Golf rules expert and author of “999 Questions on the Rules of Golf” Barry Rhodes answers six questions on the rules of golf below.

But first I wanted to report that I’m very happy to announce that Barry will personally sign your own copy of “999 Questions on the Rules of Golf” and post it to you anywhere in the world for free!

Grab your copy here, remember no shipping fees.

In fact if you order 3 copies you will receive a great 20% discount, and even better 25% discount for an order of 5 copies.

Please email Barry direct at if you would like to order more than 3 copies (e.g. for your Golf Club). Take a look here, to find out how this outstanding book will save you many shots as I can highly recommend it.

The book contains:

* 999 questions in 3 sections; easy, moderate and harder
* 3 formats for the questions; true/false, open ended, multiple choice
* Reference to the relevant Definition, Rule or Decision for every answer
* Explanations to aid readers understanding of the Rule
* An easy, look-up index to resolve the myriad situations that occur on the course
* Questions on all 34 Rules and 126 sub-sections

Here are the 6 questions on the rules of golf:

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 1 :

I wonder if you would be able to solve a problem we are having within the club in regard to the Rules of Golf. The rule which is causing concern and some discussion is regarding ‘using the back of a club to hit a ball’. Whilst it states that a club may only have one hitting surface except in the case of a Putter which is so designed to have two parallel surfaces, I am unable to find a specific rule that states it is illegal to use the back of a club to hit a ball. Others differ and interpret the ‘one hitting surface’ as a rule in this regard. I would appreciate clarification in this regard, advising which particular rule applies and the appropriate penalty.

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 1 :

I can confirm that it is within the Rules to make a stroke with the back, toe, or heel of any club, including the putter. However, it is not permitted to make a stroke with the grip end of the club. Decision 14-1 confirms this;

“Q. May a player play a left-handed stroke with the back of the head of a right-handed club?
A. Yes. A player may play a stroke with any part of the clubhead, provided the ball is fairly struck at (Rule 14-1) and the club conforms with Rule 4-1.”

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 2 :

What happens if you accidentally mark your ball on the apron of the green but do not clean it and then realise that it was not on the green and replace it? In stroke play and in match play with the Rule no. please.

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 2 :

In either stroke play or match play there is a penalty of one stroke for touching your ball while it is in play, Rule 18-2a(i). There is no further penalty, even if the player does clean their ball, Decision 18-2a/13.

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 3 :

I have been using a distance measuring device for the past few monthly games as it was granted a go ahead since the USGA allows such device. However, during the last game, the Tournament Director announced over the loud hailer before the shot gun start that this device is not allowed; unfortunately I was busy and never hear the announcement. So, my questions are as follows;
a. Does breach of rules for stroke play in above situation is 2 strokes penalty (by default) or immediate DQ?
b. Does the Committee have the right to over-rule the decision of the Tournament Director?

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 3 :

You are correct in saying that the USGA permits the use of distance measuring devices, but only if the Committee makes a Local Rule allowing players to use them (Rule 14-3). The penalty for breaching this Rule is disqualification. I assume that the Tournament Director knew that the Committee had not introduced the Local Rule before he made the announcement.

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 4 :

Wind is an outside agency and the ball must be played where it ends up, but what if a ball at rest on the green moves due to gravity (from being on a slight slope) or due to falling into a small indentation in the green underneath the ball – and before the player has addressed it?

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 4 :

No, wind is not an Outside Agency. Part of the Definition states,
“Neither wind nor water is an outside agency.”

So, if a player’s ball moves before they have addressed it, but they did not cause it to move, there is no penalty and it has to be played from where it comes to rest, whether this is nearer or further away from the hole. It does not matter whether the ball moved due to wind, gravity or some other natural source.

You may find these two blogs of mine on similar subjects interesting;

http://www.barryrhodes.com/2009/04/when-wind-moves-your-ball-in-play.html
http://www.barryrhodes.com/2010/06/striking-moving-ball.html

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 5 :

Please inform me of what the following ruling would be. I thought I knew but somehow this eludes me. My ball is beside the green (in the fairway or rough) I have not addressed the ball, but make a practice swing and accidentally hit my ball. What do I do? Next, my ball is on the green and moves in the same manner. I am taking a practice putt and accidentally hit my ball. What do I do?

I know of instances of replacing the ball on the green and need clarification as when this happens.

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 5 :

In both your scenarios when a player’s ball is in play, if he causes it to move, except as permitted by a Rule, the player incurs a penalty of one stroke and the ball must be replaced, (Rule 18-2a).

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 6 :

I really want to know what is the Rule of play for two scenarios below concerning order of play;
1. When two players are at different locations, one 20m from the hole but on the green and the other is 5m from the hole but off the green. What is the order of play?

2. Two players playing a par-5, index 2 in a stableford competition, one player, with a handicap of 1, holes out with 5 strokes resulting in 2 points and the other player, with a handicap of 20, holes out with 6 getting 3 points. Who will get the honour on the next tee? Does the honour depend on the points or strokes made for that particular hole?

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 6 :

In answer to your first question, Rule 10-2b states that in stroke play,
“The ball farthest from the hole is played first. If two or more balls are equidistant from the hole or their positions relative to the hole are not determinable, the ball to be played first should be decided by lot.”

Therefore, the player whose ball is 20m from the hole plays first.

In answer to your second question, in a Stableford competition the person who scored the most points on the hole has the honour on the next teeing ground. Part of Rule 32-1 states;

“In handicap bogey, par and Stableford competitions, the competitor with the lowest net score at a hole takes the honour at the next teeing ground.”

So, in any competition where handicaps are taken into account on each hole the honour is determined by the net score for the hole. In a pure strokes competition, where the handicap is deducted at the end of the stipulated round, it is the gross score that determines the honour.

I hope that I can encourage you to visit my blog on the Rules of Golf at http://www.barryrhodes.com. If you are interested in Rules situations I think that you will find it informative and will learn from it. You can ensure that you are notified of any new posting on this blog by subscribing at the top right corner of the home page. I promise that your email address will remain confidential and will never be shared with anyone else.”

You can access another 999 golf questions and answers here:

http://www.BarryRhodes.com – Miscellaneous content on the Rules of Golf.
Author of the book ‘999 Questions on the Rules of Golf’

Gain instant access to “The Rules Of Golf Course” – Club secretaries have been praying For – for decades!

Visit here for more Rules of Golf questions.

Disclaimer: Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of this information on the Rules of Golf I am human and have been known to be wrong! Neither I, nor anyone connected with GolfSwingSecretsRevealed.com, shall be held responsible for any losses caused by reliance upon the accuracy or reliability of such information. Readers should refer to the full text of the rules and decisions as published in the official publications of the R&A and the USGA, The Rules of Golf 2008-2011 and Decisions on the Rules of Golf 2008-2009.

My friends Andrew Dubber and Clutch Daisy (otherwise know as Dubber and Clutch) are excited to announce that they will be doing a couple of tasting events in St Andrews during the Open next week. Essentially it will be two nights of the very best of Scottish culture, taking in the history and folklore surrounding some of Scotland’s finest drams.

In addition exclusive to this blog they are giving away a couple of FREE tickets to each of the tasting nights. The tickets are £39 each.

All you need to do is answer two simple questions:

1) How old is the Laphroaig we’ll be tasting on Thursday night?
2) How old is the Whyte & Mackay blend we’ll be tasting on Friday night?

Here’s a hint, the answers can be found on the Dubber and Clutch website here http://dubberandclutch.com

Entries close at 6pm Tuesday, and they will draw the two winners that evening. One will win a double pass to Thursday night’s tasting, the other will win a double pass to Friday night’s tasting.

Answers should be sent to them and not me using the contact page on our site. You can access it by clicking here

Good luck

Andy

Golf rules expert and author of “999 Questions on the Rules of Golf” Barry Rhodes answers eight questions relating to the golf ball and the rules of golf below.

