Golf 3rd ed for dummies

In addition to writing Golf For Dummies, he is the author of a collection of essays about his life on tour, Just a Range Ball in a Box of Titleists.. Golf For Dummies will build for you

by Gary McCord Foreword by David Feherty

Golf

FOR

3 RD EDITION

Golf For Dummies ® , 3rd Edition

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About the Author

“Life is full of ups and downs, good and bad, but it wouldn’t be fun

any other way.” Living by this optimistic philosophy, Gary McCord

persisted through years of mediocrity before finding success Anoutstanding player, television announcer, instructor, author,speaker, and even movie actor, he has become a golf celebrity.McCord is well known for enduring 23 years and 422 tournaments

on the PGA Tour without nabbing a single victory A man of goodhumor, he sported a “NO WINS” license plate for years to poke fun athis less-than-glamorous work as a professional golfer

“Trapped in the headlights of bankruptcy,” as he liked to put it, McCord sued other avenues in golf, and found himself launching a broadcasting career

pur-He scored big when a CBS Sports executive tossed him a headset and askedhim to do golf commentary — giving him only 15 minutes to prepare A friend

of failure, McCord jumped in with no fear and impressed CBS with his mance Twenty years later, he is still providing color commentary for CBS golfevents Fans and critics alike praise him for his knowledgeable perspective,refreshing humor, and sometimes irreverent wit toward a game known fortaking itself too seriously

perfor-Broadcasting changed his perspective on golf Realizing that a better standing of the golf swing would help his TV work, McCord studied underMac O’Grady, a legendary guru of the game After two years of study heemerged with knowledge, confidence, and an improved golf game

under-Gary’s own golf really came together just as he began his career on theChampions Tour after his 50th birthday In 1999, his first full season on thattour, he won two events — the Toshiba Senior Classic and the Ingersoll-RandSenior Tour Championship — to finish 17th on the official money list withnearly $1,000,000 in prize money Since then, he has continued to play well,usually finishing in the top 30 on the money list while playing a limited sched-ule of 10 to15 events per year

When he isn’t broadcasting or playing golf, McCord keeps busy with myriadother projects He portrayed himself in and served as technical director for

the golf movie Tin Cup, starring Kevin Costner, Rene Russo, and Don Johnson.

He is also a writer In addition to writing Golf For Dummies, he is the author of

a collection of essays about his life on tour, Just a Range Ball in a Box of Titleists His bestselling Golf For Dummies was released in DVD form in 2004.

McCord and his friend and CBS Sports colleague David Feherty are known

to millions of golf fans and gamers as the voices of EA Sports’ Tiger WoodsPGA Tour video games McCord also instructs and consults with more than

20 PGA Tour players Along with another friend and fellow CBS commentator,Peter Kostis, he co-founded the Kostis/McCord Learning Center at GrayhawkGolf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona

Gary brings a sense of fun to everything he does and never takes himself tooseriously He and his wife, Diane, share the “ups and downs” of a busy lifetogether at their homes in Scottsdale and Denver

My wife, Diane, is simply the best Her patience with my work and ing with my schedule I am unable to comprehend She is my life’s caddie, and

understand-a better one I could not hunderstand-ave To my mom, Ruth, my dunderstand-aughter, Kristunderstand-a, understand-and

my four granddaughters, Breanne, Kayla, Jenae, and Terra: You will all getstill more free books Thanks for thinking about me when I’ve been away

my whole life

Many thanks to the Wiley team: Acquisitions Editor Stacy Kennedy, ProjectEditor Elizabeth Kuball, Technical Editor John Brott, Photographer DanielMainzer, Project Coordinator Kathryn Shanks, Editorial/Acquisitions InternJenny Baylor, Associate Graphics Processor Lauren Goddard, and Supervisor

of Graphics Shelley Lea They worked hard to get this book just right!

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/.

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development

Project Editor: Elizabeth Kuball

(Previous Editions: Pamela Mourouzis and Colleen Totz)

Acquisitions Editor: Stacy Kennedy Consultant: Kevin Cook

Technical Editor: John Brott Editorial Manager: Michelle Hacker Editorial Supervisor and Reprint Editor:

Special Art: Pam Tanzey Photography: Paul Lester, Scott Baxter

Photography, Daniel Mainzer Photography

Proofreaders: Laura Albert, Leeann Harney,

Joe Niesen, TECHBOOKS Production Services

Indexer: TECHBOOKS Production Services

Special Help

Jenny Baylor, Lauren Goddard, Shelley Lea

Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director, Consumer Dummies

Kristin A Cocks, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies Michael Spring, Vice President and Publisher, Travel

Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel Publishing for Technology Dummies Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User Composition Services

Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

Contents at a Glance

Foreword xix

Introduction 1

Part I: Getting Started: No, You Can’t Hit the Ball Yet 7

Chapter 1: What Is This Thing Called Golf? 9

Chapter 2: Gearing Up 17

Chapter 3: Do I Need Lessons? 33

Chapter 4: Getting Fit for Golf 47

Chapter 5: Where to Play and Who to Play With 71

Part II: You Ain’t Got a Thing If You Ain’t Got That Swing 81

Chapter 6: Getting into the Swing of Things 83

Chapter 7: Refining Your Swing 115

Chapter 8: Putting: The Art of Rolling the Rock 123

Chapter 9: Chipping and Pitching 153

Chapter 10: It’s Your Sandbox: Bunker Play 165

Part III: Common Faults and Easy Fixes 175

Chapter 11: Typical Problems and Simple Solutions 177

Chapter 12: How to Beat Bad Luck and Bad Weather 197

Part IV: Taking Your Game Public 215

Chapter 13: Ready, Set, Play! 217

Chapter 14: Rules, Etiquette, and Scoring 235

Chapter 15: Gamesmanship and Sportsmanship 255

Part V: Golf: It’s Electric! 267

Chapter 16: Golf on TV 269

Chapter 17: Golf on the Web 285

Chapter 18: Tiger versus Golden Tee: The Best of Virtual Golf 301

Part VI: The Part of Tens 305

Chapter 19: Golf’s Ten Commandments 307

Chapter 20: Gary’s Ten Favorite Courses 311

Chapter 21: Gary’s Ten Favorite Public Courses 317

Chapter 22: Gary’s Ten All-Time Favorite Male Players 323

Chapter 23: Gary’s Ten All-Time Favorite Female Players 327

Chapter 24: The (More Than) Ten Worst Golf Disasters 331

Part VII: Appendixes 341

Appendix A: Golf Speak 343

Appendix B: Golf Organizations 361

Index 365

Table of Contents

Foreword xix

Introduction 1

About This Book 1

Conventions Used in This Book 2

What You’re Not to Read 2

Foolish Assumptions 2

How This Book Is Organized 3

Part I: Getting Started: No, You Can’t Hit the Ball Yet 3

Part II: You Ain’t Got a Thing If You Ain’t Got That Swing 4

Part III: Common Faults and Easy Fixes 4

Part IV: Taking Your Game Public 4

Part V: Golf: It’s Electric! 4

Part VI: The Part of Tens 4

Part VII: Appendixes 5

Icons Used in This Book 5

Where to Go from Here 6

Part I: Getting Started: No, You Can’t Hit the Ball Yet 7

Chapter 1: What Is This Thing Called Golf? 9

The Goals of the Game 9

Why Play Golf? 11

What You’ll Find on a Typical Course 12

How You Can Become a “Real” Golfer 13

Living the Golf Life 14

Chapter 2: Gearing Up 17

Golf Balls: The Dimple Derby 17

How to Choose Your Weapons 20

Find an interim set of clubs 21

Try this on for size 21

Build your own clubs 23

When You Know Your Game 24

When to Use Each Club 25

Tradition versus Technology: Keep Tinkering with Success 26

Clothes: How to Dress Like a Pro 30

Accessories: The Stuff You Need 31

Chapter 3: Do I Need Lessons? 33

Finding Out What You Need to Work On 34

Where to Go for Lessons 36

Golf schools 36

Driving ranges 37

Local clubs 37

What’s a playing lesson? 37

Getting the Most from Your Lessons 39

Be honest 39

Listen up 40

Drop your doubts 40

Ask questions 41

Be cool 41

Other Sources of Golf Info 42

Golf books that are almost as good as this one 42

Monthly magazine fixes 42

Videos and DVDs: Feel the rhythm 43

Instructional gizmos 44

Chapter 4: Getting Fit for Golf 47

Why So Many New Golfers Give Up 48

Five Secrets to Success 49

The Keys to Golf Fitness 49

Structure governs function 50

Physical training improves structure 50

Exercise programs must be golf-specific and, ideally, customized 51

Tests and Exercises 52

Test 1: Club behind the spine 53

Test 2: Standing balance sway 62

Test 3: Seated trunk rotation 64

Test 4: Seated hip rotation 67

Chapter 5: Where to Play and Who to Play With 71

Driving Ranges 72

Public Courses 72

Tee-time policies 72

I’m here! Now what? 73

Country Clubs 74

Resort Courses 75

How to Fit in on the Course 76

When You’re the Worst in Your Group 77

Pick it up! 77

Find your own ball 77

Golf For Dummies, 3rd Edition

x

Never moan 78

Never analyze your swing 78

When You’re Not the Worst 78

Jerk Management 78

Who not to play with 79

How to survive 79

Part II: You Ain’t Got a Thing If You Ain’t Got That Swing 81

Chapter 6: Getting into the Swing of Things 83

It All Starts with Balance 83

Different Strokes for Different Folks 85

Flight School 85

Hitting the ball 86

Getting the ball airborne 86

Generating power 87

Building Your Swing 89

The grip 89

Completing your grip 94

Aiming 95

The stance 96

Knee flex 98

Ball position 98

The bottom of the swing 99

The eyes have it 101

One hand away 102

Starting the Swing: First, Break It Down 104

Miniswings: Hands and arms 104

Test your rhythm 105

Unwinding 106

Finishing: Go ahead and pose 107

Get yourself together 107

Swing triggers: What’s a waggle? 108

Visualizing shots 110

A near-perfect swing — Hey, that’s me! 112

Chapter 7: Refining Your Swing 115

What Type of Golfer Are You? 115

Establishing Your Swing Plane 117

Mastering the checkpoints 117

At the top 119

Going Where Others Have Gone Before 121

xi

Table of Contents

Chapter 8: Putting: The Art of Rolling the Rock 123

You Gotta Be You 124

Mind Games 124

The Most Important Club in the Bag 125

Your stroke shape tells you which putter you need 125

High-tech putters: From MOI to you 126

Long putters and belly putters — it’s a long story 128

Building Your Stroke 129

The putting grip 129

Putting posture: Stand and deliver 132

Getting up to speed 136

Reading the break 138

Reading the grain 139

Bobbing for plumbs 141

Short Putts: Knee-Knockers 143

Long Putts: Lags 145

Shh! Nobody Mentions the Yips 146

The Art of Aiming the Ball 148

The eyes like lines 149

Speed kills 151

Points of the roll 152

Chapter 9: Chipping and Pitching 153

Golf Has Its Ups and Downs 153

Chips Ahoy! 155

Pick your spot 156

