Hilton Head Island, a golf and ocean lovers paradise!

Hilton Head Island has some of the most pristine beaches and prestigious golf courses in South Carolina, as well as the most blood-thirsty mosquitoes that I have ever encountered. Sunscreen, bug spray and a great camera are necessities for this adventure!

On my first visit to Hilton Head a few years back I was a golf beginner and so Hilton Head golf was not a top priority: it was all about the sun and fun surrounding the island.

My husband and I chose to stay at Sea Pines Resort, a 5,000 acre sprawling enclave of rental apartments, villa rentals, hotels and an inn spanning a third of the entire Island. The Resort is also home to Harbour Town Golf Links, home to the PGA Tour's Verizon Heritage event (congrats to Jim Furyk!) Harbour Town is also named as one of the ten most beautiful golf courses in the country by ForbesTraveler.com and crowned as the number twelve resort course in the nation.

Although I considered it essential to have access to the amenities which make the stay in Hilton Head more than just a golf vacation; spa, fine dining and even bicycling beachfront, Sea Pines Resort also has four pro shops, vital for any golf vacation, and there are a plethora of shops, craft stores and dining options to indulge the family.

In addition to Sea Pines, Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort is also a worthwhile vacation option. Golf Magazine awarded this retreat a Silver Medal as one of the country's "Top 75 Resorts" and the Resort equals the beauty of Sea Pines so either decision will leave you with a rich vacation experience.

The choices of where to play golf, how to get the best Hilton Head tee times and what to see on the Island are expansive and that is where we needed assistance. While my husband insisted on 36 holes of golf per day, I limited him to one round. Come on, we took the vacation to be together!

Sure, the lighthouse visible on the 18th hole of Harbour Town make it a shoo-in for a visit and a photo-opportunity but, with an assortment of high-end golf courses, it is no wonder that Golf Digest readers named Hilton Head Island number 'ten' on its list of the world's best golf resorts!

Considered a "modern masterpiece" and designated as a "Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary", Heron Point at Sea Pines underwent a multi-million dollar restoration and was reopened in 2007. It is considered both dramatic and difficult and is located only a mile from Harbour Town.

 

Heron Point Hole 4

One of the oldest golf courses on Hilton Head Island is The Ocean Course at Sea Pines. Although you will see lagoons and water everywhere, you will barely see the ocean here. This course was also awarded a "Beginner Friendly" award from the National Golf Course Owners Association!

The 40-year-old Robert Trent Jones Course at Palmetto Dunes Resort is not too difficult for the average golfer but you need to make good shots or be punished if you don't! The Arthur Hills Course at the same Resort is surrounded by palmetto trees and, if you're looking for a visual spectacle, the elevation changes will take your breath away.

 

Arthur Hills Golf Course

Palmetto Dunes also offers Segway X2 personal transporters and air-conditioned golf carts, if you have trouble walking or pulling a cart around the golf course. Ah, the modern comforts of life...hope a drink cooler is attached too!

One important reminder for golfers who have not yet traveled to South Carolina: alligators will come up and "greet you" on every course with no shame. They are hungry and looking for food!

The salty ocean air, the traditional southern charm and the ability to play golf on some of the best courses in the United States make Hilton Head Island in South Carolina a vacation experience worth investigating and experiencing but I issue you fair warning. Once you visit Hilton Head Island for the first time, you will yearn for a return trip!

The most frequently asked golf questions from Ask.com

Ask.com, a question and answer site that receives more than one million specific questions everyday, researched the most frequently asked golf questions on its site. You may think these are all basic questions but how many of you actually know all the answers? Naturally, I have placed my snarky comments below each answer, in red ink.

Top Ten Questions about Golf on Ask.com

1. What does golf stand for?
A. The word golf likely originated from the Medieval Dutch word "kolf" or "kolve" which meant "club".

I thought the word GOLF was an acronym for Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden!
LadiesLoveGolf.com has a similar opinion

2. How long does it take to play 18 holes of golf?

A. Four hours is the estimate most people give for 18 holes.

My answer depends on if you play the publinks in which a round of golf has taken me up to six hours!

3. What Percentage of Golfers Shoot under 100?

A. There are 27 million golfers in America. Only 5 percent of them will ever break 100, and of that 5 percent only 2 percent of them will ever break 80.

I have to agree with this answer, at least for publinks golfers. I play with many who have never broken 100 but I have not yet broken 80.

4. What degree is a pitching wedge?

A. A pitching wedge is set at a 45 degree angle.

One of my favorite clubs in my golf bag. I carry pitching, sand (56 degrees) and lob wedges (60 degrees) for different shots. You can never have too many wedges!

5. How many calories do I burn playing golf?

A. How many calories a person burns while playing golf depends on three factors. One is body weight, as larger people burn more calories than their smaller counterparts. A second factor is how much time is spent playing golf, and the third aspect has to do with how active that person is on the range. A person who weighs 150 pounds and plays golf for two hours while he is carrying his clubs will burn 750 calories. A heavier person, weighing 200 pounds, will burn even more. During a two hour golf game, a 200-pound person carrying his golf clubs will burn 1,000 calories. 

In other words, walk and carry your golf clubs for golf to be more of a physical than mental game! 

6. How do you fix a slice in golf?

A. To fix a golf swing slice, it's important to realize that a slice is caused by the club face being left open when you strike the ball. Discover how you can fix your slice with help from a professional golf instructor.

Don't try fixing your slice yourself or you might add more problems to your golf swing. 

7. How many golf clubs can you carry?
A. The rules of golf allow you to carry fourteen clubs in your bag, so many golfers add another iron or a specialty wood to the traditional set.

For newer  women golfers, try hybrid clubs instead of traditional woods: they are easier to hit and get the ball airborne.

8. How do you calculate your golf handicap?

A. After figuring out a golf course's rating, take the score and subtract it from the course rating before multiplying it times 113 and dividing this number by the slope of the course. Take five scores and multiply the lowest by .96 to get a handicap. 

Check out USGA.org  for more information on handicapping.

9. What is an albatross in Golf?

A. Albatross is another term for a double eagle, or 3-under par on any one hole.

How many golfers have ever gotten an albatross? Of course, for some, an albatross has the same connotation as in the Rime of the Ancient Mariner!

10. What does slope rating mean on a golf course?
A. Slope rating is a numerical index of difficulty for an average (bogey) golfer. The higher the slope number, the more difficult the course is for the bogey golfer.

I suggest that the average golfer look for courses with lower slope ratings until their scores improve, for a feeling of accomplishment!

Kerr's trophy larger but Watson has better payday with "dream performances"

Cristie Kerr's record-setting twelve stroke victory at the LPGA Championship left her in a dream-like state. Bubba Watson's teary-eyed acceptance of his first PGA Tour win at the Travelers Championship was exciting to boot as he was the last man standing in a three-man playoff.

Since I could not be at both events in the tri-state area, I chose the Travelers in order to meet-up at a "tweet-up" with Patricia Hannigan (aka golfgirl from Golf Girl Media). I can't wait to see the pictures she took and I'm sure she'll post them soon.

Here are pictures of Cristie Kerr, winner of the LPGA Championship and Bubba Watson, fellow left-handed golfer, victor at the Traveler's Championship and first-time winner on the PGA Tour.

Kerr aced the bigger trophy (and $337,500) but Bubba Watson walked off with the larger check ($1,080,000!)

After the U.S. Open, why golf fans need the Travelers Championship

After last week's lackluster U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, here are five reasons why you should either watch the Travelers Championship on television this week or take a drive and see it live if you live within a close enough radius of Cromwell, Connecticut (I'm on that two-hour cusp!)

1. The natural beauty of TPC River Highlands golf course and holes 15-18 in particular have been written about extensively and need to be seen to be appreciated. Highlands is the opposite of Pebble Beach, in my opinion, and both are equally beautiful.

PGA Tour on Facebook asked if fans have any tips for the pros playing at TPC River Highlands this week (join the conversation!)

Answers ranged from mine which was more tempered to those who have a "grip it and rip it" mentality.

I said (Stacy Solomon):

Lay-up on #15, go deep to avoid false front on #16th green, consider water in play on #17 & bunker on right of 18th green may be better than facing than facing swale on left.

Seriously PGATour.com, should I really be offering advice to the best golfers in the world?

2. Top PGA Tour golfers like defending champion Kenny Perry, Padraig Harrington and Rickie Fowler will be up-close-and-personal, from the driving range to the putting green.

3. Michelob Ultra 19th Hole Concert Series brings out some of the best local bands in CT. Concerts will be held on Friday and Saturday, right after capping off a great day of golf!

4.  Golf fans disappointed after a lackluster 2010 U.S. Open need a golf  "recovery" tournament.

5. See the new and improved, slimmer John Daly at 185 pounds. Daly's rib injury seems to have passed and he is now working with improved confidence. JD is a great golfer to watch when he's in form but looking into the sun might be better for the eyes as his bright yellow and purple colored outfit can leave you with flash camera spots!

Check the Golf Channel for weekday schedule, CBS-TV for weekend play or catch the action on PGATour.com.

Should Barack Obama be criticized for playing golf while oil spills?

Barack Obama has been taking some leisure time as of late, playing a round of golf, taking in a White Sox baseball game, and getting criticized for doing it.

