Your All Inclusive Golf Vacation

With the summer a distant memory and the rain and wind of winter settling in many golfers will be wondering how they will be able to get a round of golf in. Many courses are likely to be unfit to play but there is a select group of golf courses that will be open come wind, rain or shine. It is definitely worth noting them down and if you are in and around the areas it is worth going in for a round of golf.

Weston-super-Mare Golf Club

The Weston-super-Mare Golf Club is a great venue to test your skills on and is fortunate enough to be blessed with a year round course. It is very rare that the club is closed because of the rain and this is due to the brilliant drainage system it has. You need to make sure that you are concentrating on your golf and that your shots are accurate as you may end up slicing the ball into the Bristol Channel. Great views are also available here so you are sure to enjoy a good round if you choose to visit the Weston-super-Mare Golf Club.

Wychwood Park

Wychwood Park has played host to 2 Euro Pro Tour events so this shows how good the course is. This also means that the greens and fairways offer many challenges, especially at this time of year with the wind and rain making shots difficult to judge. It opened in 2002, making it one of the newest courses on the golfing map and the course designers have made full use of modern day technology.

The latest computer irrigation system means the course is in the best playing condition throughout the year. Go along to Wychwood, its located on the Cheshire plains and is certainly somewhere that will test the skills of even the best golfer. This is just one of the courses that you can use 2 for 1 golf vouchers on so you can save money as you play.

East Brighton

Considered as one of the best courses in the country, East Brighton is a par 72 course and has 6,346 yards of testing green to see how you fair against some of the best players in the world. The magnificent views that are available add icing to the cake. Its chalk base means the course is playable all year round and it is extremely easy to get to as it is just 2 miles from the city centre of Brighton.

See where you fancy playing a round of golf this winter but always ring ahead to check that the course will be open before heading there. These courses are most likely to be open so consider these first. These courses are hazardous so you need to make sure that you have adequate golf insurance.

Aside from the full swing and the putt there are not normally dedicated areas at a golf course for practicing other shot types. You’ll perfect your drive by going to the driving range and most courses have a putting surface to practice all manner of short and long putts too. Some of the more important shots though are the ones that get you on to the green.

Chipping or pitching on to the green can be tricky as you’ll likely be trying to land the ball as close to the flag stick as possible but with little knowledge of the speed of the green and any curvature which could roll your ball into an awkward spot. The chip shot is arguably the shot that once mastered will shave significant numbers off your handicap as you should be landing the ball nearer to the hole and needing less putts to hit par or below.

The stance and grip for a chip shot are slightly different to that of a tee shot as you will typically not need to have such a wide stance and more of a vertical swing to get the required loft, distance and stopping power once the ball lands. You also don’t need to necessarily hold the club the same way, many golfers hold the club further down the grip nearer to the club’s head. This way you are able to gain much more control of the ball’s movement.

Your stance will figure heavily into the ball’s trajectory as it will determine how far through your swing you strike the ball. For chipping you need to be stood slightly back from the ball, this means you are going to strike the ball once you’ve completed your down swing and are now into your upswing.

This means the angle of the club head is increased achieving more loft but also minimizes top spin on the ball. With chip shots you want little top spin as this is what causes your ball to roll past your target when trying to get close to the pin.

Taking time to practice chip shots near the putting green (if your course allows this) or even at home can help you develop a natural instinct for how much power and angle is needed to get a perfect chip shot that stops on a dime when you aim for the green. Practice from differing surfaces (rough, fairway, even sand) and distances to help build your skills.

A good quarter of your shots when playing a round of golf are putts, they’re also some of the more stressful shots with games won and lost on nail-biting finishes on the putting green. When watching professional golfers on TV you will often see them miss putts that many armchair spectators will claim they could have made but the putt can be one of the tougher shot varieties to get right.

Fortunately there are plenty of ways to improve your putting skills from reading the green to judging the weight of the putt needed to reach the cup. Firstly you need to get your stance and grip right, the putt is a shot that can be very unorthodox and many golfers claim their method is the best. Some hold the club in a way that it hangs like a pendulum whereas other golfers will have their rear hand acting like a piston pushing the club forward.

Whilst there are lots of theories there are some common rules that all golfers acknowledge such as making sure your palms are both facing each other when holding your putter. This should help alleviate any wobbling or shifting of the club head when putting. Another important factor is the tenseness of your grip, if your hands are too tense or holding the grip too tightly this will affect your putt, usually adding too much power.