But first I wanted to report that I’m very happy to announce that Barry will personally sign your own copy of “999 Questions on the Rules of Golf” and post it to you anywhere in the world for free!

Grab your copy here, remember no shipping fees.

In fact if you order 3 copies you will receive a great 20% discount, and even better 25% discount for an order of 5 copies.

Please email Barry direct at if you would like to order more than 3 copies (e.g. for your Golf Club). Take a look here, to find out how this outstanding book will save you many shots as I can highly recommend it.

The book contains:

* 999 questions in 3 sections; easy, moderate and harder
* 3 formats for the questions; true/false, open ended, multiple choice
* Reference to the relevant Definition, Rule or Decision for every answer
* Explanations to aid readers understanding of the Rule
* An easy, look-up index to resolve the myriad situations that occur on the course
* Questions on all 34 Rules and 126 sub-sections

Here are the 8 questions on the rules of golf:

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 1 :

I take address on a T-box. On my downswing a gust of wind blows the ball off the tee and it rolls about an inch away. I am unable to stop the swing and strike the ball. Do I incur a penalty stoke? What is the ruling?

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 1 :

This is an interesting question that is answered by Rule 11-3, which states;

“If a ball, when not in play, falls off a tee or is knocked off a tee by the player in addressing it, it may be re-teed, without penalty. However, if a stroke is made at the ball in these circumstances, whether the ball is moving or not, the stroke counts, but there is no penalty.”

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 2 :

Regarding GPS systems on golf buggies, many clubs are now allowing these in competitions but I cannot see where this has been sanctioned by the rules of golf. Can you advise, thanks

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 2 :

The Note to Rule 14-3, Artificial Devices, Unusual Equipment and Unusual Use of Equipment, states,

“The Committee may make a Local Rule allowing players to use devices that measure or gauge distance only.”

So, GPS devices may only be used in competition if there is a Local Rule permitting their use. It is important to check this before the competition starts as the penalty for a breach of Rule 14-3 is disqualification.

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 3 :

What is meant by casual water being an abnormal ground condition?

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 3 :

An Abnormal Ground Condition is defined in the opening pages of the Rules book as follows;

“An abnormal ground condition is any casual water, ground under repair or hole, cast or runway on the course made by a burrowing animal, a reptile or a bird.”

Casual water is further defined as follows;

“Casual water is any temporary accumulation of water on the course that is not in a water hazard and is visible before or after the player takes his stance. Snow and natural ice, other than frost, are either casual water or loose impediments, at the option of the player. Manufactured ice is an obstruction. Dew and frost are not casual water.

A ball is in casual water when it lies in or any part of it touches the casual water.”

Decision 25/1, relating to casual water, states;
“Q. Is soft, mushy earth casual water?

A. No. Soft, mushy earth is not casual water unless water is visible on the surface before or after the player takes his stance — see Definition of “Casual Water.”

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 4 :

My wife was playing in a singles stableford competition and began playing with a Titleist ball. However, she had two balls in her pocket and inadvertently teed off with a Nike ball on the 4th tee without informing her playing partners. She only realised her mistake when she located her ball just off the fairway. Neither her playing partner nor herself were aware of the Rule and she continued to play the Nike ball finishing with a 4. She then announced that she was going to tee off with the Titleist, which she played with until the end of the round. She submitted her card duly signed by one of her playing partners. However she is now concerned that she acted incorrectly and should advise the club secretary and effectively disqualify herself for submitting an incorrect card. What is the appropriate Rule in this situation and what action should she take?

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 4 :

You can tell your wife that she can relax as she did not break any Rule of Golf. Players may change their ball, and brand of ball, between holes unless the competition has a one ball rule, which is typically only used in tour events. Whilst it is courteous to tell your fellow competitors that you have changed balls there is no Rule that requires you to do so. Of course you cannot substitute a ball during the play of a hole. Rule 15-1 states;

“A player must hole out with the ball played from the teeing ground unless the ball is lost or out of bounds or the player substitutes another ball, whether or not substitution is permitted (see 15-2). If a player plays a wrong ball, see Rule 15-3.”

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 5 :

Please advise under what circumstances a player would declare his ball as “unplayable”?

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 5 :

Rule 28 states;
“The player may deem his ball unplayable at any place on the course, except when the ball is in a water hazard. The player is the sole judge as to whether his ball is unplayable.”

Usually, a player invoke this Rule when their ball is in a place where they would have trouble in making their next stroke and it is probably better for them to incur a penalty stroke and drop under one of the three options available under this Rule. Examples would be when your ball lies deep in a bush, or in very thick rough, or in the roots of a tree.

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 6 :

After a tee shot a player’s ball crosses the course boundary, hits a tree that is wholly out of bounds and then bounces back onto the fairway. What is the ruling on this?

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 6 :

It is of no consequence if a player’s ball travels out of bounds providing it lands back on the course. They play their ball as it lies without penalty.

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 7 :

In a foursome, player A’s tee ball could not be found, but it might have entered a lateral water hazard. No one in the foursome saw the ball enter the hazard. Can an assumption be made that the ball entered the hazard, and then is Player A allowed to drop within 2 club lengths of where the ball is thought to have entered the hazard, and incur a one stroke penalty?

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 7 :

Rule 26-1, Relief From Water Hazard (which includes a lateral water hazard) states;

“It is a question of fact whether a ball that has not been found after having been struck toward a water hazard is in the hazard. In order to apply this Rule, it must be known or virtually certain that the ball is in the hazard. In the absence of such knowledge or certainty, the player must proceed under Rule 27-1.”

So, where it is only likely that a ball might have come to rest in a lateral water hazard the only way to proceed is to go back to where the last stroke was made and drop a ball under penalty of stroke and distance (Rule 27-1, Ball Lost or Out of Bounds).

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 8 :

After a stroke a player’s ball ends near, or maybe even touching, a white stake. Can you take relief without a penalty or do you play ball from where it lies?

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 8 :

White stakes identifying out of bounds are not obstructions and are deemed to be fixed (see Definition of Out of Bounds). There is no relief from them. Therefore, the player must either play their ball as it lies or deem it unplayable and drop it according to one of the three options available under Rule 28, under penalty of one stroke.

You can access another 999 golf questions and answers here:

http://www.BarryRhodes.com – Miscellaneous content on the Rules of Golf.
Author of the book ‘999 Questions on the Rules of Golf’

Gain instant access to “The Rules Of Golf Course” – Club secretaries have been praying For – for decades!

Visit here for more Rules of Golf questions.

Disclaimer: Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of this information on the Rules of Golf I am human and have been known to be wrong! Neither I, nor anyone connected with GolfSwingSecretsRevealed.com, shall be held responsible for any losses caused by reliance upon the accuracy or reliability of such information. Readers should refer to the full text of the rules and decisions as published in the official publications of the R&A and the USGA, The Rules of Golf 2008-2011 and Decisions on the Rules of Golf 2008-2009.

Good news … at long last the R&A have decided to halt the advancement of technology and the need for longer and longer golf courses. Finally we can get back to how golf used to be played.

Last week I spoke to some of my golf course architect friends during the European Institute of Golf Course Architects conference held in St Andrews and many said if things carry on the way they were going, they would be designing 9000 yard courses by 2015!

Experts around the world have said for the last 20 years, that changes have to be made to the ball, and that’s exactly what has happened.

This morning the R&A will announce the reintroduction of the Gutta Percha ball, effective from Thursday 15th July 2010.

To begin with only professionals playing in R&A sanctioned events will be forced to play the affectionately known “Gutty”.

Interestingly this type of ball is made by boiling and then molding the latex-like sap from trees native to the Maylay peninsula. Rumour has it that Titleist have been working closely with a supplier in South East Asia, in a bid to secure the best crop of Sapodilla trees.

Robert Adams, CEO of Titleist, has already said on their Facebook page that they welcome this move by the game’s governing body and will be launching the new Titleist Gutty V1 in early May.

