Most people know all about the great things golf does for a person, like exercise and stress relief. But the dark side of golf is often something that people choose to be rather selective about and choose to ignore. This dark side can include a lot of aspects that can cause a normal person to be driven quite insane by the game, leading to some serious conclusions about the game of golf that need to be aptly considered.

One of the cons of golf is the possible medical problems that can result from playing the game intensely. Those who play the game of golf incorrectly may injure their arms. Golfer's elbow is a common condition found among avid golfers. Similar to tennis elbow, golfer's elbow is characterized by a pain in the elbow, particularly in the medial area of the joint. The pain can be present at rest, but is intensified when the flexor muscles are activated. The pain is caused by an inflammation of the tendon that attaches the flexor muscles to the elbow. The flexor muscles are the muscles in the forearm that cause the fingers and thumb to bend. Golfer's elbow is particularly painful when the fist is clenched.

Golf is one of the most expensive sports out there to play. Many a person has been driven straight to the welfare line because of their lucrative golf habit. The golfer needs to have the right equipment, green fees, and other aspects of the game in their back pocket in order to not be laughed off the course. The right clothing is important, as are golf lessons and the cart rental unless you intend to slum it and walk the course. Don't forget the food you will eat, the air you will breathe, and the water you will drink as you are out on the course. All of these aspects add up to one fundamental truth about the game of golf: it's expensive!

Golf is not an easy sport to teach a child. In order to teach your son or daughter to golf, you will need to invest considerable amounts of money, time, and energy just to get your child on the golf course! You have to pay the greens fee, buy or rent the equipment, and pay for lessons, all before your little golfer decides whether or not he likes the game. And, in order to be exceptionally good at golf, potential pros really should start as children. Unlike other sports like basketball and football, a group of kids cannot start a pick up game of golf in the back yard. If a kid is going to learn to play golf, it will take a level of commitment and dedication that most kids are not ready for.

With these cons aside, golf is with us to stay. Too many large corporate decisions happen on the golf course. The followers of pros like Tiger Woods will continue to fuel the fire of the PGA and other golfing groups. So, like it or not, golf will be with us for a long, long time. So why not catch a round and see what all the fuss is about!

By: Jack Piersol
Golf is an exciting game to play - start small and don't take everything too seriously too soon. Visit the website to learn more about the game of golf.

Address: The manner in which a golf player positions his or her body right before hitting the ball. Everyone has a unique address.

Alignment: The alignment describes the manner in which you aim the clubface and line up your body at address.

Amateur: Amateurs are golf players that compete but do not play for price money. In order to earn money from winning golf tournaments, a player must compete as a professional.

Approach Shot: This describes any shot that sends your ball onto the green area.

Away: Away describes when you are the farthest distance from the hole.

Baby Shot: Describes a shot that is much shorter and softer than usual, and from a specific club that is normally used for that shot.

Back Nine: The second half of an 18-hole course (the last 9 holes).

Backspin: A backspin is the reverse spin on the golf ball that has been hit towards a target.

Backswing: The first part of the golf swing, which ends as the club stops moving, right above your head, and before the downswing portion.

Balata: This is a type of tree sap. It used to be used in the making of golf ball covers.

Ball Marker: A small-sized, flat object, that is used to mark the specific location of your ball when it is on the green.

Ball Mark Repair Tool: This is a forked-shaped tool which is used to fix any marks on the green that are left behind by your ball.

Baseball Grip: A specific grip that is used to hold the club. When used properly, all 10 of your fingers will remain in contact with the club grip.

Best Ball: This term describes a golf game that uses the best score to be counted from a 2-person team.

Birdie: This is when you make the ball in one less stroke than the total par of the specific hole you are playing. For example, if the hole is a par-4, and you sink the ball in only 3 shots, you have yourself a birdie.

Blade: The term blade is used in golf as both a noun, and a verb: The first is to describe the club head of an iron. The second is a verb for hitting the ball on its equator with the bottom of the blade.

Blocked Shot: The blocked shot refers to the ball being hit straight ahead but then sweeps to the right of the intended target (right handed golfers).

Bogey: A bogey describes what happens when a golf player hits the ball into the hole in one additional shot higher than the par. For example, if a player gets the ball into the hole in 4 swings on a par-3, he scored a bogey.

Break: When a putt shot is made on the green and starts to turn, the term break refers to the amount of turn that occurs.

Breaking Down: This term refers to the movement of your wrists as they bend during a putt shot.

