Something New For Golfers- The Senior Golf Guild
A new site to the Internet is the Senior Golf Guild where senior golfers review golf courses and they report their findings. This a new adventure that started back in 2004. The idea of the Senior Golf Guild is to report if the golf courses are friendly to the senior golfer and what they offer as far services and easy of using the golf course. For seniors starting their retirement years and want a good game of golf, this site will be a benefit when looking for golf courses that are senior friendly. Golfers just you can review golf courses and help others choose a course that is just right for them.
The idea behind this rating system is show golfers good courses to play at, but also to address issues with golf courses that seniors might want to play, but they are not senior friendly. Whether this is a good thing or bad thing is a matter of personal opinion. If you are a golfer and happen to be a senior, you might want to experience courses the way they are instead of having improvements. Not all courses are designed the same and there are reasons for this, the top one being different playing fields allows the senior golfer to practice different techniques.
As a golfer, you need to try different golf courses to have a variety in your game. If all the golf courses were exactly the same with all the same services and amenities, you might not experience different techniques for golfing. If a course is different, you have to adjust for that and continue with the game. This is what makes a true golfer a pro at what they do. Yes, some courses may not be as well groomed as others, but this is part of golfing. As long as you play the game, the way you need to, you can play anywhere no matter if they are senior friendly or not.
The Senior Golf Guild does seem like a good idea, but maybe someone will see a golf course differently than another golfer does. Just because the course seems to be at fault for a bad game, it may be the person behind the game. Using opinions, that other have about senior golf courses should be taken with some thought. You might like the course or find the difficulty of the course more challenging than another senior golf player finds.
Avid senior golf players will play at courses they like or even dislike as long as they find a challenge. What better way to find a challenge than to play at golf courses that might be up to the standards of other golfers. Yes, the condition of the course is important, but it also depends what the condition is and if it affects the overall game. Some people may think that rugged terrain is not for senior golfers, but then if you never try a course like this because of what someone else says, you may miss out on something exciting and you will never know how your game could have been.
Some Interesting PGA Senior Golf Knowledge
The 28th annual Senior Open for senior golf pros was held at Whistling Straits in Haven, Wisconsin. The course opened in 1998 and was designed by Pete Dye for Herbert Kohler of the Kohler Company. Before the Senior Open, the 2004 PGA Championship was held at Whistling Straits. The golf course proved to be the second longest course for senior golf pros with seven thousand and sixty-eight yards. The leader is Bellerive Country Club. The U.S. Women's Open was held at Blackriver Run, which has two courses, which are also owned by Herb Kohler. These two golf courses are located in Kohler, Wisconsin.
Miller Barber won two Senior Opens in a row during the years 1984 and 1985. Jack Nicklaus has won the Senior Open three years in a row from 1991 to 1993. Alan Doyle has won two years in a row as well as Gary Player. When Doyle won the Prairie Dunes U.S. Senior Open in 2006, he was the oldest win at the age of fifty-seven beating Roberto De Vicenzo who had the title back in 1980.
Peter Jacobsen, Don Pooley, Larry Laoretti, Lee Trevino, Dale Douglass, Arnold Palmer and Roberto De Vicenzo won the U.S. Senior Open their first time out. The years were 2004, 2002, 1992, 1990, 1986, 1981 and 1980 respectfully.
The U.S Senior is number two out of five major championships held for the 2007 season. The other tours are Constellation Energy Senior Players in October, The JELD-WEN Tradition was in August, Senior British Open Championship in July.
Alan Doyle holds the title for having the lowest final score in the Senior PGA and the U.S. Senior Open. His all time low back in 1999 when he had an eight under par 64 in the PGA Nationals remains the lowest Sunday score in history of the Senior PGA.
There are only three players that hold the title for bouncing back after a runner up finish the prior year, they are Bruce Fleisher, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. The largest margin for a win was by six strokes done by Gary Player who defeated Doug Sanders in 1987. Senior golf does have some interesting facts from over the years.
Many of the senior golf pros will move onto next years U.S Senior open, which will see some more breaking records if this year was anything to judge the tour by when it was played. The U.S. Senior Open in 2008 will be held in Colorado Springs from July 31 to August 3. The 2009 U.S. Senior Open is planned for Carmel, Indiana. The next two years will see the newest members who are nearing the age of joining the senior golf circuit compete for the next title while we will see the regulars come back to set a new record on the PGA circuit.