Choose the right club 157

Lies and instinct 158

Now hit that chip 158

Make Your Pitch 160

Chapter 10: It’s Your Sandbox: Bunker Play 165

Bunkers: Don’t Call ’Em Sand Traps! 165

The Problem with Sand Play 167

To Be — Or Not to Be — Handy from Sand 167

The Splash 169

Buried Alive! 172

Part III: Common Faults and Easy Fixes 175

Chapter 11: Typical Problems and Simple Solutions 177

Skying Your Tee Shots: The Fountain Ball 178

Slicing and Hooking 179

Topping the Ball 182

Duffing and Thinning Chip Shots 182

Golf For Dummies, 3rd Edition

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Can’t Make a Putt? 185

Shanking 186

The Push 188

The Pull 188

Power Outage 189

The “Worm Burner” 189

Spraying the Ball 190

Hitting from the Top 190

The Reverse Pivot 192

Swaying Off the Ball 193

The Belly-Button Twist 194

A Swing That’s Too Long 194

A Swing That’s Too Short 195

Not Enough Backspin 195

Chapter 12: How to Beat Bad Luck and Bad Weather 197

Eat Your Roughage! 198

Tree Trouble 199

Special Shots 199

Altitude adjustment 200

Gyroscope golf: Sidehill lies 202

You can dig it: Hitting out of divots 204

Toupee Alert: Strong Winds Reported 206

Waterworld: Swingin’ in the Rain 208

The right equipment: Smooth sailing or choppy seas 208

Wet course conditions 208

A Game for All Seasons: Weathering the Elements 209

Swing into spring: Time to thaw out and get to work 209

Summer golf: Fun in the sun 210

Have a ball in the fall 211

Winterize your game 212

Part IV: Taking Your Game Public 215

Chapter 13: Ready, Set, Play! 217

Warming Up Your Body 217

Warming Up Your Swing 221

First-Tee Strategies 222

Strategy 1: Don’t be a sucker 223

Strategy 2: Think before you drive 225

Strategy 3: Play three easy shots 225

Know your strengths and weaknesses 228

Beat the first-tee jitters 228

Playing Games 231

Keeping Score 231

Practicing 232

xiii

Table of Contents

Chapter 14: Rules, Etiquette, and Scoring 235

Blimey, It’s a Stymie: The Ancient Rules of Golf 235

The Rules Today 236

Marking a score card 238

Teeing up 240

Finding a lost ball 241

Dropping a ball 241

Taking advice 242

Etiquette: How to Play the Right Way 244

The Handicap System 246

Getting a handicap 247

Calculating your handicap 248

What your handicap means 249

How to Keep Score 249

Match play 251

Stroke play 251

Penalty Shots 252

Out-of-bounds 252

Unplayable lies 253

Water hazards 253

Lateral water hazards 254

Airballs: The dreaded whiff 254

Chapter 15: Gamesmanship and Sportsmanship 255

Wanna Bet? 255

The first tee 256

Nassaus, skins, junk, and other wagers 256

Giving putts 257

Picking Partners 258

Match-Play Smarts 258

Never Give Up 259

Playing with Your Boss 260

Surviving a Pro-Am 262

Get a caddie 263

Be ready to hit 263

Toss the cell phone 263

Get a yardage book 264

If you’re out of the hole, pick up! 264

Don’t sweat your score 264

Watch your step 264

Don’t coach the pro 265

Golf For Dummies, 3rd Edition

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Part V: Golf: It’s Electric! 267

Chapter 16: Golf on TV 269

Why Golf Is So Popular 273

Golf and Television 274

Behind the scenes 275

Let’s make a deal 277

What to Watch for on TV 279

What to Look for in the Top Pros 280

Take Your Punishment 281

Chapter 17: Golf on the Web 285

Cool Cyber-Golf Sites 285

The PGA Tour 285

The LPGA 286

GOLFonline 287

GolfObserver.com 287

ESPN 289

Sports Illustrated 289

The Golf Channel Online 290

The PGA of America 290

Golf.com 292

Golf Digest 293

World Golf 293

Online Course Guides 295

About.com: The course-guide helper 296

The Golf Magazine Golf Course Guide 296

GolfCourses.com 296

Fore! Reservations 296

PlayGolfNow.com 296

GolfClubAtlas.com 298

Virtual Pro Shops: Buying Golf Gear Online 298

eBay 298

Dick’s Sporting Goods 298

GolfDiscount.com 299

Golf Galaxy 299

Edwin Watts Golf 299

Nevada Bob’s Golf 299

Planet Golf 300

Chapter 18: Tiger versus Golden Tee: The Best of Virtual Golf 301

The Leader: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 301

Golf Simulators: Almost Reality? 303

The Golden Tee Phenomenon 304

xv

Table of Contents

Part VI: The Part of Tens 305

Chapter 19: Golf’s Ten Commandments 307

Take Enough Club to Get to Your Target 307

If You Can Putt the Ball, Do It 308

Keep Your Head Fairly Steady 308

Keep Your Sense of Humor 308

Bet Only What You Can Afford to Lose 308

Keep the Ball Low in the Wind 308

Take Some Golf Lessons 309

Do Not Give Lessons to Your Spouse 309

Always Tee It Up at the Tee Boxes 309

Never Blame Yourself for a Bad Shot 309

Chapter 20: Gary’s Ten Favorite Courses 311

Pebble Beach (Monterey, California) 312

Pine Valley (Clementon, New Jersey) 312

Cypress Point (Monterey, California) 312

Shinnecock Hills (Southampton, New York) 313

Pinehurst No 2 (Pinehurst, North Carolina) 313

Whistling Straits — Straits Course (Kohler, Wisconsin) 314

Bandon Dunes (Bandon, Oregon) 314

Royal Melbourne (Melbourne, Australia) 314

Harbour Town Links (Hilton Head Island, South Carolina) 315

Long Cove Golf Club (Hilton Head Island, South Carolina) 315

Chapter 21: Gary’s Ten Favorite Public Courses 317

Alvamar Golf Course (Lawrence, Kansas) 317

Bethpage State Park, the Black Course (Farmingdale, New York) 317

Cog Hill No 4 (Lemont, Illinois) 318

Grayhawk Golf Club, Talon and Raptor (Scottsdale, Arizona) 318

The Homestead, Cascades Course (Hot Springs, Virginia) 319

Ocean Course (Kiawah Island, South Carolina) 319

Pinon Hills Golf Course (Farmington, New Mexico) 319

San Luis Rey Downs (Bonsall, California) 320

Torrey Pines Golf Course, South Course (San Diego, California) 320

Tournament Players Club (TPC) at Sawgrass, Stadium Course (Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida) 321

