Pine Valley Golf Course has been around since 1913. The idea for the course was formed by hotel-owner George Crump. He sold his hotel in order to build this dream course. However, he was met with some serious challenges in the beginning. Because of the pine barren terrain and how he wanted to the course laid out, the construction costs and obstacles were much greater than he expected. In regards to how he wanted the course laid out, he wanted to make sure that no two holes ran parallel to each other, that you could only see the hole you were currently playing on and that every club would be required during your round. At the start, the public began to refer to the course as Crump’s Folly. This is ironic considering Golf Magazine listed it as the #1 golf course in the world in 2009. Pine Valley Golf Course has also received numerous rave reviews from Golfweek and Golf Digest.

Pine Valley Golf Course is also interesting and unique for other reasons. For instance, you can’t play there unless you’re a member or if you’re invited by a member. What makes this interesting is that members are scattered throughout the world. It’s not easy to find someone to offer you an invitation. At one time, two members were suspended for charging guests $10,000 for a round of golf. Another interesting aspect of Pine Valley is that women are only allowed to play on Sunday afternoons. If you fit into the public category and you would like to see this course with your own eyes, this is possible every year in late September, which is when the Crump Cup takes place. This tournament features many elite amateur golfers, which is an added bonus.

As far as the course itself goes, let’s take a look at some of the numbers. The Championship Course has a 155 slope and a 75.6 rating. It’s 7.057 yards and a Par 70. The Regular Course has a 153 slope and a 72.8 rating. It’s 6,532 yards and a Par 70. The average score on the Championship Course is an 88.

The Pine Valley Golf Club has many amenities, which include a clubhouse with great room and bar, a pro shop, several dining rooms, a private board room, lockers, a lounge, a patio and airport shuttle service.

Pine Valley Golf Course is located in Clementon, New Jersey.

The sport of golf has always been open to the concept of technological advancements. Many innovations have come along in the past few decades, allowing novice golfers to swing clubs that are fit for a professional. In the midst of this constant progression forward, an important debate has arisen. Are graphite shafts better than steel shafts? Here is what we found when we put that question to the test.

Steel Shaft Pros & Cons

Steel shafted clubs have been in the hands of hundreds of PGA tournament winners since their advent in the mid-20th century. Consistent and durable, steel shafts are less expensive than graphite as a result of the abundance and availability of steel. They are also a bit heavier than graphite, which makes them a good choice for shorter players who may not be able to produce swing speeds that exceed 100 miles per hour.

At the advent of graphite shafts in the 1970s, steel shafts were regarded as more durable and longer lasting, but recent advancements to the manufacturing of graphite have leveled the playing field. Even so, an estimated 20% of PGA pros have at least two steel shafted clubs in their bag. Steel shafts are the perfect choice for a novice golfer or someone who is just picking up the game, as they are inexpensive as compared to graphite and will essentially produce the same results. Many players whose bags are filled with graphite shafts have gone through coaching and swing analysis and have a set of specifically tailored clubs. For the person just looking to go out and have some fun every week or two, steel is just fine.

Graphite Shafts Pros & Cons

Graphite shafts came into prominence in the 1990s, as PGA professionals who cared not about price began to realize that a graphite shaft has some serious advantages over steel. The biggest and most profitable advantage of graphite is its flexibility, which allows the club head to make its way through the point of contact with a substantially greater amount of speed than a steel shaft would allow.

Graphite is much lighter than steel, so the clubs weigh less, which puts more control in the hands of the golfer. Graphite shafts transmit only a fraction of the vibration to the hands that steel shafts do, making life easier on your hands and wrists.

Many people enjoy playing a round of golf with their friends every weekend, but many of them become confused about which club to hit. All golf courses indicate how far it is from the tee box to the middle of the green, but these numbers are not always accurate. Most local golf courses hire high school or college kids to mow the course, and a lot of times the tee markers do not get put in their proper spot. This means that a par 3 that is supposedly 170 yards can suddenly be substantially shorter or longer. Now, when the golfer comes up short, they will immediately begin questioning how they hit the green during last weekend’s round. The golfer who clears the green will be thinking that they gained a lot of distance over the week, but the sad reality is that the tee marker was moved up 10 yards. Fortunately, golfers can always know exactly how far it is to not just the middle, but the front and back of the green by purchasing an SkyCaddie SGXW.