On a personal level it will great to see holes such as the par 5 5th hole ( “Hole O’Cross” ) on the Old Course play as a real 3 shoter during the Open in July.

Expect to see the full press release on the official R&A site later today at http://www.randa.org

Let me know your reaction by leaving a comment below. I understand not everyone will be happy with this new move.

Here’s a bit of fun!

Recently Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson and Lucas Glover got together at Frederica Golf Club for a photo shoot for Dr Morris Pickens’ new book “Learn to Win: A Major”.

Whilst there are some great photos with the Claret Jug, the 2007 Masters trophy and the 2009 US Open trophy – there’s a problem, and I hope you can help! He’s unsure as to what photo should go on the front cover.

Dr Morris Pickens would like you to choose your favourite photo for the book cover. All you have to do is make your selection from 5 amazing photos here.

You can read about the whole day here, sounds like it was a lot of fun.

So go ahead tap here and tell us which photo you like the best.

Finally Dr Morris Pickens is giving away 4 autographed copies at random from his list of subscribers to his newsletter. It costs nothing to join and it’s packed with lots of tips to help your mental game.

I recently saw a comment on an older post that asked — “How do you control the distance on greenside bunker shots?” I thought this was a very good question and one I’ve been asked a lot over the years. So I thought I would address that question and hopefully reduce some of your sand trap anxiety.

First, let me say that really good bunker play requires more than just the knowledge I’m about to offer. It requires thoughtful practice and some experience reading different lies and situations. That said, to hit the ball different distances requires nothing more than knowing the technique I’ll write about in the following paragraphs. So, although you may not turn into Gary Player over night — you will, after reading this post, have a basic philosophy on controlling the distance of your bunker shots.

Okay, to start, there are two basic fundamentals that you must understand to control the length of your bunker shots. Without these two fundamentals, the rest is worthless. Just as is reading all the golf magazine articles that tell you how easy bunker shots are supposed to be. The two fundamentals you must understand and control are — entry point and depth of divot. These two things are vital to good bunker play and needed if you’re going to hit short and long shots on command.

Lets start with entry point, which simply means the point where your club enters the sand behind the ball. This is important because — if one time you enter 4 inches behind the ball and the next time you enter 1 inch behind the ball — your ball is going to travel different distances. Assuming the force of your swing is the same that is. What is the proper entry point? Well, to me, it’s 2 inches behind the ball on normal bunker shots. And…when I am instructing someone in the bunker, I really don’t let them move on from this step until they can do it consistently. It doesn’t make sense to try an comprehend point C if you still can’t get past point A. And in bunker play, delivering the club to a consistent point behind the ball is definitely point A. It really is quite simple to practice and you can do so without a ball, which is probably preferable. This way you won’t focus too much on the ball and swing to it, as opposed to the point in the sand.

Here’s the drill: Draw a long line across the bunker and then straddle that line with your stance. The line should fall two inches behind the left heel in your stance. Do not use a ball at first. Once set up, I want you to take practice strokes swinging through the sand. But each time, do your best to enter the sand right on that line two inches behind your left heel. Remember, make sure to swing through the sand. We don’t want to groove a stroke that hits at the sand…so pay attention to that. Take a number of practice swings making your way down that line in the sand. But make sure the line stays in the same spot in your stance. Don’t let it get too far back or too far forward. For now, don’t worry about aim so much. Just worry about swinging through that line two inches behind your left heel. You’ll see where your club enters, so make any needed adjustments. Once you get to the point where you can enter the sand at the same spot every time, put a ball down directly off your left heel. Then, continue to do the drill, except this time with a ball down. Remember, still enter two inches behind your left heel (or from where your ball is placed) right on that line. You’ll quickly get the feeling of the sand taking your ball onto the green. That is an easy way to understand the first fundamental of entry point and should take you about 10-15 minutes.

For the second fundamental, I want to you look at the big flange on the bottom of your sand wedge. This is designed specifically for bunkers. That flange translates into bounce as you swing the club into the sand. What is bounce? Bounce is exactly what it sounds like, your club bouncing off the ground into the ball. If you have ever sculled a sand wedge from a tight lie in the fairway because your club skimmed off the ground, you know what bounce is. The manufacturer put that big flange on the club so it would bounce off the ground. The great thing about bunkers is that they are made of soft sand so, as the club strikes the sand it digs slightly and then bounces. This guarantees that you take the right amount of sand every time.

Still confused? It’s okay, I am going to show you how to use the bounce to your advantage. Raise the bottom of your sand wedge up to your face, right at eye level. Set it so the face of the club is looking at you. Now push the grip end of the club away from you while keeping the face in the same position. You are opening the clubface by in essence moving the shaft backwards. Notice what is happening to the bottom of the club and its flange. It’s getting bigger and you are seeing more of it. Next, bring the handle closer to you and watch what happens. The more you close the clubface, the more the flange disappears. You are decreasing the bounce by closing the face. From this experiment, you learn that a square clubface produces normal bounce, an open clubface produces more bounce, and a closed clubface produces less bounce.

Now the trick is to know when to use each degree of bounce. Just think about what you are trying to accomplish in a normal sand shot. Your goal is to splash the ball out softly riding on a thin blanket of sand. The amount of sand you take will determine the distance your ball travels – not necessarily the amount of sand you take behind the ball, but the amount you take under the ball. This has to be consistent to hit good bunker shots. If you skim the top of the sand on one shot and then dig five inches deep on the next one, you will never know how hard to swing. Knowing how to use the bounce of your wedge is the key to controlling the depth of your divots. The more bounce you use, the more shallow the divot. The less bounce you use, the deeper the divot. And because your goal is to splash the ball out on a thin layer of sand, you want a shallow divot, and will use an open face on your wedge to hit this shot. In fact, you should use an open face anytime you have a good lie in the bunker. One note however: Make sure to open the face of your sand wedge and then grip it. Don’t grip it then open it, as it will likely return to square at the bottom of your swing.

Okay — I know that was a lot of technical information…but some golfers really need that. But to make it simple in review — before your do anything else in a bunker — you want to control your entry point and the depth of your divot. This way the amount of sand taken will always be consistent and then you can control distance by effort of swing. This is the simplest way to get the ball close when having a long way to travel across a big green.

So, now on to controlling your distances. And believe it or not, this gets very easy if you do the first two things correctly. All that is required to control your distances in greenside bunkers is to modify your follow through. For a short shot — follow through short. For a medium bunker shot — follow through to a medium level. And for a long shot — follow through all the way. There is no need to adjust your backswing, as this will happen naturally and should, for all intensive purposes, stay consistent with all shots anyway. By controlling your finish, you will control the amount of acceleration through the ball, which will control how far the ball carries. It really is that simple. Don’t make it any more complicated then that. Yes, for specialty bunker shots, there is more required. But for a garden variety bunker shot, from a good lie, this is it.

In review…

Control your entry point by practicing swinging the club into the sand on an exact point.

Control the depth of your divot by controlling the angle of your face. An open face will create more bounce, which will create a more desired shallow divot. **Make sure to open the face, then grip it.

Control the length of your shot by controlling the length of your follow through. Have three finishes in your bag for short, medium and long shots. To get really close, you’ll have to practice — but to get reasonably close, you’ll just need to understand this concept.

A couple things about equipment and set-up. First, 90% of your greenside bunker shots should be hit with a sand-wedge that has between 56-60 degrees of loft and 8-12 degrees of bounce. To me, the perfect club for most situations is a 58 degree wedge with about 10 degrees of bounce. Most of the wedges today will say how much bounce they have on the bottom of the club. If you don’t see it there — ask your pro and they should be able to help you out. Second, you should hit 90% of all your greenside bunker shots with open feet and shoulders. That way, your open club will be aiming properly at the target. From there, just swing aggressively down your body line, and the ball will bleed a little to the right (for a right-handed golfer) directly at your target.

Good luck and have fun!

On Tuesday I travelled back up to St Andrews.

