Name: Ian John
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Returning to the Range or Course: Getting ready for the warmer season of Golf
May 8th, 2013After a bitter and long winter, preceded by an unusually wet summer here in the UK, for many of us ‘fair-weather’ golfers, it is a time of the year when we consider dragging the clubs out of hibernation and starting to swing a club at a ball again in earnest.
Of course, if you’ve not been playing any golf for a sustained period of time then you’ll have no doubt quickly realised that your body and mind will seemingly have forgotten the basics of the game. So before you take to the course and embarrass yourself and playing partners by slicing your first six tee shots into the pond; follow these handy hints to get you back playing better, more quickly after a long winter lay off.
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Mappt release two apps to “digitise” the UK Golf scene
May 6th, 2013As we’ve already explored in our articles about some of the best golf apps available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices, the marriage between new app technology and the world of golf is sometimes an uneasy one.
While many players, especially those of a younger and more fashion-conscious age, are all too willing to adapt new technology as part of their golfing game, traditionalists can fear that the historic principles of the game are being somewhat eroded by this new technology.
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What’s App-enning? A Beginner’s Guide to Golf Apps and Equipment – Part One
April 22nd, 2013Golf is changing, although the heritage and traditions of the game remain, how we access the game, improve our skills, evaluate our performance and even measure the distance between our ball and the hole is changing. Leading the way in this technological march are golf apps, those small pieces of software that people can download onto their smartphone or tablet and use to help them with a wide number of different aspects of their game.
For many golfers of a more venerable age, this new and exciting Apple-centric world can seem a little daunting. So if you don’t know whether you need an iPhone or an iPad, and if you are confused if you need WiFi or 3G compatible devices and you would like to know the pros and cons of each in simple, clear English – then this is the article for you.
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Gorilla Golf Game Review: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14
April 17th, 2013The 26th March was a day circled in the calendar for many fans of computerised golf games as the long-awaited next installment of EA Sports golf franchise is released; Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14.
While we normally take a look at the latest golf apps, this week we are previewing this imminent release and looking at some of the key features of the game, ostensibly for the XBox and PS3 systems, but with an eye to whether it would also make a good purchase for those users who would enjoy playing the game as an app.
So, with just a few days to go before release, is the new Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 worth buying?
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The Golf Coast – England’s best-kept golfing secret
April 3rd, 2013When people visit the UK for a golf trip, they often head to the majestic old links courses in Scotland such as the Old Course (if you can get on it), Carnoustie, Muirfield, Troon and Gleneagles. The names trip off the tongue as easily as the greatest names in golf.
Yet there is another part of the UK that is often overlooked when it comes to golf, which is a pity as it not only offers golfers three Open Championship rota courses with Royal patronage, but a host of other top quality golf courses that are a true test of all golfing ability and to suit all budgets.
Welcome to the UK’s Golf Coast! Home to three of the top 20 and seven of the top 36 courses in the whole of the UK and Ireland!
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Belly Putter Debate: European Tour at odds with USPGA and PGA of America
March 20th, 2013I’ll be honest, I was very surprised at the announcement at the end of February that the USPGA and PGA of America have both come out against adopting the proposed ban against anchoring a putter against the body from 2016.
The reason for this is simple; if you follow this to its logical conclusion then by 2016, we could have the farcical situation of two golf tours, which often interchange players for main events, running to two different sets of rules.
Is it possible that players who anchor the putter, like Ernie Els (below) or Keegan Bradley may not be allowed to use that putting stroke in the British Open? If they do, will they be disqualified?
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On-Course Grumbles: Who is really to blame?
March 15th, 2013A recent study by Today’s Golfer magazine has shown that 74% of golfers will blame the greenkeepers if they perceive the course to be in a poor condition. Yet the same study also revealed some telling findings about golfers own habits that make for compelling reading.
A survey taken by members of BIGGA (the British and International Greenkeepers Association) revealed that while golfers are quick to blame greenkeepers for every little problem they see on course, they also showed that golfers are very slow to credit the teams if the course is playing in a good condition.
So, we ask who is really to blame if the course you are playing isn’t quite up to standard?
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