SkyCaddie SGXW

The SkyCaddie SGXW is the best golf GPS, which is short for Global Positioning System, on the market. There are a lot of GPS units on the market, but none of them are nearly as sophisticated as the SGXW. This GPS unit will allow golfers to have access to course maps for up to 30,000 courses. Most golfers will only need to access a few of them for their weekend ventures, but if they ever did travel, they would really appreciate having the extra course maps available. When golfers get to the first hole with their SkyCaddie, they will be amazed at how realistic the graphics are. Golfer will be able to choose where they want to aim the ball, find that object on the GPS and know exactly how far it is to that point. Golfers will also be very impressed with the unit when it comes to making a layup shot because they will also be able to know exactly how far their target is.

The SkyCaddie SGXW will not turn an amateur into a professional in one round of golf, but it definitely can shave strokes off of nearly anyone’s game. People will actually know how far they hit each club, so they will not be short of the green nearly as often. Most PGA, or Professional Golfers’ Association, members even use a SkyCaddie SGXW during their practice rounds, so that shows how reliable the unit is. This would be an excellent gift with Christmas coming up.

As most of our readers know, CAVEAT EMPTOR MEANS “Let the Buyer Beware.”  This Latin term came to mind recently when I visited a local golf facility the day after their Member-Guest event.

The event was successful and enjoyed by most of the participants. There was some controversy and anger because of the hole-in-one prize offered during the tournament.  Against odds, the insured hole, featuring a new Mercedes Benz automobile saw not one, not two, but THREE aces scored during the official competition.  The controversy and anger came from the fact that the insurance policy paid for ONLY THE FIRST HOLE-IN-ONE!  The other two Ace-Makers® simply got to put a one on their scorecard!  The other point of contention was that the female golfers were required to play from just 15 yards in front of the regular and insured tee position.

Since National Hole-In-One Association pioneered hole-in-one insurance in the early 1980’s, almost every charity, corporate, or premier local event features a prize for holes-in-one scored during the competition.  We realized early on that each golfer pays an established entry fee, and should enjoy the same benefits the event offered.  In the event of multiple aces on the target hole, each ace should be awarded the prize.  In addition, we realized that many events include female golfers, and they are accustomed to playing from tees that are forward of the men’s tee box complexes.

In this case, the event was obviously not insured through National Hole-In-One Association.  Had they insured through us, the new Mercedes Benz automobile would have been awarded to each of the three golfers, and the ladies would have been able to compete from the standard Ladies tee positions.

It is now the time of the year when events are planning their 2012 tournaments.  Please make sure to include National Hole-In-One Association with your tournament agenda, and know that we have paid out over $50,000,000 in prizes and have successfully worked with over 300,000 events.

Call us at National Hole-In-One Association at 800 527-6944 and get the most complete coverage for your event and peace of mind.

Offering a magnificent hole-in-one prize at your event adds excitement and creates sponsorship opportunities.  A few dollars of savings are not worth what the fine print can take away.

The end of the golf season may be approaching, but TaylorMade has just rolled out its new R11 irons just in time for the holidays. Blending the aesthetics of a player’s irons with the technology to help high handicappers, the R11 irons are an excellent choice for middle handicaps who would like to add more variety to their games but aren’t quite ready yet for strict blades.

TaylorMade has included a number of technological features into the R11s, which help them to perform as well as they do. TaylorMade’s engineers have designed the R11s with a precision weight port in each iron that positions a 2.5 to 17 gram weight directly behind the center of gravity, creating a larger sweet spot, which will help to mitigate the effects of an off-centered hit. Each weight has been specifically calibrated and cannot be moved by golfers unlike in some drivers that offer adjustable weighting systems.

In addition, Taylormade has designed the R11 irons with its inverted cone technology. The inverted cone technology also increases the effective area of the sweet spot, allowing golfers of all handicaps and skill levels to achieve faster ball speeds and optimal launch angles, even on off-centered hits.

Another technological advancement TaylorMade has included with the R11 irons is manufacturing them with an ultra-thin face, which creates a higher coefficient of restitution, or greater springboard effect, which will help golfers to launch the ball higher and farther.

