9 Best tips on how to pack for your golf tip

One of the factors you need to take into account when planning your golf trip is packing your essentials. However, it can be a daunting task if you don’t pack carefully.


If you want a hassle-free trip, take note of these things:

Invest in a top quality travel cover
Instead of purchasing a cheap travel cover, choose the best quality brand. Although it's a bit pricey, you'll be ensured of your golf equipment's safety and protection.

Additionally, avoid buying an all-black cover so it you can tell it apart from other golfers' gear. Make sure also to place your name-tag or business card outside and the inside the bag, just in case the outside card is displaced.

A lightweight carry bag
If you’ve played golf in other parts of the world, you've probably noticed that the most experienced caddies favored to the lightest bag in the group. Bring one of those huge bags and you’ll be treated like a rookie.

Microfiber clothing
These amazing fabrics are made for golf travelers. They’re very lightweight, breathable, wrinkle resistant and dry quickly.

Take some stain-remover for mud
Otherwise, you might bring home a mud-splotched pair of golf slacks or khakis as a souvenir of your trip.

Bring two pairs of golf shoes
You must have an extra pair of golf shoes available in case you get caught in a downpour. Ideally, you need to bring at least two pairs of waterproof golf shoes, especially on golf trips consisting of four days or longer.

Quality golf umbrella
Don’t depend on the free umbrellas you received as a gift from your last corporate golf tournament. Instead, use a top quality umbrella that can withstand strong winds and can keep you dry.

Do a golf ball inventory
If you have high handicap, you’ll obviously need more golf balls. It's essential to evaluate your game first, then calculate how many golf balls will be needed.
Take note, buying golf balls outside America is usually expensive.

Bring healthy snacks
You’ll be glad you packed boxes of granola bars and peanut butter crackers, especially if you’re playing on challenging courses. While the beef barley soup, fish and chips are treasured favorites after a around, you’ll need some healthy snacks during play.

Bring some extra items
If you’re traveling just away from the US, make sure you take extra tees, pencils and divot repair tools which aren’t as readily available at golf courses outside the country.


Packing for your golf essentials can make or break your escapade. So, do it properly to make your golf trip memorable without any hassle.

Check out Florida Highlands Golf

How About “Mountain Golf” in Florida?

The diverse landscape of the area just north of Orlando known as the “Florida Highlands”, is home to some of the most scenic vistas in the state of Florida – and great, natural terrain golf courses. In fact, the highest point on peninsular Florida is in this same area. OK…we’re not talking the Rockies or the Appalachians, but in a state most think as flat and ringed with sugar-white sand beaches, we do have some good elevations.  

Fortunately for us golfers, these elevations are within minutes of Orlando and are home to some of the highest-rated courses in the state. Check out the courses we refer to as Florida “Mountain Golf”… Club at Bella Collina, Sanctuary Ridge, The Legends Club, and Mission Inn. 








The designers of the courses noted above, did not move much earth during course construction. The natural “mountain” terrain, sand barrens, natural lakes and native vegetation mostly dictated the course design characteristics. El Campeon, “The Champion” at Mission Inn was designed and built in 1917, and like other courses born during that era, the natural terrain - not a bulldozer, was “the designer”. Some thoughts from Nick Faldo when building his Bella Collina masterpiece include, “the natural rolling site with steep elevation changes is very unusual for Orlando”, and “the course will provide an inspiring golfing experience for members and guests for years to come.”

These courses are all within a 45-minute drive (and well worth the trip) of the popular Orlando hotel and condo choices. Also, Golf Zoo has made playing these courses easier by offering   “Florida Highlands Golf Trail” Packages that include great accommodations and great golf courses that places our golf customers within minutes of the courses noted above.

Call us today to book these great Golf Courses!

@ 800-929-7300

(OR)

Visit our GolfZoo Website and check-out the Florida Highlands Golf Trail!

6 ways to lower scores and fix common golf errors

It's okay to hit bad shots during your rounds on a golf vacation. Playing golf is not about hitting perfect shots every time (even pro-golfers make errant shots every now and then). It's how you minimize your mistakes that are the key.

