You might want to file this under the “Hardcore Golfer” category but some people like to get down and find out which way the grass on a green is growing before they putt.

The theory, I suppose, is that grass growing towards the hole will make the ball run faster to the cup. Then the opposite would be true for grass growing away from the hole. Your ball will travel slower on its path.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of tips and tricks people suggest and try for putting. I’m not personally sold 100% on this grass direction idea but if you’re struggling with your putter it might be something to check out for yourself.

Just don’t get caught on your hands and knees inspecting grass growth patterns in front of your good friends. That sounds pretty embarrassing.

Over the last few summers I’ve noticed more and more people at my regular courses with their own golf carts. They usually haul them to the course themselves on a trailer but I’ve also heard, from time to time, about people storing their carts on the actual course themselves and paying a fee.

A lot of folks, particularly retirees, who now live out their golden years living in a condo on a golf course have their own golf carts. Owning your own golf cart is obviously not for everyone. You would probably need to either be a diehard player or someone with a lot of free time to get full use out of the purchase.

The used golf cart market is surprisingly large. You can find a used golf cart to fit your needs for as low as a thousand dollars or as high as several thousand dollars. If you’re looking to do a bit of customization to your cart check into golf cart lift kits. You can get a lift kit for a bunch of different makes and models of golf carts.

As a new golfer a lot of emphasis is placed on your swing and making contact with the ball. That’s fine but as your game improves and your time on the golf course increases you need to begin paying more and more attention to your grip on the golf club.

Everyone has their own style and way to grip a golf club that they develop over the course of time. The really important part of the grip is that it gives you enough control over your golf club. A lot of people talk about the feel in your hands and whatnot but I’m more about the end result.

The “feel” folks want you to have one solid presence between your hands, the shaft of the club and down to the clubhead. They’re concerned with making sure you’ve got the right tension and that you aren’t gripping too tight (or not tight enough).

I say practice makes perfect and that you won’t find what feels right until you start seeing results that satisfy you. Once you start making shots you’re happy with analyze your grip and stick with it. There’s no perfect solution for everyone.

New golfers have a hard time knowing what clubs to have in their bags each time they go out on the course. I think a lot of the time it’s less about what clubs are actually in the bag and more about what clubs a new golfer is most comfortable with using.

High irons are probably the beginning golfers best bet to start with. These clubs are shorter and have a tendency to be easier to consistently hit well which is important for your confidence.

I’d recommend staying away from the low irons (1 through 3) and instead them with fairway woods. The head of a fairway wood is so much larger than the head on an iron that hitting a distance shot becomes a much easier affair.

Last Thursday, Lorena Ochoa was asked if she would ever consider playing in a PGA Tour event.

“No,” she said. “My idea was first to play on the LPGA and dominate here and just try to do my best and achieve my goals.”

She’s been approached to play in Mexico on the PGA tour but has said that she has no intentions whatsoever of attending. Lorena hasn’t discounted the possibility of her playing against men though. She did say that there was the change of an exhibition. So let’s hope that does happen since co-ed golfing is always interesting to see.

On another note, it’s good to see that she isn’t giving in to media pressure, and isn’t bending over backwards to make everyone happy by playing some PGA events. By doing this, she is remaining a solid role model for all the young female golfers out there, and believe me, there are a ton of them.

She’s also probably doing a lot more to help her career than someone like Michelle Wie. Her stints playing against male competition have so far totally backfired.