Golf : Well ! What Exactly Is It ?

Golf can best be defined as an endless series of
tragedies obscured by the occasional miracle,
followed by a good pint of beer. 

Golf! You hit down to make the ball go up. You swing
left and the ball goes right. The lowest score wins. 
And on top of that, the winner buys the drinks 

If you find you do not mind playing golf in the rain,
the snow, even during a hurricane, here’s a valuable
tip: your life is in trouble. 

Golfers who try to make everything perfect before
taking the shot rarely make a perfect shot. 

The term ‘mulligan’ is really a contraction of the
phrase ‘maul it again.’ 

A ‘gimme’ can best be defined as an agreement
between two golfers …neither of whom can putt
very well too cheat.

An interesting thing about golf is that no matter how
badly you play; it is always possible to get worse. 

Golf’s a hard game to figure. One day you’ll go out
and slice it and shank it, hit into all the bunkers and miss
every green. The next day you go out and for no
reason at all you really stink. 

If your best shots are the practice swing and the
‘gimme putt’, you might wish to reconsider this game. 

Golf is the only sport where the most feared opponent
is you. 

Golf is like marriage: If you take yourself too
seriously it won’t work, and both are expensive.

The best wood in most amateurs’ bags is the pencil.

Lynn Francis eliminates golfers problem shot

 

Here is the feedback, I promised following my EFT treatment with Lynn Francis. I had heard through the grapevine that Lynn was achieving great results with Golfers who were experiencing psychological blocks in their game using a technique called EFT (emotional freedom technique) I read many articles about Lynn and learned she is well respected in the sports world and had even appeared on Sky sports TV. Her success in curing the nightmare problem known as the yips has brought people from all over the world for treatment with her. I was intrigued, so arranged to meet her for a chat.

During our discussion Lynn told me how she now wishes to play down her work with ‘yippers’ saying she feels that because of her success with the yips it actually stops many golfers from benefiting from her treatment. She went on to explain that although she now has enough ‘yippers’ to keep her going until retirement, helping local golfers with their psychological blocks is her aim now. Lynn’s main clients are golfers who are confident that their technique is correct yet still feel anxiety over certain shots and situations, loss of confidence, pre match nerves to name but a few can all be quickly and easily eliminated.

 I explained to Lynn that although I was confident that my technique was fine I still found myself questioning it due to the fact that I experienced an anxiety whilst chipping onto the green from 40yds in.  In practice I was fine and I could stand there all day and chip well but when playing in competition I over analysed and was aware of an inner tension over this particular shot.

 Lynn’s face lit up, excellent she said, that is a prime example of what I can sort out.  Really! Said I, so you can stop this happening, how long will it take. She explained that some problems can be quite complex and may take a few sessions but in many cases 1 or 2 sessions were all that were needed.. Now I really was intrigued so I booked a session.

Well all I can say is, it is a very strange technique indeed, and I now understand why she preferred not to try and explain anything about it prior to the treatment. I honestly would have thought she was a little crazy and me even crazier to go along with it. However what I do understand now is why she is so confident in her abilities, after only one 2 hour session, the problem has gone, yes completely gone, I no longer feel the anxiety and tension I felt prior to treatment, I now feel totally different when approaching this shot and chip with ease, it really is amazing!! I also feel more relaxed throughout my whole game.

It’s a feeling like going back to your “youth “when you really enjoyed your golf rather than putting pressure on yourself with these must get the ball close to the hole shots. I now believe I can achieve more in golf, at the moment I play off a handicap of five which isn’t bad at 50 plus and I am also the current club champion of our local golf club. With Lynn’s help I feel I can go much lower in handicap and may even have the confidence to enter larger amateur events in the UK to try to push myself even more to see in the end what is achievable. This technique has also eliminated my lack of tolerance, enabling me to accept other playing partners more readily and not to apply my standards to them as I now understand they are playing to their standard, This allows me just concentrate solely on my game rather than being upset with myself and others.

 All these changes were not gradual, but happened within a few days of my meeting and treatment with Lynn, I really was unaware that there was any changes in my game, the mind seems to trick you into thinking you are just playing better, nothing to do with the treatment. Lynn is fully aware of this phenomenon so for this reason before your first session she asks you to write down your feelings about the shot or situation that bothers or makes you anxious, just as well she did as you soon forget just how you felt prior to the session as you seem to think you have fixed yourself rather than accept that the treatment actually worked.  I cannot thank Lynn enough for what she’s done and will certainly be recommending her to all fellow players who may be experiencing psychological blocks or anxiety in their game.  Although Lynn is better known for curing the “Yips” she has definitely been a great help to me sorting the problems I had with my short game.  I highly recommend you give her a call, believe me, you have nothing to lose except your problem.

