Once you’ve decided that you’d like to play the game, a basic set of golf clubs is all a beginner needs be ready for tee time! So what exactly do you need to have in your golf bag, besides sunscreen and good supply of balls?  It’s perfectly acceptable to start with just a few favorites, but as you gain skills you’ll want a variety of clubs for different situations.

A complete set of women’s golf clubs might include three woods (driver, 3 and 5 wood), eight irons (4,5,6,7,8,9, sand and pitching wedge), two hybrids (5 and 7) and a putter.  Any combination is acceptable, but according to the rules of golf you can’t carry more then 14 clubs in your bag at one time.

The process of buying a golf set can be overwhelming considering the variety of clubs on the market, different technology features, and price tags that vary greatly.  As a beginner, you are looking for equipment that will make it easier to hit the ball so the latest technology and most expensive set may not be for you.  Shopping for equipment should be one of the fun things about golf, so grab a trusted friend and go!

Where to Buy

The best place to decide what to buy is at a location where you can hit a variety of clubs and compare your results.  Many golf stores have indoor hitting bays were you can try before you buy. Look for ‘demo days’ scheduled at a local golf club, where several brands will set up on the driving range for you to try their products.  Online shopping will allow you to quickly compare prices and features.  Look for sites with customer service support to answer questions.

Starter Sets

Starter sets are a perfect option for a beginner.  They include a full set of basic clubs incorporating technology with beginners in mind. These sets generally include a variety of woods, irons, hybrids, wedges, and a putter, and are typically sold in 9 or 14 clubs sets.  New golfers generally gain more confidence using the higher number woods and irons because the loft of the club makes it easier to get the ball in the air. Eventually beginners will improve and move on to the lower number clubs designed for more distance.

Consider a Half Set

Although there is nothing wrong with someone new to the sport buying a full set of clubs, you can save money by starting out with a partial set. If you are testing out the game or don’t want to invest too much up front, consider buying a few of the clubs you are able to hit consistently along with a putter.

Used Clubs

It’s not a good idea to skimp on modern golf technology for the sake of saving a few dollars. While used sets can be less expensive, they are likely years behind the current technology in the market – technology designed to provide golfers more success and enjoyment of the game. Make sure to ask when the set was originally purchased.  When searching for clubs, look for woods with large clubfaces, which are generally more forgiving. Look for irons that have perimeter weighting, which will offer the most forgiveness heel to toe on mis-hits, and help compensate for less accurate swings.  Consider a set that includes a hybrid, which is a smaller faced wood that is generally easier to hit than the lower numbered irons.

Customizing Your Own Set

You may decide to assemble your own set of clubs all at once or over time. A professional club fitter can help you determine the best clubs that suit your physical attributes and skill level.  Customizing the club length, grip and flexibility of the shaft may be more costly, but the better a club ‘fits’, the more chance you will have for success.

Test out the latest clubs from Callaway Golf, featuring a 14 and 9 piece Solaire set for new and learning golfers.  Callaway demo stations will be at most Women on Course Golf Experience Events.  Register for an event near you.  http://www.womenoncourse.com/events.php

As temperatures soar this summer you may be temped to skip a few midday rounds of golf, but don’t miss out until fall.  As you stand over your August tee shot it’s easy to get distracted from your game.  With slippery hands from a fresh application of sunscreen, and those pesky gnats zooming around your head, no wonder the ball is going anywhere but on target.

With a little advance preparation, make your summer golf outing more enjoyable, and save a bundle buying last minute supplies in the pro shop.

Every summer golf bag should be stocked with items to help keep you cool and comfortable during your round.  And speaking of bags, consider swapping out to a lightweight bag with a built in cooler for beverages.

Sunscreen: Never leave home without it!  It is recommended that you apply a sweat-resistant sunscreen for every hour in the sun.  Protected skin will feel cooler then burned skin.  Spray applicators will to keep your hands dry when you reapply.

Spray Bottle/Portable Fan: Create your own ‘beach effect’ with a small spray bottle and a hand-held battery-operated fan.  If you feel overheated, spritz some water into the fan and cool your face, arms and legs.

Hats: It’s amazing how much cooler a hat will make feel without the sun beating into your eyes and face.  For double duty comfort, spray a bit of Bug Repellant on the brim of your hat to ward of insects.

Hydration: Be sure to drink plenty of water, which will be chilled if your golf bag has a handy cooler built in.  Sorry, alcoholic beverages don’t count as a hydration choice.  It is recommended to have at least one bottle of water for each alcoholic drink.

