How Will You Start YOUR #Golf Season?

The golf season is already in full swing down in the southern and western states (East and West Coast Swing) but for many golfers who are just dusting off their clubs, the hard and fast rules have not yet settled in.

Have no fear!

If you are not playing in competition and are out for a friendly round with a few of your mates, set the rules right from the beginning of the round.

Here are a few helpful golf tips to get you started:

- If the golf course is very muddy (and they usually are this time of year), make sure you emphasize the ever important, "Lift, Clean and Place" Rule. Although the PGA of America did not consider using this rule during the U.S. Open, it sure can help during a sloppy round on your home course!

- It might also be equally important to make known the embedded ball rule.

According to Golf Digest, it's not a good idea to use your new Titleist Pro V1's either as your swing is not yet in the groove and these pearly whites (or yellows) will probably find their way into someone else's bag. Better to stick with leftovers for now.

- Since you are not Tiger Woods and if you are not in competition and only out for a bit of fun, if your ball lands safely on the fairway but lands in a divot, MOVE YOUR BALL OUT OF THE DIVOT! Make sure you alert your playing partners beforehand but... why should you be penalized on the fairway because a previous golfer did not replace the turf?

- Read up on Etiquette and respecting another golfer's space and line. Be polite to your fellow players. Did you know that "nine out of ten greenskeepers believe that players should pass an etiquette test before playing golf?"

Read more: Should Golfers Have to Pass an Etiquette Test?
Do You Believe that Golf Is Becoming an Impolite Game?

- This is not the time of year to play the odds - instead of trying low percentage shots, get your golf ball safely to the green, putt in and move on to avoid the dreaded snowman making an appearance on your card.

- Is this your first round of the season? It's probably not a good idea to keep score. If you're out with another single, why not suggest another type of format like match play; it's fun to play, less stressful, each hole is it's own adventure and it's easy to score without having to mark a card!

- While PGA.com emphasizes the Rules of Golf for all level of play, some newbies, returnees, recreational golfers (or players who haven't hit the links all season), might be inclined to take advice from US Recreational Golf Association founder, David Felker, who believes that fun, friends and a beautiful course trump score when you are playing with like-minded mates. Enjoy the journey... and remember, "you do not have to be a great golfer to have fun."

How do YOU Kick Off your Golf Season? Comment below on this golf blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

Tips to Spruce Up Your Golf Swing for Spring

I admit it - I am a golf tip addict. I love receiving and reading tips in my emails or searching through Google in order to improve my game and then sharing knowledge with my readers.

The tips that work best are usually the fundamental ones and so I would like to share a few tidbits before the season warms up and golfers are too busy thinking about swinging the club than improving the basics.

Let's get right to the golf tips, shall we?

GASP Before Every Swing:
An oldie but goody which I received from one of my first instructors was the term G.A.S.P., an acronym for Grip, Aim, Stance and Posture. G.A.S.P. is what your pre-shot routine should be on every shot you take. Make sure your grip is not too tight, Aim the bottom edge of the club square with the target, align your club properly and stand tall to the ball but don't rise up.

Tempo, Tempo, Tempo!
There are so many different components to a golf swing and tempo is, by far, one of the most important parts to practice. Tempo is different for all golfers - for example, according to an article by Brian Hill, in Jack Nicklaus' prime his swing tempo was clocked at 1.96 seconds but Arnold Palmer's was a much speedier 1.36 seconds.

If you think you need to swing faster in order to get the golf ball farther down the fairway, think again. Both men were the best golfers in the world so what is important to remember about your tempo?

- Relax...tension is the killer of the best golf swing.
- Great video from Paul Wilson Golf in which he describes tempo, how the body tells your arms how fast to move and more:




You Got it on Now You Need to Get It IN:
Two Ideas for Putting - Getting Down the Correct Speed and Line, (also how fast the greens are and the direction of the sun, how the grass is bent, but let's stick to the basics). Sounds simple doesn't it? Should be for most golfers but, according to James Parker Golf, players think too much. "We don’t want to be thinking about things like taking the putter back and through a certain amount of inches." What we want to do is "roll the ball a certain speed on a certain line into the hole – that’s it."

Tom Watson's easy putting tip from his father? "Don't peek to see where the ball is going. It's a great way to make sure your head stays still and to develop a consistent stroke."

More Putting Tips In this Link.

Practice from Different Lies:
When you're out on the golf course, you don't always have the best lie - this is NOT a game of perfect conditions! Instead of practicing your short game or iron shots from the short stuff or from a flat surface, vary the lie from hardpan to waste areas, says Stan Utley. In this Golf Digest Tip of the Week, Utley teaches how to get out of bad lies with your dignity.


Golf tips to share with our readers? Feel free to post them below in the Comments section of our golf blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.