Everyone who has taken up the sport of golf has a pretty good idea of how important a quality set of clubs is to playing a good game. Many golfers, both amateur and pro, invest tidy sums of money to ensure they have a great set of clubs. There is also a lot of money spent on other golf training aids, such as golfing lessons or golf instruction video programs, but many times they forget to take care of their golf grips, which can be one of the simplest and cheapest of all golf aids.

Outfitting your golf club set with new grips is a very inexpensive and effective way to quickly improve your golf game by helping you have more consistency simply because you can get a better hold on your clubs. With a better and firmer grip, you will also be able to improve your golf swing.

If you have worn out golf grips on your clubs, then even the best golf training in the world will not be enough to help you play golf to the peak level you are capable of. Every serious golfer knows that keeping their golfing equipment in top condition is as important as any other aspect of the game.

Most amateur golfers never even think about the need to change the grips on their clubs. Novices can play for years with the same set of clubs without changing the grips and then wonder why they don’t see any improvement in their game, even though they put in time to practice and buy other golf improvement aids and tools, watch all the golf training videos they can get their hands on, and constantly talk about wanting to be a better golfer.

Professional golfers know exactly how important it is to change the grips on their clubs regularly. In fact, some pros will have their clubs re-gripped at the end of every round of a golf tournament or other competitive event they are participating in. The reason they do this is so that their clubs feel exactly the same in their hands every day that they start a new round of play.

This may be overkill for the average golfer, but in the highly competitive environment of today’s golf tournaments, the pros are looking for every advantage they can find and they don’t like to leave things to chance. If the professional golfers put that much emphasis on making sure their grips are in great condition, then that should be a strong signal to everyone else interested in lowering their scores and improving their game.

The general guidelines for how often to replace grips are as follows. If you play golf an average of one time per week, then the grips on your clubs should be changed once every year. If you frequently play a round two times a week, then you should increase the frequency of replacing the grips to twice a year. If you also get to the driving range once or twice a week, then you should change those grips even more often than that.

You may not need to replace all of the grips on your club set at the same time. It really depends on how often you use your clubs. You can choose to only replace the grips on the clubs that are used more and are starting to feel worn. However, some golfers like to have all of the clubs re-gripped at the same time so that, for awhile at least, all the clubs have the same feel to them.

It is good to get into the habit of checking on the condition of the golf grips on your clubs at least once a month, especially if you play a round once a week. Grips that have that shiny look and slick feel should be replaced. A set of grips in good condition will feel a bit sticky and will feel great as you wrap your hands around them. When you have new grips on your clubs you will have a better sense of confidence, which in turn will lead to more success on the course.

Each golfer is different. Many of today’s best golf clubs can be custom fit for lie angle, shaft type and length, grip type and size. Getting golf clubs custom fitted is easy, involving a few physical measurements and some knowledge of your game. This custom golf club has become more than a fad that even not so professional golfers test its waters. You might think that going out and buying some new, fancy, hybrid golf clubs will fix your game, but that won’t help as much as having your clubs custom fitted.

The purpose of a custom golf club us is to make sure that the club is nice and square when you strike the ball, given a proper swing.

To custom fit your golf club sets, you need to know: your gender (male or female); your height in your stockings or socks; the distance from your wrist (where it bends) to the floor with your shoes off; your age; your handicap or skill level; how fast you swing a golf club; what club you use at the 150 yard marker.

Gender is used to put you into the correct fitting scale for custom golf clubs. The golf industry uses different definitions of “standard length” for men and women.

Your height and the distance in inches from your wrist to the floor are used together to determine the length of a custom golf club that is appropriate for you. Clubs can range from -3 inch to plus 1 inch. A tall person with long arms can very easily require shorter clubs than an average height person with short arms. About 80 percent of golfers are standard length.

Your age, handicap (if you happen to have one), self-assessed skill level, estimated golf swing speed and club you use at the 150 yard marker are all combined to determined the custom golf club’s shaft flex that is appropriate for you.