All of these improvements may make it sound like the R11 irons are game improvement irons, but they really are not. With a thin sole, slender top line, and minimal offset, the R11 irons will appeal to low handicappers and mid handicappers who want to add more precision, workability, and control into their games. It is this factor that really makes the R11 irons stand out. Better players who want to have a thinner sole and minimal offset can do well with the R11 irons simply because of the technology behind them, which will help to curtail some errant shots that one would normally get from traditional players irons that have a muscle back, blade design.

While Illinois and the rest of the Midwest may not be known for having the best golf courses in the world, one of the area’s top courses is frequently considered one of the most pristine and competitive courses in existence. For those looking for an excellent place to golf, the Cog Hill Golf Course would be an excellent option.

The Cog Hill Golf Course is a public golf complex, which is located in Lemont, IL, a suburb that is about 30 miles southwest of Chicago. While the course is a public course that is open to all people, the course is likely best known for being the home of several amateur and professional tournaments each year. Cog Hill was the home of the PGA’s Western Open tournament from 1991 through 2006. Starting in 2007, the tournament had been rebranded as the BMW Championship, but it continues to be played at Cog Hill.

Cog Hill has a total of 72 holes across four different courses, each of which has an above average difficulty level. The most challenging of the courses at Cog Hill is Course #4, which is also referred to as Dubsdread. This course is by far the longest of the four as it has 7,550 yard in total length. The Par-71 course is typically the course used for any professional tournament that is held at Cog Hill.

Beyond the Dubsdread, Cog Hill has three other courses that are designed for more amateur play. These three courses range from around 6,200 yards to 6,600 and are all around Par-71. These three courses all have slightly lower difficulty scores and are more readily available for use by the general public.

While Cog Hill is available to the public, players should be aware that the price of golf can be far more expensive than what it would be at other courses in the area. On the weekends, a green fee during the summer months at peak hours could easily cost $150 or more for 18 holes on Course #4. While Course #4 is quite expensive, the other three courses are far more affordable. Green fees at courses 1, 2, and 3 are typically less than $40 during regular hours, with twilight prices often falling below $20 per round. Golfers looking to take a cart should also expect to spend at least another $16 per round. All in all these are some of the best course offered in Chicago.

For over a decade, Tiger Woods was synonymous with golf. He was the greatest player, with the greatest following, and he owned the major tournaments. He seemed invincible. Then, seemingly overnight, Woods went #1 in the world, to just another golfer. His tumultuous personal life, coupled with knee problems, took its toll. Although it seemed as if golf was headed into the dark ages, a new crop of great young golfers has risen to carry the banner.

Eldrick “Tiger” Woods won his first major, The Masters Tournament, in 1997. His coming out party announced to the world of golf that something great had just arrived, as he won by twelve strokes, shooting a four day tournament record eighteen under par. He would become the face of golf for the next twelve years, winning fourteen major victories. His last major victory was in 2008, in a courageous performance at the US Open, where he beat Rocco Mediate in a playoff, despite requiring surgery on his knee. Then it all collapsed.

Tiger is finding it tough to compete against the fantastic young guns of the PGA Tour. The current #1 ranked golfer in the world is England’s Luke Donald. Though Donald has yet to capture a major title, he is one of the top money winners. Another Englishman, Lee Westwood, sits at #2 in the rankings. Northern Ireland’s 22 year old Rory McIlroy is the latest sensation to take over the PGA Tour. His incredible 2011 US Open, where he scored a tournament record sixteen under par, was reminiscent of Tiger’s first major victory. Rory looks poised to have a legendary career, as he is currently ranked 3rd in the world.

Other major winners from the last couple years include 25 year old Keegan Bradley in the 2011 PGA Championship, 26 year old German, Martin Kaymer in the 2010 PGA Championship, 31 year old Graeme McDowelle of the 2010 US Open, and Tiger’s arch-nemesis, Phil Mickelson, in the 2010 Masters Tournament.

Even without it’s former star player being on top of his game, the PGA tour is full of excellent golfers who will have incredible careers. The tour has never had this many young golfers with this much talent. McIlroy, Kaymer, Bradley, Dustin Johnson, Jason Day, and a host of other young talents look as if they are poised to bring the game of golf into a new era of greatness.

