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World Golf Tournaments

All the years round golfers try to perfect their skills in order to show their personal achievements at major championships and tournaments. If we speak about golf we should note such great championships as the Masters, the US Open, the PGA, U.S. Women’s Open, Ladies European Tour.

PGA Tour is distinguished among the other great championships by its prestigiousness. Namely the PGA Tour offers the strongest fields for professional golfers. The winner can receive an impressive sum of money which makes up at least US $ 800 000. The PGA European Tour makes it possible to invite a great number of top golfers not only from Europe but also from North America.

The championships are subdivided also into men’s, women’s, and senior championships. Every year there four major championships for men are organized. These are The Masters, the U.S. Open, The Open Championship, and The PGA Championship. Dozen of top golfers from all over the world come together at these great events in order to show their superiority. The Open Championships are organized in the United Kingdom. The U.S. and the PGA Championships are played in the United States.

Women have the possibility to compete with each other in four major Championships. These are the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the LPGA Championship, the U.S. Women’s Open, and finally Women’s British Open. Of course there are some other championships which are organized specially for women like the Evian Masters, but they are not recognized to be the major one.

Unquestionably golf may be recognized as the only type of sport which invites senior golfers who enter the age group of 50 and over to compete on the courses. In this case the tour organizers pay great attention to senior sportsmen who are still capable to amaze the supporters with their sport achievements. Among the senior major golf championships one may include the Senior PGA Championships, the United States Senior Open The Tradition and The Senior Players Championship. Of the given championships the Senior PGA is the oldest. Its history begins in 1937.

Great Golfers: Peter Jacobson

Peter Jacobson was born on the 4th of March, 1954. The place of his birth is Portland, Oregon. He began playing golf at the University of Oregon. Namely here he began to manifest good inclinations of a golf player. As an amateur he won the Oregon Open in 1976. Namely this year signifies the beginning of his brilliant career as a golf star.

During his first few seasons he kept to a definite line of progress. In 1980 Jacobsen got his first title at the Buick-Goodwrench Open. In 1984 he gained the victory twice and thus he broke into the top 10. In 11 years, that means in 1995 he was proud to finish tournaments with two more victories.

Being 49 years old Peter Jacobsen took part in the Greater Hartford Open. And this fact did not prevent him from becoming the best player of PGA. Jacobsen went also down in the history of the world golf as one of the oldest players who have ever won on the PGA Tour. At that time he was also voted as the tour’s comeback player of the year.

Since turning fifty, Peter Jacobson did not give up his career as a professional golfer. He continued to participate in major championships of senior golf. In 2004 Jacobsen won U.S. Senior Open. This championship is one of the most prestigious and major tours. In 2005 during the Senior Players Championships he added a second major title.

Jacobsen is known not only as a professional golf player. Many people know him as a person that possesses a good sense of humour. He is also a skilled master of doing impressions of the other professional sportsmen. Craig Stadler was one of such persons. Jacobson with the humour so characteristic of him gave numerous commentaries concerning the player’s shot, whether it was good or bad. His commentaries are available in various versions of Golden Tee Golf.

But at this point the talents of legendary Peter Jacobsen do not run out. It appears that Jacobsen can play guitar. Being a self-taught guitarist he became the founder and then the lead singer of Jake Trout & The Flounders. He founded this band in the middle of 1980s.

Being a golf star Peter Jacobson showed the world how many talents can be combined in a single person.

History of Golf

The origin of golf is not quite clear till the present moment. Some specialists and golf professionals are inclined to think that Scotland is the place where golf originated.

In 1297 in the Netherlands the Dutch began playing a game which born a strong resemblance to golf. While playing they used a stick and a leather ball. The winner had to hit the ball with the least number of strokes.

In China people also invented a game that had some resemblance with nowadays golf. The equipment included 10 clubs. Such clubs as cuanbang, pubang and shaobang can be compared to a driver, two-wood, and three-wood. Even at that times the given game was the priority of well to do people. Not without reason the clubs were unlaid with jade and gold.