If you want to fix a slice, custom fitting can help. If you slice the ball it means that the toe of the club is leading into the ball which opens the face of the club. That may be down to a swing problem, but another possible cause is that the club flatter than it should be. So as part of the custom fitting process you can make the custom golf club more upright to help with this. This will mean that the toe of the club will be slightly off the ground at address to compensate.

There are different methods of fitting according to custom golf club manufacturers but ultimately they are all trying to improve your game. To begin with simple measurements such as wrist-to-floor, height and hand size are taken and will point you to the right size club and at what angle it should be to the ground. Then, you will go out and start whacking some balls. One method is to place impact tape on the bottom of the custom golf club and an impact board on the floor.

As you hit the ball the board will leave a mark on the tape showing whether the heel or the toe of the custom golf club is striking the floor first. The resulting mark will show whether the club face needs to be flatter or more upright. Then things get a bit more advanced. Analysis equipment can measure everything from your club speed to the side spin of the ball so that you can get maximum distance from your shot. You can measure such things as the angle the ball is being launched, the amount of backspin generated, and the efficiency of the impact. The angle in which the custom golf club approaches the ball and the sidespin of it can help fix your game too.

Rather than bringing down your old clubs, it might be better to start from scratch. It’s a big misconception that custom fitting is only for good golfers. Anyone can benefit. That said, if you plan to upgrade a new set of clubs with the same manufacturer they may be able to adjust your old set to become custom golf clubs.

Finally, custom fitting many times will cost you nothing. But it is usually on the condition that you buy some clubs once you’ve been fitted. So it really depends on what your budget is. If you’re prepared to buy a new set of clubs it’s definitely worth getting fitted.

If you don’t improve your golf swing technique, it is not feasible to play a superb round of golf. Without this important skill, it will be very difficult to actually have a good game of golf. This doesn’t mean that golf cannot be played without this ability, but it definitely makes a positive difference to the overall gaming quality, as does your putting skills. It is important before you start working to improve this area to remember the goal is not so much to increase your power, but rather to increase your distance and form.

If you begin with a proper solid position as you swing, which includes proper posture, as well as wearing proper golf shoes and having the correct alignment with the ball, you will have a much better chance improve your golf swing. Unless you have a firm and solid posture, you would finally twist untimely and have a lot of troubles with gripping the club in the correct way. All these put in concert can effectively mar your endeavors to perfect your golf swing. Your first strategy is to continually guarantee that you have the proper stance, which will allow you to quickly and naturally execute the appropriate follow through for your swing.

If you are not sure of your pose, Snap a picture of yourself or ask someone to do it for you. Then take your photo and compare it with one that shows the correct posture. If this is not an alternative for you, look into some golf lessons, which will give you the opportunity to work with someone to truly perfect your posture. When you get your fundamental skills right, you can work on them as you go on with time. If you can get a good golf teacher, it is the smartest approach to master the game, as they can give you their frank and truthful opinion about your skill improvement - which is more accurate than accessing it by yourself.

Once your posture is flawless, give a closer attention to your grip. If you are over extending your grip, or even gripping the golf club the wrong manner, you are going to have a bad backhand from the very outset. Until your grip of the club is perfect, you will not be able to perfect a good back swing. It is literally impossible and you will find that you are met with an infinite number frustrations from attempting it. A small change in your grip of the club even to the tune of a fraction of an inch can result in amazing perfection.

Before you raise the club from the ground, remember to pull it from the golf ball, and this is the final important tip, to improve your back swing. The usual mistake that golfers have is to raise the club from the ground and back from the golf ball simultaneously. This not only causes the club to hit  the ball off center, but also affects your movement. Foremost pull the club back in a straight direction and then raise it off the ground, and watch a dramatic improvement immediately. This is not something that should be unnatural or difficult to do. As long as you make a conscious effort to pull the club back beforehand, you should find that is enough to help improve your swing and therefore you game of golf.