Sometimes I drive and sometimes I fly but a few days ago I chose the train from London Kings Cross.

Infact I was an hour early and so I wandered over to St Pancras International station next door as I wanted to see the redevelopment in the flesh.

Why I love rail travel.

Quite simply rail travel means I don’t lose a day of work. The East Coast trains comes with WiFi allowing me to work throughout my journey. I also have a Vodafone datacard as backup.

I do marvel at how easy internet access is becoming, soon everywhere will be one massive hotspot!

Only today I was reading that Alaska Airlines will be offering WiFi on all their flights. You may have already experienced this whilst flying on American, United, Delta, and AirTran.

So there I was … checking the time on my phone … 10:29

My train was due to leave at 10:30

A second later it eased out of the platform and I wondered if I’m the only one that gets a pleasant buzz whenever a train leaves on time.

I know there are no guarantees but somehow you are optimistic that all being well you will arrive on time.

I was due to arrive at 16:00 in Leuchars.

Up until the early 1960s St Andrews had its own railway station, but the government’s Beeching report put paid to that.

If you are ever in the Dunvegan Hotel and Restaurant, a 9 iron from the 18th green on the Old Course, you can see some great photos of how the line used to run adjacent to the 16th fairway.

Leuchars (pronounced more like “lookers”) is a 10 minute bus ride from St Andrews and so the remainder of the jorney has to be by bus or taxi.

It’s always so cool to look up from my laptop and take in the breathtaking scenery as the train travels from England to Scotland through Berwick-upon-Tweed.

At points you are so close to the waves you can imagine you are riding them – or maybe that’s just me!

As my own journey came to its end, it was a pleasure to reflect back on the fact that during the five and half hours of my journey I had completed the new renovation of GolfInsideCircle.com

Now it might not be on a par of the fine work at St Pancras International station but nevertheless I’m proud there is now one place to listen to all the great guests we have had since September last year.

I’m also very pleased to introduce this month’s guest, she is Jennifer Scott a certified clinical hypnotherapist who has appeared with Kelly Tilghman on The Golf Channel and gives 2-hour seminars on how to play in the zone at The San Diego Golf Academy.

In fact Golf Magazine rated Jennifer’s audio 2 CD Program, “Own The Zone(TM)” with its highest rating. The program includes specific methods to improve your focus and ease any anger or frustration you may feel on the course. Additionally golfers are taught proven techniques to develop a pre-shot bubble where nothing can distract you.

Please head over to GolfInsideCircle.com to hear Jennifer speak and learn more about how her work can help your game.

Alternatively you can listen to her by clicking on the orange button below:

Jennifer teaches golfers to be free of confusing extraneous thoughts by using the power of the subconscious mind to relax and focus. These teachings put an end to your confusion and allow you to play “in the zone” for longer and longer periods of time. When you are in hypnosis you are in the zone and Jennifer teaches golfers how to get into this state effortlessly.

Discover more by visiting OwnTheZoneGolf.com

Golf rules expert and author of “999 Questions on the Rules of Golf” Barry Rhodes answers four questions relating to the golf ball and the rules of golf below.

But first I wanted to report that I’m very happy to announce that Barry will personally sign your copy of “999 Questions on the Rules of Golf” and post it to you anywhere in the world for free!

Grab your copy here, remember no shipping fees.

In fact if you order 3 copies you will receive a great 20% discount, and even better 25% discount for an order of 5 copies.

Please email Barry direct at if you would like to order more than 3 copies (e.g. for your Golf Club). Take a look here, to find out how this outstanding book will save you many shots as I can highly recommend it.

The book contains:

* 999 questions in 3 sections; easy, moderate and harder
* 3 formats for the questions; true/false, open ended, multiple choice
* Reference to the relevant Definition, Rule or Decision for every answer
* Explanations to aid readers understanding of the Rule
* An easy, look-up index to resolve the myriad situations that occur on the course
* Questions on all 34 Rules and 126 sub-sections

Here are the 4 questions on the rules of golf:

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 1 :

I have a golf question about the Rules. My golf partner on the tee box was just about to make contact with the ball when it fell back off the tee. He was able to still hit the ball into the fairway, but not very far. Does he get to hit again or play it where it lies?

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 1 :

In the circumstances that you describe there is no penalty and the ball must be played from where it came to rest. Rule 11-3 states;

“If a ball, when not in play, falls off a tee or is knocked off a tee by the player in addressing it, it may be re-teed, without penalty. However, if a stroke is made at the ball in these circumstances, whether the ball is moving or not, the stroke counts, but there is no penalty.”

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 2 :

Andy, If a tree is dead and has fallen over – not embedded in the ground – what part of the tree can be removed and is it a breach of the Rules if when trying to remove an offending branch it breaks from the dead tree?

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 2 :

There are three Decisions that provide the answer to your question;

Decision 23-7:
Q. Is a fallen tree a loose impediment?
A. If it is still attached to the stump, no; if it is not attached to the stump, yes.

Decision 23-1/3:
Q. May spectators, caddies, fellow-competitors, etc., assist a player in removing a large loose impediment?
A. Yes.

Decision 23-1/4:
Q. If part of a large branch which has fallen from a tree (and thus is a loose impediment) interferes with a player’s swing, may the player break off the interfering part rather than move the whole branch?
A. Yes.

However, remember that you may not remove any part of the tree from a hazard if your ball lies in the same hazard.

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 3 :

Andy, one of your Q&As says that a player is penalised if he “taps down scuff marks in the vicinity of the hole, but not on his line of putt”. If they were not on his line of putt, then how could it assist the player in his subsequent play of the hole.

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 3 :

Few of us can guarantee that we will always hit our putts along the line that we intend and we might also overshoot the hole by a significant margin; perhaps on the putt back as well! Also, the wind or gravity may move a ball to a different position. Therefore, to avoid incurring a penalty, or an argument, it is strongly recommended that players should not repair any spike marks on the putting green until they have finished play of the hole.

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 4 :

Hi Andy, I have one for you. Red stakes are surrounded by water because of heavy rainfall. The water level of the lake has risen past the markings. My ball lands outside the red stakes but under one foot of water which is now part of the lake. Do I get a free drop?

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 4 :

Yes, in the circumstances that you describe you are entitled to take relief from the casual water without penalty, Rule 25-1b. But not under Rule 26-1, Relief from Water Hazard. Decision 25/2 is relevant;
Q. If a pond (water hazard) has overflowed, is the overflow casual water?
A. Yes. Any overflow of water from a water hazard which is outside the margin of the hazard is casual water.

You can access another 999 golf questions and answers here:

http://www.BarryRhodes.com – Miscellaneous content on the Rules of Golf.
Author of the book ‘999 Questions on the Rules of Golf’

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Disclaimer: Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of this information on the Rules of Golf I am human and have been known to be wrong! Neither I, nor anyone connected with GolfSwingSecretsRevealed.com, shall be held responsible for any losses caused by reliance upon the accuracy or reliability of such information. Readers should refer to the full text of the rules and decisions as published in the official publications of the R&A and the USGA, The Rules of Golf 2008-2011 and Decisions on the Rules of Golf 2008-2009.

There is a theory in learning called “Primacy” and “Recency”. I use this theory often when making schedules or planning lessons for my students. To me, it’s one of the best techniques for getting the most out of your practice. In simple terms, primacy and recency mean first and last. Primacy for first and recency for last. Basically, the concept is… we easily remember the first time and last time we do something. But it’s difficult to remember say the 11th or 23rd time we attempt something — unless it was a memorable result of some kind.

Here is an example…

Most adults, even though it happened years ago, remember their first kiss. And most can even give vivid details about the entire experience. From where it took place… to what they were wearing… to how they felt. It’s really quite remarkable. Now if we take that a step further, most adults remember their last kiss. For some it could have been this morning while kissing their spouse goodbye. For others, it could have been during their last relationship. For others still, it could have been 3am Saturday night at the club. We won’t go there. But you get the drift. The clearest memories are always the first and last time you do something.

