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Nicklaus urges golf ball to be "rolled back" - There's a very interesting article by Jack Nicklaus in the March issue of Golf Digest called "I've Been Thinking." One of the points he usually makes in articles like this is that, in his opinion, the modern ball goes too far and has changed the game for the worse. As he says in this article, "My greatest concern, because I believe it has the most effect on the most parts of the game, is the golf ball."

According to Nicklaus, after about 60 years in which the game (and equipment) stayed pretty much the same, in the 1980s and 90s the game of golf started to change dramatically. In the 80s it was the introduction of metal headed drivers and "woods", and in the 90s it was changes in golf ball technology. Both changes let players hit the ball farther.

Golfers at all levels like to have their egos stroked, but the truth is, a guy like Fred Funk does not add 30 or 40 yards to his drives by working out or by improving his swing. These increased distances are mostly a result of "technology" changes. It is a familiar refrain, but for guys like Nicklaus who design courses this has meant the classic old courses aren't long enough anymore.

We lesser mortals have come to take these ongoing "improvements" for granted because we think it levels the playing field between good players and not-so-good ones -- it makes us think we can become better golfers by simply buying new clubs or using a different ball.

The irony is that just the opposite has happened. It is a well-known fact that high handicap players do not get the same benefit out of technology improvements as do better players. While a pro might be able to hit different balls different distances, your average hacker doesn't see these increases because he or she doesn't have a consistent enough swing and can't generate the club head speed required to take advantage of the new balls.

It is a bit different with clubs, since larger metal heads and game improvement irons mean fewer duffed shots. But I suspect this advantage is again over-estimated for higher-handicap players. For a bogey golfer playing a 380 hard hole driving the ball 200 yards rather than 180 still won't produce very many pars. Why? Because he still can't make the 180 yard approach shot. So he's just as far ahead using a 5 iron off the tee.

So technology improvements have actually widened the gap between the pros and the schmos. And to add insult to injury courses are now being made tougher and longer to accommodate the 5 or 10% of golfers who are "big hitters."

At the root of the issue is the way golf is driven by marketing at all levels from recreational to professional. The inability of the golfing poobahs at the USGA and R&A to control the "improvements" has meant that golf has become a consumption driven sport like no other. And the chance of this changing in the foreseeable future are slim to none.

As is often the case here, the weather is unpredictable. The first few days were very wet, although temperatures were quite bearable. We only had the opportunity to play three courses in PEI this trip: Rustico Resort, Crowbush Cove, and Dundarave at Brudenell River. I will have pictures and more complete reports over the next couple of weeks.

Generally speaking I was very impressed with Dundarave, and a bit let down by Crowbush.

On the second leg of our trip we are in Cape Breton at the extreme eastern end of Nova Scotia. I finally had the opportunity to play Highlands Links, situated out on the ocean along the famous Cabot Trail. Highlands is very highly rated in all course ratings world wide, and, frankly, I expected to be disappointed. But that was not the case at all. It is a fantastic course, among the best I have played anywhere. I will have a full report, with many photos, soon.

In spite of relatively poor driver accuracy I still played pretty well. 83 at GA -- one of my best rounds there ever -- with less than perfect conditions. The greens are still recovering from a hard summer, and they're getting ready to tear up and replace 5 of them after closing (today- Oct 31).

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I've made a point of taking fall photos of some of the golf courses we've been playing the last few weeks. You can see them at Rick's Golf Course Features.

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As reported in a previous post, this summer Judy and I visited Prince Edwared Island and Cape Breton (in Nova Scotia) to play some of the highly rated courses in that neck of the woods.

While in PEI we stayed at the Rustico Resort -- a unique golf resort where the no frills rooms are clean and roomy and very reasonably priced.

And the golf is free when you stay at the resort!

Unfortunately we only had time for one round on the home course because we had planned junkets to Crowbush Cove, and Dundarave.

The course was a lot of fun and in awfully good shape with thousands of trees and the kind of perennials you are likely to find in your own flower gardens. Both the resort and the golf course are the personal projects of the resort owners, John and Martha Langdale, who purchased the property in 1980 when it was little more than a potato field with a few ramshackle buildings.

If you are considering a trip to PEI and especially if you want to combine it with a golfing excursion, this is a perfect place to stay.

The resort has its own private beach along with a swimming pool and tennis courts. It is within minutes of many top notch restaurants, a number of which specialize in lobster dinners.

The resort is located near South Rustico, less than 30 minutes from Charlottetown, 15 minutes from the beaches on the north shore, and about 20 minutes from Cavendish, famous for its Anne of Green Gables exhibits.

Here is an interesting article featuring Rustico Resort

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Visit Marbella, in the heart of this world famous golf valley. The city of Marbella is surrounded by more than 150 of the best golf courses in the world. The region has all the facilities, hotels and services that golfers have come to expect in a top notch golf destination.

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Every year, thousands of golfers visit Marbella for golf holidays and golf excursions. Professional golfers also compete in international tournaments hosted by the surrounding golf courses.