There are about as many tips for golf swings as there are golfers. Your friends, relatives, and even people you just met on the course will offer you tips. The fact is, that there is a lot of disagreement even among pros, so then how can you improve your swing? Well there are three basics that are standard tips from pros. Keep them in mind and you will likely see improvement in your game.

Keep Your Head Still

It sounds simple enough, but one of the most common problems with golf is keeping the head still. With all of the other movements going on with a golf swing, it can be easy to let your head move around. Keeping your head still will keep you consentrating on the same part of the ball without changing perspective.

Relax Those Muscles!

By relaxing your muscles, you can attain one of the most important parts of a golf swing: balance. Stand so that you are comfortable and relaxed while addressing the ball, by making sure that you can reach it easily. Remember, it dose not matter which club or what distance you are swinging, what will make your swing strong and fluid is balance. Of all the tips for golf swings that you might get, relaxing and maintaining balance may be the most important.

Keep the Head of the Club Moving Straight Through the Ball

Again, it seems simple enough. Most people, in principle, realize that the club head must travel straight through the ball, but they don’t give it any thought when they are playing. Once you have balance and your head still, the only tip for your golf swing left is to keep the head straight. By striking the ball straight, you can get rid of that nasty slice so many beginners have.

Golf can be a difficult game, which is why there are many tips for golf instruction online, in books, from friends, and anywhere you might look. While opinions may vary on swing theory, these three tips are universal and should help you to get going in the right direction.

Good golf aids can also be a great help on their own. However, if you already take lessons, they will enhance the experience. You can use the aids you pick up or read to add on to the information you get form you lessons. You will be amazed at how quickly a few lessons will improve your game.

There is no doubt that golf is a very popular sport and one of the reasons for that is because almost everyone, regardless of their age or physical condition, can get out on the golf course and knock a few balls down the fairway. Even the elderly and those with some handicaps can participate thanks to golf cars and golf aids. However, if you want to be a winner at the game, then it might be helpful if you undertake a golf fitness program.

A fitness program for golf is considered to be a must-have for those who are serious about the game, whether they are amateurs or professionals. The demands of the game of golf are rather minimal if you are just playing for fun and for the enjoyment of being out of doors on a regular basis; yet, if you are at all interested in being competitive, then your golf improvement will depend to a large degree on your physical level of fitness.

There are a lot of golfers who get kind of sore and aching after they play a round of golf, even though they might have been playing the game for years. The main reason this happens is due to the motion of a proper golf swing, as it has the potential to put a lot of stress on the golfer’s back. However, a golf fitness program is designed to help make the muscles of the back stronger and that will help improve your golf swing and reduce the aches and pains.

Regular exercise is important for staying in shape and for playing golf to your best abilities, especially if it is a competitive game with a group of golf buddies who like to take bets on the round. A good fitness program designed for golfers will help protect your muscles and joints simply by making them stronger and better able to handle the rigors of a vigorous round of golf.

The best thing about these golf improvement programs is that they help you to maintain the necessary physical mechanics that support the swing, which is the most important aspect of the game. By doing golf stretching movements and exercises that are part of golf training videos for fitness, you will be able to create and build the correct muscles and also increase joint resistance and flexibility. Combined, this helps to keep you strong and limber at the same time, which will help you to execute the needed moves.

As golfers age, they also need to stay in the best shape possible if they want to feel that their game is always improving rather than diminishing. However, it is easy to spot those older golfers who obviously follow a golf fitness guide because you can see them walking the fairways with a spring in their step. Age does not have to interfere with playing a great round of golf that you can brag about all week, but it does require the effort of doing golf exercises on a regular basis.

Following a golf fitness program does not require a huge commitment of time and it can be combined with other types of exercises and activities that you do to stay in good shape in general. You can take a brisk 10-minute walk and then, after you are warmed up, you can spend another 10 minutes doing golf stretching. You will be amazed at how much of a difference that can make if you do it on a consistent basis.