For golf, I can clearly remember the first time I ever broke 70. I remember who I played with; where I played; the drive and approach I hit on 18; the sense of relief after, as I had blown numerous chances leading up to that 69. But I also remember the last time just as clearly. Sadly however, it was way too long ago. But it was a special day with a good friend. My guess is, you too, can remember certain scoring barriers and breakthroughs in your own golfing life if using the primacy and recency model.

Now, this may seem like a neat trick, but how does it help you get better at golf?

First, lets start with a practice flaw I see in a lot of golfers — from amateur to professional. I call this flaw ‘busyness’ — and I see it all the time. I’m of the school that… we all know most of the answers… to most of the stuff in life… if we could just somehow quiet our mind. But it’s hard to get quiet in the modern world with all the distractions. And when we practice golf, it’s the same thing — distractions. And with those distractions, our minds get busy. And with busy minds, we cannot focus clearly on something that may or may not help us improve. Instead, our minds scatter all over the place… and by the time we leave the practice area, we are on to a completely different theory then when we started. Sound familiar? If it does, I’ll make this promise, as it relates to golf — you will never reach your potential! But there is a way out of this confusing maze of cluttered practice — and it’s called primacy and recency.

How? Okay, let’s think about it. If we know it’s easy to remember the first and last time we do something, then logic dictates that — we should make the first and last times closer together. Instead of one-hour range sessions, where the 45-50 minutes in the middle of that hour become gray and cluttered, how about 10-15 minute focused range sessions instead? Say for example, you are going to the range to work on your swing. You just watched Andy explain his 4 New Magic Moves. You’ve watched the DVD. You’ve read the book. Your mind is all set on what you’re trying to accomplish. And… you’re really excited to start and planned a 3-hour practice session. How am I doing so far? Sound like you? It certainly used to be me.

Now lets extend that scenario above out through your practice time. Instead of having a really good strategy on how you’ll attack the day — you just start hitting balls. For example, you remember the wrist cock Andy explained — so you try it.

Here’s the sample thought process as you practice…

“It feels good. Better than my old swing. This is easy. What’s next? Let’s try the shoulder move. Okay, feels good, but am I doing it right? Wait, that one wasn’t very good — maybe I forgot to cock my wrists properly. How was I supposed to do that again? Didn’t GOLF Magazine say something last month about cocking my wrists. Yeah, that’s right, I saw David Leadbetter do something on that. It was some kind of drill with an umbrella. Hey John, do you remember that drill Leadbetter had in GOLF Magazine last month with the umbrella?”

So there you are. An hour into practice and lost again. But you were so excited and thought you really, for once, had the answer. Yet, you didn’t really improve. In fact, you’re more confused than ever. And to make matters worse, you can’t even remember how you used to swing, which at this point you would take happily.

Now, let me take you through that same scenario properly, using the theory of primacy and recency.

You should watch the DVD all the way through for an overview. But then, you should should watch the new first magic move again (the wrist cock) to truly understand. Now, instead of having a ton of information about four moves — you have a better understanding of the first move. You should start the DVD with the first magic move and end the DVD back at that first magic move. Then there is a much better chance you’ll know it…and more importantly, retain the information.

Next, make a few notes about the first magic move. You don’t have to write the Magna Carta — just a few key points that will help you remember. Writing it down does two things. First, it reinforces the information deeper into your brain, as this is another way to learn. And second, it gives you a simple cheat sheet, should you become distracted on the driving range. Next, get to the range and warm up. Then, start your drill for the new first magic move. Do the drill with great thought and care. Really try and feel the changes. Do this for only 15 minutes. Once 15 minutes is up, go over to the putting green and hit putts for 15 minutes. Work on whatever it is you’re working on there — but again, just one thing. Get your mind fully off your swing and onto your putting 100%.

Then, after 15 minutes on the putting green, go back to the range and continue with the new first magic move for another 15 minutes. Again, take great care while you practice. Then, after 15 minutes, go work on one area of your short game for 15 minutes. Again, focus only on the area you’re practicing — not your golf swing. Then, after 15 minutes, go back to the range and work on the new first magic move again. Continue this process for as long as you have to practice. Don’t — I repeat DON’T — move up to the second magic move yet. Just keep repeating this process for a few practice sessions.

In a golf swing, one thing builds upon another. And if you go to step two before truly mastering step one — you’ll struggle. You’re better off hanging out too long at step one then leaving too early for step two. Remember, just because your mind comprehends the information, doesn’t mean your body does. That will always take more time. You want the first step to become part of you before moving on to step two. Once you’ve mastered step one, then use the same philosophy for step two.

So lets think about the differences above. In my example, you had short bursts of practice on one single part of your game. And because the beginning and end of each these sessions were close together (15 minutes) — there is a super chance of you retaining all that you learned and felt. And more importantly, because the sessions were shorter, there’s less chance of distraction with other non-productive thoughts. So, although you may not hit as many balls this way — the quality will go way up. And with that, your improvement will be ten-fold.

Remember, by keeping the first and the last time you do something closer to one another — your chances of retention improve greatly. So short bursts of focused practice is the key.

Good luck!

It may be a new year, but so far 2010 looks exactly the same as 2009.
Australia’s Geoff Ogilvy fired a stellar final-round -6, 67 to hold off a hard-charging Rory Sabbatini and successfully defend the SBS Championship in Hawaii, Sunday.

Although it was not in the same dominating fashion as last season when Ogilvy cruised to a six-shot win over Anthony Kim on the Kapalua course, the victory makes him the seventh player in the history of the event to successfully defend as champion, and the first since fellow Aussie Stuart Appleby made the tournament his own from 2004-6.

“I like the golf course, I think it’s fair to say,” Ogilvy joked following the win.

Despite a near-flawless final 18 holes it wasn’t all smooth sailing for 2006 U.S Open champion. Starting the day six shots behind, Sabbatini went on a tear during the final round, rattling off ten birdies including five in a row on the back nine to briefly take the lead from Ogilvy.

But the fiery South African failed to birdie the par 5, 18th hole and had to settle for posting a total of -21.

“I said to my caddie, ‘We need to birdie the last two holes to have a chance,’ ” Sabbatini said. “The situation was you had to keep moving forward to put pressure on him. I had my opportunity, and unfortunately, it didn’t pan out.”

Ogilvy, who teed off over an hour behind Sabbatini, had holes to play with, and he re-gained the lead with back-to-back birdies on the 14th and 15th holes. Three pars from there secured him the victory.

“If you beat Sabbo’s score, you’re going to win the tournament,” Ogilvy said. “It’s hard to make birdies when you have to make birdies. I’ve had that situation with a couple of holes to play, but never with nine holes to play. I’m pretty proud of the fact I did it.”

The win jumped Ogilvy ahead of Rory McIlroy and back into the world’s top 10 ranking in 9th place. Just like at the beginning of 2009, Ogilvy is excited at his prospects for the season, but he is wary of over-practicing and over-playing, which he said led to a fast start and a slow finish last season.

“When it’s good, it’s really good,” Ogilvy said with regards to his current form. “I like how I play when I play good, so I’m not concerned about how good I can be when I’m actually playing well, because I think I can hang with most guys. I haven’t shown that I could do well when my game is a little off. I think that’s the sign of a really great player.”

With Tiger Woods taking an indefinite hiatus from the game many of the world’s top players see 2010 as a year to do some damage on the world scene, and Ogilvy is no different. He sees improved consistency as a way to achieve some of his goals.

“I think I need to get to that sort of point,” Ogilvy said. “I think I can. I think I can be a player who can win any golf tournament I play. I’ve just got to work to get through the bad days and bad patches.”

Ogilvy is taking next week off from the PGA Tour and heading to Abu Dhabi for the European Tour event in two weeks. All but eight of the players in the SBS Championship field will island-hop to the Sony Open next week, the first full-field event on the PGA Tour for 2010.