Chapter 22: Gary’s Ten All-Time Favorite Male Players 323

Walter Hagen 323

Fairway Louie 324

Golf For Dummies, 3rd Edition

xvi

Phil Mickelson 324

Jack Nicklaus 325

Mac O’Grady 325

Arnold Palmer 325

Sam Snead 325

Titanic Thompson 326

Lee Trevino 326

Tiger Woods 326

Chapter 23: Gary’s Ten All-Time Favorite Female Players 327

JoAnne Carner 328

Laura Davies 328

Juli Inkster 328

Nancy Lopez 328

Meg Mallon 329

Annika Sorenstam 329

Kathy Whitworth 329

Michelle Wie 329

Mickey Wright 330

Babe Zaharias 330

Chapter 24: The (More Than) Ten Worst Golf Disasters 331

Jean Van de Velde, 1999 British Open at Carnoustie 332

Greg Norman, 1996 Masters 333

Gil Morgan, 1992 U.S Open at Pebble Beach 333

Mark Calcavecchia, 1991 Ryder Cup at Kiawah Island 334

Patty Sheehan, 1990 U.S Women’s Open at Atlanta Athletic Club 334

Scott Hoch, 1989 Masters 334

Jeff Sluman, 1987 Tournament Players Championship at Sawgrass 335

T C Chen, 1985 U.S Open at Oakland Hills 335

Hale Irwin, 1983 British Open at Royal Birkdale 335

Jerry Pate, 1982 World Series of Golf at Firestone 336

Tommy Nakajima, 1978 Masters 336

Billy Casper, 1968 Bob Hope Desert Classic 336

Roberto DeVicenzo, 1968 Masters 337

Marty Fleckman, 1967 U.S Open at Baltusrol 337

Arnold Palmer, 1966 U.S Open at the Olympic Club 337

Arnold Palmer, 1961 Los Angeles Open at Rancho Park 338

Billy Joe Patton, 1954 Masters 338

Byron Nelson, 1946 U.S Open at Canterbury 338

Sam Snead, 1939 U.S Open at Spring Mill 339

Ray Ainsley, 1938 U.S Open at Cherry Hills 339

Roland Hancock, 1928 U.S Open at Olympia Fields 340

xvii

Table of Contents

Part VII: Appendixes 341

Appendix A: Golf Speak 343

Appendix B: Golf Organizations 361

Associations 361

Golf Schools 362

Component Companies 364

Index 365

Golf For Dummies, 3rd Edition

xviii

Possibly the only saving grace for this publication is the fact that I’m ing the foreword, and I’m only doing it because the nimrod who wrote ithas threatened to publish pictures of Peter Kostis shaving my back in theshower Bearing in mind that this book was written by a man whose advicehelped me off the PGA Tour in both Europe and the United States and into a

writ-TV booth, if I were you I wouldn’t set my hopes too high To be honest, I’d trust

an Octoberfest-addled polka fiend with my beer before trusting McCord with

any kind of instructional manual, but this thing is a For Dummies book, so it

might just work

To be serious for a nanosecond, I must say this book is the best guide for newgolfers that the world has ever known I hope reading the following pages will

at least help you correct the most common error in golf, which is taking thegame — and more importantly yourself — too seriously Just remember, you

are meant to suck at golf Anyone who doesn’t is a freak of nature.

Yours with deep reluctance,David Feherty

Golf For Dummies, 3rd Edition

xx

Welcome to Golf For Dummies, 3rd Edition If this is the first golf book

you’ve ever read, don’t worry I’ve read more of them than I cancount Plus, I’ve had a chance to go back over everything I wrote in the firsttwo editions and make it even clearer and funnier

My first thoughts about writing Golf For Dummies were no doubt similar to

your present feelings about golf I knew that I wanted to do it, but I also knewthat it would take a lot of my time and attention Did I want to devote most of

my spare time to an endeavor that was so hard? Why not? I haven’t given

any-thing back to society in a while!

Besides, the whole thing sounded like fun So is golf

About This Book

I want this book to appeal to players at every level Although my buddies onthe PGA Tour will probably read it just to see if I can construct a sentence, Ilike to think that I have something to offer even the best golfers The guys Igrew up with at San Luis Rey golf course in Southern California will check out

Golf For Dummies to see whether I’ve used any of their funniest lines And I

hope that the title will pique the interest of many people who have neverplayed the game

In any case, you have in your hands a sometimes-funny, instruction-packed,wide-eyed look at a game full of fascination that will serve you for the rest ofyour days on the links

This, then, is no ordinary golf-instruction book Most of the volumes you canfind in your local bookstore are written by professional players or teachers

As such, these books focus solely on the golf swing Golf For Dummies covers

a lot more than the swing This book ought to be the only book you needbefore you develop a golf dependency (Please contact a physician when youfeel the first symptoms coming on — frustration, talking to yourself after

missing a shot, that kind of thing These are the warning signs Remember:

From a medical standpoint, this book is cheaper than a visit to the doctor.)

Having said all that, I’m assuming that you have dabbled with golf, havefound that you like it, and would like to get better In my experience, mostpeople give golf a try before they pick up the instructions It must be an egothing, kind of like those people who don’t like to ask for directions when theyget lost because they feel that it’s an admission of failure Most people want

to see what they can achieve on their own before they call in the cavalry.Then if they still can’t find their way, they get frustrated

My aim is to get you beyond whatever stage your golf game is at without your

having to resort to other texts Golf For Dummies will build for you the solid

foundation needed to become not just someone who can hit a golf ball, but areal golfer There’s a big difference between the two, as you’ll soon discover

Conventions Used in This Book

When this book was printed, some Web addresses may have needed to breakacross two lines of text If that happened, rest assured that I haven’t put inany extra characters (like hyphens) to indicate the break When using one ofthese Web addresses, just type in exactly what you see in this book, pretend-ing that the line break doesn’t exist

What You’re Not to Read

The publishers and I have put this book together with your convenience inmind Nice, huh? What that means is simple:

⻬ When you see the Technical Stuff icon (shown later in this Introduction),you can skip that text if you want It’s not essential to understanding therest of the book

⻬ The same goes for sidebars, which are scattered through the book,printed on gray backgrounds Sidebars are extra added attractions I’vetried to make them fun and informative, but they aren’t crucial to the rest

of the book Feel free to skip over them — you won’t hurt my feelings

Foolish Assumptions

Because you picked up this book, I assume that you’re interested in golf Ialso assume that you’re not already a great golfer, or else you’d be out theremaking millions on the PGA Tour Beyond that, I’m going to figure that you’re

a little like I was when I became a professional golfer

When I started out on the PGA Tour in 1974, I was full of fight and enthusiasmbut lacked a basic knowledge of golf-swing mechanics A warm panic wouldstart to rise in me about ten minutes before I was due to tee off Doubt anddread would accompany me to the first tee My brain would be racing, trying

to figure out what swing thought (that one aspect of the swing that you

medi-tate on to keep focused) to use that day Most of the time, I’d be left with athought like, “Keep the left elbow toward magnetic north on the downswing.”

