Tips For New Golfers.

Good evening everyone. Over the course of the next two or three days I will leave some tips on here for the new golfer. These won't be technical or anything difficult. Two reasons for this. First, new golfers don't need to be bombarded with techie stuff just when they are starting out. And secondly, it's me that's writing it and I don't know any techie stuff!

Right, first things first, new golfers need to get set up with some equipment. It can be very easy to go over the top here, and spend a fortune, but there really isn't any need to do that. In fact, it probably isn't wise for rookies to buy top of the range equipment. If you struggle from the start, you won't be long in thinking that maybe golf is not the game for you. You end up with a room full of very good but also very expensive new gear gathering dust.

No, it's far better to start on a modest scale. As you progress it is easy to upgrade your clubs rather than the other way.

There are countless outlets now available for buying golf equipment. Golf magazines have classified pages and you can pick up some very good deals if you know what you are looking for. For someone starting out, second hand clubs can be a great buy because models change so quickly so last years clubs can be bought for a very good price. If you are not sure what you are buying, take one of your golfing mates ( who does know ) with you to keep you right.

There are quite a few golf stores now that have driving ranges attached to them. These outlets are excellent for the new golfer, as he can try a variety of clubs until he finds something to suit him. (Or her!). Remember you will probably buy a matching set of irons, but you don't need to buy a driver or fairway woods to match. As long as the clubs you choose feel comfortable and are suited to you.

One of the most convenient ways to buy clubs nowadays is on the internet. There are some very good internet companies at present, and you usually find, because of their buying power, that they have very good prices as well. What I would say though is still do your homework. Don't just buy without trying the club out. There is no point in getting a really good price on a driver for instance, and then finding out out that you can't hit it. One internet company I can recommend are called Onlinegolf.co.uk. I have always found them to be efficient and have a friendly and reliable service. There is a link to their store at the top right of the blog.

So, just to summarise. Do get good quality clubs. Clubs that suit you and you feel comfortable with. But you don't need the very best clubs. You can buy better clubs as your game progresses. If you buy the top of the range to start with, you may find them too difficult to play with and that might just be enough to put you off. And we don't want that. We want you to have a long and happy association with the game of golf.

WGC-CA Championship at Doral Golf Resort.

Well Phil Mickelson overcame illness to register his first WGC title at Doral resort in Florida yesterday. The new world number two shot a final round 69 for a 19 under total to hold off playing partner Nick Watney by one stroke.

Mickelson had to have emergency treatment on Saturday night for heat exhaustion and dehydration which resulted in a doctor walking the course with him yesterday to ensure he was getting enough fluids and to generally keep an eye on him.

The two co-leaders both started well and had stretched their four shot overnight lead to seven as they fought one another for victory. But bogeys at the 11th and 12th left Watney chasing Mickelson, and in the end not being able to catch him.

Another American, Jim Furyk, birdied 15 and 16 but left it just too late to catch the top two.

Tiger Woods, in his first strokeplay event since returning after injury, had a final round 68 to tie for ninth position. He started to look pretty good in his last round and I don't think it will be long before we see him back as a winner.

And Rory McIlroy had a disappointing final round of 73 but the nineteen year old Northern Irishman still managed a second consecutive top 20 finish in the US.

WGC-CA Championship.

Haven't had a lot of time this week to see any of this tournament, but I managed to catch a little of it last night.

American duo Phil Mickelson and Nick Watney (pictured right) share the lead on 16 under, four shots clear of the rest of the field. 27 year old Watney carded a 67 to join countryman Mickelson ( 69 ), the second round leader, at the top of the field.

Jeev Milkha Singh (68) of India and Columbia's Camilo Villegas (69) are next best placed at 12 under, with five other players, including Americans Jim Furyk and Kenny Perry at 11 under.

Norther Irish teenager Rory McIlroy had three bogeys in four holes on the back nine for a level par round of 72 to leave him on 10 under and six shots off the pace going into today's final round.