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By Jim Nettleton

Overall, television coverage of professional golf is very good. But I feel that adjustments are necessary for that coverage to reach the level of excellence.

Typical tournament coverage involves many distractions from the game at hand. Endless interviews while there is action on the course are an annoyance, taking away from the focus on the continuity of the tournament. These diversions can be easily eliminated.

Television is, obviously, a visual medium. There is no need to concentrate entirely on an interview with a player while blocking out what’s transpiring on the course. Baseball also falls victim to this tendency, as do other sports, failing to use split screen technology that keeps sport fans in touch with the developments on the field while announcers are interviewing players.

I enjoy interviews with players that interject their perspective on the contest, but I want to also see the current action on the field. Too infrequently, television devotes one hundred percent of its attention to these sidebars and neglects the story that is unfolding on the course at the moment. There is no reason that TV cannot multitask. One set of actions does not have to be sacrificed for another.

One of my pet peeves of television’s golf coverage, for example, is the ever-present need to indulge in lofty introductions as they begin telecasting a golf tournament. Introduce the announcers, give a synopsis of previous play, mention the sponsors, etc. By the time we get to actual coverage of what’s happening now, we’re five, six or seven minutes past the opening of the telecast.

I want to see what’s happening now, not a day ago. I’ve already read about that in my morning newspaper. I don’t want to see today’s analysts bantering back and forth, I want to see what’s going on at the course, live and on time.

The analysts can banter if they wish, and much of what they say is timely, but we can and should see the game develop at the same time. These do not have to be separate and independent exercises.

Then there is the obligatory appearance by the CEO of the sponsoring company. There is no reason that we must see him/her full screen to the elimination of the course action. Put him/her on a quarter screen, while we still follow the game on the course.

If television would give us all a chance to see multiple views more viewers would be able to see more action. The other imperatives which networks need to include could all be accommodated by using split screen technology and we could all enjoy that continuity of tournament coverage that we deserve to have.

About the Author:

Jim Nettleton is a radio and television professional who is a lifelong golf addict and lived in Tampa for 10 years. He highly recommends The Simple Golf Swing - http://tinyurl.com/2mmeux for those struggling with their game. Visit his golf blog at:

http://golf-golf-andmoregolf.blogspot.com/

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By Jim Nettleton

Today’s review of Tampa area golf courses is focused on two municipal courses owned by the city of Tampa. The city owns three in all, a fortunate state of affairs for residents, who can play these venues at very reasonable rates.

First up today is Rogers Park Golf Course. First opened in 1952, Rogers Park was renovated in 1976 with noted Florida golf architect Ron Garl in charge. Originally a nine hole layout, the course was expanded to additional city property across the street and became a regulation eighteen hole course. More renovation and redesign was done in 2000 including the addition of a new clubhouse facility.

The course now begins with a par 5 that stretches 551 yards. Again, all distances given are from the tips, but the course can play much shorter. From the back tees, Rogers Park plays a solid 6,802 yards. The first hole plays every bit of its yardage and is an opportunity to get your round started with a birdie with two solid shots.

The second is a formidable 432 yard par 4 that is fairly straightaway. This is followed by a relatively easy par 4 of 387 yards, a good birdie candidate. The fourth hole is a good par 4 with water in play off the tee. It plays 417 yards.

Skipping ahead to the eighth hole we find a terrific par 3 of 204 yards with water very much in play in front, to the right and behind the green. This hole requires an extremely accurate tee shot. You’ll be very happy with a 3 here.

The front nine wraps up with a lovely par 5 of 509 yards that is another good birdie opportunity. But if you’re a big enough hitter to go for it in two, you must avoid water tight to the left of the fairway and green.