Snacks: Pack some light snacks such as water heavy fruits (grapes, watermelon, peaches) as well as nuts and energy bars to help keep you from feeling sluggish.  Be sure your trail mix is chocolate-free which will quickly melt in your golf bag.

Umbrella: Shady spots can be as much as 15 degrees cooler than the sun, and not all courses are lined with trees.  If you’re spending time walking or waiting on the course in the blazing sun, an umbrella will provide yourself some instant relief.

Grip Lotion: For an alternative to a hot leather glove, pack a bottle of a no sweat grip lotion.  Spray on your hand and it quickly turns powdery to give your hand a nice dry grip on your club.

Some tips for beginners:

Make Your First On Course Experiences Successful

• Prepare and Prepare Again:  Many new players do not realize all the rules, etiquette and skills necessary to have fun on the golf course.   The golf course (and your fellow players) expect you to have mastered a certain degree of knowledge and skill.  Be sure you have the appropriate equipment, basic knowledge of the game and hours logged at the practice range before you venture onto the course.

• Play Golf with a Mentor:  It seems so easy on the driving range, but once you get on the course there are layers of rules and etiquette expected of you.  Bring an experienced golfer to help you navigate the course and keep a proper pace of play.  Look for Women on Course Mentored ‘Nine & Wine’ Events (link to http://www.womenoncourse.com/events.php) which are designed to help golfers become course ready.

• Book a Late Afternoon Tee Time:  Summer means longer days and more available tee times.  Many courses offer lower ‘twilight rates’ when you book tee times in the late afternoon.  Not only will you save a few dollars, but typically courses are not as crowded so you might not have golfers playing right behind you, which can feel intimidating for the new golfer.

• Bring a Dozen Golf Balls:  Not all new golfers realize that this game often requires more than one ball to play a round of golf!  Searching for lost balls and fishing them out of the water takes up valuable time.  Best to bring at least a dozen and hope for the best.

Annika Sorenstam

For centuries, women have been fixtures in the game of golf. As the bruised economy slowly rebounds, the sport is gradually gaining momentum again—and a big part of that is due to the interest, skill, and enthusiasm of female players. Golf is a widely accessible activity, appealing to girls and women of all ages, races, body types, and occupations.

Which female golfers have helped to shape the sport? There are countless examples, but we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite females to ever dominate the green.

10. Louise Suggs: Winner of the U.S. Open in 1994 with only 14 strokes, Suggs has walked away with 58 tour victories and 11 major championships in the 1940′s and 50′s. She is known for her quote: “Golf is very much like a love affair. If you don’t take it seriously, it’s no fun, but if you do, it breaks your heart. Don’t break your heart, but flirt with the possibility.”

9. Betsy King: After touring for seven years (1977-1983) without a single win, King went on to sweep the Women’s Kemper Open in 1984. Over the next five years, she garnered a total of 20 LGPA events. King is renowned for her position as the first career golfer to break the $5 million and $6 million earning markers.

8. Patty Berg: Winner of the very first Women’s Open in 1946, Berg was a professional golfer even before the founding of the LGPA Tour. She was then victorious in a record 15 major championships.

7. JoAnne Carner: Although Carner got somewhat of a late start—not going pro until her thirties—she went on to become a golf legend and to claim 43 tour victories. In 2004, 64-year-old Carner became the oldest player to make the cut at an LGPA tournament.

6. Karrie Webb: A member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, Web was one of the most famous female golfers of the late 90′s and early 2000′s. She has won seven major championships and holds world records.

5. Babe Didrikson Zaharias: After trying her hand at basketball, baseball, swimming, tennis, and an assortment of other sports, Zaharias took up golf. This sports hero won gold and silver Olympic medals in track and played in four PGA tournaments against men, making the cut in three. Zaharias was a co-founder of the LPGA.

4. Nancy Lopez: The forerunner of her contemporaries, Lopez won 48 tour victories in the 1970′s and 80′s. She’s known for her quote: “The simpler I keep things, the better I play.”

3. Mickey Wright: Winner of 82 tour victories and 13 major championship victories between 1956 and 1969, Wright is unarguably one of the sport’s highest-performing female players. She was quoted as saying, “When I play my best golf, I feel as if I’m in a fog, standing back watching the earth in orbit with a golf club in my hands.”

2. Kathy Whitworth: One of the top female golfers, Whitworth holds the record as winner of the most LGPA Tour events—in fact, she’s snagged more awards than any male golfer has won on any other tour.