World number 1, Tiger Woods, continued on the comeback trail after several months out with a knee injury with a 68, that left him nine shots behind the leaders.

Final round later on today, at the Doral course in Florida.

Improve Your Wedge Play.

To score well in a round you will probably have to use your wedge on more than one occasion. Good and accurate wedge play is a major part of achieving good scores.

Here, professional golf instructor Joe Beck takes you through a few pointers to improve your short game.

It's That Time Of Year Again!

Yes, it's just about time for the new golfing season. We've come through the long winter and now, heading into spring, eagerly await the better weather and the chance to get back into competition.

And along with the anticipation of the coming season comes the need to buy new golf equipment. Whether there is anything wrong with the golf irons that you already have. Or the golf driver that you only bought this time last year! No, we all feel the need to upgrade at least some of our equipment believing it will make us play better golf.

Well, to a certain degree it can but only if we buy the correct equipment. By that I mean the golf irons or golf driver or a putter, anything you are thinking of changing, that suits you.

Please, don't go out and buy the golf driver that Tiger Woods uses, or the golf irons that Sergio Garcia plays, because the chances are they won't do anything for your game. And they will cost you a pretty penny as well.

What you should be doing is going to the range and try a selection of golf clubs until you get a driver or golf irons that you feel comfortable with. Something that you are hitting consistently and suits your style of play.

And you will probably find that it doesn't cost the earth either. There are some great deals to be had at this time of year, so shop around. And don't forget the on-line retailers when you are doing your research, they are usually very competitive on price.

So, if you are one of the many golfers who will be upgrading their equipment, let's hope you make the right choice and have a fantastic season.

A Brief History of The Ryder Cup.

The Ryder Cup is a contest that is held every 2 years between the PGA tours of Europe and the United States. Samuel Ryder was an English entrepreneur and also a keen golfer who funded an international golf competition in 1926.

While watching this competition he thought it would be a good idea to make the match a regular event. So he donated a gold trophy, and in 1927, after the trophy was named after him, the first official Ryder Cup competition was played in Massachusetts between teams from the USA and the UK.

After a long period of US domination in the Ryder Cup, in 1979 the UK team was extended to include Europe and since then the competition has been a lot closer.

Both Ryder Cup teams are made up of 12 players and are captained by an experienced golfer from their respective countries. The majority of both teams are made up from the top players on each tour's order of merit, the exception being that the captain's are allowed a number of picks. At present, the US captain has 4 picks while his European counterpart has 2.

Currently, the format of the Ryder Cup is played over 3 days. On days 1 and 2 there are 4 foursome matches and 4 fourball matches. The team playing at home gets to choose whether they play foursomes or fourballs in the morning or afternoon. A foursome match has 2 players from each team and the players play alternate shots. Player 1 on each team tees off, and player 2 takes the second shot and continues like this until the hole is completed. In the fourballs, there are still 2 players on each team but they play their own balls this time until the hole is completed.

On day 3 there are 12 singles matches. With 1 point available for a win and ½ point available if the match is drawn the magic number to reach is 14 ½ points to win the trophy outright. The present holders of the trophy will retain it with 14 points. All matches are played as matchplay as opposed to stroke play

A lot of changes have been made to the Ryder Cup over the years, but it is still one of the most exciting and hard fought competitions in the golfing world. The USA team are the current holders of the trophy, but the European team will be bidding to win it back when the next event takes place at Celtic Manor golf club in Wales in 2010.

Golf's Mental Mindset.

To play a really good game of golf you have to be in the correct frame of mind every time you go onto the golf course.

It may seem easy to say you were ready for the game only to come off feeling that you didn't play your best.

To help you try and get in the right mindset have a look at this by Michael Campbell and see if his advice can help you get in the zone.

After you read Michael's tips about getting in the right mindset, click the link for some nice putting tips.