Explanation of The PGA

PGA stands for Professional Golf Association and is a generic term referring to the professional organization that most pro golfers belong to. There are several PGAs around the world including the British Isles PGA and the Ladies PGA. Many of these PGAs will have an indication of the territory they belong to such as LPGA of Japan, etc.

Dedicated to the promotion of the game of golf everywhere, the American Professional Golfers Association (PGA) can trace its origins back to 1916 when a group of New York area golf professionals, accompanied by several prominent amateur golfers attended a luncheon hosted by department store magnate Rodman Wanamaker. The purpose of the gather was to discuss forming a national organization to promote interest in the game of golf.

The PGA’s first order of business was to establish the organization’s objectives. The members agreed to the following:

* Promote interest in the game of golf

* Elevate the standards of the golf professional’s vocation

* Protect the mutual interest of its members

* Hold meetings and tournaments for the benefit of members

* Assist deserving unemployed members to obtain positions

* Establish a benevolent relief fund for deserving members

* Accomplish any other objective which may be determined by the Association from time to time

The first PGA Championship tournament was held in October of 1916 at the Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, NY. Jim Barnes defeated Jock Hutchison. Wanamaker honored his pledge and donated a prize purse of $2,580 and the trophy which today still bears his name.

When the PGA of America was formed, there was no distinction between club and touring professionals. As the PGA began to develop and promote tournaments, it became easier for the touring professionals to devote their efforts to just playing tournaments and exhibitions. In 1968, PGA tournament players, who comprised a small percentage of the membership, broke away from the Association to form a Tournament Players Division and acquire more control of the tournament schedule.

In 1975, the Tournament Players Division was renamed the PGA Tour. Today, the PGA Tour is headquartered in Ponte Vedra, Fla. The PGA Tour and the PGA of America maintain a close working relationship, and most professional golfers maintain dual membership in the organizations.

The PGA of America conducts more than 30 tournaments for its members and apprentices. Through a network of 41 section offices, the Association maintains a total commitment to the club professional, helping the membership meet the demands of today’s marketplace and addressing vital issues such as pace of play, environmental concerns and accessibility.

Since 1916, the PGA of America has established new standards of excellence by expanding educational opportunities, programs and services for its members. However, the Association stands firm and continues to flourish on the principles that were set down by its founders.

Professional Golf Dreams

As with any other sport golf also does have a professional level. The difference between playing professional golf and amateur golf, however, can be a very fine line. There are a lot of amateur golfers that can score at the professional level, however, they are unable to do it consistently and often miss out on the tournaments that can qualify them to get on the tour.

Nonetheless, it is a dream of many golfers to play professional golf one day and make a living doing something that they truly, truly love. Your office is the course, and your co-workers are people who love the game just as much as you do. You share common interests at the professional level of golf and it can be a very satisfying career. But isn’t that obvious?

Qualifying to play professional golf is another story altogether. The field is very competitive and it can be extremely difficult to break through. Some people try their whole lives to qualify and always come up short. It takes a lot of practice, a lot of dedication, and an ability to take a lot of disappointment to play professional golf, so know what you’re in for!

To get started playing professional golf, you will first have to qualify for “Q School” or Qualifying School. Q Schools are annual qualifying tournament for leading golf tours like the PGA and the LPGA. In Q School, a fixed number of players win membership to the tour for the following season. In professional golf, this is referred to as your “tour card”. You will then be able to play in most of the tour’s events without having to qualify.

Getting through the Q school is very competitive and most professional golfers never achieve it. There can be up to four stages to negotiate each of them like a regular golf tournament with only a small number of players going on to the next state. The final qualifying school may be played over up to six rounds compared with the standard four rounds in a professional golf tournament. However, players who are successful at Q school can reach the elite level of competition very quickly.

You can also qualify to play professional golf in other ways. Finishing near the top of the money list on the tour’s developmental tour, winning a tournament on the tour after qualifying or as a sponsor’s invitee, or winning enough money on multiple events on the tour to meet whatever criteria the tour may lay down for promotion to full membership. This last one was how Tiger Woods gained his first tour card.

Playing professional golf is not an easy career to pursue, but it is a great way to make a living! Persistence, patience, and a great game of golf can all get you on your way to playing professional golf, but be realistic and know that it will take time.

Beginner Golf Clubs

You must take into consideration the style, size, and type of material used to make the golf club shaft. One of the less expensive materials is steel. Golf clubs with a steel shaft weigh more but can be longer-lasting than other types. The steel shaft may also give you more control over those fast swings. If you choose a graphite shaft, it will be lighter than steel but will be more costly. This type of club is used for long distance shots or for slower swingers. Most golf clubs are available with both steel and graphite shafts.

