If you are losing strokes when you have to deal with tall or thick rough, here are a few tips you may find helpful.

1. Use a lofted wood or lofted iron
Long irons are the most difficult clubs to use successfully in the rough. If you can see at least one third of the ball above the grass use a utility wood. The smaller round head of a 5,7,or 9 wood will not get snagged as easily when it passes through the grass. If the ball is completely submerged in the grass use a 6 iron or less. The extra loft will help you get the ball airborne and back to the fairway.

2. Take a divot after the ball
Whatever club you choose to swing make sure the clubhead is striking the ball with a descending blow. Do not try to lift or scoop the ball with your swing. The key to successful rough shots is to get as little grass between the clubface and the ball as possible. A descending blow insures the cleanest ball clubface contact possible. Let the loft of the club and the backspin created from the descending arc take care of getting the ball airborne.

3. No big slice, No big hook
The thicker or deeper the rough the straighter the ball will tend to fly. Grass between the ball and the clubface negates spin which means the ball will fly straighter and lower than normal. If you catch too much grass before striking the ball the hosel will get stuck , the face will close and you will pull the shot. Try your best to catch it clean and if there is a strong chance you may not, allow for it to go a little left.

4. Ball position is crucial
Too far forward means too much grass, too far back means too little loft. For the longer clubs the ball position should be slightly left of center. For the shorter clubs position the ball directly in the middle. If your swing is unorthodox experiment until you find the spot where you can consistently strike the ball before you catch enough grass to have the shot pull to the left. You may want to use an alignment tool to help you gauge your swing.

1. Hit down to get it up and down.
Trying to scoop or lift the golf ball leads to inconsistent ball striking and poor distance control. Strive for a descending blow on all chip shots. Place the ball in middle or back of your stance to insure the club head strikes the ball before it strikes the ground.

2. Keep your weight left to hit it (correctly) right.
Setting up with your weight on your left foot and keeping it there throughout the shot makes it much easier to hit down on the ball consistently. Try hitting a few chips standing on your left foot only to feel a proper descending blow.

3. For simplicity chip like you putt.
A proper chip is merely a putt that travels in the air for part of the distance. The basics of putting and chipping are the same: pendulum motion, straight back straight through and no wrists. Let the lofted club and weight on the left foot take care of getting the ball airborne you should focus on a simple putting like motion.

4. Vary the backswing length to vary the distance.
Strive for consistent acceleration on the downswing and let the length of the backswing control the distance of the shot. Because the backswing happens at a slower pace it easier to make changes there as opposed to the downswing.

5. Pause for perfection.
Because the chipping motion is an abbreviated one we have a tendency to rush the pace of the swing. A brief pause between the backswing and the downswing will help keep the tempo smooth and insure acceleration through the ball.

6. Pick a precise landing spot.
Distance control is the key to good chipping. Learn the ratio of flight to roll of your favorite chipping clubs so you can pick an accurate landing spot for each chip. Precise focus leads to better results.

Every time you get a bucket of balls use a few of them for chipping practice, your scores will thank you.

1. Choose the length of golf tee you want.

Most golf tees come in one of four lengths: 2 1/8″, 2 3/4″, 3 1/4″, and 4″.  You can choose the 2 1/8″ or 2 3/4″ tees for hitting your hybrid  golf clubs or your irons off the tee. You can choose a 3 1/4″ tee for hitting smaller drivers off the tee, and 4 inch tees fo
when you’re using bigger drivers.

Most people only get one kind of tee for golfing, and so you’ll probably want to choose one of the middle two sizes, as they’re likely to be long enough, and you can always stick them deeper in the ground if you’re using a hybrid or an iron. That’s not always going to be the case if you get a 4″ tee. Those may be hard to get into the ground that far. So if you get 4″ golf tees, you’ll want to have some smaller tees along for when you tee of with a hybrid or your irons.

