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.

Hope vs Guts for the Glory of #Golf - West or East Coast Swing?

Eleven of the top-20 golfers in the world will be swinging their clubs from west to east coast this week, kicking off the PGA Tour "Florida Swing" and advancing the season into high gear. How, if at all, does this cross-country expedition energize players and strengthen the fan base?

The West Coast Swing begins a fun and exciting journey into a new season with fans and media reviewing wins and shots from the previous season, buzzing about how top golfers like Jordan Spieth are going to come out of the gate and with the joviality and hi-jinks that are standard fare at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am.

Starting out the season playing golf in Hawaii, moving through Arizona and then back to California had the pros playing on some of the most breathtaking courses in the world, relaxed and ready after the holiday season.

"Optimistic", "hopeful", "nervous" - three sentiments communicated during an interview of Phil Mickelson at the start of the golf season on the west coast.

Onto the East Coast Swing this week and the "Bear Trap", the 15th, 16th and 17th holes of the Jack Nicklaus Champion course considered to be the toughest in golf...now the season is getting serious.

As Jack Nicklaus said of his lair, "That stretch is about precision,. That stretch is about guts."

After the Honda Classic this week, the next stop on the PGA Tour is equally grueling as the players visit Doral for the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship - visiting "The Blue Monster", a golf course in the middle of a swamp with wind and water and, perhaps, a drop-in from presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Tiger Woods? Fans should definitely be watching this tournament as prior year duels at eighteen between Woods and Mickelson at dusk took on a decidedly serious tone.

Onto Innisbrook, then Bay Hill (Arnold Palmer's gem) and finally The Shell Houston Open which all lead up to...The Masters at August National...enough said.

Basically, while the West Coast Swing kicked off the season like sipping on a breakfast blend while relaxing to a beautiful sunrise, the East Coast Swing is a completely different "animal" as mentioned by Geoff Shackelford in Golf Digest, complete with bears, a monster and snakes! It's positively terrifying and, as David Duval confirmed, "There’s no faking it around any of these golf courses running up to the Masters."


West Coast or East Coast Swing - which do you prefer? Voice your opinion at the end of this golf blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

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