Marbella is truly one of the most exciting golf destinations in the world. It also boasts tremendous scenery, fantastic beaches, several museums and historical sites.

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Golf Workouts Can Transform Your Game

by Mike Pedersen, Golf Fitness Expert

I’m sure by now you’ve heard most of the professional players; both men and women actively participate in golf workouts. It’s no secret. But why then do most amateur golfers ignore this? Is it because it seems like work? Or, does the thought of actually breaking a sweat get you tired already?

Either way…the proof is in the bag. The number one player in the world, Vijay Singh, does his golf workouts all the way through Sunday of each tournament. Does it look like it’s hurting his game? I don’t think so. Back in 1997, a young, very athletic golfer came on the professional scene and blew everyone away. I think you know who I’m talking about.

Can improper spin have a detrimental effect on driving distance? The other day Andy asked me this question in light of a demonstration he had seen on TV. Some long ball guy demonstrated two drives: one with "spin" and the other with reduced "spin". The one with reduced spin went further. Since this demonstration came with virtually no explanation it was difficult to know what he was referring to, and, in any event this was not something I had thought or read about much, so had very little insight into the matter....

Apart from the obvious of course... If you put side spin on the ball it will curve left or right. If you top the ball and put top spin on it, the ball will sail low and dive into the ground with more than usual run. And if you put bottom spin or "back spin" on it, the ball will tend to rise up, drop softly to the ground and not run a good deal. Too much back spin and it will balloon up into the wind and drop down like a stone.

Ok, that much most golfers know. But is it possible to modify your swing, change your club, or use a different ball to achieve less spin and therefore more distance? I think it is a fairly safe bet that these things can be adjusted and make a difference. But just what the optimal situation would be I am not sure. An hour or so checking on the web yielded some interesting theory, but not a lot of practical advice.

Most of what I found had to do with ball technology. Here is a pretty good article explaining some of the aerodynamics of ball flight. And here is another similar article about ball spin. I will continue to look for more information that might be helpful.

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Hip Rotation in the Golf Swing

by Rick Hendershot

There are almost as many theories about the golf swing as there are instructors. And one of the least understood aspects of the swing is the rotation of the hips to an "open" position just before impact.

Most contemporary golf instructors believe it is necessary to "clear your hips just before the point of impact" in order to get your hips out of the way of your hands. According to this theory, if you don't "clear your hips" your hands and arms will be impeded and will not be able to attack the ball with power.

This is sometimes used as an explanation for why an overly "vertical" stance is not a good thing. According to this line of thinking, when you stand too close to the ball your hands will not be able to make a clean pass in front of your body because on the way down your hips will get in the way.

The Morris Men is a great new book by Stepehen E. Mitchell, a relatively new author who has combined his love of antique golf clubs with a passion for writing. The rather unlikely sounding plot goes something like this...

Two well-to-do English families find themselves caught up in a wager made almost 80 years prior by the patriarchs of the two families. Although members of the same golf club, the two old gentlemen seem to have hated each other.

Contact me directly at rh@internetgolfreview.com with your submissions.

-- Rick Hendershot, Linknet Golf Blogs.

But this does not make sense. Your hips are not in the way of your hands. When was the last time you hit your hip as you were swinging your club? The fact is, you don't have to rotate your hips at all in order to make a golf swing. Some systems actually recommend minimal hip rotation during the impact portion of the swing.

In my own basement research, "clearing the hips" does help put the club on a more powerful, more direct path to the ball coming into the point of impact.

The reason is...

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Having had the privilege of playing there this summer, I'm not surprised.

In my own review I said "this course is as nice a "links" style layout as I have played anywhere."

See my review of Dakota Dunes.

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From "Our First Golf Trip to Scotland"..., by Rick Hendershot

Before leaving for Dornoch on Wednesday we wanted to play at least one round in the south. Our host had recommended we go over to North Berwick just south of Muirfield on the east coast (the St. Andrews side).

So we played our first round of golf in Scotland at North Berwick. This was a fitting start to our trip, since North Berwick is considered a "primitive" links course with quirky features such as blind shots and walls you have to shoot over. It is the home of the original "Redan" par three -- which at the time seemed fairly unremarkable. Since then we have learned this hole has been copied by golf course designers more than any other in the world.

My own most memorable shot was the approach at #13, "The Pit". I hit what I thought was a beautiful iron just over the stone wall onto the green (yes, there is a wall in front of the green!) When we got there it was down in the "pit" behind the green and required a massive uphill putt, which turned into at least a four-putt before I got it down.

The next day we visited St. Andrews. Having played at North Berwick we were now accustomed to the "public" nature of these courses. People are perfectly free to walk across the fairway to and from the beach. So this gave us the opportunity to walk parts of The Old Course. We walked out a couple holes along the beach side, then came back along the famous "Road Hole" (17) and along the road to the even more famous Swilcan Bridge over the "burn" on 18.

Read the rest of Our First Golf Trip to Scotland...