What Everybody Ought to Know About Playing Golf

Golf is one of the hardest games in the world. For a beginner, it seems at times like an insurmountable task to get good. At lot of people "try" golf, meaning they will have a go at swinging a club, but fewer will actually attempt to play the game. As anyone that plays the game will tell you, golf is like a drug. You constantly want more of it.

Why do I say this? Well, when you get to a level where at least you can get the club on the ball consistently and get the ball going forward you will start to hit some golf shots. This is when it gets addictive.

You will hit one special one, and then you will want to do it again. The feeling when everything comes together is almost undescribable. The problem comes when you start to improve, so does that one special shot. So essentially the goal posts are always moving.

Not only that, but everyday is different. Even although you may play the same course twice, you will not hit the same shots twice. You will end up in different places and playing from different positions. This keeps you on your toes and keeps the game interesting. Thanks to mother nature, the weather is never the same (well for most of us) two days in a row. This affects the shots that you are required to hit, where you can hit the ball and the decisions that you make.

There is never any end to the game. You can always keep on improving. There are always new courses being built and there are lots of great courses around just now that would keep me very satisfied for a very long time.

The individual aspects of the game of golf are great, you can even play on your own, but some of the best are spent playing with fellow golfers. There is a great camaraderie in golf that you don't get in too many other sports. Some of my best memories of golf have come when playing golf with my Dad. It is also great to get a four-ball together and go and play a new course.

How many chances do you really get to leave all your worries to one side and just enjoy yourself? Most don't. To play great golf like everybody is capable of playing requires a quiet mind, so why not leave your worries in the clubhouse and just have some fun as soon as you step on the 1st tee?

There are a lot of lessons to be learned through playing golf. Not to mention humility, as it will on many occasion humble you if you don't give the game the respect it deserves. There are a lot of ups and downs in golf, as there are in life and some setbacks that require mental toughness to recover from, but most important of all, you get to be outdoors in some wonderful surroundings with friends sharing a common interest. You can't beat that!

Have fun on the golf course!

Great Golf at Orange Lake - Orlando

Orange Lake Resort in Orlando Florida is every golfers dream. It has two excellent 18 hole courses - The Legends and The Reserve course. Then you have also got the Legends Walk, which is Floodlit (A lot of fun playing at night) and the Crane's Bend course. I did like the Lake nine before they changed it to the Cranes' Bend course, but there were quite a few golf balls hitting villas, and event worse, cars on the road on the other side of the villas (It is now a par 3 instead of a par 4).

The Legends course is great, and designed by a true legend in Arnold Palmer. My favourite hole is probably the 10th. It is a fairly wide driving hole, but the second shot is great. Water in front and bunkers at the back. The green is shallow and slopes from back to front (can be a bit scary if you are long). I haven't played the Reserve course since it was re-designed, but eagerly waiting for my trip in a few weeks time to play it. They have got two driving ranges. The new Reserve range is now floodlit with a short game area and putting green also floodlit. I am in heaven. For the fun element, they have two 18 hole Putt-Putt courses, which are a lot of fun.

The pro shops have got a good selection of clothing and the staff are very friendly. I have played golf with a couple of them over the years. The best part is when you return and they remember your name. It is a great feeling, and that is what good customer service is all about. I am counting down the days until my return to

Orange Lake

. It is such a big place and is always a great holiday. If you get a chance, definitely go and play the courses.