These examples show that during several centuries our ancestor played games which could be the progenitors of golf. However a spokesman for Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews has another opinion. He adheres to the following opinion: “Stick and ball games have been around for many centuries, but golf as we know it today, played over 18 holes, clearly originated in Scotland.” The word “golf” which originated form the Dutch word “kolf” means “stick”, “club” or “bat”. This fact may be also serve as an argument in favour of this theory.

Speaking about first written rules there also confirmations that they appeared namely in Scotland. Thus the first major tournament and competitions were organized in Scotland.

The history of development of golf equipment also underwent great changes. Before 1930 the golf ball could have different sizes and weight and only in 1930 the United States Association set standards for it. It is interesting to note that the first golf clubs were made of wood. In 1890 designers and manufactures began to introduce steel shafts. The latest technologies provide graphite shafts and lightweight titanium. Such decisions help golfer to make their shots more effective.

The history of golf counts several centuries. Of course there were great changes and innovations in this game. And all this  development carried golf to perfection.

Top 5 Golf Movies

The world cinematograph numbers hundreds of films which are dedicated to such genre as sport. In these films the filmmakers try to reflect the achievements of sportsmen, their efforts and diligence which they apply in order to become a star.  Thus the audience can observe all the ups and downs of professionals on the way to their victories. In this article we tried to gather the best films ever shot about golf players and the play golf itself.

The first film that attracts audience’s attention is called “Greatest Game Ever Played”. The given film reveals the history of golf. The main character has the strongest desire to become a professional of golf and to dedicate almost all of his time to this sport. It is a memorable story that can not leave somebody indifferent. The viewers are given the possibility to follow the history of a boy who belongs to the working class. Nevertheless he manages to display his talent among elite professionals.

Another great film “Bobby Jones, Stroke of Genius” portrays the history of the legendary golfer Bobby Jones. The main character received the title of Grand Slam Champion after winning the British Amateur, the British Open, the U.S. Open and the U.S. Amateur. And all these victories were achieved in only one year. In his youth Bobby Jones suffered from an illness, and after defeating it he proved that he as a professional can s=establish great records. At just 28 years he became a record breaking champion. This story is really worth to be seen.

A legend of the other golfer is shown in the film “The Legend of Bagger Vance”. After World War I Rannulph Junuh had lost his grip, his perfect swing went. But he has to get back to play in a tournament. He resorts to help of mysterious caddy Bagger Vance.

The director of the film “Happy Gilmour” decided to bring into the story elements of humour. So we can see the story of Adam Sandler who being a failed hockey player decides to begin career as a golfer. He discovers a new talent and that’s why the character makes up his mind to take part in golf tournaments.

The film “Caddyshak” like the previous one also represents a comedy classics.  Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Murray, Ted Knight play at their best and taking part in major tournaments enjoy the process of playing itself.

Containing the memorable and interesting scenes all these films will never become  forgotten.

Golf Equipment Sale Review

Many people consider that golf is the only privilege of rich people. It may seem so but at the same time people who are fairly well off can also dedicate their time to mastering this game. A beginner does not necessarily need much money to go to the greens of a local course. All the golf player needs in this game is the desire to play that last all the lifetime, some basic equipment and a few courses.

Basic starter sets that contain woods, irons and a putter cost around $200. Those people who got accustomed to high quality can find equipment from top producers. For every single driver or wood a person can pay from 150$ to $150 and $ 50 to $300 each for putters. A set of iron can cost from $400 to $ 1500. The prices for balls are the following: $15 to $50 per dozen.

Prices for gloves that stabilize a player’s grip on the golf club differ from $5 to $ 25. Golf shoes which have to deliver optimum support while playing cost between $50 and $200 per pair.

We should not forget about courses. Playing golf requires paying greens fees to enter a golf course.   It is a famous fact that green fees are not so cheap. The price depends also on the place of playing golf. For example in order to play at the most famous and picturesque courses we should be ready to pay up till $100.  Thus full length 18-hole courses charge from $25 to$150.