Bump & Run: As the name insinuates, the bump and run describes a ball is hit into the air flies towards the target, then "bumps" into the ground and rolls rolls the rest of the way.

Bunker: A bunker is a hazard area that is completely filled with sand in his typically near the green or on the fairway.

Caddie: Caddies are men and women who get paid to carry your golf clubs around with you on the course as you play the game. They can also offer advice on how to play the game.

Carry: This term refers to how far a golf ball flies through the air.

Cart: Carts are small vehicles that golf players use to drive around the course with. You have the standard motorized cart that can hold two or more players, as well as a small dolly that travels on 2 wheels and is pulled manually (often referred to as the "pull cart")

Casual Water: Casual water are puddles that have accumulated on the course through rainy weather. These puddles of water are separate from the other standard hazards of the course.

Cavity Back Iron: This is a particular type of iron that has the majority of the club head's weight distributed around its perimeter. This design helps create a bigger head and a larger "sweet spot" area on the face. The back of the club head is basically just a large cavity. This helps reduce the mass in the center of the head, as well as the back.

Certified PGA Professional: A certified PGA professional golf player is any man or woman who has met or exceeded the golf teaching standards that have been created by the Professional Golfer's Association of America.

Check: A check describes the action of the golf ball as it stops rolling because of the amount of backspin on it.

Chip: The chip is a shot that is typically played right from the edge of the green.

Closed Face: A closed face describes a club face that points to the left of the target (right handed golfers).

Closed Stance: This term refers to a stance where your body alignment is facing the right of your intended target (right handed golfers).

Club Face: The club face is the bottom section of the club that makes contact with the golf ball.

Clubhouse: A clubhouse is usually a large indoor area located on a golf course that maintains services such as restaurants, golf pro shops, bathrooms, and conference rooms.

Collar: Similar to a fringe, the collar describes the strip of grass that runs around the green and is typically longer in length than the grass that grows on the putting surface.

Coming Over The Top: Coming over the top is a phrase that describes the direction of the club as it moves through the downswing and into a right-to-left pathway across the ball (right handed golfers). Another term for this direction is the out-to-in blow.

Compression: Compression describes the squeezing in of a golf ball as the result of the force put on it during impact with the club head.

Course Rating: Every golf course has a course rating, which refers to the difficultly level of the course itself. The higher the course rating number, the more advanced and difficult the golf course is.

Crossed Over: Crossed over is a term that describes the club shaft as it faces towards the right of the target when it is at the top of the backswing (right handed golfers).

Cross Handed: Cross handed is a specific putting grip where the left hand is below the right hand (right handed golfers).

Cup: The cup is simply the hole itself which is at the end of each playing hole, and is the intended final target of the golf ball.

Cupped Lead Wrist: A cupped lead wrist describes the backward bend of your lead hand when striking the ball. The lead hand is the one that is closest to the hole after you set up for your swing. For right handed golfers, the lead hand is the left hand.

Cut: A cut is another reference to a shot that bends towards the right (right handed golfers).

Deloft: To deloft is to decrease the amount of loft on the club face by simply tilting your club shaft in the direction of your intended target.

Dimple: Dimples are those hundreds of small holes that every golf ball is designed with.

Divot: A divot is a small chunk of grass and dirt that is removed from the golf course after the ball is hit. These divots should be repaired as basic golf course etiquette prescribes.

Dogleg: A dogleg is in reference to the curved pathway from the tee to the cup has a turns either left or right.

Double Bogey: When you complete a hole with 2 additional shots over the par of that hole, you have yourself a double bogey. For example, if the hole is a par 3, a double bogey would be sinking the ball in 5 shots.

Double Eagle: The double eagle describes the completion of a par-5 hole in 3 shots less than that par.

Downhill Lie: A downhill lie describes your stance in which the front foot is below your back foot at address.

Draw: A draw refers to a shot that bends to the left (right handed golfers).

Drive: The drive is the initial shot taken from the tee.

Driver: The driver is considered to be the longest club in your bag, which sends the ball flying at more distance than any other golf club.

Driving Range: A driving range is a facility that is built specifically for golf players to practice their swings. Each driving range has separate booth-like areas where you can knock a bucket of balls as long and as far as you want. Some driving ranges also have areas where you can practice your short game.

Drop: A drop is when You place a golf ball back into the game after it was considered unplayable.

Duff: To duff is to totally mess up or miss a shot, such as to "screw up" or "ruin" the shot.

By: Andrew Calloway
Golf Professional -
Find Away To Play More Golf And To Lower Your Golf Handicap.