Now we cross the road and head for the back nine, a very diverse set of holes that you’ll really enjoy. You’ll have a crack at birdie right away on the first two holes. The tenth is a par 4 of 375 that plays downhill to a tricky green. Woods border the hole right and left. Number eleven plays back up the hill and bends right. You need to favor the left side of the fairway on your tee shot.

The twelfth is a great par 3 that plays 202 yards through a chute of trees to an undulating green. Again, a 3 here will put a smile on your face. Number thirteen is a sweeping par 4 of 399 yards that plays over a slight crest and down to the right with water behind the green.

The fourteenth hole is one of the most dramatic par fives in the region. It bends slightly left and requires a very accurate tee shot that must carry water. The water is present the entire length of the hole and you must negotiate it again on your second shot. Add to this the trees and bushes down the right side, so your shots have to thread a needle on this hole.

Fifteen and sixteen are good holes as well, playing 205 and 380 yards respectively. Seventeen is a solid 422 yard par 4 that bends left with water coming into play on the left off the tee and around the green. The eighteenth, which used to be a par 5, is now a formidable 427 yard par 4 that bends slightly right. The second shot is played over a lake.

Rogers Park is a very pleasurable golf experience and certainly merits a play when you’re in the Tampa region.

Not far away from Rogers Park, in the Forest Hills section is another city course, the sporty Babe Zaharias, named, obviously, after the great female athlete. Although ‘The Babe’ plays only 6,200 yards, it is a very enjoyable test. There are plenty of birdie opportunities on this course, but also many possibilities of throwing up a big number.

The greens, for the most part, are small and require accurate approach shots. There are two par fives, numbers 6 and 12, both of which are reachable at 481 and 490 yards respectively. Four of the par 4 holes play over 400 yards, with the longest being the sixteeth at 433 yards. The par 3 holes are nicely setup and are comfortable lengths ranging from 151 to 176 yards. The seventeenth, which is the par 3 of 176 yards, is one of my favorite holes on the course, playing from an elevated tee down to an undulating green protected by a pond.

Another favorite is the thirteenth, a 430 yard par 4 that plays over the crest of a hill down to an elevated green protected by water.

All in all, Babe Zaharias is a fun golf course that gives you room to breathe but can also take your breath away with some of its tougher holes. It’s a sporty course, as mentioned earlier, that is enjoyable and not overly taxing.

About the Author:

Jim Nettleton is a radio and television professional who is a lifelong golf addict and lived in Tampa for 10 years. He highly recommends The Simple Golf Swing - http://tinyurl.com/2mmeux for those struggling with their game. Visit his golf blog at http://golf-golf-andmoregolf.blogspot.com/

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By Jim Nettleton

As we continue to examine some of the fine courses in the Tampa Bay region of Florida, we’ll concentrate on two more fine examples, one relatively new and the other a venerable course that’s been around for many years.

The relatively new layout is Westchase Golf Club, located just about ten minutes from Tampa International Airport in western Tampa. This 6,710 yard track was designed by Lloyd Clifton and features a beautiful golfing trip through local fauna and flora that you’ll truly enjoy.

Westchase starts you out with a fairly benign hole that measures only 347 from the back. But it’s benign only if you hit it straight. Water lines the first all the way down the right side and guards the green partially from the front and totally from the right and back. An iron off the tee might be a good choice.

Number 2 is a lovely par 5 of 549 yards with water coming into play on the left. The third is one of the most dramatic par 3’s in the region, if not anywhere. It plays 212 from the back down through a chute of trees to a green guarded by water in front. An outstanding and difficult hole.

Moving ahead to number 5 and 6, you’ll get all the par 4 you can handle from this pair. #5 is 426 and #6 is 440. Although water is present on each, it is not, or shouldn’t be, in play. But if you’re playing into the wind, 4 is a very good score, indeed.

The 8th is a superb par 5 that bends right all the way. The second shot must be well placed to get at the green, which is tucked near a stand of woods.