There are many sponsors for the PGA U.S. Senior Open and they remain true to the game. Companies that manufacturer the golf clubs and the senior golf pros that use them make sure everyone knows their clubs of choice.
Some Interesting PGA Senior Golf Knowledge
The 28th annual Senior Open for senior golf pros was held at Whistling Straits in Haven, Wisconsin. The course opened in 1998 and was designed by Pete Dye for Herbert Kohler of the Kohler Company. Before the Senior Open, the 2004 PGA Championship was held at Whistling Straits. The golf course proved to be the second longest course for senior golf pros with seven thousand and sixty-eight yards. The leader is Bellerive Country Club. The U.S. Women's Open was held at Blackriver Run, which has two courses, which are also owned by Herb Kohler. These two golf courses are located in Kohler, Wisconsin.
Miller Barber won two Senior Opens in a row during the years 1984 and 1985. Jack Nicklaus has won the Senior Open three years in a row from 1991 to 1993. Alan Doyle has won two years in a row as well as Gary Player. When Doyle won the Prairie Dunes U.S. Senior Open in 2006, he was the oldest win at the age of fifty-seven beating Roberto De Vicenzo who had the title back in 1980.
Peter Jacobsen, Don Pooley, Larry Laoretti, Lee Trevino, Dale Douglass, Arnold Palmer and Roberto De Vicenzo won the U.S. Senior Open their first time out. The years were 2004, 2002, 1992, 1990, 1986, 1981 and 1980 respectfully.
The U.S Senior is number two out of five major championships held for the 2007 season. The other tours are Constellation Energy Senior Players in October, The JELD-WEN Tradition was in August, Senior British Open Championship in July.
Alan Doyle holds the title for having the lowest final score in the Senior PGA and the U.S. Senior Open. His all time low back in 1999 when he had an eight under par 64 in the PGA Nationals remains the lowest Sunday score in history of the Senior PGA.
There are only three players that hold the title for bouncing back after a runner up finish the prior year, they are Bruce Fleisher, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. The largest margin for a win was by six strokes done by Gary Player who defeated Doug Sanders in 1987. Senior golf does have some interesting facts from over the years.
Many of the senior golf pros will move onto next years U.S Senior open, which will see some more breaking records if this year was anything to judge the tour by when it was played. The U.S. Senior Open in 2008 will be held in Colorado Springs from July 31 to August 3. The 2009 U.S. Senior Open is planned for Carmel, Indiana. The next two years will see the newest members who are nearing the age of joining the senior golf circuit compete for the next title while we will see the regulars come back to set a new record on the PGA circuit.
There are many sponsors for the PGA U.S. Senior Open and they remain true to the game. Companies that manufacturer the golf clubs and the senior golf pros that use them make sure everyone knows their clubs of choice.
Senior Golf Strategies That Work
As a senior golf player, you want to keep up with the younger players and keep your handicaps right where they are or better. To do this you need to have a few tips on the strategies that other senior golfers use. The first one is the club. The club is important for distance as well as how the ball sails down the fairway. If you have the right club with the proper amount of flex, you are going to keep with your game. If you do not make adjustments, as you get older, you may see your game and handicap slip away.
The next strategy that senior golf players need to consider is the stance. If you are a little older, the way you present yourself to the ball will have a big impact on the game. You are going to stand differently as well as move differently when you swing. You should always keep this in mind when you are trying new clubs. If you have back problems, you will probably stand and move your body differently, which will great affect the distance you get with the ball as well as how you use the golf club.
The most important thing to remember about strategies is the course you are playing. Not all golf courses are created equally. Many courses are going to require you to adjust your swing and distance. Some of the best golf courses are the ones that require some degree of thinking and planning your drive. If you are playing against a wind, or on a drizzly day, you are going to have problems no matter how good you are in the game. Plying against the wind might require a different flex shaft because the wind is going to push the ball backwards.