You should have a fair level of grip with your forefingers and thumbs but you should be fairly loose when putting too. You shouldn’t be swinging when putting either; you should have more of a side sweeping, pushing motion. It looks like this because you are pushing the ball towards the hole; if you swing like a normal club then you could hit the ball with the bottom edge of the putter which can take a fair bit of travel out of the ball’s rolling motion.

Make sure when you practice to start far enough away to simulate the putt you’d take after a chip or approaching shot. You should aim to get to the hole but aiming for an imaginary circle one foot around the hole should leave you in good stead for getting the ball in the hole on your second putt.

Practicing on a putting green or on uneven surfaces will help you develop a sense of where to aim when on a slope which can help you shave off unnecessary putts too.

Learning and practicing techniques like this should help you lower your official handicap. When playing a lot of golf you should consider some form of golf insurance such as golf club cover or golf travel insurance to make sure you and your clubs are safe out on the course.

Golf is a magnificent game of concentration and skill, you need both to be working in harmony with each other in order to succeed and hit the ball exactly where you want it to go. There are times though that even the most seasoned pro golfer can hit a poor shot and it can go wildly out of control into the rough, or worse.

Sometimes a miss-hit shot can cause damage to other people’s property such as a car parked in the club car park or the old favourite; a neighbouring greenhouse. It’s no laughing matter though as many golfers can hit the ball high and long which gives the ball plenty of momentum to cause serious damage.

Another possibility is that you hit another golfer out on the course. All golfers know the convention of waiting for the player/s on the hole in front of you to finish and vacate the green before you take your shot. Unfortunately though with some courses doubling back on themselves and many holes packed into a small space you could hit or be hit by another golfer’s ball if you, or they, aren’t careful.

It used to be the case that you could warn others of a miss-hit shot by yelling the word “fore!” it isn’t a legal responsibility to warn other players but many players subscribe to the thought that it should be and so you will often hear players doing each other the common courtesy of yelling “fore” when hitting a poor shot.

If you are unlucky enough to strike a fellow golfer with your ball there’s a good chance they will require medical attention and perhaps even a spell in hospital. Medical bills will need paying by whoever was at fault. In order to make sure that you are not left out of pocket as a result of this a specialist golf insurance policy may be the answer.

Golf Insurance may sound odd but you’d be surprised how expensive golfing could be without it. Your clubs for instance can be costly to replace especially if you are an experienced golfer and have invested in some cases over £300 on a single club alone.

Golf Insurance can cover the medical costs that could happen as a result of a miss-hit golf ball, as well as any damage to homes and property if you’ve hit a bad shot. There are many other instances where golf insurance can be useful as some policies cover golf buggies as well as cover for your golf clubs if they are stolen.

If you’re a golfer and you value your clubs and being able to be free of worries whilst you play golf then golf insurance is for you. You’ll be able to forget about any distracting thoughts and worries and concentrate on hitting the ball straight and true. Check out any 2 for 1 golf offers to save even more money too.

A golfer’s worst nightmare is not just getting in to the bunker, but it’s not being able to get out once you do. Many amateurs will look more like they’re digging at the beach than getting their ball out of the sand trap which can quickly frustrate the player and cause their focus to slip.

With golf a good portion of your performance will be down to your mental conditioning so knowing how to deal with the occasional sand shot is important so you keep your flow and your cool to recover and hopefully get on the green sooner rather than later.

First of all knowing your position in the bunker is important. Most bunkers have a shallow front approach with a high back wall, intended to roll your ball back down if you hit it but there are times your ball can stop on the back wall demanding a more difficult escape shot from the bunker. The closer you are to the back wall the more loft you will need to achieve in order to clear the bunker and land back on the fairway or on to the putting surface.

You’re typically going to be using the sand wedge as this club gives you the greatest loft, although if you feel that you don’t have to knock the ball as high but want the ball to travel some distance from a fairway bunker you can use other clubs such as the pitching wedge. Players who struggle to achieve loft on their shots should stick with the sand wedge though, remember to open the club face to get more loft and less distance when on the green surrounding bunkers.

Knowing where to strike the ball is one of the most important aspects to a successful bunker recovery; hit the ball in the wrong place and you could end up right where you started. The best sand shots are the ones that cause the sand to splash up and carry the ball like a wave does to a surf board. You want to get under the ball to get the height to your shot but also need to strike behind the ball correctly too.

The correct place to strike is actually the inch before the ball. You need to hit with a controlled amount of power much like a pitch shot. You need to have enough power to push through the sand and lift the ball up and forward, flicking up a lot of sand if you do it right. If you hit the ball with no sand going up then there’s a chance your ball will stick in the sand and roll a few inches at best.

