Wednesday, February 17, 2010

There's nothing with the power to put you down in the dumps quite like arranging an amazing golf holiday … and then messing up every shot you take for five days! If you have a terrible tendency to slice, we have some great tips for clearing up your swing before you leave on a golf vacation. Nothing left to do but enjoy your trip!
Understand the reason for slice
In technical terms, slicing is a clubface problem. The swingpath may be straight, but the face of the club is open, creating a sidespin moving from left to right.
Make sure your feet and shoulders are aligned
This is one of the most crucial tips. Golf stance is one of the fundamentals of having a good game, and it can feel a little uncomfortable at first to stand properly. Make sure the line created between your heel is aligned with the line created between your two shoulders. If it is not, you will almost certainly slice … no matter how hard you concentrate on getting your swing straight. Practice plenty before you leave for your golf vacation, to help make the new stance feel natural.
But I thought my feet and shoulders WERE aligned!
Sometimes we just can't tell! Use a long ruler, or the aid of a golf teacher or fellow player to help you assess whether your shoulders and feet really are aligned. What feels straight to you, may not necessarily be straight.
Follow through
It can feel unnatural to keep swinging as hard as you can until you can’t go any further, rather than just kitting the ball and letting the club fall back. However, follow through is critical in getting that ball to travel where you want it to! Golf teachers often have a heap of tips to help you make follow through feel natural.
Grip
If your grip is too far to the left, this will cause an open club face and clockwise spin … otherwise known as a slice. If your clubface is square to the target, you should be able to look down and see at least two knuckles of your left hand. If you see two, three or four, your grip is not your problem - your follow through or stance most likely is.
There are a few issues to look at to make sure your slice doesn’t ruin your golf vacation .. plenty of reason to get practicing right now!

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Long Weekend Golf Holiday Planner: 3 Nights and Days in Palm Springs

If you live in California and have an upcoming long weekend, Palm Springs should be your golfing holiday destination of choice! Far enough away to feel like you’re on holidays, but a short enough drive so you don't feel that you're wasting your vacation in driving, Palm Springs hosts courses that presidents, golfing legends, and movie stars play on. Today we help you plan a long weekend in Palm Springs, doing what you love best … golf!
Day 1: Cimarron -- Boulder (Long Course)
Get into the groove of your long weekend golf vacation at one of the areas less expensive golf courses, Cimarron. The course has some very unusual design features, like sod-wall bunkers filled with white crushed marble … and gorgeous emerald fairways.
Afternoon 1: Film Festival!
If you’re in Palm Springs during either January or June, you will have access to one of the region's month long film festivals -- either Shortfest in June, or the International Film Festival in January. The International Festival is pretty big, often showcasing over 200 films from more than 60 countries.
Day 2: Desert Dunes
Most golf course designers would be happy to have ONE of their courses listed in the "Best Public Courses" collection. This was the first course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr to be voted as one of the best public course in California. It has a slope of 142 and is rated 4 stars -- lots of water hazards and fast, sloped greens!
Afternoon 2: Elite Land Tours
These adventures by Hummer into the California desert allow you to explore, without taxing your poor legs too much to play golf tomorrow! Everybody who has been on these tours raves about them -- you can go out to Joshua Tree National Park or San Andreas Fault.
Day 3: GC at Terra Largo (Landmark)
Save the best course for your last day, and take home some beautiful memories of this picturesque course. The course has 36 holes in total, a slope of 137 and a wonderful 4.5 star rating.
Afternoon 3: The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies
You don't hear much of the music of the 40s, 50s and 60s any more … even the 90s is considered retro! You'll hear plenty on this side trip on your golf vacation, though. The Palm Springs Follies features both local performers and international vaudeville acts -- a riotous night out.