Usually, that action resulted in a silly-looking slice into a parking lot I swungthe club that way for most of my career So I know what it’s like to play with-out knowledge or a solid foundation Believe me, I’m a lot happier — andhaving a lot more fun — now that I know what I’m doing

The reason I’m qualified to help you now is that I have made a serious effort

to become a student of the game When I started working on golf telecasts forCBS, I didn’t know much about the inner workings of the swing But my newjob forced me to learn My odyssey led me to seek advice from some of theworld’s greatest teachers

One of them was Mac O’Grady, a golfer I grew up with in Southern California

He has developed a knowledge of the golf swing that, in my opinion, isunequaled O’Grady has researched his method with passion since 1983 Theresult is a swing model that has been tested and never found wanting I havebeen lucky to study under O’Grady, and I can’t thank him enough But I donot cover Mac’s model in this book; his knowledge is for advanced golfers Noone has ever called me advanced, so I’m gonna stick to basics in this book

How This Book Is Organized

Golf For Dummies will lead you through the process of becoming a golfer.

Beginners need many questions answered as they take on the game I’ve nized this book so that you take those steps one at a time and can return any-time for a quick reference May this walk be a pleasant one!

orga-Part I: Getting Started: No, You Can’t Hit the Ball Yet

Where do I play, and what’s the course record? Wait a minute! First you need

to know what this game is about You need clubs You need to know how toswing the clubs You may want to take a lesson to see whether you like thegame, and then find golf clubs that fit you In this part, I show you where toshop for clubs and give you some tips on the questions to ask before youmake your purchase Then I give you some ideas about what kind of golfcourses to play Picking up golf is a never-ending process of discovery, and itstarts right here

3

Introduction

Part II: You Ain’t Got a Thing

If You Ain’t Got That Swing

This part gets right to the point I give you a close look at the workings of thegolf swing and help with your mental preparation You also get a good look atthe short game, where most scoring takes place I show you how to blastyour way out of bunkers and make those 4-foot putts

Part III: Common Faults and Easy Fixes

In this part, I tackle the tough shots and help you deal with bad luck and badweather You’ll develop many faults during your golfing life, and this partaddresses a majority of them (You bought this book, so I won’t fault you forthat.)

Part IV: Taking Your Game Public

In this part, you get the final touches of your education as a golfer You seehow the rules were established, how to conduct yourself on the golf course,and the fine art of betting You even get the do’s and don’ts of golf-course etiquette After you read this part, you’ll be able to walk onto any golf courseand look like you know what you’re doing

Part V: Golf: It’s Electric!

A sad fact of life is that you can’t always be out on the course In this part, Ishow you how to tap into the best of golf on television and online Turn onthe TV to see tournaments to fantasize about and, of course, my smiling face.Boot up your computer, and I’ll introduce you to a world of information, golfforums, and more

Part VI: The Part of Tens

This part contains the best of, the worst of — and some things that don’tmean anything to anybody except me I just thought you might enjoy knowingabout them

Part VII: Appendixes

Golfers have a language all their own Appendix A lists all the terms you’llneed to add to your vocabulary Appendix B lists some of the more populargolf organizations, products, and resources, along with a select list of schoolsaround the country

Icons Used in This Book

I guide you through this maze of golf wit and wisdom with some handy roadsigns Look for these friendly icons; they point you toward valuable adviceand hazards to watch out for

Duck! This is an awareness alert Pay attention

This icon marks golf hazards to avoid Be careful!

This icon flags information that shows you easy ways to improve your game

Do this or I will never speak to you again

Talk like this, and golfers will understand you

This might make your head spin; take two aspirin and get plenty of rest

This icon flags information that’s important enough to repeat

5

Introduction

Where to Go from Here

Go ahead, pick your spots This book isn’t designed to be read like a novelfrom cover to cover If you’re a complete novice, read Appendix A first — getcomfortable with the language If you’re a little more advanced and need helpwith some specific aspect of your game or swing, you can find that informa-tion in Chapters 6 through 10 The rest of the book will help you make thatvital jump from “golf novice” to “real golfer.”

As my former boss at CBS, Frank Chirkinian, said, “Golf is not a game; it’s away of life If it was a game, someone would have figured it out by now.”

I hope this book helps you “figure it out.”

Part I

Getting Started:

No, You Can’t Hit

the Ball Yet

In this part

This part explores the Zenlike qualities of golf: Why isgolf here? Who in the world would think of somethingthis hard to do for fun? This game must have been invented

by someone who guards the netherworld!

In this part of the book, I describe a typical golf course Ialso show you how to buy clubs and accessories that willmake you look like a pro I show you how to learn this game

I discuss where to take lessons and how best to survivethe lesson tee In this part, you get a whirlwind tour, fromthe driving range all the way up to a full 18-hole course —including the penthouse of golf, the private country club.Get ready; it’s time to play golf!

Chapter 1

What Is This Thing Called Golf?

In This Chapter

䊳Knowing the goals of the game

䊳Answering the question: Why play golf?