The front 9 finishes with a solid 404 yard par 4 with water on the right. The second shot must carry a waste area.

The back 9 begins with a short par 5 at 505 yards, but those able to try for the green in two must be very accurate. Water guards the green very closely.

The 11th is a crackerjack of a par 3, 190 yards over water. The 12th is, to my mind, the most difficult driving hole on the course, requiring a long carry off the tee and an accurate second shot to a difficult green.

At 13 we come to another par 5 of 507 yards with water in play all along the left side. 14 is a straightaway par 4 and 15 a very nice par 3 of 160 yards.

The 16th is a very interesting hole requiring an accurately placed tee shot. Big hitters can reach a waste area that juts out into the fairway from the right, making the second shot semi-blind.

Number 17 is a solid par 4 of 402 yards requiring an accurate second shot over water to a tricky green. The finishing hole, which parallels #9, measures 388 yards and requires a second shot over the same waste area that borders the 9th green.

Westchase is, all in all, a tremendously enjoyable golfing experience.

The second course we’ll look at today is Pebble Creek Golf Club, located in the northeast area of Tampa, one of the oldest courses in the area. They recently underwent extensive renovations (2006) and have improved the facility greatly. It’s a sporty course featuring a very solid layout that plays 6,436 yards to a par of 71.

The scenic layout begins with a 370 yard par 4 with the second shot over a creek. #2 is a strong 193 yard par 3 that forces you to contend with a big tree on the left.

To play #3 well, you’ll need to work the ball left to right off the tee. This 400 par 4 is a solid test. #4 is a 368 yard par 4 which is best played by favoring the left side of the fairway, but water lines the left side, so caution is necessary. A tee shot to the right will block your approach to the green because of woods lining the fairway on that side.

Number 5 requires a tee shot over water and an approach shot over water as well. Number 6 provides respite in the form of a 160 yard par 3. Number 7 is a straightaway par 4 of 372 yards with water on the left. The 8th hole is the first par 5 on the course at 504 yards. There is water on the left, but it shouldn’t come into play. The third shot carries a creek.

The front 9 finishes with a strong, 434 yard par 4 that requires a tee shot down the right to right center to avoid being blocked by trees on the left as the hole bends left.

The back 9 gets going with a neat little par 4 of 367 yards. It’s a good birdie opportunity, but you must place your tee shot down the right side to avoid being blocked on your second shot.

On #11 you don’t want to pull your tee shot or it will meet a watery grave. It’s a straightaway par 4 of 385 yards. Number 12 offers a nice par 3 of 168 yards with a tricky green. The 13th hole is a lovely par 5 that sports water protecting the green, making reaching it in 2 difficult.

Number 14 is only 346 yards at par 4, but placing your tee shot is imperative. Number 15 plays 181 yards at par 3 and you must be below the hole on your tee shot. Number 16 is a good birdie chance at 360 yards at par 4.

The penultimate hole, #17, is a wonderful par 5, requiring an accurate tee shot. There is water along the left and the driving area is tight.

Number 18 is a fine finishing hole at 394 yards. Pebble Creek runs in front of the green, making an accurate approach a must.

Pebble Creek is a fine test and a must play when you’re in the Tampa area. The club has lovely amenities, good dining and a terrific atmosphere.

About The Author

Jim Nettleton is a radio and television professional who is an avid golfer and golf historian. He highly recommends The Simple Golf Swing - http://tinyurl.com/2mmeux

for those struggling with their game. Visit his golf blog at http://golf-golf-andmoregolf.blogspot.com/

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By Jim Nettleton

The golf world was stunned earlier this year when perhaps the finest female player ever to play the game announced her retirement at the end of this year. That the announcement came at a time when she was at her career peak made it doubly stunning.

