How Much Does It Cost to Attend The Masters? #golf

Scrambling for a Masters Ticket? Wishing you could gaze at the azaleas while walking the hallowed grounds of Augusta National Golf Course along with Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson and, maybe, Tiger Woods?

Well you still can attend, but the cost may have you watching from your Big Screen TV instead...

With The Masters golf tournament just a few weeks away, emails from companies selling tickets to travel costs coercing me to attend, litter my mailbox. Here are a few of the "deals" (?) to attend the first major event of the season.

I was sent this note from a Priceline.com representative - Priceline.com and online ticket marketplace TiqIQ.com have analyzed the costs to attend the event, both the practice rounds and the tournament itself.

Priceline Travel Editor Brian Ek suggested to me that hotel rates and tickets during the practice rounds are much less expensive. "Tickets are a bit harder to come by, but prices for the early practice rounds are about a third to one-half the cost of a tournament ticket."

So, how much does it cost to attend The Masters?

According to TiqIQ’s Jesse Lawrence, the average cost of a secondary-market ticket for practice rounds is $362.67 for Monday, $502.69 for Tuesday, and $1,029 for Wednesday.

Okay, catch your breath...it's time for ticket prices during The Masters:

On April 9th, one-day tickets are averaging $1,460.62 for Thursday, $1,233.06 for Friday, $1,167.39 for Saturday, and $1,403.63 for Sunday.  A four-day pass for the tournament is approximately $4,442.40.

After searching the Internet to check those figures, I came across Ticket City which threw me for a bigger loop (not anymore); The Master Par-3 Package on April 7th was selling for $2,942 with a $545 service charge! Correction: Marketing and Communications Director For Ticket City, Ashley Kubiszyn, sent me an email after reading my blog mentioning that this price is for a practice round ticket, a Wednesday  badge and 3 nights of lodging.

WAIT!! Once you have secured the Masters tickets, you will need a place to stay!

Last-minute Masters' accommodations are probably difficult to find in Augusta but I was sent an email from Melissa at Augusta’s newly renovated historic Partridge Inn which she told me of special Masters rates starting at $549.00 ...she did not mention whether this rate is per night so, if you are planning this last-minute excursion, please make sure you contact them for details.

For that price, you could play a round of golf at Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and stay at Spanish Bay! Hmmm...interesting thought.

Add in food (tourists will want to try a pimento sandwich), souvenirs, Masters hat, towel, etc. and the total cost? PRICELESS!

Have you been to Augusta National to watch The Masters? Let us know on this golf blog or on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

Winter Rules in the Summer? On the PGA Tour? #golf

There are rules in every sport; golf is no exception. The Rules of Golf were written in conjunction between USGA and R&A with both player and golf course in mind. Learn the rules and you will most certainly maximize the pleasure you receive during a game. This short blog (below) was written by Richard E. Todd and reminds us why rules are used from the beginner to PGA Tour player.

Earlier this month, at The 2015 Honda Classic, the PGA Tour initiated the Preferred Lies rule. Most golfers know this term as winter rules or more simply as lift, clean, and place.

Touching the ball while in the fairway you say? Blasphemous? No. This decision is allowed by the USGA and is done to limit excessive damage to the golf course from strokes made on poor turf conditions while also promoting fair play. And it’s not the first time the PGA Tour has used this rare option.

So, when are you allowed to give yourself a better lie and stay within the rules of golf?

This option is only available under local rules when specific approval is given by the Committee of that course, under USGA Rules of Golf appendix I-4.b, and is a temporary ruling that may apply only to specific holes.

How do you exercise this rule?

When the course you’re playing has given specific authority to do so, and your ball is in the fairway (known in the rule book as any closely mowed area through the green), simply announce to your competitor your intention to enact the ruling, mark your ball, lift it, clean off any debris if you desire, and set it on the ground as close as possible to the original location but no closer to the green.

Sorry, you aren’t able to better your lie when you’re in the rough or a hazard under this option.

An example of this rule is further explained in my book, The Golf Rules, where a group comes upon a hole that flooded due to an overnight storm.

This rule and many others can increase the enjoyment of a round of golf and help lower your scores.

