Golf Clubs and Grooves - The New Rules

From 1st January 2010 professional golf will be subject to new rules about groove depth and edge sharpness in the design of golf clubs. Rounded groove edges and reduced volume will make a significant difference especially when playing out of the rough.

The makers of this controversial rule change have the future well-being of the game at heart. They want to see a greater emphasis on accuracy rather than sheer power. Inaccurate tee shots into the rough will not always be as easy to recover from as they have in the past. They want to roll back a situation in which technology has to some degree taken over from skill.

Many players think that this is a step in the right direction, even though it means that their equipment will lose a degree of technological sophistication. Others are less convinced.

The UK golf magazine Golf Monthly for January carries a 10-page discussion of the pros and cons of this change. They bring together views from the Royal & Ancient, from 30 players on the European Tour and from club manufacturers.

Their conclusion, after testing clubs with groove configurations compliant with the new rules, and after surveying Golf Monthly readers, is that although top players on tour will in future have to pay more attention to accuracy as against power, the average player will in all probability notice little difference. In any case the rules will not apply to the amateur and club game for several years.

For a detailed look at the facts and the arguments for and against why not subscribe to Golf Monthly? There’s much more in this January issue, and you’ll also have the confidence that you won’t miss an issue in coming months. You’ll be up to date with news, get great training tips and be kept abreast of developments in equipment, as well as being generally well-informed about the world of your favourite sport. What’s more, you get more than 30% discount over buying it from month to month.

Golf News from Around the World

As we start to build the site we’ll be including pages like this from time to time with links to golfing news from around the world. Sometimes these will be accompanied by video clips.

Today we have news of the Asian Tour for 2010, the Chevron World Challenge and a newsy article from the BBC.

Golf365 | Golf News | Asia expand their 2010 Tour

“We are delighted to announce our 2010 Schedule which will include a minimum of 28 tournaments with over US$39 million in prize money, which reaffirms our position as a major international golf Tour,” said Kyi Hla Han, the executive chairman of the Asian Tour. …

Furyk Wins Tiger's Chevron Tournament — Golf FanHouse

Woods, the tournament host, wasn’t around to present the trophy to one of his favorite players on the PGA Tour. He withdrew because of unspecified injuries from his Nov. 27 car accident, yet Woods remained part of every conversation …

BBC - BBC Sport: Iain Carter: Woods is not golf's only talking point

Everyone knows that Tiger boosts viewerships and interest in tournaments so instead of scaring him away from the golf course maybe it would be a positive for the tour if he were to come back sooner rather than later. …

Gifts for a Golfer (UK)

At this time of year many people are scurrying around wondering what to give to a relative or friend. Preferably it should be something they don’t already have, or something that will be of special interest.

So what do you buy for a golfer?

Well Amazon.co.uk have a great range of options. Here is just a small sample of the choice:

• How about a box of golf balls? They’re always getting lost or mislaid. A fresh supply will surely be appreciated.
• Or is your special person still carrying his or her golf bag around on a shoulder? Would a golfing trolley be appreciated?
• Maybe the bag itself is getting worse for wear. Friends on the course will surely admire a smart new golf bag.
• Possibly you have a family member who is just starting out as a golfer. What about a package set of clubs and bag?
• Would a driving or chipping net, or a putting mat be a big help in practice? Such training aids can help make a big difference to a person’s game.
• A gadget enthusiast might like a golf GPS, a laser range finder or a handheld electronic caddy. A golfing gadget might be a hole-in-one for your gift-giving.
• Or if none of these catches your imagination, why not have a look at our display of golf books.

The range of possibilities is enormous. Use your imagination and your choice of gift can be targeted directly on the interests of its recipient.

For more gift ideas take a look at our Golfing Store UK - or Golfing Store USA

Pebble Beach - History of a Golf Course

It is more than twentyfive years since I was staying in the Monterey area on the California coast with members of my family who were privileged to live there in that beautiful area for several years.

One afternoon I was driven out along the coast and admired the spectacular scenery in the are of the Pebble Beach golf course. I have never played golf there, but the memory of the surroundings of this course have often made me think what a marvellous place in which to hit some balls.

Now, Pebble Beach: The Official Golf History by Neal Hotelling has been published, and Amazon have it available at a very substantial reduction. This would make an excellent gift for a golfing enthusiast family member or friend, especially anyone who has played on the California coast..

Click on the image above to buy from Amazon.com, or for an extended view of what to expect why not take a look at the following article from a recent issue of the The Herald of Monterey County.

Historical links: Pebble Beach golf book released

Editor’s note: Triumph Books has released “Pebble Beach: The Official Golf History,” written by historian Neal Hotelling with photography by Joann Dost.

For more golf books click on one of these two links:
Golf Books (UK)
Golf Books (USA)

Eccentric Bra for Golfing Ladies

Putting practice mats come in many shapes and sizes, but here’s one from Japan that beats the lot for being unusual. It doubles as a lady’s bra.

Currently only available in Japan, where the makers say it is targeted on the young female golfing market, you can see it demonstrated on the following ITN film clip.

Golf Bra that turns into golf putting mat

The Golf Ball - A Technological Wonder

When anything moves through the air, whether an arrow or an aeroplane, the science of aerodynamics comes into play. This is no less true for the golf ball. From simple balls, probably made of carefully carved wood, in the early days of the sport in Scotland the golf ball has come a long way.

In the 17th century there was a major development. High quality golf balls began to be made from tightly compacted goos feathers surrounded by a thin leather cover, made from eith horse or cow hide. The technology, although now it appears quite basic, was in fact highly innovative at the time. The feathers and leather were assembled while wet, and then on drying the leather shrank, the feathers expanded, and a hard, tightly formed ball was created.

These golf balls were expensive to make as each had to be separately handcrafted, and eventually further progress was made. As tropical supplies of rubber became more widely available this newly popular raw material was pressed into the service of golf. Some thing like mass production became feasible, and good balls became more accessible to a wider range of golfers.

However, there was a problem. With modern knowledge it can now be seen that the aerodynamics of a smooth-surfaced rubber golf ball were not ideal. It was harder to hit a rubber ball the same distance as one of the old style feather balls.

As knowledge of air flow around moving objects became more advanced it was possible to design golf balls for maximum performance. The dimples currently seen on golf balls are there for a reason. They aid the flow of air, and allow the ball to be hit further. The pocket of low pressure behind a moving smooth-surfaced ball drags it back, whereas dimples create a form of turbulence around the ball which eases its passage through the air.

These and other changes steadily improved the performance of golfers, both as to the length and controllability of shots, until at last in 1921 the modern standard weight and size golf ball emerged. There is now a wide variety of golf balls. They must comply with certain basic criteria to be acceptable for competition use, but still the technology advances.

Golf – A Good Walk Spoiled

Golf is taken very seriously by many of its enthusiasts - certainly a more important matter than life or death! In spite of that, golf-related humour is popular, even among the game’s most fanatical supporters and participants - and even when it is mildly mocking in tone. Golfers, unlike many other people, do seem to be able to laugh confidently at themselves; an admirable trait.

It was Mark Twain who once described golf as “a good walk spoiled” and he has been far from alone as a writer in commenting on the game. Many sayings have come down in golfing folklore, from a wide range of famous men and women. These supply both humourists and the game’s afficionados with plenty of fuel for laughter. The laughter may incorporate a bit of “leg-pulling” but always of the good natured variety, with no offence taken.

Golf has often been described as a gentleman’s game. It needs a generous supply of time, and in years gone by that was something that few of the “lower classes” could aspire to. Golf clubs also tended to be populated by professional people rather than artisans, although this has changed enormously in more recent years. (And the idea that upper class morality is any better than that of the rest of the people most certainly no longer holds much credence).

This game, in a somewhat similar manner to English cricket, has been thought of as reflecting certain values and attitudes. As the American journalist Art Spander once said: “Golf is a game not just of manners, but of morals.” And to give a little more detail on the gentlemanly rules we can refer once again to Mark Twain: “It’s good sportsmanship to not pick up lost golf balls while they are still rolling.”

Arnold Palmer, looking from a slightly different angle, expanded on this theme with “Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and maddening and it is without doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented.” Another has said, “Golf can be described as an endless series of tragedies obscured by the occasional miracle.”

Alluding further to the difficulties and frustrations of golf an oft-repeated quip is: “Many a golfer prefers a golf cart to a caddy because the car cannot count, criticize or laugh.” More darkly, a “golf-widow” is said to have remarked that “When I die, I want to be buried on a golf course because at least my husband might visit then.”

Woods and Federer: A Friendship of Champions

When people daydream about becoming the best of the best, the top of their chosen field, few pause to consider the potential drawbacks that such elevation may bring. Yet, for those who are truly remarkable within their own discipline, being so vastly superior to all the other competition can be surprisingly difficult to comprehend. Being the best has its perks, but one must also concede that it can be worryingly lonely.

It is therefore little surprise that two champions, who have dominated their respective sports for much of recent memory, have forged a friendship based on understanding how lonely being the best can be.

In golf, Tiger Woods has been there and done it all. The king of the greens, he is so vastly superior to most other players on the golfing circuit that few bother to even imagine success against him.