Annika Sorenstam has rapidly amassed titles and honors during her career, a span of time that saw her win 72 tournaments for third place on the all time list. Among those victories are 10 majors. But it must be said that those ahead of her on the all time list, Kathy Whitworth with 88 and Mickey Wright with 82, played at a time when competition was not remotely as intense as it is now. During the careers of Whitworth and Wright, there were only a small handful of players who actually had a chance to win each week. Today, dozens of players have a realistic chance to win. Given that assessment, Annika’s accomplishments become even more impressive, as do Tiger Woods’, judged by the same criteria.

Tiger called her “the greatest female golfer of all time” and said that it was sad to see her walk away. The 37 year-old Swedish superstar has said that she wants to devote more time to her business and to start a family. It’s a good bet that it will be a golfing family. Her fiancé is Mike McGee, the son of the former PGA Tour player Jerry McGee, so the genes are definitely there.

But it’s hard to imagine an athlete with her credentials going cold turkey from the game she dominated for so many years. Anyone who has achieved a lofty status in athletics, or any other endeavor for that matter, will find it difficult not to be drawn back to those circumstances around which their lives revolved for so long. According to Sorenstam, her last tournament will be the Dubai Ladies Masters, which takes place after the end of the regular LPGA Tour schedule. But will that really be the end?

Many of us who love the game hope not. Although her performance this year hasn’t been, in general, up to Sorenstam standards, although she has won three times to date, much of that is probably due to a division of concentration as she makes her final tour and thinks ahead to starting that family. She still strikes the ball as well as ever and still possesses the length to dominate any field she’s in.

The major loss to the LPGA Tour will be not only her stellar play but the manner in which she’s comported herself over the years and the example that conduct has set for younger players coming up the professional ladder. True leaders are always rare and we can ill afford to lose any of them.

Personally, I believe Annika will be back, if not on a full time basis, then playing select tournaments and perhaps the majors. After a year or two away from the competition and, yes, the glory, I believe the urge to experience some of that again will overcome other issues. Even if she does start her family promptly, that will not be a significant roadblock. There are many young mothers who are active on tour and who bring their families along with them.

Certainly we all wish her the very best with her new directions. But let’s hope that we haven’t seen the last of Annika Sorenstam, nor the last of the class and dignity she brought to the game. Is she does decide to return occasionally, she will be a welcome sight indeed.

About The Author

Jim Nettleton is a radio and television professional who is an avid golfer and golf historian. His lowest handicap was 2. He highly recommends The Simple Golf Swing - http://tinyurl.com/2mmeux for those struggling with their game. Visit his golf blog at

http://golf-golf-andmoregolf.blogspot.com/

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By Jim Nettleton

In this fourth installment of a series, we’re going to look at two more Tampa Bay area courses, each of which was a personal favorite during the years I lived in the area.

First, a course designed in the Scottish links tradition by Ron Garl, an excellent Florida architect, with many fine venues to his credit. Summerfield Golf Club is located in Riverview, Florida, just a few miles south of Tampa off Interstate 75. Aside from supplying golfers with nice amenities off the course, players will find Summerfield an outstanding challenge, particularly from the back tees which stretch the course out to 6,903 yards playing to a par of 71.

Summerfield is built on rolling terrain, with some elevation changes not routinely found in this area of Florida. On the front nine, you’ll find a terrific mix of par fours, beginning with the first hole measuring 417 from the tips. It plays slightly uphill to an undulating green. The second is a 432 yard affair that plays downhill and slightly left to a big, elevated green.

For the third hole, extreme accuracy is needed. It’s a par 3 of 180 yards over water to a tricky green that is angled from right to left. Holes 4 and 5 are wonderful par fours, 4 playing uphill and bending left and 5 playing down through a valley then up to an elevated green.

At the sixth hole, you’ll find Summerfield’s signature entry, a 171 yard par 3 that plays slightly downhill to a green that is nearly an island, surrounded by water on three sides. When the wind blows, it’s a daunting shot. Holes 7 and 8 are nicely contrasted par fours, with the 7^th playing 381 yards and requiring an accurate tee shot to a narrow fairway. Number 8 is a brute of a par 4 at 463 yards.