The Back Swing, Down Swing and Follow Through…

If you want that golf ball to stop landing where it may and land where you are targeting, you may need to work on all three stages of the golf swing.  We like to call them, “the golf swing trinity.”  The back swing, down swing and follow through all connect and complement each other, so if just one of them is out of whack… so will be your golf game.  Be sure to always hold your club firmly and keep a solid stance.  Then follow these simple tips to improve your overall swing:

The Backswing

The backswing is the momentum needed for a powerful downswing.  It’s the first motion in becoming the tightly wound coil needed to properly set that little white ball sailing in the right direction.  Use the upper body and shoulders more and the turning of the lower body and hips less.  The point is to build up some resistance so when the downswing comes, it is most powerful.

Keep your back leg in place.  Don’t allow your knee to turn or you will lose part of the torque you just gained.  Keep your feet anchored to the ground while trying to keep your head as straight as possible, although it will naturally bobble a bit.

The Down Swing

About a third or halfway through the down swing make a point of turning your belly button towards the golf ball as quickly as possible.  Continue this until you are pointed towards the golf ball, at which point you are into the follow through and watching your golf ball sail down the fairway.

Place your front foot towards the golf ball by moving the front knee towards the golf ball as well.  You may feel awkward the first few times, but soon it will be natural to you. Both knees will be slightly bent.

The down swing is started with the lower body, not the arms.  If you are working your down swing with your arms, you are also loosening your grip on the club.  This causes your wrist to unlock before they should.  It’s called casting and it works against you.

The key is to move your front knee towards the ball at the time you feel your upper body about to end the back swing.  You’ll feel like you are squatting, which means you are doing it right.  You never want to lose momentum.

The Follow Through

When all goes well, the end will be you and your club making the shape of a backwards C.  Your club should end over your shoulder, perpendicular to your body.  Your hips will be forward and your back leg will be slightly bent behind you with your heel off the ground.  Practice the above a few times until you are comfortable with the motions and they become natural to you.

We hope these tips help you out.  For information on Hole in One Insurance for your golf tournament, contact us today.

When it comes to hosting a charity golf tournament, your number one priority is to make the entire event as successful as you possibly can.  This will not only allow your guests to enjoy themselves, but it will also bring in more funds for your charity.   National Hole-in-One Association would like to share with you a few useful tips to follow to ensure your charity golf tournament is an ace in the hole.

Tip #1

Choose the golf course carefully. You don’t want your event on a course that is not well manicured, doesn’t have enough staff, or is too difficult to play.  When you are advertising chances to win prizes, you want to offer your guests a course that challenges them, but not one that is so difficult no one can win the grand prize, or any prize for that matter.

Tip #2

Meet with the staff ahead of time. You want to make sure the staff understands exactly what is going to go on.  How and when do you want the prizes presented?  Will there be a luncheon also?  What will be served?  Will you require food and beverages on the course?  Meeting with the staff ahead of time not only allows you to communicate your needs, it will allow you to see how friendly and willing to serve the staff actually is.  If the staff is questionable, select another course to host your charity golf tournament.

Tip # 3

Advertise. Use the prizes you will be offering as the ‘hook’ in your advertising efforts.  Start advertising as soon as you have all of the details worked out.   Be sure to require all participants supply an email address so you can confirm for the current event and advertise later.  You can also use their email addresses to give information about future events or to solicit directly for donations.

Tip #4

Obtain a sponsor.  If you want your charity golf tournament to be truly successful, obtain a sponsor.  This not only makes your event more intriguing and attractive, it will help you to obtain more sign-ups.  This will also double your advertising efforts for free as your sponsor will be advertising as well to get some good public relations out of it.

Tip #5

Purchase Hole-in-One Insurance coverage from National Hole-in-One Association. Besides being covered on all of your prizes, of any value between $1000 to $1,000,000+, you will get top-of-the-line signage to place around the course.  This will make your charity golf tournament more professional, more exciting, and will give you the chance to spotlight your sponsor during the event.  You can also use your signs in your pre-even advertising efforts.

Don’t forget to purchase the weather insurance as well so you will be able to reschedule your event in the case of bad weather without worrying about your Hole-in-One Insurance coverage.  And don’t forget to have fun.   Get coverage details from National Hole-in-One Association today: