Tee Times.info hope’s the golf ball rolls straight and true into the holes this coming year, wishing you an healthy 2011 and success in and out of the course.
Archive for December, 2010
Golf Architects/Designers: James Braid
Dec 30th
2010
James Braid (6 February 1870 – 27 November 1950) was a Scottish professional golfer and a member of the Great Triumvirate of the sport alongside Harry Vardon and John Henry Taylor. He won The Open Championship five times. Most, if not all golfers recognize the name of James Braid. After all, Braid is perhaps one of the pioneers of the game we know today. However, Braid was more than just an excellent golfer of his time; he was also a supreme golf course architect and across the UK, there are some 200 golf courses which bear the Braid hallmark – either by design or redesign. Braid is also credited as having invented the ‘dogleg’ hole.
Braid was born in Earlsferry, Fife, Scotland and played golf from an early age, working as a clubmaker before turning professional in 1896. Initially his game was hindered by problems with his putting, but he overcame this after switching to an aluminum putter in 1900. He won The Open Championship in 1901, 1905, 1906, 1908 and 1910. In addition, Braid won four British PGA Matchplay Championships (1903, 1905, 1907 and 1911), as well as the 1910 French Open title. He was also runner-up in The Open Championship in 1897 and 1909. His 1906 victory in The Open Championship was the last successful defense of the title by a European until Pádraig Harrington replicated the feat in 2008.
In 1912, Braid retired from tournament golf and became a club professional at Walton Heath. He was involved in golf course design, and is sometimes regarded as the “inventor” of the dogleg. Among his designs are the “King’s Course” and the “Queen’s Course” at Gleneagles, and the 1926 remodeling of The Open Championship venue Carnoustie Golf Links. But wait, there’s more
Golf Books #14 (Golf, Naked: The Bare Essentials Revealed)
Dec 28th
2010
If a golf swing takes a few seconds to execute, and a player shoots 100, what’s happening on the course for the three hours and fifty-five minutes when players are swinging? An easy, amusing read, Golf, Naked is packed with tips, tales, tricks of the trade, and lessons for life that describe the 99 percent of the game that no one talks about. And it’s written by bona fide club-selling, lesson-giving, cart-washing, vest-wearing PGA Golf Pro Greg Rowley. He offers information and advice that will help all golfers master the complete game, including the stuff that truly demonstrates a player’s experience, comfort, confidence, and grace. The book answers such specific questions as:
- Who should you tip on the golf course?
- When and how is it okay to gamble?
- What do you do if the players in front of you are holding up your game?
- What is a sand bagger?
- What’s the best way to grip a club?
- How do you calculate a handicap?
- When is it okay to move your ball?
- If you are wearing brown shoes, what color should your socks and belt be?
“I began golfing some 20 years ago with a handful of lessons from my father and a lot of time on the course with my childhood friends who knew no more about the game than I did. Looking back, “Golf, Naked” would have been the ideal tool to learn the nuances of the game, particularly the etiquette that may have been missing from my game as a youth. Today, as a more seasoned player, I still find “Golf, Naked” to be useful resource. Rowley uses incredible wit and humor to share his love for the game, and even an experienced golfer will enjoy picking up some new lessons while being reminded of old ones.” S.M. Thomas.
“This book is an absolute knockout. I’m a relatively new golfer and this book was recommended by a friend; the recommendation was spot on. It’s a book that I could enjoy reading even taken out of the context of getting better at golf because it holds your interest and has some really great stories. In addition though, the book really gives you a new perspective on the game which can be valuable to a new golfer like me, or someone who is much more experienced like my buddy. If you have any interest in golf and want a great read to go with some valuable info, this book is the perfect option.” T.S. Chamberlain (source)
Golf Lingo #8 (Where Did the Word “Golf” Come From?)
Dec 27th
2010
Did the word “golf” originate as an acronym for “gentlemen only, ladies forbidden”? That’s a common old wives’ tale. Or, in this case, more likely an old husband’s tale.
No, “golf” is not an acronym for “gentlemen only, ladies forbidden.” If you’ve ever heard that, forget it immediately. Better yet, find the person who told you and let them know it’s not true.
Like most modern words, the word “golf” derives from older languages and dialects. In this case, the languages in question are medieval Dutch and old Scots.
The medieval Dutch word “kolf” or “kolve” meant “club.” It is believed that word passed to the Scots, whose old Scots dialect transformed the word into “golve,” “gowl” or “gouf.”
By the 16th Century, the word “golf” had emerged. (source)
Real Club de Golf de Sevilla, Spain
Dec 26th
2010
The Real Club de Golf de Sevilla as a privileged location in the town of Aalcala de Guadaira, close to the banks of the Guadaíra river and the Parque Natural de Oromana nature park as well as its proximity to the city centre of Seville, Spain. Despite only opening for play in 1991, Real Club De Golf De Sevilla has a firmly established reputation as a world class tournament venue, and is the Andalucian capital’s finest golfing institution.
Designed by José María Olazábal, two-time Masters champion, the course is held in high esteem by amateurs and professionals alike.. Although very beautiful, the Real Club de Golf de Sevilla is also challenging, this 18 hole par 72 golf course measures 6529 meters, designed with wide fairways sown with Bermuda grass, undulating Pencross greens, very well dotted by 90 spectacular bunkers and 9 lakes covering more than three hectares; pristine grounds await your try for the perfect game. The challenge of this course is only matched by the beauty of the area.
José María Olazábal early foray into the world of course design has been extremely well received, explaining why Sevilla has already cemented a place inside Europe’s top 100. The Real Club de Golf de Sevilla was venue of Sevilla´s Open, tournament of the European Tour in April 2004 and also venue of the World Cup of Golf in November 2004. In 2008 and 2010 hosted the Spanish Open and in 2009 the Andalucía Open.
Aroeira Golf Courses, Portugal
Dec 24th
2010
Herdade da Aroeira is located in a preserved area, 25km from the centre of Lisbon, Portugal. It is the largest housing and golf complex in the Greater Lisbon area. The estate covers 350 hectares, has thousands of pines and several lakes to go with a temperate microclimate.
Cut through majestic pine trees and around stunning blue lakes, Aroeira has two championship golf courses that were designed by some of Europe’s most renowned architects, and have played host to a number of prestigious professional events. The resort benefits from an amazing microclimate that allows golf to be played in the sunshine all year round.
Aroeira I
Designed by Frank Pennink, the Aroeira I course skillfully blends the needs of a championship golf course and the harmonious surroundings of natural landscape. The course runs through a pinewood sprinkled with wild flowers and many kinds of birds; it is a genuine nature park. As typical Par 72 the course provides a variety of game situations; this means players may use almost all their clubs.
On the first round, hole number 8 stands out, with its Par 3 for 190 meters and a green with a remarkable inclination. On the second round the highlight is hole number 11, a Par 4, which was redesigned by Robert Trent Jones Sr. From here the tee-off is a blind shot into a narrow fairway with trees on both sides. It is followed by a spectacular approach to a green closely protected by water and bunkers, which reminds one of hole number 11 at Augusta National, where the US Masters is played every year. But wait, there´s more
Golf Books #13 (FINALLY: The Golf Swing´s Simple Secret)
Dec 22nd
2010
Have you ever wondered why the average handicap on the USGA has barely improved in the last 20 years? The answer is very simple:
a) The Golf Swing is very difficult to understand and to perform.
b) The average weekend golfer would love to improve but doesn´t have the time or the interest to spend long hours practicing.
After studying the golf swing for over 25 years, JF Tamayo has developed a revolutionary method proved for the weekend golfer of any level to significantly improve distance and accuracy from day one, based on three main principles:
1) Focus on changes that most positively affect results: Opposite to the traditional methods, this book will only ask you to make changes in the most relevant parts of the swing needed to hit solid and consistent shots: the backswing and the transition between the backswing and the downswing.
2) Learn how to develop an easy, repeatable and solid backswing: One of the biggest breakthroughs of the method was the development of a unique and much easier way to consistently make a solidly sound backswing that will look similar to the new Tiger Wood´s one plane backswing but much simpler to learn, to do and to repeat.
3) Learn how to create lag: Being able to increase lag during the downswing is one of the major differences between the amateur’s golf swing versus a professional’s and probably one of the most misunderstood concepts of golf. In this book you will easily learn how to lag the club like the pros, dramatically improving your clubhead speed, ball striking ability and distance.
This incredible and simple method will instantly take your game to a higher level while you will be helping others since 50% of the profits obtained from this project will be donated to charity.
“Every weekend golfer should read this great book.” – Camillo Villegas – Three-time PGA Tour winner (source)