When I discuss playing in pressure-packed situations with my professional students, I’ll always try and remind them that… all great things are accomplished outside their comfort zones. Or, I might say to them — rarely does anything exceptional happen if you’re afraid to get a little uncomfortable. And then, we actually prepare for that uncomfort — and what to do when it happens.

If you think about it, this phenomonam is true in all areas of life. Whether it’s having the nerve to walk over to that beautiful woman and ask her name. Or to walk into the manager’s office and say — hey, I think I deserve a raise. As we all know, it’s never easy spending time on uncomfortable island. But if you think about it — that seems to be where they keep all the really good stuff.

Now, how does this relate to your golf game? Well, I want to help you smash through your comfort zone in 2010 and start scoring up to your capability. Basically, I want to see you get in an uncomfortable situation on the golf course…and handle it!

Let’s just say your average score is 80 for 18 holes. How many times have you had a wonderful front-nine score of 35 or so, only to follow it up with a back-nine score of 45? Or for that matter, scored 45 on the front — but came back with a great 35 on the back? My guess would be often. And really, it all comes down to comfort zone. In both of these examples, you weren’t quite comfortable. Not comfortable shooting another 35 for a 70. And not comfortable shooting another 45 for a 90. But…because you’re comfortable with 80…that’s where you’ll end up.

Now, what do you do about it?

First, let me share an example of how I smashed through a comfort zone and finally had a good score on a tough golf course. When I first started working at Cheval Golf and Country Club, just outside of Tampa in 1995, I was a pretty good player. I don’t want to exaggerate, as we all seem to get a little better as we get older. I suppose our skewed memories give all of us an over-inflated idea of just how good we “once were.” But I was a mini-tour player in Florida and capable of shooting in the 60′s on any day on any course. I was long and had a very good short game. I wasn’t the straightest guy in the world, nor was I a wonderful short putter — but I could play. I decided to work in the bag room at Cheval for playing privileges. It was a very nice private course, with great greens… and a reputation for being impossibly hard. I figured this would be a great test every day, as I tried to bring my game to the next level. The first few weeks, I had some good rounds — but nothing spectacular. But I also had some horrendous rounds. I actually shot in the 80′s a couple times and my guess is — if you were to average my scores for those first few weeks — it would have been in the mid 70′s. Hardly the scores of someone looking to make a step to the next level. But this course was hard. And for me, it was a different kind of hard. It had OB and water on every single hole. To put it simply, it was crazy tight. So, I was hitting a couple balls a day out of bounds and Lord knows where else. I was making birdies — but also very high numbers. Part of me realized what was going on. It was the course and my inability to play it — not my game. I could still go to other courses and shoot great scores — but not at Cheval. Still, I also thought, as a pro, I should be able to play any course and to that end — my scores were awful. Either way, I was losing a lot of confidence. And for the first time started thinking about where I didn’t want my ball to go, as opposed to where I wanted it to go. I was playing scared.

But then a very serendipitous thing happened. The head professional at the time, who would later become a great friend, was a pretty cocky guy. And also a pretty good player. He wasn’t too thrilled about me taking some of his thunder, in spite of my high scores. Some of the members were talking about me as a player… and it was time for him to show me once and for all that he was the best. So he challenged me. He said that I could play a two-ball scramble against his one ball. And that he would still win. I gladly took that challenge and off we went. It was amazing. Just having that second ball as an option freed me up so much. Granted, I used it some, especially on the greens — but I felt completely different on the first attempt. I shot something in the mid-60′s and easily beat the head pro. For the first time since I started working there, I left the course that day feeling good about my game. The next day, the head pro challenged me to a red tee game. We both would play the red tees and see how low we could shoot. Again, I said okay. We had a blast and I shot something like 61 or 62. But… more importantly, I started to see the course differently. There were good scores out there — even if it took me playing the red tees and a scramble to see them. However, the next day, I played the tips, shot 65 and broke the course record. Then, the day after that I shot 66. It was almost like an out of body experience. All of a sudden, I couldn’t wait to play and see how low I could shoot at Cheval. Of course, reality set in eventually, and I came back to earth. But that four day stretch of golf was all it took for me to break through my comfort zone at an extremely tough course. And it all started with a scramble and the red tees. You see, sometimes before you can actually do something — you have to know you can do something…if that makes sense. And you have to see yourself doing it. And for me, I was able to dissect those scramble and red tee rounds and say — I’m capable of doing that here. After all, the red tees are just up — but it still is the same course. And with the scramble — it was still me hitting the shots. Plus, those two days changed me back to looking where I wanted the ball to go, as opposed to where I didn’t want it to go. By the way, at the end of the day, that is the real secret.

I’ll talk more about this in future posts — but for now, I would like you to take this away in trying to smash through your comfort zone. Play a scramble and from the forward tees… and shoot the score you’ve been trying to shoot. See yourself doing it and then feel what it feels like. I can’t tell you how valuable this is to the psyche. Lets say for example, you want to break 80 – but you just can’t seem to pull it off. And you normally play the blue tees. For the next few rounds, I want you to play the whites or silver tees. I want to see you shoot in the 70′s a few times. Then, go back to the blues with those great memories and play. If after 3 rounds, you still haven’t broken 80, go back to the forward tees for a few rounds. Keep this up until you break 80. Then, whenever you go 3 rounds without breaking your scoring goal — move up a tee and break it. Or play a scramble if you’re alone. Great golf is built of mini successes — so set yourself up to have a bunch of them.

Like I said, I’ll talk more about this subject in the future — but try this for now. My guess is that you will finally smash through that comfort zone that’s been holding you back.

The 00’s have officially passed us by and with it goes one of the most memorable decades in major championship golf history. The dominance of Tiger Woods was a hallmark of the past ten years and while the great man did produce some of the most impressive golf in major history there were other players on the major stage that who shone brightly as well. That being said, here are my top ten major memories from the last ten years.

1. Tiger Woods – 2000 U.S Open at Pebble Beach- It was by far the most dominating performance in the history of professional golf- there is not even a second place. Only one player in history had ever reached double-digits under-par in the U.S Open before (Gil Morgan ten years earlier at Pebble Beach), and Woods not only reached that number- he stayed there. When he eventually finished his domination for the field he had finished at -12 for the tournament and won by and astonishing 15 shots, relegating runners-up Ernie Els and Miguel Angel Jimenez to merely a trivia question in golf history. Such ruthless dominance may never be seen again.

2. Y.E Yang – 2009 U.S PGA Championship at Hazeltine National- While the decade was defined by the dominance of one man with a part-Asian heritage, the last major of the decade would see the first Asian, a South Korean, ever take down that same champion in dramatic fashion. It may take years to really see the impact of Y.E Yang’s victory at Hazeltine, but when we look back at the landscape of golf over the next ten years, this victory may be the one that changed everything.

3. Phil Mickelson – 2004 Masters- It took a while. Actually, it seemed like it took half a lifetime. Phil Mickelson’s first major win was followed by a collective sigh of relief from the golfing world and finally made a major champion out of “Lefty“. For Mickelson, it was akin to getting not just a monkey, not even a gorilla, but King Kong off his back.

4. Tiger Woods – 2001 Masters- It had never been done before and it may never be done again. It was not achieved by Hogan, or Snead, or Nelson. Not by Palmer or, Watson, or Player. Not even by Nicklaus. By winning the 2001 Masters Woods became the first man to hold all four major championships at once and stamped his place among the greats of all time.

5. Geoff Ogilvy – 2006 U.S Open at Winged Foot GC- Despite Ogilvy chipping-in on the 71st hole, the 2006 U.S Open will always be remembered for “the massacre” that followed. First, Padraig Harrington topped his approach into the 72nd hole, dropping himself from contention.  Then Colin Montgomery made double-bogey from the middle of the fairway and Jim Furyk missed from five-feet, both on the 72nd hole. Finally, Phil Mickelson puts the icing on the cyanide-cake by hitting the wildest drive ever hit on the final hole of the U.S Open, ultimately taking double bogey. Ogilvy, it turned out, was the last man standing.