Thank you Lynn….

This technique is available to all,  Check out Lynn’s own site Here

WGC-CA Championship : Doral :Florida

 Phil Mickelson wins a World Golf Championship title, as he tames the Blue Monster course at Doral,18 hours before his tee time he broke into a cold sweat and couldn’t stop shaking weakened and dehydrated by a stomach virus that sent him to the hospital on the eve of the final round.

He finished with a 3-under par 69 to win over young Nick Watney.

1. Mickelson (-19)
2. Watney (-18)
3. Furyk (-16)
4. Singh (-14)
T-5. Villegas (-13)
T-5. Wilson (-13)

 He is no longer the best player without a World Golf Championship apart from me, well in my mind anyway !

Restaurant Tiroler Alm : Puerto de la Cruz

Restaurant Tiroler Alm :   Puerto de la Cruz 

Located just a stone’s throw down the street from the entrance to the Hotel Botanico on the main Carretera Botanico road in and out of Puerto de la Cruz is the Restaurant Tiroler Alm, owned and run for over 25 years by Teresa from Tirol , known for her German and Austrian cooking.

 

Generous portions of typical dishes such as eisbein (pork knuckle), rouladen,wiener schnitzel (the best I’ve ever found), come accompanied by gravy, sauerkraut, sautéd potatoes (bratkartoffeln), boiled potatoes, chips or German potato salad.  Desserts recommended are Teresa’s Apple Strudel, Palatschinken (Austrian crêpe with apricot jam), Kaiserschmarrn (Austrian souffled pancake with raisins). The cosy family atmosphere is enhanced by a rustic decor with wooden beams, comfortable booths and cloth covered tables. There’s also a roomy patio for outdoor dining. Service is fast and family groups or special event dinners are welcomed and served efficiently.There’s a seniors’ menu with half portions of main dishes, some having a price as low as 3 and 4 Euros. Daily specials are noted outside on their chalkboard but other dishes from the extensive menu appear on your table with surprising speed.

We dined today for €13.50 total for two, which included smoked trout with horse radish, potatoes and salad €5, chicken breast & salad €4.50, 1 each of beer, glass red wine, 1/2 liter water. 

 Her prices have been kept low and are very good value for money. Opening times: 12 noon to 3 pm and 6 to 10 pm Closed all day Thursdays and Lunchtime Fridays. Smoking is permitted inside the restaurant.

Telephone: 922 38 24 70 Spanish, German and some English spoken. Highly recommended.

 (Canarybird) Visit my site here

Rules for Senior Golfers Only

I got this one on the internet and thought I would share it with you as I found them very appealing

If you have been playing under these rules, then please disregard this thread.
If you were not aware of these changes, you might want to make note of the following:

And…..sorry for the long post, but this is IMPORTANT STUFF.
Enjoy

Rule 1.a.5
A ball sliced or hooked into the rough shall be lifted and placed on the
fairway at a point equal to the distance it carried or rolled into the rough
with no penalty. The senior should not be penalized for tall grass which
ground keepers failed to mow.

Rule 2.d.6 (b)
A ball hitting a tree shall be deemed not to have hit the tree. This is
simply bad luck and luck has no place in a scientific game. The senior
player must estimate the distance the ball would have traveled if it had not
hit the tree and play the ball from there.

Rule 3.b.3(g)
There shall be no such thing as a lost ball. The missing ball is on or near
the course and will eventually be found and pocketed by someone else, making
it a stolen ball. The player is not to compound the felony by charging
himself or herself with a penalty.

Rule 4.c.7(h)
If a putt passes over a hole without dropping, it is deemed to have dropped.
The law of gravity supersedes the Rules of Golf.

Rule 5.
Putts that stop close enough to the cup that they could be
blown in, may be blown in. This does not apply to balls more than three
inches from the hole. No one wants to make a travesty of the game.

Rule 6.a.9(k)
There is no penalty for so-called “out of bounds.” If
penny-pinching golf course owners bought sufficient land, this would not
occur. The senior golfer deserves an apology, not a penalty.