Keep in mind that graphite shafts will not only be lighter and easier to handle, they will also be more forgiving if you have a bad shot. They absorb vibration and allow for a much better feeling shot. Plus, you will pick up some distance because the speed of the swing will be greater due to the lighter materials.

The flexibility of a shaft is referred to as flex, or bend. The less the bend in a shaft, the more control the powerful swinger will have. On the other hand, beginners and those with less powerful swings generally use a shaft with greater flexibility. The average swing speed is from 65 miles per hour for the beginner up to over 100 miles per hour for powerful swingers.

When it comes to selecting a golf club driver, especially as a beginner, you will probably want one with a head made out of titanium. Titanium is stronger, denser, and lighter than steel so the club head can be made larger with the same amount of materials.

The advantage to having a large head driver is there is a larger “sweet spot” giving you more area to hit the ball with. With this type of golf club head, the club will be much more forgiving if you miss hit the ball or have a bad shot.

The goal when buying golf clubs should be to own the best golf clubs you can afford, whether they are name brands, used, or a reproduction of one of the name brands.

How To Choose The Right Golf Equipment

There are definitely all sorts of golf equipment that you can buy and use when playing the wonderful game of golf. Just don’t go overboard and concentrate on the basics to begin with. Then when you get better, you can add all of the newest gadgets to your bag and see if that golf equipment will help you lower your score!

There are multiple brands and styles of golf equipment that you can use, but it can be confusing as to what you really need to play a good game of golf. Let’s take a look at some of the equipment that most golfers consider essential.

Choosing the Right Clubs

Of course, your most important pieces of golf equipment are your clubs. You will want to take care to choose clubs that are suited to your style of golf. They should be easy to handle and designed toward your height. Beginners and experts alike should lean towards the lighter graphite shafts and titanium heads so that you have maximum forgiveness in the event of a bad shot.

You will want to have a full set of clubs. That means you’ll need a driver, a 3 wood, a 5 wood, a full set of irons (from 3 to 9), a sand wedge, and a putter. That’s the minimum. You can also add other clubs to your arsenal as you become more proficient at the game. You can include a 1 iron for fairway shots as well as a lob wedge for getting out of the deep rough.

Choosing the Right Ball

The golf ball really can be a very important piece of golf equipment. Depending on what you are looking for, you can find balls that will improve your distance, your spin, or your performance. Look for balls that are a bit softer – like a balata. Also find a ball with lower compression – especially if you are a beginner.

Choosing the Right Tee

If you’ve never given thought to your golf tees as part of your golf equipment, now’s the time to start. There are actually many types of tees that you can choose from – each with their own advantages. There are long tees when you need to have the ball teed up high, short tees for those tee box iron shots, and even three-pronged tees for stability. In fact, the three-pronged tee was the first type of golf tee that was used in the early years of golf.

Choosing the Right Bag

If you like the idea of carrying your clubs around in one bundle, I guess you can just go ahead. However, a golf bag sure makes carrying your clubs around much easier. Plus, with a good golf bag, you can also carry your tees, your balls, some hand sanitizer, snacks, your cell phone, and anything else you think is necessary.

Choosing the Right Shoes

Because the golf swing requires a certain amount of stability, you will also want to add some golf shoes to your golf equipment list. Golf shoes have cleats on the bottom that allow you to maintain your footing while swinging. This can be so very important as you are moving your body to hit the ball. Golf shoes help you stay balanced and keep your feet “grounded” if you will.

Golfing In Las Vegas

Twenty-nine years ago, locals and visitors played at The Tropicana Golf Course, which has been replaced by the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. The Dunes course, since replaced by Bellagio and Monte Carlo Hotels, Desert Inn Country Club, is still there, though it will be gone soon. The Municipal Golf Course, Las Vegas Country Club, Craig Road, Sahara Country Club, Winter Wood, two courses at Nellis and Paradise Country Club, are all still there, though the names may have changed. They were pretty much the only courses in the valley.

Today, there are 57 golf courses in and around Las Vegas. They’re not all up and running yet as that number includes under construction and on the planning board. Also, the number includes courses within a two hour drive of Las Vegas, Mesquite, Primm, Laughlin and Pahrump.

Even so, that’s a lot of golf courses for a city of less than one and a half million. Of course, thirty-six million plus tourists a year add to the profitability of opening one. Greens fees for Las Vegas golf can be quite steep for the common man and many locals have given up local golf for just that reason.