䊳Looking at a typical course

䊳Becoming a “real” golfer

Golf is a simple game You’ve got clubs and a ball You have to hit the ballinto a series of holes laid out in the middle of a large, grassy field Afteryou reach the 18th hole, you may want to go to a bar and tell lies about youron-course feats to anyone you didn’t play with that day If you’re like mostpeople, you play golf for relaxation and a chance to see the great outdoors Ifyou’re like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, and Tiger Woods, youmake a bazillion dollars on top of seeing the great outdoors

Of course, there are some obstacles To paraphrase Winston Churchill, whocalled golf “a silly game played with implements ill-suited for the purpose,”the game isn’t always straightforward

The Goals of the Game

Simply stated, the goal of golf is to get the ball into each of 18 holes in sion with the fewest number of shots, using no more 14 clubs After you hitthe ball into all the holes, you add up your scores from all the holes Thelower your total score, the better That is golf That is the goal

succes-The game lies in the journey As you play, you devise ways to get the ball intothe hole in as few strokes as possible Many outside stimuli — and manymore inside you — make this endeavor very interesting

The best advice I can give you is to take the game slowly, make prudent sions, and never hit a shot while contemplating other matters Golf should beplayed with total concentration and a complete disregard for your ego Try amonastic existence, at least for the duration of the round Golf tempts you totry feats of derring-do You must judge your talents and abilities You alone

deci-10 Part I: Getting Started: No, You Can’t Hit the Ball Yet

determine your success or failure: Should you try to make it over the waterand go for the green that’s 240 yards away?

Figure 1-1 shows how to plan your course of action You start at the tee andmove to Position A If the ball goes 240 yards and a watery grave is lurking tothe left, don’t try the improbable and go for it Lay up to Position B, and gofrom there to the green via C Take the talents that you have and explore thisever-fascinating game of maneuvering a ball through the hazards of yourmind Welcome to my nightmare

A

B C

Figure 1-1:

Don’t get tooambit-ious — play thegame onestep at atime

Score is everything As you see in Chapters 8, 9, and 10, most scoring occurswithin 100 yards of the hole If you can save strokes here, your score will belower than that of the player whose sole purpose in life is to crush the ball asfar as possible So practice your putting, sand play, and short shots twice asmuch as your driving Your hard work will pay off, and your friends will bethe ones dipping into their wallets.

Why Play Golf?

You’ve probably heard that business leaders are constantly making hugedeals on the course, advancing their careers Well, “constantly” may be anoverstatement — business leaders, like other players, spend much of theirtime on the course looking for wayward golf balls But it’s true that golf mayhelp you climb the corporate ladder That’s one reason to play

And it’s about the 167th-most-important reason More-important reasonsinclude spending time with friends, staying in shape, and enjoying some ofthe most beautiful scenery you’ll ever see (All tennis courts are pretty muchthe same, but each golf course is different from every other, and many are

designed to show off their gorgeous settings.) Golf is a physical and mental

challenge — it tests your skill and your will

It’s also a game for a lifetime Your friends may play football and basketball inhigh school, but how many are still returning kickoffs or grabbing reboundswhen they’re 30 or 40 or 60 years old?

11

Chapter 1: What Is This Thing Called Golf?

Why it’s the hardest game of all

As I see it, golf is the world’s hardest game fortwo reasons:

⻬ The ball doesn’t move on its own

⻬ You have, on average, about three minutesbetween shots

In other words, you don’t react to the ball as you

do in most sports A baseball is thrown, hit, andspit on A football is passed, tossed, kicked, and run up and down the field A basketball isshot, rebounded, and dribbled all over the place

A golf ball just sits there and defies you not tolose it

In most sports, you have but an instant to react

to the action Your natural athleticism takesover, and you play to the whim of the ball In golf,you get to think about what you’re doing formuch too long Thinking too much strangles thesoul and suffocates the mind

Golf would be easier if the ball moved a little andyou were on skates

The most important reason to play, though, is that golf is magic It’s ing, frustrating, crazy — and totally addictive When it becomes part of yourlife, you can barely imagine life without it.

madden-What You’ll Find on a Typical Course

Most golf courses have 18 holes, although a few, usually because of a lack of

money or land, have only 9 Courses beside the sea are called links, in honor

of the parts of Scotland where the game began (They were the link between

beach and farmland.) The 19th hole is golfspeak for the clubhouse bar — the

place where you can reflect on your game over a refreshing beverage of yourchoice (See Appendix A for the lowdown on golf jargon.)

How long is a typical golf course? Most are between 5,500 and 7,000 yards Afew monsters are longer, but leave those courses to the pros you see on TV.Start at the low end of that scale and work your way up

Every hole you play will be a par-3, a par-4, or a par-5 (Par-2s are for minigolf

courses; the exceedingly rare par-6s tend to be gimmicks.) Par is the number

of strokes a reasonably competent player should take to play a particularhole For example, on a par-5 hole, a regulation par might consist of a drive,two more full swings, and two putts Two putts is the standard on everygreen

Three putts isn’t good One putt is a bonus The bottom line is that in a fect round of par golf, half the allocated strokes should be taken on thegreens That premise makes putting important (I talk about how to putt inChapter 8.)

per-Obviously, a par-5 is longer than a par-4 (two full swings, two putts), which inturn is longer than a par-3 (one full swing, two putts) With rare exceptions,par-3s are from 100 to 250 yards in length; par-4s are between 251 and 475yards long, barring severe topography; and par-5s are anything longer thanthat

Many courses in the United States have a total par of 72, consisting of tenpar-4s (40), four par-3s (12), and four par-5s (20) But you can find golfcourses with total pars of anywhere from 62 to 74 Almost anything goes.Table 1-1 lists the yardages that determine par on a hole, for men and women.It’s worth noting that these guidelines don’t always refer to precise yardages,but to what the United States Golf Association calls a hole’s “effective playinglength.” A 460-yard hole that went straight uphill, for example, could be a par-

5 for men

Table 1-1 Regulation Yardages

Women Men

Par-3 210 yards or less 250 yards or lessPar-4 211 to 400 yards 251 to 470 yardsPar-5 401 to 575 yards 471 to 690 yardsPar-6 More than 575 yards More than 690 yards

Source: United States Golf Association.