RNC Chairman Michael Steele stated, "As oil continues to spill in the Gulf and unemployment hovers at 10 percent, the President can no longer take his eye off the 'oil.' '' Very punny, Mr. Steele!

Mr. Steele does have a point with regards to Obama's treatment of the oil spill. In my opinion, the President waited almost two months to connect with BP Chairman Tony Hayward and, after a twenty-minute closed door meeting, came away with a whopping $20 billion settlement that BP may or may not have in its coffers. The taxpayer is going to wind up with the burden once again unless the public helps come up with solutions.

RT @stephlovescards Have u seen this? http://bit.ly/9eQeFY #Obama #BP take notice and clean up the oil spill already!

"President Obama finds himself on yet another golf course as oil continues to spew into the Gulf," continued the RNC Chairman. "Until this problem is fixed, no more golf outings, no more baseball games, no more Beatle concerts, Mr. President."

Nero fiddles while Rome burns? Same statement used by a Left-winger, for example, who chastised President Bush picking up a guitar, strumming along with folks on V-J Day.

Should a President be allowed time for rest and relaxation in the midst of crises?

The President of the USA (or any other country) leads by example. Father's Day should be a time spent with loved ones and I saw nothing wrong with quality time with his daughters. As far as sitting in on the Paul McCartney Concert, which woman wouldn't want 'Michelle' sung to her by a legend?

Seriously, Mr. Obama, please help with the oil spill clean-up so that, in three more years, the public isn't trying to impeach you, much like the attack on President Bush. Since I'm putting in my wish list, health care plans have been on the table since 1993, "HillaryCare"... remember?

Photo Credit: © USAToday.com, Alex Brandon, AP

Can the 2010 U.S. Open take the title of Golf's Greatest Championship?

In his book, "Golf's Greatest Championship", Julian Graubart states that "perhaps the most dramatic, competitive and passionate of all Open Championships" occurred at the 1960 U.S. Open in Cherry Hills, Colorado.

Let us briefly look at what it would take for the 2010 U.S. Open to surpass this highly regarded historic event.

Sam Snead and Ben Hogan, the two top names in golf at the time, were in the field and had the opportunity to win the event. Although Hogan tied for ninth place and Snead T-19th position, there would have to be some major well-known "starpower" in the final round in order for the 2010 U.S. Open to contend for golf's greatest championship.

Sixty-year-old Tom Watson, who hit one of the most memorable shots in golf during the 1982 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach to defeat Jack Nicklaus, might do as this type of draw. Ben Hogan was forty-seven at the time and considered the "elder statesman" with four U.S. Open titles under his belt, knowing the Open may have been his last chance to secure the trophy.

Two up and coming golfers, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, were also in the mix.

Whereas Palmer already had twelve victories under his belt and had just risen to leading money winner in the 1958 PGA Tour standings, "in the eyes of golf fans and writers, Palmer didn't particularly stand out," says Graubart. Arnie was formulating his "army" though and was on his way to becoming the Tour's "everyman."

Phil Mickelson would do as the current-day Arnold Palmer as he is considered by some to be "everyman." The "meltdown" which occurred during Palmer's final round at the 1959 Masters was similar in nature to Mickelson's devastating final round defeat at the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot.

Nicklaus, on the other hand, was the new guy on the tour and still an amateur. Five amateurs in the field this week that Golfweek thinks we should keep an eye on are: Byeong-Hun An, Bennett Blakeman, Scott Langley, Kevin Phelan and Hudson Swafford. Who knows which of these five young guns could be in the hunt on Sunday?


What about Tiger Woods? He would most certainly have to be a contender in order to topple the title of Golf's Greatest Championship, wouldn't he? Closing in on yet another major win is extremely important for Woods right now to get back into the mix, to get the fans rooting for him again and to catch up to Nicklaus's record.

There would have to be the excitement of a "meltdown" and a "comeback" with close calls and close numbers during the final round. There would have to be low front nine scores with the excitement of not knowing who will win. The 1960 U.S. Open was won in the last two holes with only two strokes finally separating the winner from second place.

Of course there are certain changes in history that will probably secure the 1960 U.S. Open as Golf's Greatest Championship.

One major difference between the 1960 and 2010 U.S. Open is the mode of telecast. In 1960, there was no reviewing shots through videotape or through digital means. You either watched it live on NBC-TV or missed it or waited until you bought the newspaper the following day. With today's technology you get the option of TIVO, Internet, mobile web, television replays and the like, so you'll know when a golfer takes a breath or sneezes! Some of the excitement of live telecasts will be lost forever.

The final 36 holes of golf would have to be played in the same day. It may be exhausting, but it would separate the men from the boys. But, should golf be considered a game of skill and endurance? That is why the majors are considered the game's ultimate test.