Golf is really a game that can not be played by each of us. This game demands mastery, skill, purposefulness and of course expenditure of money. That is why many people consider that golf is more than they can afford. But one should not give way to despair. Any beginner or just amateur of golf who does not try to make this game the sense of life can always find the necessary equipment for reasonable prices.

Equipment for mini golf

Miniature golf which is modeled after the game of golf and is known by several names: minigolf, mini-golf, crazy golf, midget golf, extreme golf, or goofy golf. It is noteworthy that the international sports organization World Minigolf Sport Federation uses the name “minigolf”.  In the game of mini golf, the holes are shorter than in golf and are comprised of a putting surface only. To make miniature golf more challenging, there are ramps, bunkers and obstacles. The game of miniature golf is played at a competitive level in the United States. The history of mini golf allows us to return to the beginning of the 20th century. At that time many American and British hotels gave their guests the possibility to have a miniature-sized golf-course. Using the same designs as golf courses, but at one tenth scale. This game was played with a golf putter and a short driver.

As far as the place of mini golf playing concerns this game may be played in different locations. For example in Sweden there are minigolf courses which are installed in public parks. Such decision favours the spreading of minigolf between the population. Minigolf courses in Sweden have a rectangular wooden frame surrounding the playing area. The commonly used surface materials in mini golf are also beton and eternite. The world record on one round of minigolf is 18 strokes on 18 holes. More than a thousand players have officially achieved this score on eternite.

Nowadays mini golf is mostly wide spread in Europe and North America. Countries that are poorer from economic point of view decide to invest their money in sports that are popular worldwide. That is the main reason that explains the fact that such interesting game as miniature golf remains beyond much attention. It is worth mentioning that mini golf is one of the most popular outdoor games in Europe and America, though, but only as an occasional leisure activity, not as a competitive sport.

Great Golfers: Steve Scott

Steve Scott entered the world history as one of the greatest milers in the United States of America and as the founder of speed golf. He was born on the 5th of May in 1956. From the very beginning Steve Scott derived encouragement from his mother who also was a runner. She rendered assistance and support to her son in order to see him as sport star in the future. In his turn Steve Scott had all the inclinations and skills in order to reach this goal. In 1977 Steve Scott ran his first 4:0 mile in Los Angeles. Just in a year he became a well acknowledged international runner, competing on both sides of Atlantic. The runner has performed great sport services for his country by establishing three American mile records. What is more he held the American indoor record for more than 26 years. On June 26, 1982 Steve Scott won a race at Oslo in 3:48:52. So he became history’s third fastest miler.

To the merits of Steve Scott one can refer also the invention of speed golf. Speed golf represents a game when the player has to complete a golf course in the lowest combination of strokes and time. The speed golf is popular in North America, Europe and Japan. In order to calculate the best result among players the observers calculate the scores by adding minutes plus strokes. Generally the rules for the speed golf and traditional golf coincide with some minor exceptions. For instance, in speed golf the players have to rake bunkers and to fix ball marks. The main aspects in this game that make the player win are time savings and fitness.
Steve Scott, being the founder of speed golf, of course took an active part in competitions. In 1982 the sportsman established a record playing the fastest round of speed gold. He completed 18 holes in 29 minutes, 33.05 seconds using only two clubs. So Steve Scott gathered 92 points during the competition which took place in California.
Without any doubt Steve Scott is a great sportsman in the world history. His key qualities are speed, persistence and the wish to advance and to reach new heights in his major activity. These qualities helped him to prosper on the world arena.

Great Golfers: Jack Nicklaus

Jack William Nicklaus (born January 21, 1940) is one of the best golf players. He has contributed his world achievements to the history of golf. Not in vain he is also known as “Golden Bear”. His way to the world fame and honors was not so easy. But the final result is of course worth his efforts and diligence.

Having 18 victories in major championships, Jack Nicklaus was appreciated as the best golf player on McCormack’s World Ranking. From 1968 to 1977 in the total for 9 years Nicklaus was honored with this rank. After 1978 there new golf stars appeared. Their names are Tom Watson and Seve Balllestors. These sportsmen came to be ranked higher than Nicklaus. But their sport achievements only cheered up Nicklaus because he began to set himself new objects  and goals and until 1986 he won many major titles.