Thus, recognize your playing flaws and make a way to minimize them. If you'd like to know how, here are some tips:

Grip the club with your fingers to hit the ball farther

It is more effective to grip the club more with the fingers than with the palms. To do this: Flip the club upside down, grip the skinniest part of the club shaft and take a few swings.

Tilt your shoulders for a better swing

To do this: Hit the ball with the clubhead a few inches away from the ball at address. This way, you can perform the correct swing position with your shoulders tilt. Tilting promotes more rounded and forward swing arcs.

Don't take the club too far inside to avoid reverse pivot

Once you take the club too far back to the inside, it'll make you lean too much over the ball. As a result, your weight will shift to your right side, which is the opposite of the proper direction on the downswing.

Rotate for a successful arc

Your head position must be aligned with your right knee when you do your backswing, to rotate your body correctly. Then, you need to put your hands behind the ball, turn your hips about 45 degrees, and rotate your shoulder about 90 degrees. This way, you can make bigger and more powerful arc into the ball.

Avoid too much sway for a better control

 
Rotating is different from shifting your weight while you swing. To check if you're doing it right, try this drill on your golf trips:

Lean your golf bag against your hips and make a full backswing. If you didn't hit the bag or knock it over, you're on the right track. Otherwise, you probably shifted your body weight and swayed your hips too much.

Chicken wing is no power!

Your body should be rotating, your left arm should be in line with your club shaft and left leg, and your club should make solid contact with your golf ball. If they don't, you won't be able to release the club through impact, causing your arms to fold, and ending up with a chicken wing (the shortening of your left or right arm in the downsizing and impact). 

To avoid this, allow your arms and hands to rotate through the shot, keeping your arms extended through the hit. This will eventually make your ungloved hand cross over the gloved, and it will place your arms in front of your chest. 

With the right guidance, and ample time to practice, you'll see lower scores in no time on your golf vacations.

Golf Trip Tips: Getting started for the first time golfers

If it's your first time to be on a golf trip and to be playing golf in general, prepare yourself. According to one editor: “the hardest part about golf can be getting started.”

But, don't worry that much, remember that this is your first time and you just want to get a feel of what the game is all about.

Here are some of the things that you have to remember before saying, “I'm ready to take on the golf course!”

Since you're a beginner, make learning a priority-- and no need for the expensive equipment you may have wanted.

1. Golf club. You don't need the best one there is to offer. Focus on finding the sort of equipment that will allow you to develop your 'imperfect skills' with minimal expense. But if you don't have time or money to buy a club, borrowing clubs during a round is permissible under certain circumstances, but it's against the rules in most. So it's best for a beginner to simply make sure you have the club you need.
   
   
2. Golf balls. Again, choose the less expensive brand. If you're unsure of the number of balls to buy, buy balls based on how many you lose in a round or have multiple balls ready. You'll probably lose a few balls in your first round. Also, the rules of golf allow you 5 minutes to search for your ball, so take a look in the general area of where your ball went. If you don’t see it within 30 seconds, drop a marker where you thought it landed and keep on going. 
    
3. Dress codes. Many golf courses have dress codes. Find out the appropriate dress code to wear at the course you're playing. A pair of khaki shorts or slacks and a collared golf shirt will almost always meet the requirements, but it's a good idea to check beforehand.

Yes, it's true, the Rules of Golf is 182 pages long, and getting good score is important. But for beginners:

4. Rules. Learn the basics of the rules and etiquette of the game. There are any number of web sites where you can do this. Don’t worry about the rules too much. Frankly, you probably won’t even know all of them that well.

5. Score. Don’t worry about your score also. Remember, this is your first time and you just want to experience playing golf. Just relax and enjoy your golf trip. 
    
6. Position. Develop a pre-shot routine you are comfortable with and stick to it every single time - it will become almost second nature after a while and you will not even need to think about how to get yourself in the right position. Also, when playing, play one shot at a time. If you hit a bad shot, don't focus on what you did wrong, just move on.

And lastly, make sure you warm up and stretch before you even pick up a club. Remember, it's your first time so don't get mad if things go wrong. It's your golf trip after all!

Improve course management during your golf vacation

How do you handle bad shots and breaks on your golf vacation? Do you get frustrated or feel challenged?