Rule 7.g.15(z)
There is no penalty for a ball in a water hazard, as golf balls should
float. Senior golfers should not be penalized for manufacturers’
shortcomings.

Rule 8.k.9(s)
Advertisements claim that golf scores can be improved by purchasing new golf
equipment. Since this is financially impractical for many senior golfers,
one-half stroke per hole may be subtracted for using old equipment.

Please advise all your senior friends of these important rule changes.
Carry a copy with you at all times, to refer to when playing with
non-seniors.

The Golf Glove : Extend Its Life

How many of you take your golf glove off after a round of golf and stuff it into your golf bag?

Well Being a Scot I will tell you how to make them last longer

The combination of your golf glove and sweat don’t mix well when you wad up your golf glove and stuff it into your golf bag. By doing that you reduce the life of your golf glove.

The next time you reach into your golf bag to pull out your golf glove you find a wad of hard leather. Combine this with the normal build-up of dirt and your golf glove can become kind of shinny and slick, which looses its effectiveness.

You can make your golf glove last longer if you do two things:

1. After a round of golf hang your golf glove out to dry. Find a way to clip it onto your golf bag. The easiest thing to do is wrap the glove around the golf bag strap.

2. When your golf glove becomes dirty and slick through it into the washer. Through it in with your clothes with cold water and mild soap.

Don’t put the golf glove in the dryer, but rather hang it up to dry so it doesn’t shrink. You’ll probably want to flatten the golf glove so it dries ready to be used the next time your out on the golf course.

Want to Drive the Golf Ball a Little Bit Further

Looking to drive the golf ball just a bit further ?

Here are 3 simple steps to give you that added distance off the tee:

1. Widen your stance by moving your back foot about an inch farther back than normal.
2. Play the golf ball a little more forward in your stance than normal.
3. Tee the golf ball a fraction higher than normal.

Follow these 3 simple golf tips and it will set you up to launch the golf ball higher so you get more carry off the tee. No need to swing any harder, and its very important to maintain your balance. Just put your normal golf swing on the ball and watch it roll past your mates balls on the fairway.

Keep those Clubs Clean, It will show in your game

Dirty Clubs !

It is common practice amongst club golfers to play with golf clubs caked in mud! A dirty club often means that the grooves on the club-face are filled in with mud. This has effect on the ball at impact (besides the extra weight). The point of the grooves is to create backspin as the ball runs up the face of the club at impact, which will keep the ball straight. Without this ‘grip’ the ball is more likely to fly with side-spin on it in the form of a slice or a hook. With short irons in particular it is this action that is responsible for stopping the ball quickly on a receptive green. Many amateurs should like to be able to make their ball spin back to the pin just like they see it on television – it is not easy, but you will certainly never achieve it with mud in the grooves!

Golf club cleaning

Golf club maintenance is easy and adds years of life to your set by simply keeping them clean and I think it gives a physiological advantage over an opponent just like dressing well and having clean shoes does.

Taylor Made R9, The Review Sounds Great, but the Price !

Yes, this is the review of the new TaylorMade r9 Driver, it all sounds very exciting, till it comes to the price, here in Tenerife they want around 450 Euros for this club. Does no one realises there is  a recession on ?

Its too much for my blood but I think the price will plummet when some one wakes up to the fact that a golf club is not one of life’s necessities and in this global resession can be done without. On saying all that its a nicely designed club and I would love to own one.

 

The TaylorMade r9 Driver has three movable weighting ports with eight position settings allowing you to tune the head to create a desired flight and launch conditions.

Buenavista Golf Course : Tenerife North

Geoff Ogilvy beats Paul Casey : 4 and 3

Geoff Ogilvy beats Paul Casey 4 and 3, at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship. Its not that Casey played bad, just on the day Ogilvy was on his game, I dont think anyone would have beaten him, his second shots into the green were like lasers. This is Ogilvy’s third World Golf Championships event wins, it started with 64 of the worlds best and on the day Ogilvy was that man.

Lorena Ochoa Wins at the Honda LPGA Thailand

Finishing with a final round of 66, Lorena Ochoa made up three strokes on third-round leader Paula Creamer to win the Honda LPGA Thailand for a three-stroke victory. Ochoa finished at 14-under 274 – shooting 71-69-68 the first three days – on the Siam Country Club’s Plantation Course, and earned $217,500, it was Ochoa’s 25th LPGA Tour title.

