The Golf Slice

If you’ve watched even one of the PGA tournaments on television this year you’ve noticed a rising trend of golfers wearing sport sunglasses while they’re out on the course. There are several reasons for this increase in eyewear that both pros and amateurs alike should consider for themselves.

I’m sure one of the main reasons professional golfers are wearing sunglasses so often now, aside from health and game improvements I’ll discuss in a minute, are for endorsement deals. There are tons of designer sunglasses companies out there that would love to have the visibility and marketing that comes with having a professional golfer wearing their glasses.

Of course, weekend hackers aren’t in any position to land major endorsement deals. There are two other good reasons to wear sunglasses on the course though: improving your ball striking and keeping your eyes healthy.

Both of those points revolve around the obvious idea of keeping the sun out of your eyes. Wearing sunglasses helps you keep your eye on the ball easier both when you are swinging and afterwards as you try and track the flight path of the golf ball. There’s nothing more frustrating than having to spend lots of time trying to find your ball out on a hole because you didn’t see where it landed thanks to the sun’s glare in your eyes.

And, obviously, keeping the sun out of your eyes is also a great way to keep your vision safe as well. Constant sunlight is not healthy for anyone and it is especially important for golfer’s to keep their eyes protected because they spend so much time out in the sun’s rays.

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.

There are really two different types of golf tees: normal and long. The normal golf tee is what you’ll see most people using. They’re generally made of wood and are, on the whole, pretty common and not exciting in the least.

I personally use the longer golf tees. They’re made of wood like normal but they’re approximate one to two inches longer in length than a normal tee.

Several years ago I started using longer tees as an experiment because I was having a hard time getting under the ball with a driver I owned at the time. While it turned out the driver and I didn’t get a long regardless of the tee I did end up sticking with longer tees and use them to this day.

So if you’re having some trouble on the tee box maybe you should try using longer golf tees and see if that helps.

There’s a lot of science that goes into the construction of a golf ball. Take the dimples on the ball, for instance. The dimples on a golf ball are there to help the ball get lift into the air and to promote spin. It’s similar to how an airplane’s wings are specially built to allow the plane to get lift and get into the air.

Every golf ball has what is called a compression number. This number refers to how tightly packed the contents of the golf ball are inside the shell. So a golf ball with a high compression number will feel much harder on impact than one with a lower number. Typically the numbers range from 80 to 110.

I recently ran into a question over at Yahoo! Answers about the best way to clean a white Nike golf glove.

Now it just so happens I use the same golf glove myself so I feel I’m more than qualified to answer this question.

The best way to clean a white Nike golf glove is to throw it in the trash.

I probably go through at least two golf gloves a season anymore. They’re only $10-$15 and you can usually buy them right at the pro shop at your favorite course.

Most golfers, new or advanced, have much bigger aspects of their game they should be worrying about over the cleanliness of their golf glove. And a lot of them are asking really intelligent questions to help improve their game over at Yahoo! Answers so I suggest everyone heads over there and checks them out.

I have a pretty steadfast rule against ever walking while golfing. Since golf cart rentals are usually so cheap I personally see no reason to lug a golf bag around and walk 18 holes. Of course, a lot of people golf for exercise (imagine that!) and they prefer to walk the course.

If you’re one of those people, please make sure you are using the proper golf bag. There’s a wide variety of golf bags available on the market today and some are better served for walkers and some are better for golf carts.

A good golf bag for someone who wants to walk has two shoulder straps so that you can carry it like you a backpack. You’ll definitely want to find a golf bag that is light in weight too. A lot of newer golf bags also come with built-in stands that come out when you set the bag down. This saves you from having to bend over and pick your golf bag up off the ground after each shot.

The right golf bag will help prevent shoulder and back aches and general fatigue as you work your way through your round.