The ninth, the first par 5 on the course is an excellent rambling affair the plays uphill on the second shot and bends right to an elevated green.

The back nine begins with a par 4 of just 345 yards. Before you think, ah, an easy birdie, check out the green. It is angled left to right and has three tiers. Placing your tee shot is imperative for the best approach to this difficult green. The 11^th plays 168 yards through a shoot of trees to a narrow, well-bunkered green.

Number 12, a 570 yard par 5, requires an excellent tee shot, avoiding disaster on the right and left. The second shot is played over a marsh area and is a blind shot – so you’d better check the layout before hitting. The 13^th hole is a straightaway par 4 of 400 yards. It really gets interesting on the 14^th hole, a monster of 457 yards with the second shot playing over a chasm to a tricky green. You’ll happily take a 4 here.

Number 15 presents a birdie opportunity at 352 yards, but placing your tee shot well is a necessity in order to cash in. Number 16 is a 429 yard par 4 that is a demanding driving hole, with water lining the right side, and deep, impenetrable marsh on the left. The 17^th is a par 3 of 154 yards that plays slightly downhill to a very tricky green.

The finishing hole is another par 5 of 560 yards that plays uphill for your second shot to an elevated green.

Summerfield is a definite must play that is well designed and enjoyable.

Just a short distance away from Summerfield, off Route 41, is Apollo Beach Golf Club, a big time favorite of mine. It was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., and he used the watery terrain to full advantage. Water is present on every hole on this lovely course that winds beautifully through scenic surroundings.

Your round begins with a par 4 of 410 yards that plays straightaway. Things tighten up considerably at number 2, a memorable par 5 of 573 yards. Big hitters can shorten that distance by quite a bit by cutting the corner of the dogleg left. The green is protected by water in front.

The 3^rd is a par 4 of 373 yards, presenting a birdie opportunity. The 4^th is a terrific par 3 that stretches 206 from the tips and plays over water. Number 5 and 6 are both stout par fours of 436 and 419 yards respectively, both requiring excellent tee shots to negotiate. Number 7 plays 556 yards. The par 5 presents difficulty for big hitters with thoughts of hitting the green in two. The hole bends slightly left and the elevated, small green is guarded by a stream in front.

The 8^th is a good par 3 of 192 yards. Nine plays 414 straightaway to an undulating green.

The 10^th hole is one of the toughest on the course, usually playing into the prevailing wind at 440 yards. The tee shot is demanding, with trouble on both sides and the second shot is struck to a big green that is difficult to read.

Number 11 is a 528 yard par 5 guarded on the right by a large mound that runs nearly the length of the hole. The 12^th is a 170 yard par 3 that has a generous green that could yield a birdie with a well placed tee shot. Number 13 is a terrific par 4 of 430 yards from the tips. The second shot plays over a river to a green set in the side of a small hill.

The 14^th is a par 4 of 422 yards, with the tee shot hit over that same river. Trouble is down the left and the approach shot is demanding. Number 15 is a relatively benign par 4 of 375 yards with a small green. But it does present a good birdie chance.

Number 16 is an outstanding par 5 of 572 with water lining the left side and mounds on the right. Your third shot, and even big hitters probably won’t go for this green in two, must be accurate. The green is guarded by water in front and on the right.

The 17^th hole is a par 3 of 201 yards that possesses a very tricky putting surface. The round wraps up with a 400 yard par 4 that bends slightly left. Out of bounds beckons on the left side.

Apollo Beach is a fine test, especially when the Florida breezes circulate. Enjoy it on your next trip to the Sunshine State.

About the Author:

Jim Nettleton is a radio and television professional who is a lifelong golf addict. He highly recommends The Simple Golf Swing - http://tinyurl.com/2mmeux

for those struggling with their game. Visit his golf blog at

http://golf-golf-andmoregolf.blogspot.com/