Well done that Lady

Golf Del Sur Golf Course: Tenerife

 

View from the club house down the 9th on the links Course

View from the 4th green looking down to tee on the North Course

Approach shot into the 7th on the North Course

The Follow up to my Laser Range Finder Post

Well my new toy a  arrived here in Tenerife safely, special thanks to Lady Old Golfer who brought it from Scotland , I bought the Bushnell Tour V2 its the world’s smallest, most advanced laser rangefinder – measuring a mere 1.6 x 2.8 x 4.3 in., weighing only 6.6 oz. and accurate 5 to 1,000 yards and comes  with a carrying case and straps.

Bushnell rangefinders have always been highly functional With the Tour V2, they have stepped up their game. Fitting their highly accurate optics and electronics into a palm sized device that looks sharp while taking up little space in your bag.

 

 

 

Range

Reflectivity: 1,000 Yards
Tree: 600 yards
Flag: 300 yards
Accuracy: +/- 1 yard

 

The Tour V2 provides instantaneous measurements in yards and meters with incredible +/- one yard accuracy.

Other product features include:

• 5x magnification
• SCAN mode
• In-view LCD display
• Adjustable eyepiece with stops
• Multi-coated optics
• Built-in tripod mount
• 3-volt battery included

 

Ease of use

It’s very simple and easy to use. It just requires a little understanding of how it works (although they give you full  instructions), so that one is reading the yardage to the correct object, especially in the Pin seeker mode. I can’t picture how anyone can regret buying this model. As I normally walk the course, the V2 is lightweight and the magnetic cover on the carrying case works very well, so that the case does not need to be zipped shut while walking a round. I don’t know how I ever played without a rangefinder before.

Here was my original Post……

Lynn Francis eliminates that problem shot

Today I am having a session with this lady to improve my short game and relieve anxiety before I hit that short pitch or green side chip, I will keep you posted on how I get on. …….Here is the outcome of my treatment an interesting read

Short Game Mistakes To Avoid

Are You Using The Wrong Club?

One of the biggest mistakes golfers make on the course is not using the right club. You can have a better short game, have more fun, and lower your score if you would just stick to a club which is the most comfortable for you when facing a specific shot. 

For example, if you are confident using a 7 iron club whenever hitting the ball from 35 yards in, then use it. Just because you may have read that an amateur or pro golfer prefers another club when facing the same scenario, or have seen a golf training video which stresses the use of a different iron, it doesn’t mean you have to follow their advice. Stick to what works, for you!

Short game success has just as much to do with your confidence and comfort levels as it does with technique and shot specifics. In time you will find what is called your “go to club” when playing through a specific shot. And when practicing your short game, those practice sessions should be focused around this club in order to improve at the fastest rate possible.

Stop Over-analyzing Everything

The reasons for choosing golf as your sport is to enjoy a game that is comfortable, confidence-building, and which is able to settle within your subconscious. This means avoiding the dreaded mistake over-analyzing everything. You must allow the game to come to you by just letting it happen.

The best thing you can do is develop a solid, consistent swing and grow your confidence with it. From that point on, the game of golf is simply hitting the ball towards the intended target, walking over and picking it up, and hitting it again, until you have reached the hole. 

This may seem like an oversimplification, and of course practice and preparation are important, but if you spend time analyzing every second of the game to the point of seriously frustrating yourself, you are on the wrong track. Rather, enjoy golf and use your energy to focus and concentrate when the time is needed instead of mulling over every minor detail.

Did You Know ? Scoring Terms Explained

Scoring Terms explained,  no I was not around when they came up with them !

The common used phrases in the game of golf are birdie, eagle and par. The word “bird” was a slang term in the 19th century that referred to anything considered remotely cool, still used today for women. So that term was used then for a great shot in a game of golf – one that led to a score under par – and was eventually turned into birdie. The word eagle followed with the same pattern as expected from the bird mentality. Par was used long before it became associated with the game of golf and basically meant something that was acceptable or average. The word simply became associated over time with the game of golf to indicate an ideal score among golfers.

How Sad is this ? How to mark your balls !

Titleist have came up with this Web site on  “how to mark your golf Balls”  and thousands have responded, they even have a gallery of designs, some of which are actually quite good. I mean just how sad is that, you can see Northern Hemisphere is in the winter season.