Las Vegas golf courses were designed by the pros who also played them in tournaments every year. Palmer, Nicklaus, Chi Chi Rodriques, Johnny Miller and Fuzzy Zoeller have all designed courses there. All of the major pro tours, PGA, LPGA and the SPGA have annual tourneys here. They started to play Las Vegas in 1953.

Golf is a year-round sport in Las Vegas. Even on those forty days a year that there’s some rain, you still might get 18 holes in. There are only about 5 days a year when you can’t play. In the spring there may be a few days of high winds that postpone your game. On cold days in the winter, you tee off at noon. On hot days from June to September, try to get a tee time from 6-9 am, to be off the course in the afternoon. Call very early for a tee time.

You will have a lot of options when you choose to golf in Las Vegas. But the best part about a Las Vegas golf trip? You can always try out the blackjack tables if your golf game stinks.

Palm Springs Golf

Discovered in the early 1920s by some of Hollywood’s elite, it is no longer the group of sleepy little villages it once was. While the area has changed over the years, the one thing that has not is the magnificent clear blue sky and the mild climate. It’s a great feeling to be soaking your body in a warm outdoor pool or playing a round of golf on a manicured course while the rest of the country is slipping and sliding behind a snow plow.

The Palm Springs region, with its world-class golf courses and destination golf resorts, while not as large, is rapidly becoming the West Coast version of the Myrtle Beach golf scene.

You have your choice of several different professional level courses when you travel to Palm Springs to golf. The great California weather makes it a premier, year-round vacation destination for golfers.

While we strive to remain unbiased in our review of Palm Springs golf destinations, we have found some of the more popular courses and feel compelled to pass these on to you.

* Desert Springs Golf Club – True to Ted Robinson’s signature style, there’s more water on our beautifully landscaped championship courses than you can shake a 9-iron at. Enjoy the camaraderie of individual golf or group tournaments set against the towering mountains, rolling greens and sprawling lakes.

* Indian Springs Golf and Country Club – The 18-hole “Indian Springs” course at the Indian Springs Golf & Country Club facility in Indio, California features 6,404 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72.  The course rating is 69.8 and it has a slope rating of 112.  Designed by John Gurley, Sr., the Indian Springs golf course opened in 1962.

* Indian Wells Golf Resort – Featuring two courses, the Players and the Celebrity, you’ll find plenty of holes to make you happy. Both courses are a par of 72.  John Fought designed Players Course and Clive Clark designed the Celebrity Course.

* Desert Dunes Golf Club - Desert Dunes Golf Course was the first desert course designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Voted as one of the best public courses in Southern California. Laid out among large dunes and mature desert trees, Desert Dunes has a unique Scottish links flavor.

There’s no doubt that golf in Palm Springs is a golfer’s paradise. Are you ready to go? Then Book a Golf Getaway and Save at Luxury Link. When you golf Palm Springs, you are surely in for a trip that you will remember for years to come!

A Few Helpful Golf Tips

So what kind of golf tips can we offer up in this article? Space is limited, so we’ll try to focus only on those tips that are most asked for.

First, if you have a bad temper, you probably shouldn’t take up golf. We’re just kidding, really. Actually, golf can be good for your mental state. You may find that you can take out your frustration on the golf course in productive ways and perhaps you can gain better control of that temper!

Setup Tips

Since most people have trouble with their setup, our first set of golf tips will deal with the setup.

* Position your body so your body is parallel with the target line

* Your feet should be shoulder width apart

* With short irons, put the ball in the center of your stance

* Middle irons should have the ball placed one ball toward the target side from center

* For long irons and fairway woods, place the ball two ball lengths toward the target from center

* The ball should be three ball lengths toward the target from center

* Balance your weight on the balls of your feet

* Bend your knees slightly and keep your spine straight

* Move your body from the hips and make it a smooth, fluent motion

Keep your eye on the ball until well after you complete your follow-through swing. If you don’t do this, you will have a tendency to stand up on the ball which will cause you to top the ball. Do this with all shots. Look at the back of the ball and don’t take your eyes off of it until it’s natural to look and see where the ball has gone.

Putting Tips

When putting, the best golf tips we can offer up are:

* Visualize the path your ball will travel so that it will go in the hole

* Read the green and take into account any dips that may cause your ball to change its direction. Then you can compensate with your aim.

* The putting swing is a smooth, pendulum-like action with no wrist break. You will swing with your shoulders and should always keep your head down.

* Be sure you put enough speed on the ball so that you will actually make it to the hole. There’s nothing worse than coming up short on a putt. These lead to three putt disasters and can be very frustrating!