The entire game is going to depend on how you tee off. As you age, you will have to change the way you position yourself over the ball. You may need to continually change this as the years go by. You can play golf for years after reaching fifty, you just have to realize when you need a change in your stance and positioning. Your distance not only comes from the club, but also from your presentation to the ball. Hit the draw is a term many golfers use to describe how you stand over the ball and how you will hit that ball
The best strategy is the tactical and practical strategies rather the mechanics. This is the thinking of many of the senior golf pros including Jim Hartley, who wrote a book about just that way of thinking. Golfers also have to have the mental image of the course in their minds in order to play more efficiently and know how many hits they need to make the putt easier and closer. Keeping all this mind should allow you to play the game and keep your handicap the same or better as you enter into your senior golf years.
Popular Senior Golf Equipment
If you happen to be a senior golf player then you might enjoy a few toys that just help enhance the game a little more. Golf Cow Online has some great gifts and accessories to give that special golf or just buy the things yourself. The first thing on your list might be the Skycaddie. This is a handy gadget that will tell you were the bunkers are located and some other areas of the course to avoid. This handy rangefinder is something that will have you playing like a pro in no time. It is approved by the USGA and the R&A.
Senior golf enthusiasts will want a Speed cart to make things easier on those walk only golf courses. Since you cannot have a golf cart, the motorized Speed Cart starts up and away it goes. You can set it to go by itself for up to sixty yards without you behind it to control the buttons. You can sue it as a manual cart or as a self-powered cart that will make your day even more enjoyable. Save your energy for the golf swing, let the Speed Cart do all the heavy work. You will never need a caddie again.
If you have a few problems finding the golf ball, you might like the Ball Finder Scout. It can help you find them hard to balls that seem to disappear out of sight when you least expect it to. Never worry about losing sight of another ball. If you happen to hit the ball in water or into a wooded area, the little gadget might not work, but if the ball is even one to two percent visible, it should find the golf ball. For a senior golf player this might come in handy.
Another little compact gadget for the senior golf player is the Zelocity Pure Contact Launch and Flight Monitor. How it works is amazing, how to use it is easy. This is something that can help you improve your swing for distance and tells you how you hit with the club you are using. This is nice for making over that bunker coming around. If you know how many yards you get with that one club, you can accurately choose the right club for that specific shot. This works great for conditioning yourself and teaches you how your swing is decreasing or improving as well.
As a senior golf player, you might also want some little gadgets that have your name on them, such as golf tees, spot markers, golf balls and a hand towel with your name or initial. There are so many different accessories that can help enhance your game and some that just make you feel good about yourself. It is every golfers desire to hit the ball and play like a pro and with some help you can accomplish everything you want to as a senior golf player. Golfing is fun and some minor accessories only enhance the game you might say.
Beware Of Senior Golf Injuries
Senior golf does have advantages and some disadvantages. The most common disadvantage is the injury rate. Seniors over fifty have more of a chance of injury than a golfer who is younger. To understand and treat your injury is important. Preventing an injury is even more important. Sometimes no matter how careful you are, you can sustain an injury. The most common injury is tendonitis of the wrist as well as the hamate fracture. Back and ankle injuries are also seen with senior golfers. Prevention is the key to a successful season of golf.
Sometimes preventing the hamate fracture condition is not easy. The symptoms of a hamate fracture are pain around the wrist area and the heel of the hand. You might also have no feeling in your fingers, mostly the little finger. For the most part, an x-ray will not reveal the fracture, but a MRI will show the hamate fracture. As you may know already, the MRI is very expensive. Early detection is crucial for a senior golfer. If it is left untreated, it will hinder your performance on the course and cause more pain than you can tolerate.
If you think you have a hamate fracture, you should see a doctor for treatment. The treatment is a simple process where the hook is removed and the wrist is then able to have blood flow to it again. The surgery works better than just simple immobilizing the wrist. It could take weeks to recover when and the golfer will need to refrain from golf.
You can prevent a wrist problem by changing the way you grip and hold your club. A different club design and style may also prevent the wrist problem. If you have a tight hold on the golf club, you are more prone to a hamate fracture. Adjust your grip will help prevent a hamate fracture and prevent tendonitis as well. Senior golf does also affect your overall body. Staying fit will help prevent injuries and allow you to keep with the game.
Some senior golf players experience back pain. This is common if you put your entire body into the swing. Some golfers will wear a back brace to keep the back straighter when completing the swing. They make braces that are more comfortable than the old styled braces that were bulky and stiff. Another complaint is ankle injuries. As you swing, you are not only twisting the back, but also the ankle. This can cause a sprain, which will hurt more so than if you would break your ankle and may take longer to heal.