The bunker shot is one of the toughest in golf and so it is well worth practicing or getting tuition to get a fuller understanding of what constitutes a great hazard recovery from the sand.

Be careful with your clubs when in the sand, consider golf club insurance or golf holiday insurance if you play a lot of golf, considering how expensive it could be to lose or damage your clubs it makes sense to take precautions

If you are a keen golfer and you like to test yourself on some of the best golf courses in Europe then you want to make sure that you and your golf clubs are fully protected against all eventualities. After all, you never think it is going to happen to you but when you least expect it something bad happens and you could be left with a hefty bill to pay.

Specialist golf travel insurance sites have specially designed policies for golfers playing abroad. They understand that it is vitally important to have adequate protection for your golf clubs as well as the standard cover you get from the usual travel insurance policy.

Golfing holidays take a little more organising than the average holiday and as a result insurance is even more important as you can be affected in a greater way. Green fees and tuition fees may have already been paid upon completion of your booking so if your holiday has to be cancelled due to illness, course closure or accident if you have a comprehensive policy, you will be reimbursed.

If you have your own clubs and they are stolen, damaged or delayed on arrival then your policy should cover you for this too depending on the level of policy you choose. The same applies for any equipment you have to hire during your trip as a result of your own clubs not turning up for any reason.

You can choose between a single trip or annual policy. If you are planning to make a few trips during a 12 month period then an annual policy would probably work out better financially and will save you the time and hassle of having to book separate policies each time you are due to go abroad.

There are some fantastic courses in Europe and playing golf in the sun in Spain or France probably sounds like the perfect holiday for all golfers. However, the perfect holiday can quickly turn into a nightmare if you are involved in an accident or your clubs are damaged, delayed or stolen and you are without insurance.

Make sure this does not happen to you and that you are fully covered with golf holiday insurance against all eventualities including cancellation of flight, loss baggage and for golfers, damage, loss or theft of clubs as well as any other fees you may have had to pay, save a big expense by getting golf insurance.

Many people in the UK play golf whether on the weekend, occasionally with friends or perhaps in tournaments at their local golf course. Golf has seen a massive surge in popularity over the past decade, partially due to the influx of younger, exciting professional golfers such as Tiger Woods, Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy.

Whether it is just the occasional game or you are taking your golf skills seriously, playing on a variety of courses and experiencing different surfaces and conditions is key to increasing your overall ability. An ideal way to accomplish this is by going on a golfing holiday with friends. Not only do you get to experience new courses that test your mettle but you get to enjoy (hopefully) the better weather abroad.

There are some things you need to be aware of when playing golf abroad though. Firstly you will likely be flying and so you’ll need a decent golf bag to protect your clubs in transit but also to carry them when you arrive. There are specialist golf travel bags that protect all of your clubs, including a hard top to protect your club heads.

A good case will serve you well but that won’t always protect your precious – and no doubt expensive – clubs. Baggage handlers are notorious for being less than careful when loading luggage on to the plane. This means that you could end up getting your clubs at the other end but find that they are damaged in some way or lost. Claiming compensation is obviously the first thing to do but can take many weeks to resolve. There is a way though that you can prepare for the worst and be covered for this kind of incident.

Golf Travel Insurance is just like having any other insurance; it protects you and your clubs whilst on holiday. This specialist policy will make sure that if your clubs are damaged or lost then they can be replaced instantly, saving your holiday from total failure. There are other expenses that can end up costing a lot of money or time, such as personal injury.

There are plenty of times on a golf course that you could get injured whether it’s a muscle sprain or getting hit by an errant golf ball. Knowing you are covered for medical costs if you become seriously injured is a reassuring feature of golf travel insurance. Likewise if you cause harm to another person or their property then you are covered for this too.

So if you’re contemplating a golfing holiday then getting golf travel insurance or golf club insurance is a good way to take the worry out of your holiday and lets you concentrate on playing the game of golf.

Purchasing a set of golf clubs is a big investment for the future andif you are just starting out then it may be wise to go for a mid-range priced set. However, if you are at an advanced level then you may want to consider buying a more expensive but higher quality set of golf clubs to help you improve your game.

In order to improve your game and progressfrom beginner level to an advanced level you must have a sound understanding of how each different set of clubs work and when you should use an iron over a wood for example. If you don’t know this then here are a few points worth noting down.

One type of club is the Wood. Woods are often easier to master than Irons (see below). When buying a set of clubs you will have a driver (or 1 wood), along with two more fairway woods that may include a 3 and/or 5 wood. A 4 wood may be purchased and is useful to have in the bag and professionals are even known to have an 11 wood available to them.