There are all sorts of golf tips out there to be found. Take any tips on your golf game that you can find and then try them out to see if they work. You can never have too many tips if you really want to make your golf game better.

Learn Golf With Golf Instruction

There are many different ways you can go about receiving golf instruction. Most golf clubs have club pros on staff who are more than happy to offer lessons for a fee. The advantage to instruction like this is that you get one on one advice as well as specific fixes to your swing tailored to how your body moves.

Golf seminars and schools are often found in many places around the country. Professional instructors often travel around the country holding week long golf schools on local courses. This type of golf instruction is also advantageous because you are utilizing the skills and knowledge of a golf professional.

A student’s success comes from having an instructor that that he or she can relate to, understand, and can ultimately see improvement in their own game. In some cases students enjoy instructors who are rigorous and demanding while others enjoy an instructor who is patient and pushes the student at a slower rate.

Find an instructor that you are comfortable with and who has the credentials and experience to effectively provide the golf instruction you need. Ask questions before you sign up. Where did the instructor get his or her training? What kind of scores does he or she make on a consistent basis? You will want someone who knows what he or she is talking about so you don’t get bad advice and training.

Believe it or not, you can find some great golf instruction online at various websites in articles published by professionals in the game. These articles address specific parts of the golf game, so if you are looking for a way to improve your stance or get more distance from your drive, you can certainly find it online!

If you want to get better at the game of golf, you can’t go wrong when you seek out golf instruction. There are a lot of people who have learned about the game both in seminars as well as through playing. Above all, the most important part of golf instruction is to get out on the course and test out what you’ve been told. Learning through doing might be the best instructor of all.

Beginner Golf Lessons

Taking up a new sport is an exciting prospect but everyone needs help in learning and improving. In the world of golf, there are some excellent beginner golf lessons available. There is nothing better than to learn from the professionals and tuition can be incorporated into a vacation for all the family. Everyone can learn on scenic courses with the opportunity of meeting fellow golf enthusiasts. Read more

Taylor Made Golf Club: The Metalwoods Phenomenon

Taylor Made golf clubs are into leading the combined driver, iron counts and fairway wood at PGA tournaments. The advancement of the metal wood technology employed by Taylor Made golf clubs make it possible to each player to have a his own club.

This metalwood technology created famous clubs in the form of Pittsburgh Persimmon, Tour Preferred, Burner, and Burner Bubble, each is considered a high performance piece of device. With titanium clubheads, Taylor Made clubs are very strong but extremely light to use.

Taylor Made’s metalwood golf clubs boast of the following models with features that surely makes each golf club a hit to golfers:

R7 Fairway Woods is the Taylor Made golf club, which is with Taylor Made Launch Control (TLC) Port. TLC cartridges can be installed and removed to permit users in changing the CG location to vary the degrees of draws and fades that will consequently promote more accuracy and distance.

R5 Titanium Fairway is another Taylor Made golf club that has a titanium clubhead that is very easy to hit. It has permanent TLC cartridges that facilitate the launching of the ball high, long and straight for the players who would rather not change cartridges.

V Steel Fairway Woods claims its having the ultimate combination of power, accuracy and versatility. It is the Taylor Made golf club that attributes its excellence to its V-shaped sole that improves the force of how the sole interacts with the turf at impact.

Rescue Dual is a Taylor Made club that has double TLC ports that are widely spaced for increased forgiveness on incurring mis-hits. It has a new T-shaped sole that is responsible for the increased clubhead stability and decreased drag at impact that in turn promotes better accuracy and distance. With its low center of gravity (CG), it’s a lot easier to launch than a long-iron and this makes shots higher and longer.

Rescue Dual TP, with dual TLC port and Taylor Made’s movable weight technology, is best known to promote the variation of degrees of draw and fade. Further off, it makes for greater forgiveness. The difference between Rescue Dual and Rescue Dual TP is that TP has a higher center of gravity (CG) position that allows a lower, piercing ball flight that many experienced golf players find easier to manipulate.

Rescue Mid is said to be Taylor Made’s breakthrough utility club that is engineered to be easier to use than a long-iron while displaying prowess in providing better distance. This golf club’s excellent performance is from its way of uniting a high flash of inertia with a lower, deeper center of gravity. This creates maximum forgiveness on mishits, high launch angle and high spin for high, long shots that quickly stops.

Rescue Fairway is the Taylor Made golf club that indulges in its having a low profile that is responsible for its low and deep center of gravity (CG). It is made to smooth the progress of hitting the ball high, long and straight. This golf club is crafted with double sole that improves playability from a variety of lies. Taylor Made engineered it to launch a high angle with high spin for long-carrying shots that surely impress each player.