It should be noted that Jack Nicklaus is unique in his style of playing. He was consistently among the longest hitters during his career. During 1963 PGA Championship he won with a belt of 341 yards, 17 inches. And for the subsequent 20 years his record could not be beaten.  Nicklaus is also distinguished through his management skills. Gary Player considered him to be “the greatest mind the game has ever known”. It was namely Nicklaus’ idea to document yardages on the course.

His style of playing and techniques, his invincible will and master skills praised him to the heights of glory. It is difficult to believe but it is a real fact that in the course of 25 years period Jack Nicklaus finished major championships either first or second.

Towards the end of his career Jack Nicklaus continued to establish records. At the age of 46 Nicklaus claimed his final major championship at the 1986 Masters Tournament. At that time he became the championship’s oldest winner.

Undoubtedly, Jack Nicklaus set an example for a great number of people, especially for those people who only begin their careers as sportsmen. His instructional and autobiographical books are really indispensible not only for beginners but also for great professionals of golf.

A Review of Wholesale Golf Equipment Providers

There are a great number of companies that provide sportsmen with golf equipment. And all of the wholesale golf equipment providers supply golf players with a wide range of items including golf clubs, balls, and apparel.

American Range Company being the leading manufacturer of golf equipment and services has won wide popularity. American Range Company has served more than 6ooo customers till the present moment.

World Wide Golf Development is another provider that specializes in the development and improvement of golf practice items, non-regulation golf courses and family entertainment facilities. Before buying an item a customer has the possibility to be consulted concerning the selection and design decisions of golf equipment. It is notably that this company brings to the attention of customers nearly one hundred facilities.

One should mention about another provider which is known as Forestar Golf Sales Ltd. For nearly 30 years the provider has offered quality golf equipment accessories and golf course equipment. The representatives of the company consider themselves to be “experts in the planning, supply, installation and servicing of the world’s finest golf driving range equipment and systems”.

Pinemeadow Golf has also won golf player’s confidence worldwide. Their motto is: “Direct from the Factory Floor to You.” Thus they provide a great value in minimum time.

On the basis of the above said it is obvious that each wholesale golf equipment provider tries to do the best in order to provide players with items of the best quality and designs. One should only to decide to whose help and service to resort.

Great Golfers: David Howell

David Alexander Howell was born on the 23rd of June 1975.  Howell is rightfully considered to be professional golf star. He made oneself known in the world of golf in 2006. At that time he was ranked in the top of the Official World Golf Rankings.

In 1993 there the British Championship was announced. David, being an amateur of golf decided to take part in his first championship. Finally the victory fell to his lot.

Later on David Howell came across considerable victories and unpleasant defeats. But this is the way which characterizes the career of any professional sportsman. After miscarrying there a new chance appears to display the best qualities and techniques in order to reach the heights of victory.

David Howell collected his first professional victory in November 1998 at the Australian PGA Championship. In a year there another victory followed. This time Howell gained the upper hand at the Dubai Desert Classic.

During the next 6 years David Howell had a period of insignificant achievements. He had no further victories during this time. But in 2004 and in 2004 he had a chance to prove that he deserved the utmost praises. He took the second places in The Daily Telegraph Dunlop Masters and the Nissan Irish Open. In August David Howell won the BMW International Open. In few months he reached the top in the world rankings.

In May 2006 Howell won the BMW Championship. Now he placed himself at the world top ten. Only in a month he moved to a new high of ninth. He finished the 2006 season on the third place. “It has been quite a shock to have my best year followed directly by my worst year,” said David Howell in an interview. But then he added that he did not want to give up and would try to win golf tournament again.”

According to the words David Howell in such sport as golf “you never know what is the around the corner”. There is some truth in it. As in any sport a major victory may be followed by a defeat. But great sportsmen such as David Howell never give way to despair and always try to rehabilitate oneself in order to show even the greater achievements.