Playing golf is a mental game, and part of your strategy should include good course management. Course management is your ability to play around the golf course, to avoid trouble, and to place each shot in the best position to hit lower scores in the next shot.

Significantly, course management is also important for a less frustrating and more successful round. So take your golf trip as an opportunity to improve on it. Here's how:

1. Study the course

If you're playing on a new course, study and plan each hole as you approach it. Pay attention to wind direction, as this can be a very frustrating factor when playing golf.

Suggestion: Keep the ball lower than usual so the wind will have less influence on the direction of the ball.

2. Have a game plan

The hardest thing to do when playing golf is to follow your game plan and not be tempted to knock the ball too hard. Thus, take a moment to visualize prior to your game. Picture how the game would go. Learn some good techniques in handling fairways, windy conditions, errant shots and other factors that might affect your game. And, always remind yourself of your game plan so you won't be tempted to shift your routines during your game.

3. Play to your strength

Know how long you can hit a ball with any given club and keep an eye on your targets. For instance, when you are on the tee box, you usually won't be aiming directly at the pin located at 300 yards if you can only drive the ball 150 yards or less. Instead, hit a target that would set up your next shot on the green.

4. Avoid troubles

Turn your attention to where you want the ball to go. If your last look or thought is at the trouble, chances are, that's where your ball will end up. Instead, focus on your targets and stop panicking so you won't miss your tee shots.

5. Get out of trouble

If your ball is in troublesome areas such as a cluster of trees, in a pond, or, on one side of a hole, you should tee up your ball far away from it as possible. But be prepared for bad shots and breaks as it can be very hard to recover once you're in it. If you hit errant shots and breaks, let go of them, stay confident and focused to hit the next shot.

Once you've learned how to manage the golf course (and your game), you will enjoy your game, and this can help make your golf vacation worthwhile.

Golf Trip Tips: Preparing for your golf tournament

Everyone wants to play to be at the top of their game during a golf trip. But tournaments can put a little more pressure on a golfer than usual. If you happen to be invited to a competition, there's some expectations you will play at your best and you may feel edgier just at the thought of it.

How can you turn this pressure into success on your tournament? Work on it before and the day of. Here are some tips:

Check your list

Packing your things for your upcoming golf tournament can be a daunting task. So before you go away to your golf vacation destination, make sure your clubs, tees, pitch mark repairer, ball marks, and your gloves are packed beforehand.

Practice on the golf course

Go to the golf course and play with your buddy. Simulate the pressure of being in a tournament and learn to commit to shots. This way you can practice your swings, putting and things that can help you score. And through playing, you can actually see your strengths and weaknesses. If you don’t have someone to play with, compete with yourself and the conditions.

Your mindset 

You play on the same course, environment, and venue every day but why can't you consistently hit good shots every time? It's the mind that controls how you play your game. In fact, the hardest thing to control in every game is not the course, wind, or anything. It's your mind. So before you hit the greens, visualize, think positive and have an ideal goal with every shot you take.

Have a goodnight’s sleep

Get a good sleep two nights before the day. Sleep is a very important aspect you should not overlook. In fact, that sleep from your two nights, will carry you through on your tourney. Otherwise, you'll encounter fatigue, poor concentration, negative game mood and higher risk of injuries.

Eat

Start with a good breakfast on the day of competition. You can eat eggs as they are a great source of protein. You can also include oatmeal and fruits, which are helpful in sustaining energy. Lastly, don't forget to drink lots and lots of water to keep yourself hydrated.

Warm up

Focus on your movement’s tempo and balance. Most golfers tend to speed up their swing when under pressure and move too quick. Take note, hasty movements are likely to result in unsure shots.

Hit a few different shots

An hour before the competition, go directly to the putting green and hit a lot of long putts to establish a feel of the greens. And after about fifteen minutes, go to the driving range where you work through the bag. You can start with the lob wedge and hit a few with each of the other clubs.

Hit some chips

After warming up, go to the chipping area for a few bunker and chip shots, then go back to the putting green and putt as many as you can.

Above all, don't be afraid to fail and always believe in your abilities when you're on your golf trip.