The Driver is the most difficult of the woods to get accustomed to as it is the longest club (around 45 inches), and as it is longer it is harder to fully control if you are not used to playing with it. Driver clubheads are made out of titanium or steel. Steel clubs are cheaper to buy but purchasing titanium clubheads will add power to your drive and give you more distance.

Fairway Clubs are made out of the same material as the Driver clubheads. The reason they are called ‘Woods’ is because prior to the 80’s the clubheads were made of wood but modern day technology has meant that they have improved them using the titanium alloys and steel.

The other set of clubs are known as the ‘Irons’. A 3 iron is usually one of 8 clubs you will find in the set. Irons offer more loft than woods so if you are playing uphill then a 2 iron may be better to use than a 5 wood even though they both offer around the same distance. Each club has less loft than the next one up; so a 3 iron has less loft than a 4 iron.

These are the two main types of clubs. Alongside these you have putters, sand wedges and others that will help you improve your game.

You should protect your investment and get golf club cover as a part of any golf insurance policy you take out.

Normal travel insurance is great when you are going on holiday as it covers you against most problems you are likely to encounter whilst away. However, if you are travelling abroad with your golf clubs then a standard travel insurance policy will often not provide adequate cover if they were lost, damaged or stolen.

Top quality golf clubs are not cheap to replace so you want to ensure that the necessary protection is purchased before you travel abroad with them. With specialist golf insurance.

If you are new to the sport and need to hire some equipment whilst there, then golfers insurance can cover you for a set amount. The same goes for green fees which can quickly add up if you golf every day; this is also covered when you choose specialist golfers insurance.

Golfers need to ensure they have the added benefits in case they have their golf clubs stolen or damaged. The added benefits are also useful in case you hit a wayward shot and you cause injury to someone or damage to a property. This can easily happen as you probably don’t know the course as well and accidents can easily happen so it is always better to cover yourself against these potential problems.

Whether you are playing golf or not, golf travel insurance is extremely important as not having it can result in huge hospital bills if anything happens whilst on holiday. Injuring yourself or becoming ill are the most common ways holidays can take a turn for the worse and having travel insurance will help you recover without having to pay a lot of money on healthcare.

Travel insurance covers you against all possibilities from delay of your flight, misplaced baggage or even serious injury. All this gives you the peace of mind that allows you to concentrate on having a fantastic holiday whether you are golfing in Spain trying to break your personal records or lying on the golden beaches in the South of France.

As travel insurance is not a legal requirement, some people choose not to purchase it just to save money. This is not advisable and with many policies available at great prices there is no excuse not to have it especially when you consider the repercussions of an accident, loss, theft or damage to your clubs.

Golf clubs are a necessary purchase if you’re serious about playing the game of golf. Luckily there is a wide range of different brands that cater to beginners with clubs that are very forgiving on your shots and are both affordable and well built. Even so once you have your set of clubs you’ll need to take good care of them to ensure that they last you a long time or at very least until your skill level dictates you upgrade your set.

The first thing you’ll need is a good, sturdy golf bag; this not only gives you somewhere to store your clubs but also can protect your valued investment. A full size golf bag should have reinforced walls; this prevents any crumpling which could bend the shafts of your clubs. Many bags will have multiple pockets for storing golf balls, tees, gloves and any other items like your car keys; this is good as you will be able to empty your pockets of items that may affect your swing and freedom of movement.

A protective covering in the form of a hood or lid to your bag will protect your clubs from the weather as at some point in every golfer’s career they will get caught out in the rain. Water can be bad for the iron in the club heads as over time this can lead to rusting. Also if the water gets down into your bag then it can damage the rubber grips which can be tricky and expensive to replace if they are damaged.

Another way to protect the heads of the clubs is by buying head covers, these come in a variety of materials and styles to ensure that the clubs are again protected from the weather but also from knocking into each other and causing damage that way. Many golfers will normally have novelty covers for their drivers but you can get covers for all your clubs some of which are made of neoprene that is flexible enough to fit any style of club head.

One final measure for those who play golf a lot is making sure you and your equipment are covered from public liability and injury to yourself or equipment damage. Just like how you would protect your car by taking out car insurance, golf insurance can cover any loss, damage or theft of clubs as well as other factors such as personal damage or property damage. If you are serious about your investment in your golf clubs and equipment then protecting them with golf equipment insurance is as important as cleaning or getting a decent golf bag, if not more. You may also want to consider a golf travel insurance policy as well.