Unfortunately, many golfers are not educated on their options. To help with this problem, I published a funny yet educational series of books on stroke play, match play, and golf etiquette. If interested in a good golf read and potentially learning more about the sport that can last you a lifetime, check out TheGolfRules.com. You can also read about situations surrounding the Rules of Golf on the official USGA website.


Do you play by the Rules or are you just beginning to learn them? Let us know on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and below, on this golf blog.

Richard E Todd, Bio:

Author of The Golf Rules, Todd has written an educational and entertaining series of books on stroke play, match play, golf etiquette, and Short Stories from the Long Links, has been heard on the PGA Tour radio station and seen in On The Green magazine.  Contact him at Richard@TheGolfRules.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter and at www.TheGolfRules.com.

photos: Golf Digest, The Golf Rules, Foxnews.com

The views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent Golf for Beginners.

The Short Game of #Golf is in Capable Hands! #Video

While CNN writes gloom and doom articles about the state of golf on the grassroots level, Esquire Network shows us that kids are the future of the sport with its newest TV show, The Short Game.

Although, as CNN states, the game is going through a slump in popularity (and they have a point), with the number of newcomers falling by twenty percent in the U.S. in the last year, Golf for Beginners remains positive that the sport will bounce back in popularity...and it starts with the kids in the video you see below.

Watch as kids with golf swings better than most Tour pros, focus on making it to the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship and wonder if your kids have the right stuff to compete, and win, at this super intense level.

Voice your opinion on this golf blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

Have You Played Golf in Abu Dhabi or Dubai? Let's Go!

Golf for Beginners, through our many internet conversations, understands that fans of the sport love to travel and learn about different cultures while playing some of the best courses around the world. In this blog we would like to share exciting vacation destination ideas and a special discount travel code for UK golfers!

Letsgo2, a UK based luxury holiday provider specializing in accredited package holidays to a selection of striking destinations, is offering our users an exclusive discount code to use when booking your next summer holiday.

Check off some of the golf courses on your bucket list while appreciating unique culture with letsgo2– enjoy a leisurely round or two on manicured fairways and then explore the sights of some of the world’s most famous golf destinations. 

Have you ever been to Abu Dhabi? I have not yet journeyed to AD but it is on my short list of exciting destinations. If you are looking for an exclusive and luxurious landing spot, you can stay at the elegant Yas Viceroy Hotel near the marina and play the Yas Links.

Thinking of visiting Dubai? Enjoy the sheer decadence of a Dubai golf holiday at the Jebel Ali resort, complete with stunning private beach. The on-site golf course is a precursor to the European PGA Tour event, the Dubai Desert Classic, so it must be a real tests of skill.

Yas Viceroy Hotel, Abu Dhabi

If the Middle East doesn’t strike your fancy, why not take a tour of the Belle Mare Plage, with two 18-hole championship paradises set among tropical gardens as well as one of the most beautiful beaches in Mauritius. 

All greens on the Legends and Links courses have been rebuilt to exacting specifications with Tif Dwarf grasses to ensure the perfect roll. Bring your A-Game!

Whether you’re searching for a golf holiday or family trip abroad, letsgo2.com has it covered.  

Quote one of these discount codes below when booking:

GOLF50 for £50 discount on holiday over £2,999

GOLF75 for £75 discount on holiday package over £3,000  

The codes are not limited to use on the golf packages but are valid on any holiday booked through letsgo2. 

Plan your vacation today!

What is your favorite UK destination for golf and relaxation? Let us know on Twitter @Golf4Beginners!

photos: Letsgo2.com

10 Things Every Beginner Golfer Needs to Know #Golf #Infographic

Spring is only a few weeks away and many sports-minded enthusiasts who never picked up the sticks are eagerly planning to get out onto the links but don't know how or where to begin! Why not create a checklist of everything you'll need to play the game that will last you a lifetime!

From purchasing the proper golf equipment to the rules and etiquette of the game, Bird Golf Academy has placed all that you need to know in this easy-to-follow infographic.

Although all of the points within the guide are important to a beginner golfer, the one Golf for Beginners likes the best is the last, and most important, thought - Have Fun!