That’s the big picture You often find several different teeing areas on eachhole so that you can play the hole from different lengths The vast majority ofholes have more than one teeing area — usually four I’ve seen courses with

as many as six different tees on one hole Deciding which tee area to use canmake you silly So the tee areas are marked with color-coded tees that indi-cate ability:

⻬ The gold tees are invariably the back tees and are for blessed strikers

only

⻬ The blue tees are usually slightly ahead of the gold and make the holes

shorter, but still plenty hard Club competitions are played from thesetees

⻬ The white tees are for everyday, casual play, and are the right choice for

beginning golfers Stray from the white tees at your peril

⻬ The red tees are traditionally used by women, although many women I

play with use the same tees I play

How You Can Become a “Real” Golfer

What’s a “real” golfer? There are three essentials:

⻬ You understand the game

⻬ You can play it a little

⻬ You never dishonor its spirit

Anyone can smack a ball aimlessly around a course (I can already hear myfellow professionals saying, “Yeah — like you, McCord!”) But that doesn’tmake you a real golfer There’s much more to this game than hitting a ballwith a stick

13

Chapter 1: What Is This Thing Called Golf?

How can you start becoming a “real” golfer? It’s easy: Read this book You’llfind everything you need to get started, from equipment to instruction tocommon problems, etiquette, betting, and more I tell you about the pitfallsthat beginners face (and I’m not just talking bunkers), and how to avoidthem.

You need to start by buying golf clubs and balls You don’t have to shell outthousands of dollars to get started You can start simple — use cheap equip-ment at first, and spend more if you enjoy the game (Check out Chapter 2 fortips on what you need to get started.)

After you have golf clubs, you need to know how to grip the club: The V

between the thumb and forefinger of your top hand should point to yourright shoulder That seems simple, but you wouldn’t believe how many begin-ners get it wrong — and complicate their voyage to the promised land of

“real” golfers (Chapter 6 has more information on this gripping — pardon thepun — topic.)

When you’ve got the grip down pat, you’re ready to swing Believe me, theswing is not as easy as it looks That’s why I devote an entire chapter —Chapter 7 — to developing your own swing That’s where you can determinewhat type of golfer you are You can also find out about swing plane, variouscheckpoints during the swing, and what amateurs can glean from the swings

of such great players as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Annika Sorenstam, andTiger Woods

You’ve probably heard about golf etiquette, handicaps, and one- and stroke penalties — and maybe even such goofy-sounding things as nassaus,skins, and barkies If not, don’t worry You’ll soon be tossing such termsaround like a pro (Chapters 13, 14, and 15 give you the fine points of playingwith experienced golfers on public and private courses.) Knowing when to hit

two-(and when not to), how to keep score, and how to bet are integral parts of the

game

Living the Golf Life

As any true golf nut will tell you, there’s more to the game than playing it.There’s the fun of feeding your addiction by watching the sport on TV, follow-ing it on the Internet, and playing golf video games when there’s a foot ofsnow outside (See Chapters 16, 17, and 18 for my guide to televised golf, thegame’s best Web sites, and other outlets.)

If the golf bug bites you, as it has bitten millions of others, that little suckerwill have you living and breathing birdies, bogeys, barkies, and digital dim-ples — all the stuff that keeps golf nuts going when they’re not actually out

on the course, slapping balls who knows where

Chapter 1: What Is This Thing Called Golf?

Cool historical things to know about golf

⻬ The first reference to golf dates back to thereign of King James II of Scotland In 1457,King James decreed that “futeball” and

“gowf” were forbidden so that Scottish men could concentrate on their archerypractice — the better to beat their enemies,the English, on the battlefield Golf remainedoutlawed until 1501

⻬ Dutch historians including Steven vonHengel have argued that golf originated inHolland around 1297 A form of the game,called spel metten kolve and also calledcolf (which means club), was popular in thelate 13th century Colf, it is believed, wasplayed mostly on ice

⻬ The first instruction book, written byThomas Kincaid, appeared in 1687 Amonghis tips: “Maintain the same posture of thebody throughout (the swing) and the ballmust be straight before your breast, a littletowards the left foot.” How did he know?

⻬ In 1743, a shipment of 96 golf clubs and 432golf balls made its way from Scotland toCharleston, South Carolina Such a bigorder suggests it was intended for a group

of golfers Another golf club or society mayhave been organized in Savannah, Georgia,

in 1796, only to be disbanded later It would

be another century before American golfgot going for good

⻬ America’s first permanent golf club wasformed in 1888 in Yonkers, New York The St

Andrews golf club played on a three-holelayout that ended near a large apple tree

The club’s golfers became known as theApple Tree Gang They hung their coats onthe tree before they teed off According to

legend, they finished play one day to findtheir coats stolen by a rival gang known forits disdain of fruit

⻬ In 1890, the term bogey was coined by HughRotherham — only back then it referred toplaying a hole in the perfect number ofstrokes, or a ground score, which we todaycall par Shortly after the invention of theHaskell ball, which made reaching a hole infewer strokes possible, bogey came to rep-resent a score of one over par for a hole

⻬ The term birdie wasn’t coined until 1898,emanating from Atlantic Country Club out ofthe phrase “a bird of a hole.” This gap in ter-minology is no doubt attributed to the diffi-culty in attaining a bird, a fact that endures

to this day

⻬ A match-play exhibition was held in 1926,pitting Professional Golfers Associationmembers from Britain and America Played

in England, the home team dominated 131⁄2

to 11⁄2.The next year, at Worcester CountryClub, the teams met again, only this timepossession of a solid gold trophy was atstake, donated by a wealthy British seedmerchant named Samuel A Ryder Thuswere born the Ryder Cup Matches

⻬ The Hershey Chocolate Company, in soring the 1933 Hershey Open, became thefirst corporate title sponsor of a profes-sional tournament So blame the cocoaguys

spon-⻬ A local telecast of the 1947 U.S Open in

St Louis marked the advent of televisedgolf, a red-letter day in golf history if everthere was one Now I could finally have

a job

16 Part I: Getting Started: No, You Can’t Hit the Ball Yet

Chapter 2

Gearing Up

In This Chapter

䊳Choosing a golf ball

䊳Buying golf clubs

䊳Knowing which club to use

䊳Dressing like a pro

䊳Buying accessories

In the last 100 years, golf has changed enormously, but the most noticeabledifference is in equipment The game may be inherently the same, but theimplements used to get from tee to green and into the hole are unrecogniz-able compared to the rather primitive implements used by Young Tom Morris(one of the great, early pioneers of golf) and his Scottish buddies in the late19th century Okay, so early golf equipment had more romantic names:Niblick, brassie, spoon, driving-iron, mashie, and mashie-niblick are more funthan 9-iron, 3-wood, 1-iron, 5-iron, and 7-iron But golf equipment today ismuch better