2. Plastic or Wood Tees?

Well there are good and bad for both kind of tees. If you choose plastic they are likely to last longer than wood tees. Some people feel that the plastic doesn’t have enough give when you strike the ball. Wood tees can break easily and you’ll have to have a lot more of them with you on the  golf course.

3. What style of tee should I use?

There are many different styles of tees around that promise all sorts of results. We suggest that you try different tees to see which one works best for you and then use it for a while and see if it makes a difference.

Brush Tee – The brush tee is a golf tee that utilizes flexible synthetic bristles that bend on impact to tee up the ball. It’s said to feel like you’re teeing off the air. The unique design reduces friction allowing for longer, straighter drives. These golf tees are 3 1/8″ in height.

The Zero Friction and the Epoch golf tees are plastic tees that look more like traditional golf tees. The tops of these golf tees are designed to help reduce the friction and again increase the speed, distance and accuracy of your shot. The Zero Friction tees are 2 3/4″ and the Epoch golf tees are available in 2 3/4″ or 3 1/4″ lengths.

Traditional Wood Tees – If you prefer to use traditional wood tees you’ll have a lot of options to choose from. I like the Nike golf tees. They’re  2 3/5″ pro length, and give you all the flexibility you need. Or if you don’t want to pay for the brand name tee, you can choose these wood tees which are available in 2 3/4″ and 3 1/4″ inches long.

What gets you teed up?

BY GEOFF GREIG

1. LINE UP YOUR TARGET
Pick a precise target for every shot. Stand behind the ball and find an intermediate target three to six inches in front of the ball on the target line. Once you have determined your intermediate target, visualize the golf ball flying or rolling to your target. Strong visualization skills lead to strong golf shots.

2. SQUARE THE CLUBFACE
The clubface is the only thing that touches the golf ball so it should be squared before anything else. Without taking your grip on the club, lay the clubface down so the leading edge is 90 degrees to your target line and it is soled flat on the ground. Use the intermediate target to determine the target line. It is much easier to be consistently accurate using a close by target as opposed to a far away target.

3. GRIP THE CLUB
Making sure the clubface does not move, take your grip. Set your left hand first then your right. Your swing will be much more efficient if both hands are parallel to each other and to the leading edge of the clubface. Double check to make sure the clubface is still square.

4. TAKE YOUR STANCE
Align your shoulders, hips and feet parallel to your target line. Center your weight between the balls of your feet and your heels. Your arms should be hanging vertically from your shoulders and they should be completely free of tension.

5. RESIGHT, RELAX, FIRE
Visualize the target spot and ball flight, relax your muscles and swing. The longer you take to complete this step the worse your chances become to produce a good shot. Do not allow excess thoughts to creep into your mind. Once you get to this step, focus on the target and pull the trigger. The longer you stand over the golf ball without swinging the tenser your body becomes.

Personalize this routine and use it on every shot. It should only take 10 to 15 seconds and it will make a tremendous difference in your game.

My very first golf memory was standing in my backyard with my dad and my sister. My dad was giving us our first lesson on how to swing a club. He told us to keep our heads down. Keep our eyes on the ball and to try not to bob up and  down.  Sometimes he would even put his hand on my head to stop me from lifting up during my swing. I’m pretty sure he got a club to the shins doing that.

Ok – now it’s your turn. Give us your first memory, and you’ll have another entry in our giveaway. The giveaway ends June 15, 2010. You can add your comments after that, but it won’t get you another entry then.

Each year we try to think of the perfect Father’s day present to give to our dads. With our dads in mind we thought we would put together a few of the items some dads we know would like to have.

Golf Gadgets – Get him what he loves

If the dad in your life likes techy gadgets and playing a round of golf, then we have just the thing for you.  Check out the SkyCaddie SGX GPS Rangefinder. With this great gps range finder, your dad will be able to download up to 30,000 golf courses. Then heading out to the golf course, you dad will never have to wonder how far from the hole he is. He won’t waste time looking for yardage markers and he’ll feel confident with his club choice. This is a high tech fun and exciting gift to give your dad this Father’s Day. You’ll be his favorite for sure with this one.