6. Padraig Harrington – 2008 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale-  The next two majors make my list not because of the winner, but because who almost won. Ten years since he last made a serious run at a major Greg Norman almost became the oldest part-time golfer to ever win a major.  Ultimately he was trumped by the spectacular eagle Harrington made on 71st hole, one of the greatest clutch shots of the decade and the only reason I have placed this tournament ahead of the next one.

7. Stewart Cink – 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry- Like the previous entry, this Open Championship may have been the story of the decade if it had turned out a little different. Sexagenarian Tom Watson captured our hearts for four straight days at Turnberry, but eventually he ran out of steam, or mojo, or pars- which ever way you want to look at it, and succumbed to Stewart Cink in a playoff. With 99.9% of golf fans pulling against him Cink went ahead and accepted the Claret Jug, and his gracious response to the victory and to Watson himself should not be understated- a more deserving major champion may not exist.

8. Shaun Micheel -  2003 PGA Championship at Oak Hill CC- Micheel’s win was the second consecutive come-from-nowhere victory in the majors following Ben Curtis at the 2003 Open Championship. Micheel’s win trumps Curtis and makes the list because of the dramatic way in which he won. Clinging to a one-shot lead and with the entire golfing world watching Micheel drew a 7-iron and hit the ball so close to the hole a beginner could have made the putt for birdie and not sweated it. It was simply jaw-dropping.

9. Tiger Woods – 2000 PGA Championship at Valhalla GC- There were some great duels down the stretch over the past decade but none can match the one where a journeyman pro took on the greatest player of recent times- and almost won. Over the stretch of six hours that Sunday Bob May gave Tiger Woods all he could handle. That Woods came out on top was not a surprise- that May never once blinked was.

10.  Padaig Harrington – 2007 Open Championship at Carnoustie GL- It was supposed to be Sergio Garcia’s Open Championship. He led after all three rounds and looked to have the tournament locked up before he was caught by Steve Stricker, then by Andres Romero, and finally by Harrington. All four players tried valiantly to lose the tournament and at one stage it looked like nobody wanted to take the Claret Jug home with them. Despite two trips to the burn on the 18th hole Harrington prevailed in a playoff and somewhere the ghost of Jean Van de Velde smiled just a little bit.

I’ve refrained from writing about Tiger Woods over the last month for a couple reasons. First, I’m genuinely disappointed with the whole mess and don’t feel ready to share my thoughts until I can see it less emotionally. And second, I don’t think anyone really knows the true story…and won’t until either Tiger or Elin decide to speak out on the subject. And, I don’t want to join in on the speculation round table, as I feel there has been enough of that going on…without my help. Plus, no matter how disappointed I am, Tiger has earned my respect with his spectacular play; his countless hours of charitable work; and his ability to take the sport I love to unprecedented heights.

So…although I certainly have an opinion on Tiger’s extracarricular activities — I will not judge.

Now, that said, golf is going to hit a little speed bump this year without Tiger Woods. Even if Tiger plays in 2010, he still wont be the Tiger we’ve known…if that makes sense. And between the economy and new TV contracts, this probably wasn’t the greatest time for us to find out that Tiger is human after all. That said, golf, long term, is of course is bigger than any one person. But for the sake of the short term, here are four things I think golf could use in 2010.

1. Phil Mickelson to have a monster year. The stars have never been better aligned for Mickelson to take his place among the all-time greats. He’s rediscovered his putting stroke after finding Dave Stockton. He’s missing full shots better than ever after finally getting comfortable with his Butch Harmon designed golf swing. And, he has a new found perspective after his wife and mother both faced down health scares. Golf needs Phil to win 5+ times in 2010… preferably with a couple of majors. And one of those majors should come at the home of golf, St. Andrews, in the British Open — so Mickelson can become a global champion and not just an American one. He’s made some international strides the last couple years in China, but all things being equal, he’s pretty much thought of as an American golfer. That’s not necessarily a bad thing — but Tiger Woods belongs to the world. And right now, golf could use a global figure who won’t drop the ball. And at this point in time, Phil is that choice. I’ve been lucky enough to attend some major events where Tiger and Phil both competed, and I’ll wager that, at least in America, fans love Phil more. They may respect Tiger more (or at least used to) but they love Phil. Maybe it’s his style of play. Or maybe, it’s that, from day one, we’ve always known he was a fallible human being. Or maybe, we love the the fact that in the middle of a practice round, he’ll buy the crowd hamburgers from the snack bar. Or maybe, we love that he smiles. Or maybe, we love that he’s the tour’s most generous tipper. Or maybe, it’s a combination of all of the above. But I know one thing for certain — if Phil can play some truly spectacular golf in 2010 — he’ll add a whole lot of respect to that love.

2. The kids — Rory McIlroy, Anthony Kim, Ryo Ishikawa and Danny Lee — to come alive in big events and preferably battle one another for a title. Golf needs a couple new superstars and more importantly… rivalries. I can think of nothing better than a couple of these kids in a back nine battle for a Green Jacket in April. Can you imagine Rory fearlessly matching Anthony birdie for birdie at The Masters? It would certainly be fun to watch. It would give us something to talk about besides Tiger Woods. Okay, you’re right, we’ll always talk about Tiger Woods. But a teenage/twenty-something shootout at Augusta would infuse some much needed excitement into the sport.

3. For a rivalry to develop on The LPGA Tour that makes people actually want to watch. Annika Sorenstam became Annika Sorenstam after Karrie Webb made her work harder and smarter than any woman professional to date. Wouldn’t it be nice if Michelle Wie could battle Lorena Ochoa or Paula Creamer for a few majors this year? I say Michelle because, even with her controversies of the last few years, no one moves galleries on Tour like her. I’ve spent a lot of time on the LPGA Tour and trust me, it’s easy to find Michelle on the golf course — just find the people. Despite her controversies, I like Michelle. I think she was the victim of a few things outside of her control the last few years. I think she will mature into a well-liked, if not beloved, golf figure over the next ten years. I don’t think she’ll dominate until she becomes a better putter — but I think, thanks to her, we’ll see women’s golf played at a level never seen before. Simply, the LPGA Tour needs Michelle. And right now, golf needs Michelle.

4. For the major tours to give back…more. Face it, this is a tough time financially for a lot of people…and I think golf has a wonderful opportunity to lead the sporting world in giving something back to fans and communities. First, I’d like to see the tours voluntarely cut their purses 20%. The current purses reflect an economic boom time and when Tiger was…well Tiger. This would go a long way with the sponsors as well as those fans who are also hurting. If companies could sponsor an event for $4.8M this year for what was $6M last year — this would prove that major tours are in this for long term partnerships and not short term gains. Basically the anti Carolyn Biven model. It would also help with the networks who are losing more and more ad revenue to the web. If they could televise an event for 20% less than last year, it would also do wonders for that partnership. Next, I would like to see ticket prices cut for the average fan and for the tour’s to expand on free tickets to kids. I would like to think, even if a family is hurting economically, that a father could take his kids to a PGA Tour event for a reasonable amount of money. Again, this would go a long way to proving to fans that golf cares and wants to continue to grow the game.

I think if these four things happen, then this time next year, we’ll be looking back on 2010 as a very successful golf year. Tiger or no Tiger.

What do you think, please leave a comment below?

The Hollywood Foreign Press announced their nominations for the Golden Globe Awards this week and the Academy of Arts and Sciences will be doing the same in a month or so. And while December is a hot month for movies, it is a decidedly slow one for golf. That being said it’s a great opportunity to run through the players who shone brightest in 2009 and who were consequently recognized by the major tours for their efforts. We begin, as we always seem to do when it’s awards time, Tiger Woods.