1. Annika Sorenstam: Although Sorenstam doesn’t have as many wins as some of the other golfers on this list (she’s won 72 LPGA victories and 10 major championships), she takes our top spot because she earned those victories against some of the sport’s most competitive women players. Sorenstam is also credited with shooting the lowest round in LPGA history, tying Nancy Lopez for the longest LPGA winning streak and Mickey Wright for most wins in two consecutive seasons.

What do you think? Which female golfers would you add to the list?

Post provided by East Coast Golf Sales. We specialize in selling women’s only golf equipment including clubs, gloves, visors, crystal golf balls and all other ladies golf accessories.

Go Girl FUD

I recently read a blurb in Golf Digest about a female urination device (FUD) made by Go Girl.  It is a product that a woman can use to urinate without having to squat. You use an FUD while standing erect.   It is shaped somewhat like a funnel and “directs” the urine away from the feet in a similar fashion as our male counterparts.

Yikes. 

Now,  in the element of full disclosure I will admit I have NOT tried a FUD so I have no experience to base a decision on whether or not this is a product that would work for me.  I will say, I’m a little wary about it and I’m probably not rushing out to buy one.  It just seems…………messy.   

There probably isn’t a woman out there who plays golf, or any other active sport,  who isn’t somewhat envious of men who can use a private little space on the course as a bathroom.  We’ve all seen men take a little trip into the woods only to return looking less frantic and very relaxed.  I’ll admit, when I need “relief”, I can barely concentrate on anything else:  where is the next porta potty or bathroom?  How many holes do I have to play before I get to it?  It affects my whole game.  The same thing happens when I’m hungry – I can hardly keep it together.  And yes, I have been known to find that private little space on the course when waiting is just not an option and yes:  squat.  However, that can be difficult and sometimes even impossible.

But a FUD:  I’m just not sure.  I was curious enough about the Go Girl that I went to Wikipedia  to learn more – and there was much more to learn, for sure!  FUD’s were patented back in 1922, are used in France and the Netherlands and there at least seven manufacturers of them. Who knew????!!!!   

I’m really curious if anyone has ever used one.  I know the Go Girl device includes a little bag that you place it in when you are finished and you can use it over and over. You can even wash it in the dishwasher. Maybe I’m doing myself a huge disservice by NOT trying one immediately. Maybe a FUD is something that once I use it, I’ll wonder how I ever lived without one.

Consider the possibility that you may be far more able than you think and that when you let go of self-interference and increase your awareness, you will see exceptional ability emerge.

-Fred Shoemaker, Extraordinary Putting

 Jayn Krasco Stillson is a Financial Coach who’s been playing non-competitive golf for more than 20years.   She developed Wicked Easy Golf as a means to spend more time on the golf course, apply her coaching skills to the game and teaching women how to play golf with ease. Below is a blog she wrote about her own personal experience.  Very interesting!!

 I played a charity event last week with two of my nephews: Nick’s 18 and just graduated from high school and Billy’s 37 and getting married this summer. What a treat – pure delight for Auntie Jayn to spend a day playing golf with two of her favorite golfers. But the interesting part was what happened to this coach who says she doesn’t like to compete when she saw a potential opportunity to win.

 Our fourth was a friend and colleague, an accomplished golfer, a great asset to our team. The field at the outset looked easily beat-able.  Although I did not play up to my ability, we played well collectively – the bliss of the scramble format.  We bogied only two holes, coming in at four under par. The winners came in at five under par. I feel uneasy just thinking and writing about it, the frustration of playing well and still not winning. I remember how it felt throughout the round that we had a shot at first place and then losing by only one stroke.  What did it matter if we won ? The prize was a trophy – not cash, not anything really useful. Didn’t matter; I still wanted to win.

 It took me a couple days to shake off the loss.  I kept replaying the par three that we bogied in my head, wishing that I would have hit the green that not one of us hit.  Making par on that hole would have shifted our score by two shots and we would have won the tournament; true ?  Maybe not.  Maybe just purchasing the other two mulligans that we were entitled to would have made the difference.  Or maybe there was nothing we could have done to win that event.  Maybe the other team was going to outplay us no matter how well we played.

 So, what is interesting to me is that even though my game has progressed to a point where I believe that I can be part of a winning team, I still would have had a much better time if I had not let my thoughts go into a competitive mode.  If I could have stayed in a place of simply being thrilled to be spending the day with my nephews, I would have enjoyed myself so much more.  And I think I would’ve played better.  Maybe I would have made that shot on that par three………..