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Archive for the ‘Golf’ Category

In 1998, former president Bill Clinton visited Ballybunion for one sole reason – to play the Old Course at Ballybunion. Given how remote this little Irish town is the locals were genuinely amazed by having such an auspicious individual visit their golf course. But for golf aficionados, playing Ballybunion is right up there with playing St. Andrews in Scotland.

Ballybunion Golf Club in the south west of Ireland regularly appears in golf magazine top ten world course lists. The fact that this is also a links style course makes its ranking especially surprising. The following introduction to the courses design should give you some insights to why it is such a great course.

The Old Course was established in 1893 and its original design made best use of the dunes and undulations of this coastal stretch of land. Over the intervening time only minor redesigns have been made. An additional 18-hole course, the Cashen course, was built in 1984 and has bedded in quickly, but it is the Old Course that everyone wants to play for its dunes, dog-legs and blind tee shots.

The 1st hole eases you into the round with an ominous cemetery that marks the out of bounds along the right hand side of the fairway. The front nine is especially notable for the run of holes from the fourth to the sixth. Each plays in the same direction, directly into the prevailing Atlantic breeze which makes for an exhausting 1300 yard if the wind is strong.

The fourth hole, a par-5, has a great blind-shot from the fairway over a large dune. Luckily, there are course markers (large white stones) placed on the mounds to aid the placement of shots. The fifth is a rarity in golfing terms a par 3 with a blind tee shot.

The back nine has an equally variable set of holes with most playing with the wind on your back. Throughout the course the drainage on the fairways and greens makes for an exceptionally fast surface. While you may welcome this on the fairways, it can make putting a real challenge.

The lush surrounding countryside and Atlantic Ocean views add to the memorable nature of this course and make it one course that you will wish to play again and again. Don’t forget to look out for the Bill Clinton statue in the village to commemorate his visit.

Portugal has long been regarded as one of the great European golfing destinations. The combination of great year round weather, a thriving tourism industry (and its associated hotels & resorts) and the countrys love of golf makes it difficult to pick a top 5 list of courses.
This list brings together courses from all corners of Portugal rather than just focus in on the Algarve region. As air travel and city breaks become more economical the Estoril and west coast area around Lisbon is fast becoming a golfing hot-spot. Read the rest of this entry »

When you remove all the media hoopla about Tiger Woods’ off-course antics and the near frenzy surrounding his return at this year’s Master’s in Augusta, you are left with the same basic truths about golf. For millions of golfers, professional and amateur alike, the time spent on their favorite course is far closer to a spiritual experience than most would ever admit. Read the rest of this entry »

The popularity of golf vacations is on the rise in the US and across the globe. Most people in the US prefer golf vacations that involve their staying in a hotel where they can enjoy the pleasures of playing golf in resorts in the vicinity of the hotel, like the many hotels and casinos or even nearby Read the rest of this entry »

Golf vacations or golf holidays are getting more and more popular these days. Of course it helps that the sport is now more famous and you have more golf courses to pick from. Golf vacations in the United States typically involve staying at a nearby hotel and traveling to area golf courses to enjoy a round (although a growing trend exists of people buying homes away from home for golfing, like Read the rest of this entry »

Over the past thirty years, golf has exploded onto the sports scene as one of the most popular pastimes worldwide. Along with its ever increasing popularity, the equipment associated with the sport has  come a long way. From the use of golf clubs with wooden shafts, to those that are made from graphite and other space aged materials. New designs and innovations have allowed for golfers to hit balls harder and with much more accuracy. The technology of the past has now melded with the ideas of the future. The result has been golf clubs of mixed species. These hybrid innovations have taken the ideas behind golf club drivers, and meshed them with the concept of irons. Read the rest of this entry »

When looking to purchase a golf GPS unit there are several factors to consider. First of all, you need to decide how much you are prepared to spend. Prices of these can units range from $100 to more than $500, so most golfers should be able to find one that fits their budget. High-end units typically have a full-color display with course maps and can provide the distance to multiple spots on the hole, including the flag, the green, and hazards. At the low-end are units with a small black-and-white display that give you the numerical distance to the hole. Additional features found on certain models include an electronic scorecard, touchscreen display, club recommendations, and hands-free-usage. Read the rest of this entry »

A quick search on the internet for information about the Read the rest of this entry »

So I am here visiting Tampa for work and I was super excited to go out to a real grass driving range since I haven’t been able to go practice on anything but hitting mats since November. I went out to hit golf balls at a pretty awesome driving range at Tampa Downs that’s open until 9 or so at night.  It was nice….except for the fact that the Read the rest of this entry »