One of the most pleasant events that you can participate in is a golf tournament. It is also one of the most challenging, as a lot goes into the planning of this event that you may not be aware of. With golf being as well-liked as it is, many businesses and charities are using tournaments as a way to spike interest in their cause or in their operation. If you are in charge of planning such a tournament, remember that there are a lot of considerations to keep in mind if you intend it to be a success.

Golf tournaments require a lot of planning. One of the first things you will want to do is come up with a goal or outcome that you desire to come out of pulling off a successful tournament. This can work a number of ways, but one popular way to make this happen is to come up with a theme and gather information to support that theme. Within this theme, make sure that you remain realistic with your expectations and that you stick to your assigned budget as closely as possible.

Once you have a budget, the next step is to find a course. There are several things to keep in mind when choosing a golf course. First, you will want to make sure that it is large enough to accommodate the number of golfers you plan on inviting. Second, you will want to verify that their accommodations are fitting for whatever secular events you are planning in addition to the tournament. This includes an award ceremony, a luncheon, a banquet, etc.

Finally, you will want to confirm that the staff of the course is amiable and you feel that they can work with you. It's also important to make sure that if the course is unable to provide enough staff for that day, that you are confident that you will be able to find enough volunteers for that day.

The next step is to find some sponsors for your event. They may be able to donate items for an auction, or prize money for the winner. Once you have your sponsors committed to the project you will want to make sure that appropriate signage is made up for the day of the tournament.

Now that you have a purpose, a location, some sponsors and the general outline of the day planned it's time to send out the invitations. The invites for players and guests can be formal invitations that include the registration forms, or can be informal brochures. Whichever design you go with, make sure that the registration forms are included. Also, don't forget to include a fax number and a mailing address on the registration form so that they have options in getting the form back to you.

Some final details to consider are, do you want to have goodie bags for players, do you want to have a raffle, is there going to be an award ceremony? If you decide yes to any of those options, allow for the items in your budget and prepare for them ahead of time.

As you prepare for the day of the event, make sure you have farmed out the right tasks to the right people. Think about creating a checklist and get started early so that you can finish up any of the last minute preparations that you will need to make. Ensure that you have snacks, sunscreen, and any other extras so that the players feel welcome. You want to create a positive experience for the players and those small touches add up to a big picture of attentiveness from the host. Have fun, remember the theme, and stick to your game plan so that you can provide the best tournament in the history of tournaments. Confidence is key.

By: Nicholas Sy
For more information about golfing and golf vacations please visit http://www.TheGolfingVacation.com

Your golf handicap is calculated with a formula that averages how a player should be able to play better than par.

There are two slightly different ways to calculate your handicap which I detail below.

A wide spread belief amongst golfers is that a player's handicap is their average score, when in fact a your golf handicap is only the potential of your game. Most golfers play their handicap 25% of the time which is know as playing your "average best". So in a large, handicapped competition, the golfer who shoots the best with respect to his or her abilities and the normal variations of the score should win.

While there are many variations, handicap systems are generally based on calculating an individual player's playing ability from his or her recent history of rounds. Therefore, a handicap is not fixed but is regularly adjusted to increases or decreases in a player's scoring.

A golfer whose handicap is zero is called a "scratch golfer." A golfer whose handicap is 20 is called a "bogey golfer." It is possible to have a handicap below 0; these are referred to as 'plus' handicaps, and at the end of the round, a 'plus' handicap golfer must add his handicap to his score. A professional golfer plays off scratch, but has no actual handicap.

In the United States, handicaps are calculated using the player's most recent game scores, along with the course ratings and slopes from the courses played.

Here's how to calculate your golf handicap.

Step 1. Take the scores from the last five rounds (18 holes each) that you played.

Step 2. Get the rating and slope for each course that you played for each of these five scores. You can find this information on the the course's scorecard.

Step 3. Now subtract the course rating from the score you earned on that course.

Step 4. Then multiply that number by 113.

Step 5. Then simply divide that number by the slope of the course. This number is known as your differential.

Step 6. And last... Take the lowest of your five differentials and multiply it by 0.96, and you'll have your handicap!

Now as you may have figured out from the above, recalculating your handicap every time you play can be time-consuming and annoying. So you may want to look up some great Golf Handicap Tracker software packages that can do all the leg work for you in one single swoop.

By: PJ Powers
Discover the little known scorecard secret top players use to consistently improve your game and lower your handicap. Calculate your golf handicap with a state-of-the-art golf handicap tracker. Limited time offer don't miss out. Check out http://www.golfintel.com.

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