In tennis, Roger Federer has very nearly – with the exception of the French Open, which proves elusive – been there and done it all. The king of grass, he plays with the grace of a ballet dancer and many opponents know they have lost before the first ball has even been served.

Woods and Federer have become close friends, these two giants of their own sports. The two were brought together by Nike, who saw the potential of these two living sporting legends and united them for an ad campaign. They have since starred, together with footballer Thierry Henry, in advertisements for razor brand Gillette alongside their Nike commitments. Before the 2007 Wimbledon final – in which Federer played his tennis arch-rival Rafael Nadal – Woods recorded a video message for Federer, via Nike, encouraging his friends to win his fifth title. Both men confess to a friendly rivalry as to who can win the most majors in their respective sports; currently, Woods holds the record at 14, with Federer on 13.

Their friendship has extended beyond the advertising suite. In 2006, Woods was photographed supporting Federer from Federer’s own players’ box as he bid for the US Open title. Both have also openly talked of their friendship in interviews and how it has helped them; citing that only each other, out of everyone on the planet, can really understand the position they are in.

A History of Balls And Holes: Golf Through The Ages

In terms of the sports modern society is used to, golf has one of the longest and most interesting histories. This is a sport that has been dominating the public conscious for nearly 500 years, and as with anything with roots in Medieval times, has been forced to adapt and change as the world around it does so too.

The first game of recorded golf was in 1456 in Edinburgh, Scotland. This, however, does not mean the Edinburgh game was the first time the sport was played, merely that it was the first time a person took the time to write down the events. In a period of low literacy levels, it is little wonder that some golfing historians say the game has social origins up to 200 years before the first recorded date.

The game itself was recorded in the archives of the Edinburgh Burgess Golfing Society, and can still be seen today. This confirms golf as a primarily Scottish game, which soon became popular throughout Europe and eventually the world. Much of the spread from Scotland is attributed to King James, who in 1603 became the first monarch of both Scotland and England, creating what we now know as the United Kingdom. Having grown up in Scotland, when King James became King of England following the death of his kinswoman Elizabeth I, the game came south with him. Golf obviously now has a worldwide appeal, yet the Scottish roots remain, with many famous courses still being played by world famous players in the northern country.

The foundation of golf is widely accepted to be the act, usually done by shepherds, of knocking stones into rabbit holes in Scotland during tedious watchings of sheep flocks. From these humble beginnings, the worldwide popular game we now know and love is believed to have stemmed.

All of the traits we associate with modern golf originated and were developed in Scotland. This includes the first 18-hole golf course, the first set of written rules of play and the first membership of golf clubs. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of Saint Andrews is a popular destination for the golfing fan, due to their vast collection of documentation about the foundation of the game.

While some argue that golf has changed and developed from a basic game of hitting stones into rabbit holes to the cultural phenomenon it is today, others say simply: it’s still just about hitting stuff into holes. While this opinion may be crude, it is nevertheless truthful!

Interpreting Golf Terminology – A Thankless Task

If someone came back from the golf course and told you that they had “chunked an approach that left them having to take a Mulligan, and then ended up on the apron, before lipping out and relying on a come-backer to save par”, you would be entirely within your rights to assume that they had spent too long at the 19th Hole. But the actual fact is that they would be describing something that happens every so often to most golfers. They would be couching it in dense terminology and making it almost impossible to understand for anyone but other golfers, but they would not be lying or, necessarily, drunk.

To “chunk” a shot is to drive your club into the ground before, or in (accidental) lieu of hitting the ball. Coming from the sound that such an impact makes, it is something horribly familiar to a great many golfers. And it could lead to a Mulligan, which is a replay of the shot without any stroke being counted. This is not allowed in competition golf, but is allowed to pass in most casual rounds. From your Mulligan, could you end up on an apron? You certainly could. Assuming you were aiming for the green, if you ended up on the slightly rougher patch of grass around it, that’s exactly where you would have ended up.

From such a position there would be two options. Firstly your sober friend could try to chip the ball from the “apron” towards the hole, or secondly they could attempt a putt. If the ball rolled around the outside of the hole and stayed out, this is described as “lipping out” – from where the ball can go anywhere, sometimes heart breakingly a few feet past. When the ball rolls past the hole, you must rely on a putt coming back the other way – or, as the terminology has it, a “comebacker”.

There are a great many other golf terms which may be considered impenetrable and arcane to the uninitiated. The best advice that one could possibly pass on to a novice trying to get a handle on the terminology for the sake of a relationship is to watch with a notepad and learn as you go along with some help from the Internet.

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