Senior golf pros are just as prone to injury as the seasoned players. If you keep your body limber, take precautions with your grip, swing, and follow through, you can prevent injury. Use the right equipment as well. You can enjoy playing senior golf up to any age as long as you adjust your game as you age. Preventing back, wrist and ankle injuries are important so you can keep playing the game.
The Senior Golfers Sweet Clubs!
When you are thinking about changing golf clubs to fit you better as you age, you want to look for golf clubs that will give you distance as well. You may want to have an iron that is custom made, a hybrid club or a clone wood. These are just a few different ideas when you are thinking about golf clubs. Although the clone clubs are slightly different from the original clubs, many golfers find that these clubs are more suited for their changing needs. Whether you need new irons, woods or drivers you can find some with just enough flex in the shaft that will help you gain more distance.
There are many manufacturers of senior golf clubs such as Calloway, Wedgewood, Adams and Nike. You need to choose a golf club that has enough flex in the shaft, but not too much. It will depend on your ability to swing the club as the amount of flex you need. The flex is what allows the golf club to bend as you swing and connect with the ball. You will choose from the ladies flex, senior flex, regular, stiff and extra stiff flex. If the flex of the shaft is not matched with your swing, you could miscalculate your swing. A senior golf club has a little more flex that that of a beginning golfer.
Many golf course pro shops do have golf clubs with different flex shaft ratings that you can use out on the driving range. This allows the senior golf player to find the right club that will give you the distance. Before you buy a club, trying different shaft flexes will enable you to find the one you need without mistakenly buying the wrong one. You can also find a shop that custom makes golf clubs for senior golfers and have a set of clubs make especially to enhance your game.
Whether you buy an expensive senior golf club or a discounted club will not matter as long as you buy the right club with the right amount of flex. You do however need to buy something durable, this is where it pays to be critical with discount clubs. Just because the club gives you, the distance might not mean it will be the best. Some discount clubs may loosen up as you use it more. This could cause the flex to become softer than what you need.
Senior golf players have more advantages today then what they have in the past. The clubs are designed more for their use and flexibility where as golfers in the past usually only had a few club flexes to choose from as they gained more experience in the game. Finding the different golf clubs and understanding the best clubs will help your game. You can look at different websites under the manufacturers of the clubs to see what they offer and what the ratings are before you seek a pro shop to try the club on the greens.
Things To Do If You are Planning A Senior Golf Vacation
Many senior golf players enjoy getting away by planning a golfing vacation. Whether you play golf regularly or just once and awhile, a golf vacation is a great way to relax and enjoy the outdoors just like the pros. The senior golf pros play golf for many of the same reasons the amateurs do, they love the game and enjoy traveling to new golf courses. The more you play and learn, the better you become at playing. Understanding what clubs to use and when is also important.
A travel agent or an online travel site will be a good place to start if you are planning a senior golf vacation. You want to find a course that offers a challenge as well as some great people to meet. You might even consider playing a game at some the courses where the pros give lessons or play a leisurely round of golf just like you. You can look through brochures or websites to see exactly where to plan your next golfing vacation.
When you plan a golfing vacation, you usually find a package deal that includes hotel accommodations, golfing and other related rewards to your vacation. You might even enjoy a day of lessons from some pros. Senior golf is an enjoyable sport that sees no age limit as with other sports. This sport is for all ages, the more you play, and with a few good tips, you gradually improve your game.
If you plan your senior golf outing at the right time, you might even find that the weather is just right for playing. After all that is why the pros use these courses to stay in the game. You could find yourself right in front or behind some of the most reputable players in the world. This sure would enhance the golfing vacation. You can choose where and when to travel, but if it happens to be in an area where the Senior Open is going on, you could also spend a day watching how they perform.
Some golf courses even have there own resort hotels, which makes tee time no problem. If you plan your golf vacation, make sure to schedule a tee time so you do not miss out on the experience of playing golf away from home on a new course. This is the most exciting part about planning a golf vacation.
