Is golf an expensive game?

How much have you spent over the last twelve months on our glorious game?

It's been an unusual year for me as I got back into it properly and bought a whole set of clubs so I have spent approx £600 on clubs, currently paying £65 pm on membership and will probably spend £60pm on drinks and a bite after the game. then of course there are days playing in societies and the like at other courses.

Golf balls? I'm guessing in the region of £200 for the year.

Total estimate for the last twelve months - £2,500. Ouch!

Chipping out of thick rough

Q. My issue is I am struggling with short chips especially out of thick rough; any tips would be much appreciated.

A.  First thing is to realise that there is almost no chance of getting this to grip. So don't try.

Depending on how thick and tangly the rough is there are a few shots to try. Picking the club up steeply like Gael says is a good option.

But try this. Hit the ball fat. What will happen is that the ball will pop up more softly than if you try to hit it clean and run on landing.

Will take lots of practice but it allows you to take some of the power off the shot whilst still hitting it hard enough to get through the grass. And often the problem with these shots is being too delicate to get through the thick rough and as a result the ball stays in there.

Keeping warm in winter

Now we're into the cold weather of winter,. what little tips do you guys have for keeping warm?

My personal favourite is a flask of tomato soup spiced up with a bit of chilli powder.

Hip flasks are another obvious one, what do you have in yours? I'm partial to a little nip of port.

PUTTING THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE

Hopefully, the events of Sept. 11, 2001 have put the importance of golf into the proper perspective. Yeah, you may miss a chip or putt that costs you that chance of breaking 70, 80, 90, or even a 100, but the reality is that, in the great scheme of things, your score is not as important as you once thought it was. YOU are alive and able to play. Other people can never play again. When things get tough, appreciate the fact that you're able to be out there golfing. Enjoy life's good times and rise up to its challenges. You should still care a lot. Still try to do your best. But the fact is -- life is real, golf is JUST a game.

Think down to make it go up

To pitch the ball up and over a menacing sand trap 20 or so yards away, you need to understand the concept of swinging DOWN on the ball. To do this, use a wedge on the driving range. Swing down on the shot with soft hands, catching the ball first on a descending blow. If you're not catching some turf AFTER YOU'VE HIT THE BALL, preferably creating some form of divot, then you are probably not swinging down on it enough. Keep your head DOWN until you have watched yourself swing THROUGH the ball, finishing with at least as much follow through as backswing. This will get the ball up and over any obstacle. The rest is gaining touch through practice.

Rest your hands at the practice range

All too often at the driving range, you hit so many shots in such a short time that you end up hitting it lousy due to excessive grip pressure. Take a few seconds in between shots, shake some of the tension out, and have a routine that keeps a death grip from sabotaging your practice sessions. Each practice shot should have a reason for being struck, should have its own value in the scheme of things, and should be hit with the proper grip pressure.