Via: The Bird Golf School

Voice your opinion on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and on this blog!

Five Golfers Set For a Major Breakthrough in 2015 #golf

Golf for Beginners is always on the lookout for insightful opinions and, when Craig Simpkin wanted to share a blog on five of the top professional golfers set for a breakthrough this year, how could we resist? Here is Craig's take on a few golf pros that you may, or may not, have heard of and why these players have what it takes to win.

Enjoy the article!
*************

With both the PGA and European Tours now in full swing, we’ve cast our net far and wide to find the players ready to take on Rory McIlroy for golfing dominance in 2015 and challenge the World Number one in the markets for this year’s majors.

Rickie Fowler

You could argue that Rickie Fowler has already made his breakthrough on the pro circuit following an incredible amateur career. Currently ranked 12th in the overall World Golf Ranking, Fowler has been a major tournament contender (tied for 5th-2014 Masters) but has yet to find himself in the winner’s enclosure. Rickie's clothes show spunk - this could well be his year.

The American is the only player in golfing history to record top-5 finishes in all of the four majors, while enjoying ten top-10 finishes in all during a fantastic 2014 campaign. His performances at the Open Championship and the PGA Championship, where he finished two shots behind eventual winner Rory McIlroy, highlight just how close he is.

With only one PGA Tour win to his name, Fowler has enlisted the services of Butch Harmon to help take his game to the next level. That could well be the added ingredient he needs to complete a winning recipe.

Jordan Spieth / Rickie Fowler

Jordan Spieth

It’s fair to say that Jordan Spieth announced his arrival on the golfing scene with aplomb in 2013/14, and so this year he’ll be hoping to go from ‘hot young prospect’ (and hit with the ladies) to bonafide major winner.

Spieth was within a whisker of becoming the youngest Masters champion in history at Augusta – leading the field by two shots at one point during the final round. He was eventually usurped by Bubba Watson, and, at just twenty-one, is the tournament’s youngest ever runner-up.

A flash in the pan? No chance! In November, Spieth won two tournaments, shooting a course-record at the Australian Open to win by six clear shots, and then just one week later he shot a mind-boggling -26 to claim the Hero World Challenge in Orlando.

Shane Lowry

The latest player off the Irish conveyor belt of talent is Shane Lowry, and the 27-year-old enjoyed his best year on the tour to date in 2014 with seven top-10 finishes securing him a tenth-place finish on the Race to Dubai ladder.

His finest hour came at the BMW PGA Championship, where he carded -13 to finish in second place - one stroke behind the champion McIlroy. That performance was the catalyst for a catalogue of top twenty finishes – including T-9 at The Open - that would fire Lowry into the world’s top 50.

Hideki Matsuyama

Another young gun making waves is Hideki Matsuyama. With top-10 finishes at three of the majors to date, the 22-year-old is already showing that he has the technique and belief to remain in the mix for big tournaments heading into the final day.

In 2014, Hideki secured his first win on the PGA Tour at the Memorial Tournament in Ohio and that helped him rise up the world rankings to a heady 13th position. 

With six other top-25 finishes in Tour events last season, Matsuyama clearly has the all-around game to make a more sustained breakthrough in 2015.

Branden Grace

South African Branden Grace has started the 2014/15 campaign like a runaway train; lifting two trophies – including a sublime -19 to triumph in the Qatar Masters - and finishing in the top-20 in three others.

They say that winning becomes a habit, and Grace is certainly displaying all the hallmarks at the moment. His numbers are up in 2015 too; he’s added an average of ten yards to his drive and his ‘greens in regulation’ stat is at 75% - a career high.

While his record in majors isn’t the best – he’s only achieved one top-25 finish in his career thus far – there’s enough evidence to suggest that the improving Grace now has the belief to kick it up a notch and become a major player on the tour.


About Craig Simpkin: 

Craig is a UK-based freelance writer and keen golf enthusiast whose
work can be found at Unibet and the Sabotage times, amongst many other sites

Do you agree that one of these five golfers will make a major breakthrough this year? Voice your opinion on Twitter @Golf4Beginners or on this blog!

photo: The Local Golfer