Go the distance – Get him a good driver!

If you haven’t gotten him one yet, you need to consider the Callaway Diablo Edge Driver. The Callaway Diablo Edge Driver is designed to give golfers a distance advantage every time they tee it up. It offers superior face technology, a higher MOI, a deeper CG, better aerodynamics — and it all adds up to the longest, most accurate all-titanium drivers Callaway Golf has ever made. Don’t you think Dad would be really happy to out drive Uncle Bill?

Get Rid of the old Bag !

Not your mom, Dad’s old golf bag. He’s been wanting a new one for years, but doesn’t know which one to pick. All you need to know is if he likes to walk the course or if he uses a golf cart to get around. Then pick one with the enough pockets and slots for his clubs. He’ll feel like a pro next time he’s on the course, and it’ll be all because of you.

Don’t forget the golf balls & tees

Whatever you choose, you can’t go wrong by throwing in a few extra golf balls and tees. You can never (ok almost never) have too many golf balls or tees.

What are you getting your dad for Father’s day?

My sister said she made it the first time, and got the birdie. But hasn’t made it since. Like all gambling, winning the first time out can be more damaging  in long run!

What’s your favorite hole? Do you have pictures or a video? We’d love to see ‘em.

United Airlines: 1 standard-sized golf bag with clubs and 1 pair of shoes - Allowed in place of one checked bag.

American Airlines: They were a bit more specific - One golf bag containing no more than 14 golf clubs, 12 golf balls and one pair of golf shoes

Southwest Airlines: They’re a bit more generous on what you can take anyway. Golf clubs in a hooded or soft-sided golf bag are conditionally accepted. Golf clubs that are transported in a hard, plastic travel case should be tagged with a regular tag. Golf equipment includes golf clubs, golf balls, and golf shoes, contained in one bag. They may be checked at no charge (unless a charge is specified), and will count toward the two-piece free baggage allowance for each fare-paying passenger. Overweight and/or oversize charges may apply.

Alaska Airlines: Each checked piece of golfing equipment may exceed their size allowance (not to exceed 115″) without incurring an oversize fee. Standard checked baggage service charge and overweight fee (51-100 pounds) apply for each piece checked. Refer to their Checked Baggage page for checked piece and overweight charges.

I think you get the idea. Since each airline is different, it’s best to be sure than surprised. Call or look online before you fly. For those of you who have traveled a  lot with your clubs, share with us  your tips, stories and even your nightmares.

My favorite golf course is in Fort Wayne, IN. It’s not the fanciest of courses (not even close in fact), but it has it’s charms. For me it reminds me of the feeling you get talking about your first car or even your first boyfriend. I guess it’s my favorite for nostalgic reasons.

My favorite course is McMillen Golf Course.

I began playing on McMillen Golf course in the early 80s. I was eight or nine years old. My first experience there was in a Pepsi Pee Wee tournament during the Three Rivers Festival. I did pretty well. My sister on the other hand didn’t. She had the worst score of the day. That meant she got a free lesson with the club pro, Rick Hemsoth. He’s still the pro there today. From that first lesson, he took my sister and I under his wing. We started playing junior golf there every summer. His kind and gentle teaching style was just what two unnatural athletes needed. He helped us when we got discouraged and always had a smile when we came back into the clubhouse.

Rick has made McMillen into a great place for all of the youth in Fort Wayne to have a chance to learn how to play golf.

The course itself helps with that. It’s got it’s challenging holes, and some easy holes too. You can work on every part of  your game through out a round. If you can keep it straight on the front nine and stay out of the woods, you’ll have a shot at a great score. I don’t know that I ever had a great score, but I did have a lot of fun and learned a lot about the game of golf, the rules and life in general.

So what is your favorite golf course?

Is it one from your youth? One where you beat your toughest golfing buddy? Or maybe it’s the one at an exotic golfing location.  Please share your golfing favorites. We’d love to hear them!