The old Scottish worthies (a great name for players) used clubs whose shafts

were wooden — hickory, to be exact Individually, these clubs may have beenfine, but what were the chances of finding a dozen or so identical pieces ofwood? Slim to none

Nowadays, you have no excuse for playing with equipment ill suited to yourswing, body, and game There’s too much information out there to help you.And that’s the purpose of this chapter — to help you find your way throughwhat can be a confusing maze of statistics and terminology

Golf Balls: The Dimple Derby

Many technological advances have occurred in the game of golf over theyears, but perhaps nothing has changed more than the golf ball It’s no coinci-dence that the United States Golf Association (USGA) and Royal and AncientGolf Club (R&A) keep a tight rein on just how far a ball can go nowadays If

18 Part I: Getting Started: No, You Can’t Hit the Ball Yet

the associations didn’t provide regulations, almost every golf course on theplanet would be reduced to a pitch and putt We’d all be putting throughwindmills just to keep the scores up in the 50s

For the record, here are the specifications the USGA imposes on Titleist,Maxfli, and the rest of the ball manufacturers:

⻬ Size: A golf ball may not be smaller than 1.68 inches in diameter The ball

can be as big as you want, however Just don’t expect a bigger ball to gofarther — it won’t I’ve never seen anyone use a ball bigger than 1.68inches in diameter

⻬ Weight: The golf ball may not be heavier than 1.62 ounces.

⻬ Velocity: The USGA has a machine for measuring how fast a ball comes

off the face of a club That’s not easy, because impact lasts only 450 lionths of a second, and a good ball can zoom off at more than 170 miles

mil-an hour

No legal ball may exceed an initial velocity of 250 feet per second at atemperature between 73 and 77 degrees A tolerance of no more than 2percent is allowed, which means an absolute max of 255 feet per second.This rule ensures that golf balls don’t go too far (In addition to balls, theUSGA now tests bouncy-faced drivers to keep a lid on distance.)

⻬ Distance: Distance is the most important factor For years the standard

was the USGA’s “Iron Byron” robot (named for sweet-swingin’ ByronNelson) No ball struck by Iron Byron could go farther than 280 yards Atolerance of 6 percent was allowed, making 296.8 yards the absolute far-thest the ball could go Today the robot has some help from high-techball launchers in the USGA labs, and the upper limit has risen to 317yards

Yeah, right Iron Byron, meet the PGA Tour! Guys like Tiger Woods, ErnieEls, and their buddies just aren’t normal — they regularly blast drivesway past 350 yards!

⻬ Shape: A golf ball must be round An anti-slice ball on the market a few

years ago was weighted on one side and failed this test Nice try, though!Even with these regulations, take a look around any golf professional’s shopand you’ll see many different brands And upon closer inspection, you’ll findthat every type of ball falls into one of two categories: Either the manufac-turer is claiming that this ball goes farther and straighter than any other ball

in the cosmos, or it’s telling you that this ball gives you more control

Try not to get overwhelmed Keep in mind that golf balls come in only threebasic types: one-piece, two-piece, and three-piece You can forget one-pieceballs — they tend to be cheap and nasty and found only on driving ranges Sothat leaves two-piece and three-piece balls

Don’t worry; deciding on a type of ball is still easy You don’t even have toknow what a two-piece or three-piece ball contains or why it has that many

“pieces.” Leave all that to the scientists And don’t worry too much aboutlaunch angle or spin rate, either Today’s balls are technological marvels,designed to take off high and spin just enough to go as straight as possible

19

Chapter 2: Gearing Up

When golf was a (lopsided) ball

Early golf was played with a feathery golf ball — a stitched leather ball stuffed with boiledgoose feathers A feather ball cost three times

as much as a club, and because feathery ballswere delicate, players had to carry three to sixballs at a time The balls flew poorly in wetweather (a problem in Scotland), and were hard

to putt, because they weren’t round They werecloser to egg shaped, in fact

Although the feathery ball was a vast ment over the wooden balls that preceded it, thegutta percha was an extraordinary break-through In 1848, the Reverend Adam Paterson

improve-of St Andrews introduced the gutta percha ball,

or gutty, which was made from the sap of thegutta tree found in the tropics When heated,the rubberlike sap could easily be fashionedinto a golf ball This invention, not to mention thespread of the railways, contributed to theexpansion of golf The gutty was considerablymore durable than the feathery and much moreaffordable After golfers discovered that bram-ble patterns and other markings on the guttyenhanced its aerodynamics, this ball swiftlyachieved dominance in the marketplace

After 1900, the Haskell rubber-cored ball quicklyreplaced the gutta percha as the ball of choice

Invented two years earlier by Cleveland dent Coburn Haskell and manufactured by the

resi-B F Goodrich Rubber Company of Akron, Ohio,the Haskell ball, featuring a gutty cover and awound rubber core, traveled farther (up to 20

yards more on average) and delivered greaterdurability

It didn’t take much time for this new ball to gainacceptance, especially after Alexander

“Sandy” Herd defeated renowned Harry Vardonand James Braid in the 1902 British Open atHoylake, England, using the same Haskell ballfor 72 holes Most golfers today, on the otherhand, use six to eight golf balls during a singleround of a tour event

The rest of the 20th century was spent refiningthe Haskell In 1905, William Taylor invented thefirst dimpled ball, improving flight because thedimple pattern maximized lift and minimizeddrag Around the time Taylor was playing withhis dimples, Elazer Kempshall of the UnitedStates and Frank Mingay of Scotland were inde-pendently experimenting with liquid-core balls

In 1920, gutta percha began to fade entirely fromuse, replaced by a soft rubber called balata

It was another 50 years before a popular native to the Haskell came along In 1972,Spalding introduced the first two-piece ball, theExecutive

alter-Today, two-, three-, and even four-piece ballsdominate the market (A three-piece ball has athin extra layer between the cover and the core;

a four-piece ball has a core within a core.)Many pros use three- or four-piece balls whosecover hardness, launch angle, and spin rate areperfectly tuned to their games