You might consider a senior golf outing to the Jack Nicholas Golf Course down in Florida. This course is considered a prime golf course that offers a challenge for any player. If you find yourself intrigued with the course and need more time, you might even consider a condominium right by the course so your vacation can become permanent. You are going to see many different courses you can plan a vacation around looking for information about the top courses is found on the Internet. Start your search with "Championship Golf Courses" and see where the pros keep up with their game and stay in shape.
Distance Does Matter Even If You Are A Senior Golfer
Just because you play senior golf does mean you lose that distance. If you have been playing regularly, you may have already adjusted your fitness and your clubs and other equipment. If you continue to play, you always make adjustment for age. You never have to stop playing golf. Golfing is probably one of the most popular recreational games an older person can play without hurting himself or herself. You might need some instructions or tips on how to maintain that distance that every golfer wants.
While your body changes as you get older, you want to stay fit. This is the reasoning behind doing some strengthening exercises and some flexibility training. Keeping your body strong and flexible will only enhance the game and help you achieve the distance you need. Maybe a little weight lifting to keep the upper body in shape is needed as you get older. Stretching the legs daily will help to keep you flexible for a natural string, which helps with the distance you get from your swing. The more flexible you keep the body, the better you will be in you swing. Fitness is also necessary to walk the distances between holes as well. If you are not use to walking, you could tire easily. Not all golf courses will have golf cart for you.
Having the right equipment also makes a difference in your swing and the distance you get on the ball. As a person ages, they need different clubs that can help you swing better and drive the ball farther. The thing to look for is the club shaft flex, the length of the club and of course the lie angle. These are important factors in a golf club. Sometimes the senior golfer may take a lesson or two from a pro. This just enhances the game and you can learn some techniques that the pros use.
The clubs you use do make a difference when you participate in senior golf. Even the pros change golf clubs as their body and age changes. The more flex you have in a club should give you more distance. This is seen by seasoned players as well as the pros. If you are just starting out, you will probably want to take a few lessons and practice on the driving range to get the most distance on the ball before trying the greens.
Senior golf has become very popular even for beginners. It is a nice way to spend your retirement and stay fit at the same time. Some of the pros do suggest starting out slow if you are new to golf and before you take any lessons or play a round of golf, you should have some type of fitness regiment to keep the body flexible. This will help your game as well as prevent injury. A good pair of shoes is also very important not only for walking in but also for your stance. If your shoes are uncomfortable, you are not going to stand correctly when hitting the golf ball.
Want To Become A Senior Glof Pro? - Here are 8 You Can Do!
Eight things will help make you a great senior golf player. There is attitude, concentration and focus, recovery of the game, practice, fitness, technique and foundation, balance and distance. Keep in mind that these are the foundation to becoming a seasoned golf player and will help you become as good as the pros and maybe even a pro. You need to play the game of golf with determination and stay with what works for you the best.
Your attitude about the game has to be focused on the win. Having a positive, "I can do it" attitude is the only way to succeed as a professional golf player. If you want to play the senior golf tournaments, you have to work up to it and dedicate your time to enhancing your game. Your concentration and focus, plan your shot before you even reach the tee. Never change your mind once you are over the ball. Second-guessing yourself does not make a pro golfer. When you address the ball, you already know where the ball is going and how you are going to get there without any hesitation.
Talent and recovery are what help you win the game. If you have a talent for thinking and hitting the ball right where you need it to be, you have a better chance of coming in with a scratch shot, however even the senior golf pros do have an eagle or a bogy here and there. If you do have a bad hit, you need to know how to recover from that shot and make your next play make up for the previous bad shot. This is all apart of golfing. If you have a two over par on the previous hole, try to go under par on the next hole. It is all in the recovery and the planning.
To become a senior golf pro, you need to be fit and practice. Just because you have been playing golf for years does not mean, as you get older you do not need a little more fitness in your day. You need to stay in shape and practice your game regularly. Keep in mind, you might need different equipment as you get older and this is going to require plenty of practice time with the new equipment to improve your game.
You need to learn techniques that lead to a solid foundation in your game. A senior golf pro does not stop learning and improving their techniques. You want to change as your age changes to get the same distance that you were getting before you started reaching the senior age. You are going to need your balance and your Zen for golfing to play with the pros. If you keep practicing and stay fit, you should be able to play golf well into your nineties if you wish. Most importantly, keep your distance or enhance your distance to stay in the game and compete on the same level as the rest of the senior golf players.
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