golf GPS devices is designed to guide players around their selected golf course by using accurate positional information to calculate the exact distance to the hole from every shot.

 

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August 28th, 2012 | Article by Christian

Marriott’s Top Myrtle Beach Golf Courses

Marriott's Favorite Golf Courses in Myrtle Beach - An infographic by the team at Marriott's Favorite Golf Courses in Myrtle Beach


View Marriott's Top 10 Golf Courses in Myrtle Beach, SC in a larger map

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July 31st, 2012 | Article by Alex Johnson

Preparing for Your Next Golf Trip

As serious golfers, playing golf is that one special moment in the day where it’s just us and that beautifully cut fairway, with the early morning fog rising, and our clubs bag; indeed a very beautiful scene. However, we really put our skills to practice when we discover new courses, we have to rethink possibilities, and dictate an acute sense of distance, power, and wind impact. Therefore many of us love to hit the road in search of new challenges in other golf courses. Today, we get very accurate reviews and references on where to golf, however, we can always use several tips on how to fully enjoy our golf trips with no hesitations.

Prepare a Budget - As we all know, golf course fees are within a very wide range of prices, some might be as low as $20, while others might easily be around $500. Therefore, you must first be sure of how much you want to spend in your trip. Will you take your car? Will you fly over there? Where will you stay? Transportation and accommodation costs need to be considered as well. Also, be sure to check discount packages and promotions, sometimes they really help. Remember that travelling in a group of buddies or with family is always better to save on some expenses.

Get information – Once you have established a budget, it’s time to investigate; do you want to go to just a golf resort? Or do you want fun for the whole family? Today, the internet is our best ally to find exactly the kind of courses and resorts we are looking for. Also, if there are specific features you are looking for when playing, make sure you consider them. For many golfers, climate and humidity are an important issue. Also, make sure your travel dates are not on days the golf course might be closed or hosting a private tournament.

Select your partners – Golf is a social sport, and most people enjoy to play it with partners. Most of us have golfing buddies we call every Friday night to assure we have their company on an early Saturday morning. However, tolerating your buddy for a 18 holes every week is not the same as having him/her 24 hours of the day with you on a trip that requires some planning and duties. Make sure (If you are not travelling with family) that you choose the right group to travel with. Consider from 4 to 8 people as a healthy number, and always have in mind group dynamics and possible tensions that might occur.

Details and stress management – We have all taken a trip before, and too often does something go wrong. We can plan all we want, but the unexpected can always occur. That is why its always better to have a checklist, check for details, and always have a plan B. For example, if you do not trust airlines, some companies offer overnight shipping on golf bags such as Golfship. Having a detailed itinerary might help, letting everybody know the tee times for each day, then no one can be miss informed.

Finally, remember, this trip is to have fun, enjoy a golf course, and time with friends or family, make sure you always keep that in mind, try to reduce stressful moments to a minimum.

This article is sponsored by www.visitmscoast.org, which offers a wide range of vacation packages around the Mississippi Gulf coast line, including the great Fallen Oaks golf resort, designed by Tom Fazio.

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