PGA Tour Player of the Year – Tiger Woods – For the 10th time in 13 years Tiger Woods has claimed the mantle of the best player on the PGA Tour, and even in light of his off-course media attention of late, few would be brave enough to suggest he didn’t earn it once again in 2009. Despite not winning a major this year (the one thing Tiger measures his success by), Tiger went ahead and dominated all comers in 2009, winning the Fed-Ex Cup, the money title and recording the lowest scoring average on tour for the 9th time in his career. His money total of $10. 5M was $4M ahead of second place finisher Steve Stricker and his six wins was more than double any other player on tour.

Yes, he did struggle in the majors by his standards, recording 6th place finishes at the Masters and U.S Open, a missed cut at the Open Championship and finishing 2nd behind the improbable Y.E Yang at the U.S PGA. Despite all this 2009 was a year where things must be kept in perspective. Woods returned from major knee surgery at the beginning of the year, an injury that has taken Ernie Els the better part of three or four years to recover from, and stepped straight back into the role of the game’s most dominate player. With an indefinite hiatus ahead for Woods, 2010 is going to begin the same way 2009 did – amidst uncertainty. But if nothing else, Tiger is still Tiger and 2010 is sure to prove to be a defining year in the great man’s career.

European Tour Player of the Year – Lee Westwood – Ten years ago Lee Westwood was on top of the European golfing mountain. He was the Order of Merit winner, a Ryder Cup star and had climbed to No. 3 in the world rankings. By 2002 Westwood was languishing outside the top 250 in the world. He was frustrated and discouraged with his golf game. In his own words he was lost. This year Westwood showed just what hard work, patience and a strength of will can do. Trailing 20-year old Irish supernova Rory McIlroy into the last tournament of the season at the Dubai World Championship, Westwood went ahead and played the tournament of his life, shooting an absolutely flawless eight-under, 64 in the final round to claim a six-shot win in the event and leap-frog McIlroy to win the inaugural Race to Dubai. For a player who as been close in multiple majors the past two seasons, the win reaffirmed many pundit’s beliefs that Westwood is a player on the cusp of greatness.

LPGA Tour Player of the Year – Lorena Ochoa – She may not have done it in the same dominating fashion as in recent years, and she may have found a new challenger to her crown as the best female player I the game, but Lorena Ochoa is still had the LPGA Tour player by which all others are measured. Although she finished 4th on the final money list, $400,000 behind rising star Jiyai Shin of South Korea, Ochoa’s three wins and Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average were enough to give her the nod for the fourth consecutive year in the POTY points-based system . It took a final hole birdie from Ochoa at the Tour Championship to hold off tour freshman Shin in what may have been the best and most under-appreciated finish in a non-major event in golf in 2009.

LET Player of the Year – Catriona Matthew – While many women are still on maternity leave less than three months after giving birth, Scot Catriona Matthew was back at work and on her way to winning her first major championship, the Ricoh Women‘s British Open. Punctuated by a five-under, 67 in the second round, the 15-year veteran was the only player to finish under par at Royal Lytham and St. Annes. She finished the tournament at three-under, three shots clear of runner-up Karrie Webb. Matthews is the first Scottish player to win the LET POTY and just the fourth Brit in the 30-year history of the award.

PGA Tour Rookie of the Year – Marc Leishman – The Aussie became the first player since Charles Howell III in 2001 to win ROTY honors without winning a tournament. “Leish” finished 20th on the final Fed-Ex Cup points list and 47th on the final Money List, rubbing shoulders with the game‘s best throughout the playoffs.

European Tour Rookie of the Year – Chris Wood – After bursting onto the scene and contending late on Sunday at the 2008 Open Championship, Wood went ahead and did the exact same thing in 2009 at Turnbury. He eventually finished T3 and also made the exclusive field for the Dubai World Championship at the end of the year.

LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year – Jiyai Shin – Few rookies have dominated golf in recent years like Shin did in ‘09. After winning 10 of 19 events on the 2007 Korean Tour and the 2008 Women‘s British Open, Shin transplanted herself to the LPGA Tour in 2009 and continued her rise to greatness, winning three times, more than any other player on tour and leading the tour in money earned.

LET Rookie of the Year – Anna Nordqvist – After a stellar amateur career in both Europe and the on the American collegiate circuit Nordqvist made a massive impression on the world of golf in 2009, winning the LPGA Championship, a major, in just her fifth start on tour. She would cap off the year by winning the Tour Championship and representing Europe in the Solheim Cup. It was a resume that would have put Nordqvist in contention for the POTY award most other seasons, but behind Ochoa’s consistency and Shin’s year-long hot streak, she had to settle for third-best on the LPGA Tour. The LET ROTY award was her consolation for a strong first-year campaign.

Happy holidays my fellow golf aficionados! Seeing as how Christmas is poking it’s head around the corner I thought I might do something a little different and provide you last-minute shoppers out there with a a few ideas for the golfer on their list. The main rule I would recommend if you are buying for a golfer, especially a golf nut, is to NEVER, EVER buy anything performance-based that can be confused with “golf art”. In general, a tartan golf towel or funky ball marker with a “I love to Golf” emblazed across will be used about as much as those clubs designed specifically for chipping.

But have no fear, buying for the serious golfer is not a tough task and I have scoured the internet for the coolest gifts of all shapes and sizes. Here are a few of the best-

*    A dozen Titleist Pro-V 1s- Let’s face it, every golfer loses balls (some more than others) and an extra dozen balls will always be of use. The fact that these are still regarded as the best balls in the game means that a player of any level will appreciate them, and with the price of a dozen of these babies coming down more and more, they have become a bargain gift.

R.R.P- $39.99 at Golfsmith.com

*    Bushnell Pro 1600 Rangefinder with slope – With rangefinders becoming legal to use in many tournaments, as well as a staple amongst professionals the world over this is a great gift for any serious golfer. One of the advantages about playing with a rangefinder is you don’t need to go tramping all over the fairway to get a yardage; just point and shoot, pull a club and you’re away. But the absolute best thing about this model in particular is the slope aspect. It gives you an exact yardage with regards to how far the shot is uphill or downhill. Ben Hogan might roll over in his grave but the fact remains- all the guess work is gone when you have one of these in your bag.

R.R.P- $381 at Amazon.com

*     J Lindeberg Slater Belt- Golf is becoming more and more of a way to make a fashion statement and one of the most fashionable accessories out there is the J Lindeberg belt. Whether on the runway or on the links, J Lindeberg has been making the most fashionable, youthful and fresh clothing out there ever since Jesper Parnevik first donned his gear almost a decade ago. Even if Jesper’s style is not the one you’re after this belt has become one of the most iconic fashion statements in the game and will add a little flair to anyone’s wardrobe.

R.R.P- $110 at trendygolfusa.com

*    Under Armour Zone Impact Polo shirt- One of the most popular buzz words in golf is ’performance’, not just in equipment, but in clothing as well. Five years ago Under Armour was a company based around performance under- shirts and work out gear. Today they are one of the fastest growing companies in sports, branching out into shoes, clothing, winter wear and yes, even golf. To top things off they make one of the best shirts, with fantastic materials designed to make you cooler in the heat and warmer in the cold. To top it off they are worn by several of the games top young players, from Hunter Mahan to Michael Sim.

R.R.P- $34.99 at Edwinwatts.com

*    A series of lessons with your local pro- Now, I know a lot of people that take lessons from various pros and I an honestly say that there is no better way to improve your game than getting together with your local pro for a couple of lessons. The key is to take several lessons over a period of time. One lesson will provide you with some quick fixes, but when you take a series of lessons a good pro will map out a game plan for going from point A (your current action) to point B (where you want to be). Also, add a twist- instead of just going to the range and working on your swing, why don’t you book a couple of short game lessons where you learn the proper way to chip, play bunker shots and putt. I guarantee you’re long game will thank you.

Check out- golfswingsecretsrevealed.com or pga.com/profinder to find a pro in your area.

Happy Holidays!